WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY

MALAWI: Shepherd Bushiri, a self-styled prophet, paid K5 million for Kinnah's book "Four-Legged Wizard," while Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda paid K500,000 for his copy.

The book was purchased for K400,000 by Nyasa Manufacturing Company, K450,000 by National Sports Council Chairperson Sunduzwayo Madise, and K400,000 by the Football Association of Malawi.

MALAWI: Malawi's Attorney General, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, has asked the High Court of Malawi to dismiss a case filed by legislator Shadreck Namalomba regarding the regulation of some opposition business in Parliament, claiming that it is an abuse of court.

The AG objected to the application, including the request for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to join the case as friends of the court, during yesterday's court hearing in Zomba, calling it an abuse of the court process.

Nyirenda also stated that the issue at hand was internal to the opposition DPP and that it required a political solution.

ZIMBABWE: In a meeting with a delegation from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), led by Ms. Edlam Yemeru, acting Director of the ECA's Gender, Poverty, and Social Policy Division, Harare Mayor His Worship Councillor Stewart Mutizwa highlighted economic recovery from COVID-19 as a priority for the city's stabilisation plan, with both parties agreeing to deepen collaboration.

The meeting, held on March 28 in Harare, was attended by the city's executive leadership, including the acting town clerk and councillors.

KENYA: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed satisfaction that the government's investment in training modernization has provided the country's security forces with the necessary skills to deal with the challenges of an ever-changing security environment.

President Kenyatta stated that the government has also implemented far-reaching reforms to support the welfare of security forces and enable them to effectively keep the country safe and secure.

UK: According to Amnesty International, the conviction of 13 activists from the citizen movement Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA) by a military court in Beni today is a scandalous attempt to silence critical voices.

"The conviction of these 13 activists simply for exercising their right to peaceful assembly is another scandalous and shameful attempt to suppress dissent in the DRC," said Flavia Mwangovya, Deputy Director for East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes Region.

The activists, who had already been imprisoned arbitrarily for five months, were sentenced to a further 12 months in prison for their involvement in a peaceful demonstration in November of last year.

SOUTH AFRICA: The first drops from the Nooitgedacht Water Scheme were delivered yesterday, March 31; this is the final step in completing Phase 3 of the project, which is intended to supplement water supply to the Nelson Mandela Metro and surrounding areas.

The Minister for Water and Sanitation, Mr Senzo Mchunu, made the pledge during a visit to the project site on 11 March 2022, accompanied by the Member of Executive Council for Eastern Cape COGTA, Mr Xolile Nqatha, Executive Mayor of the Metro, Cllr Eugene Johnson, and former Amatola Water Board members.

PAKISTAN: Pakistani security agencies have reported a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Khan.

"Following these reports, the prime minister's security has been beefed up in accordance with the government's decision," Pakistan's information minister said.

A top political leader previously claimed that there was a plot to assassinate Khan because of his refusal to "sell the country," as well as a "foreign conspiracy" - of which Khan claimed he had proof.

GERMANY: If Russian gas is not delivered, a German chemical giant will be forced to close its doors.

The Ludwigshafen plant, the world's largest chemical site, which employs nearly 40,000 people, would have to close if gas supplies were cut in half, according to Michael Vassiliadis, chairman of the chemical trade union, in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemein.

According to the report, the chemicals industry cannot function without oil and gas, and without the sector, the economy would come to a halt because people are heavily reliant on it in their daily lives.

Moscow and the EU are currently at odds over how to pay for future gas deliveries, with Brussels rejecting Moscow's demand for payments in rubles.