African Youths for Development

05/09/2026

South Africa has been named Africa’s most beautiful country in 2026 by global travel authority Rough Guides, placing the country among the world’s leading destinations for natural beauty.The recognition highlights South Africa’s extraordinary geographical diversity, from its white-sand beaches and dramatic mountain ranges to its vast wildlife reserves, scenic road-trip routes and unique floral landscapes.Among the areas receiving particular attention is the Western Cape, where Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain, spectacular coastlines, whale-watching routes and the Garden Route showcase the country’s combination of mountains, ocean and breathtaking scenery.

South Africa is also home to some of the continent’s most dramatic mountain landscapes, including the Drakensberg and the ancient Makhonjwa Mountains.These regions offer spectacular scenery while also showcasing the country’s remarkable geological history.The country’s wildlife remains another major attraction. Kruger National Park and other conservation areas provide visitors with opportunities to experience Africa’s famous Big Five in vast natural environments.Further north-west, Namaqualand offers a completely different spectacle.During its seasonal flowering period, the normally arid landscape is transformed by vast displays of colourful wildflowers, creating one of South Africa’s most distinctive natural attractions.

The recognition adds to a growing list of international travel accolades for South Africa in 2026. Cape Town has also received major recognition at the World Travel Awards Africa 2026, further strengthening the country’s reputation as one of the continent’s leading tourism destinations.With its combination of beaches, mountains, wildlife, forests, deserts, vineyards and vibrant cities, South Africa continues to stand out as a destination offering an unusually wide variety of experiences within one country.The latest recognition is expected to provide another boost to South Africa’s international tourism profile, highlighting the country’s natural landscapes as a major asset to its travel and tourism industry.

05/09/2026

Lansana Beretay

JUST IN: UN votes to change the world map so Africa looks its real size

The UN General Assembly voted Friday to back a new world map that shows Africa at its true scale.

The “Correct the Map” resolution, led by Togo and the African Union, passed 164–1. Only the United States voted no. Six countries abstained.

For centuries most of us have used the Mercator map. On it, Africa looks about the same size as Greenland. Africa is actually 14 times bigger. You could fit the U.S., China, India, Japan, Mexico and a big chunk of Europe inside it and still have space left.

The resolution is not legally binding. It asks schools, governments and tech companies to start using maps like the Equal Earth projection, which keeps land areas in proportion. Mercator can still be used for navigation.

Togo’s foreign minister put it simply: “A fair world begins with a fair map.”

The U.S. called the vote superfluous and said it was a distraction. France has already said it will drop Mercator for official maps.

Change won’t happen overnight. But the UN just put official weight behind a map that finally shows how big Africa really is.

05/09/2026

UFC star Israel Adesanya has announced that he will temporarily stop using his first name in solidarity with Palestinians, saying he could no longer carry the name while civilians continue to suffer in Gaza.

“From today, I am simply Adesanya,” the former middleweight champion said, explaining that the decision came after months of feeling increasingly uncomfortable every time commentators shouted his name during his fights. “There are some things bigger than sport. If dropping my name can help bring attention to what’s happening there, then that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.”

Adesanya confirmed that friends and family would also be expected to respect the boycott, warning that anyone calling him by his first name would be supporting the occupation.

Visit voiceofrsa.com

05/09/2026

JUST IN: UN votes to change the world map so Africa looks its real size

The UN General Assembly voted Friday to back a new world map that shows Africa at its true scale.

The “Correct the Map” resolution, led by Togo and the African Union, passed 164–1. Only the United States voted no. Six countries abstained.

For centuries most of us have used the Mercator map. On it, Africa looks about the same size as Greenland. Africa is actually 14 times bigger. You could fit the U.S., China, India, Japan, Mexico and a big chunk of Europe inside it and still have space left.

The resolution is not legally binding. It asks schools, governments and tech companies to start using maps like the Equal Earth projection, which keeps land areas in proportion. Mercator can still be used for navigation.

Togo’s foreign minister put it simply: “A fair world begins with a fair map.”

The U.S. called the vote superfluous and said it was a distraction. France has already said it will drop Mercator for official maps.

Change won’t happen overnight. But the UN just put official weight behind a map that finally shows how big Africa really is.

26/03/2026

US, Israel and Argentina vote against Ghana's 🇬🇭 UN resolution to recognise the slave trade as the 'biggest crime against humanity'.

They opposed the motion, which called for reparations and justice for the transatlantic slave trade.

The US said it condemns slavery but does not support legal claims for reparations.

While not legally binding, the resolution carries strong moral weight and highlights the global call for recognition of historic injustices.

01/03/2026

Most people don’t remember this day.
Most people were never even told the full story.
Because history is not written by the brave. It is written by the powerful.

23 September 2009.
At the world’s most guarded podium, Muammar Gaddafi walked into the United Nations General Assembly and did what no African leader had dared to do in that room of global hypocrisy.

He did not come to impress.
He did not come to beg.
He did not come to be accepted.

He came to confront.

And in front of presidents, kings, diplomats, and global elites, he tore the UN Charter.
Not as theatre.
Not as madness.
But as a message.

Behind him sat Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Ali Treki, the faces of an institution that preaches equality while enforcing power.
The papers fell behind the podium like a quiet indictment:
your rules mean nothing when the powerful write them and the weak die by them.

He called the UN Security Council what few dare to call it:
not a council of peace, but a council of terror.
Not guardians of humanity, but guardians of Western power.

He exposed the veto system as political feudalism.
Five countries crowned as permanent kings.
Deciding the fate of the entire world.
Wars approved.
Sanctions imposed.
Nations punished.
All by a minority ruling over the majority.

He demanded its annulment.
Because sovereignty cannot exist where some nations are born masters and others are sentenced to obedience.

They gave him 15 minutes.
He took more than 100.
Because truth does not ask permission from empire.

He demanded reparations for Africa’s centuries of exploitation, robbery, and destruction.
He asked why colonizers speak of democracy but never of accountability.
He questioned why Africa remains rich in resources but poor in power.

He asked why some lives are mourned and others are statistics.
Why some conflicts are called “humanitarian crises” and others are ignored.
Why international law exists only when convenient.

He spoke about manufactured conflicts.
Selective justice.
Biological warfare.
False flags.
Political assassinations.
Sanctions that kill millions without a single bullet fired.

He spoke of how global institutions punish the weak and negotiate with the strong.
How dictators are enemies only when they refuse obedience.
How freedom becomes a weapon when controlled by power.

They called his defiance unacceptable.
Not the illegal wars.
Not the destruction of sovereign nations.
Not the coups, the proxy wars, the mass graves.
Not the sanctions that starved generations.

No.
What was unacceptable…
was an African leader refusing to bow.

That day he did not tear paper.
He tore illusion.
He tore diplomacy without justice.
He tore the mask of a system built to manage oppression, not end it.

And whether you agreed with him or not, one thing became clear:
The most dangerous man in a room is not the loudest.
It is the one who refuses fear.

Because power does not fear weapons.
Power fears exposure.

That day, he reminded the world of something dangerous:
If global institutions truly served justice, they would not fear the truth.
They would fear accountability.

And history has shown, again and again,
those who speak too much truth to power rarely die peacefully.

The system does not forgive defiance.
It erases it.

RULES ARE RULES.

27/02/2026

A new report shows that wealth does not necessarily equate to better mental health, with young people in Africa outperforming those in wealthier countries.

Youth in high-income countries like the UK, New Zealand, and Japan have lower mental health scores compared to those in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) measures emotional, cognitive, social, and resilience aspects, with global averages indicating a decline in youth mental health in affluent nations.

Key factors affecting youth mental health include family relationships, spirituality, early smartphone usage, and ultra-processed food consumption.

26/02/2026

Zambia has suspended a $1 billion US health funding agreement, citing concerns that certain clauses do not align with its national interests.

The deal would have supported HIV/AIDS and malaria treatment, maternal and child health, and epidemic readiness, while Zambia was expected to co-finance with $340 million.

A contentious clause linked health funding to a proposed mining partnership, raising concerns about tying financial support to strategic resource access.

There is criticism from local and international activists that the agreement may prioritize mining interests over critical health needs.

26/02/2026

The United States Embassy has confirmed it is ending lifesaving health programs in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼, including HIV/AIDS treatment, tuberculosis control, and malaria prevention, after President Emmerson Mnangagwa rejected a US$367 million (about R6.8 billion) funding deal over sovereignty concerns.

US Ambassador Pamela Tremont said: “We will now turn to the difficult and regrettable task of winding down our health assistance in Zimbabwe.” She noted Zimbabwe assured it can sustain the HIV fight independently and added, “We wish them well.”