MULTIMEDIA - The African Mirror

Nov

13

2023

Video: Award-winning sculptor gives modern voice to a tradition of Great Zimbabwe

ARMED with a small hammer and chisel, Dominic Benhura – a renowned Zimbabwean stone sculptor – meticulously carves a towering figure of a life-size animal from a piece of serpentine stone. As he chisels delicately, bits and pieces of sharp greyish stone fragments fall off to the ground, and a figure of a bison slowly takes shape. For him, sculpture is the ultimate reflection of physical reality, and one does not need to be a connoisseur to appreciate his dynamic art. "I started sculpting when I was four or five years [old] whilst moulding clay while herding cattle. But with…

Nov

07

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

Video – Massive vaccination campaign launched in Nigeria

HEALTH, MULTIMEDIA

NIGERIA has officially introduced a vaccine program against the human papillomavirus virus (HPV) into Nigeria's routine immunisation system, a pivotal moment in the country's fight against cervical cancer-related deaths. The Gavi-led initiative is supported by the Ministry of Health (MOH), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, SYDANI, and various civil society organizations. A five-day mass vaccination campaign in schools and communities heralded the campaign. Under the campaign, Gardasil will be administered to girls between the ages of 9 to 14 years. The vaccine is known for its high effectiveness in preventing HPV types 16 and 18 infections, responsible for a…

Oct

24

2023

By SIHLE MACKENZIE-GCILITSHANA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Black women in rugby are tackling gender equality in sport one try at a time

SPORT, MULTIMEDIA

IN April 2023, an all-Black women’s rugby team, led by Head Coach Bongi Nhleko from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), progressed to the first-ever First National Bank (FNB) Varsity Women’s Rugby Finals. It was a seminal moment for Black women's rugby in South Africa. "We were really honoured to be part of the first-ever Varsity Cup's Fifteens and we were grateful for it. It gave us exposure because going through to the finals we knew there was going to be pressure and we were looking to perform… It was a great experience… It wasn't the result we were looking for…

Oct

12

2023

By The African Mirror

Video: #OurFordStory 100th Anniversary

MULTIMEDIA

FORD South Africa is approaching its 100th anniversary in November this year – a remarkable achievement complemented by a long list of major milestones, records, and awards. https://youtu.be/QDr_RjguqGI

Oct

03

2023

By The African Mirror

Presidential honour for exceptional 2023 Special Olympics South Africa national team

SPORT, SPECIAL OLYMPICS, MULTIMEDIA

IN a historic moment of recognition, the 2023 Special Olympics South Africa (SOSA) National Team, which won 49 medals at the recent World Games, has received presidential honour. President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted a special ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to honour the athletes. The event, a significant milestone in South Africa's history, is especially poignant given the late President Nelson Mandela's support for Special Olympics South Africa. The event at the Union Buildings marked the first time the Government of South Africa officially acknowledged and celebrated the extraordinary achievements of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the realm of…

Sep

28

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

PHOTO FEATURE: Fallen Giants

MULTIMEDIA

STORMS with exceptionally high winds and record rainfall caused flooding and damaged vital infrastructure across South Africa's Western Cape during the country's Heritage Day weekend. The storms also downed many of Cape Town's old Stone Pines, some over 100 years old. Photos (Bird Story Agency, no restrictions)Fallen Giants: Storms and record rainfall caused flooding, cut vital infrastructure and felled trees across South Africa's Western Cape over the country's Heritage weekend. (Tom Kirkwood/Bird Story Agency/ September 26, 2023)

Jul

07

2023

By The African Mirror

Racing for Rhinos

MULTIMEDIA

THIS year's edition of the Rhino Charge, an off-road car rally famous for raising funds to protect highland forest "water towers" and the endangered black rhino, has successfully raised over a million US dollars. Read more... /bird story agency

Jun

27

2023

By NOKUKHANYA MUSI - AIMIENOHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Eswatini brings the world to its doorstep at the Annual MTN Bushfire

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, MULTIMEDIA

THE road to Malkerns Valley in Eswatini is packed with cars, causing a massive traffic jam. Despite this, the atmosphere is jolly and lively, and no one seems bothered by the delay. That's because the road leads to Eswatini's annual MTN Bushfire Festival of the Arts. People are already starting to party and as the cars start moving again, Malkerns comes into view, a tranquil pineapple-growing town known for its picturesque farmland and mountains. In the distance, the pulsating beats of Amapiano music can already be heard. The entrance is crowded the food stalls offering a variety of quick bites,…

Jun

21

2023

By MICHAEL SARPONG MFUM, BIRD STORY AGENCY

In pictures: Photojournalist Fatawu Ayamga is telling unique human stories through his lens

MULTIMEDIA

FATAWU Bawa Ayamga, a 30-year-old journalist from Ghana, found that writing just a few hundred words in an article was too limiting. To better express his thoughts, he turned to photography and discovered that one picture could indeed speak a thousand words. "As a freelance journalist, I started writing articles on social happenings in my area but then I developed a passion for picture taking. So I thought of blending my skills in journalism and photography and thus becoming a photojournalist. Telling stories by the use of photography knows no language barrier or restrictions as an image speaks thousands of…

Jun

15

2023

By The African Mirror