Prince William wraps up his South Africa trip with visit that reminded him of his rescue pilot days

SIMON'S TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Prince William rode on a sea rescue boat along part of the South African coast on Thursday as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Cape Town dedicated to promoting conservation and the battle against climate change.

William met with volunteers at the National Sea Rescue Institute station in Simon's Town near Cape Town before boarding the vessel for the short ride to Kalk Bay harbor. Wearing sunglasses and a bright red waterproof jacket, he stood on the top deck of the rescue boat as it pulled away from Simon's Town, the site of South Africa's top naval base.

William is in South Africa to promote his Earthshot environmental prize, which held its annual awards ceremony in Cape Town on Wednesday night. The prize launched in 2021 and awards $1.2 million in grants to five climate-friendly businesses every year.

The Prince of Wales, who trained as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot and served in a search and rescue unit during his military career, asked the sea rescue volunteers in Simon’s Town about the training and support they receive.

One volunteer asked the prince if he'd done any rescue work and William replied: “I miss this life. Any chance to get back, I’ll take.”

“It was a wonderful visit,” said National Sea Rescue Institute CEO Mike Vonk, who showed William around NSRI “Station 10” at Simon’s Town and its operations room. “I think with the prince’s background in rescue services, he was really interested in the work we do, the operations we provide around the country, but particularly the opportunity to meet all of the volunteers.”

While William was largely watched by smiling locals who took photos, two protesters, a man and a woman, heckled him from afar in the Kalk Bay harbor and shouted at him to “go home.”

“You have no sovereignty here, you are not our king,” the woman shouted. “Get out of here.”

The protesters did not come close to William and yelled from well behind security barriers. They said they were descended from Indigenous people and were protesting against the legacy of colonialism in South Africa, which was a British colony for more than 150 years until 1961.

William’s father, King Charles III, was confronted by a similar protest on a visit to Australia last month when an Indigenous senator shouted at him “you are not my king.” Australia still recognizes the British monarch as its monarch. South Africa does not and is a republic.

William used his trip to South Africa to draw attention to a wide array of environmental issues, including the work done by conservation rangers, the threat from the illegal wildlife trade, and efforts in Cape Town to protect the Table Mountain National Park and its unique plants that aren't found anywhere else in the world.

On Thursday, William's schedule was dedicated to coastal conservation and sustainability, and he disembarked from the rescue boat to meet with a group of local fishermen at Kalk Bay. He learned how they are using new technology to help them fish sustainably and give customers more detailed information on where their seafood comes from, and how it is caught.

William's wife, Kate, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, did not travel to Cape Town. Kate, Princess of Wales, has only recently returned to some public duties after undergoing chemotherapy for an undisclosed type of cancer.

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Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is shown 2023 Earthshot finalist ABALOBI's game-changing technology to register and log catches, to local fisherman, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales, speaks to Co-owner of ABALOBI Serge Raemaeker, who were 2023 Earthshot finalists, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Well-wishers hold British and South African flags as they wait for Britain's Prince William, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales is handed a fish as he speaks to local fisherman, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales receives a gift from a local, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales, arrives on board a National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) boat to meet 2023 Earthshot finalist ABALOBI, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales, arrives on board a National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) boat to meet 2023 Earthshot finalist ABALOBI, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales, arrives on board a National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) boat to meet 2023 Earthshot finalist ABALOBI, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, right, speaks to local fisherman in Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, South Africa Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

A person holds a placard that reads "William, you have no sovereignty in our country" while a crowd gathers to see Britain's Prince William (unseen) meeting local fisherman in Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, South Africa Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William sails off with volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative, at Simon's Town harbour near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

Britain's Prince William, center, is handed a fish as he speaks to local fisherman in Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, South Africa Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William shares a laugh with one of the volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative near Simon's Town harbour, in Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

Britain's Prince William waves to well-wishers during his visit with volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative, at Simon's Town harbour near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

Britain's Prince William meets volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative at Simon's Town harbour in Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

Britain's Prince William meets volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative at Simon's Town harbour in Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

Britain's Prince William sails off with volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative, at Simon's Town harbour near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

Britain's Prince William sails off with volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative, at Simon's Town harbour near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

Britain's Prince William sails off with volunteers of the National Sea Rescue Initiative, at Simon's Town harbour nearCape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, Pool)

BERLIN (AP) — After Germany’s government coalition collapsed in a dramatic fashion when Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats, Scholz said he would lead the country with a minority government, despite calls from opposition leaders on Thursday for early elections.

The chancellor said the minority government would be made up of his Social Democrats and the Greens until early next year — even as the leader of the biggest opposition bloc in parliament, Friedrich Merz from the center-right Christian Democrats, called for an immediate no-confidence vote and new elections.

Scholz stressed again on Thursday, that he does not want to call a vote of confidence before Jan. 15.

“The citizens will soon have the opportunity to decide anew how to proceed," the chancellor said, according to the German news agency dpa. "That is their right. I will therefore put the vote of confidence to the Bundestag at the beginning of next year.”

A meeting with Merz and Scholz at the chancellery around noontime Thursday about a possible date for the next election ended after less than an hour with Merz leaving without commenting on the talks.

Later on Thursday, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier gave fired Finance Minister Lindner and two other Free Democrats officials who had resigned — Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann — their certificates of dismissal.

Transport Minister Volker Wissing, who is also with the Free Democrats, said that after talks with Scholz, he had decided to stay in office and instead leave the party. Scholz asked him to add the justice ministry to his portfolio.

Steinmeier also appointed Jörg Kukies, an economic adviser to Scholz, as finance minister. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir from the Greens agreed to take on the research ministry.

Scholz had announced late Wednesday that he would seek a vote of confidence on Jan. 15 that he said might lead to an early election, perhaps as soon as March. The vote had otherwise been due next September.

After firing his finance minister, the chancellor had accused Lindner of breaching his trust and publicly calling for a fundamentally different economic policy, including what Scholz said would be tax cuts worth billions for a few top earners while at the same time cutting pensions for all retirees.

“That is not decent,” Scholz said.

The chancellor hopes that his minority government — Scholz’s left-leaning Social Democrats with the remaining coalition partner, the environmentalist Greens — will get the support from Merz's Christian Democrats in parliament in the coming weeks, to pass important legislation and plugging the billion-euro hole in the 2025 budget.

However, Merz on Thursday vehemently rejected Scholz's plan to wait to hold a vote of confidence until January.

“The coalition no longer has a majority in the German Bundestag, and we therefore call on the chancellor ... to call a vote of confidence immediately, or at the latest by the beginning of next week,” Merz said.

“We simply cannot afford to have a government without a majority in Germany for several months now, and then campaign for several more months, and then possibly conduct coalition negotiations for several weeks," Merz added.

Since Scholz's government doesn't have a majority in parliament any longer, he would likely lose the vote. In that scenario, Germany's president could dissolve parliament within 21 days and an early election could then be held as soon as January.

“During these 21 days, we will have enough time to find out whether there are any issues that we may have to decide on together,” Merz said, offering his party's cooperation with the minority government. "We are, of course, prepared to hold talks ... we are also prepared to take responsibility for our country.”

Achim Wambach from the Leibniz Center for European Economic Research cast doubt that a prolonged period with a minority government would help Germany's economy get back on track.

“Germany’s problems are too big to tolerate political gridlock," the analyst said.

“The government set out to reconcile the transformation towards climate neutrality with economic growth and social security,” Wambach added. “It has not lived up to this claim. The economy is stagnating and investments are failing to materialize.”

“This daunting task was compounded by geo-economic tensions: wars in Europe and the Middle East as well as economically damaging interventions through tariffs and national subsidy policies,” he added. “ The election of Donald Trump has exacerbated these problems. Europe must do more for its security and will have to reckon with increased tariffs.”

The collapse of the coalition came after weeks of disputes among the coalition partners over ways to boost the country’s ailing economy.

Lindner's pro-business Free Democrats had rejected tax increases or changes to Germany’s strict self-imposed limits on running up debt. Scholz’s Social Democrats and the Greens wanted to see major state investment and rejected the Free Democrats’ proposals to cut welfare programs.

German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz arrives for a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the chancellery in Berlin, Thursday, Nov.7, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leaves Bellevue Palace in Berlin Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz arrives for a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the chancellery in Berlin, Thursday, Nov.7, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Germany's Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, center, presents Christian Lindner, former Federal Minister of Finance, right, with his certificate of dismissal with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, at left, at Bellevue Palace, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Christian Lindner, center, outgoing Federal Minister of Finance, speaks during a press conference at the FDP party headquarters, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP)

Christian Lindner Germany's former Federal Minister of Finance, Marco Buschmann, former Federal Minister of Justice, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, former Federal Minister of Education and Research, and Volker Wissing, Federal Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport, walk at Bellevue Palace, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Christian Lindner , former Federal Minister of Finance, Marco Buschmann, former Federal Minister of Justice, Bettina Stark-Watzinger former Federal Minister of Education and Research, Volker Wissing, Federal Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport and Joerg Kukies (SPD), new Federal Minister of Finance, from left, stand together, as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, looks on in the Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Nov.7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leaves Bellevue Palace in Berlin Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leaves after making a statement after a meeting with government leaders in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, from left, joins Bijan Djir-Sarai, Free Democratic Party Secretary General, and Christian Dürr, Chairman of the Free Democratic Party parliamentary group, for a press statement after his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in Berlin, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP)

Parts of the Reichstag building with the Bundestag and the Paul Löbe House in Berlin's government district are reflected in the Spree at night, early Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, right, gets into his limousine in front of the Reichstag building after his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and a parliamentary group meeting in Berlin, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner makes a press statement following his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor in Berlin, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner makes a press statement following his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor in Berlin, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a statement after a meeting with government leaders in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks in Berlin, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leaves a statement after a meeting with government leaders in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)