Summary

  • Zimbabwe's satellite TV payments 'illogical'

  • Nigerian leader's return from UK after medical checks 'imminent'

  • Angolan VP accused of bribing Portuguese magistrate

  • Banking giants 'colluded to rig' South Africa's currency

  • Renowned historian of Ethiopia dies

  • Cyclone kills child in Mozambique

  • Benin eases visa requirements for 31 African states

  • French candidate in row over colonialism

  • Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Thursday 16 February 2017

  1. Scroll down for Thursday's storiespublished at 18:00

    We'll be back tomorrow

    That's all from the BBC Africa Live page today. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website.    

    A reminder of today's wise words:   

    Quote Message

    A house is admired because of the appearance of its roof. "

    An Oromo proverb sent by Samuel Fekadu, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Click here to send us your African proverbs.

    And we leave you with this colourful scene from Senegal's capital Dakar:

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  2. Cyclone Dineo: Flood fears in Namibiapublished at 17:53 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    We reported earlier that cyclone Dineo, which hit Mozambique, has calmed down. 

    But there is still potential for heavy rainfall as the storm moves across southern Africa.

    BBC Weatherman Jay Wynne explains:

    Media caption,

    Tropical cyclone Dineo

  3. Cocoa farmers protest in Ivory Coastpublished at 17:47 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    Alex Duval Smith
    BBC News, Abidjan

    Cocoa growers have been marching in Ivory Coast's commercial hub, Abidjan, today in protest against a slowdown in exports and a reduced buying price.  

    Many are brandishing documents showing buyers have not paid them since December:

    IOUs from buyers who have not paid since December:

    This banner reads "The cocoa council wants to kill the grower":

    Cocoa farners

    Cocoa producers are asking the government to activate an emergency fund on cocoa.     

    This placard asks for help from President Alassane Ouattara:

    Placard

    While this placard says cocoa growers "also want to be a part" of the emerging economy.

    Placard

    Meanwhile, cocoa has piled up in warehouses, reports AP news agency. 

    The Coffee-Cocoa Council says there has been a slowdown of sales because of overproduction and a worldwide price reduction by 30%, AP adds.

  4. Armyworm outbreak could 'spread'published at 17:42 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    Shingai Nyoka
    BBC Africa, Harare

    Scholastic Ncube shows the extend of the damage to his maize crop by the fall-armyworms at his field in rural Bubi, in Matabeleland North, near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 26 January 2017Image source, EPA
    Image caption,

    The pest can destroy entire maize fields

    The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says it is concerned that the armyworm outbreak could spread to the whole of southern Africa, threatening crops. 

    So far, seven of the 15 states which make up the regional body Sadc have been affected by the outbreak. 

    The FAO says Zimbabwe might be the hardest hit, with up to 130,000 hectares of maize infested. 

    In Namibia, 50,000 hectares of maize and millet have been damaged. 

    The pests are called armyworms because they eat most vegetation in their way and can destroy entire fields.  

    A three day regional meeting to discuss the outbreak has ended in Zimbabwe's capital Harare. 

    The delegates resolved to roll out awareness campaigns targeting farmers. 

    Read: Why are army worms attacking Africa's crops?

  5. Tributes pour in for historianpublished at 17:23 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    People on Twitter are paying tribute to the famous British historian of Ethiopia: 

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  6. Renowned historian diespublished at 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    BBC World Service

    The Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs has announced the death of the most prominent historian of the country, the Briton, Richard Pankhurst. 

    The government said he was one of Ethiopia's greatest friends during his long and productive life. 

    The son of the suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst, he moved to Ethiopia in 1956, the start of a long relationship with the country. 

    Mr Pankhurst wrote numerous books on Ethiopia's history, culture and economics. 

    He was also instrumental in the successful campaign to get the Axum obelisk returned to Ethiopia from Italy. 

    He was awarded an OBE by the British Government for his services to Ethiopian studies. 

    The Ethiopian embassy in London has tweeted a photo of Mr Pankhurst: 

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  7. Benin eases visa requirementspublished at 16:43 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    Benin's government has abolished short-stay visas for nationals from 31 African countries in an effort to promote easier travel and strengthen relations, reports BBC Afrique's Leone Ouedraogo.

    Nationals from Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia are among those who no longer require a visa for visits of up to 90 days.

    Only short-stay visitors from countries which make up the West African regional grouping Ecowas were previously exempted from applying for visas.

    Benin's President Patrice Talon promised to lift the restrictions during a trip to Rwanda.

    Countries like Ghana and Rwanda have already been implementing such a policy.

    Presidential candidate and leader of coalition of the opposition Patrice Talon waves to supporters during a campaign rally in the Ekpe district near Cotonou, in Benin, on March 18, 2016.Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Mr Talon, a business tycoon, won elections last year

  8. Lawyer 'astounded' by allegations against Angolan VPpublished at 16:26

    A lawyer for Angola's Vice-President Manuel Vicente has hit back at corruption allegations levelled against him by prosecuting authorities in Portugal. 

    A news agency quotes lawyer Rui Patricio as saying:

    Quote Message

    I'm astounded that my client has been accused, not only because he had nothing to do with the facts mentioned but also because he has never even been questioned about them."

    See earlier post for more details .

  9. Libya asks Nato for military trainingpublished at 16:13 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    
          Members of the forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) gather in  Sirte October 14, 2016.
        Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Libya has been ht by conflict since the overthrow of Col Gaddafi in 2011

    Nato says it has received a new request from Libya's UN-backed government to train and develop its military, reports Reuters news agency.

    Its secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the grouping was ready to help because "training local forces is one of the best weapons in the fight against terrorism and building stability". 

    Libya has not had an effective national army since Col Muamar Gaddafi's rule ended in 2011. The Nato-backed armed groups which overthrew him having been fighting among themselves for power. 

  10. BBC live from Malawipublished at 15:58 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    The presenter of BBC Focus on Africa radio tweets:

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  11. Tunisia extends state of emergencypublished at 15:30

    A state of emergency imposed in Tunisia in 2015 to curb attacks by militant Islamists has been extended by three months, the president's office has said. 

    Defence Minister Farhat Horchani told local radio that there had been a "major improvement" in security but for as long as neighbouring Libya "does not have a government that is in control of the situation... the threat exists."

    The state of emergency has been in place since a November 2015 bombing of a bus in Tunisia's capital, Tunis, killed 12 presidential guards.

    Tunisia bombed busImage source, AFP
  12. #BringBackOurGirls: Government rebuilds Chibok schoolpublished at 14:58

    Chris Ewokor
    BBC Africa, Abuja

    Chibok girls school

    The girls' school in Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria from where more than 200 students were kidnapped is being renovated.

    I visited Chibok to find the builders:

    Builders
    Chibok school

    All but two school buildings were knocked down after Islamist militants Boko Haram kidnapped the girls in 2014. 

    Some girls I spoke told me that some of their friends, fearing Boko Haram could attack again, have left their studies and got married instead. 

  13. Angolan vice-president faces corruption charges in Portugalpublished at 14:18 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    Manuel VicenteImage source, AP

    Portuguese prosecutors are bringing charges of corruption, money-laundering and forgery against Angolan Vice-president Manuel Vicente as part of an investigation in Lisbon, Portugal's attorney general's office told AP news agency.

    Mr Vicente is suspected of bribing a Portuguese magistrate to favour him in two investigations, a statement said. 

    Investigators allege Mr Vicente paid Portuguese magistrate Orlando Figueira, who was arrested a year ago, about 760,000 euros ($808,000; £647,000) to drop two investigations that involved alleged money laundering and Angolan investments in Portugal while he was the head of the state oil company Sonagol.

    The magistrate, Mr Vicente's lawyer, and his representative in Portugal are also accused in the case, called Operation Fizz. 

    The Angolan news site Rede Angola reports, external that in March Mr Vicente denied the allegations. 

    There has been no comment from the magistrate or his legal representatives. 

  14. Al-Shabab behind mortar attackpublished at 13:59 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    We reported earlier that mortar shells had been fired near the presidential palace in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.

    We have just got reports from AP news agency that the Islamist militant group al-Shabab said they were behind the attack. 

    The blasts were heard during the ceremony passing over power to the new President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed.

  15. Lesotho's coalition government not 'crumbling'published at 13:58 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    A BBC correspondent is tweeting about her interview with the prime minister of Lesotho  - a tiny kingdom often hit by political instability:   

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  16. SA tweeters express anger at bank 'rigging'published at 13:44 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    Pumza Fihlani
    BBC News, Johannesburg

    South Africans have taken to Twitter using the tag #BanksCollusion to express their anger at allegations that 17 top banks have been rigging the price of the currency, the rand.

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    The claims follow a report by South Africa’s Competition Commission. 

    People buying the rand would have been affected by the price-fixing scam, according to the Competition Commission. 

    The international giants, which include Barclays, Bank of America and HSBC are likely to be slapped with a hefty fine.

    But some in the country are calling for criminal charges to be laid against them and their top managers. 

    They are also calling for “fair reporting” in the largely white-controlled media which is accused of treating corporate crime with kid gloves but quick to report on alleged corruption in the mainly black government. 

  17. Zuma vows to crack down on 'rigging banks'published at 13:31 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    South African President Jacob Zuma replies to the debate about his State Of The Nation Address (SONA) in the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, 16 February 2017.Image source, EPA

    South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has promised to act against banks accused by the competition watchdog of rigging the price of the currency, the rand, Reuters news agency reports. 

    Addressing parliament, Mr Zuma said:

    Quote Message

    This matter is still under investigation... government is ready to act against market abuse, price fixing and collusion in the private sector in order to protect our country's economy,

    See earlier post for more details

  18. Somalia's 'looming famine catastrophe'published at 13:14 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

      Somalia has not had enough rain for three years. The country's landscape has become littered with dead animals and there are warnings of a full-blown famine by June.  

    Media caption,

    Somalia faces 'catastrophic' famine if drought continues

  19. Pogbas' mother hoping for drawpublished at 12:47 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    Florentin and Paul PogbaImage source, Getty Images

    Guinea international Florentin Pogba admits his mother will find it difficult to watch him take on younger brother Paul in the Europa League. 

    On Thursday, Florentin, will play for St Etienne against Paul who plays for Manchester United. 

    It's not going to be easy for her but at the same time what a fantastic moment it'll be for her to see her sons playing out there," the defender said. 

    "Maybe the best result for her will be a draw." "But we'll be going all out to get the best result for ourselves. Whoever wins she'll be happy in some respect."  

    Thursday's match will be the first time the brothers, who grew up near the French capital Paris, have properly clashed on a football pitch.

    Read more on the BBC Sport website

  20. Zimbabwe satellite TV payments 'illogical'published at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February 2017

    Shingai Nyoka
    BBC Africa, Harare

    A protester holds a sign during a demonstration by opposition parties against the introduction of bond notes as a currency in Harare on November 30 2016.Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Opposition groups blame the government for the economic crisis

    Zimbabwe’s central bank chief has described as illogical the amount of money leaving the country to pay for satellite TV subscriptions and has announced measures to limit international card payments. 

    In his latest monetary policy statement, John Mangudya said international cards payments, including TV subscription fees, accounted for the highest use of foreign exchange after fuel imports. A total of $206m (£165m) was spent from July to December last year, he added.   

     The central bank now wants payments to be settled locally, to avoid using up precious foreign exchange.    

    Zimbabwe has faced serious cash shortages because of a shrinking economy and an over-reliance on imports. 

    The central bank says foreign investment and remittances from Zimbabweans living abroad declined by up to a fifth in 2016. 

    Read: Queuing at banks at night for money