Staff Writer

  The Portfolio Committee on Health met on Wednesday and heard presentations from the South African Revenue Services (SARS) and the South African Police Services (SAPS) on the challenges posed by the flow of illicit cigarettes across South Africa’s borders. The presentations highlighted the involvement of criminal syndicates in the illicit tobacco trade. Members of the committee expressed concern that the current low penalties imposed on offenders are insufficient to […]

  Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Charter coming into force on October 24, 1945, the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, in partnership with the United Nations organization, is celebrating the close relationship with the Arab Republic of Egypt, considering it one of the founding countries that has contributed throughout the history of cooperation to advancing multilateral international action for the achievement of sustainable […]

  More than one million people are still being forced to survive on a tiny patch of land, and in dangerous living conditions, in southern Gaza, Palestine. This displacement, along with the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and the health system by Israeli forces, is creating the perfect storm for disease and illness to spread, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Israeli authorities should immediately allow a massive scale up of humanitarian assistance to flow […]

  At an activity assessment meeting conducted in Barentu on 21 and 22 October, the Ministry of Education branch in the Gash Barka Region reported that encouraging efforts are being exerted to enhance educational capacity. Mr. Franco Kubaba, Director General of Social Services in the region, called for active public participation in ensuring the development of the teaching and learning process with a view to producing competent students. The participants […]

  The Select Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Mineral Resources will tomorrow meet with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment including nine provincial legislatures. The committee will host a workshop to address the threatened or protected species (TOPS) regulations and the draft notice prohibiting certain activities involving African lions. The workshop is scheduled for 25 and 26 October 2025 at Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town. All nine […]

  The East African Community (EAC) today officially launched and flagged off its Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the General Elections in the United Republic of Tanzania. The deployment of the mission follows an invitation by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and is in line with a directive of the EAC Council of Ministers requiring the Secretariat to observe elections in all Partner States. This underscores […]

  Nearly two-thirds of South Sudanese children surveyed aged between 5 and 17 years are engaged in the worst form of child labour, with rates soaring to as high as 90% in the worst hit regions, according to a new report by the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, and Save the Children. The landmark National Child Labour Study involved more than 418 households from across seven states […]

  The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-IDB.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, and Joint-Stock Commercial Bank with Foreign Capital Hamkorbank, have reinforced their partnership through the signing of an increase in the Line of Trade Financing Agreement, with an additional US$30 million. The signing ceremony took place at ITFC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during the official visit of a high-level delegation from Hamkorbank. […]

  By Tom Alweendo, Founder of Alvenco Advisory.  Namibia is in a narrow window between discovery and decision. TotalEnergies has asked to extend its exploration licence and has already signalled a smaller Venus development, with final investment decision now discussed for 2026. That moves us from big headlines to unglamorous execution: ports, people, permits. If we get those right over the next year, the investment case strengthens. If not, capital that is already mobile […]