Africa highlights: Foreign firms targeted in Ethiopia, Tanzania probes school beating video

RALLY FOR DEMOCRACY AND PROGRESSCopyright: RALLY FOR DEMOCRACY AND PROGRESS

Hidipo Hamutenya, a towering figure in Namibian politics who helped negotiate the country's independence from South Africa in 1990, later served as a foreign minister and also became leader of the opposition, has died at the age of 77. 

In 2007 Hamutenya broke away from the Swapo party, a former liberation movement which has won every election since independence, to lead the newly formed Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP).

Namibians have been paying tribute to him on Twitter: 

It is common for people in Senegal to pay bribes to policemen for minor traffic violations to avoid more serious punishments.

But a video of someone actually paying a bribe - and the subsequent fallout - has prompted a debate about the practice.

Video journalist: Maxime Le Hegarat

Josina Machel, the daughter of Mozambique's first President Samora Machel, who was the victim of domestic abuse last year, has won an award for her work combating violence against women.

The US charity organization Saving Orphans though Healthcare and Outreach has given her its Trailblazer Award.

Ms Machel has started an NGO which works across southern Africa to help improve the lives of those who have been victims of abuse.

She said she will dedicate the award to those women who had not made it through the abuse they suffered: 

Quote Message: I am talking about women who during the process of terror, horror and fear stopped breathing and died... That’s why I say the award is not mine."

I am talking about women who during the process of terror, horror and fear stopped breathing and died... That’s why I say the award is not mine."

Just over a year ago, she was brutally beaten up by her boyfriend, leaving her partially blind.

A few months later she spoke to the BBC about what happened:

Bluesy singer-songwriter Asya Satti lives in London after a childhood spent in Sweden and Egypt.

She has been speaking to Focus on Africa's Mohanad Hashim about her Sudanese heritage, her love of Sahrawi music (from the regions of the western Sahara) and her distinctive fusion sound.

Zambia's opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema and his deputy have been released on bail after appearing in court on charges of seditious practices and unlawful assembly.

They both pleaded not guilty.

The BBC's Meluse Kapatamoyo says that they were asked to pay $2,500 (£2,000) each and they are expected back in court on 19 October.

Mr Hichilema posted pictures of himself in court on his Facebook page

Hakainde HichilemaCopyright: Hakainde Hichilema

The opposition leader and his deputy Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba were picked up yesterday and spent the night in police custody.

The charges related to an impromptu speech he gave on 26 September in the central city of Mpongwe, Reuters reports quoting police.

Mr Hichilema lost August's presidential election to incumbent Edgar Lungu, but has since complained of fraud.

A legal effort to get the result overturned failed on a technicality.

He wrote on Facebook today: "This arrest does not any way stop us from pursuing other avenues to seek justice over our stolen elections."

An expo for young scientists is currently taking place in the South African city of Johannesburg.

More than 500 students from across Africa are attending and showing off their latest inventions, including a prototype of flying car. 

BBC Africa met some of them to find out why they think science matters.

Video journalist: Christian Parkinson

Scotland's children's commissioner has called for regulation to stop the exploitation of children by professional football clubs.

His comments follow the decision by Celtic to feature 13-year-old Karamoko Dembele in its under-20 side against Hearts on Monday.

Dembele, who was born in London in 2003 and whose parents come from Ivory Coast, joined Celtic in July 2013.  

He went viral with a series of tricks playing for Celtic's U13s at the St Kevin's Boys Academy Cup tournament in Dublin this summer.

JAMIE WILLIAMSONCopyright: JAMIE WILLIAMSON

Read the full BBC Sport story 

The Tanzanian authorities have ordered an investigation into video footage, which appears to show a group of teachers giving a savage beating to a pupil. 

The head teacher at the school has been suspended for "not taking action even after being aware of the incident", a government statement said. 

Tanzanians on social media expressed their anger and disgust, demanding that the government take action against the alleged attackers. 

The unverified video shows a young pupil being beaten by a group of men in what looks like a teachers’ staff room.

In the 38-second clip, at least five men can be seen wrestling the boy to the ground and landing kicks and blows.  

Corporal punishment is illegal in Tanzania, and this latest incident is likely to generate a heated debate on the implementation of the law in the country’s schools.  

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Kenyan artist Shine Tani has had his work shown around the world. 

But the self-taught painter once performed on the street and begged for money. 

Now, he's successful enough to build a large gallery in Banana Hill, just outside the capital Nairobi.

He's been speaking to the BBC's Outlook programme about his life and work:  

The StandardCopyright: The Standard

The African Union (AU) has had to issue a clarification to say that it is not behind a travel advisory telling Africans not to travel to the US because of "continued instability" linked to an increase in the murder of "unarmed black civilians". 

The source of the warning, as we reported on Monday's live page, was a satirical cartoon by Gado in the Standard newspaper, playing on the wave of recent protests in the US over police killings of unarmed black men. 

But closeups of the faux statement (as below), which were shared widely online, seem to have convinced enough people of its authenticity to push the AU into a response. 

The StandardCopyright: The Standard

In its statement, the AU says:

Quote Message: There are individuals or groups that are misinforming the public by sending incorrect statements in the name of the AU and making use of the logo or other symbols of the African Union to give credibility to their statements."

There are individuals or groups that are misinforming the public by sending incorrect statements in the name of the AU and making use of the logo or other symbols of the African Union to give credibility to their statements."

Activists in Zimbabwe have released a series of satirical "bond nots" in response to the central bank's plan to issue bond notes to help ease the currency shortage.

The bank says each note will be backed by a loan and will have the same value as US dollars - one of the currencies used in Zimbabwe.

Opposition to the bond note plan has been one of the main grievances of the #ThisFlag movement, which has organised a series of protests in recent months.

They argue it's a way of reintroducing the Zimbabwean dollar, which was dropped after the hyperinflation of 2008 to 2009.

The #ThisFlag nots have portraits of some of the leading figures in the government including President Robert Mugabe.

They come in $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 denominations and each one says they are issued by "the collapsed Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe".

Hunger is expected to reach emergency levels by the end of the year in drought-hit southern Madagascar, where many families have already been forced to sell their homes or land, or migrate, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned, Reuters News agency reports.  

At least a million people need food and cash aid, and some 200,000 pregnant women and children under five need treatment for acute hunger, it adds. 

The head of the World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin, has been discussing the situation with the BBC's Newsday programme:

Quote Message: You have African children with blonde hair or red hair, showing that they are missing Vitamin A and Vitamin B."

You have African children with blonde hair or red hair, showing that they are missing Vitamin A and Vitamin B."

AFPCopyright: AFP

Germany is to build a military base in Niger to help reinforce security in the Sahel region, the German Ambassador in Niamey said. 

Part of its mission will be to support the efforts of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali.

The announcement was made a week ahead of a visit to Niger of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

Speaking to reporters in Niamey, Ambassador Bernd von Munchow-Pohl said: 

Quote Message: Germany is willing to get more involved in the Sahel region and to assume more responsibility there.

Germany is willing to get more involved in the Sahel region and to assume more responsibility there.

Quote Message: In that respect, Niger is a crucial partner, a key country in the fight against terrorism and illegal migration from West Africa."

In that respect, Niger is a crucial partner, a key country in the fight against terrorism and illegal migration from West Africa."

The US and France already operate bases in Niger as part of the battle against jihadists in the Sahel region, mainly in Libya and Mali, the AFP news agency reports.  

Ghana's government has responded to calls for the removal of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi from the campus grounds of the University of Ghana in the capital, Accra, the AFP news agency reports.

Daniel Osei TuffourCopyright: Daniel Osei Tuffour

An online petition, which has been signed by more than 1,500 people, was started by academics at the university.

They argued that Gandhi, who has been praised by public figures for leading India's non-violent movement to freedom from British colonial rule during the mid 20th century, had a "racist identity" and had made racist comments about Africans.  

AFP says that the government now wants to relocate the statue.

It quotes a statement from the foreign affairs ministry saying it wants to "ensure its safety and to avoid the controversy".

Our colleague in Uganda has been covering a story about the threatened closure of the private Bridge International Academies primary schools.

While at one its schools in the capital, Kampala, she spotted this class of youngsters having a PE lesson:

Nigeria's football team will arrive just 22 hours before their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia after being delayed because of financial problems.

The players were supposed to leave the country today.

They are now expected to land in Zambia on Saturday afternoon, and only train once before facing Zambia on Sunday.

Amaju Pinnick, the head of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), told the sports committee of Nigeria's senate that the NFF had difficulty paying for a charter flight and accommodation.

The NFF boss also confirmed that the country's Europe-based players were ordered to buy their own flight tickets and fly economy to join the training camp in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

AFPCopyright: AFP

In August, Nigeria's Olympic team only arrived hours before their first match because of transport difficulties.

There was no shortage of pomp and pageantry as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attended the official opening of parliament earlier in the capital Harare (see earlier post). 

The BBC's Brian Hungwe has sent through some more pictures of the event. Below, you can see the veteran leader walking down the road, wearing a green sash: 

BBCCopyright: BBC

Mr Mugabe arrived in a vintage Rolls Royce convertible, which is supposed to have also been used by Lord Soames, the last British governor of what was then Rhodesia, back in the late 170s. 

BBCCopyright: BBC

Brian took some more photos of the gleaming machine after the president had disembarked:

BBCCopyright: BBC

BBCCopyright: BBC

The Ethiopian government says the property of at least 10 companies, including foreign-owned businesses, have been burnt down and looted in the Oromia region as protests continue in the country. 

The latest round of trouble has been sparked by the deaths of at least 55 people after a stampede at a religious festival that turned into an anti-government protest.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

The opposition, which puts the death toll much higher, blames the action of security forces for causing panic.

Information Minister Getachew Reda told the BBC that the continued violence was the work of organised criminals rather than being part of anti-government protests.

He said that the people causing the damage have been arriving at the scene on motorbikes carrying petrol bombs.

Leaders from the Inter-religious Council of Ethiopia have appealed for calm and a national dialogue.

BBCCopyright: BBC

ETHAN'S LIFESAVING SURGERYCopyright: ETHAN'S LIFESAVING SURGERY

A Ghanaian boy born with his stomach organs outside his abdomen has returned home after surgery in the UK. 

Back in July we reported that three-year-old Ethan Suglo had travelled to the UK after funds were raised to enable him to have the potentially life-saving operation: 

After his successful operation, BBC Oxford was there to see Ethan's joyful reunion with his family on his return to Ghana: 

Read the full BBC story