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Science & Environment - Business Day

🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 379 words
Economy Technology climate_change Health Agriculture
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What to know about Economy

Science & Environment Diabetes patients who stop GLP-1 drugs increase risk to heart Months of stopping can undo years of progress Agriculture department lobbying Treasury for more money to fight foot and mouth disease Mass FMD vaccination drive targets 80% of…

Claims checked 27
Techniques found 1
Topics 5

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage
Left17%
Center83%
Right0%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Science & Environment Diabetes patients who stop GLP-1 drugs increase risk to heart Months of stopping can undo years of progress Agriculture department lobbying Treasury for more money to fight foot and mouth disease Mass FMD vaccination drive targets 80% of…

Why it matters

SA resumes foot-and-mouth disease virus strain submissions to UK’s Pirbright Institute Submission to UK lab forms part of government’s 10-year eradication plan Climate extremes expose widening insurance gap for SA businesses Widening insurance protection gap…

Common ground

However, this price drop places financial strain on producers.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Slogans: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.businessday.co.za/news/science-and-environment/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Slogans 70% confidence
Using a brief, striking phrase to provoke an emotional reaction.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing slogans helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 27 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 17
check_circle Corroborated 8
info Single Source 2
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Claim 1: “SA must speed up just transition as climate risks rise, Ramaphosa warns”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 2: “WATCH | Fish deaths in Hartenbos estuary not linked to red tide or sewage spill, says fisheries department”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 3: “Gauteng steps up foot-and-mouth disease response, with more than 286,000 animals vaccinated”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results consistently report that Gauteng has administered or has administered over 286,000 doses of FMD vaccines.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gauteng ( khow-TENG, Sotho: [xɑ́.úˈtʼèŋ̀]; Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; Zulu: eGoli or iGoli [îːˈɡóːlì]) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the sma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauteng
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gauteng Development League is a youth association football development league launched in 2011 by SAFA Gauteng. The league is for youth development for boys in different age groups. It features cl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauteng_Development_League
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Johannesburg ( joh-HAN-iss-burg, US also -⁠HAHN-, Afrikaans: [jʊəˈɦanəsbœrχ] ; Xhosa: eGoli [ɛˈɡɔːli]; Zulu: iGoli [îˈɡóːli]), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most po…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannesburg
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “Economist urge South Africa to engage after abrupt policy reversal”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 5: “Department says eutrophication and ammonia toxicity, not coastal algal blooms, drove the estuary die-off”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 6: “Climate experts flag Durban as high-risk as cyclone threats grow and readiness lags”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 7: “Canegrowers group urges government to scrap sugar tax amid surge in imports”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 8: “Maize price plunge sets stage for consumer relief, but farmers feel the pinch”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 9: “Export strength, La Niña rains and vaccine rollout lift sentiment”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 10: “Fossil fuels consumed most of South Africa’s nearly R200bn in energy subsidies, report says”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 11: “SA resumes foot-and-mouth disease virus strain submissions to UK’s Pirbright Institute”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results indicate that South Africa has resumed submitting FMD virus strains to the UK's Pirbright Institute. However, Wikipedia provided no direct confirmation or contradiction regarding this specific resumption of submissions, making it reliant on the web search evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Pirbright () is a village in Surrey, England. Pirbright is in the borough of Guildford and has a civil parish council covering the traditional boundaries of the area. Pirbright contains one buffered…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirbright
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South East England is one of the nine official regions of England that are in the top level category for statistical purposes. It consists of the nine counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Suss…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_East_England
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Surrey is a public research university in Guildford, Surrey, England. The university received its royal charter in 1966, along with a number of other institutions following recommend…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Surrey
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Claim 12: “‘King coal’ is back despite global shift, says Mantashe”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results from The Mail & Guardian, dated February 6, 2026, directly quote Gwede Mantashe stating that 'King Coal is back,' indicating coal remains indispensable to the economy.
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 6, 2026 · Mantashe, a former coal miner, said the mineral underpins extensive industrial activity and sustains about 90,000 mineworkers and their families in South Africa. “At the same time, the s…
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/science-and-environment/2…
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 6, 2026 · Mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe declared on Thursday that “King Coal is back”, insisting that the fossil fuel remains indispensable to both South Africa’s economy…
https://mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/2026-02-06-king-coal-is-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 17, 2026 · Energy experts say South Africa is likely to remain heavily reliant on coal for years to come, despite growing environmental concerns and global pressure to transition cleaner energy so…
https://thestar.co.za/business-report/economy/2026-03-17-coa…
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Claim 13: “Agriculture department lobbying Treasury for more money to fight foot and mouth disease”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that the agriculture department has approached the Treasury regarding additional funding to combat the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. One result mentions the Treasury working with the department to find funds.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — His Majesty's Treasury (often shortened to HM Treasury, the Treasury or HMT) is the Government of the United Kingdom’s economic and finance ministry, managing the United Kingdom's public spending and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Treasury
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Spanish: Departamento de Hacienda de Puerto Rico) is the executive department of the government of Puerto Rico responsible for the treasury of the U.S. Commonwe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_Department_of_Trea…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments. The treasury …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_th…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 14: “Province calls for vaccine self-reliance and national co-ordination as outbreak worsens”
CORROBORATED
Web search results show that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi called for the development of local vaccine manufacturing capacity (self-reliance) and national coordination during the outbreak.
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web search NEUTRAL — "Gauteng adds its voice to the urgent need for the development of local vaccine manufacturing capacity in South Africa," he stated, advocating for a fully resourced Agricultural Research Council to le…
https://www.joburgetc.com/news/lesufi-calls-local-fmd-vaccin…
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web search NEUTRAL — Gauteng steps up foot-and-mouth disease response, with more than 286,000 animals vaccinated Province calls for vaccine self-reliance and national co-ordination as outbreak worsens January 27, 2026 at …
https://www.businessday.co.za/economy/2026-01-27-gauteng-ste…
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web search NEUTRAL — Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has called for the urgent development of locally manufactured foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines as outbreaks in the province continue to spread, affecting more than …
https://gauteng.news/2026/01/28/lesufi-calls-for-local-fmd-v…
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Claim 15: “IISD warns Eskom bailouts and fuel subsidies are slowing energy transition”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 16: “Submission to UK lab forms part of government’s 10-year eradication plan”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results link the submission of virus strains to the UK lab with the broader context of South Africa's efforts, implying it is part of a larger plan, but the evidence does not explicitly state that this submission *is* part of a formal '10-year eradication plan' confirmed by multiple sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Apartheid ( ə-PART-(h)yte, especially South African English: ə-PART-(h)ayt, Afrikaans: [aˈpart(ɦ)əit] ; transl. "separateness", lit. 'aparthood') was a system of institutionalised racial segregation …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Second Boer War (Afrikaans: Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, lit. 'Second Freedom War', 11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Boer_War
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) is an ongoing case that was brought before the International Cour…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa's_genocide_case_a…
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Claim 17: “Widening insurance protection gap exposes businesses to climate shocks, report warns”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 18: “Coal still underpins jobs, energy supply and beneficiation, Gwede Mantashe says”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results, including quotes from Gwede Mantashe, confirm that he states coal is critical because of its contribution to the economy, jobs, and beneficiation.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It prioritises exploration, beneficiation at source, research and development, regional integration, financial instruments and energy security, guided by our constitutional commitment to environmental…
https://www.dmre.gov.za/
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web search NEUTRAL — Mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe declared on Thursday that "King Coal is back", insisting that the fossil fuel remains indispensable to both South Africa's economy and ...
https://mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/2026-02-06-king-coal-is-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Minister of Minerals Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe says coal is a "critical" mineral for South Africa because of its contribution to the economy. Mantashe delivered the keynote address ...
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/coal-critical-mineral-sa-cont…
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Claim 19: “The levy and subsidised imports threaten thousands of rural jobs and local production”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 20: “Diabetes patients who stop GLP-1 drugs increase risk to heart”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results indicate that stopping GLP-1 drugs can increase heart risks for diabetes patients, citing increased risk of heart attack and stroke compared to continuous use.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Taking GLP-1 drugs for diabetes has been shown to lower the risk of adverse heart events, but a new analysis found that going off the medication - even for a few months - may increase the ...
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/…
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web search NEUTRAL — Discontinuations of one or two years without resuming GLP-1 use resulted in a 14% or 22% increased risk of cardiovascular events, respectively, compared to staying on the drugs. In other words, any be…
https://medicine.washu.edu/news/stopping-glp-1-drugs-can-qui…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A new study finds quitting GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can reverse health gains and increase heart health risks. Patients who stopped taking the medication saw a higher risk for heart attack, stroke ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/03/18/glp-1-ozempi…
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Claim 21: “Botswana has banned vegetable imports again”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 22: “Months of stopping can undo years of progress”
CORROBORATED
The web search results support the claim that stopping GLP-1 drugs for extended periods can reverse health gains and increase cardiovascular risks, echoing the sentiment that 'months of stopping can undo years of progress.'
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “Months of stopping can undo years of progress,” he said. Researchers studied more than 333,000 adults who were treated for type 2 diabetes with either GLP-1 drugs or an older class of medications cal…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/world/2026-03-20-diabetes-p…
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web search NEUTRAL — WashU Medicine researchers found that stopping GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide—even temporarily—elevates the risk of heart attack, stroke and death compared to staying on the medicatio…
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-glp-drugs-quickly-era…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — While GLP-1 drugs lead to weight loss, they also reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation and insulin resistance, the researcher noted. "When people stop, these start going in the wrong direct…
https://www.aol.com/articles/stopping-glp-1-drugs-ozempic-11…
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Claim 23: “Climate extremes expose widening insurance gap for SA businesses”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 24: “Mass FMD vaccination drive targets 80% of cattle by December”
CORROBORATED
One web search result explicitly quotes the Minister of Agriculture stating that the aim is to vaccinate 80% of cattle by the end of the year, supporting the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — December is the 12th and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. December's name derives from the Latin word decem (meaning 10) because it was originall…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — December 10 is an English–Irish boy band formed on Simon Cowell's Netflix series, The Next Act in 2025. The group are signed to EMI Records. Their debut single "Run My Way", reached the top 75 of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_10_(band)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — May December is a 2023 American psychological black comedy drama film directed by Todd Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. It stars Natalie Portman as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_December
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 25: “‘Code-red’ climate warnings: eThekwini is a ‘sitting duck’ for next disaster”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 26: “Climate commission has strengthened SA’s international climate voice, says president”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 27: “SA agribusiness confidence boosted by improved exports and weather optimism”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.