Africa

Zimbabwe is facing a shortage of health care workers, basic drugs and medical equipment. Medical staff reports of being overburdened, overworked and underpaid. Amid rising Coronavirus cases and health care crisis, the capital Harare reports seven stillbirths in one week.

On Saturday, 10107 new Coronavirus cases were reported in South Africa. This brings the total of Coronavirus cases of the country to over half a million, confirmed by health minister Zwelini Mkhize.

28000 additional hospital beds were made available but the country does not have enough doctors and medical staff.

Botswana's capital Gaborone was placed under a 14-day lockdown again as Coronavirus infections doubled in the past week. Dr. Lemogang Kwape, the country's health minister, said this was a necessary move as the capital was experiencing a "worrying rise" of infections. The lockdown started Friday. People, except essential workers, will need temporary permits to move around.

Dr. Lemogang Kwape said: "During the course of this week the disease has taken an unexpected turn. This now requires that we place the greater Gaborone zone under lockdown for a minimum period of two weeks to enable us to contain the disease."

Namibia is reporting rising numbers of Coronavirus infections, recording 2129 cases on Saturday. To curb the spread of the virus, schools will close again on August 4th for 28 days. Namibian President Hage Geingob said this was a necessary move to "eliminate the risks associated with the spread of the virus." Public gatherings will be reduced from 250 to 100 people and liquor will not be served at bars or taverns.

Author and Booker Prize nominee Tsitsi Dangarembga has been arrested during anti-corruption demonstrations in Harare, Zimbabwe. She was arrested alongside other protestors after the government called the protests a "planned insurrection". The police also warned that protestors "only have themselves to blame" when attending the banned demonstrations.

Dangarembga has been documenting the demonstration and her arrest on Twitter. She told the BBC: "Every sector is disintegrating. Health, education, the economy. I am concerned for my safety. It would be naïve not to be because we have a very repressive regime and we know that they will most likely be deployed against the people. This is one of the grievances that the people have, that the security forces, the security service is often deployed against the people, instead of being deployed for the protection of the people."

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports an armed attack in the Masteri village near the Darfur region in Sudan. Over 60 people were killed, further 60 wounded. The Sudanese government has not reported nor commented on the attack.

The U.N. statement added that this attack "was one of the latest of a series of security incidents reported over the last week that left several villages and houses burned, markets and shops looted, and infrastructure damaged."

Benjamin Mkapa, the former President of Tanzanzia, has died at age 81. The news were broadcasted by Tanzania’s president John Pombe Magufuli alongside a declaration of a seven-day national mourning period.

Mkapa led from 1995 to 2005 and was the leader of regional peace mediation efforts. He also played a part in the ending of the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007.

Most of South African public schools will close again for a month. The schools year will be extended into 2021, affecting over 14 million pupils. The country has reported over 400,000 cases in total and has seen rising Coronavirus infections.

President Ramaphose said on Thursday: "We have taken a deliberately cautious approach to keep schools closed during a period when the country is expected to experience its greatest increase in infections. I am aware that this arrangement that I’ve just announced will disappoint many learners who want to be back at school and may cause inconvenience and difficulty for many families who need to make alternative child care arrangements. We ask you to do this because we believe it is important to ensure that schools do not become sites of transmission at a time when infections are rising fast."

Nine members (seven Chinese nationals, two Malawians) of a Chinese wildlife trafficking gang were found guilty of trafficking protected animal species and parts. These parts include ivory, rhino horns and pangolin scales. Each member will have to serve seven years in jail and will be deported upon release.

The trial of former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for his involvement in the 1989 military takeover of the government started on Tuesday. Al-Bashir came to power after the takeover and was forced from power in 2019. He will be trialed alongside more than 20 of his former officials. If found guilty, he could possibly face the death penalty.

Over 105,000 Zimbabweans have been arrested since March. Those arrested were violating regulations that are in place to curb the further spread of the Coronavirus, e.g. "unnecessary movement", breaking quarantine and not wearing masks. Around 1000 people were arrested over the past two days.

On Saturday, hundreds protested in Makeni against the move of a power generator to another city. The move could jeopardize the area's power supply as the country often experiences power shortages for its people. Police opened fire after protestors threw rocks. At least four were killed, several injured.

Ghana Health Service reports over 2000 Coronavirus-infected health care workers since March. Six of them passed away but over 90 percent have recovered.

Norman Chisale was arrested for the second time, this time on the charge of attempted murder of a woman in Blantyre two months ago. Chisale used to be President Peter Mutharika’s bodyguard. On Tuesday he was arrested for money-laundering and fraud, but was granted bail.

Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda was named the new Prime Minister of Gabon, replacing Julien Nkoghe Bekale. This was announced by President Ali Bongo Ondimba on Thursday. Raponda will be Gabon's first female Prime Minister.

The western Democratic Republic of Congo reports 48 Ebola cases since June 1st. 20 people have died. WHO emergency expert Mike Ryan: "This is still a very active outbreak, and I would say it is still a great concern."

Even though numbers are still low, Ryan voices concerns: "In the era of COVID, it is very important that we do not take our eyes off these other emerging diseases."

For weeks, protests in Mali have been calling for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. During these protests, around 20 opposition leaders and political opponents of Keita were arrested. On Monday, they were released in what seemed to be an attempt by Keita to calm tensions in the country.

After over two weeks, the internet has been partially restored in Ethiopia on Wednesday. Internet was first only available at some offices and government buildings. Fixed and wi-fi lines are now back online, cellular networks remain offline. The internet was shut down after the murder of singer Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, who shot while driving on 29th June 2020, led to nationwide protests.

The Ethiopian Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Dr. Seleshi Bekele has announced that the country has started filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. He later stated on his Twitter account that "The inflow into the reservoir due to heavy rain fall and runoff exceeded the outflow and created natural pooling.This continues until overflow is triggered soon".

Talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan had ended with no agreement as Ethiopia aims to become a large energy supplier for its' population and generate revenue by exporting the surplus, while Egypt fears that the Nile will provide too little water for the country.

South Africa sees a rapid spread of the Coronavirus. The country is accounting for roughly 40% of all African cases. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa begged the citizen to follow the rules and reduce personal contact. He reintroduced a ban on all alcohol sales and imposed a nationwide curfew in hopes to suppress the spread of the virus.

Ramaphosa said: "This is in our collective hands. Let us remember that every individual action that we undertake does and can make a big difference. Now more than ever we are responsible for the lives of those around us."

Hospitals also have started to turn people away. Ramaphosa wants to avoid a second lockdown as it would cause more harm than good on the economy.

The Justice Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo Célestin Tunda resigned on Saturday after a dispute with President Felix Tshisekedi. Tunda did not give a reason for his resignation which he announced in a televised statement. Tunda opposed changes in the law that would give politicians more control over criminal prosecutions.

South Africa is reporting 13497 new Coronavirus cases. Hotspots are in Johannesburg and Pretoria, both located in the Gauteng province, with over 1/3 of the daily cases.

Medical oxygen is now running low in hospitals in Gauteng. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said that they were working to divert more oxygen to these hospitals. Beds are filling so fast that patients are now also placed in heated tents in the hospital's parking lot.

Mkhize: "The storm that we have consistently warned South Africans about is now arriving."

Sudan's Sovereign Council has banned and criminalized the practice of female genital mutilation. The transitional government had previously approved multiple amendments to the criminal code of Sudan, including the ban on female genitalia mutilation.

The justice ministry stated that the practice "degrades the dignity of women" and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok that the change is "an important step in reforming the justice system".

Five people have been killed and six hospitalised after shooters took hostages at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in Zuurbekom, South Africa on Saturday

South African Police Service said they had rescued men, women and children, and arrested at least 40 people. Officers also added they are investigating the possibility the attack may have been motivated by an internal feud between conflicting parties of the church.

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Ghana's Minister of Education, confirmed that 90% of the ministry's staffers have been infected with the Coronavirus. 45 out of 50, including Prempeh, have tested positive. Most of them show no symptoms.

"After my second result came out as positive, testing was conducted on all staff at the ministr,y and the results showed that out of every 50 persons, about 45 had contracted the virus,” Prempeh reported.

Morocco is gradually reopening air and maritime borders on July 14th. The country had one of the strictest lockdowns. Many tourists were not allowed to leave, and Moroccans were not able to return home. Travel will be only available to Moroccan citizens and expatriates at first.

The prime minister of Côte d'Ivoire and presidential candidate for an October election, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, has died on Wednesday. He was 61 years old.

Coulibaly had just returned from a 2-month medical treatment in France. Shortly after he attended a cabinet meeting, started to feel unwell and was then rushed to a hospital where he later died.

Multiple were discovered common graves in Djibo, Burkina Faso. The around 180 bodies were found in various location, including under bridges and in fields. Human Rights Watch believes government forces were behind the killings: "Available evidence suggests government forces were involved in mass extrajudicial executions."

The government said it would investigate these claims. Chérif Moumina Sy, the Minister of Defence, speculated that armed groups in stolen army uniforms and equipment could be behind the murders. He said: "It is difficult for the population to distinguish between armed terrorist groups and the defence and security forces."

Four people were killed and multiple injured in explosions in Somalia. A land mine was detonated in a restaurant near Baidoa, killing four and injuring several.

Near Mogadishu, a bomber drove through a security checkpoint where the car exploded outside the gates. Five police officers were injured.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the murder of Oroma singer Haacaaluu Hundeessa was a "coordinated attempt" to cause unrest in Ethiopia. Ahmed promised to hold "those that are pulling the strings" accountable. Five people were arrested in connection with Hundeessa's murder.