Africa in Focus with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa

1.    South Afrika - Zimbabwe

Govt deploys 35 buses to repatriate Zimbabweans from South Africa

The government has deployed at least 35 buses to repatriate Zimbabweans returning from South Africa, with operations underway from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Durban.

In an update issued yesterday, the Department of Presidential Communications said the repatriation exercise was being fully funded by the Government of Zimbabwe, which had availed all buses transporting returnees to the Beitbridge Border Post.

2.    Ghana – Ivory Coast 

Floods in Ghana, Ivory Coast leave at least 24 dead following torrential rains

Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential rain in the capital cities of Ghana and the Ivory Coast have left at least 24 people dead, authorities said yesterday as emergency workers continued to pull hundreds of stranded residents from submerged buildings.

At least 12 people have been confirmed dead in Ghana, including a mother and her child who were both swept away in the Achimota-Agbogbloshie district, Alex King Nartey, a spokesperson for the Ghana National Fire Service, told The Associated Press.

In the Ivory Coast, several days of rain brought flooding that left more than a dozen people dead, most of them in municipalities of Attécoubé and Yopougon in the capital, Abidjan, according to the Minister of National Cohesion Myss Belmonde Dogo.

3.    Senegal - Dakar

Senegal to hold national referendum after controversial constitutional change

Senegal's National Assembly passed a bill revising the balance of power between the country's executive and parliament on Monday, prompting the president to announce a national referendum on the matter.

The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority in a tense atmosphere marked by heated exchanges, an opposition boycott and scuffles outside the building during which police used tear gas, AFP journalists saw.

4.    In our historical archives, it was on this day, 1 July 1994, when the International Reggae Day was first celebrated in 1994, initiated by Andrea Davis in Kingston, Jamaica. Inspired by a BBC radio feature on reggae’s global reach, Davis envisioned a day when reggae lovers would connect beyond borders.

 Since then, the event has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, with celebrations taking place in cities across every continent.

Facts About International Reggae Day

•      Reggae music was officially recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018.
•      The day is celebrated not just in Jamaica but in major cities such as South Africa, London, New York, and Tokyo.
•      International Reggae Day often features special broadcasts, interviews, and playlists curated by leading reggae artists and DJs.