South Africans online have mocked the government's promise to provide 10 gigabytes (GB) of data to households every month.

Communication Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni made the comment in parliament on Tuesday, saying the internet had become a "new utility like water and electricity".

According to a UK technology blog, external, 10GB of data will allow someone to browse the internet for around 120 hours, to stream 2,000 songs or to watch 20 hours of standard-definition video.

South Africa's parliament tweeted the minister's pledge, which sparked the backlash.

"Why don't you start trying to give us 10 days of continuous electricity per month?" one person tweeted, external, alluding to the electricity crisis facing the country.

Someone else agreed, tweeting this meme:

Others hit out at the word "intend", saying no timeline was given, and others said the government should focus on sorting out the economy.

Freebies will not create jobs, "stop treating us like charity cases", one tweeter said, external.

The so-called laboratory in a container is being developed by the firm behind the first MRNA vaccine.

Former Zimbabwe left-back Charles Yohane has died in South Africa at the age of 48, in an apparent car-jacking incident.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, AFP

Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, is experiencing an acute shortage of fuel, which is causing huge disruption across the country.

People are waiting at petrol stations for several hours, some into the night trying to get fuel.

The longest queues have been in cities like the capital, Abuja, and the commercial hub of Lagos, at those petrol stations that actually have some fuel in stock.

In some places, prices have increased by up to four times on the black market.

It is not new for the country to run short of fuel as its oil refineries are not working to capacity.

This means Nigeria exports its crude oil and then imports refined products for local consumption.

Controversy over the government’s plan to scrap subsidies on petroleum products has reportedly also caused bottlenecks in supplies.

Nigeria's state-owned oil company says the current shortages are because measures were taken to quarantine millions of litres of adulterated fuel already on the market.

The methanol-blended petrol was imported earlier this month, with many Nigerians reporting mechanical damage to their vehicles after using it.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation now says it plans to deliver 2.3 billion litres of petrol - and that its depots and retail outlets will start round-the-clock operations in an attempt to address the frustrating long queues.

BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

The military leader of Burkina Faso who took control in a coup three weeks ago has been sworn in as transitional president.

Dressed in camouflage uniform and a red beret, Paul-Henri Damiba vowed to uphold the constitution in a small ceremony in the capital, Ouagadougou.

Lt-Col Damiba led army officers to oust the elected head of state Roch Kaboré last month, angry at his handling of a jihadist insurgency.

The military say it will restore constitutional order but has not given a timetable back to civilian rule.

West Africa has experienced a string of military coups in recent years.

Read:

• Who is Burkina Faso coup leader Lt-Col Damiba?

Peter Mwai
BBC Reality Check

A widely shared video showing Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru, who is on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, pleading guilty has been faked.

The clip, which has been viewed thousands of times on Twitter, has been edited to remove some audio to make it appear as if the accused pleaded guilty on Tuesday.

In fact, he had pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of his case.

In the original video, external and transcript released by the ICC, in response to the judge’s question about whether he would like to make an admission of guilt to any of the charges, Mr Gicheru said: “Not at all. Madam president for the record, I plead not guilty, not guilty.”

The edited video has “Not at all” taken out, together with “not” just before the word “guilty.”

Some posts of the manipulated video are still online although some have been deleted.

Image source, Twitter

Mr Gicheru is accused of bribing and intimidating prosecution witnesses in a case against Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto, who was accused of fomenting election violence 14 years ago, in which more than 1,000 people died.

The ICC threw out the case against Mr Ruto citing a lack of evidence, but refused to acquit him. He has always denied the charges.

Image source, AFP

At least five people have been confirmed dead and more than 16 others injured during co-ordinated attacks by al-Shabab Islamist militants on the outskirts of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

Police say the early morning attacks targeted police and checkpoints.

The al-Qaeda-linked group said it was behind them, saying their fighters overran government bases and seized military vehicles and weapons.

The claim could not be immediately verified.

The attacks happened as the country holds much-delayed indirect parliamentary elections.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

Image source, AFP

Zimbabwe has reopened its land borders to travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or test negative for coronavirus.

It follows a decline in the southern African nation’s daily infection rates.

Zimbabwe closed its border crossings in March 2020. They were briefly reopened in December for non-essential travel that year, but that led to a surge in cases.

Only lorries and trucks carrying essential cargo into the landlocked country - and returning citizens - have been permitted in by road over the last two years.

The restrictions have disrupted livelihoods across the region, with small traders unable to reach South Africa through Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border post.

They come from as far north as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi to buy goods.

Image source, AFP

A comment by Kenya’s deputy president during a political rally has sparked online anger in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Monday, William Ruto told residents of Nyeri, in central Kenya, that there was a big market for their dairy produce in DR Congo - and appeared to suggest that there were no cattle in that country.

“We have a market in DR Congo…these people who are singers… These people have a population of about 90 million but they don’t own any cow," he said in Swahili - a clip of which has been widely shared.

The remarks have not gone down well in DR Congo, with even some politicians and journalists describing them as disrespectful as he also appears to be disparaging the Congolese as lazy people who only know how to sing.

Senator Francine Muyumba took to Twitter and termed the remarks an “insult” and “unacceptable” and asked Mr Ruto to withdraw the statement.

“Kenya as a country needs to stand against this statement officially in order to protect the friendship we enjoy between our countries. As we wait for our government to act, we are ready to take parliamentary actions,” she said.

The issue has been trending on Twitter in DR Congo for the last two days, with some sharing images of cattle farms in the country:

Some Kenyans have defended Mr Ruto, saying he was merely urging dairy farmers to look for opportunities across the region.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

Burkina Faso military leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is due to be sworn in as the country’s president, just over two weeks after soldiers ousted President Roch Kaboré in a coup.

Last week, the Constitutional Council, “having taken note” of Mr Kaboré’s resignation, declared Mr Damiba, a 41-year-old army officer, president of Burkina Faso.

State television says the inauguration will be broadcast live from the Constitutional Council building on Wednesday morning.

Mr Damiba led soldiers to oust Mr Kaboré, who had faced months of protests over his failure to stem a jihadist insurgency in the north and east of the country.

On Monday, Mr Damiba travelled to the north of the country to meet soldiers and a government militia fighting jihadists, state TV reported.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

Al-Shabab militants have attacked police stations and check points in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, in the early hours of Wednesday, the authorities says.

Heavy gunfire and multiple explosions were heard at around 01:00 local time.

However, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Nor said on Twitter, external that the security forces had defeated the militants linked to al-Qaeda.

There has been no immediate reports of casualties or fatalities.

Last week, at least six people died and several others were injured after a suicide bomber targeted a minibus full of delegates involved in the country’s ongoing parliamentary elections.

Image source, AFP

The US has welcomed the lifting of the state of emergency in Ethiopia and called for the release of detainees.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said lifting the emergency was “another important step" Ethiopia's government paving the way "for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict”.

“We urge that this move be immediately followed by the release of all individuals arrested or detained without charge under the state of emergency,” Mr Price said.

The emergency decree was passed in November last year for six months as an alliance of rebel forces - including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) - advanced towards the capital, Addis Ababa.

The government has cited an improved security situation and the economic costs of the decree as the reasons for its decision.

Image source, AFP

Kenya's education minister says gay students infringing on the rights of other learners should not be allowed to attend boarding schools.

George Magoha said those "moving from one bed to another" should be admitted to day schools.

He said that while he had nothing against gay students, having them in day schools would allow closer supervision by their parents.

It comes after a male secondary school student was reportedly assaulted at a boarding school in the capital, Nairobi.

The education minister's statement has elicited mixed reactions online: some say his comments are discriminatory, while others are supportive.

On Monday, the minister said an earlier statement had been misunderstood to mean that gay students should be expelled from boarding schools.

In December he was quoted as saying that "children who are homosexual and lesbians must go to day schools close to their homes".

The statement sparked protests organised by the queer community in Nairobi.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Algeria's president says the government will introduce unemployment benefits for young adults as the country struggles with high rates of joblessness.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune told journalists that the payments to jobseekers aged 19 to 40 would begin in March.

Those who are eligible will be able to collect the payments of about a $100 (£73) a month, as well as some medical benefits, until they find work.

Making the announcement, Mr Tebboune said that Algeria was the first country outside Europe to introduce such a benefit.

He added that there were now more than 600,000 unemployed in Algeria.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

A new report has given further details of what it calls serious violations of humanitarian law by rebel fighters from Ethiopia's Tigray region.

The report by the human rights organisation Amnesty International accuses Tigrayan rebels of gang rape and the deliberate killing of civilians in the neighbouring region of Amhara where they controlled territory for a time until being pushed back by government forces two months ago.

Amnesty says rebel forces killed unarmed civilians in the town of Kobo and sexually assaulted at least 30 women and girls in Chena village.

Public properties including schools and medical facilities were either looted or vandalised, it says

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has not responded to the latest allegations but has denied similar accusations in the past.

Ethiopian government troops have also been accused of summary killings and rape.

During the civil war journalists have been prohibited from visiting the front lines and many impacted areas have been disconnected from the internet and telephone services.

But reports of atrocities slowly continue to emerge detailing a tragedy in which thousands have been left dead and millions pushed into hunger.

Image source, AFP

Tanzania is looking to set up its own vaccine manufacturing plant as part of its wider plan to tackle Covid-19 and other diseases in the country.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the country was also aiming to export vaccines to eastern and southern African countries, according to a statement from the state house.

She said Tanzania was likely to spend nearly $100m (£70m) by 2030 to import vaccines, hence the need to set up its own local capacity.

The president, who was visiting the European Union Council President Charles Michel in Brussels, said she was submitting a proposal for support to make the project a success.

The plan for a vaccine plant is a shift from the previous regime of her predecessor, John Magufuli, a prominent coronavirus sceptic, who died last year from heart complications.

Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now, but we'll be back on Wednesday morning Kenyan time.

In the meantime you can find the latest updates on the BBC News website, or listen to our Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this image from Gabonese visual artist Yannis Davy Guibinga:

BBC World Service

Image source, ICC-CPI

A Kenyan lawyer, Paul Gicheru, has gone on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, accused of bribing and intimidating prosecution witnesses.

Mr Gicheru said he was not guilty of derailing an earlier trial at which Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto was accused of fomenting election violence 14 years ago.

More than 1,000 people died in the unrest. That case collapsed through lack of evidence, but the ICC declined to acquit the deputy president of charges of mass murder and persecution.

A BBC correspondent says the outcome of Mr Gicheru's case could have ramifications for Mr Ruto as he decides whether to be a presidential candidate for August's election.

BBC World Service

Image source, Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies

The head of the Egyptian authority managing the Suez canal has said that work is under way to extend the two-way section of the waterway by 10km (six miles).

The Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie said that it would be too expensive to expand the entire canal, which is a vital trade link between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

Last year a massive container ship - the Ever Given - became stuck in the canal for several days, causing considerable disruption to global shipping traffic.