After weeks of trying to empty an abandoned gold mine, South African police are trying to get illegal miners out of a disused shaft by cutting off supplies. Desperate relatives of the miners gathered there after a minister said the government would "smoke them out." Olivia Zollino of Reuters has more.

Human rights groups are praising an opera that celebrates the life of gay freedom fighter Simon Nkoli. October is South Africa’s Pride Month, and the production, which is the brainchild of internationally acclaimed composer Philip Miller, who authored the work, was staged at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town to mark the occasion. VOA Correspondent Vicky Stark reports.

Snake bites are classified as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. In South Africa and other countries in the region, there are numerous barriers to getting the antivenom necessary to save limbs and lives. But scientists are working to make antivenom cheaper, safer and easier to produce. Kate Bartlett reports from Johannesburg.

Mozambican police patrolled streets of the capital, Maputo, on Tuesday, following protests and violence triggered by disputed election results. The U.S. government on Monday condemned the weekend killings by gunmen of two opposition figures, with Washington urging "a swift and thorough investigation into the murders." Taiwan has again rejected South Africa’s demand to move its representative office from the country's capital, Pretoria, to the commercial center of Johannesburg, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu said Tuesday. He blamed pressure from Beijing for the decision. These, and more Africa-related news updates on today’s VOA 60.