Ramaphosa talks fire, COVID, climate on ANC anniv.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday addressed an event marking the African National Congress' (ANC) 110th anniversary. Ramaphosa used his address to rue the fire which ripped through South Africa's 138-year-old Parliament complex last Sunday.

On COVID-19, he said the pandemic had been a "profoundly traumatic period" for South Africa. And on climate, he called for a transition to a green economy, and highlighted the opportunities presented. 

The anniversary event comes amid tough times for the ANC, days after a state-backed judicial investigation revealed how some of the party's top officials had benefited from corruption. The ANC came to power in 1994 when the country's first democratic elections were held and Nelson Mandela became the first Black president.