Kenyan Chief tweets his way to reducing crime

Posted on February 8, 2012  /  No Comments

Using 140 characters or less, Chief Francis Kariuki in Kenya, has tweeted his way to reducing crime in his and surrounding villages.

“I have brought crime and illicit brewing under control in my location,” Kariuki said. “Until May 2011, this place was very dangerous. Incidents of carjacking, mugging and burglaries occurred daily, but they are no more.” (more…)

Red tape brawl: City threatens to paint over artwork on Muizenberg beachfront

Posted on February 8, 2012  /  1 Comment

Muizenberg residents and business owners are up in arms over the City of Cape Town’s threat to remove a new and much-welcomed mural on the Muizenberg beachfront.

The City claims permission for the colourful fish mural — painted by renowned Brazilian street artist Binho Ribeiro on a council-owned toilet block — was not given in accordance with the City’s graffiti by-laws.

The artists, however, claim to have been granted permission by a City official and have labelled the ensuing confusion as unnecessary red tape. (more…)

WikiLeaks founder to host Kremlin-funded TV show

Posted on February 3, 2012  /  No Comments

Kremlin-funded English language channel Russia Today has given WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange his own TV talk show, the station said last week. Filming for Assange’s television debut is already underway from Britain, where he remains under house arrest outside London while appealing an extradition order to Sweden, it said.

Russia Today – considered a Kremlin exercise in image enhancement by critics – said Assange will invite 10 “key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries” for interviews on a show dubbed “The World Tomorrow,” due to air in mid-March. (more…)

Zambia’s mobile hospital plan a white elephant?

Posted on February 2, 2012  /  No Comments

In a country where the majority of people live hours from the nearest hospital and most doctors are concentrated in the capital, mobile health facilities seem like a good idea. But the Zambian government’s prestigious mobile hospitals, bought only months ago for 53 million dollars, faced fierce criticism and are now literally parked away. (more…)

Miracle tree combats malnutrition in Limpopo

Posted on February 2, 2012  /  No Comments

When a food crisis hits the continent, African countries tend to look to the international donor community to mobilise aid. But a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree with extremely nutritious leaves could help poor, arid nations to fight food insecurity and malnutrition on their own.

A 15-hectare plantation of the “miracle tree” with the botanical name Moringa oleifera has already started to make a positive change in the rural village of Tooseng, which is located in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces, Limpopo. (more…)

Ready to rumble: inside the African Wrestling Association

Posted on February 1, 2012  /  1 Comment

America’s well-oiled WWE superstars may dominate television wrestling, but they’ve got nothing on the style and spirit of South Africa’s local wrestling circuit, as Melany Bendix and photographer Jac Kritzinger discovered when they went deep into the bloody bowels of SA’s hardcore pro wrestling league. Get the latest edition of The Big Issue to read the full report and see more photos from this series.

All photos © Jac Kritzinger / www.relevantreality.co.za

Malawian street vendors lose customers after stripping women naked

Posted on February 1, 2012  /  Comments Off

A campaign to stop people buying merchandise from street vendors is gaining momentum in Malawi’s main cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu after the small-scale traders went on a rampage and undressed women and girls wearing trousers, leggings, shorts and mini-skirts. (more…)

Void left by Kader Asmal remains to be filled

Posted on July 6, 2011  /  2 Comments

Not long after the news broke that human rights activist, politician and struggle stalwart Kader Asmal had died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 76, a friend on Facebook posted: “Hamba Kahle Kader Asmal. A man of conscience, another voice of wisdom and extraordinary reason falls silent”. Another friend responded: “Where is his equal in the next generation of the ANC?” (more…)