News: Africa

South Africa's main labour union the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) held a demonstration at the Beitbridge border post Saturday protesting against Robert Mugabe's regime. Spokesman Jan Tsiane urged continental bodies to intervene in the crisis and help restore democracy in the wake of Mugabe's one-man election. No incidents were reported during the protests except the arrest of one man who was later released.

An explosion killed a Somali official, his wife and four other people on Saturday in Mogadishu, witnesses and officials said.

South African President Thabo Mbeki met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Saturday to try to help end a political crisis.

Watford's chairman says Nigeria's Danny Shittu is not for sale despite interest from Premier League sides.

South Africa's Thabo Mbeki is in Zimbabwe, reportedly to meet President Mugabe and dissident opposition members.

Doctors and other health workers at the Nakuru-based Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital have called off a two-day strike after the intervention of senior Government officials.

Doctors and other health workers at the Nakuru-based Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital have called off a two-day strike after the intervention of senior Government officials.

As condemnation of the Mugabe regime intensifies in the aftermath of his sham one-man presidential election, civil society groups on the continent are uniting to express their solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. The continuing campaign of violence against MDC officials and supporters has angered many African civil organisations, and they are now turning their words of support into action, to increase pressure for change.

While officials at the US Embassy in Harare took the day off to celebrate America's Independence Day on Friday, almost 200 victims of political violence were still waiting outside the embassy gates seeking refuge and shelter.

The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum said on Friday the South African government needs to take responsibility not only for the number of Zimbabweans fleeing into the country, but also for the growing number of displaced Zimbabweans - a figure that is now estimated at a quarter of a million since the March elections.

A week after Robert Mugabe's 'smash and grab election,' police in the country were instructed to forcibly close down Zanu PF militia bases. Residents in several suburbs expressed their surprise at police beating up some of the Zanu PF supporters manning the torture camps, telling them their services were no longer required.

Kenya's chief executive was on Friday shoved to the centre of the irregular sale of Grand Regency Hotel. Lands Minister James Orengo and a government-owned human rights watchdog asked President Kibaki to act on the matter arguing that the buck stops with him.

Polish army Lieutenant Colonel Marc Gryga didn't realize he was planning on building his country's major base here in eastern Chad on top of a cemetery. "It didn't look like any cemetery you see in the United States or Europe," he says, referring to absence of headstones.

African leaders once again failed to reach a consensus on the proposed African Union (AU) government, making their recently concluded AU summit end on a discordant note.

For several hours beginning from around mid-afternoon yesterday, rampaging soldiers took over some streets of Akure, the Ondo State capital setting up bonfires that totally blocked the entrance to the metropolis through Ondo axis.

The state of emergency which President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is planning to declare in the power sector may not bring about the desired result except the Federal Government finds a lasting solution to the spate of gas pipelines vandalisation in the Niger Delta.

The state of emergency which President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is planning to declare in the power sector may not bring about the desired result except the Federal Government finds a lasting solution to the spate of gas pipelines vandalisation in the Niger Delta.

From a secret meeting of the Niger Delta leaders has emerged a consensus that the proposed Niger Delta Summit that has been in the draft for over a year will not hold, after all, Saturday Vanguard can authoritatively report.

From a secret meeting of the Niger Delta leaders has emerged a consensus that the proposed Niger Delta Summit that has been in the draft for over a year will not hold, after all, Saturday Vanguard can authoritatively report.

Somalia is not only one of the most dangerous countries in the world due to its long running civil war spanning decades. But to add to this, the waters off the coast of Somalia have become the most treacherous in the world, swarming with well armed pirates searching for prey to hold to ransom.