Southern Africa

The South African Football Association says it will offer free tickets to vaccinated football fans attending next month’s World Cup qualifier between the national team, Bafana Bafana, and Ethiopia. The association said those who got vaccinated would be prioritised at matches and other entertainment events. The South African government has …

The banking services which had been discontinued due to insecurity in the region and a lack of electricity supply, have been restored in the northern Mozambican town of Mueda in the restive Cabo Delgado province. Local media say civil servants living in the area used to travel to Montepuez, 220km …

Government in Zimbabwe has ordered all civil workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus pandemic. It said those who will not get jabbed should resign. According to the government, this measure aims to curb the spread of the new Delta variant. In an interview with a local radio station, Justice …

The UN mission in South Sudan has urged the unity government to urgently resolve a fresh conflict in the Tambura area of Western Equatoria state. On Monday, there were reports of sporadic shooting between groups there. The UN’s peacekeeping mission, Unmiss, says this has endangered the lives of civilians and …

The European Union’s representative in Liberia, Laurent Delahousse, has called on the Liberian authorities to “take immediate action to issue an executive order” banning female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices. Speaking at a human rights forum, the EU envoy also asked the government to relax laws that he …

Police in Zimbabwe has arrested a man who was trying to pass himself off as the country’s vice-president to receive free medical treatment. A court in the capital, Harare, heard that Marlon Katiyo, 35, visited two hospitals on several occasions last month to get treatment for his headaches saying that …

Nelly Mutti has become the country’s first female speaker of parliament, responsible for the orderly conduct of debate as well as disciplining lawmakers. She was unanimously elected by the new group of MPs and will have Attracta Chisanga and Frank Moyo as deputies. On his Facebook account, the new Zambian …

South Africa said it can’t take in Afghan refugees as it is done by other countries.The announcement was made by the country’s Department of International Relations. “South Africa is already home to a substantial number of refugees and is seized with addressing their needs,” the Department of International Relations said …

Botswana’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi has suspended the assistant minister for health. He is blamed for attending a tombstone unveiling ceremony for his late father, in breach of Covid regulations that ban public gatherings. His family was unveiling their father’s tombstone as their mother took off the mourning dress as required …

Three people have been beheaded in a village in Quissanga district in the jihadist-hit northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. According to some reports, the macabre act, the cause of which is unknown at the moment, would be the work of insurgents linked to the Islamic State group fleeing the …