Officials blame immigrants and liberal housing laws, but a Times investigation found the entrenched problems that turned downtown Johannesburg into a blighted tinderbox.
Tag: South Africa
‘More Than Just Rugby’: Championship Generates Harmony in South Africa
South Africans are savoring a second consecutive World Cup victory, producing a racial unity that even Hollywood couldn’t make up and an escape from the country’s troubles.
Dutch Royals Confront South Africa’s Colonial Legacy
The king has previously apologized for his family’s role in slavery, but some South Africans seek a direct apology and reparations from the Netherlands.
Athens Democracy Forum: Across Africa, Young Leaders Emerge
Six people, all 35 or younger, talk about what they are doing to shake up politics on the continent, and what inspired them to step up.
Portraits of Fire Victims: Two Toddlers Named ‘Memory,’ and a Teacher About to Wed
A picture is emerging of some of the 77 people who died when the derelict building in Johannesburg where they were living went up in flames on Aug. 31.
Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu Nationalist and a Mandela Rival, Dies at 95
He was a powerful force as apartheid ended and bargaining over South Africa’s future began, emerging as a voice for tribal and ethnic rights, and powers for regional governments.
After South African Fire, Migrants Fear a Violent Backlash
Some survivors have been detained by the police, while politicians have lashed out at the newcomers as scapegoats for intractable problems like crime, joblessness and a housing shortage.
South African Inquiry Rebuts U.S. Charge on Russian Arms
A government investigation about a Russian ship contradicts U.S. accusations that South Africa provided arms to fight Ukraine, President Cyril Ramaphosa said. But a government report won’t be released, he added.
Officials Knew of Problems at Building That Caught Fire in South Africa
An extensive paper trail reveals that the authorities in Johannesburg were warned repeatedly about the dangers in the derelict building where 76 people died in a fire this week.
Officials in South Africa Knew About the Problems at a ‘Bad Building,’ but Did Nothing
An extensive paper trail reveals that the authorities in Johannesburg knew about the litany of dangers in the derelict building where 76 people died in a fire this week.