THIS WEEK

29: Despite three notices of withdrawal, the MK Party’s court case alleging ‘deliberate vote-rigging’ and ‘massive acts of fraud’ looks set go ahead in the Electoral Court. The party first sought to withdraw its case on 3 July after the IEC filed answering papers saying it produced no credible evidence of vote-rigging. The party accompanied its withdrawal notice with a letter saying it had evidence of voting irregularities, but its experts needed time to put its case together in the right way, so that it could properly be put before the court. It was only withdrawing its case ‘for now’, it said. The IEC said the withdrawal was irregular and requested the case be heard, saying it was ‘an absolute imperative that the matter is ventilated publicly and a final decision be made by the Electoral Court (Bloemfontein).

30: UN World Day against Trafficking in Persons

30: Bail application for a Brazilian national found with a body wrap containing 4kg of cocaine allegedly attached to him at OR Tambo International Airport will appear Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court. He has been charged for contravening the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act’ (Johannesburg).

OTHER:

* Mohamed Al-Raied, President of the General Union of Libyan Chambers of Commerce, met with Vladimir Padalko, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia, in Moscow last Thursday (18 July) where they signed an agreement on several aspects of economic cooperation between the two countries and to strengthen relations between them.

* Only two African countries, South Africa and Senegal, will be getting money from a giant Open Society Foundations (OSF) green energy fund later this year, in part thanks to governments that have shown dedication in dealing with climate change.  The OSF fund is worth some $436m over the next five years, and the two African countries will draw money from it alongside Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia and Indonesia in a first round due later this year.

* A Nairobi court says a man described as a ‘serial killer’ by police could be held for a month, pending further investigations. was tortured into making a confession, his lawyer has told a court in Nairobi. Collins Khalusha is accused of killing 42 women since 2022, including his own wife.

* South African artist Zanele Muholi, whose work prominently features the lives of black South Africans in the LGBTQ+ community, has returned to the Tate Modern after being cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. The revived exhibition features over 300 photographs representing their career to date, from their first images to their more recent works. The exhibition is on until January 2025 (London).

* Namibia has opened a three-month voter registration period, ahead of 27 November elections. The registration period for the presidential and National Assembly elections is due to run until 1 August.  For the first time since independence, the ruling party, the Swapo will have a female presidential candidate, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

* Libyan Airlines has confirmed that its flight, using its Airbus 330 from Istanbul to Tripoli’s Mitiga airport, will travel through the European air route through Greek and Maltese airspace. Previously, a flight ban had existed on all Libyan registered carriers into EU airspace.