Milton Nkosi
BBC Africa, Johannesburg

One of South Africa’s largest dams is full for the first time in six years.

The announcement comes after two sluice gates at Vaal Dam, which is about 77km (47 miles) south of Johannesburg, were opened by Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane on Sunday.

She warned of possible flooding downstream:

The minister said after recent heavy rainfall dam levels countrywide were looking promising: 

With Val Dam at 100% capacity, residents of Gauteng Province, which includes the country’s economic hub Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, are likely to see an easing on water restrictions imposed during the devastating drought.

But Sputnik Ratau, spokesman for the water affairs department, said: “What we want to caution is that we’d rather that the practice of water saving becomes second nature.”

The sluice gates are expected to remain open for at least the next couple of days    

Image source, AP

Two German citizens who were rescued from kidnappers by Nigerian security forces over the weekend are in the care of the German embassy in the capital, Abuja, the German news site  Deutsche Welle reports, external . 

The two were kidnapped on Wednesday during a dig at Jenjela village in the northern state of Kaduna while working at an archaeological centre. 

Two villagers who attempted to help the Germans were shot and killed by the kidnappers, the report says.   

The BBC's Abuja bureau editor Naziru Mikailu says the kidnappers had demanded $200,000 (£160,000) for their release, but a police official said that no ransom was paid. 

The police deployed a special unit and used aerial surveillance to secure their release, the officer said.

Deutsche Welle says the two archaeologists, from Goethe University in Frankfurt, are doing well, quoting an unnamed source at the German foreign office.

Image source, AP

Image source, Mary Harper

Firefighters have managed to extinguish the fire that engulfed three sections of Bakara market in Somalia's captial, Mogadishu, this morning (see earlier reporters).

It is estimated that millions of dollars in damage has been caused.

BBC Somalia expert Mary Harper says Bakara market is a vast commercial district, covering a large area and comprising many streets, alleys, open areas and buildings.

It is informally divided up into areas, like Suitcase Street or Pharmacy Street, where the whole area is dedicated to that specialism.

Mary visited the market in 2012 - and posted the photos on her blog, external , some of which show the meat and vegetable sections burnt down in today’s fire:

Image source, Mary Harper

Image source, Mary Harper

Operators of Kenyan minibuses known as "matatus" are holding a protest over the poor state of the roads the capital, Nairobi, 

A radio station has tweeted a picture of a protesters placing a banana tree on one road in the Kayole surburb - implying it is more fit for farming than driving:

Tomi Oladipo
BBC Monitoring's Africa security correspondent

The attack helicopter strike on rebels approaching Bambari on Sunday (see earlier post) is the second incident of its kind in as many weeks.

The UN has declared the town of Bambari off-limits to armed groups and warned them that it will not hesitate to use force to stop any violence.

But local militia groups have attempted to violate the order as they seek to control the town.

Last week, one of the warlords, Ali Darassa, hesitantly withdrew with his fighters from Bambari following a UN ultimatum.

But some MPs say this only relocates the armed groups but does not reduce the likelihood of them clashing in another town.

The CAR is attempting to rebuild its police and army, so UN peacekeepers have been responsible for security in some parts of the country.

Image source, bb

At least three people have been killed in an early morning fire that broke out at Bakara market in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, a journalist with VOA reports.  

He says the market has been completely destroyed: 

Africa's biggest and most popular film festival in the world is under way in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. 

It is the 25th edition of Fespaco, external , a biennial event.

A journalist form the UK Guardian newspaper journalist has been tweeting from the the pan-African film extravaganza:

Ruth Maclean's article in The Guardian today, external quotes the mayor of  Ouagadougou saying the city is "capital of African film" and President Roch Marc Kabore that Fespaco had become “the best vehicle for culture in our continent”.

UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic have prevented heavily armed militia launching an attack on the town of Bambari.

A spokesman for the UN peacekeeping mission, Vladimir Monteiro, said about 40 fighters from the FPRC militia were spotted gathering in the town, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades.

Mr Monteiro told the Reuters news agency that an attack helicopter had been called in to disperse them.

He said the operation had been conducted under the UN's mandate to protect civilians from being caught up in clashes between rival militias.

The region has seen rising violence as the result of a conflict between the FPRC and a rival group, the UPC.

According to the AFP news agency, the two factions have been fighting for control of taxes levied on Fulani herders during the current seasonal migration.

The are both former members of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance, which ousted Francois Bozize as president in 2013, when the country descended into civil and religious conflict. 

Read more: Peacekeeping, warlords and Donald Trump

Image source, AFP

Kenya's government has announced a ban on state advertising in commercial media in the country, a move intended to cut costs. 

It says it spends about $20m (£16m) on advertising on things such as state tenders, job positions and public service announcements. 

A government memo has told all state agencies to advertise through a new government magazine, My.Gov. 

Privately owned The Daily Nation reports, quoting the document, that the move followed a resolution to bypass private media organisations: 

The move if implemented will lead to huge revenue losses and probably lead to more job cuts in the media industry.  

The Nation reports that two main newspapers, The Star and The People Daily, have entered into an agreement with the government to distribute its advertising magazine for a fee. 

The BBC's Ferdinand Omondi in the capital, Nairobi, says some commentators are concerned about the move given that general elections are due in August when there is a need for strong and independent media coverage.

Image source, AFP

Firefighters and police are battling a large fire at Bakara market in the Somali capital, Mogadishu- the biggest open-air market in the country.

Witnesses say the flames have gutted three sections of the market: those selling meat, vegetable and cutlery and crockery.

The fire started early in the morning and it is not known if there are any casualties.

Plumes of smoke can be seen billowing all over the city this morning.

The city authorities have appealed to people not to loot.

It is believed millions of the dollars will have been lost in the fire – the cause of which is yet to be determined.

Today's African proverb:

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