Author: newsnote correspondent
The search for an eight-year-old female tiger that escaped from its enclosure on a small farm in southern Johannesburg over the weekend ended when it was found and euthanised. Community policing forum representative Gresham Mandy said reports were received of activity on the Arboretum Farm at Walkers Fruit Farms on Wednesday at around 01:55. The location is about 2km from where Sheba was last known to have been roaming around, Mandy said. “She had entered a farm area with six dwellings and with families living there. Sheba attacked and killed one of the domestic animals, and a call was made…
The riot saw thousands of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro attack government buildings following his election loss last year. The indictment says the individuals – who are not named – used violence and threats to try to abolish democracy. Mr Bolsonaro has voiced “regret” for the unrest, but denies he caused it. Perceived threats to democratic order are a sensitive subject in a country where military rule ended in 1985. The far-right leader is currently in the United States, having left Brazil to avoid attending the inauguration of his successor – the veteran leftist politician Luiz Inacio Lula da…
The eight-year-old big cat was spotted near a water hole on Monday evening with the help of thermal images from a drone. She returned to her enclosure, but soon escaped through the thin wire fence that had reportedly been cut, releasing the apex predator from the property Friday evening. Gresham Mandy of the Community Policing Forum said a team consisting of the Captured in Africa Foundation K9 anti-poaching unit, a member of the Special Task Force and community volunteers have agreed on a joint effort to track down Sheba. “We know where she is, but it is not safe for…
With a GDP of $66.0 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2022, South Africa is the second largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria. On the demand side, exports and government consumption were the main growth drivers. On the supply side, agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing were the main growth drivers. South Africa’s trade balance was $11.29 billion in October 2022, down 56% from $25.91 billion in October 2021). Exports totaled $104.05 billion in October 2022, while imports were $92.76 billion. Exports increased by 0.7% to $103.4 billion, while imports increased by 19.74% to $77.5 billion during the same period.…
The Sharks, Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers will be able to play their Champions Cup round of 16 and quarterfinal games at home if they make it that far in the competition. In a report by Irish publication The42, EPCR [European Professional Club Rugby] confirmed that the three South African teams will be able to play their round of 16 and quarterfinal matches at home. The situation changes, however, when it comes to the semifinals, because even if a South African team is ranked higher than its opponent from the Northern Hemisphere, that match will still take place in Europe.…
The country’s test and limited over teams will be coached by Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter, respectively, according to a statement issued by Cricket South Africa on Monday. Since 2014, Conrad, 55, has worked with many of South Africa’s top players as head coach of the South African Academy. Additionally, he coached the South African Under-19 team. A former head coach of Uganda’s national team, he has experience at senior domestic level with Cape Cobras and Lions. Over the next four years, his side has been severely curtailed after suffering heavy defeats in recent away series against England and Australia.…
Beginning next month, US Army divisions in Africa will train with their African partners. The armed forces of Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti, and Somalia will participate in the exercise, code-named “Justified Accord,” beginning later this month. According to the U.S. Army’s Southern European Task Force – Africa, Justified Accord 2023 (J23) is designed to “enhance multinational interoperability in crisis response and counterterrorism operations and prepare regional partners for missions on behalf of the United Nations and the African Union.” The exercise includes live-fire and naval exercises, a cyber course, field exercises and special operations. According to the U.S. Army…
Economists warn higher inflation rates will inevitably lead to further interest rate hikes by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) as South Africans remain under pressure from multiple load shedding and a massive electricity price hike in April. In response to the ongoing power crisis in South Africa and last week’s (Jan. 12) decision by energy regulator Nersa to allow Eskom to increase electricity prices by 18.65% from April 1, 2023, a number of comments from economists and analysts were released on Monday (Jan. 16). The overarching message of the responses is that the electricity price hike will undoubtedly drive…
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, which granted President Cyril Ramaphosa an injunction to stop former President Jacob Zuma’s private lawsuit, is a “travesty of justice.” Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesman Mzwandile Manyi told the media after the ruling was handed down Monday morning. Manyi said Zuma’s lawyers would find a way forward after the verdict. Manyi specifically objected to the court’s assertion that the civil court had jurisdiction to rule on the matter, despite the fact that Zuma had initiated a private criminal prosecution that will be heard on Thursday. “We challenge their failure to separate the matters,” he said.…
Cyril Ramaphosa has cancelled his day out to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland as South Africa grapples with an exceptional strength disaster that has resulted in each day electricity cuts of between eight and eleven hours throughout the country. Anger is developing as offices, hospitals, factories and tens of hundreds of small organizations are compelled to close, with outages additionally inflicting accelerated crime, visitors disruption and big wastage as meals provide chains collapse. Protesters in the east of the business capital, Johannesburg, blocked roads with burning tyres on Monday, whilst a newspaper in the township of Soweto ran the…