Tanzania Opposition Official Charged With Treason
A senior official of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, John Pambalu, has been charged with treason, an offence that carries a potential death penalty. Pambalu, a member of the party’s national council and former youth wing leader, is accused of seeking to disrupt the 2025 general election through protests intended to intimidate the government. He is the second senior Chadema figure to face treason charges after party leader Tundu Lissu. The charges come amid a wider crackdown on government critics following the October 2025 elections, which President Samia Suluhu Hassan officially won with 98% of the vote. Opposition groups and rights organisations say about 2,000 people were killed during the subsequent protests. A government-initiated inquiry put the death toll at 518. Chadema was excluded from the election, and party officials have vowed to continue challenging the government.
Immigrant Beaten to Death in Durban, South Africa
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
A foreign national has been beaten to death by a crowd of about 50 people in Durban, prompting a police investigation amid growing anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa. Police said the unidentified man was believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s. He was first approached by two men by the roadside before being assaulted by a larger group. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The motive remains unclear. The killing follows a series of anti-immigrant protests that have turned violent in parts of the country, with shops and vehicles set alight in Durban and Soweto. Several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe, have expressed concern over attacks on their citizens, with some arranging repatriations. South Africa has experienced xenophobic violence for nearly two decades, including deadly attacks in 2008 that killed more than 60 people. The unrest is unfolding amid widespread unemployment, poverty and inequality. Researchers said broad claims that migrants cause crime and job losses are not supported by evidence.
Malawi Opposition Demands Answers Over President’s Absence
Malawi’s opposition Malawi Congress Party has demanded answers over President Peter Mutharika’s prolonged absence from the country while the nation faces fuel shortages, medicine scarcity and rising living costs. Campaign director Moses Kunkuyu said the concern was not the president’s private trip abroad but the government’s failure to communicate clearly about who was leading the country and responding to the crises. Motorists are spending hours waiting for fuel, while patients struggle to access essential medicines. The opposition also criticised Vice-President Jane Ansah for remaining silent, urging her to reassure citizens that the government is functioning and has a plan to address the shortages. The criticism comes as economic hardship deepens and public frustration grows over the lack of clear communication and action from the authorities.
Ruto Urges Africa to Finance Its Own Growth
Kenyan President William Ruto has urged African governments to strengthen and rely more on the continent’s financial institutions to fund development. He said that Africa must take greater responsibility for its economic future. Speaking at the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, Ruto said Africa holds more than US$4 trillion in domestic financial assets, much of which remains in foreign accounts while local projects struggle to secure funding. He called on governments to invest their reserves in African institutions, support their bonds and guarantees, and channel more development projects through them. Ruto also urged countries to deepen regional trade, remove trade barriers and build stronger value chains as global protectionism increases. He cited Kenya’s investment in African financial institutions and said a planned US$16 billion East African refinery in Kenya would be financed almost entirely by African institutions. Ruto handed over COMESA’s chairmanship to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, stressing that regional integration must deliver tangible benefits for citizens.
Africa CDC Warns No Country Is Safe as Ebola Spreads to Nigeria
The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus has killed 4,690 people and remains uncontrolled, with Nigeria reporting its first case in more than a decade, according to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director-general Jean Kaseya. The outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May, has recorded 9,735 confirmed cases, with eight provinces in the country affected and an estimated 65 to 70 new cases reported daily. The Nigerian patient, a woman who arrived in Abuja on October 3, was diagnosed 16 days later, raising concerns about possible exposure to numerous contacts. The World Health Organization said 44 contacts had been identified and were being monitored, while authorities investigate where she contracted the virus. Kaseya stressed the need for stronger surveillance in hospitals, health facilities and across borders, amid conflicting accounts from Nigerian and Ugandan officials about the woman’s travel history. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo virus. Kaseya also defended calls for greater transparency in the management of international Ebola response funding, saying governments need clear information about resources entering their countries.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Mali Army, Russian-Linked Forces Accused of Civilian Abuses
Human Rights Watch has accused Mali’s armed forces and Russia-controlled Africa Corps of committing serious abuses against civilians in the central Mopti region during renewed fighting. The organisation said an apparent military drone strike on September 16 killed eight civilians and injured at least six others in Guélédié village. Witnesses reported that the strike hit an area where residents had gathered to access satellite internet, although armed fighters linked to al-Qaeda were reportedly present in the village. Human Rights Watch also documented alleged torture and inhumane detention at a military base in Sévaré between May and August, where civilians were reportedly held in overcrowded shipping containers without adequate food, water, sanitation or medical care. Former detainees described severe beatings, electric shocks and waterboarding, and alleged that several prisoners died while in custody. The Malian military said its September operation targeted suspected militants and destroyed their equipment. Human Rights Watch called for credible investigations and accountability, warning that attacks on civilians, torture and denial of medical care may constitute violations of international humanitarian law and, in some cases, war crimes.
