Tag Archives: South Africa

06Oct/23

Exporting surveillance to Africa

By Kim Harrisberg | South Africa correspondent

Privacy experts are calling for citizens to be protected from growing surveillance in Africa, following a new report by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN).

Their report, “Mapping the supply of surveillance technologies to Africa” focuses on Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Malawi and Zambia importing surveillance tech from countries including the U.S., Britain, China, Israel as well as the EU amounting to more than $1bn every year. Continue reading

05Sep/23

Africa Climate Summit: “opportunity” awaits

By Alister Doyle | Climate Correspondent

The Africa Climate Summit (ACS) is hearing a lot about “opportunities” for combating climate change on the continent that has done least to cause warming yet is most vulnerable to its harmful impacts.

The September 4-6 summit in Nairobi is a striking shift for African governments, who have berated rich nations for failing to meet a promise to mobilise $100 billion a year in climate finance by 2020. That year, it totalled just $83 billion. Continue reading

02Sep/23

Winnie and Mandela biography: a masterful tale of South Africa’s troubled, iconic power couple

Gavin Evans, Birkbeck, University of London

A new book on South African liberation struggle icons Nelson and Winnie Mandela is a masterful biography of the pair. It’s a work of scholarship involving an immense body of primary and secondary research, written with flair and panache but in an easy and compelling style, making it accessible to anyone with an interest in politics, power and South Africa and looks set to become the definitive work on them.

Continue reading

28Aug/23

John Wick: Chapter 4 and All Quiet on the Western Front are Motion Picture Winners at the 10th Annual Location Managers Guild International Awards

The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) announced the winners of its 10th Annual LMGI Awards tonight. The Motion Picture winners were John Wick: Chapter 4 (filmed throughout Berlin, Paris, New York City, Japan and Jordan) and All Quiet on the Western Front (filmed in Czech Republic and Germany). The Television Series winners were “1923” (filmed in Montana, South Africa, Malta and Kenya), “The White Lotus: Season 2” (filmed in Sicily, Italy) and “The Last of Us” (filmed around Alberta, Canada). Icelandair Stopover “Easy to Stop, Hard to Leave” (filmed in Iceland) won for Commercial and The Alberta Film Commissions and Calgary Economic Development for “The Last of Us” (filmed around Alberta, Canada) was awarded the Outstanding Film Commission Award. The awards ceremony and reception took place at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica before an audience of 400, including LMGI members, industry executives and press. This year also marks the LMGI’s 20th anniversary. Continue reading

25Jul/23

Women storm climate leadership

By Alister Doyle | Climate Correspondent

July 25, 2023 /Environment/ — Since it was set up in 1988, the U.N.’s prestigious panel of climate scientists has been led by men – a Swede, an Anglo-American, an Indian and a South Korean.

That 35-year all-male run may end this week when governments pick a new chair for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at a meeting in Nairobi from July 25-28. Continue reading

07Jul/23

Why is the mining of Sugilite controversial in Zambia?

July 7, 2023 /Environment/ — Sugilite is a relatively rare cyclosilicate mineral with a complex chemical formula of KNa₂(Fe, Mn, Al)₂Li₃Si₁₂O₃₀. It is typically found in shades of pink to purple, but can also be colorless, pale pink, or reddish violet. Sugilite crystals are rarely found and the form is usually massive. It has a hexagonal crystal system and a Mohs hardness of 6 to 6.5.

Sugilite is named after the Japanese petrologist Ken-ichi Sugi (1901-1948). It was first discovered in 1944 in the Iwagi island in the Ehime Prefecture, Japan. Since then, it has also been found in other countries, including South Africa, Russia, and the United States. Continue reading

21Jun/23

Europe cannot survive without Africa

June 21, 2023 /World/ — The statement that “Europe cannot survive without Africa” is a bit of an exaggeration. While Europe does rely on Africa for a number of resources, it is not entirely dependent on the continent. However, it is true that Africa plays an important role in the European economy.

Here are some of the ways in which Africa contributes to the European economy: Continue reading

19Jun/23

‘Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation’ and the ‘Kenneth Kaunda Memorial Public Lecture’ brief history

June 19, 2023 /Politics/ — The Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation was founded in 1989 by former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. The foundation’s mission is to “provide care, support, and education to children orphaned by or affected by HIV/AIDS.”

The foundation is headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, and has offices in several other African countries. It operates a number of programs, including: Continue reading

13Jun/23

Is Elon Musk Zambian, just asking

June 13, 2023 /Technology/ — Elon Musk is not Zambian. He was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to a Canadian mother and a South African father. He moved to the United States when he was 17 years old to attend college.

The confusion may have arisen because Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, once owned an emerald mine in Zambia. However, Elon Musk has never lived in Zambia and has never claimed Zambian citizenship. Continue reading