South Africa's finance minister has dropped plans to increase value-added tax (VAT), in a major climbdown to prevent the collapse of the coalition government.

Enoch Godongwana's decision came after the second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), threatened to quit the government, warning a VAT hike would hurt the poor the most.

Godongwana, a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC), had argued the increase was needed as the government was facing a financial crisis.

But with other parties also rejecting the hike, it raised the prospect of parliament taking the unprecedented step of voting down the national budget, forcing him and the ANC to concede.

The climbdown is likely to be a relief for many South Africans, who are already struggling financially because of the high cost of living and an unemployment rate of 32%.

The ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since since white-minority rule ended in 1994 in last year's elections, forcing it to share power.

The DA welcomed the climbdown, saying it had entered the government "with steel spines and a clear mission: grow the economy and create jobs to rescue South Africa".

"We opposed the unjust VAT hike from day one - and South Africa won," it said in a statement.

The DA had also challenged the hike in the High Court, with three judges - who heard the case - expected to give their ruling before the end of the month.

Godongwana had proposed increasing Vat by half a percentage point, to 15.5% with effect from 1 May, saying it would help provide much-needed revenue to improve public services like education and health.

The ANC denied it had bowed to pressure by scrapping the increase.

The decision had been taken out a of "a shared commitment across party lines that the working class, the poor, and all other people cannot be further burdened in this economic climate", said party spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.

In a statement, the finance ministry said there would now be a need to revisit "other expenditure decisions" and to scrap "measures to cushion lower income households" from the planned VAT hike.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the second-biggest opposition party in parliament, said South Africa had witnessed a "budget fiasco", and the "incompetent" Godongwana should resign.

The ANC was banking on smaller parties - especially Action SA, which was seen as the kingmaker - to gain a parliamentary majority for the budget, but it refused to budge on its demand for the increase to be dropped.

The hike was also opposed by the biggest trade union federation, the Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu), which is in alliance with the ANC.

Even the head of the government's tax agency questioned the proposed increase, saying the last hike in 2018 did not significantly boost government revenue.

The crisis is likely to further damage the ANC's credibility, with opinion polls suggesting that its popularity is falling.

An opinion poll released earlier this month by the Institute of Race Relations put the party's support at 29.7%, while a poll in February by the Social Research Foundation put it at 32%. Both had a margin of error of around 4%.

The foundation said a "significant chunk" of ANC voters were "so dissatisfied with the party and uncertain about their future voting intention" that they had become "free agents in South Africa's voting market".

In last year's election, the ANC's share of the vote slumped to 40%, from 58% in the 2019 poll.

US Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos has said that President Donald Trump values Africa, despite announcing sweeping aid cuts that have caused considerable humanitarian distress across the continent.

Trump announced the aid freeze on his first day in office in January in line with his "America First" foreign policy, while Trump's recent tariffs have raised fears of the end of a trade deal between the US and Africa meant to boost economic growth.

But Mr Boulos told BBC's Newsday that Africa was "very important" to Trump and downplayed reports that the US was planning to close some of its missions in the continent.

"He highly values Africa and African people," Mr Boulos added.

The aid cuts have affected health programmes across Africa, including shipments of critical medical supplies, including HIV drugs.

The majority of the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) programmes, which provided health and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable nations, have since been terminated.

Eight countries - six of them in Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya and Lesotho - could soon run out of HIV drugs following the US decision to pause foreign aid, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

There are fears that nearly six million more Africans could be pushed into extreme poverty next year following the aid cuts, according to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) – a pan-African think-tank.

Earlier this month, eight people, including five children, died after walking for hours to seek treatment for cholera in South Sudan after aid cuts by the Trump administration forced local health clinics to close, the international charity Save the Children reported.

But Mr Boulos said those reported deaths could not be directly linked to the US aid cuts and said they were needed to ensure the money was being well used.

"It is absolutely necessary [for the US] to review some of these programmes for much more efficiency and transparency," Mr Boulos said.

"We have to make sure the [aid funds] are going to the right place and that we are getting the desired outcome," he added.

Mr Boulos, whose son is married to Trump's daughter, Tiffany, said several US companies had expressed an interest in exploiting minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following his recent trip to the resource-rich central African nation.

DR Congo, home to vast natural reserves like lithium which is essential for battery and electric vehicle production, has been battling Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, who have seized large areas of territory this year.

Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi believes US involvement in extracting the minerals could help quell the violence that has plagued the east of the country for nearly 30 years. Currently, DR Congo's mineral wealth is dominated by Chinese firms.

Mr Boulos said his country was also interested in exploring minerals in neighbouring Rwanda, but called on the country to first withdraw its troops from DR Congo and stop its support for the M23. Rwanda denies involvement in the conflict.

Asked if the US was only interested in benefiting economically from Africa and not its welfare, Boulos said "our job is to promote the US interests and promote our strategic partnerships".

Trump is also determined "to end wars and establish peace" across the world, the envoy said, citing the conflict in Sudan as a big concern for the US government.

Mr Boulos, who has served as Washington's senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs since December, also visited Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda in his trip.

He has business interests in Africa, including in a Nigeria-based company that distributes motor vehicles and equipment in West Africa.

The Lebanese-born businessman said Trump felt it was time to end the "unfair advantage" taken by other international players of Africa.

Responding to reports in the US media that the Trump administration was planning to close most of its diplomatic missions in Africa, Mr Boulos said this was "not very accurate", adding: "Africa is very important to Trump."

On the trade tariffs announced by Trump, Mr Boulos said they had "zero net-effect" for most African countries as they touched on "small trade volumes" from the continent.

"Many countries have lined up for negotiations and at the end of the day we want fairness and a win-win solution," he added.

The small southern African country of Lesotho was hit by the highest of the most recently announced tariffs - 50% - before they were paused for 90 days.

It has used the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to become a major exporter of textiles, including jeans, to the US. This trade accounts for more than 10% of Lesotho's national income.

Agoa was set up by former Us President Bill Clinton in 2000 to encourage trade and investment in Africa but analysts fear that it is unlikely to be renewed by the current, Republican-dominated Congress.

Ghanaian President John Mahama has suspended the country's Supreme Court chief justice - a move that marks a first in the country's history.

An investigation has been launched and three undisclosed petitions have been filed making allegations against Gertrude Torkornoo, calling for her permanent removal.

Chief justices in Ghana enjoy security of tenure - meaning they can only be removed from office on a few grounds, which include incompetence and misbehaviour.

The content of the petitions has not been made public and she is yet to comment, while Ghana's former attorney general has claimed her suspension is an attempt to undermine the judiciary.

"I think it is a complete charade," Godfred Yeboah Dame told the BBC.

"It's the biggest assault on the [judiciary] in the nation's history, the greatest assault on the independence of the judiciary under the constitutional dispensation of this country."

Ms Torkornoo is Ghana's third female chief justice and was nominated in 2023 by former president Nana Akufo-Addo.

It is her responsibility to oversee the administration of justice in Ghana.

According to news agency Reuters, Ms Torkornoo survived a removal request earlier this year when former President Akufo-Addo said a petition to have her dismissed had "several deficiencies".

Copies of the three recently filed petitions against Ms Torkornoo were not initially made available to her.

But some lawyers argued that withholding the documents was a violation of Ms Torkornoo's right to a fair hearing.

Copies of the petition were subsequently made available to the chief justice, allowing her to respond to the allegations privately and in writing.

Ms Torkornoo will be invited by the five-member committee to respond again to the petitions before a final decision is reached as to whether she should be removed from office or not.

A top official in one of South Africa's biggest political parties has been condemned for visiting a self-proclaimed pastor who fled to Malawi after he was accused of rape and fraud.

Floyd Shivambu, secretary-general of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party of former President Jacob Zuma, retweeted footage on X of him attending an Easter service at Shepherd Bushiri's church.

Mr Bushiri, from Malawi, was one of southern Africa's best known preachers when he was arrested and charged with fraud in 2020.

After being released on bail, he managed to flee to his home country in unclear circumstances. South Africa has been trying to extradite him ever since.

Last month, a court in Malawi backed the extradition request but Mr Bushiri and his wife Mary, who is facing fraud charges, have lodged an appeal.

Mr Bushiri is a millionaire who set up churches in several African countries.

He is accused of preying on poor people who were desperate to improve their lives by selling merchandise including "miracle oil".

The self-proclaimed prophet claims to have cured people of HIV, made the blind see, changed the fortunes of the impoverished and, on at least one occasion, walked on air.

Mr Bushiri has also been charged with rape. He and his wife have denied any wrongdoing.

South Africa's Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi said Shivambu's association with Mr Bushiri was "a blatant act of disrespect toward South Africa's legal system".

She added that it would "embolden those who believe they can escape accountability".

Shivambu's own MK party also released a statement to distance itself from his visit, saying he had undertaken it "in his personal capacity and without the mandate or knowledge of the party".

The party added that it "condemns all forms of gender-based violence and the exploitation of vulnerable communities, especially innocent Christian believers, by individuals who manipulate faith for personal enrichment or to evade justice".

In a post on X on Saturday, Shivambu praised Mr Bushiri for his "good work".

"Thank you my brother, Prophet Bushiri for hosting us and for the kind words," he wrote.

"The government scale amount of work you do to economically, educationally, socially and spiritually uplift our people is unparalleled now and in history.

"I know that the leadership and people of Malawi appreciate and cherish the so many massive programmes you do for the people on the ground."

He reposted footage shared by Mr Bushiri which showed the self-proclaimed pastor ask hundreds of worshippers at his Jesus Nation church to welcome the South African politician.

Under the leadership of former President Zuma, the newly formed MK party came third in last year's elections - a major factor in the governing ANC losing its majority for the first time since democratic elections were introduced in 1994.

Shivambu joined the party in August last year from the rival Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and was later appointed secretary-general - one of the party's top positions.

A court in Tunisia has sentenced a group of senior politicians, businessmen and lawyers to long prison sentences on conspiracy and terrorism charges.

The defendants received sentences of up to 66 years. They include leaders of National Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition, who were arrested in 2023.

Human rights groups described the trial as an attempt to stifle dissent. A defence lawyer said it was a "farce".

President Kais Saied suspended parliament after being elected in 2019. Last year he won a second term by a landslide, after jailing dissidents and potential rivals.

In the latest case, a total of 40 defendants were accused of "conspiracy against state security" and "belonging to a terrorist group". Most had left the country and were tried in absentia.

Those in detention include National Salvation Front leaders Issam Chebbi and Jawhar Ben Mbarek.

They were given 18-year sentences, a defence lawyer told AFP news agency following the ruling late on Friday.

Kamel Eltaief, an activist and businessman, was jailed for 66 years, the lawyer added.

Kamel Jendoubi, a former minister who was tried in absentia, told AFP news agency: "This is not a judiciary ruling, but a political decree executed by judges under orders."

Defence lawyer Ahmed Souab is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: "I have never witnessed a trial like this. It's a farce."

Tunisia is the country where a wave of pro-democracy protests in the Arab world began in late 2010. The country's long-time strongman, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was ousted within weeks.

Last year's election was Tunisia's third presidential vote since then.

Rights group Amnesty International has denounced "a worrying decline in fundamental rights" under Saied's government as discontent rises over his authoritarian style of governance.

Saied has rejected the criticism, saying he is fighting a "corrupt elite" and "traitors".

The US embassy in Zambia has warned its citizens to be wary of a new "intrusive" cyber-security law introduced in the southern African country.

The embassy issued an alert telling Americans "in or planning to visit Zambia of a new law that requires the interception and surveillance of all electronic communications in the country".

This includes calls, emails, texts and streamed content "in-country to assess if they include any transmission of 'critical information,' a term the law defines so broadly that it could apply to almost any activity", the embassy says.

Zambia's government said the law was needed to tackle online fraud and child pornography, as well as the spread of disinformation.

Following the alert from the US embassy, Zambia's foreign ministry released a statement saying that the new Cyber Security Act was "not intended to invade any person's privacy" - whether Zambians or foreigners.

"The Law does not authorize mass or random surveillance. Any interception or data request requires a court-issued warrant," it said.

The statement added that the "classification of 'critical information'" referred to national security, "and any assessments or actions taken are carried out by authorized institutions, in line with due process".

There are fears that the law could be use against anyone who criticises the government, especially with elections due next year.

Some Zambians have expressed concern that a new cyber-security unit is being set up in the president's office.

Joan Chirwa, founder of the Free Press Initiative Zambia campaign group, told the BBC "it was a sad day for Zambia".

She said the law wouldn't "just affect journalists, or civil society organisations. It will affect everyone in Zambia".

The new measure empowers a law enforcement officer with a warrant to enter any premises to search and seize a computer or computer system containing material that is either evidence necessary to prove an offence or acquired by a person as a result of an offence.

It also allows the government to extradite Zambians deemed to have committed any offence under the law, with a range of jail terms prescribed.

Offenders may be fined or jailed for between five and 15 years, depending on the crime they have committed.

Among other provisions, the legislation requires Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies to proactively intercept all electronic communications.

It was signed into law by President Hakainde Hichilema on 8 April with very little publicity and the first many Zambians knew about it was when the US embassy posted its alert on Facebook.

"As this new law introduces an intrusive surveillance ecosystem significantly different from privacy protection provisions that prevail in many countries, the embassy of the United States encourages Americans living in Zambia or considering visiting the country to carefully assess the implications of this law and adjust accordingly," the US statement said.

The alert came as a surprise to many as the US has widely been seen to enjoy a warm relationship with the Hichilema-led administration, although the ambassador has recently been critical of alleged corruption in the government.

Zambia had enjoyed a frosty relationship with the US after the former government expelled its pro-gay rights ambassador Daniel Foote in 2019 but relations had improved since Hichilema was elected in 2021.

Social commentator and civil rights activist Laura Miti accused the US embassy of "hypocrisy", while also labelling the new law "tyrannical".

"Until Edward Snowden revealed the matter, the US secretly surveilled its citizens for years. He remains in exile and one of the most wanted people by American law enforcement," she wrote on Facebook. "That raises an eyebrow about this from the American embassy. Hypocritical really."

However, she also condemned the new law.

"This... is a very tyrannical law which the government only needs because it feels insecure."

In 2021, while still in opposition, Hichilema opposed a similar law when the former government wanted to pass it, writing: "The Cyber Security and Crime Bill is not about preventing cyber-bullying. It is about clamping down on freedom of expression and spying on citizens."

Opposition lawmaker Miles Sampa has accused Hichilema of performing a U-turn now that he is president.

"My question is when did you change this stance to now sign a law that almost 100% prohibits us citizens from expressing ourselves on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, etc., without being jailed for 25 years or life imprisonment," he wrote on Facebook.

"In the current state of the Cyber Laws that you have assented to, Mr President, you may as well also sign a martial law (State of Emergency) to discard democracy so we all stop talking and leave it to your good self to express alone."

An American pastor kidnapped by armed men during a church service in South Africa has been freed following a "high-intensity shoot-out" that left three people dead, police say.

Josh Sullivan was found unharmed in the township in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday evening - the area where the 45-year-old was taken last Thursday.

There were no immediate details on the kidnappers, who had made a ransom demand.

There has been a dramatic increase in kidnappings for ransom in South Africa over the past decade.

Mr Sullivan's kidnappers had made a ransom demand, prompting the intervention of South Africa's elite police unit, known as the Hawks.

In a statement released on Wednesday morning, the Hawks said that Sullivan had been rescued following "verified intelligence wherein a coordinated team… moved swiftly to the identified location".

Hawks spokesperson Avele Fumba said that as the officers approached the house, the suspects attempted to flee inside a vehicle, while opening fire.

"The officers responded with tactical precision, leading to a high-intensity shootout in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded," Mr Fumba said.

Mr Sullivan's family and friends had made impassioned pleas for his safe return since his abduction.

Jeremy Hall, the Sullivan family's spokesman, told local newspaper TimesLIVE that he was at the church with his wife and their children when he was kidnapped.

"They knew his name," he said at the time.

Mr Sullivan describes himself as "a church planting missionary" on his personal website.

On it, he says he moved to South Africa with his wife and children in 2018 to establish a church for Xhosa-speaking people.