AFRICA

In what is surely the government’s most ambitious social spending effort in the democratic era, potentially reaching the pockets of millions of impoverished and vulnerable South Africans, President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined a massive R500 billion social and economic spending plan on Tuesday to buffer some of the effects of the …

The ban on the sale and transportation of alcohol during the coronavirus lockdown in South Africa has emptied hospital beds, ruined businesses, provoked violence and political disputes, and has led to a surge of interest in pineapples, writes the BBC’s Andrew Harding from Johannesburg. The idea was simple. Ban all …

Ramaphosa sets aside billions for economic and social relief President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a massive R500 billion economic and social relief package to beat the effects of the coronavirus. The president said this money will come from repurposing R130 billion in the government’s budget, and other money from local …

Transnet Port Terminals has said its various port utilities were only half as busy during the coronavirus lockdown, as various logistics subsectors experienced a drop in demand for their services. President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national lockdown at the end of March, which was later extended to include the entire …

South African Airways can no longer depend on financial support from government, the Pravin Gordhan-led Department of Public Enterprises said on Tuesday evening. During a meeting with unions representing workers at the troubled airline, the state was not in a position to provide more capital and that all parties need …

A man identified as Yakubu Alhassan, was electrocuted in Anagada community, a surburb in  Abuja while trying to fix a faulty fuse in a transformer. The residents said the deceased popularly known as Yakubu NEPA was a staff of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) but the company’s Public Relations …

The ban on alcohol has been giving South Africans chest pains, and it appears even the police officers are trying to get their hands on some booze. In an official statement released on Monday, April 20, the SAPS confirmed that five police officers working at the Namahadi Police Station in …

A Nigerian priest in Germany has been forced to leave his parish over concern for his safety after his car and house were attacked and he received a death threat. Catholic officials in Germany say the priest, Patrick Asomugha, who is the head of a parish in Queidersbach, a small municipality in …

The Nigerian government has apologised for “mistakes” made during the burial of President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff, Abba Kyari, who died from coronavirus. This is after people were pictured in huddles around the grave site on 18 April, not observing strict rules on mass gatherings, social distancing or personal …

Vote counting began on Monday in Mali as polling stations closed in the final round of legislative elections held on Sunday April 19. The vote was held amid the coronavirus pandemic with the aim to revive confidence in the country’s embattled governance institutions despite a bloody terrorist conflict. Sunday’s vote …