southern africa
South Africa's great white sharks are on the brink of dying out, study says
New research reveals that the number of great white sharks off the coast of South Africa is declining rapidly, with the current population potentially too low to revive.
The Yellow Fever Outbreak in Angola Is Bad But Not an International Health Emergency, Yet
The first case of yellow fever turned up in December in Angola's Luanda province, the country's most populous province and home to the capital city of the same name. The virus has since killed nearly 300 people.
White South African Judge Allegedly Said Black Men View Rape as a 'Pleasurable' Pastime
A local journalist in South Africa has sparked outrage by releasing screenshots of a private conversation she had on Facebook with a High Court judge in Pretoria.
Zimbabwe Is Selling Off Its Wildlife to Save Animals From Drought
The southern African country has 10 national parks with huge populations of elephants, lions, leopards, and rhinos. Yet drought across the region has put more than 4 million Zimbabweans in need of aid.
Yellow Fever Epidemic in Angola Poses a Global Threat
Angola is in the grips of a health crisis, with malaria deaths surging and a yellow fever epidemic also spreading — and being carried by travelers to countries as far away as China.
Court Orders South African President to Pay Back Government for Controversial Home Remodeling
The constitutional court ruling on Thursday ended years of controversy surrounding security upgrades the South African leader made to his private residence, renovations that included a swimming pool, a chicken run, and a visitors center.
Angola Sends a Rapper and 16 Activists to Prison for Plotting Rebellion
A court in the Southern African country issued the verdict on Monday, sentencing the group of activists to as many as eight years in jail for plotting a rebellion against the government during a book club meeting last June.
One of Africa's Longest-Serving Presidents Is Planning to Step Down (Maybe)
Jose Eduardo dos Santos has led Angola since 1979 — only one other African leader has been in power longer. But he has said before he would step down, and didn't.
Female Refugees Are Being Forced to Sell Sex to Survive Southern Africa’s Drought
A severe drought in southern Africa has caused a spike in "transactional sex" — a term describing the exchange of sexual services for food or other vital goods, a common refugee camp phenomenon.
South African University Students Chastised by President Zuma for Torching Buildings
Renewed student protests in South Africa devolved into chaos and clashes with security forces at North West University, forcing the administration to cancel classes indefinitely on Thursday.
South Africa Announces Spending Cuts As Fears of Recession Loom
After several years of a weakened economy and slow growth rates, the country's finance minister introduced strong austerity measures and tax hikes in the annual budget speech on Wednesday.
A Million Children in Sub-Saharan Africa Are Starving Amid El Niño Weather Extremes
Multiple humanitarian agencies are ringing alarm bells at the scale of food scarcity and disease outbreaks in eastern and southern Africa — and they say it could take years for the region to recover.