South

When a partisan writer sits before the Senate: what a contested ambassadorial pick says about U.S.–South Africa ties Leo Brent Bozell III told senators this week he was "coming before you at a challenging moment for U.S.–South Africa relations." What followed in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was less a routine credentialing than a snapshot of how American domestic politics are reshaping diplomacy. The nominee — a conservative writer and activist with no previous diplomatic experience — found a largely friendly…

Dozens killed as overloaded bus plunges off Limpopo highway near busy Beitbridge border At least 43 people died and dozens more were injured after an overloaded long-distance bus veered off South Africa’s N1 highway and ran into an embankment early Friday near Makhado in Limpopo, roughly 100 kilometres from the Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe, officials said. The bus was travelling to Harare after departing from Port Elizabeth, picking up passengers at stops along the route. Authorities initially recorded 91 people…

South Africa’s extension of Zimbabwean permits buys time — but not certainty South Africa’s government has quietly pushed the clock forward on a fraught and long-running migration question: officials announced an 18-month extension of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP), prolonging its validity until May 28, 2027. For tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who live and work in South Africa, the move offers temporary relief — but not a long-term answer to legal limbo, social exclusion and political friction that have animated…

R22 billion pledge in KwaZulu‑Natal shines light on a familiar fault line: money without trust and skills When Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation toured KwaZulu‑Natal last week, it did not find the comforting sight of hoses and concrete being laid across parched riverbeds. Instead, it encountered a recurring national headache: bold budget lines and high‑profile projects undermined by doubts about capacity and governance. The committee welcomed uMngeni‑Uthukela Water’s announcement that it plans to…

South African activists held by Israel after Gaza aid attempt are “in good health and high spirits,” Pretoria says South Africa’s foreign ministry on Wednesday said a group of its citizens detained by Israeli authorities after attempting to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip are “in good health and high spirits,” and that efforts to secure their safe return are “advancing steadily.” The detained activists were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla — a civil society initiative that sought to reach Gaza by sea amid a protracted…

South Africa’s Ambassador to France Found Dead in Paris; Family Seeks Answers South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, was found dead outside a Paris hotel on Sept. 30, 2025, about 24 hours after his wife reported him missing, authorities and family members reported. The circumstances surrounding his death remained unclear, and the ambassador’s family has demanded answers amid confusion over how his mobile phone came to be discovered far from his body. Immediate facts and family concern The swift reporting of…

South African ambassador to France found dead in Paris; circumstances unclear What is known South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, was found dead outside a Paris hotel on Sept. 30, about 24 hours after his wife reported him missing, according to a brief notice shared with reporters. Beyond the basic facts of the discovery and the missing-person report, few official details have been released and the cause of death has not been made public. The sudden death of a senior diplomat in a major capital raises…

South Africa hold Nigeria to 1-1 draw in Bloemfontein as qualification drama deepens Bloemfontein — Nigeria's Super Eagles left South Africa on a knife edge after a 1-1 draw with Bafana Bafana in Bloemfontein on Saturday, a match that keeps both teams' World Cup qualification hopes very much alive but leaves the path forward markedly different for the two nations. The result means South Africa sit six points clear at the top of their group and can all but seal progression if they pick up a single point from the two…

South Africa’s top court strips a colonial rule from the registry — and opens a conversation about names, identity and equality In a ruling that reaches beyond bureaucratic formality, South Africa’s Constitutional Court has declared unconstitutional a colonial-era provision that barred husbands from taking their wives’ surnames. The decision — prompted by two couples who challenged the Department of Home Affairs after being denied the right to assume or hyphenate their spouses’ names — requires Parliament to amend the…

South Africa at a Crossroads: Donor Cuts Threaten Hard‑Won Gains Against HIV GAUTENG, South Africa — In a conference hall a short drive from Johannesburg’s busy highways, the blunt arithmetic of global aid collided with the realities faced by clinics and families. Scientists, clinicians, activists and people living with HIV spoke in urgent, sometimes angry tones: the era of steady international support that helped turn a tide against HIV may be ebbing, and the consequences could be catastrophic. Stark projections, stark…