Malawi's energy minister stated that new solar infrastructure will decrease electricity shortages and enhance commercial output during a Monday inspection of a generation facility in Salima District. Jean Mathanga examined the Electricity Generation Company Limited site at Nanjoka, where the initial 10-megawatt phase reached completion in December before connecting to the national grid.
The minister noted that her ministry coordinates with finance officials to obtain foreign currency for timely project delivery. Mathanga explained that the installation reduces reliance on hydroelectric systems affected by climate-driven water level changes. She emphasized that consistent power access supports manufacturing efficiency, lowers production...
A health rights organization called on Malawi authorities to change law enforcement practices ahead of a November human rights review, where the government later reversed its reform commitments. Community Health Rights Advocacy executive director Aniz Mitha stated that police obstruct vulnerable populations from accessing reproductive and sexual health services. The group requested revisions to the national HIV strategic plan extending through 2027.
Malawi accepted 245 recommendations during its fourth Universal Periodic Review held on November 4, 2025, including calls from Canada and Human Rights Watch to repeal criminal code provisions 153, 154, 156, and 137 that prohibit same-gender relations. Ministry of Justice official Amani...
A former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy commissioner urged mandatory financial scrutiny of officers during testimony before the Madlanga Commission that began Friday and resumed Monday. Revo Spies, who served 33 years with EMPD and currently works for Tshwane Metro Police, stated that personnel operate expensive vehicles and reside in upscale properties despite modest salaries while facing minimal accountability for involvement in criminal activities.
Spies noted that existing legislation permits lifestyle examinations of municipal employees but excludes metropolitan police from such oversight. He advocated for compulsory background checks and financial reviews of all law enforcement personnel to identify potential...
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli emphasized accountability and moral governance as essential elements for reducing crime during a two-day strategic planning meeting in Richards Bay that concluded on November 11, 2025. Senior officials and community partners attended the session to evaluate departmental performance and establish new safety targets for a province that recorded more than 5,000 homicides in the previous year.
Acting Department Head Nokuthula Khanyile presented operational difficulties and recommended enhanced coordination between strategic planning and field operations. The gathering stressed anticipatory analysis of criminal patterns and evidence-based responses to emerging threats. Ntuli urged participants to adopt...
An activist has praised Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae for organizing a landmark conference addressing workplace challenges faced by employees with disabilities. Kamohelo Teele, secretary general of the South African Disability Development Organization, described the gathering as the first interdepartmental meeting of its kind since 1994.
The province currently employs 339 workers with disabilities, representing just 1.1 percent of government staff and falling short of national requirements. Teele noted that previous provincial leaders neglected disability sector concerns, leaving Free State with the weakest performance record nationwide in hiring people with disabilities.
The premier attended both days of the November...
The University of the Free State will welcome economist Jeffrey Sachs on November 18, 2025, for a lecture examining approaches to accelerate economic expansion throughout Africa. Sachs, who directs the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and advises UN leadership on global development issues, has guided policy formation in more than 100 nations. Philippe Burger, dean of the institution's economic faculty, will provide commentary following the presentation.
The 2:00 p.m. session at the Bloemfontein Campus Centenary Complex launches a new speaker series. Attendees may register through Andre Damons at [email protected] or by calling 076 493 2044. Burger previously studied at Columbia as a Fulbright scholar and...
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party faces allegations of misleading 17 South African men into combat roles with Russian forces in Ukraine under pretenses of bodyguard training. The recruits, primarily from KwaZulu-Natal and aged 20 to 39, traveled to Russia in July 2025 expecting security instruction but were instead deployed to frontline positions in the Donbas region after minimal preparation. A leaked September letter attributed to party leader Jacob Zuma reportedly urged Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov to withdraw the men from battle, acknowledging they signed contracts through deceptive methods.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned what his office characterized as the exploitation of vulnerable citizens and initiated diplomatic...
The African National Congress has reversed its earlier decision by approving special leave for suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu from party responsibilities after he requested time to address corruption allegations. Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula confirmed on November 11 that the National Working Committee granted the request, allowing Mchunu to step away from his roles on the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee while he defends himself before two investigative bodies. President Cyril Ramaphosa had already placed Mchunu on leave from cabinet duties on November 1 following testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry linking him to questionable dealings.
Witnesses at the commission have accused Mchunu...
A litigation financing company based in the British Virgin Islands has asserted rights to 40 percent of the settlement payment between telecommunications provider Vodacom and inventor Nkosana Makate over the Please Call Me service. Black Rock Mining Limited contends a 2011 funding arrangement entitles the firm to a substantial portion of the compensation, which analysts estimate ranges between 350 million rand and 750 million rand following the November 4 resolution of their two-decade dispute.
Makate's legal representatives have rejected the demand, maintaining that any agreement with Black Rock terminated in 2015 and describing the claim as without merit. The inventor developed the callback request feature in 2000 while employed as a...
