Amid growing concern over the new virus variant B.1.1.529, the World Health Organisation(WHO) said it will take several weeks to understand the new variant which was reported by South Africa.

The world health body cautioned against imposing travel restrictions as several countries imposed travel ban on South Africa and its neighbouring countries.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-threat-what-we-know-about-covid-b11529-or-nu-variant-supposedly-dangerous-than-delta-432075">Also Read:&nbsp;What we know about Covid B.1.1.529 or Nu variant, supposedly dangerous than Delta</a>

"Researchers are working to understand more about the mutations and what they potentially mean for how transmissible or virulent this variant is," WHO's spokesperson said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The WHO added that travel restrictions should be "risk-based" and countries should follow a "scientific approach".

"Implementing travel measures is being cautioned against," the health body added.

Israel announced it had identified the first case of the new virus variant which was discovered in South Africa with two more suspected cases reported from people returning from abroad. Israel's health ministry said all three people were vaccinated.

According to South African scientists, the new variant showed ten mutations compared to Beta which showed three and Delta which had mutated twice.

Watch:&nbsp;Stocks markets under pressure after new variant emerges

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Several countries curbed flights from South Africa with UK, Germany and Italy imposing restrictions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/highly-mutated-new-covid-variant-uk-bans-6-african-nations-flights-who-calls-special-meeting-432019">Also Read:&nbsp;Highly mutated new Covid variant: UK bans 6 African nations' flights</a>

The German government announced those returning from South Africa would have to undergo quarantine even if they are vaccinated as the country battles the fourth wave.&nbsp;

Italy banned people who visited South Africa including Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia.

UK moved to ban flights from six African countries including South Africa. However, South Africa's foreign ministry criticised the move asserting UK's decision was "rushed as even the World Health Organisation is yet to advise on the next steps."

The coronavirus cases in South Africa have surged recently even as experts said it was due to the new variant.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Agencies)

Amid growing concern over the new virus variant B.1.1.529, the World Health Organisation(WHO) said it will take several weeks to understand the new variant which was reported by South Africa.

Amid growing concern over the new virus variant B.1.1.529, the World Health Organisation(WHO) said it will take several weeks to understand the new variant which was reported by South Africa. The world health body cautioned against imposing travel restrictions as several countries imposed travel ban on South Africa and its neighbouring countries. Also Read: What we know about Covid B.1.1.529 or Nu variant, supposedly dangerous than Delta "Researchers are working to understand more about the mutations and what they potentially mean for how transmissible or virulent this variant is," WHO's spokesperson said. The WHO added that travel restrictions should be "risk-based" and countries should follow a "scientific approach". "Implementing travel measures is being cautioned against," the health body added. Israel announced it had identified the first case of the new virus variant which was discovered in South Africa with two more suspected cases reported from people returning from abroad. Israel's health ministry said all three people were vaccinated. According to South African scientists, the new variant showed ten mutations compared to Beta which showed three and Delta which had mutated twice. Watch: Stocks markets under pressure after new variant emerges Several countries curbed flights from South Africa with UK, Germany and Italy imposing restrictions. Also Read: Highly mutated new Covid variant: UK bans 6 African nations' flights The German government announced those returning from South Africa would have to undergo quarantine even if they are vaccinated as the country battles the fourth wave. Italy banned people who visited South Africa including Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia. UK moved to ban flights from six African countries including South Africa. However, South Africa's foreign ministry criticised the move asserting UK's decision was "rushed as even the World Health Organisation is yet to advise on the next steps." The coronavirus cases in South Africa have surged recently even as experts said it was due to the new variant. (With inputs from Agencies)

Will take weeks to understand new virus variant, says WHO

As the world grapples with the emergence of new Covid variant, Israel has identified its case, the health ministry said on Friday.

The&nbsp;new variant, which has a large number of mutations, was first detected in South Africa. The health ministry said, "The variant discovered in southern African states has been identified in Israel." &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-new-variant-emerges-india-to-tighten-covid-testing-for-international-tourists-432018" hreflang="en">As new variant emerges, India to tighten Covid testing for international tourists &nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

It was recorded "in a person who returned from Malawi," with "two more cases of people returning from abroad" have been placed in quarantine. &nbsp;

This comes as the scientists said they had detected a new Covid variant with a large number of mutations in South Africa. They have blamed it for a surge in infection numbers. &nbsp;

UK on Thursday banned flights from six African countries where the variant with multiple mutations was found, and the WHO is holding a meeting on Friday to decide whether to call B.1.1.529 a 'variant of concern'. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/highly-mutated-new-covid-variant-uk-bans-6-african-nations-flights-who-calls-special-meeting-432019" hreflang="en">New Covid variant: UK bans 6 African nations' flights, WHO calls special meet</a>

The World Health Organization is holding the special meeting to discuss the variant that has an unusually high number of mutations to its spike protein, up to 10 by some accounts. &nbsp;

The WHO meeting on Friday will discuss the impact of the new variant on the ongoing vaccines and treatments. &nbsp;

After the variant was detected in South Africa, the UK has suspended flights from six African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

As the world grapples with the emergence of new Covid variant, Israel has identified its case, the health ministry said on Friday. The new variant, which has a large number of mutations, was first detected in South Africa.

As the world grapples with the emergence of new Covid variant, Israel has identified its case, the health ministry said on Friday. The new variant, which has a large number of mutations, was first detected in South Africa. The health ministry said, "The variant discovered in southern African states has been identified in Israel." Also Read: As new variant emerges, India to tighten Covid testing for international tourists It was recorded "in a person who returned from Malawi," with "two more cases of people returning from abroad" have been placed in quarantine. This comes as the scientists said they had detected a new Covid variant with a large number of mutations in South Africa. They have blamed it for a surge in infection numbers. UK on Thursday banned flights from six African countries where the variant with multiple mutations was found, and the WHO is holding a meeting on Friday to decide whether to call B.1.1.529 a 'variant of concern'. Also Read: New Covid variant: UK bans 6 African nations' flights, WHO calls special meet The World Health Organization is holding the special meeting to discuss the variant that has an unusually high number of mutations to its spike protein, up to 10 by some accounts. The WHO meeting on Friday will discuss the impact of the new variant on the ongoing vaccines and treatments. After the variant was detected in South Africa, the UK has suspended flights from six African countries: South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel identifies new Covid variant case first detected in South Africa  

Scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant in South Africa that has a large number of mutations.

Across Africa, vaccination rates are lower than much of the rest of the world, with many countries struggling to secure enough doses.

Blaming the new COVID-19 variant on the surge in new cases, virologist Tulio de Oliveira said ''Unfortunately we have detected a new variant which is a reason for concern in South Africa.''

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''It has a very high number of mutations,'' he added.

The variant goes by the scientific lineage number B.1.1.529 and has also been detected in Botswana and Hong Kong. 
&nbsp; 
Calling the variant a cause of "serious concern," Health Minister Joe Phaahla said it was detected among travellers from South Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-world-continues-to-battle-the-delta-variant-a-new-variant-worse-than-delta-emerges-431786" hreflang="en">As world continues to battle the Delta variant, a new variant emerges</a>

About 35 per cent&nbsp;of adult South Africans are fully vaccinated, higher than in most other African nations, but half the government's year-end target.&nbsp;

It has averaged 106,000 doses a day in the past 15 days in a nation of 60 million people.

Daily infections shot to more than 1,200 cases on Wednesday, from around 100 earlier this month.

The growth in infection numbers have been driven by the Delta variant until now.

The Beta variant of the virus was detected in South Africa last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant in South Africa that has a large number of mutations. Across Africa, vaccination rates are lower than much of the rest of the world, with many countries struggling to secure enough doses.

Scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant in South Africa that has a large number of mutations. Across Africa, vaccination rates are lower than much of the rest of the world, with many countries struggling to secure enough doses. Blaming the new COVID-19 variant on the surge in new cases, virologist Tulio de Oliveira said ''Unfortunately we have detected a new variant which is a reason for concern in South Africa.'' ''It has a very high number of mutations,'' he added. The variant goes by the scientific lineage number B.1.1.529 and has also been detected in Botswana and Hong Kong. Calling the variant a cause of "serious concern," Health Minister Joe Phaahla said it was detected among travellers from South Africa. Also read | As world continues to battle the Delta variant, a new variant emerges About 35 per cent of adult South Africans are fully vaccinated, higher than in most other African nations, but half the government's year-end target. It has averaged 106,000 doses a day in the past 15 days in a nation of 60 million people. Daily infections shot to more than 1,200 cases on Wednesday, from around 100 earlier this month. The growth in infection numbers have been driven by the Delta variant until now. The Beta variant of the virus was detected in South Africa last year. (With inputs from agencies)

New coronavirus variant, having large number of mutations, detected in South Africa

South Africa's largest opposition party the Democratic Alliance has emerged victorious in the polls held in the country's three major cities. DA's Randall Williams was elected unopposed as the mayor of Pretoria, here we bring you all the latest developments.

South Africa's main opposition party Democratic Alliance emerges victorious

The South African government has withdrawn its support for miss south Africa after organisers refused to boycott this year's miss universe pageant which is being held in Israel.

South African government withdraws its support for Miss South Africa beauty pageant

The South African government has withdrawn its support for Miss South Africa, this comes after organisers refused to boycott this year's Miss Universe pageant which is being held in Israel.

Israel: South African government boycotts Miss Universe pageant, Miss South Africa resists

South Africans are divided over the legacy of FW de Klerk who was South Africa's last serving apartheid-era president. He breathed his last on 11th November. Klerk was 85 years old.

South Africans divided over the legacy of FW de Klerk

In February 2020, as South Africa’s last white president sat in Parliament listening to a state-of-the-nation address, a firebrand young politician interrupted the proceedings.

“Honourable Speaker, we have a murderer in the house,” said Julius Malema, the politician, pointing to FW&nbsp;de Klerk, the man who as president had helped dismantle the apartheid system, but whose statements about it over the past decade angered South Africans, particularly Black South Africans who still live with the legacy of its injustices.

Then, as de Klerk sat stone-faced, Malema led a chant to force him out: “De Klerk must go! De Klerk must go!”

De Klerk stayed, and the incident was over in minutes. But it would stain the already tainted legacy of de Klerk, who died Thursday at the age of 85. Despite apologizing for the suffering caused by apartheid policies, de Klerk repeatedly shied away from describing South Africa’s brutal segregationist rule as a crime against humanity, and at times sought to justify the separation of ethnic groups.

Although he won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 that he shared with the country’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela, de Klerk never took responsibility for the violence perpetrated by security forces under his leadership.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, also a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, said before de Klerk’s death that he “could have gone down in history as a truly great South African statesman, but he eroded his stature and became a small man, lacking magnanimity and generosity of spirit.”

This sentiment shaded the news of de Klerk’s death in South Africa, and an effort to rebut it could be heard in the final message he recorded for South Africans before his death, clarifying his stance on apartheid.

“In this last message, I repeat, I without qualification apologize for the pain and the hurt and the indignity and the damage apartheid has done to Black, brown and Indians in South Africa,” he said in a video released by the F.W. de Klerk Foundation hours after his death.

Still, these words of a dying man may not be enough for a generation of young South Africans who associate him with the kinds of statements that led to his being booed in Parliament. Days before that incident, de Klerk had appeared on the South African Broadcasting Corp., rejecting the view that apartheid was a crime against humanity.

“Genocide is a crime. Apartheid cannot be, that’s why I’m saying this, cannot be, for instance, be compared with genocide. There was never genocide,” de Klerk said. “Many people died, but more people died because of Black-on-Black violence than because of apartheid.”

His foundation released a statement to clarify his comments, but many were reminded of an interview that de Klerk had done with Christiane Amanpour in 2012, when he told her he had publicly apologized for the brutality of the apartheid regime but then added a qualification.

“What I haven’t apologized for is the original concept of seeking to bring justice to all South Africans through the concept of nation states,” he said, referring to apartheid’s system of semi-independent states for different ethnic groups.

In his final appearance, in the video Thursday, de Klerk tried to explain his change of heart.

“Allow me in this last message to share with you the fact since the early ’80s, my views changed completely,” he said. “It was as if I had a conversion and in my heart of hearts, realized that apartheid was wrong. I realized that we had arrived at a place which was morally unjustifiable.”

The video was “a last-minute revision of history” and de Klerk’s self-conscious attempt to preserve his legacy as the hero who released Mandela from jail, said Sithembile Mbete, a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria.

“The more tragic part of F.W. de Klerk’s death is that he dies with so many secrets,” Mbete said.

Among those secrets is any knowledge of the planning that led to the murder of the “Cradock Four,” four activists killed in 1985 by state security forces as violence roiled in the last years of apartheid, analysts and relatives of the victims said.

“He takes all of that knowledge with him, and it deprives us of the truth and closure of the deaths of the Cradock Four,” said Lukhanyo Calata, the son of one of those activists.

While their families refused to engage with de Klerk directly, they pushed for him to reveal any information that could have led to a trial, and demanded in vain that prosecutors compel him to do so.

“If he’d said, ‘I apologize and this is what I am now going to do with my assets, with my foundation, this is how I am going to speak up for the people who were the victims on my watch, I will account for my part’ — but there was nothing of that at all,” said Michael Lapsley, an Anglican priest and anti-apartheid activist who lost both of his hands when he opened a letter bomb sent by the apartheid regime’s security forces in 1990.

“No matter how much he acknowledged that apartheid was a mistake, he refused to come to terms with it as a gross human rights violation, as an atrocity,” said Mac Maharaj, an anti-apartheid activist who participated in the negotiations to dismantle the system.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the current president of South Africa, who led those negotiations on behalf of the African National Congress, was more gracious, lauding de Klerk’s “key role in ushering in democracy” in South Africa.

A new generation of South Africans, however, were far less polite. Malema, who started the chant in Parliament last year, vowed to protest if de Klerk was given a state funeral.

Talk radio stations fielded calls that showed how divisive de Klerk’s legacy continued to be, with Black callers criticizing de Klerk while some white callers struggled to understand their anger.

Many more voiced their disdain for de Klerk on social media, repudiating any international praise de Klerk received.

“I don’t want any sanctification of his legacy in death. He was already given too much while he was alive,” a student activist, Neo Mosala, said on Twitter.

In February 2020, as South Africa’s last white president sat in Parliament listening to a state-of-the-nation address, a firebrand young politician interrupted the proceedings.

In February 2020, as South Africa’s last white president sat in Parliament listening to a state-of-the-nation address, a firebrand young politician interrupted the proceedings. “Honourable Speaker, we have a murderer in the house,” said Julius Malema, the politician, pointing to FW de Klerk, the man who as president had helped dismantle the apartheid system, but whose statements about it over the past decade angered South Africans, particularly Black South Africans who still live with the legacy of its injustices. Then, as de Klerk sat stone-faced, Malema led a chant to force him out: “De Klerk must go! De Klerk must go!” De Klerk stayed, and the incident was over in minutes. But it would stain the already tainted legacy of de Klerk, who died Thursday at the age of 85. Despite apologizing for the suffering caused by apartheid policies, de Klerk repeatedly shied away from describing South Africa’s brutal segregationist rule as a crime against humanity, and at times sought to justify the separation of ethnic groups. Although he won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 that he shared with the country’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela, de Klerk never took responsibility for the violence perpetrated by security forces under his leadership. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, also a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, said before de Klerk’s death that he “could have gone down in history as a truly great South African statesman, but he eroded his stature and became a small man, lacking magnanimity and generosity of spirit.” This sentiment shaded the news of de Klerk’s death in South Africa, and an effort to rebut it could be heard in the final message he recorded for South Africans before his death, clarifying his stance on apartheid. “In this last message, I repeat, I without qualification apologize for the pain and the hurt and the indignity and the damage apartheid has done to Black, brown and Indians in South Africa,” he said in a video released by the F.W. de Klerk Foundation hours after his death. Still, these words of a dying man may not be enough for a generation of young South Africans who associate him with the kinds of statements that led to his being booed in Parliament. Days before that incident, de Klerk had appeared on the South African Broadcasting Corp., rejecting the view that apartheid was a crime against humanity. “Genocide is a crime. Apartheid cannot be, that’s why I’m saying this, cannot be, for instance, be compared with genocide. There was never genocide,” de Klerk said. “Many people died, but more people died because of Black-on-Black violence than because of apartheid.” His foundation released a statement to clarify his comments, but many were reminded of an interview that de Klerk had done with Christiane Amanpour in 2012, when he told her he had publicly apologized for the brutality of the apartheid regime but then added a qualification. “What I haven’t apologized for is the original concept of seeking to bring justice to all South Africans through the concept of nation states,” he said, referring to apartheid’s system of semi-independent states for different ethnic groups. In his final appearance, in the video Thursday, de Klerk tried to explain his change of heart. “Allow me in this last message to share with you the fact since the early ’80s, my views changed completely,” he said. “It was as if I had a conversion and in my heart of hearts, realized that apartheid was wrong. I realized that we had arrived at a place which was morally unjustifiable.” The video was “a last-minute revision of history” and de Klerk’s self-conscious attempt to preserve his legacy as the hero who released Mandela from jail, said Sithembile Mbete, a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria. “The more tragic part of F.W. de Klerk’s death is that he dies with so many secrets,” Mbete said. Among those secrets is any knowledge of the planning that led to the murder of the “Cradock Four,” four activists killed in 1985 by state security forces as violence roiled in the last years of apartheid, analysts and relatives of the victims said. “He takes all of that knowledge with him, and it deprives us of the truth and closure of the deaths of the Cradock Four,” said Lukhanyo Calata, the son of one of those activists. While their families refused to engage with de Klerk directly, they pushed for him to reveal any information that could have led to a trial, and demanded in vain that prosecutors compel him to do so. “If he’d said, ‘I apologize and this is what I am now going to do with my assets, with my foundation, this is how I am going to speak up for the people who were the victims on my watch, I will account for my part’ — but there was nothing of that at all,” said Michael Lapsley, an Anglican priest and anti-apartheid activist who lost both of his hands when he opened a letter bomb sent by the apartheid regime’s security forces in 1990. “No matter how much he acknowledged that apartheid was a mistake, he refused to come to terms with it as a gross human rights violation, as an atrocity,” said Mac Maharaj, an anti-apartheid activist who participated in the negotiations to dismantle the system. Cyril Ramaphosa, the current president of South Africa, who led those negotiations on behalf of the African National Congress, was more gracious, lauding de Klerk’s “key role in ushering in democracy” in South Africa. A new generation of South Africans, however, were far less polite. Malema, who started the chant in Parliament last year, vowed to protest if de Klerk was given a state funeral. Talk radio stations fielded calls that showed how divisive de Klerk’s legacy continued to be, with Black callers criticizing de Klerk while some white callers struggled to understand their anger. Many more voiced their disdain for de Klerk on social media, repudiating any international praise de Klerk received. “I don’t want any sanctification of his legacy in death. He was already given too much while he was alive,” a student activist, Neo Mosala, said on Twitter.

For Some South Africans, de Klerk missed chances for true reconciliation

South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk apologised to the people of different ethnicities who had to bear the brunt under the Apartheid system in the country.

South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem's 'public apology' in last message

For the first time, a non-fungible token (NFT) of a Rhino’s horn was sold at an auction in South Africa in a bid to raise money to protect real rhinos.

According to reports, a Cape Town businessman paid 105,000 rands (US $6,850) for the digital horn, which he plans to place into a trust for his children.

“If worst-case scenario, if rhinos go into complete disarray then I would still own a rhino horn, because the NFT is a token of the physical rhino horn,” Charl Jacobs told AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/nft-of-side-eyeing-chloe-memes-original-image-sells-for-a-whopping-amount-416001">NFT of ‘side-eyeing Chloe’ meme’s original image sells for a whopping amount</a>

Proceeds from the sale will go to the private Black Rock Rhino conservancy, home to 200 rhinos that are able to breed while protected from poachers.

“We are doubling our&nbsp;population every four years. So, it’s a really important conservation project," conservationist Derek Lewitton told AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whiskey-brand-fetches-270000-for-extremely-rare-nfts-424732">Whiskey brand fetches $270,000 for extremely rare NFTs</a>

“But it costs a fortune. If you don’t want to get poached, you have to spend a ton in terms of manpower&nbsp;and security infrastructure.&nbsp;and this a way to help us fund that.”

Of late, NFTs are becoming popular among art collectors who are splurging millions of dollars on digital drawings, music, and videos.

An&nbsp;NFT&nbsp;is a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music, in-game items, videos and sometimes even memes.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-lionel-messi-launches-messiverse-nft-crypto-art-collection-407123">Football: Lionel Messi launches 'Messiverse' NFT crypto art collection</a>

An NFT’s authenticity is certified by blockchain technology and can be bought and sold online. According to CoinDesk,&nbsp;$174 million has been spent on NFTs&nbsp;since late November 2017.

Poachers killed at least 249 rhinos in South Africa during the first six months of the year -- 83 more than in the first half of 2020, according to reports.

(With inputs from agencies)

For the first time, a non-fungible token (NFT) of a Rhino’s horn was sold at an auction in South Africa in a bid to raise money to protect real rhinos. According to reports, a Cape Town businessman paid 105,000 rands (US $6,850) for the digital horn, which he plans to place into a trust for his children.

For the first time, a non-fungible token (NFT) of a Rhino’s horn was sold at an auction in South Africa in a bid to raise money to protect real rhinos. According to reports, a Cape Town businessman paid 105,000 rands (US $6,850) for the digital horn, which he plans to place into a trust for his children. “If worst-case scenario, if rhinos go into complete disarray then I would still own a rhino horn, because the NFT is a token of the physical rhino horn,” Charl Jacobs told AFP. Also read | NFT of ‘side-eyeing Chloe’ meme’s original image sells for a whopping amount Proceeds from the sale will go to the private Black Rock Rhino conservancy, home to 200 rhinos that are able to breed while protected from poachers. “We are doubling our population every four years. So, it’s a really important conservation project," conservationist Derek Lewitton told AFP. Also read | Whiskey brand fetches $270,000 for extremely rare NFTs “But it costs a fortune. If you don’t want to get poached, you have to spend a ton in terms of manpower and security infrastructure. and this a way to help us fund that.” Of late, NFTs are becoming popular among art collectors who are splurging millions of dollars on digital drawings, music, and videos. An NFT is a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music, in-game items, videos and sometimes even memes. Also read | Football: Lionel Messi launches 'Messiverse' NFT crypto art collection An NFT’s authenticity is certified by blockchain technology and can be bought and sold online. According to CoinDesk, $174 million has been spent on NFTs since late November 2017. Poachers killed at least 249 rhinos in South Africa during the first six months of the year -- 83 more than in the first half of 2020, according to reports. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Rhino horn NFT sold for $7,000 at auction in South Africa

In his final message, hours before his death, South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk apologised to the people of different ethnicities who had to bear the brunt under the Apartheid system in the country.

The FW de Klerk Foundation, moments after announcing his passing, shared a video of the 85-year-old’s last message to citizens. It is unknown when was the video recorded.

“I, without qualification, apologise for the pain and the hurt and the indignity and the damage that apartheid has done to black, brown and Indians in South Africa. I do so, not only in my capacity as the former leader of the National Party, but also as an individual,” he said.

Stating that he is proud of the constitution that was adopted in the early 1990s after his National Party took far-reaching measures to ensure a new dispensation could bring justice to all, de Klerk said, “Together with most other South Africans, I’m proud of our constitution. The constitution which we hammered out in the negotiations which started in 1990 and which culminated in the final constitution of 1996. I fully associate myself with the values and principles enshrined in our constitution.”

He also cautioned that the country is facing various challenges. “I’m deeply concerned about the undermining of many aspects of the constitution, which we perceive almost day-to-day,” he said.

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FW De Klerk recorded this video which was released after his death. <a href="https://t.co/soUuArURaw">pic.twitter.com/soUuArURaw</a>
— Maria ⏳ (@ml_1maria) <a href="https://twitter.com/ml_1maria/status/1458821539139366912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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He then finished off his message by expressing hope that South Africa would be able to overcome many challenges that is still plaguing society.

"The road forward is a difficult one. But I firmly believe that if we take hands and if all the reasonable people in South Africa put their heads together, we can overcome the challenges we face and we can fulfil the tremendous potential that South Africa has. May the South African nation show the courage and the ingenuity to achieve this,” de Klerk said.

De Klerk died on Thursday. He was diagnosed in March with mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the tissue lining the lungs. De Klerk had announced his diagnosis on his 85th birthday&nbsp;on March 18 this year.

He is survived by his wife Elita, children Jan and Susan, and grandchildren.

De Klerk is globally seen as a politician who successfully negotiated a peaceful transfer of power from white-minority rule to a Black-majority democratic government. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993.

But in South Africa, many saw him as a controversial figure who had shown little remorse for the crimes committed during the apartheid regime.

(With inputs from agencies)

In his final message, hours before his death, South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk apologised to the people of different ethnicities who had to bear the brunt under the Apartheid system in the country.

In his final message, hours before his death, South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk apologised to the people of different ethnicities who had to bear the brunt under the Apartheid system in the country. The FW de Klerk Foundation, moments after announcing his passing, shared a video of the 85-year-old’s last message to citizens. It is unknown when was the video recorded. “I, without qualification, apologise for the pain and the hurt and the indignity and the damage that apartheid has done to black, brown and Indians in South Africa. I do so, not only in my capacity as the former leader of the National Party, but also as an individual,” he said. Stating that he is proud of the constitution that was adopted in the early 1990s after his National Party took far-reaching measures to ensure a new dispensation could bring justice to all, de Klerk said, “Together with most other South Africans, I’m proud of our constitution. The constitution which we hammered out in the negotiations which started in 1990 and which culminated in the final constitution of 1996. I fully associate myself with the values and principles enshrined in our constitution.” He also cautioned that the country is facing various challenges. “I’m deeply concerned about the undermining of many aspects of the constitution, which we perceive almost day-to-day,” he said. FW De Klerk recorded this video which was released after his death. pic.twitter.com/soUuArURaw — Maria ⏳ (@ml_1maria) November 11, 2021 × He then finished off his message by expressing hope that South Africa would be able to overcome many challenges that is still plaguing society. "The road forward is a difficult one. But I firmly believe that if we take hands and if all the reasonable people in South Africa put their heads together, we can overcome the challenges we face and we can fulfil the tremendous potential that South Africa has. May the South African nation show the courage and the ingenuity to achieve this,” de Klerk said. De Klerk died on Thursday. He was diagnosed in March with mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the tissue lining the lungs. De Klerk had announced his diagnosis on his 85th birthday on March 18 this year. He is survived by his wife Elita, children Jan and Susan, and grandchildren. De Klerk is globally seen as a politician who successfully negotiated a peaceful transfer of power from white-minority rule to a Black-majority democratic government. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993. But in South Africa, many saw him as a controversial figure who had shown little remorse for the crimes committed during the apartheid regime. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | In his final message, South Africa’s last white president FW de Klerk apologises for apartheid

South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk, died on Thursday morning at his home in Cape Town, the FW de Klerk Foundation said in a statement. He was 85 years old.

“FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer,” the FW de Klerk Foundation said in a statement on Thursday.

He was diagnosed in March with mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the tissue lining the lungs. De Klerk had announced his diagnosis on his 85th birthday&nbsp;on March 18 this year.

He is survived by his wife Elita, children Jan and Susan, and grandchildren.

“The family will, in due course, make an announcement regarding funeral arrangements,” the foundation added.

De Klerk headed South Africa’s white minority government until 1994, when Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress party swept to power.&nbsp;Under de Klerk's leadership, South Africa saw a rapid end of the apartheid system, notably, without any major violence.

He shared the Nobel peace prize with Mandela but his role in the transition to democracy remains highly contested more than 20 years after the end of apartheid.

Hailing from a prominent White Afrikaner family, a white ethnic group descended mainly from Dutch colonisers, in Johannesburg, his father was a leading apartheid senator who served briefly as interim president.

He studied law, before being elected to parliament as a member of the National Party that instituted apartheid.

(With inputs from agencies)

South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk, died on Thursday morning at his home in Cape Town, the FW de Klerk Foundation said in a statement.

South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk, died on Thursday morning at his home in Cape Town, the FW de Klerk Foundation said in a statement. He was 85 years old. “FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer,” the FW de Klerk Foundation said in a statement on Thursday. He was diagnosed in March with mesothelioma, a type of cancer that affects the tissue lining the lungs. De Klerk had announced his diagnosis on his 85th birthday on March 18 this year. He is survived by his wife Elita, children Jan and Susan, and grandchildren. “The family will, in due course, make an announcement regarding funeral arrangements,” the foundation added. De Klerk headed South Africa’s white minority government until 1994, when Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress party swept to power. Under de Klerk's leadership, South Africa saw a rapid end of the apartheid system, notably, without any major violence. He shared the Nobel peace prize with Mandela but his role in the transition to democracy remains highly contested more than 20 years after the end of apartheid. Hailing from a prominent White Afrikaner family, a white ethnic group descended mainly from Dutch colonisers, in Johannesburg, his father was a leading apartheid senator who served briefly as interim president. He studied law, before being elected to parliament as a member of the National Party that instituted apartheid. (With inputs from agencies)

South Africa’s last white president FW de Klerk dies at 85 after battling cancer

The sudden emergence of multiple seal corpses is sounding an alarm among officials, seal death is common during this time of the year but what has led to a sudden spike in the numbers? Our next report investigates.

South Africa investigates seal deaths along Cape coast, veterinarians suspect malnutrition

South Africa has selected the multi-award-winning movie ‘Barakat’ for Best International Feature at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. 
 
The movie follows the story of a Muslim widow Aisha, who tries to bring together her fractured family over Eid-al-Fitr to break the news about her new romance. South African actress Vinette Ebrahim plays the ageing matriarch, while her four sons, struggling to come to terms with the death of their father two years earlier.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-youngest-killed-at-travis-scotts-astroworld-concert-was-just-14-years-old-427741" hreflang="en">The youngest killed at Travis Scott's Astroworld concert was just 14 years old</a> 
 
The movie is directed by Amy Jephta and produced by Ephraim Gordon.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r-4WmEoxD8Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The country’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) decision makes the movie from director Amy, the fourth from a female director to be submitted to the Academy Awards by South Africa, and the first from “a woman of color,”. 
 
“I am so proud that our small story about a family has reached as many people as it has,” said Jephta. “To be recognized by South Africa in this way is incredibly special after an extremely challenging year for our film industry.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-ryan-reynolds--red-notice-wanted-dwayne-johnson-gal-gadot-and-my-friendship-to-be-seen-on-screen-427681" hreflang="en">Exclusive: Ryan Reynolds- 'Red Notice' wanted Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and my friendship to be seen on screen</a> 
 
Barakat, which means “blessings” in Arabic, is “told in Afrikaaps, the widely spoken Cape Town dialect of the Afrikaans language,”. “The first Afrikaaps dictionary is currently in development after being announced earlier this year.” 
 
“This selection was totally unexpected, but it shows that everyone’s hard work on this project has paid off,” says Ephraim. “This film was a blessing from the beginning and continues to be. It is our barakat.”

South Africa has selected the multi-award-winning movie ‘Barakat’ for Best International Feature at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. The movie follows the story of a Muslim widow Aisha, who tries to bring together her fractured family over Eid-al-Fitr to break the news about her new romance.

South Africa has selected the multi-award-winning movie ‘Barakat’ for Best International Feature at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. The movie follows the story of a Muslim widow Aisha, who tries to bring together her fractured family over Eid-al-Fitr to break the news about her new romance. South African actress Vinette Ebrahim plays the ageing matriarch, while her four sons, struggling to come to terms with the death of their father two years earlier. The youngest killed at Travis Scott's Astroworld concert was just 14 years old The movie is directed by Amy Jephta and produced by Ephraim Gordon. The country’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) decision makes the movie from director Amy, the fourth from a female director to be submitted to the Academy Awards by South Africa, and the first from “a woman of color,”. “I am so proud that our small story about a family has reached as many people as it has,” said Jephta. “To be recognized by South Africa in this way is incredibly special after an extremely challenging year for our film industry.” Exclusive: Ryan Reynolds- 'Red Notice' wanted Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and my friendship to be seen on screen Barakat, which means “blessings” in Arabic, is “told in Afrikaaps, the widely spoken Cape Town dialect of the Afrikaans language,”. “The first Afrikaaps dictionary is currently in development after being announced earlier this year.” “This selection was totally unexpected, but it shows that everyone’s hard work on this project has paid off,” says Ephraim. “This film was a blessing from the beginning and continues to be. It is our barakat.”

Oscars 2022: South Africa selects ‘Barakat’ for International Feature Category

Rassie van der Dussen&nbsp;smashed an unbeaten 94 as South Africa beat England by 10 runs but failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.

Group 1 winners England and Australia, who beat West Indies in the first match of the day, made the final four from the six-team pool.

South Africa posted 189 for two after Van de Dussen smashed six sixes in his 60-ball knock but needed to limit England to 131 or fewer to edge out Australia on net run-rate.

England, who topped the group when they passed 109, finished on 179-8 after a hat-trick by Kagiso Rabada in the final over. It was England's first loss in five matches.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chris-gayle-i-want-to-play-another-world-cup-but-they-wont-let-me-427290">Chris Gayle: 'I want to play another World Cup, but they won't let me'</a>

Pakistan are already through to the semi-finals from Group 2 with India, New Zealand and Afghanistan fighting for the last spot.

"The win was important, but a bittersweet ending for us," said South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma after his side finished on eight points, the same as England and Australia.

"Tough to bring net run-rate into effect in our last game, especially against a side like England."

Van der Dussen and Aiden Markram, who hit 52 off 25 balls, put on an unbeaten attacking partnership of 103 for the third wicket to give their team a challenging total.

England elected to field first and Moeen Ali struck early when he bowled Reeza Hendricks for two.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-pakistan-skipper-hails-indias-selection-names-player-who-can-change-the-game-single-handedly-427222">Former Pakistan skipper hails India's selection, names player who can change the game single-handedly</a>

Quinton de Kock&nbsp;and Van der Dussen rebuilt the innings with their second-wicket stand of 71.

Adil Rashid broke the stand as he sent back De Kock out for 34 with his leg spin.

But Van der Dussen stood firm and mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to reach his half-century in 37 balls.

He then combined with Markram to take the assault to the bowlers. The pair attacked Chris Woakes in his fourth over - the 16th of the innings, hitting three sixes between them to add 21 runs.

Markram reached his fifty off 24 balls with a six off Chris Jordan. He hit two fours and four sixes.

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South Africa fail to qualify for the semis but end their campaign on a high 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvSA</a> | <a href="https://t.co/5QisNAvEL6">https://t.co/5QisNAvEL6</a> <a href="https://t.co/VPgBs6u2cJ">pic.twitter.com/VPgBs6u2cJ</a>
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In reply, England started well with Jason Roy and Jos Buttler hitting boundaries in the first four overs.

But Roy suffered a calf injury issue while taking a run with Buttler and had to be helped off the field.&nbsp;

"Jason Roy going down doesn't help, but we thought we were right in it throughout. Every game tests us in different ways," said England captain Eoin Morgan.

South Africa seized the opportunity and Anrich Nortje send back Buttler, for 26, in the next over. Then Tabraiz Shamsi trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw for one.

Moeen, who struck 37 off 27 balls, and Dawid Malan hit back in a partnership of 51 but Shamsi once again put the brakes.

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South Africa fail to qualify for the semis despite clinching a thriller against England in Sharjah. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvSA</a> report 👇 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/NkHdPkq0cV">https://t.co/NkHdPkq0cV</a>
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Moeen hit Shamsi for a towering six but got out next ball attempting another big one which instead went straight into the hands of David Miller.

Malan kept up the attack with Liam Livingston, who hit Rabada for three straight sixes, to keep the chase on track despite losing his partner in the next over.

But Livingstone fell for 28 and South African bowlers took charge. Rabada sent back Chris Woakes, Morgan and Chris Jordan for the tournament's third hat-trick.

Rassie van der Dussen smashed an unbeaten 94 as South Africa beat England by 10 runs but failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday.

Rassie van der Dussen smashed an unbeaten 94 as South Africa beat England by 10 runs but failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday. Group 1 winners England and Australia, who beat West Indies in the first match of the day, made the final four from the six-team pool. South Africa posted 189 for two after Van de Dussen smashed six sixes in his 60-ball knock but needed to limit England to 131 or fewer to edge out Australia on net run-rate. England, who topped the group when they passed 109, finished on 179-8 after a hat-trick by Kagiso Rabada in the final over. It was England's first loss in five matches. ALSO READ | Chris Gayle: 'I want to play another World Cup, but they won't let me' Pakistan are already through to the semi-finals from Group 2 with India, New Zealand and Afghanistan fighting for the last spot. "The win was important, but a bittersweet ending for us," said South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma after his side finished on eight points, the same as England and Australia. "Tough to bring net run-rate into effect in our last game, especially against a side like England." Van der Dussen and Aiden Markram, who hit 52 off 25 balls, put on an unbeaten attacking partnership of 103 for the third wicket to give their team a challenging total. England elected to field first and Moeen Ali struck early when he bowled Reeza Hendricks for two. ALSO READ | Former Pakistan skipper hails India's selection, names player who can change the game single-handedly Quinton de Kock and Van der Dussen rebuilt the innings with their second-wicket stand of 71. Adil Rashid broke the stand as he sent back De Kock out for 34 with his leg spin. But Van der Dussen stood firm and mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to reach his half-century in 37 balls. He then combined with Markram to take the assault to the bowlers. The pair attacked Chris Woakes in his fourth over - the 16th of the innings, hitting three sixes between them to add 21 runs. Markram reached his fifty off 24 balls with a six off Chris Jordan. He hit two fours and four sixes. South Africa fail to qualify for the semis but end their campaign on a high 🙌#T20WorldCup | #ENGvSA | https://t.co/5QisNAvEL6 pic.twitter.com/VPgBs6u2cJ — T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) November 6, 2021 × In reply, England started well with Jason Roy and Jos Buttler hitting boundaries in the first four overs. But Roy suffered a calf injury issue while taking a run with Buttler and had to be helped off the field. "Jason Roy going down doesn't help, but we thought we were right in it throughout. Every game tests us in different ways," said England captain Eoin Morgan. South Africa seized the opportunity and Anrich Nortje send back Buttler, for 26, in the next over. Then Tabraiz Shamsi trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw for one. Moeen, who struck 37 off 27 balls, and Dawid Malan hit back in a partnership of 51 but Shamsi once again put the brakes. South Africa fail to qualify for the semis despite clinching a thriller against England in Sharjah. #ENGvSA report 👇 #T20WorldCup https://t.co/NkHdPkq0cV — ICC (@ICC) November 6, 2021 × Moeen hit Shamsi for a towering six but got out next ball attempting another big one which instead went straight into the hands of David Miller. Malan kept up the attack with Liam Livingston, who hit Rabada for three straight sixes, to keep the chase on track despite losing his partner in the next over. But Livingstone fell for 28 and South African bowlers took charge. Rabada sent back Chris Woakes, Morgan and Chris Jordan for the tournament's third hat-trick.

T20 World Cup, Group 1: South Africa exit, England and Australia enter semis

With the growing discontent over alleged corruption and inconsistent essential services, South Africa's ANC has registered its worst-ever performance in current local polls.

South Africa's ruling party ANC's disappointing show at local polls

Apart from balloons, Helium gas is also used in liquid fuel, rocket tanks and supersonic wind tunnels. South Africa is now trying to cash in on its untapped Helium reserves.

South Africa strikes new gold, focus on industrial use of 'Helium'

The ruling African National Congress received fewer than half of the votes cast in local government elections, a severe rebuke from South African voters.

Widespread corruption, continuously high unemployment rates, catastrophic power outages, and inefficient government service delivery were hot campaign topics.&nbsp;

The ANC received 46 percent of the vote in the results revealed Thursday night, down from 54 percent in the last municipal elections five years ago. 
 
Watch | ANC's popularity dwindles in South Africa, party registers its worst-ever performance

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As a result, the party will have fewer councils and mayors in both large and small communities across the country.

It is the first time that Nelson Mandela's party has gotten fewer than half of the votes cast in any election in Africa's most developed country.

The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has routinely lost ground in municipal elections, which are frequently viewed as a perfect chance for voters to cast protest ballots.&nbsp;

President Ramaphosa said that his party will have to build partnerships in order to control major cities.&nbsp;

"If we are to make this a new and better era, we as leaders must put aside our differences and work together in a spirit of partnership, of cooperation and collaboration and common purpose in the interest of the people of South Africa," said Ramaphosa, announcing the results at the election centre in Pretoria.

Looking ahead to the 2024 general elections, the ANC's prospects are bleak.

The municipal polls also set the stage for the country's transformation into a more complex multiparty democracy, moving away from the fantasy of a "rainbow nation" and toward the reality of balancing several opposing interests.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The ruling African National Congress received fewer than half of the votes cast in local government elections, a severe rebuke from South African voters. Widespread corruption, continuously high unemployment rates, catastrophic power outages, and inefficient government service delivery were hot campaign topics.

The ruling African National Congress received fewer than half of the votes cast in local government elections, a severe rebuke from South African voters. Widespread corruption, continuously high unemployment rates, catastrophic power outages, and inefficient government service delivery were hot campaign topics. The ANC received 46 percent of the vote in the results revealed Thursday night, down from 54 percent in the last municipal elections five years ago. Watch | ANC's popularity dwindles in South Africa, party registers its worst-ever performance As a result, the party will have fewer councils and mayors in both large and small communities across the country. It is the first time that Nelson Mandela's party has gotten fewer than half of the votes cast in any election in Africa's most developed country. The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has routinely lost ground in municipal elections, which are frequently viewed as a perfect chance for voters to cast protest ballots. President Ramaphosa said that his party will have to build partnerships in order to control major cities. "If we are to make this a new and better era, we as leaders must put aside our differences and work together in a spirit of partnership, of cooperation and collaboration and common purpose in the interest of the people of South Africa," said Ramaphosa, announcing the results at the election centre in Pretoria. Looking ahead to the 2024 general elections, the ANC's prospects are bleak. The municipal polls also set the stage for the country's transformation into a more complex multiparty democracy, moving away from the fantasy of a "rainbow nation" and toward the reality of balancing several opposing interests. (With inputs from agencies)

South Africa municipal elections: Worst result in decades for Nelson Mandela's party

Scientists have recently discovered fossils in a South African cave that forms part of a hominid child's skull. The scientists said that it was left on an alcove by fellow members of her species 250,000 years ago.

Lee Berger, the scientist who led the project said, "The real mystery about this child is why she found where she was."

"Something amazing was going on in this cave 200,000-300,000 years ago."

The gender is not yet determined.

It is very rare that researchers find fossilised remains of children. This is because their bones are too thin and fragile to survive over aeons.

In this case, the child was probably four to six years old when it died, with baby teeth intact and adult teeth starting to emerge.&nbsp;

The newly found remains, including 28 skull fragments and six teeth were found even deeper in the cave complex. This is 12 meters away from the main find.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/were-dinosaurs-a-social-species-newly-discovered-fossils-suggests-they-lived-in-herds-423858">Also read |&nbsp;Were Dinosaurs a social species? Newly discovered fossils suggests they lived in herds</a>

Meanwhile, scientists discovered fossils on a vast fossil site in Patagonia, which suggests that some of the earliest dinosaurs lived in herds and that this behaviour may have been central to the dinosaurs' success. A significant part of the findings was based on the discovery of embryos of the same species inside fossilized eggs. These findings were reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

Scientists discovered a 190-million-year-old dinosaur nesting ground in the early 2000s, which also contained juvenile skeletons belonging to Mussaurus patagonicus, a primitive, herbivorous sauropodomorph dinosaur (forerunner of the large, long-necked dinosaurs) in Patagonia (Argentina).&nbsp;

"Such a preserved site was bound to provide us with a lot of information about how early dinosaurs lived," explained Diego Pol, the palaeontologist at CONICET who discovered the site.

Scientists have recently discovered fossils in a South African cave that forms part of a hominid child's skull. The scientists said that it was left on an alcove by fellow members of her species 250,000 years ago.

Scientists have recently discovered fossils in a South African cave that forms part of a hominid child's skull. The scientists said that it was left on an alcove by fellow members of her species 250,000 years ago. Lee Berger, the scientist who led the project said, "The real mystery about this child is why she found where she was." "Something amazing was going on in this cave 200,000-300,000 years ago." The gender is not yet determined. It is very rare that researchers find fossilised remains of children. This is because their bones are too thin and fragile to survive over aeons. In this case, the child was probably four to six years old when it died, with baby teeth intact and adult teeth starting to emerge. The newly found remains, including 28 skull fragments and six teeth were found even deeper in the cave complex. This is 12 meters away from the main find. Also read | Were Dinosaurs a social species? Newly discovered fossils suggests they lived in herds Meanwhile, scientists discovered fossils on a vast fossil site in Patagonia, which suggests that some of the earliest dinosaurs lived in herds and that this behaviour may have been central to the dinosaurs' success. A significant part of the findings was based on the discovery of embryos of the same species inside fossilized eggs. These findings were reported in the journal Scientific Reports. Scientists discovered a 190-million-year-old dinosaur nesting ground in the early 2000s, which also contained juvenile skeletons belonging to Mussaurus patagonicus, a primitive, herbivorous sauropodomorph dinosaur (forerunner of the large, long-necked dinosaurs) in Patagonia (Argentina). "Such a preserved site was bound to provide us with a lot of information about how early dinosaurs lived," explained Diego Pol, the palaeontologist at CONICET who discovered the site.

South Africa: Fossil discovered recently forms part of hominid child's skull

South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;entered new political territory on Thursday with the ruling African National Congress on the verge of losing its dominance and suffering its worst electoral setback in history.

With 99 percent of the results from Monday's municipal elections published by the electoral commission, the ANC had taken 45.64 percent of the total votes cast nationally.

It is the first time the party of Nelson Mandela has received less than half of ballots cast in any election in the continent's most industrialised nation.

But party officials &nbsp;put on a brave face.&nbsp;

"The worst could have happened," ANC elections chief Fikile Mbalula told reporters. "We fought very hard to get to this point".

He was adamant "we are not politically obliterated, we are not annihilated, that could have happened".

The immediate impact of Monday's voting is local, as parties set about horse-trading to build coalitions in towns and cities. Looking ahead to general elections in 2024, the results portend badly for the ANC.

The local polls also set the stage for the country's evolution into a richer multi-party democracy, moving past the dream of a "rainbow nation" and into the reality of balancing myriad competing interests.

"For some time, we've been trying to implement democracy in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa, but we have not really succeeded up to now to have a truly competitive multi-party democracy," said Sandile Swana, an independent political analyst.

Missing voters

Major cities such as Johannesburg and Pretoria have had coalition governments since the last local polls five years ago. The trend continues.

Nationally, the ANC lost a majority in even more regions, including in eThekwini metro in former president Jacob Zuma's stronghold province&nbsp;of KwaZulu-Natal province.

Only two out of three potential voters registered. Of those, less than half actually cast ballots.

For the first time, the ANC was in trouble and they couldn't hide the fact that they were scared.

It's hard to remember now, but in the first democratic elections in 1994, the ANC's dominance was far from assured.

But after Mandela ascended to the presidency, the party expanded its electoral success over the next decade until it controlled almost all major cities, and held a super-majority in parliament.

However, over the last 15 years, the ANC's popularity has declined sharply.

Now dipping below the 50 percent mark for the first time, the ANC no longer appears invulnerable.

"It's a&nbsp;psychological barrier, and now it's same for national election," said William Gumede of the Democracy Works think tank.

After 27 years in power, the ANC has no one to blame for&nbsp;South&nbsp;Africa's woes. Unemployment, always stubbornly high, has hit a record 34.4 percent.

Mismanagement and corruption have left the country unable to guarantee a steady electricity supply. Water cuts and sewage leaks are common.

South Africa entered new political territory on Thursday with the ruling African National Congress on the verge of losing its dominance and suffering its worst electoral setback in history.

South Africa entered new political territory on Thursday with the ruling African National Congress on the verge of losing its dominance and suffering its worst electoral setback in history. With 99 percent of the results from Monday's municipal elections published by the electoral commission, the ANC had taken 45.64 percent of the total votes cast nationally. It is the first time the party of Nelson Mandela has received less than half of ballots cast in any election in the continent's most industrialised nation. But party officials put on a brave face. "The worst could have happened," ANC elections chief Fikile Mbalula told reporters. "We fought very hard to get to this point". He was adamant "we are not politically obliterated, we are not annihilated, that could have happened". The immediate impact of Monday's voting is local, as parties set about horse-trading to build coalitions in towns and cities. Looking ahead to general elections in 2024, the results portend badly for the ANC. The local polls also set the stage for the country's evolution into a richer multi-party democracy, moving past the dream of a "rainbow nation" and into the reality of balancing myriad competing interests. "For some time, we've been trying to implement democracy in South Africa, but we have not really succeeded up to now to have a truly competitive multi-party democracy," said Sandile Swana, an independent political analyst. Missing voters Major cities such as Johannesburg and Pretoria have had coalition governments since the last local polls five years ago. The trend continues. Nationally, the ANC lost a majority in even more regions, including in eThekwini metro in former president Jacob Zuma's stronghold province of KwaZulu-Natal province. Only two out of three potential voters registered. Of those, less than half actually cast ballots. For the first time, the ANC was in trouble and they couldn't hide the fact that they were scared. It's hard to remember now, but in the first democratic elections in 1994, the ANC's dominance was far from assured. But after Mandela ascended to the presidency, the party expanded its electoral success over the next decade until it controlled almost all major cities, and held a super-majority in parliament. However, over the last 15 years, the ANC's popularity has declined sharply. Now dipping below the 50 percent mark for the first time, the ANC no longer appears invulnerable. "It's a psychological barrier, and now it's same for national election," said William Gumede of the Democracy Works think tank. After 27 years in power, the ANC has no one to blame for South Africa's woes. Unemployment, always stubbornly high, has hit a record 34.4 percent. Mismanagement and corruption have left the country unable to guarantee a steady electricity supply. Water cuts and sewage leaks are common.

South Africa's ANC on cusp of historic losses

South Africa's ANC has registered its worst-ever performance in the current municipal elections held in the country. This is the party's worst performance ever since assuming power.

ANC's popularity dwindles in South Africa, party registers its worst-ever performance

The COVID-19 pandemic survivors of the worst-hit South African country, Peru are finding comfort in pictures of their lost loved ones as they mourn their dead. WION brings you a report.

Peruvians mourn their COVID dead as only pictures are left

South Africa’s ruling ANC party looked set to deliver its worst ever electoral performance since the end of apartheid. The party's support is expected to dip below 50%in local government polls, the counting is underway.

South Africa municipal elections: ANC set for worst-ever performance, counting underway

Walking through what could be the charming tree-lined streets of Lichtenburg in South Africa’s rural heartland, pedestrians skirt around piles of uncollected trash. Shop fronts darkened by electricity blackouts line the main road. A recently built community center has been stolen, brick by brick.

Mayor Daniel Buthelezi believes he can turn the town around. So does Mayor Tsholofelo Moreo.

Two men simultaneously claim to be the mayor of Lichtenburg, a community of about 182,000 people 150 miles west of Johannesburg. Both are members of the African National Congress, or the ANC, the party that rules South Africa and this neglected town.

Lichtenburg is only one of dozens of towns across South Africa that have stagnated as politicians in the same party fight one another.

As South Africans go to the polls Monday to vote for local leaders, the dysfunction in their towns is testing their long-standing loyalty to the ANC — the party of Nelson Mandela, which led the struggle to liberate South Africa from the apartheid regime. With municipalities failing to provide basic services like water, electricity and trash collection, the election has evolved into a national referendum on the ANC government’s chaotic administration and failed promises.

Other towns also find themselves with dueling mayors. Just an hour’s drive southwest, the Tswaing municipality has two mayors from opposing ANC factions. Last year, voters in an impoverished town in KwaZulu-Natal province were also confounded by two mayors — in this case, from the opposition Inkatha Freedom Party.

The battle to control the modest resources of small towns and local wards has at times ended in violence. In the past month, there have been reports of at least four local councilors killed in political infighting.

“The kind of thuggery that has been going on in politics must stop, like yesterday,” said Job Mokgoro, the former premier of North West province, which includes Lichtenburg.

Mokgoro said he had tried to bring the two ANC factions in Lichtenburg to the negotiating table in 2019, when Buthelezi, then the sole mayor, was being challenged for the mayoralty by his rival, Moreo. But Mokgoro said he was shoved out of the council chamber by angry councilors, an impasse that two years later led both men to claim the mayoralty.

Mokgoro himself was removed from his position in August by the ANC's national leaders, after clashes with party factions in the province.

After the fall of apartheid, municipalities were envisioned as the democratic, grassroots platform to replace the apartheid regime’s centralized control. But this political decentralization has been exploited by corrupt or incompetent politicians, said Kevin Allan, head of Municipal IQ, an independent organization that monitors local government.

“The independence of the sphere has been exploited by local political factions,” and by corrupt individuals, creating “personal fiefdoms which overlap with regional political structures,” Allan said in a written comment to The New York Times.

Nearly two-thirds of South Africa’s municipalities are in financial distress, and more than one-third have adopted budgets they cannot fund, said Tito Mboweni, the country’s former finance minister, in his budget speech earlier this year. Many are unable to collect taxes or revenue for services rendered because their residents are too poor, or too angry to pay for nothing.

Municipal IQ has flagged Lichtenburg as one of the poorest performing municipalities in the country. It owes 600 million rand (about $39.5 million) in unpaid electric bills, and is reliant on grants from the national and provincial governments for basic services, like the town library.

The two mayors, however, have had little opportunity to find solutions, as their rivalry has resulted in disrupted meetings, and even chairs thrown across council chambers. In the mayor’s office, the wooden plaque with gold letters listing each mayor since the town’s founding has been vandalized.

Buthelezi, a 63-year-old school principal, said that he has been too afraid to enter the mayor’s office since February, when he was met by a group of burly private security guards who barred his entry.

“I cannot go there alone,” said Buthelezi. “They hired people so that when they see me there, I should be assaulted, be harassed, or other things be done that would not be good.”

Buthelezi was ousted as mayor in a vote of no-confidence by the town council last December, but he challenged the vote's legality in court and was reinstated the next month. In the meantime, though, his rival Moreo had been sworn in as the new mayor. Buthelezi has appealed to the ANC's national leaders to resolve the matter.

Still, the mayoral car — a low-slung Mercedes-Benz that seems unsuitable for the town’s potholed roads — is parked in Buthelezi’s garage.

Moreo is in his mid-30s, a spokesperson said, and started his career in government as the personal assistant to a previous mayor. Moreo did not appear for a scheduled interview earlier this month, and was later unavailable to speak by phone.

Moreo has told local media that Buthelezi was removed because of the municipality’s poor performance. Buthelezi accuses Moreo of corruption.

Their clash received national attention when South Africa’s largest dairy producer, Clover, announced in June that it would shut down its cheese factory in Lichtenburg and relocate to a town with more reliable services.

These provincial embarrassments have tarnished the ANC's national image. In a bid to restore voters’ trust, President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is not up for election Monday, has become the face of the party’s local campaign. In Lichtenburg, neither mayor is featured on campaign posters, though Moreo is on the ballot. Buthelezi is not — but said he is asking the ANC to reinstate him as mayor anyway.

Instead, it is Ramaphosa’s face beaming from campaign posters at residents, imploring them to give the ANC another chance.

“It’s just Ramaphosa all over. It’s as if Ramaphosa is running for mayor,” said Susan Booysen, head of research at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection in Johannesburg.

Ramaphosa’s party is betting on polling that shows he is more popular than the ANC, Booysen said.

When selecting local councilors, however, the ANC has employed a “delicate and sometimes disastrous recruitment process,” she added.

To expand its base, the party appoints its allies to appease political players, Booysen said. That has allowed for patronage and poor service, particularly in municipalities that don’t receive national attention.

Still, this record does not necessarily dissuade voters. In focus groups, Booysen found that voters see the ANC as family, and the family provider, and are therefore forgiving of its shortcomings.

Voters were more likely to trust the ANC over the largely untested opposition parties, according to research from the University of Johannesburg. And many voters benefiting from social assistance said they feared that their aid could be taken away if another party came to power.

Ramaphosa’s frequent refrain on the campaign trail is that family “sticks together.” He reminds them about the houses, schools and other infrastructure the ANC government has provided since the end of apartheid.

Outside the Lichtenburg post office, Matshogo Magwatane, a 32-year-old father of two, had been waiting in line since dawn one recent day for a monthly pandemic relief grant of 350 rand (about $24).

Magwatane lost a local government job, which he blames on nepotism. He turned to selling kebabs and chicken feet on a street corner, until the piles of litter made street food a health hazard.

He describes the ruling party as a pit of snakes biting one another. Still, he said, he will vote for the ANC in Monday’s election.

“I’m going to go with the snake that will win,” Magwatane said.

Walking through what could be the charming tree-lined streets of Lichtenburg in South Africa’s rural heartland, pedestrians skirt around piles of uncollected trash.

Walking through what could be the charming tree-lined streets of Lichtenburg in South Africa’s rural heartland, pedestrians skirt around piles of uncollected trash. Shop fronts darkened by electricity blackouts line the main road. A recently built community center has been stolen, brick by brick. Mayor Daniel Buthelezi believes he can turn the town around. So does Mayor Tsholofelo Moreo. Two men simultaneously claim to be the mayor of Lichtenburg, a community of about 182,000 people 150 miles west of Johannesburg. Both are members of the African National Congress, or the ANC, the party that rules South Africa and this neglected town. Lichtenburg is only one of dozens of towns across South Africa that have stagnated as politicians in the same party fight one another. As South Africans go to the polls Monday to vote for local leaders, the dysfunction in their towns is testing their long-standing loyalty to the ANC — the party of Nelson Mandela, which led the struggle to liberate South Africa from the apartheid regime. With municipalities failing to provide basic services like water, electricity and trash collection, the election has evolved into a national referendum on the ANC government’s chaotic administration and failed promises. Other towns also find themselves with dueling mayors. Just an hour’s drive southwest, the Tswaing municipality has two mayors from opposing ANC factions. Last year, voters in an impoverished town in KwaZulu-Natal province were also confounded by two mayors — in this case, from the opposition Inkatha Freedom Party. The battle to control the modest resources of small towns and local wards has at times ended in violence. In the past month, there have been reports of at least four local councilors killed in political infighting. “The kind of thuggery that has been going on in politics must stop, like yesterday,” said Job Mokgoro, the former premier of North West province, which includes Lichtenburg. Mokgoro said he had tried to bring the two ANC factions in Lichtenburg to the negotiating table in 2019, when Buthelezi, then the sole mayor, was being challenged for the mayoralty by his rival, Moreo. But Mokgoro said he was shoved out of the council chamber by angry councilors, an impasse that two years later led both men to claim the mayoralty. Mokgoro himself was removed from his position in August by the ANC's national leaders, after clashes with party factions in the province. After the fall of apartheid, municipalities were envisioned as the democratic, grassroots platform to replace the apartheid regime’s centralized control. But this political decentralization has been exploited by corrupt or incompetent politicians, said Kevin Allan, head of Municipal IQ, an independent organization that monitors local government. “The independence of the sphere has been exploited by local political factions,” and by corrupt individuals, creating “personal fiefdoms which overlap with regional political structures,” Allan said in a written comment to The New York Times. Nearly two-thirds of South Africa’s municipalities are in financial distress, and more than one-third have adopted budgets they cannot fund, said Tito Mboweni, the country’s former finance minister, in his budget speech earlier this year. Many are unable to collect taxes or revenue for services rendered because their residents are too poor, or too angry to pay for nothing. Municipal IQ has flagged Lichtenburg as one of the poorest performing municipalities in the country. It owes 600 million rand (about $39.5 million) in unpaid electric bills, and is reliant on grants from the national and provincial governments for basic services, like the town library. The two mayors, however, have had little opportunity to find solutions, as their rivalry has resulted in disrupted meetings, and even chairs thrown across council chambers. In the mayor’s office, the wooden plaque with gold letters listing each mayor since the town’s founding has been vandalized. Buthelezi, a 63-year-old school principal, said that he has been too afraid to enter the mayor’s office since February, when he was met by a group of burly private security guards who barred his entry. “I cannot go there alone,” said Buthelezi. “They hired people so that when they see me there, I should be assaulted, be harassed, or other things be done that would not be good.” Buthelezi was ousted as mayor in a vote of no-confidence by the town council last December, but he challenged the vote's legality in court and was reinstated the next month. In the meantime, though, his rival Moreo had been sworn in as the new mayor. Buthelezi has appealed to the ANC's national leaders to resolve the matter. Still, the mayoral car — a low-slung Mercedes-Benz that seems unsuitable for the town’s potholed roads — is parked in Buthelezi’s garage. Moreo is in his mid-30s, a spokesperson said, and started his career in government as the personal assistant to a previous mayor. Moreo did not appear for a scheduled interview earlier this month, and was later unavailable to speak by phone. Moreo has told local media that Buthelezi was removed because of the municipality’s poor performance. Buthelezi accuses Moreo of corruption. Their clash received national attention when South Africa’s largest dairy producer, Clover, announced in June that it would shut down its cheese factory in Lichtenburg and relocate to a town with more reliable services. These provincial embarrassments have tarnished the ANC's national image. In a bid to restore voters’ trust, President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is not up for election Monday, has become the face of the party’s local campaign. In Lichtenburg, neither mayor is featured on campaign posters, though Moreo is on the ballot. Buthelezi is not — but said he is asking the ANC to reinstate him as mayor anyway. Instead, it is Ramaphosa’s face beaming from campaign posters at residents, imploring them to give the ANC another chance. “It’s just Ramaphosa all over. It’s as if Ramaphosa is running for mayor,” said Susan Booysen, head of research at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection in Johannesburg. Ramaphosa’s party is betting on polling that shows he is more popular than the ANC, Booysen said. When selecting local councilors, however, the ANC has employed a “delicate and sometimes disastrous recruitment process,” she added. To expand its base, the party appoints its allies to appease political players, Booysen said. That has allowed for patronage and poor service, particularly in municipalities that don’t receive national attention. Still, this record does not necessarily dissuade voters. In focus groups, Booysen found that voters see the ANC as family, and the family provider, and are therefore forgiving of its shortcomings. Voters were more likely to trust the ANC over the largely untested opposition parties, according to research from the University of Johannesburg. And many voters benefiting from social assistance said they feared that their aid could be taken away if another party came to power. Ramaphosa’s frequent refrain on the campaign trail is that family “sticks together.” He reminds them about the houses, schools and other infrastructure the ANC government has provided since the end of apartheid. Outside the Lichtenburg post office, Matshogo Magwatane, a 32-year-old father of two, had been waiting in line since dawn one recent day for a monthly pandemic relief grant of 350 rand (about $24). Magwatane lost a local government job, which he blames on nepotism. He turned to selling kebabs and chicken feet on a street corner, until the piles of litter made street food a health hazard. He describes the ruling party as a pit of snakes biting one another. Still, he said, he will vote for the ANC in Monday’s election. “I’m going to go with the snake that will win,” Magwatane said.

A South African town lacks water and electricity. But Mayors? It has two.

South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in their T20 World Cup match here on Saturday.

Chasing 143 for victory, South Africa reached the target with one ball to spare in their Super 12 Group 2 match, in which Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva also picked up a hat-trick.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-united-against-racism-quinton-de-kock-joins-sa-teammates-in-taking-a-knee-ahead-of-sri-lanka-clash-425296">Quinton de Kock joins SA teammates in taking a knee ahead of Sri Lanka clash - WATCH</a>

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Hasaranga departs. 
 
Shamsi has his third 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvSL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvSL</a> | <a href="https://t.co/bJIWWFNtds">https://t.co/bJIWWFNtds</a> <a href="https://t.co/9CfCneyY2D">pic.twitter.com/9CfCneyY2D</a>
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/T20WorldCup/status/1454404929641009154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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David Millers smashed an unbeaten 23 after skipper Temba Bavuma's 46-run knock.

Earlier, opener Pathum Nissanka struck a fine half-century before South Africa bowled out Sri Lanka for 142.

Invited to bat by South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma, Nissanka top-scored for Sri Lanka with a 57-ball 72.

He hit six boundaries and three sixes.

For South Africa, left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (3/17) and Dwaine Pretorius (3/17) took three wickets each while Anrich Nortje accounted for two SL batters.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-sa-star-quinton-de-kock-apologises-for-blm-row-pledges-to-take-the-knee-424674">Quinton de Kock apologises for BLM row, pledges to take the knee</a>

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka: 142 all out in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 72, Charith Asalanka 21; Tabraiz Shamsi 3/17, Dwaine Pretorius 3/17).

South Africa: 146/6 in 19.5 overs (Temba Bavuma 46, David Miller 23 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 3/20, Dushmantha Chameera 2/27).&nbsp;

South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in their T20 World Cup match here on Saturday. Chasing 143 for victory, South Africa reached the target with one ball to spare in their Super 12 Group 2 match, in which Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva also picked up a hat-trick.

South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in their T20 World Cup match here on Saturday. Chasing 143 for victory, South Africa reached the target with one ball to spare in their Super 12 Group 2 match, in which Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva also picked up a hat-trick. Also Read: Quinton de Kock joins SA teammates in taking a knee ahead of Sri Lanka clash - WATCH Hasaranga departs. Shamsi has his third 🙌#T20WorldCup | #SAvSL | https://t.co/bJIWWFNtds pic.twitter.com/9CfCneyY2D — T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 30, 2021 × David Millers smashed an unbeaten 23 after skipper Temba Bavuma's 46-run knock. Earlier, opener Pathum Nissanka struck a fine half-century before South Africa bowled out Sri Lanka for 142. Invited to bat by South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma, Nissanka top-scored for Sri Lanka with a 57-ball 72. He hit six boundaries and three sixes. For South Africa, left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (3/17) and Dwaine Pretorius (3/17) took three wickets each while Anrich Nortje accounted for two SL batters. Also Read: Quinton de Kock apologises for BLM row, pledges to take the knee Brief Scores: Sri Lanka: 142 all out in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 72, Charith Asalanka 21; Tabraiz Shamsi 3/17, Dwaine Pretorius 3/17). South Africa: 146/6 in 19.5 overs (Temba Bavuma 46, David Miller 23 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 3/20, Dushmantha Chameera 2/27).

T20 World Cup: Tabraiz Shamsi, Temba Bavuma help South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets

Quinton de Kock issues apology: Here's what we know so far since QDK refused to take the knee

South Africa batter Quinton de Kock withdrew from the T20 World Cup match after being dismissed for refusing to take the knee for Black Lives Matter (BLM). Should boards be forcing gestures on players?

South Africa wicket keeper de Kock withdraws from T20 World Cup after refusing to take knee

In South Africa's second encounter in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup, versus West Indies, Quinton de Kock's absence raised quite a few eyebrows after the Cricket South Africa (CSA) asked the players to take a unified stance in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.&nbsp;

While all the players took the knee, de Kock's absence made heads turn. With many teams taking a stance in the support of the BLM movement, in order to educate one and all to end the ill-practice of racism worldwide, the wicketkeeper-batsman's whereabouts surely hogged the headlines. After facing backlash and severe criticism, De Kock has finally responded to the controversy.

The swashbuckling left-hander has issued an apology and spoke at length about the whole matter in an official statement.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/zimbabwes-pommie-mbangwa-criticises-quinton-de-kock-for-refusing-to-take-knee-says-i-cannot-shed-my-skin-424576">Zimbabwe's Pommie Mbangwa criticises Quinton de Kock for refusing to take knee, says 'I cannot shed my skin'</a>

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Here's QDK's statement:

"I would like to start by saying sorry to my teammates, and the fans back home.&nbsp; I never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue. I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example.

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"If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so. I did not, in any way, mean to disrespect anyone by not playing against West Indies, especially the West Indian team themselves. Maybe some people don't understand that we were just hit with this on Tuesday morning, on the way to a game.
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"I am deeply sorry for all the hurt, confusion and anger that I have caused. I was quiet on this very important issue until now. But I feel I have to explain myself a little bit. For those who don't know, I come from a mixed race family. My half-sisters are Coloured and my step mom is Black. For me, Black lives have mattered since I was born. Not just because there was an international movement.
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"The rights and equality of all people is more important than any individual. I was raised to understand that we all have rights, and they are important. I felt like my rights were taken away when I was told what we had to do in the way that we were told.
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"Since our chat with the board last night, which was very emotional, I think we all have a better understanding of their intentions as well. I wish this had happened sooner, because what happened on match day could have been avoided.
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"I know I have an example to set. We were previously told we had the choice to do what we felt we wanted to do. I chose to keep my thoughts to myself, and thought of the pride of playing for my family and my country.
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"I didn't understand why I had to prove it with a gesture, when I live and learn and love people from all walks of life every day. When you are told what to do, with no discussion, I felt like it takes away the meaning. If I was racist, I could easily have taken the knee and lied, which is wrong and doesn't build a better society.
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"Those who have grown up with me and played with me, know what type of person I am. I've been called a lot of things as a cricketer. Doff [dim]. Stupid. Selfish. Immature. But those didn't hurt. Being called a racist because of a misunderstanding hurts me deeply.
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"It hurts my family. It hurts my pregnant wife. I am not a racist. In my heart of hearts, I know that. And I think those who know me know that. I know I'm not great with words, but I've tried my best to explain how truly sorry I am for making like this is about me.
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"It is not. I won't lie, I was shocked that we were told on the way to an important match that there was an instruction that we had to follow, with a perceived 'or else.' I don't think I was the only one.
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"We had camps. We had sessions. We had zoom meetings. We know where we all stand. And that is together. I love every one of my teammates, and I love nothing more than playing cricket for South Africa. I think it would of been better for everyone concerned if we had sorted this out before the tournament started.
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"Then we could have focused on our job, to win cricket matches for our country. There always seems to be a drama when we go to World Cups. That isn't fair. I just want to thank my teammates for their support, especially my captain, Temba. People might not recognise, but he is a flipping amazing leader.
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"If he and the team, and South Africa, will have me, I would love nothing more than to play cricket for my country again."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-the-south-africa-of-nelson-mandela-ex-pak-player-reacts-to-quinton-de-kocks-decision-over-knee-order-424579">'Not the South Africa of Nelson Mandela': Ex-Pak player reacts to Quinton de Kock's decision over knee order</a>

Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma-led South Africa thrashed the defending champions West Indies, despite De Kock's absence, by 8 wickets to get off the mark in the main draw of the showpiece event in the UAE on Tuesday (October 26). They will next face&nbsp;Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Saturday.&nbsp;

Following QDK's statement, he is expected to return to the Proteas' XI and take a knee as well.
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In South Africa's second encounter in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup, versus West Indies, Quinton de Kock's absence raised quite a few eyebrows after the Cricket South Africa (CSA) asked the players to take a unified stance in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

In South Africa's second encounter in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup, versus West Indies, Quinton de Kock's absence raised quite a few eyebrows after the Cricket South Africa (CSA) asked the players to take a unified stance in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. While all the players took the knee, de Kock's absence made heads turn. With many teams taking a stance in the support of the BLM movement, in order to educate one and all to end the ill-practice of racism worldwide, the wicketkeeper-batsman's whereabouts surely hogged the headlines. After facing backlash and severe criticism, De Kock has finally responded to the controversy. The swashbuckling left-hander has issued an apology and spoke at length about the whole matter in an official statement. ALSO READ | Zimbabwe's Pommie Mbangwa criticises Quinton de Kock for refusing to take knee, says 'I cannot shed my skin' Here's QDK's statement: "I would like to start by saying sorry to my teammates, and the fans back home. I never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue. I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example. "If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so. I did not, in any way, mean to disrespect anyone by not playing against West Indies, especially the West Indian team themselves. Maybe some people don't understand that we were just hit with this on Tuesday morning, on the way to a game. "I am deeply sorry for all the hurt, confusion and anger that I have caused. I was quiet on this very important issue until now. But I feel I have to explain myself a little bit. For those who don't know, I come from a mixed race family. My half-sisters are Coloured and my step mom is Black. For me, Black lives have mattered since I was born. Not just because there was an international movement. "The rights and equality of all people is more important than any individual. I was raised to understand that we all have rights, and they are important. I felt like my rights were taken away when I was told what we had to do in the way that we were told. "Since our chat with the board last night, which was very emotional, I think we all have a better understanding of their intentions as well. I wish this had happened sooner, because what happened on match day could have been avoided. "I know I have an example to set. We were previously told we had the choice to do what we felt we wanted to do. I chose to keep my thoughts to myself, and thought of the pride of playing for my family and my country. "I didn't understand why I had to prove it with a gesture, when I live and learn and love people from all walks of life every day. When you are told what to do, with no discussion, I felt like it takes away the meaning. If I was racist, I could easily have taken the knee and lied, which is wrong and doesn't build a better society. "Those who have grown up with me and played with me, know what type of person I am. I've been called a lot of things as a cricketer. Doff [dim]. Stupid. Selfish. Immature. But those didn't hurt. Being called a racist because of a misunderstanding hurts me deeply. "It hurts my family. It hurts my pregnant wife. I am not a racist. In my heart of hearts, I know that. And I think those who know me know that. I know I'm not great with words, but I've tried my best to explain how truly sorry I am for making like this is about me. "It is not. I won't lie, I was shocked that we were told on the way to an important match that there was an instruction that we had to follow, with a perceived 'or else.' I don't think I was the only one. "We had camps. We had sessions. We had zoom meetings. We know where we all stand. And that is together. I love every one of my teammates, and I love nothing more than playing cricket for South Africa. I think it would of been better for everyone concerned if we had sorted this out before the tournament started. "Then we could have focused on our job, to win cricket matches for our country. There always seems to be a drama when we go to World Cups. That isn't fair. I just want to thank my teammates for their support, especially my captain, Temba. People might not recognise, but he is a flipping amazing leader. "If he and the team, and South Africa, will have me, I would love nothing more than to play cricket for my country again." ALSO READ | 'Not the South Africa of Nelson Mandela': Ex-Pak player reacts to Quinton de Kock's decision over knee order Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma-led South Africa thrashed the defending champions West Indies, despite De Kock's absence, by 8 wickets to get off the mark in the main draw of the showpiece event in the UAE on Tuesday (October 26). They will next face Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Saturday. Following QDK's statement, he is expected to return to the Proteas' XI and take a knee as well.

T20 World Cup: SA star Quinton de Kock apologises for BLM row, pledges to take the knee

Watch the biggest daredevils let go of the steering wheel, hang themselves upside down out of open car doors and much more as the spinning tournament returns after two years.

South Africa: Spinning Tournament returns after two years

South Africa's health products regulator on Monday said that it would not approve Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine as it could increase the risk of HIV infection among men.

South Africa's health products regulator on Monday said that it would not approve Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine as it could increase the risk of HIV infection among men. The decision was based on earlier studies which tested the safety of a modified form of adenovirus a type of virus that causes respiratory infections, known as the Ad5 and contained in the Russian jab. "Use of the Sputnik V vaccine in South Africa, a setting of a high HIV prevalence and incidence, may increase the risk of vaccinated males acquiring HIV," the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said in a statement. It further noted that the company behind the application for the use of Sputnik V in South Africa had no proof that the formula would be safe "in settings of high HIV prevalence". Also read | 'Universal booster': Sputnik Light's efficacy higher than other vaccines, experts claim "The rolling review of the Sputnik V vaccine will, however, remain open for submission of relevant safety data in support of the application," it added. Russia's Gamaleya Centre, which developed Sputnik V, said it would produce information to show that SAHPRA's concerns were "completely unfounded". "Speculation regarding the association between adenovirus type-5 vectored vaccines and HIV transmission in high risk groups has been based on small-scale studies," it said in a statement. This week, South Africa is set to begin vaccinating children as young as 12 as they are now offering booster shots to certain immuno-compromised citizens. South Africa is currently offering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson, which also contains an adenovirus but of a different type, and the rMNA Pfizer/BioNTech jab. Sinovac has also been approved.

South Africa rejects Sputnik V vaccine over HIV fears

A local municipality in South Africa’s Port Elizabeth city, which experiences one of the worst droughts in its recorded history, has embarked on a plan to remove massive alien vegetation, which is believed to be responsible for the frequent water crisis in the city.

The project, which will cost the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality more than 20 million Rand (approximately 13.6 million US dollars), has been introduced as part of the municipality’s water-saving measures.

The officials have identified alien vegetation trees as a major cause of loss of water that is supposed to be flowing into the catchment dams.

According to local officials, a fully grown alien vegetation tree consumes about 100 litres of water per day.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protests-erupt-in-iran-over-water-crisis-at-least-three-killed-399565">Protests erupt in Iran over water crisis; at least three killed</a>

With this project, a total of 60 hectares have been covered already, with 20 hectares each for the Churchill, Impofu and Loerie dams. There are approximately 100 trees per hectare.

Nelson Mandela Bay MMC for infrastructure and engineering, Thsonono Buyeye, said that a multipronged approach was the best solution to avoid dry taps.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/around-8000-people-experience-drinking-water-crisis-in-canada-421203/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“We need to also look at the water crisis and drought from an environmental management perspective. As we continue to save the city against drought, we get an opportunity to explore different options and areas where we can save the little that we have in an integral approach. Removing these alien trees that have a high consumption of water contributes to the bigger picture,” Buyeye told News24.

This project is one of many that the metro is implementing to save as much water as possible and to augment the existing water resources.

(With inputs from agencies)

A local municipality in South Africa’s Port Elizabeth city, which experiences one of the worst droughts in its recorded history, has embarked on a plan to remove massive alien vegetation, which is believed to be responsible for the frequent water crisis in the city.

A local municipality in South Africa’s Port Elizabeth city, which experiences one of the worst droughts in its recorded history, has embarked on a plan to remove massive alien vegetation, which is believed to be responsible for the frequent water crisis in the city. The project, which will cost the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality more than 20 million Rand (approximately 13.6 million US dollars), has been introduced as part of the municipality’s water-saving measures. The officials have identified alien vegetation trees as a major cause of loss of water that is supposed to be flowing into the catchment dams. According to local officials, a fully grown alien vegetation tree consumes about 100 litres of water per day. Also read | Protests erupt in Iran over water crisis; at least three killed With this project, a total of 60 hectares have been covered already, with 20 hectares each for the Churchill, Impofu and Loerie dams. There are approximately 100 trees per hectare. Nelson Mandela Bay MMC for infrastructure and engineering, Thsonono Buyeye, said that a multipronged approach was the best solution to avoid dry taps. Watch “We need to also look at the water crisis and drought from an environmental management perspective. As we continue to save the city against drought, we get an opportunity to explore different options and areas where we can save the little that we have in an integral approach. Removing these alien trees that have a high consumption of water contributes to the bigger picture,” Buyeye told News24. This project is one of many that the metro is implementing to save as much water as possible and to augment the existing water resources. (With inputs from agencies)

South African municipality to chop down ‘water guzzling’ alien trees to mitigate drought impact

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