A court in South Africa is to hear a case brought by the opposition to reinstate 738 corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma.

His office said he would oppose the bid, external, as prosecutors acted "rationally" when dropping the charges in 2009.

The opposition believes the decision was political, and opened the way for Mr Zuma to become president.

He was accused of taking bribes over a multi-billion dollar arms deal, but strongly denied the allegation.

At the time, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said phone-tap evidence, dubbed in the local media as "spy tapes", suggested political interference in the investigation, and it was "unconscionable" to press ahead with the case.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party is challenging the decision in the High Court after a nearly six-year legal battle.

Read more on BBC News

Image source, Reuters

Zimbabwe's former Vice President Joice Mujuru has launched a new opposition party - Zimbabwe People First.

• She has long experience in government as she became a cabinet member at independence in 1980, when she was its youngest member
• She left school at the age of 18 to join the war of independence and adopted the name Teurai Ropa (Spill Blood)
• She claims to have shot down a Rhodesian helicopter with the machine-gun of a dying comrade and was later promoted to commander
• After spending her youth fighting the war, she obtained secondary school qualifications and a degree while in government
• She became vice president in 2004 and was sacked in 2014

Image source, AFP

Image source, AFP

World indoor 1500m champion Abeba Aregawi has been provisionally suspended, external after testing positive for a banned substance.

The Ethiopia-born Swede, 25, failed an out-of-competition test conducted by governing body the IAAF.

Abeba ran for Ethiopia at the 2012 Olympics but began competing for Sweden later that year after being granted citizenship.

Her suspension means her place in the Swedish team for the Rio Olympics in August is in doubt.

The Swedish Olympic Committee has already withdrawn its financial support for Aregawi.

Read more on BBC Sport.

The BBC's African business reporter has been pondering why Barclays Bank has decided to sell its stake in its Barclays Africa business:

Absa is a subsidiary of Barclays in South Africa.

Africa shows high levels of tolerance towards people from different ethnic and religious groups, according to a survey carried out in 33 countries by the Afrobarometer, external organisation.

But the survey also showed that the continent has a "strongly negative attitude toward homosexuals".

Image source, Afrobarometer

Out of the countries surveyed, people in Senegal was found to be the most tolerant of those from other ethnic groups.

But Senegal was also found to be the least tolerant of homosexuals.

A hearing is opening at the International Criminal Court today to decide whether a militant Islamist from Mali should face trial on war crime charges, over the destruction of monuments in the ancient city of Timbuktu. 

If a trial goes ahead it would be the first time someone would face the ICC on war crimes charges for attacks on religious and historic monuments. 

The suspect, Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, is accused of having damaged nine mausoleums and a mosque in 2012, when he was believed to have been a senior member of the militant group, Ansar Dine. 

Image source, AFP

Zimbabwe's former Vice President Joice Mujuru has launched a new political party to challenge long-serving President Robert Mugabe.

She was sacked by Mr Mugabe in 2014.

The BBC's Nomsa Maseko has been tweeting from the press conference launching the party in the capital, Harare.

Ms Mujuru was expelled from the governing Zanu-PF in 2015, but she says she is not returning to that party.

Image source, AFP

The BBC Africa Business Reporter has tweeted:

Barclays made the announcement this morning, after the Financial Times reporting it last Friday.

Chief executive Jes Staley said that the bank's decision on Africa had been "very difficult".

"You go to places like Uganda and Kenya and the brand of Barclays is as strong there as it is in the UK," he said.

Barclays Africa has more than 12 million customers across 12 nations in Africa.

That company will continue to exist under new owners when the parent company, Barclays, sells its stake.

Read more on the BBC Business news story.

Today’s African proverb:

Image source, AFP

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