~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (17)

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula resigned amid accusations she solicited bribes when she was defence ministerSouth Africa’s former parliamentary speaker has been arrested as part of a corruption inquiry in the latest scandal to hit the governing African National Congress (ANC) party before elections in May.Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who resigned as speaker on Wednesday, was formally detained after handing herself in to police near Pretoria, prosecutors said. Continue...

Only survivor after vehicle falls 50 metres and catches fire is eight-year-old who was taken to hospital with serious injuriesAn eight-year-old child was the sole survivor after a bus carrying 46 people fell 50 metres from a bridge in South Africa into a ravine and caught fire.The child, who has not been named, was taken to hospital with serious injuries, the transport ministry said...

Dublin joins South Africa’s case in the international court of justice, arguing that stopping delivery of essentials may constitute ‘genocidal intent’Ireland is to seek to widen the definition of genocide to include blocking humanitarian aid in a landmark international court of justice (ICJ) case against Israel.The Irish government will intervene in the case taken by South Africa and argue that restricting food and other...

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula denies allegations she took bribes over three years while defence ministerSouth African prosecutors said on Monday they intended to charge the parliamentary speaker with corruption, alleging she took $135,000 (£107,000) and a wig in bribes over a three-year period while she was defence minister.Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the speaker of the National Assembly, has not been arrested or charged. The prosecutors spoke at a...

Animal welfare groups say smell from the build-up of faeces and ammonia on the ship are indicative of the conditions animals endureAuthorities in Cape Town have launched an investigation after a foul stench swept over the South African city.Officials inspected sewage facilities for leaks and an environmental health team was activated before the source of the smell was discovered: a ship docked in the...

Johannesburg-based Amplats says one in five jobs will be lost in South Africa amid plunge in profitsThe platinum arm of Anglo American is to cut 3,700 jobs in South Africa as the British mining company attempts to improve performance in the troubled division.Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) said on Monday it aimed to cut jobs after a sharp drop in platinum metal prices, which had...

First prime minister after independence from South Africa went on to become third president in 2014 and won re-election in 2019 Namibia’s president, Hage Geingob, died early on Sunday in a hospital in the capital, Windhoek, the presidential office said in a statement. He was 82.First elected president in 2014, Geingob was Namibia’s longest serving prime minister and third president. Namibia is to hold...

Judges in The Hague to decide on whether to order Israel to end its military campaign against HamasMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe international court of justice in The Hague is set to give its decision on Friday in South Africa’s case alleging genocide by Israel in Gaza, as the world watches to see whether the judges will order a ceasefire.At a two-day hearing...

Suspect had told inquiry into Johannesburg apartment fire that he started blaze last year to burn a bodyA man who confessed to starting a deadly fire at an apartment building in one of South Africa’s worst disasters has been charged with 76 counts of murder and 86 counts of attempted murder.The suspect was also charged with arson and was ordered to be kept in...

South Africa’s foreign minister will fly to The Hague for the ruling in a possible sign of Pretoria’s confidence in its caseSouth Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, is flying to The Hague to be present on Friday when the international court of justice (ICJ) delivers its highly anticipated verdict on South Africa’s request for an interim ruling in its genocide case against Israel.The ruling,...

Police arrest 29-year-old after he tells tower block fire inquiry he was trying to dispose of body of man he had strangledPolice in South Africa have arrested a man who claimed responsibility for starting a fire that killed 76 people last year, after he said he ignited the blaze while trying to dispose of the body of a man he had strangled.The shocking and...

International Court of Justice will hear complaint brought by South Africa, which is asking for urgent ‘provisional measures’A legal hearing into the war in Gaza opens in The Hague on Thursday as the international court of justice (ICJ) hears arguments alleging that Israel is committing genocide in the territory.South Africa, which has brought the case, is asking the UN court to act urgently “to...

Former Paralympic and Olympic athlete shot the 29-year-old model dead through a locked bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison on parole, after serving nine years in prison for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, South Africa’s correctional services department has said.Pistorius – a former Paralympic and Olympic athlete – shot the 29-year-old model dead through a locked bathroom...

Israel’s decision to defend itself at the international court of justice will make it harder for it to brush aside any adverse findingSouth Africa’s request for an interim measure by the international court of justice to prevent Israel from committing acts of potential genocide – primarily by calling for a halt to combat operations – has suddenly taken on an urgency and relevance that...

Siyabonga Twala, who has a British son, was barred from returning to UK a year ago and remains in limbo in AnkaraA man who remains stuck in Turkey a year after he was barred from returning to the UK with his British son has applied for a judicial review of the Home Office’s handling of his case.Siyabonga Twala has been in limbo in Ankara...

Catastrophic rains on Christmas Eve led to key infrastructure damage in western parts of countryCatastrophic rains and flash floods in South Africa have led to at least six deaths, with more people still missing. The western parts of the country have experienced extremely unsettled weather over the last few days, with frequent spells of heavy rain.On Christmas Eve the city of Ladysmith to the...