South Africa’s president has spoken of his determination to overcome the coronavirus pandemic and to tackle the country's economic challenges.
In a state of the nation address, Cyril Ramaphosa lamented that more than 47,000 people had died from the virus and that nearly two million jobs had been lost in less than a year.
The roll out South Africa's vaccination campaign was delayed this week after doubts emerged over the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against a variant that has spread fast in the country.
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President Ramaphosa said the government was faced with the task of bringing stability in trying times.
He said the first priority is defeating coronavirus, through a nationwide vaccination campaign – expected to start in the next few weeks.
Correspondents say the governing ANC risks losing a great deal of support if President Ramaphosa does not fulfil his promises to boost economic growth, create jobs and fight the rampant corruption.
Source: BBC