Malawi’s power crunch is deepening, electricity officials have warned Parliament, as the national grid struggles to keep pace with soaring demand while being hobbled by frequent equipment failures, fuel shortfalls, and aging infrastructure. Representatives of the nation’s electricity company told lawmakers that Malawi is generating far less power than it requires, describing a system under strain from breakdowns and obsolete equipment even as consumption continues to climb.

Zimbabwe’s opposition politics and civil society circles are mourning the death of Linda Masarira, an outspoken human rights activist and party leader, who has died aged 43. Masarira founded and led the Labour Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) in 2019. Tributes have begun to pour in from those who worked alongside her. Close friend Abigale Mupambi remembered Masarira as a “comrade to many,” reflecting the breadth of her relationships across activism and political organising. Over the past decade, Masarira became…

On the front lines of a fast-moving epidemic, health workers say they are racing against time with scarce supplies. "We are trying to fight the disease with the equipment and resources available in order to save our people, who have already suffered from insecurity for a long time and now face a new ordeal," said Chérubin Radjabu, a nurse in the outbreak area. The outbreak is unfolding in conflict-affected areas and against a backdrop of global aid cuts and a fraught political climate in the country—factors that could…

In a significant twist to a long-running legal saga, Minister of Justice Mmamoloko Kubayi said Home Affairs would lift the five-year entry ban on Nigerian evangelist Pastor Timothy Omotoso if the National Prosecuting Authority succeeds in its attempt to appeal his acquittal on sexual offences charges. Omotoso was declared an undesirable person in South Africa and handed a five-year ban in May 2025, after which he left the country voluntarily. The move came on the heels of his acquittal following a seven-year trial on…

Seasoned political negotiator Roelf Meyer formally presented his credentials to President Donald Trump on Thursday, stepping in as South Africa’s new ambassador to the US at a moment when political relations between the two countries remain frosty.

South Africa will begin offering the twice-yearly HIV prevention shot lenacapavir (LEN) on June 5, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced, hailing a major step forward in the fight against the virus. For individuals who are HIV-negative, the long-acting injection has proven to be almost completely effective at preventing sexual transmission. But new drugs alone won’t end the epidemic, argue Mitchell Warren, executive director of the international health advocacy group AVAC, and Wawira Nyagah, executive director of…

In a milestone moment for victims of Libya's long-running violence, the International Criminal Court has opened a three-day hearing for Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, who stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. El Hishri is the first individual from Libya to be brought before the ICC since the United Nations Security Council sent the Libyan situation to the court's prosecutor in 2011, marking a significant step in efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for atrocities committed during the country's…

Rwandan opposition figure Victoire Ingabire is back in court for a second trial, this time accused of inciting public unrest and joining a criminal organization. She appears alongside nine co-defendants, most of whom are fellow members of her party, Development and Liberty for All (DALFA-Umurinzi). Ingabire was freed in September 2018 by a presidential pardon from President Paul Kagame after serving 8 years of a 15-year sentence.

A family feud has spilled into the courts: Wicknell Chivayo’s former mother-in-law, Tabitha Madzikanda, has been arrested on suspicion of fraud, accused of attempting to divert U.S.$1.4 million from a trust established for her grandchildren. Madzikanda, who works at FBC Bank, allegedly tried to recruit colleagues to remove Chivayo as a signatory on a US$5 million account, after which they purportedly sought to channel the funds into a property development project involving the construction of cluster houses. Her arrest…

After coordinated protests by the anti-immigrant group March and March targeting undocumented migrants in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban, Human Rights Watch urged South African authorities to act decisively. South Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch Nomathamsanqa Masiko-Mpaka said authorities "should intensify efforts to address anti-immigrant sentiments and violence to ensure the safety and protection of at-risk foreign nationals in the country," calling for stronger measures to curb hostility and safeguard…