Protesters have burnt 13 schools in two areas in South Africa's northern Limpopo province in a violent dispute over district boundaries, police say.
Government officials appealed for an end to the violence, saying it affected the education of hundreds of children.
Protesters say moves to include their neighbourhoods into a new municipality would delay efforts to get them better housing and water.
South Africa is due to hold key local government elections in August.
Opposition parties hope to make gains at the polls, arguing that the governing African National Congress (ANC) has failed to improve basic services during its 22-year rule.
African news updates
Rallying against 'remnants of apartheid'
The ANC disputes this, saying most people have a far better standard of living since it took power at the end of minority rule in 1994.
Eight of the 13 schools were torched overnight, bringing to 13 the number of schools targeted since Monday, reports the BBC's Pumza Fihlani from the main city Johannesburg.
Burnt school, South AfricaImage copyrightENCA
Image caption
The government says communities will be worse off by destroying buildings
On Friday, protesters failed in a court bid to prevent the inclusion of the mainly poor Vuwani and Livubu areas into a new district authority.
The government says the plan is vital to developing the two communities.
South Africa has a history of violent demonstrations, going back to the days when people protested minority rule and it seems that this attitude still remains, our correspondent says.
People are often so frustrated about the lack of basic services like electricity and water that they resort to vandalism, targeting schools, libraries and even clinics, she adds.
Students march through the campus of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on October 21, 2015, during a protest against fee hikes. Universities in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and other cities have halted lectures during several days of protests against fee increases that many students say will force poor blacks further out of the education system.Image copyrightAFP
Image caption
South Africa has a long history of street protests
The government has often criticised the violence, saying it would leave communities worse off.
Limpopo is one of South Africa's poorest provinces, where the ANC has won previous elections by an overwhelming majority.
The main opposition parties, the Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), hope to weaken the ANC's hold in the province in the August elections.
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
South Sudan peace at risk - monitors
Image copyright AFP
He had been due on Monday to take up the post of first vice-president in a new unity government.
This is a key part of the deal aimed at ending more than two years of conflict.
The US said it was disappointed by Mr Machar's "wilful decision" not to abide by his own commitments.
His team said the delay was caused by logistical and administrative issues and that he planned to return on Wednesday.
A statement from the government on Tuesday had said Mr Machar's return was delayed as "he wanted to come with an arsenal of arms... anti-tanks, laser guided missiles and heavy machine guns".
Chairman of the regional monitors, Botswana's former President Festus Mogae, urged both sides to "ensure that the spirit of reconciliation, compromise and dialogue embodied by the agreement" be protected.
This view had been echoed by US State Department spokesman John Kirby, who said that the US and other partners had gone to great lengths to facilitate Mr Machar's return.
"His failure to go to Juba despite efforts from the international community places the people of South Sudan at risk of further conflict and suffering," he said.
It also undermined "the peace agreement's reform pillars, which are demilitarising South Sudan, injecting transparency of public finances, and pursuing justice and reconciliation, all of which offer South Sudan a chance for renewal," the spokesman added.
The civil war broke out over tensions between President Salva Kiir and Mr Machar, who was sacked as vice-president in July 2013.
Then, in December 2013, Mr Machar was accused of trying to organise a coup. He denied the accusation but it set off a round of tit-for-tat killings, which developed into a full-blown conflict.
The government and the rebels have been slow to implement the peace deal, with reports of ceasefire violations on both sides.
South Sudan: The world's youngest country
- Split from Sudan in July 2011 after an independence referendum
- One of Africa's least-developed economies. Highly oil-dependent
- Relations with Sudan strained by disputes over oil revenue sharing and borders
- Power struggle led to civil war in December 2013
- An estimated 2.2 million fled their homes during conflict
- A tentative, internationally mediated, peace agreement signed in August 2015
Zambia xenophobic riots: Two burned alive in Lusaka
Shops have been broken into and looted
Two people were burned to death on Monday during xenophobic violence in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, police have said in a statement.
The riots started after rumours that Rwandans were behind recent ritual killings in the city.
The two were Zambian nationals killed "in the confusion" Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila reportedly said.
More than 250 people have been arrested after more than 60 Rwandan-owned shops were looted in two days of violence.
The two Zambians had been burned with firewood and vehicle tyres, according to police quoted by the AFP news agency.
Six people have been murdered since March and their body parts removed.
Rumours circulated that the body parts would be used as charms to ensure success in business.
Police spokeswoman Charity Munganga urged Zambians not to believe "false rumours".
"No baby or human body parts were found in any fridge belonging to any foreign national. These statements are coming from people with criminal minds to create alarm among the members of the public and justify their criminality," she said in a statements.
She warned that it was an offence to spread rumours that caused alarm and the police would not hesitate to arrest those doing so "regardless of the medium they are using".
"We are appealing to the members of the public not to believe any statement they see on social media which is not confirmed by the police."
Rwandans are the largest group of immigrants in Zambia, owning shops in the densely populated areas which have been affected by the riots.
Why are 6,000 Rwandans living in Zambia?
In the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, two million ethnic Hutus fled as the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebels captured the capital Kigali in July, ending 100 days of ethnic killings. Some 800,000 people had been slaughtered by Hutu extremists.
Many of those who left settled in camps set up across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
But others continued walking - some across the vast country into Angola, before settling in neighbouring Zambia, in the Meheba refugee camp in north-west of the country where many stayed for nearly two decades.
In July 2013, the UN said it was safe for Rwandans across Africa to go back home, and revoked their refugee status, encouraging voluntary repatriation.
Despite diplomatic efforts and assurances, about 4,000 Rwandans in Zambia do not want to go back - and are trying to get Zambian citizenship.
In the last five years, they have been joined by several hundred Rwandans who say Zambia is more conducive for business, as taxes are not as high as at home.
Rwanda: 100 days of slaughter
The BBC's Meluse Kapatamoyo in Lusaka says the riots began in two poor neighbourhoods on Monday and spread to other areas on Tuesday.
Young men ransacked shops, possibly reflecting growing frustration at the high levels of unemployment and the rising cost of living, our correspondent says.
Riot police had to be deployed and many Rwandans fled to police stations to take shelte
Ms Munganga said police officers were still deployed to all areas. No rioting has been reported on Wednesday.
The violence shocked many Zambians, who say they cannot recall such hostility towards foreigners, our reporter says.
Ritual killings are also rare in in the southern African nation, she says.
The home affairs minister said on Tuesday, after visiting areas hit by the riots, that 11 people had been detained on suspicion of being involved in ritual killing
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Boko Haram attack in Niger kills six soldiers
Boko Haram attack in Niger kills six soldiers
- 31 March 2016
- Africa
Six soldiers from Niger's army were killed in an ambush by Boko Haram militants, the country's interior ministry said.
The attack happened near the town of Diffa close to the border with Nigeria early on Wednesday.
It comes two weeks after a Boko Haram assault on a military convoy in the same area that left one soldier dead.
The Islamist group is based in Nigeria but is being tackled by a multinational force, including soldiers from Niger.
In the latest attack, three other soldiers were wounded. Niger's military deployed aircraft to try and track those responsible soon afterwards.
Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou has been praised in the West for rallying neighbouring countries to fight Boko Haram.
On Wednesday, the country's constitutional court confirmed the result of the second round of presidential elections, which saw Mr Issoufou re-elected with more than 92% of the vote, a result the opposition dismissed.
Mr Issoufou will be sworn in on Saturday.
Boko Haram at a glance:
Boko Haram video- Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
- Launched military operations in 2009
- Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including at least 200 schoolgirls
- Joined so-called Islamic State, now calls itself IS's "West African province"
- Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate
- Regional force has retaken most territory last year
South Africa's Jacob Zuma breached constitution - court
South Africa's Jacob Zuma breached constitution - court
- 2 hours ago
- Africa
AFP
The highest court in South Africa has ruled that President Jacob Zuma violated the constitution when he failed to repay government money spent on his private home.
It gave the treasury 60 days to determine how much he should repay.
The ruling is a victory for the opposition, who said they would push for Mr Zuma's impeachment.
They accuse him of using "ill-gotten wealth" to upgrade his home with a swimming pool and amphitheatre.
Mr Zuma has denied any wrongdoing.
A government statement said he would "reflect" on the judgement and take "appropriate action".
A spokeswoman for the governing African National Congress (ANC) said the party's top six officials, who include Mr Zuma and his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa, would meet to discuss the implications of the ruling, Reuters news agency reports.
Mr Zuma has up to now refused to bow to pressure to resign.
'Mighty sword'
An anti-corruption body, known as the public protector, ruled in 2014 that $23m (£15m) had been spent on his rural home in Nkandla in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province.
AFP
Mr Zuma had "unduly benefited" from the renovations and should repay a portion of the money, the public protector said.
In a unanimous judgement on behalf of the Constitutional Court's 11 judges, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said the public protector was a "Biblical David" fighting against the Goliath of corruption.
Mr Zuma's failure to repay the money was "inconsistent" with the constitution, he added.
"The president failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution," he declared.
Mr Mogoeng added that public officials ignored the constitution at their peril, and should remember that the rule of law was the "sharp and mighty sword that stands ready to chop the ugly head of impunity from its stiffened neck".
What Mr Zuma must pay for
Google- Swimming pool
- Amphitheatre
- Visitor centre
- Cattle enclosure
- Chicken run
The case was brought by two opposition parties, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The EFF called on Mr Zuma to step down while the DA said it would table a motion in parliament to demand his impeachment.
Mr Zuma's term in government has been marred by allegations of corruption and cronyism.
Analysis: Milton Nkosi, BBC Africa, Johannesburg
AFP
It is very difficult to see how the ANC can continue to have President Zuma at the helm, following the stinging rebuke he received from the Constitutional Court.
Opposition parties now plan to strike against the 73-year-old leader, and hope that ANC MPs will vote with them to impeach him. Another option is for the ANC to recall Mr Zuma, as it did with his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, in 2008.
A third option would be to say "better the devil you know" and to stick with Mr Zuma, at least until after this year's crucial local government elections.
As for South Africans, they are celebrating the independence of the Constitutional Court. It has shown that it will protect the public from the abuse of power and will not be a political crony of the government. This is likely to embolden South Africans to continue fighting corruption and demanding accountability from the government.
'Anonymous' hackers cyber-attack Angolan government
'Anonymous' hackers cyber-attack Angolan government
- 30 March 2016
- Africa
PortugalAnon
The hacking collective Anonymous says it has shut down more than 20 Angolan government websites in response to the jailing of 17 youth activists.
Many of the sites were still down 20 hours after the Portuguese branch of the group claimed the cyber-attack in a post on its Facebook page.
Prominent rapper Luaty Beirao and 16 others were convicted on Monday of planning a rebellion against Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
Mr Dos Santos has ruled since 1979.
The activists say they are peaceful campaigners and have called on the veteran leader to step down.
They received jail sentences of between two and eight years.
They were arrested in June after discussing a book about non-violent resistance at their book club.
Beirao, also known by his stage name Ikonoklasta, has been an outspoken critic of the government, calling for a fairer distribution of the former Portuguese colony's oil wealth.
EPA
Critics accuse Mr dos Santos of being authoritarian and his government of committing human rights abuses.
The southern African state is rich in diamonds, which fuelled a 27-year civil war in the country.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Zimbabwe VP Emmerson Mnangagwa's office broken into
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35308230
Intruders have broken into the office of Zimbabwe's vice president - considered President Robert Mugabe's heir apparent - through the ceiling.
Debris from Emmerson Mnangagwa's office ceiling was shown on state TV along with tears to his leather sofa. There was no sign of damage to the door.
The police are investigating, State Security Minister Kembo Mohadi said.
Factions in the governing Zanu-PF party disagree over who should succeed the president. who turns 92 in February.
Celebrations for Mr Mugabe's birthday are to be held in the south-eastern Masvingo province for the first time, local media reported.
Mr Mugabe is currently on holiday with his family in east Asia, his office said.
Surviving Nigeria's Boko Haram
- 7 January 2016
- Africa
More than two million Nigerians have fled their homes seeking refuge from Boko Haram insurgents over the last six years.
One of the largest camps is in a semi-arid field outside the north-eastern town of Dalori, with row-upon-row of white tents stretching for more than a kilometre.
BBC Africa's Jimeh Saleh met some of the 18,000 residents there and heard how they have survived attacks by the Islamist militant group and how they are now coping.
Mai Mutti
One of the most noticeable figures in Dalori camp, Mr Mutti limps around using wooden crutches.
The 55-year-old former businessman fled Bama with thousands of others after the militants ransacked the town in 2014.
His left leg was hit by a bullet, leaving his foot dangling.
"I was in bed when they came at dawn; I was nursing the gunshot wound they inflicted on me in an earlier attack," he said.
The insurgents killed his 24-year-old son and also kidnapped his two daughters.
He now lives in Dalori with his two wives, 10 other children and three grandchildren.
The horror he and his neighbours have experienced are concealed by their cheerful children.
Under-18s make up the majority of the camp residents - scampering about, often unaware of the past tragedies and the challenges ahead.
"Tomorrow you shall come again, come again, come again," they chant.
But malnutrition, malaria and other infections are widespread.
"This is by far the worst thing I have seen in my life," said 60-year-old Noah Bwala, the camp clinician.
Ma'aji Modu:
One of the cooks at the camp kitchen is Mrs Modu, who still does not know the fate of her husband and eight children.
Some of her offspring were taken by militants from her home in the town of Bama and others were kidnapped in school.
"I cry each time I remember them," she says.
She was given the cooking job on compassionate grounds after the camp officials took pity on her because she is without her family.
Ya Ammuna
Among the camp elders is Mrs Ammuna, who says she is 100 years old.
The widow and former milk seller is still pained by the loss of her two houses to Boko Haram in Bama.
The keys to the houses were seized at gun point by the Islamist fighters, she said.
But she is hopeful that now that the army has recaptured most territory previously under Boko Haram control, the soldiers will be able to take her back home when it is safe to return.
Mr and Mrs Modu Bulama
Despite the gloom of Dalori, some residents still find time to fall in love.
Thirty-five-year-old Modu Bulama came to the camp after his wife and two children were killed by Boko Haram.
Whilst helping with the distribution of relief material to camp residents, he met a woman who had lost her husband in the conflict.
After exchanging their experiences, he asked her to marry him.
But being in the camp has not stopped tradition, and he had to raise $50 (£34) for the bride price of the woman, who did not want to give her name.
Boko Haram at a glance:
- Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
- Launched military operations in 2009
- Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including at least 200 schoolgirls
- Joined so-called Islamic State, now calls itself IS's "West African province"
- Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate
- Regional force has retaken most territory this year
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