Here are the top stories from Africa: South Africa has expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics, a move that could place the continent on the global sports stage once again.
In Nigeria, President Tinubu has banned homosexuality, body piercing, and tattoos in the military, sparking widespread debate. Meanwhile, Mohbad’s private autopsy has been completed, with calls for the case to be reopened gaining momentum.
In Ghana, John Mahama has been sworn in as president and has already nominated his first set of ministers while ordering the return of diplomatic and service passports.
Across the continent, the 2025 African elections are drawing attention, with several countries gearing up for pivotal polls. Lastly, the World Health Organization has reported eight deaths in a suspected Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania, raising health concerns in the region.
Check out all the top stories below:
MOZAMBIQUE’S NEW PRESIDENT, DANIEL CHAPO, SWORN IN AMID PROTESTS
Daniel Chapo was sworn in as Mozambique’s president on Wednesday (15th Jan) during a ceremony in Maputo, following a highly contested October 2024 election.
During his inauguration speech in Maputo, Chapo told the party supporters that maintaining stability would be his top priority. He vowed to end the civil unrest that has claimed 300 lives in clashes with police while also committing to reducing ministries, creating jobs for young people, and enhancing health and education services.
Meanwhile, the country’s opposition party calls for continued protests against the election results.
Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who came back from self-imposed exile just days ago, vowed to “paralyze” the country ahead of Chapo’s swearing-in.
“This regime does not want peace,” said Mondlane in an address on Facebook Tuesday, adding that members of his team were met with bullets on the streets this week.
“We’ll protest every single day. If it means paralyzing the country for the entire term, we will paralyze it for the entire term,” Mondlane said.
JOHN MAHAMA SWORN IN AS GHANA’S PRESIDENT AND NOMINATES FIRST SET OF MINISTERS
John Mahama was sworn in for his second term as Ghana’s president on Tuesday (7th Jan) at a ceremony in Accra, with nearly 20 African leaders present.
In the presidential election held on December 9, Mahama won 56% of the vote, surpassing Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who earned 41%.
Mahama wasted no time in starting his efforts to revive Ghana’s economy, submitting his first 60 (now reduced to 32) ministerial nominees to parliament.
The reduction, from 30 to 23 ministers, comes into play as part of Mahama’s plan to reduce the cost of governance. This move supports his campaign promise of establishing a smaller government and aligns with the austerity measures required by Ghana’s $3 billion loan from the IMF in 2023.
Several ministries, including sanitation, information, railway, and national security, have been abolished, while others, such as works, housing, and water resources, along with trade, agribusiness, and industry, have been merged and reorganized.
PRESIDENT MAHAMA ORDERS RETURN OF DIPLOMATIC AND SERVICE PASSPORTS
President John Dramani Mahama has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to retrieve all Diplomatic and Service passports by January 24, 2025, and reissue them to those who qualify.
In a statement signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama, the Executive Secretary to the President, the government clarified that the passport recall is part of its effort to ensure official travel documents are used and managed correctly, following both national and international guidelines. The statement was also sent to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The recall aims to prevent misuse, protect the country’s image, and uphold diplomatic integrity. The presidency has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to notify holders of Diplomatic and Service passports from the previous administration to return them for verification and re-issuance if necessary.
A compliance deadline of January 24, 2025, has been set, and a verification process will be carried out to ensure the passports meet current eligibility standards.
SOUTH AFRICA INTERESTED IN HOSTING THE 2036 OLYMPICS

South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, announced that the country is now interested in hosting the 2036 Olympics and Paralympics.
Gayton McKenzie wrapped up a meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, during his working visit to Europe last year.
Following discussions with the IOC, Minister McKenzie highlighted the significance of the moment, saying, “We are at the start of an exciting new process that could lead to South Africa hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.”
South Africa’s interest in hosting a Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games has now been lodged with the IOC, and a study will decide the best location. The Minister will update Cabinet before moving forward with an official bid.
TINUBU BANS HOMOSEXUALITY, BODY PIERCING, TATTOOS IN MILITARY

President Bola Tinubu has officially approved a ban on homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, and cross-dressing within the Nigerian Armed Forces, reinforcing strict adherence to military ethics.
These activities are now considered serious violations of the values and standards required of military personnel.
The directive was included in Section 26 of the updated Harmonized Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service (HAF-TACOS), which President Tinubu signed into law on December 16, 2024.
As per the document, military officers are strictly forbidden from engaging in activities or connecting with groups associated with the LGBTQIA2S+ community. It also places restrictions on cross-dressing, body piercings, and tattoos.
8 DEAD IN SUSPECTED MARBURG VIRUS OUTBREAK IN TANZANIA, WHO SAYS

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a suspected outbreak of the Marburg virus in northwest Tanzania, where nine people have been infected and eight have died. This comes just weeks after a similar outbreak was declared over in neighboring Rwanda.
The Marburg virus, a highly fatal hemorrhagic fever with a mortality rate of up to 88%, belongs to the same family as Ebola. It is transmitted to humans through contact with fruit bats, which are common in East Africa.
According to the WHO, reliable reports of suspected cases emerged on January 10 from Tanzania’s Kagera region. Symptoms reported include severe headache, high fever, back pain, diarrhea, vomiting blood, muscle weakness, and external bleeding in the later stages.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that tests are underway at Tanzania’s national laboratory on samples from two suspected Marburg virus cases. The contacts of the patients, including medical staff, have been traced and are being monitored for symptoms.
This new potential outbreak follows the recent Marburg crisis in Rwanda, which borders Tanzania’s Kagera region. The outbreak in Rwanda affected 66 individuals, resulting in 15 deaths, before it was officially declared over on December 20.
Marburg virus spreads through direct contact with infected individuals, including through blood, bodily fluids, and contaminated personal items like bedding or clothing. A similar outbreak in the Kagera region in March 2023 lasted for two months, leading to six deaths.
82 MINERS SAVED, 36 FOUND DEAD IN SOUTH AFRICA MINE RESCUE

A rescue operation at an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, led to the extraction of 118 illegal miners, with 36 fatalities confirmed. The operation, which spanned Monday and Tuesday, has been ongoing, as the authorities continue to recover individuals trapped in the mine.
As of Tuesday afternoon, at 4:00 pm, “a total of 118 illegal miners have been extracted,” said Athlenda Mathe, national spokesperson for the South African Police Service.
Mathe reported that the first day of rescue operations, which began on Monday, led to the safe recovery of 35 illegal miners, with nine confirmed dead. The following day, “a total of 83 illegal miners have been extracted: 56 alive and 27 certified dead.”
She added that “all 82 individuals arrested are facing charges of illegal mining, trespassing and contravention of the Immigration Act.”
On Tuesday, South African Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu visited the mine to monitor the rescue efforts. Mantashe called the incident in Stilfontein a criminal act, labeling it “an attack by foreigners.”
The ongoing crisis at Stilfontein, which has seen more than 1,500 illegal miners surface, also led to the retrieval of at least eight bodies in late 2024, with many miners suspected to be from neighboring regions.
MOHBAD’S PRIVATE AUTOPSY COMPLETE, GROUP CALLS FOR CASE REOPENING
The family of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad, has completed a private autopsy and toxicology to determine the cause of his death, PUNCH Metro reports.
Mohbad passed on September 12, 2023, and was buried the next day, but his body was exhumed on September 21, 2023, by the police for an autopsy.
In May 2024, the pathologist in charge of the examination stated that they could not determine the cause of death due to the decomposition of the body.
PUNCH reports that the Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu, Lagos State, authorized the family to carry out an independent autopsy and toxicology test on Mohbad in June 2024. The family had requested the independent examination, citing concerns over the unclear circumstances surrounding his death.
This decision from the court came after the Lagos State Government’s earlier autopsy was declared inconclusive and subsequently dismissed by the family.
A source close to the family told PUNCH Metro on Thursday that “the private autopsy has been concluded and the result is currently with the forensic pathologist contracted by the family,” noting that “the result was ready since December and the pathologist is waiting to present it in court.”
GHANA LAUNCHES PROBE INTO $400 MILLION CATHEDRAL PROJECT
New President John Mahama has pledged to investigate the $400 million national cathedral project, which has become controversial amidst Ghana’s economic crisis. The initiative, promised by former President Akufo-Addo in gratitude for his party’s 2016 victory, has divided public opinion, with growing calls to abandon it.
Despite claims that the national cathedral would be privately financed, $58 million in taxpayer funds has been spent, with the project stalled at a giant crater on prime land in central Accra.
This plot, formerly housing key state facilities, was intended for a Christian worship space, a Bible museum, and a national conference center to reflect Ghana’s deeply religious heritage.
Speaking at a thanksgiving service on Sunday, Mahama stated that “the commission on human rights and administrative justice (CHRAJ) directed government to audit the project and investigate any misuse of public funds. We would soon activate such an investigation into the project.”
CLASHES ESCALATE BETWEEN M23 REBELS AND CONGO’S ARMY IN THE EAST
As fighting escalates in eastern Congo, the army reported over the weekend that it had driven M23 rebels out of South Kivu and regained control of several important towns in North and South Kivu, AP reports.
The Congolese army reported recapturing towns like Ngungu, Bitagata, Ruzirantaka, Lumbishi, Kamatale, and Kabingo, but rebels still control parts of the region, including Masisi Center.
Alongside renewed military operations in North Kivu, the region continues to face ongoing attacks by the ISIS-linked ADF, whose recent raids resulted in the deaths of 12 civilians and further worsened the already dire situation of violence and displacement.
“They [the rebels] have seen their adventure come to a halt by the FARDC,” Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko, army spokesman in North Kivu, told reporters, listing the other recovered towns as Lumbishi, Ruzirantaka, Kamatale, Bitagata and Kabingo.
“All over there, they have been pushed back,” Kaiko said on Sunday, attributing the victories to a joint military operation led by the commanders of the provinces.
For decades, conflict in eastern Congo has seen more than 100 armed groups competing for territory, displacing over 7 million people, with 100,000 forced to flee this year alone.
source: AFP
2025 AFRICAN ELECTIONS
In 2025, Africa will witness a wave of elections, with over 10 countries preparing to cast their votes. Presidential races in Tanzania, Malawi, Cameroon, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire are expected to dominate the political spotlight.
General elections will also be held in Seychelles, Togo, and the Central African Republic, while legislative polls are planned for Burundi, Comoros, and Egypt. These events promise to shape governance across the continent.
Election Calendar Highlights:
- January 12: Comoros kicks off with legislative elections.
- June 5: Burundi holds legislative elections.
- September 16: Malawi hosts its national elections.
- September 27: Seychelles conducts national elections.
- October 5: Cameroon’s presidential elections are scheduled.
With such a busy electoral calendar, 2025 promises to be a pivotal year for Africa’s political landscape.
CHINA PLEDGES $136 MILLION IN MILITARY AID DURING AFRICAN TOUR
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi wrapped up his Africa tour on Thursday after visiting Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Chad, and Nigeria. During his stop in Abuja, he met with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, emphasizing China’s continued dedication to its partnership with Africa.
After meeting with Tinubu, Wang stated, “China will firmly support Africans in addressing African issues in the African way. African people are the real masters of this continent.”
Wang announced during the visit that China would provide one billion yuan ($136 million) in military assistance to Africa. He further pledged to train 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police officers, stressing China’s focus on strengthening regional stability.
During his visit to Nigeria, Wang emphasized China’s backing of the country’s leadership role in the region. “China supports Nigeria in rallying countries in the region to achieve strength through unity, build synergy through reconciliation, and promote security through cooperation,” he stated.
GHANA NOW OFFERS VISA-FREE ACCESS TO ALL AFRICAN TRAVELERS
In his final state-of-the-nation address, Former President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo confirmed that starting this year, all African passport holders can visit Ghana without the need for a visa.
This initiative is part of the broader push for visa-free travel across the continent, which is viewed as essential for fostering economic ties and pan-African unity, with Ghana joining Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin in offering this policy.
WORLD RECORD HOLDER RUTH CHEPNGETICH TO RUN 2025 LONDON MARATHON

World record-holder Ruth Chepngetich is set to run the TCS London Marathon on April 27, targeting another world record in the UK.
At the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2024, Chepngetich made a groundbreaking achievement by becoming the first woman to finish a marathon in under 2:10.
The Kenyan clocked a time of 2:09:56, breaking the previous record by nearly two minutes, which had been held by Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia in 2023.
Having won the Chicago Marathon three times and secured marathon gold at the 2019 World Championships, Chepngetich will now set her sights on the TCS London Marathon, where she will face Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and defending London champion Peres Jepchirchir in what promises to be an exciting contest.
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