As we wrap up the week here are the top stories from Africa. Stevie Wonder secures Ghanaian citizenship, East Africa faces internet disruption due to undersea cable cut, Zimbabwe to allow previously banned mobile money agents to operate and boost new ZIG currency.
South Africa approves over 5,000 local and international observers to monitor upcoming elections, while Uganda suspends hiking to Margherita Peak in Rwenzori.
In Kenya, the death toll from floods rises to 289.
STEVIE WONDER SECURES GHANAIAN CITIZENSHIP
Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has granted legendary musician Stevie Wonder Ghanaian citizenship.
Stevie Wonder, accompanied by his family, confirmed his decision to permanently relocate to Ghana during the ceremony at Jubilee House. He cited political turmoil in the U.S. as the reason for his move to the West African country.
Stevie Wonder now holds dual citizenship of both America and Ghana while staying in Ghana with his family.
EAST AFRICA’S INTERNET DISRUPTED BY UNDERSEA CABLE CUT
On Sunday, internet connectivity suffered disruptions in several east and southern African nations, according to the internet observatory Netblocks. The incident was attributed to failures affecting the Seacom and EASSy subsea cable systems.
According to Netblocks on the social media platform X, Tanzania and the French island of Mayotte faced significant disruptions in internet connectivity. Meanwhile, Mozambique and Malawi experienced moderate impacts.
Cloudflare, a company that monitors internet trends, reported ongoing internet disruptions in Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar. These disruptions were attributed to faults in the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and SEACOM cables.
AMERICAN EXPRESS ROLLING OUT NEW CREDIT CARDS IN NIGERIA
This week, American Express introduced four new credit cards in Nigeria as part of its efforts to establish a strong presence in Africa’s growing credit market.
The new credit cards from American Express, which are in dollars, are made for both people and businesses. They were created with O3 Capital, a company in Lagos, Nigeria, that has been making cards for ten years.
O3, previously offering credit cards only in naira, will now directly lend to Nigerian customers for the new dollar-denominated cards, while American Express contributes lending expertise, security, access to a global network of 89 million merchants, and membership benefits.
SOUTH AFRICA RECORDS FIRST CASE OF MONKEYPOX (MPOX)
South Africa has reported at least one case of monkeypox (Mpox) in the Gauteng province.
The Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, stated that the case involves a 35-year-old male residing in Gauteng province, who tested positive for monkeypox on May 9, 2024, with no recent travel history.
This case was first tested by Lancet Laboratory, a leading pathology laboratory in the country, and later confirmed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
Mpox (monkeypox) is an acute illness characterized by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin.
ZIM WILL ALLOW PREVIOUSLY BANNED MOBILE MONEY AGENTS TO OPERATE AGAIN AND BOOST NEW ZIG CURRENCY
To boost the use of its new gold-backed currency, Zimbabwe has decided to permit mobile money agents to operate once more. These agents, once criticized for contributing to the collapse of the country’s previous currency, will now be allowed to function again.
Zimbabwe’s Treasury proposed allowing Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Ltd., NetOne, and Telecel’s agents to resume operations to boost the ZiG currency’s usage and regulate the unofficial market.
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Ltd. is founded by tycoon Strive Masiyiwa, while NetOne and Telecel are state-owned.
The ZiG, which stands for Zimbabwe Gold, was introduced on 5 April. It marks Zimbabwe’s sixth attempt at establishing a stable local currency in 15 years. The ZiG replaced the Zimbabwean dollar, which had lost 80% of its value against the US dollar this year.
Thousands of agents were banned in July 2020 due to accusations of charging premiums on transactions, which were blamed for contributing to the collapse of the Zimbabwean dollar, although Econet’s Ecocash denied any wrongdoing.
Going forward, the agents, as per Deputy Finance Minister Kuda Mnangagwa, will serve as bureaux de change, assisting the public in accessing small amounts of foreign currency for daily transactions.
“This means if you have an Econet line and if you register for Ecocash you can convert from ZiG to US dollars or from US dollars to ZiG at the official exchange rate,” he told lawmakers in parliament last week. “That is the first part to allow inter-changeability without having to go to the streets.”
4 RESCUED; OTHERS STILL TRAPPED AFTER HALF-DEMOLISHED BUILDING COLLAPSES IN KENYA
In Kenya, a police officer reported that on Tuesday, four individuals were rescued from the debris of a collapsed residential building in the Kiamaiko area of the capital, Nairobi.
Speaking on this incident, Nairobi County Police Commander Adamson Bungei mentioned that three of the rescued individuals were transported to a nearby health facility, while one with minor injuries received treatment at the scene.
Additionally, he stated that the search and rescue operation for more possible victims is ongoing.
According to witnesses, at least 10 people were searching for scrap metals in the building, which had been marked for demolition by government officials, when it collapsed unexpectedly.
Local residents identified the collapsed building as one of many slated for demolition due to severe flooding damaging structures near rivers, sparking protests in the area and calls for alternative housing for affected individuals.
WHO: 39 PEOPLE DIE FROM MEASLES IN SOUTH SUDAN SINCE JANUARY
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), South Sudan has recorded 39 measles-related deaths since January, with a case fatality rate of 1.7 percent.
In a report released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, the UN health agency stated that there have been 2,271 suspected cases of measles, with 146 cases confirmed by laboratory tests.
Per the report, “the observed surge in suspected measles cases, with a peak in week 10 and a steady decline since then, indicates an effective increase in interruption efforts.”
The WHO emphasized the need for better sample collection and testing to accurately diagnose measles cases, as there is a significant difference between suspected and confirmed cases. Improving these areas will help in investigating outbreaks more precisely and directing public health efforts effectively, the report stated.
NIGERIA: 14 KIDNAPPED STUDENTS RESCUED
In Nigeria’s central region, government forces rescued 14 abduction victims, including nine university students taken hostage by gunmen on Thursday night, May 9.
The Kogi State Command of the Nigeria Police confirmed that the rescued students from Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, were abducted by unknown gunmen while on campus preparing for their first semester examinations.
SOUTH AFRICA: IEC APPROVES OVER 5,000 LOCAL + INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TO MONITOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS
Ahead of the upcoming 29th May elections in South Africa, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced on Tuesday that it has approved over 5,000 local and international observers to monitor the process.
Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo stated that training for 202,500 voting officials, who will oversee the electoral process at voting stations, is almost finished.
“The Commission is pleased to share that a record 160 organizations with 5,000 observers domestically and from around the world will be observing South Africa’s 2024 general elections. About 15 of these observer organizations are international and include the African Union, the Carter Center Democracy Program, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance,” Mamabolo said.
Additionally, he mentioned that 76,580 voters residing abroad will participate in the elections on May 17 and 18 at the country’s 111 foreign missions.
TANZANIA: OVER 1,800 CHOLERA CASES REPORTED IN THE PAST 9 MONTHS
Between July 2023 and March 2024, at least 1,853 cases of cholera were reported in 16 regions of Tanzania’s mainland, according to Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu’s report to the parliament on Monday.
“The outbreak of cholera was the only outbreak of an epidemic that was hugely reported compared to any other epidemic during the period under review,” said Mwalimu without revealing the number of fatalities.
Mwalimu said the outbreak of the disease was reported in Mara, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Kigoma, Kagera, Singida, Simiyu, Shinyanga, Tabora, Ruvuma and Mwanza regions.
UGANDA SUSPENDS HIKING TO MARGHERITA PEAK IN RWENZORI
Following the formation of a crevasse in the glaciers, Uganda has temporarily suspended hiking activities to the highest peak of Mount Rwenzori, which it shares with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), responsible for wildlife conservation, announced the suspension in a statement on Tuesday.
The suspension affects Margherita Peak, which stands at a height of 5,109 meters above sea level.
“The decision comes as a precautionary measure after a comprehensive assessment conducted by our team in response to reports of a crevasse formation in the Margherita glacier,” stated the agency, defining a crevasse as a deep crack in glaciers.
KENYA FLOODS: DEATH TOLL IN KENYA RISES TO 289
The death toll from the floods in Kenya has risen to 289, with an additional 12 people losing their lives due to weeks of heavy rainfall.
Last week the death toll was standing at 238.
According to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, the heavy rains have led to devastating floods and landslides, displacing 285,600 people.
Additionally, 412,336 others have been affected by the severe weather.
“Transport, housing, education, health, and agriculture are the most affected sectors by the floods,” the ministry said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
The heavy rains, worsened by the El Nino weather phenomenon, have brought chaos to Kenya. As a result, the government is assessing road damage and mobilizing resources for repairs, while some schools remain closed due to flood-related damage.
Share your thoughts on this article and join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
