THIS WEEK

 

20: G20 Compact with Africa Conference hosted by the Federal Chancellor of Germany. So far, 18 African countries have joined the initiative (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia).

 

20: UN World Children’s Day

 

20: Election campaign season begins today in the DRC. Voters will elect a new President on 20 December. Incumbent Felix Tshisekedi is expected to run for a second term. Observers believe logistical challenges and violent conflict will undermine the integrity of the election.

  

20-23: Education International 10th Africa Regional (EIRAF) Conference in Sandton, Johannesburg. Education International is a global teacher and education workers labour federation with more than 32m members. Today’s conference is themed ‘Standing Together for Resilient Education Systems in Times of Crisis’. Delegates include representatives from global unions and partner organisations (Sandton).

 

21: Uganda International Oil & Gas Summit. The 8th edition of the summit will bring together over 40 thought leaders and industry players who will share their best practice and case studies, sparking discussion and debate into how to attract and create further investment opportunities (Kampala).

 

21: Carlos Cardoso Memorial Lecture. Guest Speaker: Mariam Ouedraogo, an investigative journalist from Burkina Faso (Wits University, Johannesburg)

 

21-22: International Conference on Political Science and International Relations (Omdurman, Sudan)

 

22: Angolan Mining Conference & Exhibition 2023. Organised by the Ministry of Mineral Resources & Petroleum in collaboration with AME Trade Ltd, the event promises to be an essential platform for the mining industry, attracting global attention and paving the way for foreign investment (Luanda).
 

24: Parole hearing for Oscar Pistorius who has completed the minimum required sentence to be considered for parole. He is serving a 13-year and five-month sentence after his culpable homicide conviction was overturned to murder in 2016. This after he had shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013, claiming he thought she was an intruder (Gqeberha).

 

OTHER:

 

* The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed receipt of a referral from five countries, including South Africa, to investigate Israel for war crimes. The SA Department of international Relations & Co-Operation said it had referred the situation in the state of Palestine to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, which was delivered in person by SA’s ambassador in The Hague, Vusi Madonsela.

 

* At least 80 000 households across Kenya have been affected by heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides over the last week. Emergency services are using helicopters to deliver aid and rescue marooned families. East Africa has experienced intense rains linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon, which have killed dozens of people, including at least 46 in Kenya. Floods have also caused deaths and displacement in Somalia and Ethiopia.

 

* A group of 65 people accused of inciting violence during South Africa’s 2021 unrest have been served with indictments before their trial in the KZN High Court (Durban) next year. The accused, mostly linked through WhatsApp and voice messages, are out on bail while three are out on warning. One of the accused, Sipho Tshezi, was absent from the Durban Magistrate's Court on Friday.

 

* South Africa’s Competition Tribunal has accepted MTN and data provider Rain’s requests to intervene in the hearings on whether to approve the merger between Vodacom and fibre providers Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa. Dark Fibre Africa and Vumatel have had been folded into a new holding company, Maziv. Vodacom aims to take a 30% stake in Maziv, worth an estimated $800m, with the option of raising that to 40%.

 

* The US Department of State has issued a business advisory note on Uganda about ‘potential risks they may face if they are conducting, or contemplating conducting, business in Uganda’. This included both financial and reputation risks thanks to endemic corruption.

 

* The AU and SADC say the recent eSwatini's elections were peaceful and well-organised. The AU's final report on its observation of the election will be released by the end of the month.

  

* Namibia has suspended imports of live poultry, birds and poultry products from South Africa following the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the neighbouring country. The suspension is in effect until further notice.