Report: In South Africa a child is raped every three minutes

According to a new report by South African NGO Solidarity Help Hand, a child is raped in South Africa every three minutes. This comes down to 530 child rapes each day. To make things worse, only 1.3 percent of...

Four die in Cape Town backpacker blaze

By Miriam MannakA massive fire that erupted in a backpackers hostel in the heart of Cape Town has killed four people and has injured at least seven travelers. Most guests were African residents, who were in town to...

ANC wins elections but loses 2/3 majority

By Miriam Mannak As expected, the African National Congress (ANC) has secured its position as South Africa's ruling party for the next coming five years. However, it has not managed to win an outright 2/3 majority...

South Africa votes in 2009 presidential elections

By Miriam MannakFive years after the last presidential elections and exactly fifteen years after Apartheid was abolished, South Africans across the country are voting once again.It is busy at the community centre...

Jacob Zuma off the hook as prosecution authority drops charges

By Miriam Mannak The South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has dropped all twelve charges - for corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering against Jacob Zuma. The case was built around 783...

African leaders present multi-billion dollar plan for Zimbabwe

By Miriam Mannak Zimbabwe has not had a lot of luck over the past years. Political oppression, violence, government led terrorism, cholera, hunger, poverty and total economic collapse have crippled the country...

Food and water shortage ravage Somalia - 400.000 lives at stake

By Miriam Mannak According to Somalian authorities, the drought in its Puntland region has become so severe that almost half a million lives are in direct danger. These reports have been confirmed by the United...

Earth hour 2009 - an impression from Cape Town

By Miriam Mannak Armed with my camera, tripod and a group of good friends, I headed for Table Mountain Road last evening. From here, as I know from experience, one has one of the most exquisite views of the city....

Over half a million people affected by floods in Angola / Namibia

By  Miriam Mannak Floods have affected over half a million people in Nambia and Angola. Zambia, southwest Madagascar, northern Mozambique, northern and southern Malawi, and northern Botswana have also been...

South Africa urged to give way for co-treatment TB and HIV

By Miriam Mannak / for Inter Press ServiceDespite repeated calls for integrated HIV and tuberculosis (TB) health services from medical experts and AIDS activists, most of South Africa’s public health facilities...

Homeless man dies of burns after Table Mountain Fire

By Miriam MannakOne of two people who were seriously hurt during a blaze that destroyed a large part of Table Mountain's left shoulder - Devil's Peak - has died in hospital. The victim - a homeless man - was...

Fire Table Mountain Under Control - For Now

By Miriam Mannak The blaze that ate itself a way over and along Devil's Peak, Table Mountain's left shoulder has been brought under control, yet firefighters continued monitored the area all through the day. ...

Fire breaks out on Table Mountain

By Miriam MannakThe massive fire that broke out on Devil's Peak, the left shoulder of Table Mountain, in the evening of March 17, 2009 kept hundreds of firefighters busy all through the night.  As...

South African serial rapist found guilty on 70 charges

Tsediso Letsoenya (37) is finally behind bars after he was found guilty of no less then 70 cases of rape, attempted rape, assault and robbery. His sentence is yet to be decided upon. According to Cape Town's High...

Turkish Airlines: 21 accidents in 25 years

By Miriam Mannak The accident with the Boeing 737 at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam is not the first plane of Turkish Airlines that has crashed. According to statistics gathered by the Belgian newspaper De...