Nkosikazi Mhlauli elected Chairperson of NHTKL

27 January 2022

At a special sitting of the of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders (NHTKL) convened in terms of section 33(3) of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act, 2019 (Act No 3 of 2019) read with rule 17 of the Rules and Orders of the NHTKL, unanimously elected Nkosikazi Nomandla Dorothy Mhlauli as its Chairperson. Her election, makes her the 6th elected chairperson since the NHTKL establishment and the first woman elected to lead this important house. The election of Nkosikazi Mhlauli has great significance for the institution of traditional leadership and the broader national goal to ensure the recognition of woman rights in our democratic country.

India Emerges as a Global Actor during the Pandemic Crisis

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents his national statement as part of the World Leaders' Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow

26 January 2022

The world had been witnessing a rapid flux in geo-politics and international relations over the past few years. These trends became much more pronounced in 2020 with the advent of the corona virus. At the beginning of 2021 the world was looking at the coming year with some hope and optimism. However, last year witnessed the eruption of the most devastating Delta variant in March 2021. Today the world is staring at the havoc being perpetrated by the new Omicron variant.

Welcome to South Africa

25 January 2021

Celebrating Australia and India Day

Pictured (l-r) Chanderdeep Singh Bedi, Captain of the Indian Team, Jaideep Sarkar, High Commissioner of India and David Geyer, acting High Commissioner of Australia

25 January 2022

In commemorating Australia and India's national days on 26 January, celebrations kicked off this week with a friendly cricket match between the two countries. Teams from the Australian and Indian High Commissions took on each other in a limited overs cricket game in Pretoria.

Sport unites all and it was a fitting celebration playing a much loved national sport for both countries.

New vaccine manufacturing facility to elevate healthcare in Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, the founder of the multinational conglomerate NantWorks, cut the ribbon to officially launch NantSA, the future vaccine manufacturing campus in Brackengate, Cape Town and the Coalition to accelerate Africa’s Access to Advanced Healthcare (The AAAH Coalition). (Photos: Elmond Jiyane/GCIS)

19 January 2022

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the newly launched vaccine manufacturing facility campus at Brackengate in Cape Town will usher in a new era in healthcare, medicines and vaccines for the African continent.

The President was speaking at the new facility - dubbed NantSA - which was launched in collaboration with world renowned technology healthcare scientist, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong and his company NantWorks LLC.

French warship “CHAMPLAIN” pays port visit to South Africa

19 January 2021

The French Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel - CHAMPLAIN - will be in the Durban harbour until the end of this week for its first port call of her journey.

The French warship, which departed from La Réunion earlier this month for a nearly 3 month patrol in the Southern Indian Ocean, arrived in Durban on Monday, 17 January 2022 and is scheduled to depart on Friday, 21 January 2022.

Why the volcanic eruption in Tonga was so violent, and what to expect next

18 January 2022

By Shane Cronin, Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Auckland. (This article was originally published on The Conversation)

The Kingdom of Tonga doesn’t often attract global attention, but a violent eruption of an underwater volcano on January 15 has spread shock waves, quite literally, around half the world.

The volcano is usually not much to look at. It consists of two small uninhabited islands, Hunga-Ha’apai and Hunga-Tonga, poking about 100m above sea level 65km north of Tonga’s capital Nuku‘alofa. But hiding below the waves is a massive volcano, around 1800m high and 20km wide.

Elon Musk's SpaceX Transporter-3 mission to launch South African nanosatellite constellation

Micro-Satellites - SANSA

13 January 2022

In a first for South Africa's space industry, three locally produced nanosatellites will be launched into space today. The first Maritime Domain Awareness Satellite constellation (MDASat-1) will be launched as part of US aerospace company SpaceX's Transporter-3 mission.

The launch is scheduled to take place from Cape Canaveral in the United States on 13 January 2022 at 17:25 South African time. This is the latest estimated time, and is subject to change depending on weather conditions.

Recover Together, Recover Stronger

6 January 2022

In her annual statement, Retno Masurdi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia quoted President Joko Widodo’s statement, at the reception of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, last October in Rome: “Joint efforts for the recovery of the world economy; an inclusive, people-centered, environmentally friendly and sustainable growth; must be extraordinarily carried out, especially through stronger global collaboration and continuous innovation.”

She conveyed her gratitude for the trust and support given by IORA Member States throughout the selection process for the new IORA Secretary General. Ambassador Salman Al Farisi has been elected as Secretary General of IORA for the term of 2022 – 2024. Indonesia hopes that IORA could contribute towards the establishment of a strong Indian Ocean; which in turn will lead to ensuring a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Singapore and Merli at the 2021 Lawley Street Christmas Lights

17 December 2021

The Lawley Street Christmas Lights is a community event in the district of Waterkloof in Pretoria, the administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa. The tradition began in 1995 when a few residents got together and decided to decorate their residences for Christmas, as is tradition in many parts of the world, to usher in festive cheer into the neighbourhood. From 1 to 31 December, and from 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm, the beautiful houses along the 2-km street are festooned by lights of every colour, shape, and design, creating a beautiful, festive drive and stroll for both residents and visitors alike. These houses are the residences of both locals, as well as a few fortunate members of South Africa’s diplomatic community, who have their official residences on Lawley Street, including Singapore.

Bhutan's 114th National Day

Art by: Kinzang Tshering (KinzArt)

17 December 2021

A national day is generally observed to celebrate the nationhood of a country. In Bhutan, we celebrate the National Day on 17 December to mark the ascension of Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck to the Golden Throne as the first unanimously elected (through an official Genja which spelled out the King’s mandate) hereditary Monarch of Bhutan. The signing of the Genja effectively consolidated Bhutan as a sovereign nation-state.