Legalbrief | your legal news hub Thursday 30 September 2021

Former African leaders call for drastic action

Twelve former African leaders, including ex-Nigerian President , have called for an emergency plan to combat the Covid-19 onslaught in Africa at a continental or regional level. The Premium Times reports that they warn that ‘with porous borders all over Africa, national efforts will not be enough’ to combat the pandemic. They called on the AU, UN, WHO, World Bank and G-20 to urgently develop the plan to moderate the social and economic effects on Africa. The other signatories are Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), Joyce Banda (Malawi), (Mozambique), and Kgalema Motlanthe (SA), and Jakaya Kikwete () and Mohamed Marzouki (Tunisia).

Ethiopia is restoring the Internet in western parts of the country in an effort to control the spread of the virus. Services have been blocked for the past three months following an outbreak of violence in western Oromia. In some areas telephone services were also cut. BBC News reports that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has faced mounting opposition from Oromo activists as well as members of other ethnic groups. There have been 23 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Ethiopia and no known deaths.

Tunisia's Women, Childhood and Family Affairs Minister Asma al-Suhairi says there has been a sharp increase in domestic violence since the lockdown. A report on the IoL site notes that the five-fold increase of domestic violence cases has prompted Tunisia's Government to launch a 24-hour hotline for victims of gender-based violence. In 2017, Tunisia passed a law in the fight against gender-based violence, with the establishment of eight shelters for victims of domestic abuse.

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday apologised to Kenyans for excesses by police in some parts of the country during implementation of the dusk-to-dawn curfew which kicked off on Friday. CapitalFM reports that he was speaking via a video link with two patients who have recovered from the virus. 'I apologise to all Kenyans for excesses that happened during implementation of the curfew. I want to assure you, that if we work together and understand that this problem needs all of us...we will overcome,' he said. Policemen in various parts of the country were assaulting members of the public hours before and after the 7pm to 5am curfew declared by the government.

People in Mauritius will, with immediate effect, shop for essentials on allocated days depending on the first letter of their surname as a measure to curb the spread of the virus. BBC News reports that Prime Minster Pravind Jugnauth said the measure would avoid overcrowding, adding that shoppers will only have 30 minutes to complete their shopping. Those whose surnames begin with A-F will shop on Monday and Thursday, G-N on Tuesday and Friday and O-Z on Wednesday and Saturday. Shops will be closed on Sunday. More that 1 700 people are in quarantine in government facilities and private hotels on the island.

Leading Senegalese football administrator Pape Diouf has died after contracting coronavirus. He was 68. The former Olympique de Marseille president had been receiving treatment in his home country before passing away, the Senegal's President Macky Sall confirmed. 'I pay tribute to the medical staff at Fann Hospital (in Dakar) who spared no effort to save him,' Sall said on Twitter. CNN reports that Marseille issued a statement saying 'he will remain in the hearts of the Marseillais forever, as one of the great architects in the club's history'.