Tuberculosis has been recognised as a social illness for ages. It thrives in low-income communities because of societal variables like hunger, overcrowding, dangerous working conditions, and social shame. In 2021, malnutrition was responsible for approximately 2.2 million TB cases worldwide, whereas HIV infection was responsible for 0.86 million, alcohol use disorders for 0.74 million,...
South Africa’s prestigious FNB Art Prize in 2023 goes to Lindokuhle Sobekwa. He is the first artist to win the award whose major medium is documentary photography. Sobekwa, who was born in Katlehong in 1995 but grew up in the nearby town of Thokoza, started taking photography classes through the Of Soul and Joy...
Riding the YouTube Wave When you think of YouTube and billions of views, it’s often chart-toppers like Ed Sheeran or Justin Bieber that come to mind. But nestled among them is the delightful earworm from Pinkfong, “Baby Shark Dance”, boasting an impressive 4.6 billion views. Pinkfong’s fascinating journey with this song, with over 100...
Ever pondered the origins of the term “Cricket”? Let’s dissect its historical roots. The names “criquet” from Old French and “kricke” from Middle Dutch have been proposed as potential sources of the name “Cricket”. Given the strong medieval trade relations between south-east England and Flanders, which belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy, the derivation...
There are currently hundreds of millions of people in Africa who can use electricity that is generated by hydropower. Providing around a quarter of all electricity generated south of the Sahara, it is by far Africa’s most important renewable energy source. But some nations are much more dependent on it than others. Countries like...
From the etchings on the walls of ancient caves to Shakespearean scripts, written communication has always aimed to capture the human essence. Yet, even as we’ve advanced, our written words often fall short in conveying full emotion. The early alphabetic texts lacked punctuation, spaces, or even lowercase letters. This made deciphering Ancient Greek writings...
The image of a seemingly unscathed drunk driver after a severe accident, while their victims battle for life, often graces the news. This seemingly suggests that intoxication somehow shields individuals from the perils of vehicle crashes and other traumas. The prevalent notion posits that the more relaxed you are in your inebriated state, the...
The recent study on South Africa’s education system has unearthed concerning revelations about the proficiency levels of the country’s educators. According to the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) Education Research Report, a staggering half of the teachers in South Africa struggle to meet international standards, significantly impacting the quality of education imparted to the youth....
The national sport of Afghanistan is Buzkashi, a gripping and intense equestrian game that grips the hearts of many Afghans and neighboring communities. Known for its rugged nature, Buzkashi involves players vying for control of a headless animal carcass while mounted on horseback. This age-old tradition has deep historical roots and a significant cultural...