Author: WAJ Team

Reaching the home of 79-year-old Matlohang Moloi involves a steep ascent through the mountainous terrain that defines Lesotho’s high elevation. As a mother of ten, Matlohang welcomes visitors into her meticulously maintained home, showcasing photos of her large family. The discussion revolves around her eldest son, Tlohang. At the age of 38, Tlohang became part of a disheartening statistic: Lesotho, known as the kingdom in the sky, has the highest suicide rate globally. Matlohang remembers her son as a loving individual who had confided in her about his mental health struggles. She recalls him mentioning, on the day he took…

Burundi has joined Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania in implementing the ONA, a system that effectively cuts down on high telecommunications expenses in the region. Effective August 1, 2024, the East African Community (EAC) One Network Area (ONA) has been extended to include Burundi. The Burundi Telecommunications Regulation and Control Agency (ACRT) announced on July 29, 2024, that new regional roaming rates will apply starting August 1, 2024, in line with Decree No. 100/202 issued on October 2, 2023, regarding Burundi’s integration into the EAC ONA. Burundi now joins Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania in the…

A Tunisian court has sentenced several prospective presidential candidates to prison and prohibited them from participating in the upcoming election. This decision, reported by local media, politicians, and a lawyer, is seen by critics as an effort to eliminate key challengers to President Kais Saied in the October vote. The court’s ruling on Monday involved well-known figures such as politician Abdel Latif Mekki, activist Nizar Chaari, Judge Mourad Massoudi, and another candidate, Adel Dou. Lawyer Mokthar Jmai informed Reuters that each of the four received an eight-month prison term and was barred from running for office due to allegations of…

A 36-year-old resident of Magopane ward, Ramotswa, who is implicated in a series of 15 rape cases, appeared before Extension II Magistrates Court today to answer to a new charge of sexual assault. Gomolemo Leeto is accused of raping a 30-year-old woman from Moeng ward in Ramotswa on July 28 this year. In court, it was reported that during the attack, Leeto recognized the victim and tried to strangle her. However, she managed to escape and report the crime to the police, leading to his arrest. Investigating officer Lucas Tibone disclosed that upon Leeto’s arrest, it was found that he…

For South Africa’s new government of national unity (GNU), addressing the country’s energy crisis is the most pressing and critical priority. Persistent power outages, locally known as “load-shedding,” have severely impacted the South African economy. These scheduled blackouts can leave households without electricity for hours at a time. The economic effects are substantial: consultants PwC estimate that load-shedding likely reduced potential real GDP growth by five percentage points in 2022, while the South Africa Reserve Bank forecasts a 0.6 percentage point reduction in GDP growth for this year. The frustration and inconvenience experienced by South Africans are significant but hard…

On Friday, the High Court in Pretoria ruled that the Afrikaner-only township of Kleinfontein, located in the eastern part of the city, is illegal. The court found that the approximately 650 residents of the township are unlawfully occupying the land. It was determined that Kleinfontein Aandeleblok (Edms) Bpk, the entity overseeing the township, had violated the law by permitting shareholders to use the land for residential purposes without meeting necessary legal requirements. The court has directed the City of Tshwane to promptly enforce all relevant planning and building regulations concerning the Kleinfontein settlement. Although criminal prosecution is a potential course…

On Monday night, eight suspected criminals who were allegedly preparing to carry out a cash-in-transit robbery were killed in a gunfight with police in Town Two, Khayelitsha. Brigadier Novela Potelwa from the Western Cape police reported that a combined team of Hawks members, intelligence officers, Special Task Force operatives, and security personnel had been investigating leads on a potential robbery. When the team closed in on the suspects, the individuals opened fire, leading to a shoot-out where eight suspects were killed and five others were taken into custody. The police recovered seven AK-47 rifles, two R5 rifles, four additional firearms,…

The M23 rebels have taken control of the Ishasha border, forcing Congolese government security officials to flee to the Ugandan side in Kanungu District. This is the third major border post captured by the M23 rebels from the Congolese government, following the takeovers of Bunagana in June 2022 and Kitagoma in October 2022, both near Uganda’s Kisoro District. M23 spokesperson Lt Col Willy Ngoma confirmed the capture of the Ishasha border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on August 5, 2024. Lt Col Ngoma confirmed in a phone interview that their forces took over the Ishasha border post in…

Rwanda has uniquely maintained progress in implementing the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and meeting the Malabo declaration commitments, which aim to be fulfilled by 2025. The Malabo declaration, adopted in June 2014 by African Union (AU) leaders in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, aims to accelerate agricultural development and secure food availability across Africa. Upon adopting the declaration, African nations committed to seven key objectives, including increasing agricultural investment, with a target for governments to allocate 10 percent of their annual national budgets to agriculture from 2015 to 2025. Additionally, the declaration includes goals to eliminate hunger in Africa by…

Unhappy Zimbabweans living in South Africa plan to protest in Pretoria on Tuesday, August 6, heading to the Zimbabwean embassy in response to a significant hike in passport fees. The Zimbabwean consulate in Johannesburg announced on July 26 that the passport price would increase from R3,100 to over R4,500, nearly a 50% rise. This announcement prompted over 1,000 Zimbabweans to sign a petition requesting the government to reconsider the decision. The demonstration will start at 10 a.m., with participants gathering at an open area on Madiba Street and Stanza Bopape Street.The protest route will begin at the gathering point, proceed…

According to the railway transport news portal Railway Supply, Gabon’s government and the Société d’exploitation du Transgabonais (SETRAG) have reached an agreement for the second phase of upgrading the Trans-Gabon Railway. This 648 km railway connects Libreville, the capital on the Atlantic coast, with Franceville in the southeastern part of the country. The upgrades will take place along the stretches from Ndjolé to Alamba and from Mvengué to Franceville. As part of the modernization, new rails weighing 60 kg/m will be installed, replacing the old 50 kg/m rails, and wooden sleepers will be replaced with two-block concrete ones. The total…

On Monday, Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi urged a frank dialogue on drug trafficking and its impact in Eastern and Southern Africa. Addressing the third high-level meeting of the Eastern and Southern African Commission on Drugs (ESACD) in Maputo, Nyusi called for both policy reforms and increased regional collaboration. He emphasized the need to confront uncomfortable truths about the drug trade, stating, “Some individuals gain wealth from the suffering of others, and we must act decisively to stop this.” Nyusi stressed the importance of direct and open discussions, warning that delays can lead to adverse outcomes. He highlighted that investing in…

On Monday, the federal government issued a travel alert advising its citizens who are planning to visit the United Kingdom. In a statement issued by Amb. Eche Abu-Obe, the spokesperson for the Minister of Interior, the government highlighted the heightened risk of violence linked to recent riots in the UK. The statement cautioned that “the recent riots in the UK have led to an increased risk of violence and disorder.” It advised Nigerian travelers to the UK to be “extra cautious and take necessary precautions.” Nigerians are urged to avoid political demonstrations, protests, rallies, marches, crowded locations, and large gatherings.…

Despite President Bola Tinubu’s appeal for dialogue, protesters continued their nationwide demonstrations against hardship and hunger for the fourth consecutive day on Monday, August 5. The demonstrators, advocating for improved economic conditions and governance, took to the streets across the country, disregarding the president’s request to halt the protests. Moreover, the organizers of the “End Bad Governance in Nigeria” movement have scheduled an international press conference for August 5 at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos State. Omoyele Sowore, who has run for president twice and is viewed as a leading figure in the protests, shared the latest news…

In Johannesburg’s Sunnydale Ridge, the South African Police Service’s Special Task Force (STF) has rescued ninety Ethiopian nationals who were being held in severe and inhumane conditions. The rescue operation was part of a broader investigation into a kidnapping case. While tracking a ransom victim, the STF discovered the undocumented individuals locked in cramped and confined spaces. The authorities are investigating how these individuals were trafficked into South Africa. The rescued Ethiopians, including the kidnapping victim from Benoni—who had been abducted and whose family faced demands for a significant ransom—have been transported to a hospital for medical evaluation and care.…

In response to the severe fighting between government forces and armed groups in Eastern DRC, thousands of refugees have crossed into Uganda. Maj. Kiconco Tabaro, Defence Public Information Officer for the UPDF 2nd Infantry Division, reported that over 2,000 refugees have arrived in Uganda in the past 72 hours, fleeing from regions including Katwiguru, Kiwanja, Binza, Kiseguro, Kiringa, Masisi, Bwenza, Walungu, and Rutchuru. Tabaro pointed out that civilians near the Ugandan border, particularly the elderly, sick, pregnant women, and children, are facing heightened risks of violence, hunger, displacement, and cultural loss due to the ongoing conflict. He emphasized, “The influx…