Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Covid-19, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, gave a sobering presentation about the pandemic to the nation on Monday evening. Speaking ‘live’ on national television and on social media, Karim explained why we should not let down our guard even though the number of cases of Covid-19 in South Africa appears to be under control. He used detailed slides to help explain how rapid action in South Africa had slowed down the spread of the virus, but warned that the country is still likely to experience an exponential increase in the number of cases and…
Author: Steven Lang
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Professor Philip Machanick, who is Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Rhodes University, used a computer model created by Cambridge University academics in an attempt to assess how the Coronavirus pandemic could affect South Africans. The model takes into account the 21-day lockdown that was put in place on 27 March and assumes the lockdown will be lifted at the end of this period. A rapid increase following the lifting ensures that after only five days it is put in place once again – this time for 28 days. The second lockdown is followed by another cycle of no lockdown…
At least 24 journalists from 16 African countries recently participated in online training aimed at improving coverage of the Covid-19 in their media organisations. International non-profit organisation, Internews set up the session aimed at helping African journalists navigate through fake news, propaganda and changing scenarios linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. Clearly the biggest concern of the journalists was about how to check on the truthfulness (or not) of the information they are receiving. Fake news on social media has been almost overwhelming since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of Covid-19 a pandemic. The power of social media…
Nelson Mandela University PhD student, Sendibitiyosi Gandidzanwa won the Eastern Cape heat of FameLab held in Makhanda on Monday. Originally from Zimbabwe, Gandidzanwa’s presentation was about using folate receptors to ensure that medication targets cancer cells and not normal cells. The fast-talking chemistry student used an analogy of cops targeting the ‘bad guys’ with special bullets that would get the cancer cells but not harm the ‘good guys’ – or the normal cells. Gandidzanwa said that while he was of course happy with his win, he felt pressured. “I am now no longer representing our research group or my university,…
By Steven Lang As an enjoyable and fascinating excursion, there is probably no better value than a visit to the Addo Elephant Park. It is exciting in its unpredictability, as you never know what is around the next bush, and absorbing as you watch animals interact with each other in diverse environments. The Matyholweni Entrance near Colchester is 91km from Makhanda, so it takes about an hour to get there. The gates are open from 7am to 6.30pm and normally it takes about 10 minutes to wait in line and fill out a form. In the peak holiday season, an…
By Steven Lang It can be hard to know which wine to buy – much harder than buying beer, cool drink or whiskey. The choices are so much wider and so much more incomprehensible. So as the festive season approached, I thought I’d do some research to find out for myself the difference between a chenin blanc and a cabernet sauvignon. Checking in at the local purveyors of fruits of the vine, I found that most wines come in elegantly shaped bottles with creative labels covered in sophisticated sounding words that I really don’t understand. There are of course other…
There are many reasons why people object to the placement of cell phone towers in urban areas. The objections broadly fit into three categories: aesthetic eyesores, health risks and property devaluation. This article will deal primarily with potential health issues. People have blamed cell phone towers and their radio frequency emissions for a number of health ailments including various types of cancer, hair loss, swollen joints, insomnia, exhaustion, changes in hormone levels, low sperm count, headaches, weight gain and tumours, with brain cancer most frequently cited as the gravest threat to human health. Are these dangers real or are they…
Like all South Africans, Makhanda residents are thrilled with the Springbok victory in last Saturday’s Rugby World Cup. We all felt that it was ‘our boys’ who pulled a huge upset by defeating the highly favoured English team. We are intensely proud of the important contribution that the Eastern Cape made to this important victory, but not everyone knows about our provincial connections. So let’s lay it out on the line. The captain of the team, and the man who raised the Webb Ellis Cup for South Africa, comes from Zwide, an impoverished township in Port Elizabeth. Siya Kolisi was…
Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape, Nqaba Bhanga, will meet this weekend with the former Federal Chair of the DA, Athol Trollip to discuss the various roles he can play in the reconfigured party. Bhanga said that Trollip will be asked to reconsider the post of mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Council should the DA take over once again. In the interim, Trollip will be asked to take on training responsibilities to share his experience with younger politicians. Former leader of the DA, Mmusi Maimane, former mayor of Tshwane Herman Mashaba and Trollip all resigned from their posts in…
Mzobanzi Nkwentsha (left) has won the Ward 12 by-election. With him at a press conference on 8 August 2019 are Regional Deputy Secretary Yandiswa Vara, Regional Organiser Sizwe Mgwevu and Makana Subregion Chair Mabhuti Matyumza. Photo: Steven Lang Mzobanzi Nkwentsha has won the Ward 12 by-election and at the age of 22, will now be the youngest Councillor on the Makana Council. Election Results for Ward 12 Total number of registered voters: 2 584 Voter turnout: 10.45% or 270 valid votes Spoilt ballots: 0% Candidate Party Votes % Angi Jones DA 93 34.44 Mzobanzi Nkwentsha ANC 146 54.07 Simphiwe Mbonda…