CDE News - The Dispatch

Police hunt gunmen who fired 137 rounds in Soweto bar shooting

JOHANNESBURG, July 11 (Reuters) - Police are hunting for five attackers who burst into a bar in Soweto, South Africa, and killed 15 customers in a hail of at least…

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South Africa confirms third monkeypox case in tourist from Switzerland

July 11 (Reuters) - South Africa has confirmed a third case of monkeypox, in a 42-year-old male tourist from Switzerland, the health department of the Limpopo province said. The tourist,…

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South Africa shootings in Soweto tavern kills 15

JOHANNESBURG, July 10 (Reuters) - Gunmen armed with rifles and pistols opened fire at people sitting in a tavern in the South African township of Soweto in the early hours…

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UPDATED: South Africa police investigating at least 22 deaths at East London tavern

CAPE TOWN, June 26 (Reuters) - South African authorities are investigating the deaths of at least 22 patrons found inside a popular township tavern close to East London city, provincial…

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Global warming made S.Africa’s recent floods twice as likely -study

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Global warming made the heavy rains behind South Africa's devastating floods last month twice as likely as they would have been if greenhouse gas emissions had never heated the…

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COVID’s new Omicron sub-lineages can dodge immunity from past infection – study

JOHANNESBURG, May 1 (Reuters) - Two new sublineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant can dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave, but are far less able to…

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Dozens still missing as South Africa floods death toll rises to 443

ETHEKWINI, South Africa (Reuters) - Rescuers searched for dozens of people still missing in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province on Sunday after heavy rains in recent days triggered floods and…

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Death toll from South Africa floods close to 400

JOHANNESBURG, April 15 (Reuters) - The death toll from days of flooding on South Africa's east coast rose to 395 on Friday, up from an earlier estimate of 341. This…

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WHO announces 2nd hub for training countries to make COVID vaccines

Feb 23 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Wednesday it has set up a hub in South Korea to train low- and middle-income countries to produce their own vaccines and therapies, and…

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S.African study suggests Omicron less severe even for unvaccinated

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Unvaccinated people infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus may be less prone to severe illness and requiring hospital care or dying than was the…

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J&J booster 85% effective against Omicron for 1-2 months -S.African study

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 14 (Reuters) - A Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is 85% effective in protecting against being hospitalised by the Omicron variant for 1-2 months after it…

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South African studies suggest Omicron has higher ‘asymptomatic carriage’

South African studies suggest Omicron has higher 'asymptomatic carriage' Preliminary findings from two South African clinical trials suggest the Omicron coronavirus variant has a much higher rate of "asymptomatic carriage"…

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South African hospital sees less serious disease, coming end of Omicron surge

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by…

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Suspect charged with arson after second blaze batters South African parliament

A new blaze broke out on Monday at the complex housing the two chambers of South Africa's national parliament in Cape Town, one day after a devastating fire swept through the buildings.…

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UPDATE – Farewell to ‘our national conscience’ at funeral of South Africa’s Desmond Tutu

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -President Cyril Ramaphosa lauded the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu as "our moral compass and national conscience" as South Africa bade farewell at a state funeral on Saturday…

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South Africa lifts curfew as it says COVID-19 fourth wave peaks

South Africa has lifted a midnight to 4 a.m. curfew on people's movement with immediate effect, believing the country has passed the peak of its fourth COVID-19 wave driven by…

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Activists hail legacy of South Africa’s Tutu as they pay last respects

CAPE TOWN, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Young activists hailed Archbishop Desmond Tutu as a role model for fighting global injustice as they waited in line on Friday to pay their…

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J&J booster slashes Omicron hospitalizations -S.African study

CAPE TOWN, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A booster dose of Johnson & Johnson Inc's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was 84% effective at preventing hospitalization in South African healthcare workers who became…

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South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero Tutu to lie in state at St.George’s Cathedral

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - The body of South Africa's anti-apartheid theologian, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, arrived at Cape Town's St George's Cathedral on Thursday morning, where it will lie in state…

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South Africa study suggests Omicron could displace Delta

Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron could displace the Delta variant of the coronavirus because infection with the new variant boosts immunity to the older one. The study…

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Reaction to the death of South Africa’s Desmond Tutu

Dec 26 (Reuters) - Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and veteran of South Africa's struggle against white minority rule, died on Sunday aged 90, the presidency said. Following…

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South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu has died

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and veteran of South Africa's struggle against white minority rule, has died aged 90, the presidency said on…

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South Africa to roll out COVID-19 boosters immediately

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 24 (Reuters) - South Africa will start offering booster shots of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine from Friday, the health department said in a statement, following its…

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South Africa data suggests Omicron mild, should not be extrapolated – Africa CDC

Dec 23 (Reuters) - Data from South Africa which suggests the Omicron coronavirus variant is 70% to 80% less severe than Delta should not be extrapolated to all countries, the…

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Travel ban on southern Africa ‘inefficient’ but EU states oppose lifting – top official

Brussels is pushing to lift an "inefficient" travel ban on southern African states over the Omicron variant, but European Union nations are reluctant to drop it, the EU's commissioner for…

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UPDATED: South Africa to retain ‘Level 1’ curbs in Omicron fight

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 16 (Reuters) - South Africa's National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has retained its lockdown at 'adjusted level 1', or the lowest of a five-tier system of restrictions, in…

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No Omicron deaths in J&J vaccine study in South Africa, scientist says

No one has died from the Omicron coronavirus variant in a study of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa, one of the co-lead investigators of the study said…

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South Africa’s Ramaphosa has COVID-19 but symptoms mild

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, but was showing mild symptoms, the presidency said. "The President started feeling unwell after leaving the State Memorial Service…

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New COVID strain hits revival of S.Africa’s international tourist trade

Rushdi Harper's tour company in Cape Town was just starting to recover from a disastrous COVID-19 lockdown that had forced him to sell his house just to keep the business…

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South African doctors see signs omicron is milder than delta

As the omicron variant sweeps through South Africa, Dr. Unben Pillay is seeing dozens of sick patients a day. Yet he hasn’t had to send anyone to the hospital. That’s…

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South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave – Ramaphosa

South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron coronavirus variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.…

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South African official says number of children sick with COVID-19 is not cause for panic

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Higher hospital admissions among children during a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in South Africa that is driven by the Omicron variant should prompt vigilance…

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Omicron causing sharp rise in new cases in South Africa, as country enters fourth wave

CAPE TOWN, Dec 3 (Reuters) - South Africa is facing an "unprecedented rise" in new COVID-19 cases over a short time due to the Omicron variant, top scientist Michelle Groome…

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UPDATED: South Africa scientists expect milder reinfection, post-vaccination symptoms with Omicron

NAIROBI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - South Africa is seeing an increase in COVID-19 reinfections in patients contracting Omicron in a way that it did not experience with previous variants, a…

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S.Africa faces 4th COVID-19 wave, new variant behind rising infections

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 28 (Reuters) - South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that the country faced a fourth wave of COVID-19 within weeks, as the new omicron variant was…

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Doctor who discovered Omicron variant says that symptoms “extremely mild”

The doctor who discovered the Omicron variant said the UK was “panicking unnecessarily” and that the symptoms are “extremely mild”. Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association,…

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WHO names new COVID variant omicron, cautions against travel measures

GENEVA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday classified the B.1.1.529 variant detected in South Africa as a SARS-CoV-2 "variant of concern," saying it may spread…

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Best-selling author Wilbur Smith dies aged 88

International best-selling author Wilbur Smith has died at his home in Cape Town at the age of 88, his publisher has announced. He passed away on Saturday afternoon with his…

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South Africa’s last white president, FW de Klerk, dies in hospital

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 11 (Reuters) - South Africa's last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk died on Thursday morning at his home in Cape Town, the FW de Klerk Foundation…

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ANC records worst poll result, admits South Africans ‘disappointed’ with the party

PRETORIA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) on Thursday was nursing a fresh political headache after its worst election result, as local polls showed support…

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ANC hopes to avert worst post-apartheid result in South Africa local vote

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 1 (Reuters) - South Africans voted in municipal elections on Monday, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) hoping to avert its worst result since the end of…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Saronsberg, South Africa

Riders cross a huge field during Stage 3 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race over 91km including 2,100m of climbing, near Saronsberg, South Africa, 20 October 2021.…

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New Covid-19 variant identified in South Africa

While much of the world’s focus has been on the Delta variant of coronavirus, a new variant has been identified in South Africa. Currently referred to as the C.1.2 variant, it is…

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South Africa detects new coronavirus variant, still studying its mutations

South African scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant with multiple mutations but are yet to establish whether it is more contagious or able to overcome the immunity provided by vaccines…

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South African study shows J&J vaccine protects against death

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is working well in South Africa, offering protection against severe disease and death, the head of a trial in the country said on Friday. The…

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UPDATED: South Africa’s Zuma admitted to hospital from prison

South Africa's jailed former president, Jacob Zuma, was admitted to hospital for medical observation on Friday, the government's Correctional Services department said. Zuma has been held at Estcourt prison in…

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South Africa rhino poaching returns after pandemic-induced lull

Rhino poaching in South Africa rose by 50% in the first half of 2021 compared to a year earlier when poaching plummeted due to COVID-19 restrictions, the environment ministry said…

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South Africa lifts some coronavirus restrictions after cases drop

South Africa lifted restrictions on the sale of alcohol on weekdays and the movement of people between provinces as President Cyril Ramaphosa said a third wave of the coronavirus may…

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UPDATED: Cyber attack disrupts South African container terminals

A cyber attack disrupted container operations at the South African port of Cape Town, an email seen by Reuters on Thursday said. Durban, the busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa,…

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South African court grants delay in Zuma’s arms deal corruption trial

A South African court granted former President Jacob Zuma's request for a delay in his arms deal corruption trial on Tuesday, and adjourned proceedings for three weeks. Zuma is accused of receiving…

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South Africa looting dies down in places as more troops expected

A week of violence that has engulfed South Africa slowly began to ebb on Thursday, and people counted the cost of an orgy of arson and looting that has destroyed…

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Citizens arm themselves as looting, unrest rock South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday he might order more troops onto the streets as the army and police struggled to quell days of looting and violence, while some…

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Violence spreads in South Africa as grievances boil over

Protesters clashed with police in several areas of South Africa and looters ransacked shopping malls on Tuesday as frustrations over poverty and inequality boiled over into the country's worst unrest…

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South Africa to deploy army to quell violence as ex-leader Zuma faces court

South Africa will deploy soldiers to quell violence that erupted in the wake of former president Jacob Zuma's jailing, the military said on Monday, after days of riots and looting…

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South Africa extends tight COVID-19 restrictions for another 14 days

South Africa extended tight COVID-19 rules on Sunday for another 14 days, maintaining restrictions that include a ban on gatherings, a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. and a…

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Violence spreads to South Africa’s economic hub of Johannesburg in wake of Zuma jailing

Shops were looted overnight, a section of the M2 highway was closed and stick-wielding protesters marched through the streets of Johannesburg on Sunday, as sporadic acts of violence following the…

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South Africa’s Zuma hands himself over to police to begin sentence

South African former President Jacob Zuma turned himself in to police to begin 15 months in jail for contempt of court, the culmination of a long legal drama seen as…

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