South Africa

February 21, 2025 10:33 PM

EAM Jaishankar backs South Africa’s G20 priorities, calls for global collaboration

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday expressed India's strong support for the priorities set by the South African Presidency, emphasizing their alignment with India’s own advocacy during its G20 leadership. Speaking at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, Jaishankar underscored the need for the G20 to prioritize cooperation over competition in addressing global challenges. "We are supportive of the priorities of the South African Presidency. They align with what In...

February 21, 2025 4:20 PM

Jaishankar calls for plurilateralism and common ground at G20

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing the G20 session in South Africa, underscored the strain on the global order due to ongoing conflicts and called for greater plurilateralism to address global deficits. He emphasized that the international agenda should not be dictated by the interests of a few and urged for collective efforts to uphold international law and multilateral cooperation. Speaking at the G20 session titled "Discussion on the Global Geopolitical Situation," Jaishanka...

February 19, 2025 1:18 PM

EAM Jaishankar to attend G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in South Africa

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar will travel to South Africa to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, scheduled for February 20-21 in Johannesburg, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday. Jaishankar will attend the meeting at the invitation of South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola. His visit is expected to strengthen India's engagement with G20 nations and amplify the voice of the Global South on key in...

February 6, 2025 9:55 AM

US top diplomat Rubio will not attend G20 meeting in South Africa

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend an upcoming G20 meeting in South Africa, the top U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding to the African country. South Africa will host a meeting of foreign ministers of the G20 group of countries from February 20-21 in Johannesburg. South Africa has the G20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Trump said on Sunday, without citing evidence, that "South Afr...

The government of the Republic of South Africa launch a rescue operation to extract the illegal workers at the abandoned Stilfontein mine in North West, South Africa on January 14, 2025. Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu via Getty Images

January 15, 2025 1:23 PM

Sixty bodies retrieved from closed South African gold mine

South African authorities have pulled at least 60 bodies from the shaft of a closed gold mine more than 2 km (1.2 miles) underground where an unknown number of men are still feared trapped, following a siege in a crackdown on illegal mining. The siege, which began in August at the mine in the town of Stilfontein, about 150 km (90 miles) from Johannesburg, cut off food and water supplies for months in an attempt to force the miners to the surface so that they could be arrested. On Monday, autho...

October 23, 2024 10:29 AM

U.S. reaffirms commitment to strong and positive relations with India, Brazil, South Africa

The United States has reiterated its commitment to maintaining a strong and positive relationship with India, Brazil, and South Africa. In a media briefing on Tuesday, US Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel emphasized the US’s ongoing collaboration with these countries in various key areas, as well as the intention to responsibly manage its relationship with China. On being asked about BRICS Summit, Vedant Patel said, "We believe all countries are sovereign countries and they have thei...

June 21, 2024 5:24 PM

Namibian court declares laws banning gay sex unconstitutional

A high court in Namibia declared two colonial-era laws that criminalised same-sex acts between men unconstitutional on Friday, in a landmark win for the LGBTQ community in the southern African country. The case was brought by Namibian activist Friedel Dausab with the support of British-based non-governmental organisation Human Dignity Trust. Dausab said he was "just happy" after the court's decision. "It's a great day for Namibia," he said. "It won't be a crime to love anymore." Consensual sa...

June 19, 2024 4:38 PM

South African President Ramaphosa starts new term with multi-party government

South Africa put on a display of pomp and ceremony on Wednesday for Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration as president for a second term that will see his African National Congress share power with other parties after it lost its majority in parliament. African heads of state and dignitaries gathered outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, seat of the South African government, to watch Ramaphosa's motorcade arrive with a guard of honour on horseback. Ramaphosa will head what he calls a government of...

June 15, 2024 10:19 AM

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa re-elected for second term

The South African parliament re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa, the African National Congress's (ANC) President, as the President of South Africa on Friday during the first sitting of the National Assembly of the 7th Parliament. In a post on X, the ANC announced Ramaphosa's re-election, stating, "Honourable Matamela @CyrilRamaphosa has been re-elected as the President of the Republic of South Africa during the First Sitting of the National Assembly of the 7th Democratic Parliament tonight at Cape Town...

June 14, 2024 3:12 PM

South Africa governing alliance emerges as new parliament convenes

The African National Congress has agreed to form a government of national unity for South Africa with three other parties including its largest rival, the pro-business Democratic Alliance, public broadcaster SABC reported on Friday. The ANC, which has been in power since the 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid, lost its majority for the first time in a May 29 vote and two weeks of intensive behind-the-scenes talks with other parties came down to the wire. The SABC report came a...