Southern Africa

The coronavirus pandemic continues wreaking havoc in South Africa as the cases of contamination are on the rise , health authorities have announced. The country has recorded 1,886 new virus cases since Saturday and 22 deaths from coronavirus. Health Minister Joe Phaahla has urged more people to get vaccinated. “We …

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has asked men to play a greater role in preventing gender-based violence (GBV) in the country. “If each man gathers two men and the three pledge to never rape a woman, never lay a hand on a woman and hold each other accountable to this …

The Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has appointed Amade Miquidade, an interior minister recently sacked as the country’s high commissioner to Rwanda. Amade Miquidade was dismissed from office last week and was replaced by the country’s first woman interior minister, Arsenia Massingue, two days later. Before his dismissal, he was one …

South African Cyril Ramaphosa has declared four days of mourning for the last white leader, Frederik Willem de Klerk, who died on November 11 from cancer. The national mourning starts on Wednesday evening to Sunday evening and “the national flag will be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect,” …

Late South African president FW de Klerk, who died at 85 last week, will be cremated in a private ceremony on Sunday, his foundation has announced. “The FW de Klerk Foundation wishes to announce that FW de Klerk’s cremation and funeral will take place on Sunday, 21 November,” it said …

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has appointed Arsenia Felicidade Felix Massingue as the country’s first female interior minister and Cristóvão Artur Chume as national defence minister. The previous ministers in charge of defence and interior security were both sacked this week. Mr Chume is a major-general noted for commanding the forces …

Police in Mozambique say they have detained two health workers for their alleged involvement in the forgery, issuing and sale of Covid-19 vaccine cards. The two, a government general medical practitioner and an intern, had been assigned to the Bagamoyo health centre in the capital, Maputo. Police seized the forged …

South Africa’s scheduled power cuts have affected the pace of vote counting following the local elections that took place on Monday, local media report. The electoral body had hoped to have counted 90% of the votes by Tuesday night but only 58% had been counted by Wednesday morning. The state …

Eswatini’s King Mswati III and the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa have agreed to work together to set up a national dialogue forum to resolve the intensifying protests in Eswatini. The agreement comes after the king met President Cyril Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the security organ of the Southern African …

Amos Chanda, the former Zambian President Edgar Lungu’s aide has been arrested and charged with insulting and obstructing officers who were searching his home. Mr Chanda’s wife and sister-in-law who were present during the incident, were also arrested. The three are accused of insulting and obstructing anti-corruption officers who were …