South Africa’s proposed law could affect the future of the country’s young scientists.Credit: Alet Pretorius/Gallo Images/Getty What do engineers, environmental-health officers and health-care workers have in common? These occupations can, in some instances, be practised only by people who have registered with a relevant professional body. This typically requires candidates to pass qualifying exams and
The South African parliament has yet to debate the proposed natural-sciences bill. Credit: Franz Aberham/Getty Natural scientists in South Africa could be imprisoned for up to a year for failing to register with a government-backed regulatory body, according to proposed legislation that is to go before South Africa’s parliament. Under the terms of the proposed
Camels are famous as the ships of the desert, but even these hardy animals are not immune to the extreme rise in temperatures in Africa. The Afar region of northeastern Ethiopia is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth, where nomads often lead camel caravans carrying salt across the desert. “I can see
The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda is one of the largest on record, with more than 1,700 cases confirmed since April. Dozens of governments and health organizations are supporting the public health response caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus. Their approaches reveal how global health
Matlala may be a central figure now, but he only came to public prominence three years ago when his name was mentioned in news reports about alleged irregularities in the tender at a state hospital, although he said he had nothing to do with the tender. What little is known about his early life is