Page 14 - South Africa

Putin, Zelenskyy agree to meet with African peace mission: S Africa prez

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have agreed to separate meetings with a delegation of leaders from six African countries to discuss a possible plan to end the war in Ukraine, South Africa's president said Tuesday. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he spoke with Putin and Zelenskyy by phone over the weekend and they each agreed to host "an African leaders peace mission" in Moscow and Kyiv, respectively. Principal to our discussions are efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in the Ukraine, Ramaphosa said. The leaders of Zambia, Senegal, Republic of Congo, Uganda and Egypt would make up the delegation along with Ramaphosa, he said in a statement. Putin and Zelenskyy gave him the go-ahead to commence the preparations, the South African leader said. Four of those six African countries South Africa, Republic of Congo, Senegal and Uganda abstained from a U.N. vote last year on condemning Russia's invasio

Cheetah from Africa dies in Kuno National Park, 3rd fatality in 42 days

Female cheetah 'Daksha', translocated to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park from South Africa, died on Tuesday, a forest official said. Daksha became the third cheetah to die in the KNP. Earlier, a female cheetah and a male cheetah died on March 27 and April 23, respectively. "Daksha was found in injured condition in the morning by a monitoring team of KNP. She was immediately given necessary medication and treatment but she died around 12 noon," the official said. Daksha was released in enclosure number one and two male cheetahs, Vayu and Agni, were released from boma 7 (enclosure) for mating, but it appears that the male cheetahs turned violent during the process which is a normal thing, the official added. In such a scenario, it is difficult for the monitoring team to interfere while the female cheetah died. Cheetahs Sasha' and 'Uday', who were shifted to KNP from Namibia and South Africa in separate batches in September 2022 and later, died on March 27 and April 23, respectiv

Indian oil export basket in FY23 was most diversified ever, shows data

Israel, Brazil, and South Africa broke into top 10 list of destinations for Indian refined petroleum products

Deaths of Cheetahs in Kuno were expected: South Africa forest dept

Reintroducing large carnivorous animals to a new habitat is extremely complex and a risky endeavour

South African cheetah, Uday, translocated to Kuno National Park dies

One of the cheetahs translocated to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP) from South Africa died on Sunday, a senior forest official said. The deceased cheetah 'Uday' aged six years. Notably, this is the second such incident at KNP in almost a month. Earlier, Namibian cheetah Sasha died due to a kidney ailment on March 27. During the inspection in the morning, a cheetah brought from South Africa was found dull with head down following which veterinarians attending him alerted senior officials and the feline was taken out from the large enclosure for treatment. Unfortunately, around 4 pm, the cheetah passed away, principal chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife, J S Chauhan told PTI. The dead cheetah was identified as Uday, another forest official said.

12 cheetahs released in acclimatisation enclosure at Kuno National Park

Twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa to India in February this year have been released in the acclimatisation enclosure of the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, an official said on Thursday. The felines, comprising seven males and five females, were released in the quarantine bomas (enclosure) of the KNP on February 18 the day they were brought here from South Africa. The twelve cheetahs have been released in the acclimatisation enclosure, aka soft or pre-release enclosure, after a go-ahead from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J S Chauhan told PTI over phone. He said the MP forest department got the clearance from the DAHD three days ago. "We started releasing them and completed the process in the last three days," Chauhan added. After one month, a call would be taken on releasing them into the wild, he said adding that cursorial predators would be set free in an a phased manner, like

India asks UNSC reform docs name opponents of African permanent seats

India has called for clearer documents for the UN Security Council reform, in particular naming names of those opposed to permanent membership for African nations

S Africa can't reduce import duties for India, says senior official

South Africa's high import duties on clothing are a safeguard to protect local manufacturers and cannot be reduced for India, a senior government official said on Monday. Speaking to a gathering of business people from both the countries, Jayawant Irkhede, the Director of Leather and Footwear in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competetion, said that the tariffs are set by the World Trade Organisation. This is the most common question I am asked whenever I meet Indian businesses wanting to export to South Africa, Irkhede said at the meet aimed at promoting business between the two countries. The international partners ask us whether we can reduce the import duties, like the 40 per cent -45 per cent duty on clothing; 30 per cent on shoes and 22 per cent on fabric. It is important to understand that these duties are not given by the South African government. These are the same tariffs provided by the World Trade Organisation (WTO)," he said. He said that it was difficult for the

Indian delegation explores investment opportunities in S Africa, Botswana

A multi-product Indian business delegation on a five-day visit to South Africa and neighbouring Botswana has been well-received by potential partners for trade and investment in both countries, the delegation leader said on Wednesday. The delegation from the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) explored the business opportunities in these two nations. Under the theme Balancing and Nurturing Trade Relations and Developing Promising Bilateral Trade, day-long seminars including local speakers were co-hosted by FIEO and the Indian missions in Johannesburg and Gaborone, followed by Business-Business meetings and interactions with government ministers and officials. The delegation has been well-received by potential partners for trade and investment in both South Africa and neighbouring Botswana, delegation leader Khalid Khan told PTI on Wednesday. The African region has always been a very attractive market due to the huge market potential, so the delegation was aimed at ...

India, Africa face common threats like terrorism: Army chief Pande

India and Africa face common threats like terrorism and violent extremism and the collective experience can help to prepare better to deal with emerging security challenges, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande said on Tuesday. Speaking at the conclave of Army chiefs in which 31 delegates from African nations participated, including 10 Army chiefs, General Pande said 25 partner nations are participating in the current edition of the AFINDEX military exercise which concludes on Wednesday. "Our collective experience can help us to better prepare for the emerging security threats," the Army chief said. He said many African armies have experience operating in difficult and challenging environments and can offer valuable insights into their tactics, techniques and procedures. "We face common threats of terrorism and violent extremism that have the potential to adversely affect our development goals," General Pande said.

South Africa chase record target in T20Is, level series 1-1 against WI

South Africa scripted a record run-chase in T20 Internationals after they chased down 259 runs against West Indies in the 2nd T20I to level the series 1-1 at SuperSport Park, here on Sunday

Women's T20 WC Final: Australia defeat S. Africa by 19 runs, win 6th title

Australia win women's T20 World Cup for record sixth time with 19-run win over hosts South Africa in final

12 cheetahs brought from SA served first meal at Kuno National Park in MP

Twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa to the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh two days ago have been served their first meal in their new home, an official said on Monday. The seven male and five female felines, brought as part of the Indian government's ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme, were served 65 to 70 kg of buffalo meat at around 5.30 pm on Sunday in the 10 quarantine bomas and they ate it all, KNP Divisional Forest Officer PK Verma told PTI. Before being brought to India on Saturday, they were fed at around 6 am on February 15 at the bomas in Rooiberg and Phinda Reserves in South Africa, officials said. The 12 cheetahs brought on Saturday will be kept in the quarantine enclosures for at least a month before they are moved into the acclimatisation enclosures. A decision on it will be taken by the task force on cheetahs, they said. According to experts, the cheetahs go in for the kill once in three to four days. They eat the prey fast at one go, fearin

Cheetah translocation to India result of S Africa's changed eco laws

The translocation of 12 cheetahs to India from South Africa on Saturday could be made possible because of changed eco laws after Nelson Mandela was elected president following 27 years as a political prisoner of the white minority apartheid government. Before that, India had ended all relations with South Africa for nearly four decades as it led the international fight against apartheid. In South Africa, the transition to democracy had substantial implications for wild cheetah conservation. The Game Theft Act (No. 105 of 1991) was responsible for a major change in land use from agriculture to ecotourism," the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) said in a statement on Saturday. Since 1994 (when Mandela was installed as President) cheetahs have been reintroduced into 63 newly established game reserves that currently support a combined metapopulation of 460 individuals, it said. The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment has approved the expor

12 cheetahs from S Africa released into enclosures at Kuno National Park

Hours after 12 cheetahs were brought to Madhya Pradesh from South Africa on Saturday, they were released into the quarantine enclosures at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district of the state. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister for Environment and Forests Bhupender Yadav released these felines into the quarantine bomas after they were transported to the KNP from Gwalior around noon. An Indian Air Force (IAF) plane carrying them in wooden boxes from South Africa had arrived at Gwalior airport around 10 am. From there, they were flown to the KNP in IAF helicopters. These cheetahs - seven males and five females - comprise the second set of big cats coming to the state, with the first group of eight from Namibia having been released into the KNP on September 17 last year at a function by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With the addition of these 12 members, the count of cheetahs at the KNP has gone up to 20. "The cheetahs from South Africa ha

12 cheetahs from South Africa arrive in Gwalior; to be flown to new home

Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters carrying 12 cheetahs from South Africa landed at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on Saturday. These felines were flown into Gwalior city of Madhya Pradesh from South Africa in an IAF plane around 10 am, from where they were shifted to the KNP. The helicopters carrying them arrived at the KNP around noon. These cheetahs - seven males and five females - comprise the second set of big cats coming to the state, with the first group of eight from Namibia having been released into the KNP on September 17 last year at a function by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These animals had embarked on a journey to their new home thousands of miles away aboard an IAF transport aircraft from the O R Tambo International Airport, Gauteng in South Africa shortly before midnight, a project participant and expert told PTI. They will now be released into quarantine bomas by MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister for ...

Flight bringing Cheetahs to Kuno National Park takes off from South Africa

The cheetahs are being brought to India as part of the Cheetah Reintroduction project on the basis of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the South African and the Indian governments

Russia, China and S Africa to begin naval drills off Indian Ocean coast

Russia, China and South Africa are set to begin naval drills off South Africa's Indian Ocean coast Friday in a demonstration of the three countries' close ties amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's tense relationship with the West. The 10 days of exercises, named Mosi II, will coincide with the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. A Russian frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived in Cape Town earlier this week sporting the letters Z and V on its sides, letters that mark Russian weapons on the front lines in Ukraine and are used as a patriotic symbol in Russia. In protest, a small yacht flying Ukraine's flag sailed by the Russian frigate in Cape Town's harbor. South African protesters opposed to the exercises are expected to demonstrate at the Russian Consulate in Cape Town on Friday. The arrival of the Admiral Gorshkov has stirred considerable controversy because it is armed with the latest Zircon hypersonic missiles, a weapon that Russia says can ..

Relocation of cheetah to India a measure of goodwill between BRICS partners

The "historic" relocation of 12 cheetahs from South Africa to India on Saturday is a measure of "goodwill" between the two BRICS partners to share the gene pool to ensure the survival of a species, senior officials from both countries have said. India originally initiated plans to bring the cheetahs to the country by mid-2022, but a delay in finalising a Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments led to a postponement, with the animals continuing with their quarantine at a reserve in Limpopo province. "This is a historic MoU. It is a transcontinental location from wild to wild. Normally animals do move, but this has been a challenge for both countries, said Dr Amit Mallick, Inspector-General of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Flora Mokgohloa, Deputy Director General for Biodiversity and Conservation in the South African Department of Forestry, Fishing and the Environment, said the financial value of the cheetahs being sent to India by South Africa was ...

Cheetahs unlikely to pose threat to people near Kuno National Park: Study

As Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh waits to welcome 12 more cheetahs on Saturday, which will take the count of the big cats at the protected forest to 20, a study says the carnivores are highly unlikely to pose a threat to the people living in the vicinity. The cheetahs, including five females, are being brought from South Africa, five months after the first batch of eight spotted felines from Namibia were released into a quarantine enclosure at KNP under India's ambitious Cheetah reintroduction programme. There exist no records of wild-born metapopulation attacking humans... All (12) founder cheetahs sourced for reintroduction (in India) are wild born. The prospect of any of these cheetahs attacking humans can be considered highly unlikely, says the risk management plan of the project authored by South African cheetah metapopulation manager Vincent van der Merwe. The findings could assuage concerns over potential man-animal conflicts among locals. The buffer zone of KNP, wher