Southern Africa

The Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa has sacked the country’s security minister Owen Ncube, the president’s office said on Monday. Mr Mnangagwa’s office said in a statement that the minister had been removed “with immediate effect for conduct inappropriate for a minister of government”. Mr Ncube was placed under US sanctions …

At least five people have died and many others injured after heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, thunderstorms and lightning left a trail of destruction in Mozambique’s southern Gaza province, local media reports. The spokesperson of Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the area, Bonifacio Cardoso …

At least six people have died in flash floods due to heavy rains in the south African province of Eastern Cape, local authorities have said on Sunday. The floods, triggered by heavy rains have displaced dozens of people living in a township to the east of the city. Some roads …

The head of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), John Nkengasong has said severe lockdowns were no longer the best way to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Dr Nkengasong, “the period where we are using severe lockdowns as a tool is over. We should actually …

A South African corruption inquiry pointed to systemic graft during former President Jacob Zuma’s tenure in the first part of its report published on Tuesday, after more than three years of investigations involving more than 300 witnesses. The inquiry chaired by senior judge Raymond Zondo was established in 2018 to …

A mother and baby were killed by an elephant in the Chipinge district of south-eastern Zimbabwe, local media report. The woman, who had been visiting relatives in rural Chipinge district on New Year’s Day, was on her back home when an elephant charged at them. Zimbabwe Parks Authority spokesman Tinashe …

Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi is in mandatory self- isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 in routine testing, a government spokesperson said on Monday. “The president does not have any symptoms and will continue to receive close medical monitoring by his medical doctors,” John-Thomas Dipowe, acting permanent secretary for Government Communications, …

South African authorities on Tuesday said they had finally contained a suspected arson fire at the parliament building after a second-day flare-up that completely destroyed the lower house National Assembly chamber. A 49-year-old man accused of setting the fire appeared in court to face five charges including arson and possession …

The Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi and his wife have tested positive for covid-19 and are isolating, the president’s office has announced on Monday. A statement from the presidency said Mr Nyusi and his wife had decided to isolate in accordance with health guidelines after testing positive, even though they were …

A South African judicial commission will formally hand over the first part of its report to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday following its inquiry into corruption during former president Jacob Zuma’s time in power, a Cabinet minister said on Friday. The judicial commission was due to deliver the first part …