News Room

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has not publicly stated why Inspector General Joseph Shikongo was removed, but the decision comes in the wake of a serious State House security lapse in which an intruder slipped into the President’s private quarters without detection. The breach triggered swift and widespread outrage. Among the critics was former Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga, who said the incident laid bare “catastrophic weaknesses” across the police chain of command. Shikongo, 62, had led the force since…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s low-key weekend trip to Zimbabwe carried a sharp warning for Emmerson Mnangagwa, according to former ally Rutendo Matinyarare: drop any plan to dismiss Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and rethink Constitutional Amendment Bill No.3, the measure seen as paving the way for Mnangagwa to stay beyond his two-term limit. Ramaphosa visited Mnangagwa at Precabe Farm in Kwekwe, where he was photographed alongside a tight circle of the Zimbabwean leader’s allies who back the proposed…

Botswana’s struggle to contain foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is tightening the screws on the national economy and rural livelihoods, with beef exports taking a major hit and access to the European Union market lost, Agriculture Minister Edwin Dikoloti said. "In Botswana, many households depend on cattle for income and food; therefore, any disruption affects entire communities," the minister said. He added that the government is shifting its approach to deepen collaboration with partners, notably the private sector and…

In a decisive intervention, the national government has taken full control of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), with Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela placing the entity under administration amid mounting governance turmoil. Manamela said the move follows a protracted spell of governance failures, legal disputes and operational fragilities that have eroded NSFAS’s stability and credibility. The board has been rocked by multiple resignations, including that of its chairperson, while…

A stark warning from the International Monetary Fund says sweeping global aid cutbacks have pushed Malawi onto a financial knife-edge, exposing deep-seated frailties in the country’s economic management. For years, the nation has leaned heavily on donor support to finance vital development programs and routine government operations. The IMF’s latest report on Sub-Saharan Africa notes that assistance to the region fell by 16 to 28 percent in 2025. This funding gap lands as Malawi contends with a debt-to-GDP ratio above 90…

Tanzania and Rwanda have moved to tighten ties, with Presidents Samia Suluhu Hassan and Paul Kagame vowing to expand cooperation that prioritizes trade facilitation, infrastructure links, and broader regional integration. The initiative is intended to speed up Rwanda’s transit logistics through the Port of Dar es Salaam, a lifeline that handles about 70% of the landlocked country’s imports and exports—some 1.6 million tonnes of cargo each year. President Samia said Tanzania is ready to deepen relations by dismantling…

Zimbabwe will overhaul its assessment regime in 2027, compelling every school to use a single national examinations framework. Under the plan, all learners will be required to sit tests set by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC). Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said the reform targets the country’s entrenched dual track. For years, many of Zimbabwe’s elite private institutions have focused almost exclusively on Cambridge Assessment International Education, sidelining ZIMSEC. The new…

The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation has sounded the alarm over a widening wealth gap across the continent, warning that economic gains are increasingly captured by a small elite while large numbers of workers grapple with rising living costs and shrinking opportunities.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said at least 17 Sudanese refugees have drowned after a boat sank in the Mediterranean, in one of the latest deadly attempts to reach Europe. The craft reportedly held 33 people; authorities have confirmed seven survivors and listed nine others as missing. Since the 2023 outbreak of war in Sudan, over 500,000 Sudanese have crossed into Libya in search of safety. Experts caution that for many migrants, Libya functions less as a destination than as a "waiting room" before attempting the hazardous…

Echoing through the streets of Johannesburg and Pretoria, wave after wave of self-styled civic groups has marched in recent years with near-identical grievances. The banners and leaders may rotate, and the slogans get a fresh coat of paint, yet the refrain rarely shifts. From Operation Dudula to the more recent Put South Africans First, along with the Fiyela Movement, the All Truck Drivers Foundation, and several predecessors, the pattern endures. The labels evolve; the message persists, writes Jan Bornman for Our City News…