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by Michelle FITZPATRICK FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) — Covid-19 vaccine makers BioNTech and Pfizer on Wednesday said they had found a South African partner to produce their jab on the African continent for the first time. The move comes amid growing criticism of vaccine inequality that has seen poor countries fall behind richer ones in the race to protect people from the coronavirus. Under the agreement, Cape Town-based Biovac will complete the last step in the […]
by Susan NJANJI Agence France Presse JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Stores and warehouses in South Africa were hit by looters Tuesday for a fifth day running despite the troops President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed to try to quell unrest that has claimed 72 lives. As pillaging erupted in the economic capital of Johannesburg and the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’s main opposition accused radicals of stoking the unrest. The armed forces were sending […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — South Africa, the worst virus-hit country in the continent, on Monday crossed the threshold of 60,000 coronavirus deaths, health officials announced, a day after a stricter lockdown was enforced. “A further 138 covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 60,038 to date,” the National Institute for Communicable Diseases tweeted on Monday. At least 512 new hospital admissions were reported on Monday, pushing the total number of hospitalized […]
PRETORIA, South Africa (AFP) — South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday reimposed restrictions for two weeks to combat a surge in the highly contagious coronavirus Delta variant. The worst-hit country on the continent “is facing a massive resurgence of infection,” the president said in a televised address to the nation. “Our health facilities are stretched to the limit… ICU beds are in short supply,” he said as he placed the country on alert level […]
by Catherine SCHENCK SOWETO, South Africa (AFP) — A 19-coach train pulled into the Dube station of South Africa’s emblematic Soweto township early in the morning to bring desperately-needed and virtually free medical services to poor residents. Equipped with instruments and gear for optometry, dentistry, general medicine, psychology and a pharmacy — the Phelophepa clinic-on-rails criss-crosses the country for nine months a year. Law student Retshepile Mosena, 18, was among the hundreds that thronged the […]
by Claire DOYEN KWALHATHI, South Africa (AFP) — Single mother Lihle Magudulela spat out a mouthful of dirt as she sucked on a stone dug up from a hillside in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, convinced she might have found a diamond. Thousands have flocked to the outskirts of KwaHlathi village, more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) southeast of Johannesburg, after a cattle herder last week unearthed a handful of unidentified crystal-like stones. News of the […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Nearly 90 percent of African countries will miss a target of vaccinating a tenth of their population by September unless they urgently receive more than 200 million jabs, the WHO warned Thursday. “Only seven African countries (out of 54) are likely to reach the target,” the World Health Organization’s director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said in an online briefing. At least 225 million jabs are urgently required if the majority […]
PRETORIA, South Africa (AFP) — President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday that South Africa would re-impose stricter measures against Covid-19 fearing the whole country will soon face a third wave of the pandemic. Four of the nation’s nine provinces, including Gauteng which boasts Johannesburg and Pretoria and has the biggest population, are already battling a third wave of infections, Ramaphosa said. “It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — After much delay and on the cusp of a third wave, South Africa on Monday launched a large-scale Covid immunization campaign, targeting around five million people aged over 60 by the end of June. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said late Sunday that the target would be achieved if the anticipated orders of vaccines were delivered on time. “We will begin to vaccinate citizens 60 years and older, who are the […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Two patients died on Tuesday after a fire broke out in the coronavirus ward of a hospital in northern South Africa, the local health department said. The incident occurred at a hospital in Modimolle, 170 kilometres (106 miles) north of Johannesburg in rural Limpopo province. “A team of fire experts… have been dispatched to F.H. Odendaal hospital in Modimolle where two patients died after a fire broke out at the […]
by Susan NJANJI PRETORIA, South Africa (AFP) — South Africa on Sunday revealed plans to ban the breeding of lions in captivity for trophy hunting or for tourists to pet, advocating a more “authentic” experience for visitors. The decision was in response to recommendations contained in a government study into the controversial practice. The panel studied the rules governing the hunting, trade and keeping in captivity of lions, elephants, rhino and leopards. Environment Minister Barbara […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — South Africa will on Sunday take delivery of the first batch of its 4.5 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccines as the country readies to start ramping up immunization. In a statement, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said 325,260 doses were scheduled to land at the country’s OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg late on Sunday. A similar number is expected weekly until the end of this month. “Thereafter the vaccine supply will […]
