Cage diving does good PR for great white sharks
Region: South Africa
The Great White Shark Project boat rocks heavily in the Atlantic swell. The stink of chum made of fermented tuna and anchovy oil combines with pungent wafts of excrement from the seal colony that the boat is anchored next to. Heather sits on the top deck of the 40 foot shark cat, blissfully impervious to the nausea stimuli around her, recording data on the sharks around the boat. Other volunteers are seasick throwin... more
Views: 1342South Africa: Virgin Active Caught in Racism Row
Region: South AfricaWritten by Ismail Dhorat South African newspapers ran a story recently about a South African woman who was racially abused in public at the Virgin Active gym in Morningside, Johannesburg. The story has caused a public outcry on social media which resulted in Virgin Active re-opening the investigation into the incident. Memeburn reported [1]: The Virgin Active franchise of gyms has reopened an investiga... more
Views: 1531South Africa: Student Anti-Racism Poster Causes a Stir
Region: South AfricaWritten by Ismail Dhorat The Democratic Alliance Students Organisation [1] (DASO) recently released a controversial poster [2] as part of their anti-racism campaign. The “In OUR future, you wouldn't look twice” poster shows a naked mixed-race couple embracing. The poster has caused a huge stir on Facebook, Twitter and blogs and even generated viral spoof posters. Here are some of online reac... more
Views: 1100The Giving Trees: Five Trees You’ve Never Heard of that Are Helping to End Hunger
Region: South AfricaCrossposted from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet. We know that trees can help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere. But what is less widely understood is how many of these trees can also help to bring an end to hunger and poverty. Today, Nourishing the Planet takes a look at five varieties of tree that you have likely... more
Views: 2020In South Africa, Corrective Rape Claims Another Victim
Region: South AfricaWritten by Haute Haiku The unending cases of “corrective rape” that have plagued South Africa at alarming levels are still on the rise. Corrective rape is a criminal practice, whereby men rape lesbian women, purportedly as a means of “curing” the woman of her sexual orientation. The latest victim is a twenty-four year old soccer player from Johannesburg who was stabbed to death minutes after... more
Views: 2372South Africa unions condemn strike court injunction
Region: South Africa
BY NANGAYI GUYSON IN KAMPALA UGANDA E. AFRICA Trade unions in south Africa have condemned a court injunction obtained by the government prohibiting public sector workers from continuing a national strike. A spokesman for the Cosatu trade union federation told the BBC the move was designed to "intimidate" strikers. However , On Saturday, the government sent military medical staff to 32 hospitals to keep ... more
Views: 1131Combating Poachers
Region: South AfricaPoaching in Africa has reached a new height. Game wardens and conservation organizations are beginning to outfit their teams with bullet proof vests and high powered rifles. There have been record deaths recently and violence is on the increase. Poachers are taking lethal force into their hands and driving a species towards the brink of extinction. Sapa from Times LIVE stated, "South African rhino owne... more
Views: 1456South African workers begin strike
Region: South Africa
BY NANGAYI GUYSON IN KAMPALA UGANDA, E.AFRICA Workers in South Africa including Police, teachers, doctors, and nurses have begun a strike demanding an 8.6% pay hike, improved housing subsidies, and other benefits after rejecting the government's offer of a pay rise. Many schools and hospitals and public offices are expected to be affected. Unions affiliated with Cosatu, South Africa's main union fede... more
Views: 1189Innovation of the Week: For Pest Control, Following Nature's Lead
Region: South AfricaCross posted from Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet. It might feel counterintuitive, but the more varieties of vegetables, plants, and insects that are included in a garden, the less vulnerable any single crop becomes. Mans Lanting of ETC Foundation India wrote in LEISA Magazine in 2007 that the best method of approaching pest control is to learn to live in harmony with pests instead of trying... more
Views: 1817The Vuvuzela World Cup Debate in South Africa
Region: South Africa
Perhaps the defining sights to date of the 2010 World Cup have been the sparkling new stadiums or the colorful costumes worn by fans of each of the 32 competing nations. Without a doubt, the defining sound of the tournament has been the droning sound of the vuvuzela, which can be heard by spectators attending the games or by the television viewer. The notable sound has sparked a debate whether the vuvuze... more
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