South Africa

As police lose the war on crime in South Africa, private security companies step in

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Thamsanqa Mothobi was going about his life in Johannesburg when he was carjacked and taken to an informal settlement where robbers accessed his mobile banking apps.

“They had guns and demanded the PIN codes for my apps. They increased the withdrawal limits in my accounts and emptied them. I was only released in the early hours of the morning,” the father of three said, adding that his one comfort was that he was not killed.

Over 1,000 Burundian soldiers covertly deploy in eastern Congo, internal UN report says

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Over 1,000 Burundian troops have been covertly deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since October, wearing the uniform of Congolese troops and working alongside them in the fight against M23 rebels, an unpublished U.N. report seen by Reuters showed.

Citing security and intelligence sources and sources close to Congolese army command, the report by the U.N. Group of Experts in Congo said the troops were airlifted from Burundi to eastern Congo by Congolese army planes starting from Sept. 21.

Cape of Good Hope closed as wildfire rages on near Cape Town in South Africa

CAPE TOWN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The well-known Cape of Good Hope was closed Friday morning as a wildfire has been burning for the fourth day on a mountain near Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa.

The wildfire started Tuesday on the mountain slopes of Simon's Town, about 40 km south of Cape Town and part of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.

Lavrov slams 'klepto' German authorities for plans to seize Russian assets

TUNISIA, December 21. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the German authorities as "kleptomaniacs" while commenting on the German Prosecutor General's Office’s call to seize Russian assets.

"They are kleptos. We realized this a long time ago. They have been duplicitous all along in political terms, you know: in the sense of defaulting on agreements and trying to deceive someone. Now they have turned out to be kleptocratic in the literal sense of this word," Lavrov told a news conference following his visit to Tunisia.

South Africa to build new nuclear plants

JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The South African government will begin the process of adding 2,500 megawatts (MW) to its nuclear capacity, with the first commissioning expected in 2032 or 2033, a senior official said Tuesday.

"We are triggering a procurement process. We are going out to ensure that we are able to get that additional 2,500 MW of nuclear capacity to ensure energy security and sovereignty. This is a significant milestone," said Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, minister in the Presidency responsible for electricity, at a media briefing.

South Africa: Establishment of BRICS Disability Forum in the spotlight

PRETORIA, Dec 8 (NNN-SANEWS) — South Africa’s Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) is hosting a virtual meeting with technical experts on the proposed establishment of a Disability Forum within BRICS countries.

The Disability Forum will aim to promote the mainstreaming of disability inclusion across BRICS priority areas, policies and frameworks, agreements, and across programmes and activities.

BRICS is the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa bloc of nations.

Load shedding remains "stubborn challenge" to South Africa's economy: deputy president

CAPE TOWN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Deputy President Paul Mashatile said Tuesday that load shedding remains a "stubborn challenge" to the country's economy.

Mashatile made the remarks when he delivered his annual address to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), or upper house of parliament, in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa.

11 Miners Killed In Elevator Incident In South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 28 (NNN-BUANEWS) – Eleven miners died in an elevator incident, yesterday, at an Impala Platinum mine in Rustenburg, North West Province of South Africa, local media reported today.

“An elevator transporting miners up and down the shaft unexpectedly dropped 200 metres,” said a report by the eNCA, a local television channel.

A total of 88 miners were on the conveyance, the report said, quoting Johan Theron, spokesperson with the mining company.

South African Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius granted parole, will be released from prison on Jan. 5

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Double-amputee Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was granted parole Friday, 10 years after shooting his girlfriend through a toilet door at his home in South Africa in a killing that jolted the world. He will be released from prison on Jan. 5, but will be constantly monitored by parole officials for five years until his sentence expires, the Department of Corrections said.

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