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

17 February 2026

1.    Ethiopia- Addis Ababa

The African Union Mourns the Passing of Afrikan-Amerikan Hon. Rev. Jesse Jackson

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has joined leaders across the world in mourning the passing of the Hon. Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, who died at the age of 84. 

He described him as a towering figure whose life’s work resonated profoundly with Africa’s historic and ongoing struggles for justice, dignity, equality, and liberation.

The Chairperson underscored that Rev. Jackson’s decades-long advocacy for civil rights, economic justice, and political inclusion closely aligned with the African Union’s mandate to promote human rights, combat racial discrimination, and advance the global African agenda — including the recognition of the African diaspora as the continent’s Sixth Region.

2.    Zimbabwe – Harare 

War vets file Con-Court challenge to Mnangagwa term extension proposal

 A group of war veterans, represented by constitutional law expert Lovemore Madhuku, have filed an urgent application at the Constitutional Court seeking to nullify proposed constitutional amendments aimed at extending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule to 2030.

The application, lodged in terms of Section 167(2)(d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and Rule 32(1) of the Constitutional Court Rules, 2025 (promulgated under Statutory Instrument 19 of 2025), argues that the President failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations in relation to Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.

3.    Nigeria – Russia- Ukraine 

Nigeria's Foreign Ministry has issued a warning over the illegal recruitment of its citizens for Russia’s war in Ukraine

The Nigerian foreign ministry, in a statement, expressed "grave concern over the rising and alarming cases of Nigerian citizens being illegally recruited to participate in foreign armed conflicts", without naming Russia.

Nigeria warned its nationals against being recruited for armed conflicts abroad after reports that some were duped into fighting for Russia in Ukraine, as were citizens of other African countries.

4.    In our historical archives, it was on this day, 18 February 1965, when the Gambia became the 36th Afrikan nation to be liberated from its former coloniser – Britain. The name Gambia comes from the River Gambia that divides the country into two almost equal halves.

4.1 It was on this day, 18 February 1965, when Malcolm X gave his last public speech, at Barnard College in the LeFrak Gymnasium—he was assassinated just three days later at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. “He was articulate, dynamic, riveting,” recalled Friedman. “We had a feeling of a great leader, who could relate to the audience…He just won [them] over.”

 

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter

• Netflix grants Warner Brothers waiver to engage with Paramount
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Tensions between United States and Iran escalated sharply as Tehran announced temporary closures in parts of the Strait of Hormuz during military drills, just hours after indirect nuclear talks began in Geneva.

Guest: Roland Henwood: Political Scientist: University of Pretoria  

A so-called “gold rush” has erupted in Payneville, an informal settlement in the Gugulethu section of Springs, where hundreds of residents have descended on a local kraal amid rumours of a gold discovery.

Guest: Warren Beech: Chief Executive Officer of Beech Veltman Incorporated Attorneys & Mining Expert  

E-hailing drivers in Gauteng are intensifying calls for stronger safety protections following the brutal murder of a 22-year-old driver in Pretoria West — a crime that has once again exposed the daily dangers faced by platform-based transport workers.

Guest: Melithemba Mnguni: Secretary General of the E-Hailing Partners Council 

Stellenbosch University has defended its 2026 admissions process following public allegations of unfair treatment after a rejected application sparked controversy. The dispute escalated after Parents for Equal Education South Africa, questioned whether coloured students were being disproportionately affected by admissions decisions within the university’s highly competitive selection process.  

Guest: Vanessa Le Roux: founder of Parents for Equal Education South Africa

The Zulu Royal Chancellor, Inkosi Malusi Zondi, has vowed to defend the interests of black and emerging farmers following the collapse and pending liquidation of Tongaat Hulett, one of the largest sugar industry players in KwaZulu-Natal and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Guest: Inkosi Malusi Zondi: The Zulu Royal Chancellor 

• US tariffs push South African wine prices higher (in the states)
• 2. Trelidor bets on growth in the UK
• 3. Market update

 

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

17 February 2026

1.    Madagascar- Mozambique – Cyclone Gezani

Madagascar cyclone death toll rises to 59 as devastation mounts

The death toll from Cyclone Gezani, which slammed into Madagascar's east coast since last week, has been increased to 59, with 15 people still missing and more than 16,000 displaced, the country's disaster agency announced Monday.

The storm largely spared Mozambique, though at least four died there.

2.    AU Summit - Malawi

Former President of Malawi, Mme Joyce Banda, Recognised At the AU Summit

Former Malawian President Joyce Banda emerged as one of the standout figures at the summit after being honoured with an Award of Excellence for Service to Humanity.

Dr Banda attended the summit following invitations from the African Union and UN Women, underscoring her continued influence in continental and global leadership circles.

3.    AU Summit- Ghana Motion

The African Union adopts a resolution calling slavery and colonialism genocide.

African Union leaders meeting at a two-day summit in Addis Ababa have adopted a resolution that describes slavery, deportation and colonialism as genocide and crimes against the people of Africa.

Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also called for an end to what he called the extermination of the Palestinian people.

4.    In our historical archives, it was on this day, 17 February 1951, when former member of PAC, trade unionist, and leader of Independent Democrats, Mme Patricia de Lille was born in Beaufort West.De Lille was voted 22nd in the Top 100 Great South Africans, and is noted for her role in investigations into the country's controversial Arms Deal.

 

The Israeli government has approved a controversial plan to restart land registration in Area C of the occupied West Bank for the first time since 1967. The move would allow the state to formally register large areas of land as Israeli state property if Palestinian residents cannot prove ownership — a process critics say will accelerate settlement expansion and amount to “de facto annexation.”

Guest: Thembisa Fakude: Director at Africa Asia Dialogues