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Protesters from hostels in Johannesburg marched on September 8 2019. Carrying weapons, including knobkerries, the men sang, ‘foreigners must go back to where they came from’.Image: Sunday Times/Alon Skuy

Xenophobic rhetoric on social media sparks fears of attacks on foreigners in SA

Rising xenophobic rhetoric on social media is sparking fears of impending attacks on foreigners in the country. After a flurry of tweets led to a protest outside the Nigerian embassy in Pretoria on Wednesday, cyber forensic investigators,…

Alain Cocq, 57, in his medical bed he has been confined to for years as a result of a degenerative disease that has no treatment, poses after an interview with Reuters at his home in Dijon, France, on August 19 2020.Image: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Frenchman with incurable disease to livestream his death

A Frenchman suffering from a rare and incurable condition is livestreaming his death on social media as he refuses to take food, drink or medicine after President Emmanuel Macron turned down his request for euthanasia. Alain Cocq, 57, who…

Follow the advice of medical experts if you have contracted Covid-19 and not social media messages Image: KATERYNA KOM/123RF

Do not follow social media advice if you have tested positive for Covid-19

Medical experts have warned that a widely-circulated WhatsApp message offering practical tips to people who have Covid-19, including eating high alkaline foods, may contain incorrect and misleading information. The message – the origins…

From joining social media to becoming a ‘target’ – Jacob Zuma in his own words

Former president Jacob Zuma‚ in his own words‚ [spoke of being in] prison with Mandela‚ double standards‚ and why he joined social media‚ in an interview with Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh. Here are seven quotes from the interview: On joining social…

Nkosana Kenneth Makate, the inventor of Please Call Me.Image: Gallo Images / City Press / Leon Sadiki

Vodacom gets backlash as ‘Please Call Me’ inventor says he has not been paid

Vodacom has received backlash on social media after ‘Please Call Me’ inventor Nkosana Makate denied reports that the matter between the two parties had been settled. According to Sunday Times, Vodacom announced it was paying “reasonable…