[VOA] Pfizer and BioNTech have reached an agreement with a South African company to produce their COVID-19 vaccine for distribution in Africa, the biotechnology companies said Wednesday.

[SAnews.gov.za] The Department of Correctional Services has granted former President Jacob Zuma permission to attend the funeral of his late younger brother.

[New Times] A combination of more use of mosquito treated nets and indoor residual spraying preventive interventions has seen Rwanda slash malaria cases by 71 per cent between 2016 and 2021.

[Daily Maverick] The National Disaster Management Centre has declared a drought disaster due to the persistent drought conditions in the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. National resources will now be mobilised to assist affected farmers...

[VOA] Mogadishu, Somalia -- Somali terrorist group al-Shabab has threatened to attack electoral delegates who will be choosing lawmakers in parliamentary elections beginning next week.

[VOA] Dar es Salaam -- Tanzania's main opposition party, the Party for Democracy and Progress, also known as Chadema, says police have detained their leader Freeman Mbowe. Mbowe was arrested before he was scheduled to speak at a conference to announc...

[VOA] Harare, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe has ordered all government workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, or lose pay if they refuse. But one of the largest government worker groups is resisting compulsory vaccinations, while another is callin...

[East African] Incomplete data, poor record-keeping, and illegal channels define artisanal and small-scale gold mining in East and Southern Africa, robbing the sector of an opportunity to grow, warns a report by the Global Initiative, which monitors ...

[The Conversation Africa] TB is one of the oldest infectious diseases in recorded history. Most of the people who are ill with TB live in low- and middle-income countries where this disease is one of the leading causes of death. This is particularly ...

[Thomson Reuters Foundation] Nairobi/Bogota -- While a few nations are in no hurry to start vaccinations, many poor countries are struggling to make progress due to a shortage of vaccine supplies

[ISS] As the dust settles on insurrection, government must acknowledge the urgent need to repurpose a failing security system.

[Premium Times] Dapo Olorunyomi, publisher of Premiums Times, believes that the best way out is to establish a fact-check unit in every newsroom.

[DW] The arrest of another separatist activist wanted by Nigeria sends a clear message that President Buhari won't tolerate secessionist aspirations. But critics say there's much more at play than just arresting figureheads.

[The Conversation Africa] The COVID-19 pandemic continues apace, with high- and lower-income settings struggling to contain outbreaks. The vaccine rollout is relatively speedy in some countries such as the UK. However, vaccine demand is much greater ...

[The Conversation Africa] President Muhammadu Buhari recently inaugurated a project designed to prevent illegal activities in Nigeria's coastal waters and enforce maritime regulations. It also aims to prevent illegal activities on inland waterways.

[Citizen] Mwanza -- Police with guns and tear gas have surrounded and closed entrance and exit ways to the Tourist Hotel in Mwanza region at the Kitangiri area where the Katiba Mpya rally organized by Tanzania main opposition party Chadema, was going...

[AIM] Maputo -- The trial of 19 people accused of crimes in relation with the scandal of Mozambique's "hidden debts" has been set for 23 August, according to a report in Wednesday's issue of the independent newssheet "Mediafax".

[Nigeria Health Watch] Beti Baiye and Ibukun Oguntola -- The media plays a significant role in how the public responds to health issues. Mass media, print, television, radio and internet have considerable power, reaching a wide and diverse audience, ...

[GroundUp] Former managing director describes transfer of patients by health department as "hurried", "haphazard" and not conforming to discharge procedures

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- The management of Addis Standard newsroom would like to announce to its esteemed readers that after clearing the misunderstanding with the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA), which led to the temporary interruption of its...

[RSF] Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the grossly unjust prison sentences that two Moroccan journalists, Omar Radi and Imad Stitou, received from a court in Casablanca yesterday after proceedings marked by many irregularities.

[The Herald] The journalism fraternity has been plunged into mourning again following the death of veteran journalist Tawanda Gudhlanga.

[Times of Zambia] Spiraling Covid-19 cases in the country have put immense pressure on many sectors, especially health. In this article, Features Chief Reporter MARTIN NYIRENDA looks at how the increased number of deaths has overstretched the capacit...

[New Zimbabwe] Government has failed to pay cotton farmers their outstanding balance from last season amounting to $1,5 billion.

[SAnews.gov.za] The Department of Water and Sanitation has warned that water levels in the country's dams in the different provinces, continues to dwindle week-on-week amidst the dry winter season.

[New Zimbabwe] A Harare man will perform 245 hours community service after he was convicted of impersonating a member of the Zimbabwe National Army at a police roadblock along Masvingo-Beitbridge highway.

[Vanguard] Last year, on my 60th birthday, the legendary Uncle Sam Amuka, publisher of the great Vanguard newspapers, sent me birthday greetings, with "a poser for your birthday". The poser was: "How come Nigeria, a country with such brilliant thinke...

[Nyasa Times] Malawi can build a robust private sector, create jobs, and recover more quickly from the Covid-19 pandemic by introducing targeted reforms and attracting investment in key sectors, according to a report from IFC and the World Bank publi...

[State Department] Transcript: Special Online Briefing - Gayle E. Smith, State Department Coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security; and Akunna Cook, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

[The Conversation Africa] The coronavirus pandemic has placed the leadership of presidents and prime ministers across the world under the most unforgiving spotlight. It has exposed underlying weaknesses and revealed hidden strengths.