Brown Is Beautiful: What Namibia’s Capital Windhoek Can Teach African Cities as They Get Hotter and Drier
New research shows how Windhoek’s ‘Brown is Beautiful’ approach could use its dry landscape to protect the city from heat, drought and floods.
Food
“It Is Our Time” Manifesto Launch Provides Direction Through Practical Solutions for Local Government
Local government can be restored and municipalities’ decline can be turned around. This is the gist of the message conveyed by the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) with its Manifesto Launch under the theme “It is Our Time”. (Manifesto attached) The Manifesto, which was unveiled at the Silver Lakes Farm Hotel in Pretoria East, marks […]
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A slap in the face of NMBM residents
While thousands of residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) are engaged in a daily struggle to put food on the table, have access to running water and keep sewage out of their streets, the Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, hosted an extravagant gala evening to deliver her State of the City Address (SOCA). This is […]
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Africa’s Rocks Hold Ancient Stories. We Need Better Ways to Document and Protect Them
Africa has some of the world’s most important geological landscapes, yet they remain under-represented in digital geoheritage research.
Zambia’s Messy but Decisive Election: Government Shows Strength; Democracy Shows Weakness
How the re-elected government uses its new dominance will influence Zambian politics well beyond this election.
Governments Shouldn’t Rely on AI to Decide Who Gets a Social Grant: Inside a South African Court Case
Automated systems need to be watched carefully to ensure they are in fact operating in the public interest.
Eskom Power Outage Leaves Oudtshoorn and Surrounds in the Dark
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is concerned about the ongoing power outage that has been affecting Oudtshoorn, Dysselsdorp and the surrounding rural areas for four consecutive days. The power supply was interrupted on Saturday morning, 15 August, at 03:00 after damage to Eskom’s infrastructure. Even though several notices were issued detailing times of when […]
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How Can Governments Tackle Poverty When Climate Change, Conflict and Economic Shocks Hit All at Once?
Crises that add up on top of each other have to be addressed in an integrated way.
Illegal Hunting in Mpumalanga Can Be Effectively Combated
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) pointed out in the Mpumalanga Legislature that illegal hunting poses a serious threat to rural safety, property rights and the province’s natural heritage. The recent ruling by the Howick Magistrate’s Court in KwaZulu-Natal sends a clear message that offenders can and should be punished. Four men were convicted after […]
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Invasive Rats Are Stopping Small Mammals From Returning to Madagascar’s Regenerating Forests – Study
Lemurs and other native animals are rare in recovering forests.
Alcohol’s Hidden Calories: Product Labels Could Help Fight Obesity in South Africa
The typical alcoholic beverage disclosed only a single piece of nutritional information: its alcohol content.
Intended Closure of Tulbagh Canning Factory
Prompted by concern over the intended closure of Premier Foods’ Fruits Products Western Cape (FPWC) plant in Tulbagh, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) initiated talks aimed at saving the facility. This enterprise previously belonged to the Rhodes Food Group, but was acquired by Premier earlier this year and has since been trading as FPWC. […]
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Nairobi’s Largest Informal Settlement Is Getting an Upgrade. But Who Will Actually Benefit From New Apartments?
The success of Kibera’s transformation will not be measured by the number of apartment blocks completed.
Lessons From South Africa on How Parks and Community Gardens Can Help Cities Adapt to Climate Change
Parks do more than cool cities. They also help people work together to cope with climate change, but only if local communities help design, manage and care for them.
Urgent Petition Submitted Regarding Land Bank Crisis
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) today submitted a formal petition to the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and the relevant select committees regarding the controversial debt collection practices of the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank). Kobus van den Berg, Freedom Front Plus MP and member of […]
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China Is Funding African Farmers but Not Food Processing and Storage: Why It’s a Problem
Chinese lenders have invested billions in African agriculture. But new research shows the money often misses what’s needed to modernise the sector.
Will El Niño Drought Hit Food Prices in South Africa?
Previous rains and grain stocks could reduce the impact of the expected drought.
Prolonged Eskom Outages Plague Cape Town Families
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is deeply concerned about the unacceptable situation affecting residents in Eskom-supplied areas of the City of Cape Town, who are experiencing regular and prolonged power outages. Residents – some of whom have been without electricity for months – approach the party for help every single day. Delft, Blue Downs, […]
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A Super El Niño Is Coming: 5 Hard-Won Lessons the World Can Learn From Africa
A powerful Super El Niño is looming. Africa has learned hard lessons from past climate disasters that could help the world prepare.
Kenyans Living in Towns Are Farmers Too: What This Means for Rural Landscapes
The increasing control of rural agricultural land by urban residents has implications for rural people and spaces.
Blaming Migrants Ignores the Real Causes of South Africa’s Economic Crisis
The economic and social conditions in which anti-migrant sentiment has exploded in South Africa include high joblessness and a collapse of government services.
Morocco’s Hidden History: Archaeology, DNA and Carbon Dating Rewrite the Story of the Ancient World
New research shows northwest African communities actively shaped connections and exchange between many cultures.
Female Baboons Keep Family Bonds Strong: Research Reveals the Benefits
Understanding how female baboons benefit from social bonds helps humans understand their own origins.
Fossil Fuels Still Dominate in Africa’s Electricity Future – Study Tracks 3,139 Power Plants
Africa is rapidly expanding electricity generation, but new research shows energy planning must also account for water scarcity and carbon dioxide emissions.