On Monday, a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo freed the former chief of staff of president Félix Tshisekedi. Vital Kamerhe was sentenced on appeal to 13 years in prison for corruption and embezzlement of funds. Kamerhe was initially sentenced to 20 years behind bars in June 2020. The case relates to the government’s…
The authorities in The Gambia have used tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting the results of the presidential elections. The incidents ocurred outside the residence of opposition leadder Ousainou Darboe. Before violence erupted, Darboe appealed to supporters to avoid violence and follow legal procedures to investigate potential irregularities. The opposition supporters reject the victory of…
Five out of 54 African countries are on course to reach a 40% target for vaccinations, according to new report on Covid-19 in Africa. There have been warnings that warning that an un-vaccinated Africa could become ”a perfect incubator for variants”. Weak systems raised the possibility that vaccination rates were even lower than official statistics showed.…
Ten of Fred Ssegawa’s children may never go back to school again. Locked out of formal education since March 2020 by Uganda’s strict coronavirus containment measures, they have been caught up in one of the world’s longest school shutdowns. The two youngest of his 12 children were too little to have started in the first…
In Angola the main opposition party, UNITA, re-elected Adalberto Costa Júnior as leader of the opposition. In October, the Constitutional Court annulled his 2019 election as party leader. The decision of the court was announced on the same day that UNITA formed a coalition with two other groups to increase its chances of defeating the…
The current health crisis has exposed the fragile nature of health systems in Africa according to a new report from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. One of the main challenges facing health systems is the lack of data in some countries. The report further indicated that more than 50% of children in Africa do not have…
President Adama Barrow from The Gambia won a second term in power after election results were announced late on Sunday. Barrow garnered more than 53% of the vote according to the electoral commission. Turnout out on Saturday’s election stood at 87%. Speaking to his supporters, Adama Barrow promised a brighter future for the country. “I…
LONDON, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Poorer nations could be facing economic collapse unless the world’s richest economies agree to step up debt relief efforts, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva warned on Thursday. Some 60% of low income countries are already in or at high risk of debt distress, compared to less than half…
The Emalahleni local municipality owes Eskom over R5 billion for unpaid electricity. It’s seeking to recoup the money from defaulting customers. Some residents say the Covid-19 pandemic has left them in arrears due to reduced employment. The Emalahleni local municipality in Mpumalanga has revealed that it owes Eskom over R5 billion for unpaid electricity. It…
South Africa recorded 11 535 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Thursday. 44 new deaths have been recorded, bringing the confirmed death toll to 89 915. Gauteng accounted for 72% of the new cases recorded on Thursday. Gauteng recorded 8 280 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, with a total of 11 535 new confirmed infections…