The population of Southern Africa is 67,324,356 as of April 18, 2020, based on the latest United Nations estimates. The Southern Africa population is equivalent to 0.87% of the total world population.[1]
Eswatini (Swaziland) - Was officially the Kingdom of Swaziland until 2018; it achieved its independence from the United Kingdom in 1968. The executive capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Eswatini is Mbabane; the traditional, spiritual, and legislative capital is Lobamba. Eswatini is a member of the SADC, the AU, the Commonwealth, and the UN.[4]
Lesotho - A country enclaved in South Africa. Basutoland declared its independence from the United Kingdom on October 4, 1966, and became the Kingdom of Lesotho. Today it is a member of the AU, the Commonwealth, the SADC, and the UN. Its capital is Maseru.[6]
February 3 – A court issues an arrest warrant for former South Africa president Jacob Zuma, 77, on corruption charges. The case will resume on May 6.[14]
February 5 – German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in South Africa to discuss trade, investment, and energy issues.[15]
March 12 – At least 18 African countries, including South Africa report cases of the novel coronavirus. Most are in single figures, and no deaths have been reported in Sub-Saharan Africa.[19]
June 3 – Lesotho's former first lady, Maesaiah Thabane, is arrested for the murder of the previous wife of her husband and former prime minister, Thomas Thabane.[29]
June 8
COVID-19 pandemic: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who says that he's worried that the country's numbers of COVID-19 are rising fast. More than half of South Africa's more than 50,000 confirmed cases and 1,000 deaths have been recorded in the last two weeks.[30]
South Africans in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town protest the murder of George Floyd of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The protests are also in honor of Collins Khosa, a black South African man who died after allegedly being assaulted by black soldiers enforcing the country's strict lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus.[31]
June 12 – World Day Against Child Labor: The International Labour Organization and the UNICEF warn that millions of children are likely to be pushed into forced labor because of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.[32]
September 7 – The World Food Programme warns of possible hunger in southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, Angola, Lesotho, Esuatini, Zambia, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[34]
November and December
November 15 – Preacher Shepherd Bushiri and his wife skip bail and flee from South Africa to Malawi to avoid a fraud trial.[35]
Thompson, Leonard Monteath; Vigne, Randolph; Mabin, Alan S.; Bundy, Colin J. (Apr 19, 2020). "South Africa". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved April 20, 2020.