Africa highlights: Nigeria bans Biafra separatists in U-turn, 'death threat MP' quits ANC

AFPCopyright: AFP

More than 50 people have died of cholera in Chad, the Chadian government told AFP news agency.

"We count 312 cases, including 52 deaths," health ministry secretary-general Hamid Djabar told AFP.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by consuming contaminated food or water.

We reported earlier that the Nigerian government has banned the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob).

Specifically, the federal government says it has obtained a court order permitting it to ban Ipob and label it a terror group.

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to the leader of Ipob, Nnamdi Kanu, told the BBC they will challenge the government's position in court.

Assuming the ban is upheld, what are the implications?

One is that it could pave the way for a full-scale military crackdown. This may lead to confrontations between members of Ipob and the security forces.

There could be mass arrests as well. Members of the group may be locked up and taken to courts under Nigeria's anti-terrorism act.

Funding of the group is probably going to be closely monitored by the authorities and those behind it may have their assets frozen. They could even face terrorism-related charges which can lead to life imprisonment.

The government has said that all options to tackle the group are open. These include deployment of troops to the south-east and arrests.

Negotiations with Ipob have not been ruled out.

Analysts say the authorities should be careful about using military against Ipob, saying they should learn the lessons from the experience of the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the north.

The group was not particularly violent until its first leader Muhammadu Yusuf was killed by the security forces in 2009. This angered the group and they armed themselves leading to devastating consequences.

BBCCopyright: BBC

AFPCopyright: AFP

The provincial head of South Africa's drought-stricken region of Western Cape, Helen Zille, is the talk of the town after revealing that she only showers every third day to save water.

Ms Zille made the revelation in a column rebuffing a recent article questioning the use of tax-papers' money to install a water purification system at her home.

She said:

Quote Message: I shower briefly‚ once every three days‚ and for the rest wash in the hand basin. I used to wash my hair every day‚ but now only when I shower‚ with visibly negative consequences. However‚ I regard oily hair in a drought to be as much of a status symbol as a dusty car."

I shower briefly‚ once every three days‚ and for the rest wash in the hand basin. I used to wash my hair every day‚ but now only when I shower‚ with visibly negative consequences. However‚ I regard oily hair in a drought to be as much of a status symbol as a dusty car."

Read:Who is Helen Zille

BBCCopyright: BBC

Thousands of people are again demonstrating in Togo's major cities.

They want the departure of the country's president, whose family has been in power for 50 years.

The security forces are out in large numbers. They've closed off Lome's major streets and traffic circles.

For the second day running, groups of protesters are staging several small marches around the capital.

There's been violence elsewhere with protesters burning the houses of people perceived to be close to the regime.

In the northern town of Mango, tear gas was used to scatter demonstrators and dozens of people were injured.

Human rights activists say a child was killed in Mango on Wednesday when security forces opened fire with live ammunition.

Opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre wants more demonstrations next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

''We will continue our struggle until the end,'' he told his supporters in Lome.

Faure Gnassingbe has been president since of Togo since 2005. He succeeded his father Gnassingbe Eyadema who seized power in a military coup in 1967.

Geoffrey IdunCopyright: Geoffrey Idun

Earlier today we reported that US President Donald Trump appeared to invent a whole new African country called Nambia, in a speech at the sidelines of the ongoing UN general assembly.

He commended Nambia's excellent healthcare system. But, beyond that, he didn't really give much away about Nambia.

So we asked you to help us make Trump's Nambia real.

And you, dear readers, didn't disappoint.

Quote Message: Nambia is a country created in 2017, having borders in the west with Nigeria, in the south with south Africa, in the east with Ghana, and on the north with Namibia. Their flag is orange and white. They love eating Nkwobi. from Oluchi Nnabuihe

Nambia is a country created in 2017, having borders in the west with Nigeria, in the south with south Africa, in the east with Ghana, and on the north with Namibia. Their flag is orange and white. They love eating Nkwobi.

Quote Message: The official language is Trumpees. Its capital is Donado. from Roy Chafwakale Lusaka, Zambia

The official language is Trumpees. Its capital is Donado.

Quote Message: Nambia is world leading exporter of covfefe. It's found in the south-north of Africa. from Ahuba Oscar, Kenya

Nambia is world leading exporter of covfefe. It's found in the south-north of Africa.

Quote Message: The language should be Nambiako and the anthem can start with, "Oh new Nambia... once non-existent…" from Raziah Athman‏

The language should be Nambiako and the anthem can start with, "Oh new Nambia... once non-existent…"

Welcome to Nambia. Now wake up.

We reported earlier that Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta had called the annulment of his re-election by the Supreme Court, "a judicial coup".

He has just been addressing the country from state house and reiterated his earlier comment, saying that the judges had subverted the people's will.

He said the judiciary owes the county an explanation for the "monstrous injustice".

He said that his government will act to avert the "judicial chaos" that the judges had created.

Mr Kenyatta however said that he would abide by the court's judgement and that he was committed to ensure the election take place before 1 November deadline.

The judges had ordered on 1 September that the election should be held within 60 days to avert a constitutional crisis.

Mr Kenyatta said that the cabinet had approved the budget for the re-run election:

The BBC's Abdinoor Aden has just tweeted that the new date for the re-run of Kenya's election - 26 October- is President Uhuru Kenyatta's birthday.

He will be turning 56.

At least 60 people were believed to be in a building in western Kenya when it collapsed earlier today, the Daily Nation reports.

The newspaper adds that the three-storey building in Kapsabet town, Nandi County was under construction when it collapsed.

First reports indicate 40 workers were injured and the whereabouts of 14 workers was yet to be known.

It is not clear why the building collapsed.

A local TV station has shared a video of the collapsed building:

Read more on the BBC website about the common reasons buildings collapse.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Sierra Leone's FA President Isha Johansen has been charged with abuse of office and public funds by the country's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Ms Johansen has been indicted on three counts, as has Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) Secretary General Chris Kamara.

Both were detained last year as the ACC investigated potential abuse of funds.

Ms Johansen has denied the charges, which come two days after she announced her intention to stand for another term.

"This announcement by the ACC was inevitable and predictable - I am deeply saddened," she told BBC Sport.

Read the full story.

The deputy speaker of Uganda's parliament Jacob Oulanya has adjourned parliament, after members opposed to scrapping the presidential age limit became persistently disruptive.

They shouted through the last hour-and-a-half of the sitting.

The motion that was expected did not appear on the order paper published today.

So a section of the opposition made it their mission to disrupt the process of debating the other issues that were on the paper. They heckled, sung, shouted on top of their voices.

The deputy speaker said: "There are two issues here - members who are not willing to sit, and a speaker who is not willing to preside over a house that will not sit".

And so he adjourned to Tuesday next week.

Some of the MPs are wearing read head bands, which they say mean that they are ready to shed their blood for the constitution.

Authorities in Guinea-Bissau have blocked the September salary payments of nearly a third of civil servants because they think they are ghost workers, reports AFP news agency.

"After a check made by a team in my department, we found that 4,000 bogus workers, who do not fulfill the correct administrative conditions, receive one and sometimes even two sets of wages," Finance Minister Alhaji Joao Amadu Fadia told AFP.

The September salaries were supposed to be paid on Monday.

But they were blocked until they are reviewed by the ministry, Mr Fadia added.

However, AFP talked to genuine workers whose salaries had also been frozen.

Fatima Camara, a journalist at the public radio station, told AFP: "My salary has not been paid and no explanation has been given to me, either at the bank or the finance ministry."

We reported earlier that Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the former head of the African Union Commission, was to become an MP for the ruling party African National Congress.

EWN reports that she has now been sworn in.

It adds that the ceremony took place behind closed doors in the office of deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli.

Her return to parliament after five years is seen as a way of preparing her bid to run for the South African presidency.

Ms Zuma spoke to reporters after taking the oath of office and dismissed speculation that she might take up a cabinet position:

An outspoken MP for South African ruling party African National Congress (ANC) has announced her resignation from the party.

Makhosi Khoza was recently charged by the party for indiscipline after she spoke out against President Jacob Zuma and repeatedly called on him to resign.

She announced her decision at a media briefing in Johannesburg:

Quote Message: I want to say goodbye to the new alien and corrupt ANC, I quit"

I want to say goodbye to the new alien and corrupt ANC, I quit"

She had been a member of the ANC since she was a teenager.

She told journalists that she would not be led by leaders who she believes have lost credibility and legitimacy.

Ms Khoza said that she would no longer “tap dance with the hungry hyenas and wolves”.

Her statements have led to death threats being made against her and her family. She rejected an offer by parliament to give her police protection.

She told the BBC in August that her treatment was more fitting of a dictatorship than a democratic country:

Ghana-born tech executive Bozoma Saint John has said that she was not poached by ride-hailing app Uber from Apple, but had instead decided to leave her job as the head of its consumer marketing division, Tech Crunch reports

She told TechCrunch Disrupt conference that she had had a conversation with tech entrepreneur Arianna Huffington, who had just joined Uber's board, and she encouraged Ms Saint John to talk to Uber's now departed head Travis Kalanick.

Mr Kalanick resigned in June, a few days after Ms Saint John took her new job, following a series of scandals that rocked the company, including reports of sexual harassment and discrimination that resulted in more than 20 employees being fired.

She spoke about that transition period:

Ms Saint John says that her new position as brand ambassador is about repositioning the brand.

She has already been busy. On Monday she apologised for a promotion Uber was running that was deemed to be sexist:

The message said: "Dear husbands, a gentle reminder - today is Wife Appreciation Day."

Uber later removed the post and apologised. It tweeted that the message had been "totally inappropriate".

Ms Saint John also tweeted that it had been "completely unacceptable".

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Makers of generic Aids drugs will start making millions of pills for Africa, reports Reuters news agency.

The multi-million dollar deal caps prices at just $75 (£56) per patient a year, Reuters adds.

The news agency goes on to say Bill Gates’ charitable foundation will guarantee minimum sales volumes of the pills using dolutegravir, a medication used for the treatment of HIV infection.

AFPCopyright: AFP

The former African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is set to be sworn in today as MP for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), EWN reports.

This is seen as a move to bolster her bid to become South African president after Jacob Zuma's term ends in 2019.

Ms Zuma will be replacing Pule Mabe who resigned earlier this month to "seek other interests" according to the Daily Maverick.

Analysts see Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ms Zuma as front runners in the presidential race.

EWN reports that there has been speculation that Mr Zuma might consider reshuffling his cabinet to accommodate his ex-wife.

Read:Can Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma succeed her ex-husband as South Africa's president?

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have called the Supreme Court's decision to annul their election win a "judicial coup".

A local journalist is reporting from the media briefing:

The leaders are reacting to Wednesday's public reading of the judgement where Supreme Court judges gave their reasons why the election was cancelled.

The majority of judges said the election was "neither transparent or verifiable".

The two leaders have however picked up the assessment of the two dissenting judges who ruled that the petition challenging the election did not have merit.

Mr Kenyatta has said that no election "lacks errors":

Students of Uganda's Makerere University in the country's capital Kampala have been prevented from protesting against a planned scrapping of the presidential age limit.

The age limit currently stands at 75.

The New Vision newspaper is reporting that the police have entered the university's compound.

One student has been caught on camera saying, "for how long shall we be the leaders of tomorrow":