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☆ Madagascar suspends schools as cyclone Freddy approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lovasoa Rabary | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANTANANARIVO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Madagascar's government on Tuesday suspended schools and transport in the path of tropical cyclone Freddy, which was likely to make landfall in the southeast of the country by evening. The cyclone is expected to hit Mananjary district, about 270 km from the capital Antananarivo, with winds of nearly 155 km per hour, Madagascar's meteorological services said. All traffic in cyclone Freddy's projected path was suspended overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, the country's ministry of transport and meteorology said. Cyclone Freddy is expected to make landfall nearly a month after storm Cheneso battered the island nation of 29 million, killing 33 people and forcing thousands from their homes. "It is expected to cause locally devastating winds and a very dangerous sea state near the impact zone in Madagascar," UNOCHA said on Monday.

☆ MTN commits to $1 bln Ghana investment after government scraps tax claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The investment comes on the heels of the Ghana Revenue Authority exempting the company's bill for back taxes earlier this month after the incident sparked a diplomatic reaction by the South African foreign minister. The tax claim was initially issued after the revenue authority audited the company for the years 2014 to 2018 and inferred that it under declared its revenue by about 30% during the period. MTN Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said the company was committed to investing in Ghana despite short-term headwinds. That said we are focused on the medium and long term and we are seeing growth," he said in a statement. MTN intends to invest the amount in 5G technology which it believes would spur faster growth across sectors, he said.

☆ Stigma and poverty stymie cancer treatment as rates rise in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Like many people in Kenya, Sperenza Maina went into denial when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, hiding it from her family for months and delaying important treatment. As in much of Africa, most cancer cases in Kenya are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when treatment options are limited and families make huge sacrifices by selling assets or borrowing money, according to a World Bank report. As the country gets wealthier, cancer diagnoses are on the rise; annual incidence increased by almost 30% between 2012 and 2018, data from the health ministry shows. Women in Kenya often fear seeking diagnosis for some of the most common and deadly cancers in Kenya such as cervical and breast cancer, said Bridget Nyabuto, a doctor at the Nairobi Radiotherapy and Cancer Centre. Having cancer is not a death sentence, you have to live to tell the story," she said.

☆ Malawi cholera death toll crosses 1,300: health official
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Malawi has crossed 1,300, a senior Malawian health official said on Thursday, as the southern African country battles its deadliest outbreak yet. Cholera outbreaks happen regularly in Malawi, usually in the rainy season from November to March, but they only average an annual death toll of about 100. Malawi has conducted two oral cholera vaccination campaigns, but a global surge in cholera outbreaks means vaccine supplies are under strain. Other African countries, including Malawi's neighbours Mozambique and Zambia, have reported cholera cases. On Sunday, South Africa reported two imported cholera cases from Malawi, with the husband of one of the first two cases subsequently testing positive.

[1/4] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during his 2023 state of the nation address in Cape Town, South Africa, February 9, 2023. "We are in the grip of a profound energy crisis," Ramaphosa said in his annual State of the Nation Address to parliament. State electricity utility Eskom is implementing the worst rolling blackouts on record, leaving households in the dark, disrupting manufacturing and hurting businesses of all sizes. Declaring a national state of disaster gives the government additional powers to respond to a crisis, including by permitting emergency procurement procedures with fewer bureaucratic delays and less oversight. Ramaphosa said on Thursday he would appoint a minister of electricity within the presidency to focus solely on the crisis.

☆ Eight killed in mass shooting at birthday party in South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed eight people and wounded three others at a birthday party in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, police said, adding that manhunt was underway to find the killers. The latest incident follows a spate of mass shootings last year that shocked the nation. In July, gunmen killed 19 people in random shootings within hours of each other. South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, with around 20,000 people killed every year out of a population of 60 million. According to campaign group Gun Free South Africa, there are about 3 million guns registered in the country, though there are many more unregistered.

☆ Yellen urges Zambia debt restructure after talks with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen signs a guest book at the State House during her visit, in Lusaka, Zambia, January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Namukolo SiyumbwaLUSAKA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday during a visit to Zambia that it was critically important to restructure the country's debt, and she believes progress could be made after her frank talks with key creditor China last week. Yellen added that Zambia's debt overhang was a drag on its whole economy and that China had been a barrier to resolving the southern African country's debt problem. "I specifically raised the issue with Zambia (with Chinese officials) and asked for their cooperation in trying to reach a speedy resolution. "We will continue to press for all official bilateral and private-sector creditors to meaningfully participate in debt relief for Zambia, especially China," she said.

☆ Rwanda shoots at Congolese military jet over alleged airspace violation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A video shared widely on Congolese social media showed a projectile shooting towards an airborne military plane, before exploding in the air near the plane, which continued to fly. Congo denied Rwanda's accusation that the jet had been in Rwandan airspace - the latest dispute between the two countries whose relationship has been strained by a rebel insurgency. Earlier the Rwandan government said Rwandan forces had fired at the jet after it violated Rwandan airspace in Rubavu - the same area as previous alleged violations, "prompting the government to take defensive measures." Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said last week that the rebels had not fully withdrawn from those areas. In December, Rwanda said another fighter jet from Congo had briefly violated its air space.

☆ MTN Ghana hit with bill of $773 mln for back taxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Ghanaian subsidy of South African mobile operator MTN Group (MTNJ.J) has received a bill for back taxes of around $773 million, including penalties and interest charges, the parent company said on Friday. The Ghana Revenue Authority issued MTN Ghana (MTNGH.GH) with the bill after auditing it for the years 2014 to 2018 and inferring that the company under declared its revenue by about 30% during the period, MTN said in a statement. The carrier, which has a presence in 19 countries in Africa and the Middle East, said it disputes the "accuracy and basis" of the assessment and that it would fight it. "MTN Ghana believes that the taxes due have been paid during the period under assessment and has resolved to defend MTN Ghana's position on the Assessment," the company said. Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Zambia extends electricity rationing to mining firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies ZESCO Limited FollowLUSAKA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Zambia has started rationing electricity supply to mining firms following reduced power generation after a big drop in water levels in lake Kariba, the chairman of state-owned power utility Zesco said on Tuesday. Water levels in the lake were down at 1.66% of usable storage on Monday for the Kariba North Bank Power Station in Zambia and the Kariba South Bank Power Station on the Zimbabwean side of the lake, said the Zambezi River Authority, which manages the dam. The north bank power station has an installed capacity of 1,080 megawatts (MW), while the south bank power station in Zimbabwe has a capacity of 1,050 MW. Water levels in the lake have fallen due to reduced inflows from the Zambezi river and its tributaries and heavy use by power generation companies in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Ncube said power rationing was expected to be reduced by the middle of next month as water levels increased and full generation was to likely resume in March.

☆ Zimbabwe health workers could face jail for striking under new law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HARARE, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe on Tuesday signed a bill into law that outlawed organised protests by healthcare workers who could now face a fine or an imprisonment of up to six months. The signing by President Emmerson Mnangagwa comes after health workers were locked in a protracted fight with the government over poor salaries last year. An exodus of doctors and nurses has left Zimbabwean hospitals understaffed, with over 4,000 health workers leaving the country since 2021, the country's Health Services Board said in November. Many nurses in Zimbabwe earn less than $100 a month. Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pumpkin and rooibos ice cream on menu as Cape Town cafe champions African flavours
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Esa Alexander | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Tapi Tapi ice cream shop owner, Zimbabwean Tapiwa Guzha, mixes the ice cream ingredients at his shop in Observatory, in Cape Town, South Africa, December 20, 2022. "At some point it became an aspirational thing to say I don't eat African food ... so I started addressing ... that problem," he said at his Tapi Tapi shop. Located in the bohemian suburb of Observatory in Cape Town, he hopes to share the different flavours in tubs and cones, and celebrate African food culture, rituals and folklore. People often bring him ingredients from other parts of the continent, he says, who get a free tub of ice cream in return. Growing up, customer Clive Sibanda knew ice cream could be vanilla, something that is not native to South Africa.

☆ South African rand flat as China COVID spike hits risk sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 29 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand was flat against the dollar in early trade on Thursday, as rising COVID-19 cases in China dented risk sentiment. At 0645 GMT, the risk-sensitive rand traded at 17.0975 against the dollar, near its previous close of 17.0925. Countries including the United States, Japan and India said on Wednesday they would require COVID tests for travellers from China, which has said it would scrap quarantine rules for inbound travellers from Jan. 8. Like most emerging market currencies, the rand tends to take cues from global drivers in the absence of major local economic news. South African government's benchmark 2030 bond prices gained in early deals, with the yield down 5 basis points to 10.235%.

☆ South Africa tanker explosion death toll jumps to 27
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] People gather near a burnt out truck at the entrance of the damaged bridge where a gas tanker exploded in Boksburg near Johannesburg, South Africa, December 24, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya HishamJOHANNESBURG, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The death toll from a gas tanker blast in Johannesburg on Christmas Eve has climbed to 27, the provincial health department said on Thursday. "The department of health confirms that the death toll now stands at 27 from the Boksburg explosion. 10 of these are health workers from Tambo Memorial Hospital," the Gauteng Department of Health said in a statement. President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised support to people affected by the blast and said authorities were looking into the incident.

☆ South African tanker blast death toll climbs to 18
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The damaged bridge where a gas tanker exploded in Boksburg near Johannesburg, South Africa, December 24, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya HishamJOHANNESBURG, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The death toll from a gas tanker explosion in Johannesburg on Christmas Eve has climbed to 18, officials said on Tuesday, as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to support people affected by the blast. The explosion tore the roof off the emergency department at the Tambo Memorial hospital, destroyed two houses, several cars and injured bystanders up to 500 metres from the scene in the city's Boksburg suburb. "Of the 18 deceased people, nine are Tambo Memorial Hospital staff," the Gauteng Department of Health said in a statement. President Ramaphosa said hospital patients and children were among the dead.

SummarySummary Companies Auditors cite past 'financial irregularities'Utility reports $719 mln net loss for 2022Expects bigger loss this yearEskom says reliant on government supportJOHANNESBURG, Dec 23 (Reuters) - South Africa's Eskom said on Friday that auditors have questioned the utility's ability to survive as a going concern citing past financial irregularities. Auditors Deloitte & Touche LLP in a report said there is “a material uncertainty relating to Eskom’s ability to continue as a going concern,” the utility said in its annual financial report. [1/2] Locals walk past electricity pylons during frequent power outages from South African utility Eskom, caused by its aging coal-fired plants, in Orlando, Soweto, South Africa, September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo 1 2In response, Eskom said it was investigating the incident and was finalising a disciplinary process against an individual. Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter resigned this month saying a lack of political support had made his position "untenable".

☆ Cape Town home decked in thousands of lights spreads festive joy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAPE TOWN, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Matthew Haines, who fell in love with Christmas lights as a child, has decorated his home with thousands of twinkling bulbs, aiming to bring some festive cheer into people's lives for free after a tough few years. People of all ages come in droves to Haines's home in the coastal town of Fish Hoek to see the house, decked with more than 200,000 Christmas lights. "I fell in love with Christmas lights when I was very young... It’s always brought me joy," Haines said. [1/7] Visitors takes selfies outside the Haines residence in Fish Hoek, where people can experience over 120 000 colourful and glittering Christmas lights, in Cape Town, South Africa, December 10, 2022. With a display of Santa Claus in the background, children and elderly women danced around, taking in the festive atmosphere.

☆ South Africa's Ramaphosa awaits ANC panel decision on his fate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

He has said the money stolen was the proceeds of the sale of buffaloes and far less than the millions of dollars alleged when the theft came to light in June. Ramaphosa said on Sunday he would attend the meeting of the African National Congress National Executive Committee (NEC) and would accept its decision. Party leaders and supporters of Ramaphosa clad in the colours of the ANC party were seen arriving at the venue of the meeting on Monday. Having received firm backing from his allies within the party, Ramaphosa has vowed to fight on, with his spokesman saying the panel's findings would be challenged. Reporting by Kopano Gumbi; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Africa's Ramaphosa hits back as party backs him over 'Farmgate' scandal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Kopano Gumbi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A copy of court papers filed by Ramaphosa's lawyers in the Constitutional Court showed Ramaphosa wanted the panel report "reviewed, declared unlawful and set aside." Ramaphosa also wants any steps taken by the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, over the panel report to be declared unlawful and invalid, the papers showed. South Africa's parliament postponed by a week to Dec. 13 a debate that had been scheduled for Tuesday on the report. [1/5] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa leaves the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 5, 2022. That we will not support this report," Mashatile told reporters.

☆ Reaction to expert panel report on South Africa's Ramaphosa
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former minister and chairwoman of the African Union Commission, attends the 54th National Conference of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa December 17, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoJOHANNESBURG, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Cyril Ramaphosa's future as South African president was in question on Thursday, a day after a panel report found preliminary evidence he may have committed serious misconduct. "We need to look at the report, study its implications very carefully, follow the parliamentary processes and allow matters to take their course." NKOSAZANA DLAMINI-ZUMA, EX-WIFE OF FORMER PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA"I think the president has to step aside now and answer to the case." JOHN STEENHUISEN, LEADER OF MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY, THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE (DA)"The report is clear and unambiguous.

[1/3] South African president Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at the Green Hydrogen Summit at Century City in Cape Town, South Africa, November 29, 2022. The inquiry centred on the theft of a millions of dollars of cash from the billionaire president's farm in 2020, which came to light in June. The country's biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has called for an early election and the report has plunged the governing African National Congress (ANC) into crisis. The ANC's executive committee is due to meet to discuss the panel report on Thursday evening. Asked by Reuters about a local media report that Ramaphosa was due to address the nation on Thursday, Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenya said: "An announcement is imminent.

☆ S.African foreign minister: panel report on Ramaphosa 'troubling moment'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Foreign Minister of South Africa Naledi Pandor addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Mike SegarJOHANNESBURG, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A panel report that found preliminary evidence that President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated his oath of office is a "troubling moment" for the government and governing party, South Africa's foreign minister Naledi Pandor said in an interview at the Reuters NEXT conference. Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes. Pandor added that she was still reading the panel report on the robbery at Ramaphosa's farm and that she did not want to rush into the public space with additional comments. Reporting by Tim Cocks and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning, James Macharia ChegeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] Zambia's Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane attends the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, U.S., October 15, 2022. Zambia's Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane told Reuters that China had sought clarification from the Zambian government and the IMF on their debt agreement, he said. At the end of 2021, Chinese creditors accounted for almost $6 billion of Zambia's external debt, which was then $17.27 billion. The Export-Import Bank of China is representing all Chinese creditors in their restructuring negotiations with Zambia, Musokotwane said. These include commercial banks, the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (601398.SS), Jiangxi Bank (1916.HK) and China Minsheng Bank (600016.SS).

☆ Zambia pushing hard to restructure debt in Q1 - finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Zambia is pushing hard to restructure its debt in the first quarter of next year, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said in an interview at the Reuters NEXT conference. Zambia became the first African country to default on its sovereign debt during the COVID-19 era in 2020. Musokotwane added in the Reuters NEXT interview that private creditors were cooperating very well in debt relief discussions and that active engagements were happening with Chinese creditors. To view the Reuters NEXT conference live on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, please click here. Reporting by Rachel Savage and Bhargav Acharya Editing by Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Malawi vice president arrested over corruption, says graft watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BLANTYRE, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested the country's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima over graft allegations, it said on Friday. Chilima would be taken to court where he was expected to be charged with three counts of corrupt practices by a public officer, among other charges, the corruption watchdog said in a statement. The statement alleged Chilima was rewarded for assisting Xaviar Limited and Malachitte FZE, two companies connected to British businessman Zuneth Sattar to be awarded contracts by the Malawi Government. In August, the Financial Times reported that Sattar was under investigation by Britain's National Crime Agency over alleged abuse of Malawi's public procurement system. Earlier this year, Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera dissolved his entire cabinet on charges of corruption against three serving ministers.

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