Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Two South African men accused of cannibalism were given life sentences for murder on Wednesday, with the judge saying they were guilty of “the most heinous crime”, local media reported. Sitting at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, judge Peter Olsen sentenced Nino Mbatha, 33, and …
Read More »Netflix will debut first African original in 2019
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Streaming giant Netflix announced on Monday that it will launch the platform’s first original series made in Africa in 2019, adding that it planned further investment in productions on the continent. “#QueenSono — Africa’s first Netflix original! A thrilling story about a kickass female …
Read More »S.Africa minimum wage begins January 1: president
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said Friday that a landmark minimum wage bill to bridge the country’s notorious inequality will become law from January 1 as he eyes elections due in 2019. The bill legislates that the lowest paid workers receive a minimum of …
Read More »South Africa names first female top prosecutor
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | President Cyril Ramaphosa named a respected female lawyer on Tuesday to head South Africa’s prosecuting authority which had been accused of improperly protecting former president Jacob Zuma. His appointment of Shamila Batohi further distances him from Zuma’s scandal-tainted rule during which several top jobs, …
Read More »Beyonce, Jay-Z dazzle South Africa at Mandela gig
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Beyonce was leading an all-star line-up including Ed Sheeran, Jay-Z and Usher in Johannesburg at a concert to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. The concert was the climax of a year of events celebrating the centennial of Mandela’s birth in 1918, …
Read More »Beyonce to lead Mandela tribute concert
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Beyonce will lead an all-star line-up that includes Ed Sheeran, Jay-Z and Usher in Johannesburg on Sunday when she performs at a concert to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. The concert is the climax of a year of events celebrating the centennial …
Read More »Attack of the small screens: Africa eyes mobile gaming boom
Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | An army of humans laid waste to an alien colony as South African video game maker Simon Spreckley enthusiastically controlled the action using his phone’s touch screen. “The penetration of mobile devices in Africa is huge. People often have two or three phones, which …
Read More »‘Hero’ Drotske gives thumbs-up after robbery horror
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Former Springbok World Cup winner and Super Rugby coach Naka Drotske was pictured Saturday making a thumbs-up sign from his hospital bed after being shot during an armed robbery. The 47-year-old was wounded in the abdomen and arm late Thursday at the home of …
Read More »In S.Africa, Zuma’s graft case postponed to May
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | AFP | Former South African president Jacob Zuma will return to court in May for a hearing on whether corruption charges against him should be dropped, a judge ruled on Friday. Zuma, who served as president from 2009 until February, is battling to quash charges against …
Read More »Oprah honours Mandela ahead of global charity concert
Soweto, South Africa | AFP | US television celebrity Oprah Winfrey on Thursday paid emotional tribute to Nelson Mandela as she prepared to host a star-studded concert in Johannesburg to cap celebrations marking 100 years since his birth. Winfrey will co-host the Global Citizen festival on Sunday, where artists including …
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