South Africa Live Blog

South Africa says it hopes the death of Gaddafi would bring peace to Libya, urging the new leaders to start a process of building national unity and reconciliation.

"The South African government sincerely hopes that the latest events will lead to a cessation of hostilities and the restoration of peace," the foreign ministry said in a statement. [AFP]

The failed UN Security Council resolution on Syria had a "hidden agenda" to  bring down Assad's government, South Africa said on Thursday, justifying its abstention on the vote.

"We were concerned that this resolution should not be part of a hidden agenda to yet again institute regime change," South Africa's foreign affairs department said in a statement.

Western countries who drafted the resolution intended "punitive measures" against Syria which could destabilise neighbouring countries in the Middle East, the statement added.

"We have seen that recently Security Council resolutions have been abused and their implementation went far beyond the mandate of what was intended," it said.

South Africans get ready to leave Cape Town International airport to Gaza via Egypt, to join other activists in support of breaking Israel's blockade on Gaza. 

The Africa 1 Gaza Aid Convoy is the first land-based humanitarian aid relief convoy that journeyed from Cape Town to the occupied Palestinian territory. - image: @rabiah_g

Reuters  - The United States and South Africa have struck a deal to allow the release of $1.5 billion in frozen Libya funds for humanitarian aid and other civilian needs, UN diplomats said on Thursday.

Council diplomats said the agreement would enable the funds to be released without a UN Security Council vote on a US draft resolution that Washington submitted to the council on Wednesday in response to South Africa blocking a US request to disburse the money in the UN Libya sanctions committee.