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Geoffrey York Profile picture
Geoffrey York
@geoffreyyork
Africa correspondent for The Globe and Mail (Canada). Based in Johannesburg; formerly in Moscow & Beijing. IG: geoffrey_york Email: gyork@globeandmail.com
May 19, 2024 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
Benjamin Zalman-Polun, reportedly an American cannabis entrepreneur, was among about 20 men captured by Congo’s military today in Kinshasa after a failed rebellion led by Christian Malanga, head of a small political party in the DRC diaspora in the United States. Earlier images of the attempted rebellion in Kinshasa by the small group of men who wanted to declare a "New Zaire." Two policemen were reportedly killed in their assault on govt buildings. Their leader, Christian Malanga, was later killed by DRC soldiers.
Mar 4, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Many South Africans are still wondering why their government could not bring itself to condemn this. "South Africa always appreciates the value that dialogue has in averting a crisis.... We urge all parties to approach the situation in a spirit of compromise..." Speech by SA ambassador, shortly before SA abstained on a UN resolution to condemn Russia's invasion.
Dec 26, 2021 • 12 tweets • 2 min read
Everyone has an Archbishop Tutu story. This is mine. In August 1990, he made his first journey to a First Nations community in northern Canada. I went with him. (Thread) It was the Osnaburgh reserve, part of the Mishkeegogamang Ojibway nation in northwestern Ontario. Its leaders had invited him in despair over the long delays in justice for the loss of reserve land, the flooding of ancestral graves, the deep poverty and high unemployment. (2/x)
Jul 17, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
"Incidents of looting have often been synonymous with xenophobic violence and service delivery protests... We noted in our study the uncomfortable reality that a key driver of looting was that it was perceived by the looters to be socially acceptable."
theconversation.com/why-have-south… "However, as underscored in our report, looting does not spontaneously emerge. It usually comes about due to instigation by influential individuals or groups who actively articulate that looting against specific targets is permissible and justifiable."
Jul 8, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
"I've been treating people who have developed severe side effects - most probably from ivermectin. I have seen people with liver and kidney failure." From a doctor in Namibia, who warns of severe disease from Ivermectin. allafrica.com/stories/202107… And some examples from South Africa here:
May 17, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
If you're trying to understand how the HFPA (organizers of Golden Globe awards) has no Black members, consider how it enforces media monopolies. Its SA member, Margaret Gardiner, demanded no competition from any journalist in Southern Africa.
variety.com/2021/film/news… According to the report in Variety, a respected trade publication, Margaret Gardiner insisted that no new HFPA member could tread on her turf in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe or even "the former Mozambique." (Unclear what the latter phrase meant.)
Feb 21, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
I have confirmed from one of his colleagues that he was shot dead tonight. Awaiting more details. Further details in this thread:
Feb 5, 2021 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Two days ago, we documented how Canada was the only G7 country to take vaccines from the COVAX program (mainly designed to help low and middle income countries). It had a legal right to do so, but many people are questioning the decision. (THREAD)
theglobeandmail.com/politics/artic… Some of our Canadian readers say they are ashamed by the decision:
theglobeandmail.com/opinion/letter…
Jan 7, 2021 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
South Africa will receive one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in January and 500,000 further doses in February, sufficient for all of its health workers, Health Minister Mkhize announced today. The vaccine doses will be provided by the Serum Institute of India. The Serum Institute of India produces the AstraZeneca (Oxford) vaccine under license. It has already produced some 70 million doses. The vaccine still needs SAHPRA approval, which is being expedited.
Jan 5, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Canadian PM Trudeau says he spoke to SA President Ramaphosa today. He says they promised to "stand together" to "fight the virus" and "ensure no-one gets left behind as we rebuild".
No details on what that might mean. No mention of vaccine access. No statement from SA so far. For background: Canada ordered more than 400 million doses of various vaccines -- more than 5 times what it needed. It has promised to redistribute the surplus to the COVAX program, but has not indicated when it might do so.
Dec 24, 2020 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
South African science was crucial in helping UK discover its new variants; but then the UK govt claimed (wrongly) that the SA variant is more transmissible. No evidence to support this, according to @krisp_news scientists.
thetimes.co.uk/article/new-co… From the Times article: SA scientists "were the first to recognize the importance of a genetic change in the spike protein, something that allows the virus to attach more easily to human cells, making it more infectious than the original version."
Jul 22, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Latest weekly report on excess deaths in South Africa: now estimated at 17,090 since early May.
Note: only a fraction of these deaths are directly due to COVID. Please read the caveats and explanations here:
samrc.ac.za/sites/default/… From the report: "Although the bulk of these estimates of the ‘excess deaths’ are likely to be due to COVID-19 and related causes, an unknown proportion may be due other natural causes associated with a relaxing of lockdown."
Jun 6, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Yesterday the DA Premier of Western Cape told people with symptoms to "take quarantine and isolation very seriously."
On the same day, the DA national leader said: "Fact 1: Covid does not pose a significant risk to healthy 0-65 year-olds."
Which DA are we to believe? My question about DA messaging is this: when they are telling people that the virus is not a big risk, aren't they undermining their own Premier? And won't it complicate the task of persuading symptomatic people to voluntarily isolate? Why isolate if it's not a big risk?
May 27, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
South Africa's death rate this year, from all causes, is still significantly lower than expected. Source: Burden of Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council.
Date: 26 May 2020