Summary

  • Arrests made over Kenya's 'chickengate' scam

  • South African pastor 'serves rat poison' to congregation

  • Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed elected Somalia's president

  • Case to prove President Mugabe unfit to hold office dismissed

  • #ThisFlag pastor freed on bail in Zimbabwe

  • South African police 'behind killings of Nigerians'

  • Equatorial Guinea 'tests jungle capital'

  • Arrest of militia leader 'Big Man' prompts CAR clashes

  • South Africa to get national minimum wage for first time

  • South African anger over army deployment to parliament

  • Ethiopian runner Genzebe Dibaba breaks 2,000m indoor record

  • Kenya police commander shot in clashes with pastoralists

  • Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Wednesday 8 February 2017

  1. Somalia vote: PM drops outpublished at 14:59 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Somalia's Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali SharmarkeImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    The PM came fourth in the first round

    Somalia's Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has dropped out of the presidential race, leaving three people in the second round (see earlier entry).

  2. #ThisFlag pastor not in courtpublished at 14:55 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Shingai Nyoka
    BBC Africa, Harare

    Evan MawarireImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Evan Mawarire was arrested on his return home last week

    Evan Mawarire was not in court when Zimbabwe's High Court granted him bail (see earlier entry), overturning a lower court's decision made last week.

    He is charged with posting videos on social media calling for a revolt against President Robert Mugabe’s government. He has denied the accusation.   

    The high court judge said the case against Mr Mawarire was weak and that he was not a flight risk.

    He was granted $300 (£240) bail and ordered to surrender his passport.

    His trial date has not been set. 

  3. Kinshasa floods: Silt to be removed from riverspublished at 14:48 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    The BBC's Poly Muzalia says the floodwater in Kinshasa - the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo which is home to 10 million people - has started to recede after heavy rains on Monday night.

    Andre Kimbuta, the governor of Kinshasa province, has said today that in total four people died in the flooding.

    He said the authorities would start to remove sand from the bottom of the rivers, to stop them breaking their banks in future.

    Here are some photos our reporter snapped while trying to get through the water yesterday:

    A flooded street in Kinshasa
    Image caption,

    Water levels rose rapidly after torrential rains

    A car driving through water in Kinshasa
    Image caption,

    Some smaller rivers also burst their banks

  4. #ThisFlag pastor freed on bail in Zimbabwepublished at 14:22 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Evan MawarireImage source, AP
    Image caption,

    Evan Mawarire has been in custody for a week

    Zimbabwean pastor Evan Mawarire, who has been at the heart of a social media campaign known by the hashtag #ThisFlag, has been freed on bail, our reporter in Zimbabwe tweets.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    The pastor was arrested last week on his return to the country after six months abroad.

    He launched a campaign last year, denouncing the government's management of the economy, and backed a stay-at-home strike in July - one of the largest anti-government protests in years.

    The authorities tried to charge him with subversion and inciting public violence, but the case fell apart on technicalities last July.

    He was detained last week at the airport and has been charged with subverting a constitutionally elected government.

    The high court judge granted him bail today, saying the state's case against him was weak and Mr Mawarire was not likely to abscond and showed a willingness to stand trial.

  5. Biya meeting his Indomitable Lionspublished at 14:05 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Cameroon's football team celebrating in GabonImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Cameroon came from behind to beat Egypt 2-1 on Sunday

    Cameroon's President Paul Biya is holding an official reception for his Indomitable Lions, Africa's football champions.

    His tweet has a link to a live stream of the event, although we haven't been able to get it to work:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  6. Somali first round resultspublished at 13:53 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    • Hassan Sheikh Mohamud - 88 votes (current president)
    • Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmajo” - 72 votes (a former prime minister)
    • Sharif Sheikh Ahmed - 49 votes (a former president)
    • Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke - 37 votes (current prime minister)    
    Voting box in SomaliaImage source, Amisom

    So that's 17 candidates out - and one round down... 

    The top two from the next round go forward to a third and final vote.

  7. Somalia vote: Incumbent president and PM into second roundpublished at 13:21 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Incumbent Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke are through to the second round of voting:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2
  8. Former female candidate following Somalia electionpublished at 13:17 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Fadumo Dayib, a former Somalia presidential contestant, who pulled out the race saying the system was unconstitutional and corrupt, has tweeted that she is following the ongoing elections, which she refers to as selection:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    She has also retweeted a post by a journalist about a banner with a "powerful" message that has been displayed at the venue in an airport hangar in the capital, Mogadishu:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2
  9. Mutinies 'bad for Ivory Coast's image'published at 13:11 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Alex Duval Smith
    BBC News, Abidjan

    Ivorian government spokesman Bruno Kone has said discussions with mutineers are ongoing. 

    He would not go into detail of demands of the special forces in Adiake, where shooting has resumed today (see earlier post). 

    He said two had been injured in the mutiny, civilians hit by falling cartridges from bullets fired into the air.

    Mr Kone added that the mutiny tactic was becoming a "regrettable" trend and was bad for the country's image.

  10. 'Namibia first' promotional video takes on Trumppublished at 13:01 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    A satirical promotional video about Namibia - with a voice over mimicking US President Donald Trump - has been shared on YouTube. 

    It is the latest in a series of parody videos being made to introduce Mr Trump to countries around the world.

    In the video,  produced by a tourist company, it calls Namibia "the best country in Africa", boasting about its culture, weather, its canyons and idiosyncrasies.

    It also says that it has a wall: 

    Quote Message

    We also know how much you love walls. Guess what? We also have a great wall. It’s around out state house – a big wall. And guess what? We made China build it. It's true... so true!

    Some people have been sharing the link on Twitter:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  11. SA pastor 'serves rat poison' to congregationpublished at 12:54 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    A South African pastor has been offering rat poison to his congregation as a test of their faith, the country's eNCA website reports, external

    Light Monyeki, who heads the Grace Living Hope Ministries in the capital Pretoria, says consuming the poison is meant to show that death has no power over them.

    Photos on his Facebook page , externalshow him seeming to dissolve pellets of a poison used to kill rats before sipping the solution and sharing it with his church members. 

    Mr Monyeki is the latest preacher to be reported on involving in controversial practices. 

    Read more: The men who claim to be Africa's 'miracle workers'

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  12. Chuckles over spoilt Somali ballotpublished at 12:48 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Counting is under way in the airport hangar where Somali MPs are voting for a new president.

    A BBC reporter at the airport in Mogadishu tweets: 

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    This is only the first round - so don't hold your breath yet.

  13. Zuma critics hold a 'real state of the nation'published at 12:34 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, South Africa

    Hundreds of people from South Africa have gathered today in Cape Town’s St George’s Cathedral for what they dubbed the “real state of the nation”.

    It was organised under the Save South Africa campaign and comes a day before President Jacob Zuma’s annual state of the nation address in parliament.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    Many speakers took to the podium to condemn the 74-year-old president’s style of leadership.

    The campaign’s leader, Sipho Pityana, an anti-apartheid activist and a member of the governing African National Congress (ANC), told the meeting that the speaker of parliament should not address Mr Zuma as “honourable”.

    He added:

    Quote Message

    You must know that as a nation we no longer have confidence in you as a president.

    Quote Message

    You have used every opportunity to bring shame to a glorious movement the African National Congress.”

    There has been wide ranging condemnation of President Zuma’s decision to deploy 441 troops in parliament to assist the police with “law and order” for his national state of union address.

    Mr Zuma has been dogged by corruption allegations for more than a decade, but has repeatedly denied any wrong doing.

  14. Ivory Coast mutiny: 'The shooting has started again'published at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Special forces troops in a vehicle in Adiake in Ivory CoastImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Members of the special forces are rarely seen in public and considered loyal to the government

    An elite unit of Ivorian soldiers, who mutinied yesterday in Adiake, still don't seem to be happy – despite negotiation attempts by the chief of staff's office.

    According to the AFP news, the special forces have been shooting in the air again today.

    Quote Message

    "The shooting has started again. Today, it's market day, and they [the troops] told the women to return to their houses. Everyone is terrified, and holed up in their homes."

    A resident of Adiake

    The Ivorian special forces, who report directly to the president's office, have accused their commanders of stealing part of their salaries.

    The trouble comes a month after regular soldiers staged a mutiny over pay and conditions.

    The government agreed to the demands of the mutinous soldiers, some of whom were former rebels who backed President Alassane Ouattara.

    But the payout has angered other segments of the military, raising fears of a resurgence of the violence seen during Ivory Coast's 10-year civil war, which ended in 2011.

  15. The crucifix and the Lagos rubbish truckpublished at 11:36 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    It looks like someone has just saved a crucifix from a Lagos rubbish dump in this shot that has been tweeted by the BBC's Nigeria reporter:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  16. Arrests made over Kenya's 'chickengate' scampublished at 11:31 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Nancy Kacungira
    BBC Africa, Nairobi

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post

    A former chief executive of Kenya’s electoral body has been arrested and arraigned in court today on corruption charges. 

    James Oswago and three others are accused of taking bribes from a British firm contracted to print materials including ballot papers in Kenya’s last general election. They all denied the charges.

    The scandal has been dubbed "chickengate" by the Kenyan media.

    It was unmasked when a London court prosecuted and jailed the directors of British printing firm Smith and Ouzman for paying Kenyan officials bribes of more than $374,000 (£300,000) in exchange for printing contracts for examinations and ballot papers between 2008 and 2010. 

    It is alleged that Mr Oswago, the former chief executive of the electoral commission, worked closely with middleman Trevy Oyombra, who was also arrested today, to inflate the prices of printing ballot papers so as to conceal the hefty bribes. 

    The bribe was code named “chicken”. 

    In 2016, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office handed over email exchanges, shipping invoices and local purchase orders used as evidence in the British case to Kenya’s public prosecutor, who began investigations. 

    The men have all been released on bail.

  17. Angola rebels 'call for election boycott'published at 11:24 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Rebels in Cabinda have called on people in Angola’s oil-rich region to boycott parliamentary elections in August, Reuters news agency reports.

    Flec is a rebel movement that has for decades been seeking independence for the exclave which is sandwiched between Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.

    Its statement, received by Reuters, says it will not participate in a “foreign” election.

    Quote Message

    The Flec does not accept the permanence of a foreign power on our territory, but does not want to interfere in the internal affairs of Angola."

    Last week, Angola's President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, confirmed he would step down before the elections.

    Togolese gendarmes carry the coffin wrapped in the national flag of one of the victims of the Flec attack that killed two of members of the Togolese national football team on January 8, 2010Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Flec's last high-profile strike was in 2010 when it attacked the bus carrying Togo's national football team

    Flec - in one form or another - has been fighting a low-level insurgency since the 1960s - first against Portugal and then continued against the Angolan government.

    According to Reuters, Flec has stepped up activities since the death of its 88-year-old founder Nzita Tiago last June.

  18. Somali presidential candidates down to 21published at 11:03 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    Farhan Jimale, from the BBC Somali service, is tweeting about the Somali presidential election, which is being broadcast live.

    He says the speaker now says the number of candidates is down to 21. It was 24 on Monday.

    Here they all are in the front row of the airport hangar:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  19. Voting gets under way in Somalia aircraft hangarpublished at 10:55 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    MPs in Somalia have began voting in the first round of the presidential election taking place at an aircraft hangar in the heavily guarded airport in Mogadishu.

    BBC colleagues have been tweeting that MPs are being called up in 10s to cast their ballot:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 2

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 2
    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post 3

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post 3
  20. SA police 'behind killings of Nigerians'published at 10:26 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2017

    South Africa policeImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Nigerian officials allege that South African police carried out many of the killings

    A total of 116 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means over the last two years, Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper reports, external quotes a government official as saying. 

    Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a senior official at the foreign office, made the disclosure after meeting Lulu Louis Mnguni, the South African ambassador to Nigeria in the capital, Abuja. 

    She reportedly said that nearly seven in 10 of the killings were carried out by the South African police:

    Quote Message

    In the last two years, 116 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa and according to statistics, 63% of them were killed by the police."

    Nigeria's Premium Times newspaper does not specify over what period the 116 killings took place, but quotes her concern about criminalisation of Nigerian migrants in South Africa, external:

    Quote Message

    We are worried in particular about the criminalisation of Nigerian migrants in South Africa. Yes, some do commit crimes and deserve to be punished, but the extra-judicial killings worry us a lot."

    The latest killing of a Nigerian in South Africa occurred in December 2016 when police in the city of Cape Town suffocated Victor Nnadi, to death, the papers say. 

    Mr Mnguni promised the killings would be investigated and those involved would be punished.