South Africa

CAPE TOWN, June 26 (Reuters) - South African authorities are investigating the deaths of at least 22 young people found inside a popular tavern in the coastal town of East London, provincial health officials and the presidency said on Sunday.

State broadcaster SABC reported the deaths resulted from a possible stampede, but was scant on details as the exact cause of death remained unknown.

JOHANNESBURG, June 20 (Xinhua) -- South Africa can gain much from participation in BRICS as it works to rebuild the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday in his weekly communication to citizens.

The value of South Africa's membership of BRICS has grown "substantially" since it joined the group 12 years ago, he wrote ahead of the 14th BRICS Summit scheduled for Thursday. BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

PRETORIA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa has turned to Russia for food as it also considers Moscow’s help to mitigate record fuel prices.

President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin seeking the supply of agricultural products and fertilizers.

The telephone discussion between the two BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) leaders was a Pretoria initiative.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa could face criminal charges and is already facing calls to step down over claims that he tried to cover up the theft of millions of dollars in U.S. currency that was hidden inside furniture at his game farm.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — More than 300 people have been evacuated from their homes as a result of renewed heavy rains, flooding and mudslides in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, weeks after severe flooding killed more than 400 people and displaced more than 40,000 others.

The new rains have damaged roads, homes and electricity infrastructure largely in the northern parts of the province since last Friday, according to provincial authorities and emergency personnel.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two omicron sub-variants, according to health experts.

For about three weeks the country has seen increasing numbers of new cases and somewhat higher hospitalizations, but not increases in severe cases and deaths, said Professor Marta Nunes, a researcher at Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analytics at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.

JOHANNESBURG, April 30 (Reuters) - Indian agrochemicals manufacturer UPL Ltd (UPLL.NS) has applied for permission to flush water contaminated by a toxic pesticides spill in South Africa's city of Durban directly into the sea or the sewerage system, the company said on Saturday.

The municipal authorities have judged the pesticides -- which were being contained in a dam that overflowed during devastating floods that struck the eastern port city earlier this month -- as being "highly toxic to the environment".

CAPE TOWN, April 26 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday revealed that the government is mobilizing substantial funding to help recovery from recent catastrophic floods in three provinces, including the worst-hit KwaZulu-Natal, while the country's fiscal environment is "severely constrained."

JOHANNESBURG, April 18 (Xinhua) -- As the cost of last week's floods which badly affected KwaZulu-Natal Province reached billions of rands, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a National State of Disaster on Monday night.

The cabinet met in a special session Sunday night and decided to declare a National State of Disaster, Ramaphosa said in his televised address.

JOHANNESBURG, April 17 (Reuters) - Floods have killed more than 400 and caused at least 10 billion rand ($684.58 million) in damage in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), a senior provincial official said on Sunday, as rescuers hunted for the missing and more rain was expected.

The floods have left thousands homeless, knocked out power and water services and disrupted operations at one of Africa's busiest ports, Durban.