European Union leaders announced a 4.7 billion euro ($5.10 billion) investment package during a visit to South Africa on Thursday, at a time when both are on worse terms with the United States than they have been for decades.

Senior European Union officials were in South Africa for a summit Thursday with President Cyril Ramaphosa that center on bolstering trade and diplomatic ties as both feel the impact of the Trump administration's confrontational foreign policy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday announced a new 4.7 billion euro ($5.10 billion) investment package for South Africa on a visit to the country. Von der Leyen said the Global Gateway investment package was to support a just energy transition,

South Africa has entered unchartered waters following deep divisions in the coalition government over the national budget that has finally been tabled after a month-long delay.

South Africa's rand extended its losses early on Thursday before manufacturing and mining data releases, a day after the national budget was tabled before lawmakers and met with resistance.

B udget announcements are rarely dramatic events in South Africa. But the statement on March 12th by Enoch Godongwana, the finance minister, could be the most consequential since the end of white rule in 1994.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) said on Thursday that a summit of regional heads of state had terminated the mandate of its troop deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo and decided on a "phased withdrawal".

The troops were sent two years ago to support the Congolese army fight the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, which has seized control of large parts of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo this year. At least 19 soldiers from South Africa,