BBC An outbreak of African swine fever in Nigeria’s largest pig farm co-operative in the south-west of the country has been confirmed. It is the first time in 12 years that the highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs has hit the West African country. Although it is harmless to humans, the
BBC Authorities in Ethiopia have said more than 100 girls were raped and treated in the capital, Addis Ababa, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the privately owned Walta TV has reported. The head of Addis Ababa women and children affairs office, Almaz Abraham, said sexual violence was on the rise as schools had
BBC A South African court has found some coronavirus lockdown regulations imposed by the government “unconstitutional and invalid”. The judge picked out rules around funerals, informal workers and amount of exercise as “irrational”. The government was given 14 days to overhaul the regulations. South Africa initially had some of the world’s most restrictive lockdown measures.
AFP DR Congo on Monday reported a fresh Ebola outbreak in the country’s northwest, just weeks before it hoped to declare the end of another epidemic in the east. The appearance of the deadly disease on the other side of the vast central African country comes as an added blow as it attempts to also
News24 The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is investigating social media posts depicting Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as an ape. SAHRC head advocate Tseliso Thipanyane confirmed the investigation had been handed over to its Western Cape branch, adding because the images were widely spread on social media, it was not yet
Business Insider Alcoholic drinks will go on legal sale again in South Africa on Monday, after 66 days of prohibition. There will be strict rules about buying booze under Alert Level 3, government ministers announced on Thursday, in a preview of regulations not yet published – but much less strict than originally envisaged. Bars, taverns,
BBC New swarms of locusts are increasing the risk of food insecurity for millions of people in East and Central Africa who are already reeling from the impact of Covid-19 and flooding, humanitarian agency Oxfam has said in a new report. Locust invasions in recent months are estimated to have destroyed thousands of hectares of
By Staff Reporter EMBASSY of the Kingdom of Morocco in Pretoria has called for the African Union to work towards uniting member states despite previous or ongoing differences. The remarks came on the occasion to Africa Day which was celebrated by all African countries. The embassy also said there is need for unity especially during
AFP Increase in jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso since 2017 has led to the closure of more than 2,000 schools, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Tuesday. Citing the Ministry of Education, the report says 2,500 schools have been closed, depriving nearly 350,000 students access to education. At least 222 education workers have
The New Humanitarian Nairobi — ‘Even where there is enough money, many African health authorities are unable to obtain the supplies needed.’ “Test, test, test” has been the mantra for defeating the novel coronavirus, but African countries are finding themselves at the end of a long global queue for the chemical reagents and other commodities necessary
BBC South Sudan’s Vice-President Riek Machar has tested positive for coronavirus. He said he had no symptoms, but would self- isolate for 14 days. His wife, Defence Minister Angelina Teny, some bodyguards and other staff have also tested positive. Mr Machar was tested on 13 May after one of the members of the government task
BBC Nigeria’s government has said it is still risky to further relax restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic in the country. The head of the country’s task force on the pandemic, Boss Mustapha, told a daily media briefing that the country is not yet ready for the full re-opening of the economy. He said
BBC Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has said the government will distribute free masks to all citizens aged above six-years-old before lifting coronavirus containment measures. The wearing of masks in public was made mandatory early May. In a televised address on Monday, Museveni said the distribution of masks will be done in 14 days. Each person
AP Burundians will vote on Wednesday in a tense general election, despite a largely-ignored outbreak of coronavirus which is set to be the first major challenge for the new president. President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power since 2005, shocked observers by deciding to step aside, five years after a controversial third-term run plunged
BBC Kenya’s bureau of standards has recalled eight brands of instant hand sanitisers from the market for failing to comply to approved standards It has suspended the permits of the manufacturers and ordered them to “recall the substandard sanitisers from the market and institute corrective actions”. The low-quality brands were discovered during market surveillance. The
BBC Kenya has released 7,000 inmates in a bid to decongest prisons since coronavirus pandemic hit the country, Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i has told Senators. The minister told the Senate’s Corvid-19 committee that two cases were detected in a prison in the capital, Nairobi. The health ministry has started conducting mass testing in prisons across
BBC Tunisia recorded no new cases of Covid-19 for the first time since early March, health authorities said on Monday, as the government announced it will further relax restrictions on movement and businesses, Reuters news agency reports. The north African country which confirmed its first case on 2 March has reported 1,032 cases in total
BBC Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on public gatherings until the end of the month as the country’s coronavirus cases continue to rise. Schools will remain closed while religious activities, conferences and festivals are banned during the period. All border crossings will also remain closed. The west African nation has so far
AFP Up to 190,000 people in Africa could die of coronavirus in the first year of the pandemic if containment measures fail, the World Health Organisation warned on Thursday. The UN health agency cited a new study by its regional office in Brazzaville which found that between 83,000 and 190,000 could die and 29 to
BBC Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi has extended the country’s state of emergency for 30 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus. President Nyusi said the extension was because the initial state of emergency declared on 1 April had worked in slowing down the spread of the virus. He however warned that some people were still
