Africa

S.Africa’s ANC to meet Monday as Zuma deadlock tightens

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — The top decision-making body of South Africa’s ruling ANC will meet on Monday following days of talks over President Jacob Zuma’s expected departure from office, a party spokeswoman said Sunday. “An NEC (national executive committee) meeting is scheduled for tomorrow in Pretoria,” ANC spokeswoman Khusela Diko told AFP, declining to reveal the meeting’s agenda. South Africa’s president-in-waiting Cyril Ramaphosa has said negotiations should be concluded within days. But Zuma, whose presidency has […]

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S.Africa political deadlock as Zuma clings to power

by Ben Sheppard  © Agence France-Presse JOHANNESBURG , South Africa (AFP) — South Africa’s political impasse deepened on Saturday with no resolution to extended talks over President Jacob Zuma’s expected departure from office after his own party called for him to resign. Cyril Ramaphosa, the president-in-waiting, and the ruling ANC party have said negotiations should be concluded within days, but have given no details about how Zuma will be eased out of power. The stalemate has left […]

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Five children die in post-vote arson attack in Guinea

by Mouctar Bah Agence France-Presse CONAKRY, Guinea (AFP) – Five young children perished in an arson attack during clashes in central Guinea on Tuesday, as anger over alleged fraud during weekend local elections turned deadly and tensions mounted ahead of the results. Sunday’s local elections were the first since the end of the era of military dictatorship and follow eight years of delays blamed on a lack of funds, political infighting and the 2013-16 Ebola crisis. Huts […]

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Cape Town now faces dry taps by May 11

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — Residents of drought-stricken Cape Town received rare good news Monday when city officials said they now face losing piped water to their homes on May 11 — a month later than previously forecast. But Capetonians are not yet out of the woods. If drastic consumption reductions are not achieved by so-called “Day Zero”, people will have to queue at 200 standpipes for daily rations of 25 litres (6.6 US […]

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All 955 miners trapped in S. Africa rescued

by Beatrice Debut with Susan Njanji in Johannesburg Agence France-Presse THEUNISSEN, South Africa (AFP) – All 955 gold miners who were trapped underground for more than a day in South Africa following a power cut resurfaced unharmed on Friday, and were greeted by overjoyed relatives waiting at the site. “Everybody’s out,” mine spokesman James Wellsted told AFP, adding that there were no deaths or serious injuries reported. There were “cases of dehydration and high blood pressure but […]

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950 gold miners trapped underground in S. Africa

by Béatrice Debut Agence France Presse THEUNISSEN, South Africa (AFP) — About 950 gold miners were stuck underground in South Africa on Thursday after a power cut, the mine’s owner said, though the workers were not reported to be in immediate danger. The Sibanye-Stillwater mining company said a massive power outage caused by a storm had prevented lifts from bringing the night shift to the surface at the Beatrix gold mine, in the small town […]

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Egypt opposition urges boycott of presidential election

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Opposition parties and figures in Egypt called Tuesday for a boycott of the March presidential election in which incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi looks set to romp to victory. Branding the poll a “charade”, the coalition of eight parties and 150 public figures announced a campaign under the slogan “Stay at home” ahead of voting on March 26-28. “No to participation in this charade,” said Hamdeen Sabbahi, a presidential candidate in 2012 and 2014. […]

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Spanish tourists ‘raped, robbed’ in southern Senegal

ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal, Africa (AFP) — A group of Spanish tourists were robbed and raped in Senegal’s restive Casamance region by armed men, a security source and state media said on Friday. The tourists’ vehicle was stopped near the village of Karonge, around 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the regional capital Ziguinchor, a security source told AFP. “There were four Spanish tourists. A man and three women were being driven by a Senegalese driver. They were […]

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UN hits out at surge in extra-judicial ‘executions’ in DR Congo

KINSHASA, DR Congo (AFP) – The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday reported a surge in summary “executions” in the country, notably in the southern Kasai region. In 2017, “state agents” carried out 1,176 extra-judicial killings, “including at least 89 women and 213 children,” the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) said in an annual report on human rights violations in the DRC. Such killings have tripled over the past two years, […]

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Filipinos can now go to Rwanda visa-free

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that Filipinos can now go to Rwanda visa-free and stay for 90 days. This was approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cooperation of Rwanda. Rwandan nationals can also enter the Philippines without a visa for a period of not exceeding 30 days, provided they hold valid tickets for their return journey or their next point of destination. The DFA also said […]

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Gambians enjoy freedom post-Jammeh, but criticise economy

by Emil TOURAY Agence France-Presse BANJUL, Gambia (AFP) – A year ago, Gambians wept for joy as Yahya Jammeh went into exile, bringing the curtain down on a brutal 22-year rule. Today, many say freedom of speech in this small west African state is a right they cherish under President Adama Barrow’s administration. “There is a democracy, everybody feels free. Disappearances without a trace — all that’s over now,” said teacher Kalipha Dampha, referring to the dreaded […]

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Zimbabwe opposition figure Bennett dies in US chopper crash

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Leading Zimbabwe opposition figure Roy Bennett, one of long-time president Robert Mugabe’s most outspoken critics, has died in a helicopter crash in a remote area of the US state of New Mexico, authorities said Thursday. He was 60. Bennett was killed along with his wife Heather and three other people after the helicopter went down on Wednesday, New Mexico state police said. A crash survivor called 911 for help […]

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