THIS WEEK

5: Funeral for Zambian gospel singer Matthew Ngosa who died after a long illness last week. His music was played in churches and nightclubs over a two-decade career (Lusaka).

5: 95 Libyan nationals who were detained at a military training camp in South Africa will appear in court. The National Prosecuting Authority's Mpumalanga spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, said an Arabic translator would be present (White River).

5: Opposition figure Jacob Ngarivhume and four democracy activists will appear in court under public disorder laws after taking part in protests (Harare).

5-8:  US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya, is travelling to Kenya and Ethiopia from  to engage on human rights, democratic governance, and humanitarian co-operation.

9: UN International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

OTHER:

* An Al-Shabaab suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a busy beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu, killing at least 32 people and wounding scores more, police said on Saturday, in one of the deadliest strikes in the East African country in months. The Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists have been waging an insurgency against the internationally backed federal government for more than 17 years and have previously targeted the Lido beach area, popular with business people and officials.

* War raging in Sudan between the army and rival paramilitaries has pushed the Zamzam camp near Darfur's besieged city of El-Fasher into famine, a UN-backed assessment said Thursday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) review, which is used by UN agencies, found that ‘famine is ongoing in July 2024 in Zamzam camp’.

* 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.