By Nangayi Guyson – Johannesburg – As former president Nelson Mandela spent his second night in Milpark Hospital, neighbouring school McAuley House continued to put up messages of support for him on Friday. Schoolchildren cut out their hand prints on pieces of paper for Mandela, who was admitted to the Johannesburg hospital on Wednesday afternoon. “Dearest President Mandela you are forever an inspiration to us all, thank you for our dignity,” was written on one print. “Madiba I am so sorry you are sick I wish you can get better,” read another. Posters “Dear Nelson Mandela I love you so... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Friday, January 28th 2011 |
By Martin Chemhere – South African audiences are increasingly acquainting themselves to outside, pan-African performances with Sunjata the latest production to hit local theatre stages in Johannesburg. Adapted and directed by the award-winning James Ngcobo, it runs at The Market Theatre from 14 January to March 14. Sunjata is an adaptation of a classic African tale that has been told by generations of griots (oral historians) from Sengui, Banyangara, Manding, Dogon and other villages – each of them committed to ensuring that this timeless tale is never lost under the sands of the southern Sahara. Two powerful kings receive a... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Wednesday, January 19th 2011 |
By Martin Chemhere – The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) and the South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering (SAFEAGE) have launched a nation-wide ‘Label GM Food: Our Right to Know’ campaign, to encourage the government to provide meaningful labelling for all genetically-modified (GM) foods in regulations under the Consumer Protection Act. The latest draft regulations on GM food published by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are wholly inadequate and unsatisfactory, since it fails to protect the citizens’ ‘freedom of choice’ of what they eat. The groups argue that the scope of the regulations shortsightedly only apply to... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Wednesday, January 19th 2011 |
JOHANNESBURG, 20 December 2010 (PlusNews) – South Africa’s newly announced tender for antiretrovirals (ARVs) has halved the price the government will pay for the life-saving drugs; however, fixed dose combinations, which would decrease the pill burden, are still largely absent from the deal. With estimated savings of about US$685 million from end-January, South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the programme could now afford to treat twice as many HIV-positive patients as before. Few fixed dose combinations have been included in the new tender, however, due to continued registration delays with the Medicines Control Council (MCC). As part of a... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Monday, December 20th 2010 |
By Bai-Bai Sesay, Freetown – A one-day advocacy meeting with local government councils on Tuberculosis (TB) has ended at the Hill Valley Hotel conference hall over the weekend. Speaking at the meeting, Dr. J.N Kandeh pointed out that they alone cannot fight to stop Tuberculosis infections without involving the communities, therefore they thought it fit to get the community leaders so that they can all work together to achieve their goal. Giving an overview of Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS), the Program Manager of the National Leprosy and TB Control Programme Dr Allieu H. Wurie said they want to... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Saturday, December 18th 2010 |
