For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines:

Ramaphosa calls for regional action on xenophobia; South Africa's top court blocks Shell's Wild Coast exploration plans; And, Chad's president pardons main rival and opposition leader in jail

Ramaphosa calls for regional action on xenophobia

Addressing recent instances of discrimination within South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed deep concern and shame over the ill-treatment of foreign nationals.

Heads of State gathered at the University of KwaZulu-Natal for the 46th Southern African Development Community Summit, where Ramaphosa delivered a public lecture, stressing that achieving the region's long-term developmental goals is possible but requires shifting from policy debates to direct action.

He condemned criminal acts as a “total rejection of regional solidarity”, reminding the audience that Southern Africa's identity and diversity have been shaped by migration over millennia.

Looking toward the region's ‘Vision 2050’, Ramaphosa called for an environment where people can move freely and legally. To achieve this, he urged regional leaders to collaborate on addressing the root causes of desperate migration, conflict and political instability, governance failures, deep-seated poverty and a lack of equal economic opportunities.

Ramaphosa warned that economic development and foreign investment are impossible in war zones.

South Africa's top court blocks Shell's Wild Coast exploration plans

South Africa's Constitutional Court has blocked offshore exploration led by Shell along the country's pristine Wild Coast, a setback for the oil major after years of legal challenges by local communities and environmentalists.

The ruling is the latest outcome in a series of court cases that have dampened investor appetite and delayed exploration offshore South Africa.

The majority decision by South Africa's highest court overturned a 2024 judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal, which handed a lifeline to Shell and Impact Africa in their quest to conduct seismic surveys off the east coast as part of an exploration right granted in 2014.

Shell, which is also looking to explore in South Africa's west coast Orange Basin, said it noted the ruling and remained committed to responsible offshore exploration, meaningful stakeholder engagement and environmental stewardship.

And, Chad's president pardons main rival and opposition leader in jail

Chad's presidency said in a statement that President Mahamat Idriss Déby has pardoned his main rival and opposition leader Success Masra, who has been in jail for more than a year for inciting violence and complicity to murder.

Masra, a former prime minister, was sentenced to 20 years and fined 1-billion CFA francs last year in a trial that was criticised by human rights activists as politically motivated.

Masra will be released in the coming days, the statement said, after the presidency agreed to a request for a pardon submitted by his attorneys.

Masra was internationally recognised as the most vocal figure in the opposition. He will be freed along with eight other political figures, the statement said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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