Cape Town, South Africa (PANA)  -  The family of South African national, Gerco Van Deventer, who was abducted in Libya in 2017, on Wednesday thanked the Algerian government for his safe return. As previously reported by PANA, the paramedic was released by Al-Qaeda militants earlier this month. He was taken to [...]
©- - 27 december 2023 - 17:37:42 - thread Society (213 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - President Cyril Ramaphosa and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa on Tuesday saluted South African musician Black Coffee who performed at a sold out concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden this weekend. The artiste, whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, made history by becoming the first [...]
©- - 10 october 2023 - 14:41:52 - thread Society (336 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South African musician Motswedi Modiba has became the first "Black African" contestant to participate in one of China's biggest singing competitions. The Pretoria-born R&B singer-songwriter appeared on the "Sing! China" stage and sang in fluent Mandarin. She learned the language at a Chinese school in [...]
©- - 14 august 2023 - 12:31:30 - thread Society (155 words)


Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - A security guard was attacked on Monday by an unidentified individual near the Brazilian embassy in Tunis, announced a statement from the Ministry of the Interior. The police officer on duty outside the diplomatic mission, located in a residential area of the capital, was stabbed with a [...]
©- - 19 june 2023 - 16:48:41 - thread Society (232 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - A South African Commission of Inquiry on Monday found that no one could be held responsible for the 2013 killing of South African soldiers in Bangui, Central African Republic. South African troops clashed with Seleka rebels in the skirmish which saw 13 soldiers killed and [...]
©- - 12 june 2023 - 19:17:24 - thread Society (222 words)


Athens, Greece (PANA) - Three refugees were found dead north-east of the Greek island of Mykonos when their boat sank on Friday, the Greek coastguard announced. According to initial reports, the victims were two women and a man, whose nationality was not specified by the Greek authorities. A search and rescue operation [...]
©- - 26 may 2023 - 19:53:50 - thread Society (211 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday bestowed national orders on 32 South African nationals as well as foreigners for contributing towards the advancement of democracy and making a significant impact on improving other people's lives. Among those who received the highest accolades were national rugby captain [...]
©- - 29 april 2023 - 08:09:37 - thread Society (132 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - The widow of murdered South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani on Monday took aim at the government and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, saying it was a waste of taxpayers’ money. Limpho Hani was speaking at the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of her [...]
©- - 10 april 2023 - 16:44:39 - thread Society (165 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - The South African military on Friday embarked on a joint exercise with Russia and China along its eastern coast. The exercise coincides with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and includes the Admiral Gorshkov, one of its biggest  battleships. It has a large "Z" on the starboard [...]
©- - 18 february 2023 - 10:12:44 - thread Society (251 words)


Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - At least 19 people died in a traffic accident on Sunday night in Mbengour, a village in the commune of Ngeune Sarr, in the district of Sakal, in the department of Louga, in northern Senegal, several sources said. This tragedy involving a truck and a bus transporting [...]
©- - 16 january 2023 - 14:12:23 - thread Society (231 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - South Africa, Bosnia and Peru are all regarded as vulnerable to state collapse, a survey of global executives has revealed. Ironically, Bosnia suffered a genocidal war in the 1990s while South Africa also experienced violent racial clashes following the collapse of apartheid and the build-up [...]
©- - 12 january 2023 - 08:05:38 - thread Society (181 words)


Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - A total of 11 people died and 372 others were injured in various road accidents during the last 24 hours in Tunisia, the Tunisian Civil Protection announced Tuesday in a statement. The Civil Protection teams carried out 377 interventions, including 39, to fight fires, 100 to provide [...]
©- - 04 october 2022 - 14:11:45 - thread Society (149 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - South Africa’s Legal Practice Council (LPC) and Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Tuesday conveyed their heartfelt condolences on the passing of respected attorney Keith Kunene earlier in the day following a long illness. He was 74. PANA reports that Kunene played a pivotal role in [...]
©- - 16 august 2022 - 17:15:28 - thread Society (234 words)


Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A total of 23 people died in the fuel tanker explosion in Bint Baya in southern Libya after more deaths were recorded among the injured who were transported to Tunisia and Egypt, sources said on Thursday. The death toll has been rising since the accident in early [...]
©- - 11 august 2022 - 18:48:22 - thread Society (226 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Police Minister Bheki Cele is under fire following an altercation he had with a member of a community policing forum in Cape Town this week. The incident, which has gone viral on social media, saw Cele scream at the activist because of the high crime [...]
©- - 07 july 2022 - 13:47:17 - thread Society (296 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Qatar Airways has signed an agreement with South Africa’s Airlink to expand its operations in South Africa, an official source said here Wednesday. The move comes days after popular low-cost airline Comair filed for bankruptcy. Airlink said the codeshare agreement would offer travellers more choice and [...]
©- - 29 june 2022 - 14:27:35 - thread Society (170 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) has launched legal action to challenge South African government's Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP). The agreement, which ended on 31 December 2021, will not be extended. As a result, Zimbabweans in possession [...]
©- - 20 june 2022 - 14:22:12 - thread Society (207 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday called on South Africa’s youth to rally together as they battle the current challenges. South Africa on Thursday marked the 46th anniversary of the Soweto Riots which left hundreds of people dead. The violence spread rapidly, serving notice that the revolution [...]
©- - 16 june 2022 - 15:54:33 - thread Society (241 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Construction giants Stefanutti, Aveng and WBHO on Wednesday reached a settlement with the City of Cape Town in the multi-million rand civil case against them for alleged collusion in the construction of the city’s 2010 FIFA World Cup statement. Stefanutti said that while the three [...]
©- - 18 may 2022 - 13:42:55 - thread Society (333 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – The Archbishop Desmond Intellectual Property (IP) Trust has spoken out against members of the Israeli security forces who were seen attacking pallbearers and mourners before the funeral of veteran Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, on Saturday. PANA reports that the acclaimed reporter was killed on [...]
©- - 15 may 2022 - 10:11:27 - thread Society (190 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Prominent South African human rights activist Rhoda Kadalie died in Los Angeles, United States, on Saturday after a long battle with lung cancer. She was 68. She was born in 1953 in Cape Town’s mixed-race District Six suburb which was later demolished by the apartheid [...]
©- - 17 april 2022 - 08:47:09 - thread Society (146 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - President Cyril Ramaphosa has postponed an official visit to Saudi Arabia to focus on government’s intervention in the KwaZulu-Natal flood disaster. The South African government on Sunday said the postponement would allow the president to continue to meet with ministers on the situation in the [...]
©- - 17 april 2022 - 08:41:49 - thread Society (158 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday congratulated top South African DJ Black Coffee on his first Grammy win at the 64th Annual Recording Academy Awards. Black Coffee, whose real name is Nathi Maphumulo, took home the award for the best dance/electronic album for his 12-track album Subconsciously at [...]
©- - 04 april 2022 - 11:35:50 - thread Society (228 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - The body of the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is lying in state at Cape Town’s St George’s Cathedral for two days where mourners are filing past his coffin. Tutu died in Cape Town on Sunday at the age of 90. An interfaith tribute will be [...]
©- - 30 december 2021 - 11:57:09 - thread Society (290 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Cathedral bells around South Africa are ringing in recognition of anti-apartheid hero Archbishop Desmond Tutu who died in Cape Town on Sunday. And throughout the week, the City of Cape Town is lighting up Table Mountain and City Hall in purple, Tutu’s preferred colour. Anglican [...]
©- - 28 december 2021 - 08:42:29 - thread Society (328 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – World leaders, clerics and celebrities have saluted Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu who died peacefully at his Cape Town home on Sunday at the age of 90. The Nobel Laureate, who was widely regarded as Africa’s most famous cleric, played a pivotal role in steering his [...]
©- - 27 december 2021 - 09:58:55 - thread Society (766 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - TIME magazine has named South African billionaire Elon Musk as its Person of the Year. The 50-year-old, who has revolutionized the vehicle industry and space travel, this year overtook Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest person. “Person of the Year is a marker [...]
©- - 14 december 2021 - 12:57:24 - thread Society (204 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Sunday saluted Africa’s last white leader, FW De Klerk, saying he played a pivotal role in shaping South Africa's transition to democracy. The Nobel Laureate was honoured at a state memorial in Cape Town. Ramaphosa said De Klerk's 2 February [...]
©- - 12 december 2021 - 17:52:07 - thread Society (398 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - There are concerns that former President F.W. De Klerk’s memorial in Cape Town on Sunday could be disrupted by protestors.  The Nobel Laureate died on 11 November after battling mesothelioma cancer and was laid to rest in a private ceremony at an undisclosed location. In a [...]
©- - 11 december 2021 - 07:47:09 - thread Society (409 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - A major national highway in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province was blockaded Friday in protest against the employment of foreign truck drivers. The N3 highway, which connects the industrial hub to Johannesburg and the port city of Durban, was gridlocked in both directions as drivers parked [...]
©- - 03 december 2021 - 11:23:09 - thread Society (220 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - International bestselling author Wilbur Smith died peacefully after a short illness at his Cape Town home on Saturday. He was 88. Smith’s novels have sold more that 140 million copies worldwide and have been published in 30 languages.  Named after one of the pioneer brothers of air flight Wilbur [...]
©- - 14 november 2021 - 15:14:23 - thread Society (201 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – In a video message, released hours after his death, former President FW De Klerk, apologised "without qualification" for the misery caused by apartheid. De Klerk died after a long battle with lung cancer in Cape Town on Thursday. He was 85. In his "last message to [...]
©- - 11 november 2021 - 16:45:04 - thread Society (379 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Cape Town author Damon Galgut has become only the third South African writer to have won the prestigious Booker Prize for his acclaimed novel The Promise. It covers South Africa’s State of Emergency in the 1980s and unpacks the relationship between a white family in [...]
©- - 04 november 2021 - 21:09:42 - thread Society (233 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – An unopened bottle of 1821n Grand Constance wine which was originally destined for Napoleon Bonaparte, has sold for US81,000 at a Strauss & Co auction, setting a new world record. The wine was produced more than 200 years ago by the Groot Constantia estate in [...]
©- - 20 september 2021 - 17:49:18 - thread Society (187 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) –  Former Apartheid-era policeman João Rodrigues, who was implicated in the detah of prominent activist Ahmed Timol nearly 50 years ago, has died. He was 82. His daughter, Tilana, who claimed he raped her as a child, confirmed his death. She had recently instituted criminal charges [...]
©- - 08 september 2021 - 13:49:07 - thread Society (165 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Samsung has announced that it has blocked hundreds of television sets during last month's rioting and looting in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces. As a result, they are now worthless. The technology giant's distribution centre near the port city Durban was raided, but the [...]
©- - 27 august 2021 - 18:15:45 - thread Society (228 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – A student activist that helped spark a riot that led to revolution that resulted in the collapse of Apartheid has died. Daniel Montsitsi, the leader of the Soweto Students' Representative Council which launched the 1976 Soweto Riots succumbed to COVID-19 complications. He was 67. Health Minister [...]
©- - 13 august 2021 - 15:40:30 - thread Society (211 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Cape Town International Airport has been named Africa's best airport for the sixth consecutive year. Skytrax World Airport Awards said was also voted as the cleanest airport in Africa. Despite the honour, it dropped 10 places in the global rankings to 33. Although its connection to [...]
©- - 11 august 2021 - 15:59:01 - thread Society (200 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Delta Airlines on Monday resumed its Johannesburg and Atlanta operations following the suspension of its service last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline confirmed that it is using its state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 and will initially operate three times a week. Delta’s nonstop flights between [...]
©- - 03 august 2021 - 12:35:57 - thread Society (149 words)


Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Tunisian Navy units on Wednesday fished out five bodies, probably of drowned illegal migrants, off the coast of the Tunisian town of Mehdia (200 km south of Tunis). The bodies were taken to the city's university hospital for autopsy and to determine their identity. This summer has [...]
©- - 29 july 2021 - 12:30:51 - thread Society (123 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Tiger Brands, South Africa's biggest food manufacturer, on Monday announced the immediate recall of about 20 million KOO  and Hugo's canned vegetable products over safety concerns due to potentially defective cans. It amounts to a recall of almost one-tenth of annual production and the final [...]
©- - 26 july 2021 - 13:35:33 - thread Society (259 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Former South African President Jacob Zuma, who was jailed two weeks ago, on Thursday attended the funeral of his younger brother Michael amid tight police security. Zuma was granted permission earlier in the day and was required to return to his Estcourt jail later on [...]
©- - 22 july 2021 - 15:58:58 - thread Society (201 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Legendary South African singer and songwriter Steve Kekana 'Wonder' died early on Thursday after suffering from COVID-19. He was 63. His manager Xolani Majozi has confirmed the news. Majozi said he spoke to his client a week ago and informed him that they would have [...]
©- - 01 july 2021 - 13:22:33 - thread Society (189 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Princess Charlene of Monaco is recovering in South Africa after contracting an ear, nose and throat infection. She was raising awareness around rhino poaching when she fell ill two weeks ago. The former Olympic swimmer, who was born in Zimbabwe and raised in Johannesburg, is married [...]
©- - 28 may 2021 - 13:01:42 - thread Society (168 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – For the second successive day, pro-Palestine protestors converged on Parliament on Wednesday to condemn the wave of attacks by Israeli armed forces. At least 23 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more injured after Israeli forces stormed worshippers in Jerusalem. The Cape Town protestors who were [...]
©- - 12 may 2021 - 17:54:26 - thread Society (196 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South Africa’s former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has been awarded the Chevalier de la légion d'honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by France. French ambassador to South Africa, Aurélien Lechevallier, bestowed the honour on her on behalf of the French Presidency in Stellenbosch, near [...]
©- - 20 april 2021 - 18:45:31 - thread Society (238 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) –  The famous African Studies Library at the University of Cape Town has been ravaged by a massive fire that swept across Table Mountain on Sunday and Monday. The library archived thousands of priceless original manuscripts. Its director, Ujala Satgoor, confirmed that the reading room of [...]
©- - 19 april 2021 - 16:02:49 - thread Society (173 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Leading American actress Ashley Judd is in intensive care in a Johannesburg hospital after shattering her leg in an accident in a Congolese rain forest. The actress was studying an endangered species of ape when the “catastrophic accident” occurred. She said she slipped on a [...]
©- - 14 february 2021 - 11:18:44 - thread Society (230 words)


Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Leading South African Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza has been appointed as a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. He was picked by the African Union which said he will be sworn in during the 61st ordinary session of the organisation in June. Malian [...]
©- - 11 february 2021 - 13:29:37 - thread Society (191 words)


Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Gendarmes of the  Bamako Camp I Research Brigade arrested Friday in Niamana, east of Bamako, "the mastermind of a counterfeiting trafficking network" in possession of a sum of 5.3 billion CFA francs in counterfeit notes, the communication services of the Malian Army told PANA here Saturday. According [...]
©- - 23 january 2021 - 10:15:27 - thread Society (186 words)