Tag Archives: South Africa

Some African leaders have not forgiven NATO for the ouster and death of Libya’s Gaddafi. Photo by Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University In early March the United Nation’s General Assembly voted on a resolution demanding Russia immediately stop its military operations in Ukraine. Out of 193 member states, 141 voted in support of the resolution, …

After South African scientists sounded the alarm about the new omicron variant, countries around the world closed their borders. Kim Ludbrook/EPA Gemma Ware, The Conversation and Daniel Merino, The Conversation What is it like to discover a new coronavirus variant? In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we hear the inside story from one of the South African scientists …

South Africa is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases. EMMANUEL CROSET/AFP via Getty Images Cari van Schalkwyk, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA) ; Harry Moultrie, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and Juliet Pulliam, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA) Scientists are working around the clock to get a better understanding of the Omicron …

Rural women in Agincourt, South Africa, with water collection containers. Lauren Porter Ryan G Wagner, University of the Witwatersrand; Chodziwadziwa Whiteson Kabudula, University of the Witwatersrand, and Daniel Ohene-Kwofie, University of the Witwatersrand South Africa has experienced tremendous change over the last quarter century: the first democratically elected government, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, changing health, social and economic policies and now …

What not to do: ban travel. Scenes at South Africa’s OR Tambo International airport after the first flight bans were announced. Phill Magakoe / AFP via Getty Images Shabir A. Madhi, University of the Witwatersrand South Africa reacted with outrage to travel bans, first triggered by the UK, imposed on it in the wake of the news that its genomics …

Scientists find variants by sequencing samples from people that have tested positive for the virus. Lightspring/Shutterstock Prof. Wolfgang Preiser, Stellenbosch University; Cathrine Scheepers, University of the Witwatersrand; Jinal Bhiman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Marietjie Venter, University of Pretoria, and Tulio de Oliveira, University of KwaZulu-Natal Since early in the COVID pandemic, the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa …

Daniel Conway, University of Westminster This article may contain spoilers. Damon Galgut, a white South African playwright and novelist, has won the 2021 Booker Prize for his novel The Promise, a satirical portrait of a white family living in Pretoria in post-apartheid South Africa. The story is a very personal one for Galgut, who grew up in Pretoria and witnessed …

The establishment of the African Union shows how social context is important in international organisations. Getty Images John J. Hogan, University of Groningen The African Union (AU) held its first summit in 2002, establishing itself as a new international organisation. It also launched a new vision for African security cooperation. Nearly two decades later, it is worth reflecting on the …

Leonie Fleischmann, City, University of London Discrimination against Palestinians by Israeli laws and policies amount to the crime of apartheid, according to a recent report from Human Rights Watch. The 213-page report, released on April 27, accuses Israel of operating a system of apartheid in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It concludes that “in certain areas … they amount to the …

Ijebu Garri refers to processed cassava from the Ijebu region of western Nigeria. Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Samuel Samiai Andrews, University of Gondar Around the world, people commonly associate certain foods and products with particular geographical areas. These products are known for characteristics like aroma, flavour, and the traditional knowledge systems used to make them. Legal and agricultural scholars speak of …