ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian members of parliament have elected Sahle-Work Zewde as the country’s first female president. Ms Sahle-Work is an experienced diplomat who has now become Africa’s only female head of state. Her election to the ceremonial position comes a week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken…
GABERONE – It has emerged that the US embassy in Gaborone has tried to organise a troika, a tripartite meeting between SADC, Zimbabwe and USA, but the US Ambassador, who also sits on SADC as a representative of America was unable to convince Washington to take part. This is the first time it has ever…
Mbabane – The African kingdom of eSwatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has gone to the polls that critics describe as a sham but supporters say are a unique blend of tradition and politics. More than 500,000 registered voters will elect 55 parliamentarians to the House of Assembly on Friday. Political parties, however, are banned from the…
Authorities in Brazil have seized more than $16m (£12m) worth of cash and luxury watches from a delegation accompanying Teodorin Nguema Obiang, vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, local media report. The 48-year-old, known for his lavish taste, is the son of the oil-rich Central African country’s president. Brazil limits people from entering the country with more…
GABERONE – The carcasses of 87 elephants have been found near a wildlife sanctuary in Botswana, in what conservation group Elephants Without Borders called “the largest scale of elephant poaching to date”. The remains were discovered during an aerial survey near a protected elephant sanctuary, the group said on Facebook. Talking to the BBC, Mike…
BEIJING – African countries have shown a healthy appetite for Chinese loans but some experts now worry that the continent is gorging on debt, and could soon choke. The Entebbe-Kampala Expressway is still something of a tourist attraction for Ugandans, nearly three months after it opened. The 51km (31 mile), four-lane highway that connects the…
CAPE TOWN – Theresa May has announced plans to boost Britain’s investment in Africa after Brexit, during her first trip to the continent as prime minister. In a speech in Cape Town, she pledged £4bn in support for African economies, to create jobs for young people. She also pledged a “fundamental shift” in aid spending…
ACCRA – The Central Regional chairperson of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is appealing to the family of late former United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan to be buried in his home country, Ghana. Bernard Allotey Jacobs said such an important asset who has put Ghana’s name on the world map cannot be buried in a…
PRETORIA – A public inquiry in South Africa has started investigating alleged corruption by ex-President Jacob Zuma. The inquiry is looking into “state capture”, where the wealthy Gupta family is accused of trying to influence political decisions, including the naming of ministers. Accusations of graft dogged Mr Zuma’s presidency before he was forced to step…
KINSHASA – Ebola is suspected to have caused as many as 33 deaths during the latest outbreak of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the health ministry said. Thirteen cases of the virus were confirmed across northeastern North Kivu province and neighbouring Ituri province, DRC’s health minister said in a statement on…
