South Africa

A South African horror story: Illegal mining standoff draws to an end

11:10pm January 17, 2025

In South Africa a months long standoff between police and illegal miners in an abandoned gold mine comes to end, with close to 80 found dead in grim recovery operation.

Dozens of survivors and dead pulled from abandoned South African mine

1:09am January 15, 2025

The mine has been the scene of a tense standoff between police and miners since authorities launched an operation to force the miners out by cutting off food and water from the surface.

History has never ended, but are we at a crossroads again?

6:00am December 20, 2024

Oxford professor Ben Ansell says we are witnessing a battle between nationalism and liberalism that will write our own time indelibly into the history books of tomorrow.

South Africa's illegal gold miners are locked in an underground standoff with police

6:00am November 23, 2024

Surviving on a diet of toothpaste and toilet paper, South Africa's notorious "zama-zama" illegal miners continue a weeks-long standoff with police in the darkness of a disused gold mine.

Animal rescuers evacuate a lion cub from war-torn Lebanon to South Africa

1:20pm November 15, 2024

The group Animals Lebanon says it rescued Sara the lion cub from abuse by a Lebanese social media influencer, kept it safe in Beirut and sent it to a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.

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South Africa's government won't help the illegal miners inside a closed mine

3:23am November 15, 2024

Miners are believed to be suffering from a lack of food, water and other basic necessities after police closed off the entrances used to transport supplies.

'America's Nobel' goes to a power couple who made a startling discovery about HIV

5:41pm September 30, 2024

This year's Lasker Prize for public service goes to South African researchers Salim and Quarraisha Abdool-Karim. The married couple made a startling discovery about HIV — and did something about it.

South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla Briefs The Media On Mpox Outbreak

Health & Safety

Mpox did not fade away. Africa faces two alarming outbreaks -- and lacks vaccines

10:48am July 17, 2024

by Melody Schreiber

The Global North has moved on from the mpox scare of 2022. The Global South is seeing outbreaks — and lacks the tools to address stem the virus.

From convict to cabinet: South Africa’s new sports minister promotes gangland motorsport

5:14am July 11, 2024

by Kate Bartlett

South Africa's new sports minister once drove getaway cars in bank heists. Now he's in government, with plans to bring the dangerous pastime of car spinning into the mainstream.

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World News

These are the major elections NPR correspondents are watching

12:31pm June 30, 2024

by International Desk

2024 is an extraordinary year of global elections, with dozens of national votes worldwide. Here are some of the ones we are closely following.