Category: Africa

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Africa Data Centres and Blue Turtle Technologies partner to accelerate South Africa’s digital infrastructure and cloud transformation

Africa Data Centres (https://www.AfricaDataCentres.com), a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has formed a commercial partnership with Blue Turtle Technologies, one of South Africa’s leading enterprise IT solutions providers, to deploy colocation services in the Cape Town and Midrand data centres. This agreement marks a significant step in expanding South Africa’s enterprise cloud and digital infrastructure ecosystem, enabling secure, scalable, and compliant colocation and private hosted cloud services for local enterprise customers. 

The partnership enables Blue Turtle Technologies to deploy several racks, providing their enterprise clients with access to world-class, secure, and compliant colocation and private hosted cloud services. Additionally, this collaboration will also allow South African businesses the opportunity to rapidly embrace cloud computing, digital transformation, and data-driven operations in a scalable, compliant, and high-performance colocation environment.   

“This partnership enables us to offer customers trusted colocation and private cloud solutions in two of South Africa’s most strategic data centre locations,” said Jan Hitge, Business Development Manager, Managed Services at Blue Turtle Technologies. “As enterprise clients increasingly look for secure, scalable, and cost-efficient alternatives to on-premises infrastructure, we anticipate strong market uptake – a confidence reflected in the accelerated ramp-up timeline we’ve committed to.” 

By providing high-availability colocation services backed by regulatory compliance, low-latency connectivity, and disaster recovery capabilities, the partnership is expected to support enterprises in modernising their IT environments, enhancing security posture, and meeting evolving data sovereignty requirements under laws such as South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). 

“This agreement is about more than just filling racks; it’s about enabling digital transformation across the economy,” said Adil El Youssefi, CEO of Africa Data Centres. “Blue Turtle brings a strong client base and the ability to scale rapidly, making them an ideal partner in our mission to deliver secure, resilient, and sustainable digital infrastructure across South Africa. As demand for trusted infrastructure continues to climb, we will work towards this partnership evolving to support broader cloud initiatives, edge computing, and AI-ready infrastructure deployments.” 

With commercial partners like Blue Turtle, Africa Data Centres continues to expand its footprint and impact across the continent, powering the next phase of enterprise transformation and solidifying South Africa’s status as a leading technology hub in Africa. 

Africa Data Centres, which operates the continent’s largest interconnected, vendor- and cloud-neutral data centre platform, will benefit from Blue Turtle’s strong go-to-market capabilities and proven track record in delivering IT solutions to South Africa’s enterprise sector. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Data Centres.

Africa Data Centres:
Africa Data Centres owns and operates Africa’s largest network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centre facilities. Bringing international experts to the pan-African market, Africa Data Centres is a trusted partner for rapid and secure data centre services and interconnections across Africa. Strategically located in South, East and West Africa our world-class data centre facilities provide a home for all business-critical data for Africa’s small, medium and large enterprises and global hyperscale customers. https://www.AfricaDataCentres.com 

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Two more suspects arrested for passport fraud, corruption

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Serious Corruption Investigation component of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, based in Pretoria, has arrested an additional two suspects in the ongoing operation that began on 14 June 2025, in KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the number of those arrested to seven.

The execution operation emanates from a complaint from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) relating to the issuance of fraudulent passports to undocumented foreign nationals. 

The allegations reported serious offences include corruption, fraud and the contraventions of the Identification Act and Immigration Act, which took place between February 2020 and July 2023. A group of South African citizens allegedly facilitated the fraudulent acquisition of South African passports by foreign nationals at DHA offices in Durban, specifically at the Commercial Street branch. 

These unlawful activities took place outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends and public holidays, when the DHA offices were officially closed.

Preliminary investigations by the DHA confirmed that the criminal activities were conducted after hours, where the local citizens were offered R300 to R1 000 in exchange for their cooperation, particularly at DHA offices in Isipingo, Durban Central and Eshowe — resulting in a case being opened for investigation by Serious Corruption Investigation.

Thus far, a total of 38 individuals have been previously arrested in the matter from September 2022 to date. Of those arrested, seven are DHA officials, while 31 are private citizens. 

About 24 individuals, four of whom are DHA officials, have been convicted and sentenced to a combined sentence of 310 years imprisonment.

The other five suspects were arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation on 14 June 2025 in various parts of Durban and will face charges of corruption, fraud, contravention of the Immigration Act and contravention of the Identification Act.

The DPCI is not ruling out the possibility of more suspects being arrested. – SAnews.gov.za

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Social Development leads relief efforts in flood-stricken OR Tambo District

Source: South Africa News Agency

Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has visited the OR Tambo District in the Eastern Cape as part of coordinated efforts by government to offer psychosocial support and social relief packages to the communities adversely affected by the recent floods. 

The Minister was joined by Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development, Bukiwe Fanta and Speaker of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Nomamfengu Siyo-Sokutu. 

During the visit, both the Minister and the MEC extended heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and wished a speedy recovery to those who were injured and currently recovering in hospitals and places of safety.

“SASSA [South African Social Security Agency] and Home Affairs are working very closely to ensure that death certificates are released, so that the agency can assist the families that will not be able to lay to rest their loved ones with financial assistance,” the department said in a statement on Monday. 

The principals were accompanied by the National Director-General Peter Netshipale, SASSA CEO Themba Matlou, Acting CEO of National Development Agency (NDA) Thabani Buthelezi, SASSA Eastern Cape Regional Manager Bandile Maqetuka, and NDA Provincial Manager, Nokulunga Skeyi. 

Following the events of the past week, where approximately 90 people lost their lives and thousands displaced, the social development sector with its partners dispatched its personnel to provide assistance to the affected people. 

SASSA, through its Social Relief of Distress (SRD) programme, has acted swiftly to assist families whose homes were severely affected during the floods. To this end, SASSA has been active on three established sites, where people are served with three nutritious meals a day, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to immediate food security.

In anticipation of the transition phase, SASSA has developed a disengagement plan aimed at equipping beneficiaries with basic resources to support reintegration and restore a sense of stability. This includes the provision of urgent packs to restore the dignity of the families who have lost everything they had. 

The department explained that the activation of the Disaster Management Act has enabled SASSA and its partners like the Gift of the Givers and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, to provide urgent needed services to the displaced communities. 

“The work of the agency has been supervised by the Internal Audit Committee to allow proper accountability at the end of the intervention to avoid and protect the resources of government,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za 

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Five suspects to appear in Durban Commercial Crimes Court

Source: South Africa News Agency

Five suspects arrested over the weekend for fraud and corruption are scheduled to appear in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court today.

The arrest is related to the issuing of passports at the Department of Home Affairs offices in KwaZulu-Natal.

A Home Affairs-led law enforcement operation, supported by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, busted a syndicate involved in passport fraud at the uMngeni and Commercial Road offices in Durban. 

Among the five people arrested are a former Home Affairs official from the Prospecton office, a municipal project volunteer at the Commercial Road office, and three members of the public – one of whom was found with 226 passports that were recently stolen from the uMngeni Home Affairs office.

Earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, warned at the launch of the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (BMIACF) that South Africa was increasingly becoming a “syndicate society”, and that Home Affairs was determined to work with other law enforcement agencies to crack down on syndicates operating in this environment.

The operation follows the dismissal of 33 corrupt officials since July last year, as well as the criminal conviction of eight offenders, with sentences ranging from four to 18 years in prison.

The successful operation was initiated by the Home Affairs’ Counter-Corruption Unit, following information received from the public.

One of the suspects was found with keys to the Home Affairs offices on Commercial Road and at Prospecton. 

The same suspect was also found with copies of enabling documents that did not belong to him. 

Two further suspects have been identified as members of this syndicate but the Hawks remain on the hunt for them.

“This latest operation lands another blow in our ongoing cleanup campaign at Home Affairs, which is specifically focused on breaking open criminal syndicates. 

“The details of the case also reaffirms the urgent work we are doing to digitalise all of our processes, so that it becomes impossible for syndicates to penetrate and manipulate our systems. 

“This combination of ensuring criminals are arrested and prosecuted, and using digital transformation to close the loopholes they exploit is how we will ultimately win the war against corruption,” Schreiber said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Minister Hlabisa to visit communities affected by storm in Impendle

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, is set to visit the Impendle Local Municipality after the area was severely affected by recent strong winds.

According to the department, the visit, scheduled for Tuesday, is in response to the intense weather conditions that have caused widespread damage and hardship for more than 100 families in the municipality, with Wards 1 and 5 being particularly hard hit by the storms. 

The Minister will be accompanied by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thamsanqa Ntuli. 

“The Premier and Minister will conduct on-site assessments, engage with affected residents, and ensure that urgent relief measures are being implemented,” the department said in a statement. 

This joint visit underscores government’s commitment at both provincial and national levels to respond swiftly and effectively to natural disasters and support vulnerable communities through recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

On Friday last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Mthatha in the Eastern Cape to offer support and assess the damage following the recent floods that killed about 90 people.

The floods have caused widespread destruction to homes, government facilities, roads, hospitals, and schools, highlighting the urgent need to tackle climate change. 

President Ramaphosa highlighted that this is becoming a new reality for South Africa, with both Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal experiencing recurring annual disasters.

“The Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are now prone to continuous annual disasters that are causing a lot of pain and suffering amongst our people, where a number of people are dying,” he said then. 

Government officials pledged continued support to the affected communities, promising to assist families in their time of grief.

President Ramaphosa also took the time to extend his condolences to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, who are facing significant challenges due to climate change. – SAnews.gov.za

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Infobip dévoile Conversational Experience Orchestration Platform (CXOP) : la nouvelle génération des conversations client propulsées par Intelligence Artificielle (IA)


Infobip (www.Infobip.com), leader mondial des communications cloud, annonce le lancement de sa Conversational Experience Orchestration Platform (CXOP), une solution de rupture qui place l’intelligence artificielle agentique au centre de toutes les interactions client. Avec CXOP, les marques ne sont plus limitées par des processus figés et préprogrammés : elles peuvent désormais instaurer des conversations dynamiques, orientées vers des objectifs précis, que ce soit en marketing, en vente ou en service client – et ce, à grande échelle. Ce lancement s’inscrit dans la continuité de l’AI Hub d’Infobip, en marquant une étape stratégique : l’intégration native de l’IA agentique à l’ensemble de son écosystème technologique primé, pour réunir, au sein d’une plateforme unique, canaux, données et automatisation intelligente.

Reposant sur Microsoft Azure OpenAI et les modèles Foundry, CXOP active des agents intelligents capables d’orchestrer des parcours clients personnalisés via des canaux comme WhatsApp, RCS ou les chats web. Ces agents comprennent le contexte, agissent de façon autonome, et collaborent naturellement avec les équipes humaines lorsque la situation l’exige — ce qui permet de réduire considérablement les délais de traitement, d’améliorer la fidélisation, tout en maîtrisant les coûts.

À une époque où les consommateurs exigent des échanges immédiats, pertinents et homogènes quel que soit le canal, CXOP apporte une réponse concrète. Elle réunit messagerie, automatisation et assistance intelligente dans une plateforme unique, conçue pour s’adapter en temps réel aux comportements, aux intentions et aux émotions des utilisateurs.

Grâce à CXOP, les entreprises sont désormais en mesure de :

  • Déployer des interactions empathiques, pilotées par des objectifs, sur tous les canaux de communication
  • Réduire les délais de réponse et les coûts liés au service client grâce à l’automatisation
  • Améliorer la conversion des prospects et la performance des campagnes grâce à une personnalisation en temps réel
  • Accompagner les équipes hybrides avec des logiques “human-in-the-loop” adaptées aux cas les plus complexes
  • Lancer rapidement leurs expériences conversationnelles, qu’elles optent pour une mise en œuvre sans code ou avec un développement sur-mesure

Le cœur de CXOP repose sur un réseau d’assistants intelligents dotés d’IA agentique, capables de comprendre les intentions des utilisateurs et d’exécuter des processus contextualisés. Bien plus que de simples bots, ces agents guident, résolvent et agissent, offrant des expériences fluides, naturelles et continues – depuis la génération de leads jusqu’à la fidélisation des clients.

« CXOP permet aux entreprises de dépasser les limites des workflows statiques pour offrir des interactions intelligentes, empathiques et évolutives », affirme Ivan Ostojić, Chief Business Officer chez Infobip. « C’est une avancée essentielle vers des expériences client fondées sur l’intelligence artificielle, capables de générer un véritable impact mesurable pour les entreprises. »

« En remplaçant les automatisations classiques basées sur des règles par l’intelligence agentique, la nouvelle plateforme CXOP d’Infobip représente une réelle avancée dans la gestion de l’expérience client », souligne Myladie Stoumbou, Directrice Senior des partenariats ISV chez Microsoft. « Disponible sur la marketplace Microsoft Azure, cette solution certifiée permet aux clients d’y accéder facilement tout en simplifiant la gestion des fournisseurs. »

Distribué par APO Group pour Infobip.

Contacts presse :
Marcelo Nahime  
marcelo.nahime@infobip.com

Bojana Mandić 
Bojana.Mandic1@infobip.com

À propos d’Infobip :
Infobip est une plateforme mondiale de communications cloud qui permet aux entreprises de concevoir des expériences connectées à chaque étape du parcours client. Accessible depuis une seule interface, l’offre d’Infobip combine engagement omnicanal, gestion des identités, authentification des utilisateurs et solutions de centre de contact. Son ambition : aider ses clients à surmonter la complexité des communications numériques pour accélérer leur croissance et renforcer leur relation client. Grâce à une technologie développée en interne, Infobip peut atteindre plus de sept milliards d’appareils et objets connectés sur six continents, via plus de 9 700 connexions — dont plus de 800 directes avec des opérateurs télécoms. Fondée en 2006, l’entreprise est dirigée par ses cofondateurs : Silvio Kutić (PDG), Roberto Kutić et Izabel Jelenić.

Distinctions récentes :

  • Classée Leader pour la troisième fois dans le rapport Omdia CPaaS Universe (avril 2025)
  • Nommée Leader établi dans le classement de l’IA conversationnelle par Juniper Research (février 2025)
  • Consacrée Leader CPaaS pour la troisième fois par l’IDC MarketScape (février 2025)
  • Identifiée comme l’un des principaux fournisseurs CPaaS dans le rapport MetriRank de Metrigy (décembre 2024)
  • N°1 parmi les leaders établis en messagerie RCS pour les entreprises selon Juniper Research (novembre 2024)
  • Récompensée comme principal acteur de la prévention de la fraude AIT par Juniper Research (octobre 2024)
  • Désignée Leader dans le Magic Quadrant™ 2024 de Gartner® pour les CPaaS, pour la deuxième année consécutive (juin 2024)
  • Sélectionnée dans la liste annuelle des entreprises les plus innovantes du monde par Fast Company (mars 2024)

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Infobip Unveils Conversational Experience Orchestration Platform (CXOP): The Next Generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Customer Conversations


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Global cloud communications platform Infobip (www.Infobip.com) today announced its Conversational Experience Orchestration Platform (CXOP) — a game-changing solution that places agentic AI at the heart of every customer interaction. CXOP enables brands to move beyond static, rules-based workflows to deliver dynamic, goal-oriented conversations across marketing, sales, and support — at scale. The announcement builds on Infobip’s AI Hub, marking a major step forward by natively infusing agentic AI across Infobip’s entire award-winning product stack — unifying channels, data, and automation into a single intelligent platform.

Built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models, CXOP uses intelligent AI agents to orchestrate personalized customer journeys across channels like WhatsApp, RCS, and web chat. These agents understand context, act autonomously, and seamlessly collaborate with human teams when needed — reducing time to resolution, improving loyalty, and cutting costs.

Today’s consumers expect instant, relevant, and seamless interactions no matter what the channel. CXOP meets this demand by unifying messaging, automation, and AI-powered assistance within a single, intelligent platform that adapts to behavior, sentiment, and intent in real time.

With CXOP, businesses can:

  • Deliver empathetic, goal-driven AI interactions across channels
  • Slash response times and reduce service costs through automation
  • Increase lead conversion and campaign performance with real-time personalization
  • Support hybrid teams with human-in-the-loop for complex cases
  • Launch fast with no-code or full-code deployment options

At its core, CXOP leverages a network of intelligent, agentic AI assistants that understand user intent and execute context-sensitive workflows. These agents don’t just answer — they guide, solve, and act, creating fluid, human-like experiences from lead generation to retention.

“CXOP enables enterprises to move beyond static workflows and deliver intelligent, empathetic interactions at scale,” said Ivan Ostojić, Chief Business Officer at Infobip. “It’s a foundational step toward building AI-first customer experiences that drive measurable business impact.”

“Using agentic AI instead of a rules-based automation, Infobip’s new CXOP is an enhancement for customer experiences,” said Myladie Stoumbou, Sr Director ISV Partnerships, at Microsoft. “Available within the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, clients can access such certified products and eliminate the complexity of managing individual vendor relationships.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Infobip.

For more information, contact:

Marcelo Nahime  


marcelo.nahime@infobip.com   

Bojana Mandić 
Bojana.Mandic1@infobip.com

About Infobip:
Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey. Accessed through a single platform, Infobip’s omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact centre solutions help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications to grow business and increase loyalty. It offers natively built technology with the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices and ‘things’ in 6 continents connected to over 9,700+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. Infobip was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić, Roberto Kutić and Izabel Jelenić.

Recent award wins include:

  • Infobip ranked as Leader in the Omdia CPaaS Universe Report for the third time (April 2025)
  • Infobip ranked an Established Leader in the Juniper Research Conversational AI Leaderboard (Feb 2025)
  • Infobip named a CPaaS Leader for the third time in the IDC MarketScape (Feb 2025)
  • Infobip named one of the top CPaaS providers in Metrigy’s CPaaS MetriRank Report (Dec 2024)
  • Infobip named number one among Established Leaders in RCS Business Messaging in Juniper Research’s RCS Business Messaging Competitor Leaderboard 2024 (Nov 2024)
  • Infobip recognized as the number one provider in the AIT Fraud Prevention market by Juniper Research (Oct 2024)
  • Infobip named a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) 2024 for the second year running (June 2024)
  • Infobip named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies (March 2024)

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Long awaited judicial review begins in Gogrial East, with support from United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)


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Women and men in chains approach an improvised justice bench next to the main prison in Lietnhom, the county headquarters of Gogrial East, Warrap. Exhaustion is writ large on their faces. These prisoners have waited a long time for their time in court. Many of them don’t even know why they have been detained.

“I really don’t know my offense. I don’t know my crime. I was taken from the court side, placed in a container and suddenly I ended up in prison,” one of them shares.

Another case involves a young woman who found herself imprisoned on charges of adultery—a charge often misused against women—after a tragic incident involving her stepfather and deceased daughter.

These anecdotes are a stark reminder that in South Sudan, access to justice cannot be taken for granted.

In Lietnhom, with no resident judge for some five years, customary courts, typically limited to civil disputes, have been handling criminal cases beyond their jurisdiction. This resulted in unjust imprisonment, inadequate judicial procedures, and significant distress for inmates, particularly women and young girls.

However, this week, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), through its Rule of Law section brought much-needed hope to communities living here by facilitating a two-week case review in collaboration with a judge, public prosecutor and defender sent by the Kuajok High Court to facilitate appropriate court hearings.

“This judicial vacuum must be addressed immediately,” Judge George Michael explained, while beginning to review cases that had gone unheard for months or even years.

On the first day, a woman detained for refusing a forced marriage burst into tears as her release was announced. “Today I finally feel my opinion matters,” she said. Her relief was palpable.

Another compelling moment was when the judge addressed the court while reviewing the case of a teenage girl jailed for choosing a different religion. “We fought for our independence from Sudan to uphold our freedom of beliefs and rights. How can we imprison our own children for exercising these same freedoms?” he questioned.

Within two days, substantial progress was made. “We found that many people were imprisoned without proper documentation or sufficient evidence,” noted Deng Kuol, the prison director.

Out of 77 cases reviewed, 41 individuals were immediately freed, significantly reducing prison overcrowding and arbitrary detention. Only nine inmates remained for further legal proceedings.

“Seeing wrongfully incarcerated people walk free with happiness is one of the most rewarding parts of our work,” smiles Lena Ellen Becker, a Justice Advisor with the UN Peacekeeping mission.

“Don’t be surprised if overcrowding returns in weeks because of the absence of the permanent prosecutors or judges,” cautions Mr Kuol, however.

While these initial sessions reveal deeper systemic issues, such as wrongful imprisonment, arbitrary arrests, and procedural negligence, the beginning of a comprehensive effort toward justice reform in Gogrial East is praiseworthy.

Moving forward, detailed reviews and additional judicial support will continue.

“Our roles need clarity, procedures must improve, and we must protect the vulnerable, especially women and girls,” stated Ayen Deng, a traditional leader working with the customary court.

Despite these early victories, challenges remain.

The woman released from prison faced immediate pressure from her family. They refused to return the cattle received as dowry and insisted she must either marry the man she had originally refused or face imprisonment again. “This shows us that some issues go beyond our courts,” explained a UNMISS officer. “Cultural practices and social pressures require a collective change in mindsets and strong government interventions to ensure true justice and freedom for all.”

As Judge Michael poignantly reminded the gathering, “Justice delayed is justice denied,” pointing out the urgent need for continued commitment to human rights, fairness, and societal transformation across this young nation.

While this UNMISS facilitated case review may only be a temporary solution at this point, its success sets the stage for future replications and long-term investments at the state level. Achieving lasting justice in Lietnhom and beyond will ultimately depend on sustained and collective efforts at every level.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

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Foot-and-mouth disease detected in the North West

Source: South Africa News Agency

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, specifically within the JB Marks Local Municipality.

In the first case, the department was alerted by a private veterinarian, who visited a farm and noted suspicious signs. 

A State veterinarian then collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) for testing.

Another incident of FMD was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng.

“The clinical signs of the affected  animals were missed at ante-mortem inspection but were detected on the slaughter line during the meat inspection process. 

“Tissue samples were sent to the laboratory, and the results came back confirming both SAT 2 and SAT 3 types of the virus. 

“The unslaughtered animals were escorted back to the farm of origin, a feedlot in Ventersdorp, through a Red Cross permit,” the statement read. 

The department has placed both farms associated with the outbreak under quarantine, which prohibits the movement of animals and animal products. 

In addition, the department has identified all farms connected to the Gauteng outbreak and is conducting tests to determine whether any of them are positive for the infection.

“All such farms have also been put under precautionary quarantine until the test results are back.” 

The department stated that any suspected case of FMD in susceptible animals must be reported to the local state veterinarian immediately.

FMD is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals and can impact some other species as well. 

The main clinical signs of the disease include fever, lameness, and the appearance of blisters and sores in the mouth, feet, and teats.

In recent months, outbreaks have occurred in five of the nine provinces in South Africa, with KwaZulu-Natal experiencing the most significant impact.

Early this month, Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, announced that the department has ordered 901 200 doses of vaccines at a value of over R70 million. 

The national department said this means that over 900 000 animals will be vaccinated in all areas that the department has prioritised.

The department stated that Limpopo and Mpumalanga will also conduct their routine vaccinations, which are conducted three times a year, with some of the vaccines going to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. 

Meanwhile, last week, Cabinet announced plans to establish a biosecurity council that will bring together the South African Police Service, veterinarians, scientists, the Border Management Authority (BMA) and captains of industry to better respond to future outbreaks and manage the related risks. 

READ | Government on top off foot-and-mouth disease response. – SAnews.gov.za

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12 die in KZN accident

Source: South Africa News Agency

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Twelve people have died, with 38 others sustaining injuries in a head-on collision between a bus and truck on the R34 Matatani road between Vryheid and Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal at around midnight. 

“KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service paramedics responded to the scene, where they provided immediate medical attention to the victims. Of the injured, 10 patients sustained critical injuries, 22 suffered serious injuries, and six sustained minor injuries,” Arrive Alive said on Monday.

A multi-service emergency response team worked to stabilise all patients before transporting them to nearby medical facilities for further treatment.

Nine occupants were declared dead at the scene, having sustained fatal injuries before emergency services arrived. Three critically injured patients later died in the hospital, despite intensive efforts by paramedics and medical staff.

The cause of the collision is under investigation. – SAnews.gov.za