20 March 2025

1. Qatar- Ethiopia- DRC- Rwanda

AU Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf welcomes Doha talks between DR Congo and Rwanda leaders

The African Union (AU) has welcomed talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, between the heads of states of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting rages on in the mineral-rich eastern DRC.

2.Somalia- Mogadishu

Presidential convoy targeted by Al-Shabab bomb attacked; President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's was unharmed

Soon after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's convoy left the grounds of the presidential palace, the motorcade was rocked by a bomb blast.

 Government sources however confirmed that the president was unharmed and headed to Middle Shabelle in southern Somalia to oversee military operations against al-Shabab.

According to various eyewitness accounts, the explosion could have left as many as three people dead, although no official information on casualties has been released.

3.Mali - Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

Mali follows Niger, Burkina Faso in exiting ‘Francophonie’ as Paris influence fades

Mali cannot remain a member of an organisation whose actions are incompatible with constitutional principles … based on the sovereignty of the state,” the foreign ministry said.

Junta-run Mali, which has broken off ties with former ruler France and stated it was quitting the international group of French-speaking countries, following its allies Niger and Burkina Faso.

4.Namibia- Windhoek

Ten (10) Presidents coming for Nandi-Ndaiwtah’s swearing-in tommorow  and also the incoming  President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, announced a bold cabinet restructuring ahead of historic inauguration

Information and communication technology minister Emma Theofelus on Wednesday said 10 heads of state, three vice presidents and two prime ministers will be at the inauguration of the first woman president of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

5.In our historical archives, it was on this day 20 March 1999 when the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania military wing Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA) disbanded following the TRC findings and conclusion that the group had often acted with hatred rather than justice.

Guest: Dr Kerry Frizelle: counselling psychologist from University of Western Cape

Guest: Bianca Van Aswegen: Criminologist: Missing Children SA

Guest: Simon Makua: Spokesperson, Elias Motsoaledi municipality 

Guest: Anthoni van Nieuwkerk - professor of International and Diplomacy Studies at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs

19 March 2025

1. Qatar- Rwanda – DR Congo

Congolese, Rwandan leaders meet in Qatar yesterday

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame have held direct talks for the first time since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in eastern DRC.

The three countries call for ‘immediate and unconditional ceasefire’ in eastern DRC.

1. South Afrika – DR Congo

Former South African (SA) President Thabo Mbeki and former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Counterpart Joseph Kabila held talks at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation in Johannesburg, focusing on African leadership and development.

The meeting between the two leaders comes after the collapse of DRC talks in Luanda, Angola. The discussions were aimed at finding the lasting peace in the eastern DRC.

3.Niger- International Organisation of La Francophonie ( OIF)

Niger announced this week its withdrawal from the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

The decision was revealed in a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed to the country’s diplomatic missions abroad.

The note, signed by Secretary-General Laouali Labo, did not provide reasons for the move but instructed heads of missions to inform their respective jurisdictions. Since the July 26, 2023, coup, relations between Niger and the OIF have significantly deteriorated.

.4.  Cote D’Ivoire- Abidjan

Côte d'Ivoire's Voter Roll Reaches 8.7 Million Amid Opposition Demands for Revision

Nearly 8.7 million voters are on the provisional electoral roll in Côte d'Ivoire this year, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced on Monday.

The IEC officially submitted this list to the political parties. Despite this move, the opposition continues to demand a further revision of the electoral roll before the presidential election on 25 October.

1. In our historical archives, it was on this day 19 March 2002 when the government of Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations after the country’s 2001 elections were found to be flawed by electoral observers.

Guest: Princess Thobekile Zulu - CEO of Reapele Africa and the chairperson of the Cannabis Federation of South Africa

Guest: Prof Steven Friedman: Political Analyst

Guest: Lebogang Maile: Gauteng’s MEC for Finance

Guest: Muzi Hlengwa: Event organiser, The National Funeral Business Lifetime Achievement Awards (NFBLAA)