ANC’s Babalwa Lobishe is now mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay

ANC’s Babalwa Lobishe is now mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay

ANC’s Babalwa Lobishe is now mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, succeeding National Alliance president Gary van Niekerk, who stepped down to take on the deputy role. Both leaders resigned to facilitate the leadership swap, positioning the ANC to lead the metro. Van Niekerk dismissed coalition conflict rumors. Lobishe emphasised the need to ensure stability and resident-focused governance:

November 1, 2024 7

South Africa

Lusikisiki Mass Murder Mastermind to Represent Himself in Court

The alleged mastermind in the Lusikisiki mass murders in the Eastern Cape, Mzukisi Ndamase, told the local Magistrate's Court he would represent himself, refusing Legal Aid assistance. Ndamase, who is currently serving a life sentence, was arrested in Ebongweni Maximum Correctional Centre, where he allegedly orchestrated the murders of 18 people. The case was postponed to 29 November for further investigation. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Luxolo Tyali says they have […]

November 1, 2024 13

Namibia

NSA’s Omission of Unemployment Data Raises Serious Concerns

The Statistics Agency recently released the 2023 Census report, excluding crucial labour force data, including unemployment statistics, which have not been updated since 2018 when the rate was 33.4%. Cirrus Securities experts warn that current unemployment may exceed 40% due to economic challenges and the impact of COVID-19. This omission raises alarms about the NSA's independence and integrity, undermining public trust in its role to provide comprehensive data. It says […]

November 1, 2024 11

World

Worrying UN report predicts increase in starvation across the world

A new United Nations report indicates catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity bordering on starvation in five countries around the world. The World Food Programme together with the Food and Agriculture Organization released its findings on Thursday, with Gaza, Sudan and Haiti topping the list of countries it predicts people will starve to death. Jody Jacobs reports from the United Nations in New York.

November 1, 2024 8

Opinion Pieces

Curating data for political purposes: NSA credibility destroyed.

Rowland Brown Opinion On the 30th of October, the Namibia Statistics Agency’s (NSA) released the 2023 Census report, around a year after the data collection for the same was completed. However, despite collecting labour force data and employment/unemployment data, in a turn of events more worthy of North Korea than Namibia, this was excluded from the report, a notable change to previous Census reports. This means that the latest official […]

November 1, 2024 10