The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has expressed serious concern over severe understaffing at Department of Home Affairs (DHA) offices in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, warning that the situation is directly undermining service delivery. The committee met with provincial leadership from both provinces to receive an update on operations and service delivery challenges. “It is unacceptable…
Kampala, Scidev.Net — As Uganda rolls out mandatory nationwide screening of newborns for sickle cell disease this month, a gene therapy celebrated in the United States and Europe remains financially out of reach for most patients in Africa. Ayoola Olajide, president of Ikorodu Sickle Cell Club in Nigeria and a person living with sickle cell…
Teraco’s JB4 data centre in Gauteng Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has for the first time placed data centre infrastructure on the same footing as electricity, ports and transport networks, signalling a significant policy shift as South Africa attracts tens of billions of rand in investment from global hyperscalers racing to build cloud computing capacity. In…
Can the security-for-minerals approach yield win-win outcomes for Sahelian states beyond diplomatic recognition? In February, United States (US) Senior State Department Official Nick Checker visited Bamako to reaffirm Washington’s respect for Mali’s sovereignty, and reset bilateral ties after ‘past policy missteps’ through renewed security and economic cooperation. Similar messages were conveyed to Nigerien Prime Minister,…
The African Union Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation hosted a side event, the High-Level Partners’ Consultation on Accelerating the AU Decade of Education and Skills Development (2025-2034) at the Margins of the AU Summit 2026 on 13 February 2026 at the AU Headquarters. The High-Level Partners’ Consultation brought together Member States, international organizations,…
Nairobi — With just 22 days to go before the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the Harambee Starlets have intensified their preparations, lining up two crucial international friendlies in West Africa before heading to Europe for a residential training camp. The squad is set to depart on Saturday, February 28, for Abidjan, Ivory Coast,…
Somalia Hunger Crisis Deepens as Food Insecurity Doubles The number of people in Somalia facing acute food insecurity has nearly doubled to 6.5 million since last year as hunger levels rise due to worsening drought, conflict and soaring food prices. The IPC food security monitoring platform reported that more than 1.8 million children under five…
Johannesburg — The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has launched its biennial scorecard, a critical tool that tracks progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across its 16 Member States. New data, including from demographic health surveys, shows great strides in improving the sexual and reproductive health of people across the region, while…
In Eswatini, a new project equips teachers with formative assessment tools to track student progress in English, mathematics, and siSwati. By identifying learning gaps early, educators can adjust instruction immediately. This initiative, part of a broader effort to strengthen human capital, includes teacher training, updated materials, and pre-primary support. The World Bank supports these systemic…
Addis Ababa — Hadera Abera, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, held talks today with Guang Cong, the United Nations Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, at his office. During the meeting, the state minister reaffirmed Ethiopia’s strong commitment to working closely with the United Nations to promote lasting peace and stability across…
