Latest news with #AfricaCheck
The South African
3 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
SECOND group of white Afrikaner 'refugees' arrive in United States
A second group of white South African Afrikaners have reportedly arrived in the United States under a controversial refugee policy signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, sparking renewed global debate over race, immigration, and political messaging. According to posts from the US-based advocacy group Amerikaners , nine white South Africans landed in Atlanta this week as part of a pilot programme framed by the Trump administration as a response to alleged violence and land expropriation in South Africa – claims widely discredited by international human rights organisations. The executive order, quietly signed in February, granted refugee status to select white South Africans, citing fears of a so-called 'white genocide' – a term critics say is rooted in white nationalist rhetoric rather than verified facts. Organisations like Human Rights Watch and Africa Check maintain that while farm attacks do occur, there is no evidence of systemic targeting along racial lines. Among the recent arrivals is Charl Kleinhaus, 46, from Mpumalanga, who told the BBC he left his home, family, and dogs behind to pursue what he called a 'safer future' for his children. Another, 48-year-old Errol Langton, a farmer from KwaZulu-Natal, expressed hope to continue farming in the US. A source within the US government told The Hill that the goal is to resettle 'thousands more' Afrikaners by the end of the American summer, with consular processing already being expedited in Pretoria and Cape Town. This rapid acceleration has raised red flags. Critics say the policy selectively elevates a racially privileged group while overlooking far greater humanitarian crises in conflict zones like Sudan, Yemen, or the DRC. Still, right-wing US commentators have praised the move as a humanitarian response. South African reactions, meanwhile, remain split: some see it as a lifeline; others as a dangerous and racially charged distortion of the country's reality. Both the US State Department and the South African government have declined to comment publicly on the numbers or long-term intentions of the refugee programme. Analysts warn it could become a flashpoint issue in both domestic and foreign policy – particularly as the US heads into the 2026 election cycle. For now, however, the quiet arrival of these Afrikaner families marks the start of a broader, more contentious immigration experiment – one unfolding at the intersection of politics, identity, and international diplomacy. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Daily Maverick
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Maverick
After the Bell: Road safety and the limits of legislation — why enforcement and culture matter
It's something of a curiosity why SA, which has very strict rules on drunk driving, seat belts and speeding, doesn't seem to be making progress in making the roads safer. The biggest problem with driving in South Africa is that local drivers tend to regard traffic rules as suggestions rather than laws. In a lot of places in SA, particularly taxi drivers don't even rise to that level of mental attitude, and you can see that by the way taxi drivers don't even slow down for red robots late at night. The result is a huge number of deaths on the road. South Africa's road fatality rate is one of the worst in the world, at about 26 per 100,000, compared with Brazil at 15.6 and the world average of 17. The real killer weekend is, of course, Easter, although this year the death rate declined substantially. The 167 deaths recorded was the lowest number in the past three years, representing a 46% decline from 2024. Unfortunately, this might have been a bit fortuitous since the number of Easter deaths is very variable, and 2024 was a particularly bad year, so the base was high. The 2025 result was actually a bit higher than 2022, when 162 people died. In 2018, there were a shocking 510 deaths. Recently, an organisation called Zutobi, an online driver education platform, published a report which said SA had, in fact, the most dangerous roads to drive on in the world. The report doesn't only use motor accident deaths, it also includes in its rankings seat belt usage rates, maximum speed limits and the number of accidents involving alcohol. The fact-checking website AfricaCheck slightly got on its high horse about these stats, pointing out that the survey includes only 53 countries, heavily weighted towards developed countries. The World Bank actually has a more comprehensive list, although it's now a bit dated. In this list, SA's road accident mortality rate is listed at 22 per 100,000, and puts SA more or less in the middle. The 22 per 100,000 figure is comparable with countries at a similar economic level. Africa Check quotes Dr Lee Randall, an independent researcher on road safety and co-founder of the Road Ethics Project, as saying, 'The surveys are not scientifically sound. They [Zutobi] do not explain how they selected the countries they analysed, and don't justify why they are based on a sample which is heavily skewed towards high-income and upper-middle income countries and omits every single low-income country in the world.' Ok, you know, nobody wants to be listed as the worst in the world when you are not. But the problem is that Zutobi doesn't score countries by the death rate only, but by things such as road traffic deaths attributed to alcohol. And by this measure, SA is just terrible: almost double the rate of the second-worst country on the list, which is Ireland. South Africa's death rate is not only high because of high levels of drunk driving, but also because of a large number of pedestrian deaths. In the most recent results, for example, the Western Cape reported 22 road deaths over the Easter weekend, and of these fatalities, 14 were pedestrians, five were passengers, two were drivers and one was a motorcyclist. It does suggest that SA's education programmes about dangerous driving should also be aimed at pedestrians. The good news is that the World Bank figures suggest that road accident deaths are declining around the world. In developed countries, they almost don't exist. Sweden had two motor accident deaths in 2019, the World Bank's latest figures show. It's something of a curiosity why SA, which has very strict rules on drunk driving, seat belts and speeding, doesn't seem to be making progress in making the roads safer. SA has been at the bottom of the Zutobi list for the past three years, and before that was second-last. The problem is, of course, as with so many other parts of SA's legal system, enforcement. Anecdotally, I suspect the main problem is also cultural. If you go to a supper party in Europe, for example, it will typically be a subject of conversation on who the designated non-drinker is… and if the designated non-drinker drinks, there is a lot of tut-tutting. That never happens in SA – and it shows. DM
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
No, smartwatches haven't been found to emit ‘dangerous levels' of radiation
'Stop wearing these smartwatches,' says a man in a video shared on Instagram and Facebook. 'I've warned you about electromagnetic frequencies, radio frequencies this close to your body.' The man is Daniel Pompa, a chiropractor who goes by the name 'Dr Pompa' online. (Note: Pompa is based in the US but his videos have been reuploaded to Facebook in other countries, where Meta's fact-checking system flagged them as potentially false.) Pompa has warned many times that electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless devices is dangerous, and many other users have shared similar claims on Facebook. But these claims are false. Pompa's evidence, when he provides any, is nonsense, and this is just another variation on a common myth that Africa Check has repeatedly debunked. This instance of the claim is only unusual in that Pompa makes the additional claim that the bands in smartwatches contain 'forever chemicals' which, he claims, 'are being absorbed right into your bloodstream'. While Pompa quotes a study to support this claim, he misrepresents the study's findings and their implications. 'Dr Pompa' an unreliable source Pompa is not a medical doctor, an early indication that he is an unreliable source of medical advice. His website describes him as having an 'undergraduate degree in communication' and a 'diction of chiropractic degree'. Life University, where he claims to have received his chiropractic degree, offers a doctor of chiropractic degree. But this also does not make him a medical doctor or trustworthy source. Pompa is qualified only as a chiropractor. Chiropractors fall into a grey area between legitimate healthcare and pseudoscience, with scientific evidence supporting the use of chiropractic treatments to treat back pain but little else. It has been found that chiropractors frequently make false medical claims when advertising, both about their own treatment abilities and about established medical treatments such as vaccines. Medical doctors have warned that chiropractic training is not equivalent to an actual medical qualification and that chiropractors often mislead the public about their capabilities, including by using the title doctor. Life University, where Pompa received his degree, claims that its doctor of chiropractic degree is based on the philosophy of vitalism, a discredited theory that an undetectable 'vital force' makes living things behave differently from non-living matter. Modern doctors have called vitalism 'irrelevant' to medical practice. Even chiropractors have criticised vitalism as an obstacle to legitimacy. One chiropractor wrote in 2002 that chiropractors 'should expect to be met by ridicule from the wider health science community' for basing their practices on vitalism. One should always be suspicious of medical advice from anyone claiming to be a doctor who does not actually have medical expertise, and doubly so when the training the person has is based on discredited or dubious theories. But, his credentials aside, is there any evidence for Pompa's claims? A kernel of truth Pompa does present evidence for one claim: that the watch straps of some smartwatches have been found to contain 'forever chemicals'. Pompa quotes a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, which tested 22 watch bands for the presence of 'per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances' or PFASs. PFASs are known as forever chemicals because they are extremely long lasting. This long lifespan, along with their widespread use in a wide variety of products and industries, has made PFASs extremely common in the environment. Experts are concerned that environmental exposure to PFASs could have a number of negative health effects in humans and animals. The study which Pompa quoted found that 14 watch bands contained one particular PFAS, known as PFHxA (perfluorohexanoic acid). So there is some truth to what Pompa says. But he also misrepresents the study and its findings. Pompa paraphrased the study, saying: 'That's what they said, that the forever chemicals are being absorbed right into your bloodstream.' The study's corresponding author, physicist Dr Graham Peaslee, told Africa Check: 'We did not study dermal absorption in our study.' Dermal absorption refers to absorption through the skin. The paper cited two other studies, including one which tested the absorption of various PFASs through the skin. This study exposed PFASs dissolved in methanol to materials with similar properties to human skin over a period of 36 hours and measured the resulting absorption. If PFHxA was absorbed from watch bands through real skin at a similar rate, then the body would absorb very high levels of the substance from the watch band. However, the study only expressed that this might be a risk. It is also not the case that all watch bands contain PFHxA. The study focused specifically on watch bands that were marketed as containing 'fluoroelastomers'. According to Peaslee: 'What the average reader might not catch is that fluoroelastomers are a type of PFAS, and while the polymer itself is probably not terribly dangerous to humans, my students knew that all fluoropolymers are produced with and in the presence of short-chain PFASs, which we often find with them.' Of the watch bands studied, 14 were found to contain PFHxA and all of these were among the 15 that contained fluoroelastomers. Pompa seems to confuse these two numbers. Peaslee said: 'Rather than scaring people who are exposed to PFASs from their water and food for the most part, I prefer to point out that it is a precautionary approach to avoid potential hazards where they are not necessary.' He explained that watch bands which do not contain PFASs are readily available. Among brands which did use fluoroelastomers, he said, 'major manufacturers are also taking note of the study' and he expected them to begin using alternative materials. The study even mentioned recent government regulations, such as a September 2024 European Union regulation banning PFHxA in various consumer products. So, not all smartwatch bands contain PFHxA and the dangers of wearing those that do are currently unknown. Pompa does say that 'natural rubber' watch bands do not contain forever chemicals but implies that all other smartwatch bands do, and isn't clear about what is, or isn't, known about the risks of wearing a watch band. Radio frequencies are not harmful What about Pompa's regularly repeated claim that 'radio frequencies this close to your body' are 'not a good idea'? Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is better known as light. Specific colours of light correspond to specific frequencies of EM radiation. Together, these frequencies make up what is called the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio frequency (or RF) radiation has a very low frequency and carries very little energy. It is used by wireless communication technologies like mobile phones, WiFi routers and radios. These technologies are not harmful to humans. Much higher-energy radiation, called ionising radiation, can damage cells in the body, causing health problems including cancer. However, lower energy radiation called non-ionising radiation, which includesRF radiation, does not cause the same damage. Major decades-long studies of the potential effects of these technologies on human health have shown no evidence to support Pompa's claims. As Africa Check has explained several times in the past, non-ionising radiation can damage objects by heating them. This is how infrared heat lamps and microwaves heat things. But wireless communication devices are simply not powerful enough to heat objects this way. Peaslee is a professor of physics and we took the opportunity to ask him whether he was aware of any way in which RF radiation could cause harm. Peaslee said: 'I am very aware of the people who are afraid of EM radiation from cell phones, and to my knowledge there isn't a shred of scientific evidence to support their claims.' Aside from the fact that these devices generate very weak electromagnetic fields, cell phones and smartwatches are only a few of the sources of EM radiation which a person may encounter every day. Singling out communication technologies from other sources like 'microwaves, key fobs, nearby radio and TV stations and all sorts of other devices' would be essentially impossible, Peaslee explained. Factual inaccuracies While Pompa does not present any evidence of the dangers of EM radiation, he regularly uploads videos to social media in which he uses a handheld EM radiation detector to show that devices ranging from smartphones to baby monitors emit radiation. These videos are filled with factual inaccuracies, not least of which are Pompa's claims that these devices damage cells and cause cancer. In various videos, Pompa incorrectly claims that all EM radiation is non-ionising, and that non-ionising radiation causes cell damage. He also insists that various devices emit 'absolutely damaging' radiation despite no evidence that they exceed the strict safety guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. This suggests that he does not understand what EM radiation is, or when it might represent a health risk. Pompa has shown no evidence of danger, and his claims are based on gross misrepresentations of what EM radiation is. This is the same old false claim about EM radiation, and Pompa has provided no new evidence to support it. This article was originally published on Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fighting fake news: how media in Kenya and Senegal check facts
Misinformation has accelerated in recent years, in speed and volume. Studies show that Africans are exposed to misinformation and disinformation on a regular basis. Disinformation refers to false information deliberately created to cause harm. Misinformation consists of false information that wasn't created with the intention of harming individuals or groups. Either way, it's often difficult to know whether something is true and accurate. Media fact-checking and media literacy have become more important than ever. As specialists in media and mass communication, we conducted a study of strategies to combat misinformation and disinformation. We also examined the role and impact of fact-checking practices. This research is based on 42 interviews conducted in 2021 with media professionals in Kenya and Senegal. The participants fell into three main categories. Some were journalists, while others specialised in fact-checking. The rest were individuals who influenced media policies, including government officials, thinktank employees and academics. Findings indicate that media professionals in Senegal and Kenya employ reactive fact-checking strategies such as cross-checking information from sources and verifying images and videos. They also promote media literacy as a proactive strategy to help media consumers critically engage with media content. The combination of the two methods is described as a shield and an antidote against the spread of misinformation and disinformation. In Kenya and Senegal, though information verification was already a daily routine for news organisations, fact-checking is gaining ground. It is emerging as an important approach to counter disinformation. Fact-checkers and journalists are at the forefront of verifying and determining the accuracy of information shared in public (for example, posts made by social media users) or content created by the media company. The most popular fact-checking services used by participants are PesaCheck, Piga Firimbi and AfricaCheck. In both countries, verification methods involve cross-checking multiple sources and analysing visual content. Findings of this study reveal that misinformation is most commonly found in political and health-related topics. Once verified, the information is shared in different formats. It is disseminated through news reports, social media posts, and short videos that debunk fake news. This process involves consulting primary sources and seeking input from experts to clarify information and put it in context. Participants defined experts as specialists in a specific field, and individuals who regularly contribute to the subject through the media. In addition to asking sources and experts, media companies are setting up fact-checking services to verify information before publication. Participants from both countries revealed that media organisations trained their employees to use verification tools. Images and videos on social media often mix truths and manipulations. To debunk them, professionals use verification techniques. One common method is reverse image search: an online search for the image. This technique is made possible by geolocation and the large number of online images. Fact-checkers compare these images to verify content. Google's reverse image search tool is the most widely used. Geolocation through Google Maps helps pinpoint the exact location where an image was taken, for comparison with the location claimed in the content being verified. For videos, professionals use a tool called InVID. This tool generates images from a video, which are then geolocated using reverse image search techniques. Media professionals in both countries saw fact-checking as an effective strategy to combat misinformation and disinformation and an essential tool for verifying content. However, they emphasised the importance of respecting freedom of expression. For them, it was essential to prevent the government or private sector from becoming the sole authority on the accuracy of information shared on media platforms. The recent decision by Meta (the technology conglomerate that owns Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and other services) to end its fact-checking programme and replace it with community ratings could lead to a new spread of false information. Study participants concur that training the public in how to verify content is a proactive measure to curb misinformation. By doing this, professionals share their fact-checking processes as a form of media literacy. In Kenya, the press produces videos and tutorials to teach the public how to verify information online. Africa Check also produces materials on methods of verifying information. Fact-checking organisations and media outlets play a crucial role in verifying content. They also educate content consumers on how to verify information before sharing it on social media or messaging apps. To make these educational videos more accessible, they are translated into local languages. This helps content creators and consumers who do not understand French or English to better engage with the information. In Senegal, Africa Check partnered with a community radio station to provide media literacy training in a local language. The initiative involves fact-checking, translating articles into the Wolof language, and then sharing the information on WhatsApp. Respondents saw media literacy as a proactive strategy that empowers the public to think critically and verify facts independently. Journalists and fact-checkers in Kenya and Senegal emphasised the importance of media education in curbing the spread of false information. In addition, they emphasised that media literacy is not only important for the public. Media professionals also need training to stay updated on technological changes and the strategies and techniques used by misinformation propagandists. These approaches face several obstacles. One is the reluctance of government officials to respond to information requests, often out of fear of critical fact-checking of their own statements. Cultural and linguistic diversity in Africa also presents a challenge for media professionals. Translating verified content into local languages is not easy and requires time and financial resources. In Senegal and Kenya, as in many other African countries, media literacy is not yet included in the school curriculum. Investing in media literacy programmes in schools would require expertise, money and time. In addition to the creation of fact-checking desks in newsrooms and raising public awareness of the dangers of misinformation, promoting media literacy at all levels (media, mosques, churches, businesses, schools, universities) should be a priority. Organising media weeks at school, as France does, could be a step towards that goal. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Layiré Diop, Francis Marion University Read more: Lawmakers worldwide want to talk to the Meta insider whose memoir is a US bestseller – after Zuckerberg took her to court How to have conversations with people who fall for misinformation this election campaign 'Literally just child gambling': what kids say about Roblox, lootboxes and money in online games Layiré Diop does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
