South Africa: Ramaphosa’s state of the nation speech delayed by protests
14 February 2020 |
2:30 pm
South Africa is in for more power cuts, says President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of the nation address. The speech gets off to a tough start as he's heckled by the opposition before he delivers the gloomy news. Also, DR Congo's former spy boss is reportedly briefly held after returning from Ethiopia. Kalev Mutondo was the head of the Congolese National Intelligence Agency under former leader Joseph Kabila until he was fired by the new president last year. And finally, in a bid to be more environmentally friendly, more South African surfers are ditching the fibreglass for wooden surfboards.
Related
20 Dec
Overgrazing of grasslands on the lower slopes of the Drakensberg escarpment is degrading the land. Two women run a group that promotes measures to restore the ecosystem, which is key to South Africa's water resources.
21 Dec
The High Court in South Africa has ruled that the former president be allowed to appeal a decision setting aside medical parole. Last week it was decided he should return to jail.
23 Dec
Press freedom in Africa has suffered in 2021 due to growing authoritarianism and insecurity, especially in East Africa – the region most hostile to journalists on the continent.
24 Dec
The African sides that qualified for the 2022 Amputee Football World Cup are facing challenges. Liberia, Angola, Tanzania and Morocco will play in the tournament in Istanbul in October 2022.
26 Dec
The green, fertile hills of eastern Congo are as beautiful as they are dangerous. This no-man's land is also home to militia woman Mama Faida. She carries a rusty AK-47 and bears the scars of brutal conflict. But she hopes her children have a brighter future ahead.
28 Dec
South Africa's trailblazing constitution protects LGTB people, but 25 years on, social attitudes have yet to catch up: A survey by the rights group "Out" revealed that half of black respondents knew someone who had been killed because of their sexual orientation.
26 Dec
One of South Africa's giants in the fight against the apartheid regime in the 20th century, Desmond Tutu remained a critical voice in the country's politics throughout his life.
27 Dec
Flags across the country will be flying at half-staff this week as South Africa prepares to say goodbye to the late archbishop and anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu.
30 Dec
A South African court on Tuesday blocked Shell from using seismic waves to explore for oil and gas in the Indian Ocean, handing a landmark victory to environmentalists worried about the impact on whales and other species.
31 Dec
Can Europe learn from S Africa's omicron experience? Virologist Wolfgang Preiser speaks to DW
1 Jan
Africa's free trade area started a year ago amid much fanfare. But its impact has been low amid the coronavirus pandemic and an economic downturn on the continent.
Latest
1 hour ago
Nigerian entrepreneur Mustapha Gajibo has been converting petrol mini-buses into electric vehicles at his workshop, but he is now going a step further to build battery-powered buses from scratch in a push to promote clean energy and curb pollution.
1 hour ago
On May 9, Russians mark the defeat of Nazi Germany. But this year, Latvia has banned celebrations on that day, in light of the war in Ukraine. DW's Juri Rescheto went to Latvia's majority Russian-speaking city of Daugavpils to find out how that's going down.
1 hour ago
For years, the US has been arming and training Ukraine's army. But recent reports claim American intelligence is now helping deliver major blows to the Russian military. Could this heat up the Ukraine conflict further?
1 day ago
An Alabama ban on the provision of gender-affirming medication for minors has been blocked by a federal judge. Transgender rights have become a bone of contention for right-wing Republicans.
1 day ago
The war in Ukraine is having a drastic impact on Africa. Prices for wheat, gas and gasoline are at record highs. Crisis regions could see things get worse than they already are.
1 day ago
The Ukrainian resistance in Irpin played a key role in holding off the Russian advance on the capital Kyiv during the first few weeks of the war. But the middle-class commuter town paid a heavy price. More than 300 civilians were killed and tens of thousands fled. Now, more than a month after the Russian withdrawal, residents are beginning to return to try to rebuild their lives. Reconstruction is slowly getting under way, but an estimated €800 million is needed to build new homes. FRANCE 24's Nadia Massih, Bastien Renouil and Raïd Abu Zaideh report from Irpin.