Mkhwanazi’s Proposed Hawks Appointment Sparks Political Debate

The proposal to appoint KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as the next head of the Hawks has triggered a political debate, with security experts divided over whether South Africa’s high-profile crime fighter belongs in the country’s top organised crime investigation unit.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed on Thursday that he had submitted a Cabinet memorandum seeking approval for Mkhwanazi’s appointment as National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks.

However,READ MORE

Unmanned aircraft will help deliver medicines faster to remote areas

In Zimbabwe, a drone has delivered medicines for the first time from the country’s capital, Harare, to the city of Marondera, located 75 kilometres away. On its return journey, the drone transported blood samples for laboratory tests. This was reported by ZBC News, a TV BRICS partner.

Satellite internet was used to operate the drone. The country’s authorities are working to expand internet access so that such technologies can be usedREAD MORE

China is building the world’s largest single-phase integrated solar power and thermal storage project in Hami, Xinjiang, with a capacity of 1,500 MW.

Combining solar power generation with molten salt heat storage, the project will provide more stable green electricity and cut CO₂ emissions by about 2.26 million tonnes annually once fully operational.

African Times has published this article in partnership with Xinhua News Agency

Mozambique and the USA highlight the potential of Artificial Intelligence to improve administrative efficiency, strengthen decision-making and enable civil servants to serve citizens more effectively.

Mozambique needs to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing to modernise public administration, improve the use of state resources and deliver more efficient services to citizens, Communications and Digital Transformation Minister Américo Muchanga said on Thursday.

Speaking in Maputo at the opening of the country’s first Google Super Intelligence (SI) and Cloud Computing trainingREAD MORE

By Denis Simon

As China continues on its development path, a range of complex issues will require sustained attention. The good news is that the track record of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government demonstrates a number of institutional strengths and development achievements for dealing with these challenges.  

To better grasp the capacity of the Chinese government and the CPC to handle the challenges it is confronting, I would like to emphasise three main themes: long-termREAD MORE

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — China has unveiled 16 measures to make it easier for foreign businesses and professionals to operate in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the world’s largest FTP by area, with new policies covering energy trade, medical services and bonded business operations, according to a government circular made public Thursday.

Under the measures, foreign physicians legally licensed to practice medicine overseas may obtain permits to provide clinical diagnosis and treatment services in Hainan for up toREAD MORE

Trade Union Solidarity is calling for stricter regulation of online gambling, tighter controls on gambling advertisements and stronger enforcement against illegal online casinos, warning that the industry’s rapid growth is putting South African households under increasing financial pressure.

The call follows a new report by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) released earlier this month, which reveals that online gambling in South Africa grew by 390% between 2021 and 2025, raising concerns about the financial and social consequences for vulnerable consumersREAD MORE

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its fifth plenary session from Monday to Thursday in Beijing, adopting a resolution on persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee presided over the meeting. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered an important address, said a communique issued after the session.

At the session, participants heard and discussed a report onREAD MORE

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Social Services, Desery Fienies, has raised concern over delays in implementing recommendations made by the Public Protector in 2021 to address poor conditions at Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

The concerns come five years after the investigation, which identified serious shortcomings in staffing, infrastructure, equipment and essential medical supplies at the hospital.

The Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka reportedly revisited the hospital on Thursday, 22 October 2026, and reportedly raised concerns about delaysREAD MORE

The initiative aims to help Nigerian exporters identify international markets, access reliable trade data and support the country’s ambition to build a US$1 trillion economy by 2030

Nigeria has launched its 2026 Trade Intelligence Tools to strengthen exports, attract investment and improve the competitiveness of domestic businesses. The initiative was inaugurated in Abuja by Jumoke Oluwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who said the tools would provide exporters with information on potential markets, tariffs and international trade requirements, reports News AgencyREAD MORE