In our series of letters from African journalists, Ismail Einashe writes about his failed attempt to catch a train in Ethiopia despite the hype around a new Chinese-built railway. In Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, it is hard to miss the large advertising boards along the traffic-clogged streets that promise “new railway, new life”. The signs […]
An estimated one million people attended a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the outskirts of Madagascar’s capital city, Antananarivo, the Vatican said. Worshippers braved the windswept dust to ensure a place at the Mass. Catholics turned up early in the morning for the service at 10:00 local time to ensure finding a space. Some […]
Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe who died last Friday aged 95, began his 37 years in power as a Nobel Peace Prize nominee credited with creating Africa’s most successful multiracial state. By the time he was ousted in November 2017 his repressive determination to remain in charge had driven the country into ruin […]
Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa is so afraid of being poisoned by rivals that he no longer eats in public, sources have said. The extreme precautions being taken emerged as Zimbabwe prepared for the funeral of Robert Mugabe, its former liberator whose 37-year rule left a legacy of grinding poverty and vicious political in-fighting. Please log […]
Nigeria could be facing a fiscal crisis if it doesn’t improve its ability to collect taxes, the authorities have warned. Government expenditure has doubled and debt servicing costs have grown, but revenues have missed their targets by at least 45% a year since 2015. Despite that, the Nigerian president’s office has praised the work of […]
Nigeria could be facing a fiscal crisis if it doesn’t improve its ability to collect taxes, the authorities have warned. Government expenditure has doubled and debt servicing costs have grown, but revenues have missed their targets by at least 45% a year since 2015. Despite that, the Nigerian president’s office has praised the work of […]
HARARE (XINHUA) – The body of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will arrive home next week, his family spokesperson said on Saturday (Sept 7). Mugabe, 95, died on Friday in Singapore where he had been receiving medical treatment since April. At Mugabe’s rural homestead in Mashonaland West province, Leo Mugabe, the former president’s nephew and […]
HARARE, Zimbabwe — First came the bottles, then the cans. Before Winky D had even stepped onto the stage, the crowd was pelting him with garbage, forcing the Zimbabwean singer to escape to his car. It was Christmas Eve, and the gig was over before it had even begun. The attackers were never caught and […]
HARARE (AFP) – Zimbabwe was on Saturday (Sept 7) due to begin a period of national mourning following the death of Mr Robert Mugabe, the former guerrilla hero turned despot who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years. As Zimbabweans expressed sharply divided opinions about Mr Mugabe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his predecessor had been declared a […]
Robert Gabriel Mugabe was a man who divided global public opinion like few others. To some, he was an evil dictator who should have ended his days in jail for crimes against humanity. To others, he was a revolutionary hero, who fought racial oppression and stood up to Western imperialism and neo-colonialism. On his own […]