US Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos has said that President Donald Trump values Africa, despite announcing sweeping aid cuts that have caused considerable humanitarian distress across the continent. Trump announced the aid freeze on his first day in office in January in line with his “America First” foreign policy, while Trump’s recent tariffs have...
Lebo Diseko Global religion reporter, BBC News AFP If the sole predictor of who would become the next Pope was where the Catholic Church is growing fastest, then it is almost certain he would hail from Africa. The continent’s Catholic population is expanding more rapidly than anywhere else, representing more than half of the global...
“Being in prison here is very complicated for us,” said one prisoner involved in the scheme in Nsawam. “We are controlled on everything. It gives us a headache. “But coaching is my passion, so when we heard about the course I was so happy to be part of it. “We have learnt a lot of...
As the world mourns the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church faces a critical moment in choosing its next spiritual leader. Three African cardinals from DRC, Ghana and Guinea are among the contenders for the papacy so could the continent provide the first black Pope of modern times? The Archbishop of Abuja Ignatius Kaigama...
Khanyisile Ngcobo BBC News, Johannesburg Getty Images The tussle between Starlink boss Elon Musk and South Africa over the company’s failure to launch in the country stems from the nation’s black empowerment laws, and could be one factor behind the diplomatic row between the US and Africa’s most industrialised nation. To his more than 219...
An American pastor who was kidnapped by armed men during a church service in South Africa last week has been rescued following a “high-intensity shoot-out” that left three people dead, authorities say. Josh Sullivan was found unharmed in the township in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday evening – the area where the 45-year-old...
South Africa has appointed a special envoy to the US in an effort to ease tensions between the two countries, which have worsened since Donald Trump’s return as president. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Mcebisi Jonas’s selection, adding that he would be “entrusted with [advancing] South Africa’s diplomatic, trade and bilateral priorities”. Jonas, a former deputy...
A South African court is due to re-examine the circumstances around the death of one of the most renowned campaigners against the racist system of apartheid, which had initially been described as accidental. A 1967 inquest ruled that Chief Albert Luthuli was walking on a railway line when he was struck by a train and...
An American pastor has been kidnapped by armed men after they stormed his church service in South Africa, local authorities say. Josh Sullivan had been conducting a service at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, a township in Gqeberra in the Eastern Cape, on Thursday evening when “four armed and masked male suspects entered”, police spokesman...
An “unsecured” penguin was the cause of a helicopter crash in South Africa, a report into the incident has found. The crash, on 19 January on Bird Island off the Eastern Cape, happened after the bird, which had been placed in a cardboard box and on the lap of a passenger, slid off and knocked...
South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter has resigned, citing “personal reasons”. The 49-year-old took over in March 2023 and led the Proteas to the semi-final of the 50-over World Cup later that year. They also reached the T20 World Cup final in Barbados last year, losing a gripping final to India, and this year to...
US President Donald Trump has named conservative media critic and pro-Israel commentator Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa, amid worsening diplomatic ties between the two countries. Mr Bozell ‘s nomination follows Washington’s expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, for remarks deemed critical of Trump. The Trump administration has condemned South Africa’s...