The University of South Africa (Unisa) made history on 25 April 2025 by hosting the launch of the Academia-Public-Private-Diplomatic Corps Forum at the G20 Africa Investment Summit (AIS), a first-of-its-kind initiative to unite universities, governments, businesses, and diplomats in advancing Africa’s economic transformation. Themed “The Road to G20 Through Research, Innovation, and Collaboration in the Intelligent Age”, the event brought together G20 delegates, government officials, business leaders, academics, diplomats, and traditional leaders to forge actionable strategies for Africa’s sustainable development.…

University of South Africa (UNISA) students marched to the institution’s main campus in Pretoria on Friday, 4 April 2025, demanding urgent institutional action against gender-based violence (GBV) following the alleged rape of 7-year-old Cwecwe at Bergview College in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. The march, which began at Sunnyside Police Station, saw students deliver a memorandum demanding Africa’s largest distance learning institution take a stronger stand against GBV. The National Student Representative Council (NSRC) emphasised that while the victim – identified only…

Nornickel (Norilsk Nickel), the world’s largest palladium producer, has unveiled an ambitious strategy to expand the metal’s role in high-tech industries, particularly in the fields of energy, electronics, and green technology, at the 8th annual PGMs Industry Day in Johannesburg. The event, held on 3 April 2025 and chaired by industry veteran Bernard Swanepoel, brought together leading platinum group metal (PGM) producers, end-users, and policymakers to discuss critical sector challenges, including evolving demand amid the global energy transition. South African…

UNISA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Óbuda University in Hungary to boost collaboration in engineering and technology disciplines that are central to Unisa’s 10 catalytic niche areas. This follows a similar deal signed earlier in 2025 with Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary’s oldest and largest university. The agreements were finalised during the Hungarian-South African Rectors’ Forum in Budapest, which took place from 31 March to 4 April 2025. The Hungarian-South African Rectors’ Forum is a platform created by…

The University of South Africa (UNISA), in collaboration with the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), hosted the 2025 Water Imbizo on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, under the theme “Forging Collective Solutions Towards the South African Water Crisis.” Held during National Water Week, the event brought together academics, researchers and stakeholders to address critical issues such as declining water reserves, intergenerational water preservation and equitable resource management. Professor Puleng LenkaBula, UNISA Principal and Vice-Chancellor,…

The Government of Rwanda has severed diplomatic relations with Belgium, effective immediately, and instructed all Brussels’ diplomats to leave the East African country within 48 hours. In a media statement on Monday, 17 March 2025, Rwanda accused Belgium of having “consistently undermined Rwanda, both well before and during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in which Belgium has a deep and violent historical role, especially in acting against Rwanda.” Rwanda further alleged that Belgium employed “lies…

The Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads, and Infrastructure has announced an out of court settlement between the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) and its former CEO, Gabriel Maluleke, ending a bitter legal battle marked by multiple court defeats for the department. In a media statement released on 14 March 2025, the department confirmed that Maluleke withdrew his High Court application challenging his suspension and the unlawful dissolution of the RAL board by MEC Ernest Rachoene in 2024. In return, RAL…

The Russian Embassy in South Africa this week hosted a cultural event celebrating artistic collaboration and shared heritage, while reinforcing ties between BRICS nations and the Global South. The twofold occasion, blending a prestigious international photo exhibition with a cinematic homage to Russian folklore, underscored the deepening cultural diplomacy between Moscow and Pretoria. The evening opened with the launch of the 10th Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest Exhibition, showcasing works by photographers from Russia, South Africa, China, India, Myanmar,…

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced the termination of its military mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and ordered the phased withdrawal of all SAMIDRC (SADC Mission in the DRC) troops. The decision, finalised during an Extraordinary Virtual Summit chaired by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 13 March 2025, signals a strategic shift toward political and diplomatic solutions to end years of devastating conflict in eastern DRC. The SAMIDRC mandate, launched in December 2023 to support…

The University of South Africa (UNISA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two Russian universities to promote language exchange programmes. The partnership, formalised on 04 March 2025, with Tyumen State University (UTMN) and the Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) will see isiZulu taught at the Russian institutions, while UNISA’s College of Human Sciences (CHS) will offer Russian language courses, the university said. The agreement was witnessed by South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training…