South Africa Roundup: Mandela African Boxing Cup, election ballot papers, Starlink services

Inaugural Mandela African Boxing Cup

The inaugural Mandela African Boxing Cup, a joint venture between the International Boxing Association (IBA), the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC), and the South African Boxing Organization (SANABO), will take place from 15 to 21 April. The tournament will feature 12 women's and 13 men's weight categories and will be held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban. The tournament is named after former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela who trained in boxing during his time in prison during apartheid South Africa. The prize fund for the tournament is $500,000. The tournament coincides with South Africa's commemoration of 30 years of freedom and democracy since the historic election of 27 April 1994.

Printing of Ballot papers for 2024 elections

The South African Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that 27.79 million registered voters will receive three ballot papers for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections (NPE2024). The National Ballot will consist of a list of political parties vying for 200 seats in the National Assembly, with 52 parties currently on the dual-column configuration, SA News reports.  According to IEC Chief Sy Mamabolo, The Regional or Province-to-National Ballots will have political parties and independent candidates contesting for seats reserved for each province in the National Assembly, with contestants ranging from 30 to 44 on regional ballots. The Provincial Ballots are unique to each province and include parties and independent candidates competing for seats in each respective provincial legislature.

Starlink to terminate services

Satellite internet service provider Starlink has warned its South African users that their services will be terminated on April 30 due to violating its terms and conditions. The company, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, operates low-earth orbit satellites that offer high-speed internet globally. However, Starlink has been unable to obtain a license from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), which requires 30% ownership from historically disadvantaged groups. The company has clarified that its Mobile–Regional plans are meant for temporary travel and transit, not permanent use, Africanews reports.

Meta establishes resource centre for elections

Meta, the parent company of Facebook has created an election resource centre to support the integrity of the 2024 South African elections across its online platforms. The centre provides government, political, and non-profit information on what politicians should consider when planning their election campaigns on Facebook, Messenger, Threads, and Instagram before, during, and after the elections. “Over many years, Meta has developed a comprehensive approach to elections on our platforms. But we know that no two elections are the same. That’s why our team is developing a tailored approach to help preserve the integrity of the South African elections on our platforms, drawing on lessons learnt from the previous election in the country, and our involvement in over 200 elections globally,” said Balkissa Idé Siddo, Meta’s public policy director for Sub-Saharan Africa. On May 29, South Africans will go to the polls to choose a new leader.

Ban on plant-based meat terms overturned

The Johannesburg High Court has overturned the South African government's decision to seize all plant-based meat alternatives from shelves, allowing "meaty" names like sausage, burger, and steak to be on used faux-meat products. In 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) moved to ban the use of the word "meat" and other words referring to products of animal origin to market meat-alternative items. The alt-meat industry won a court reprieve from plans to seize the items, pending the full hearing of an appeal. The Johannesburg High Court prohibited the ban on the use of the terms and the seizure of products indefinitely while a review was conducted into the government's plans.