Africa

Senegal begins voting for new president

Published

3 years ago

March 24, 2024

Senegal begins voting for new president

Senegal began voting Sunday for a new president in an unpredictable race following three years of turmoil and political crisis.

Around 7.3 million voters are registered in the West African nation where two favourites have emerged: the governing coalition’s former prime minister Amadou Ba and anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

They were both once tax inspectors but now appear to have little in common. Ba, 62, is offering continuity while the 43-year-old Faye promises profound change and left-wing pan-Africanism.

Both say they will claim a first-round victory – but a second round looks probable with 15 other candidates in the field, including a sole woman, at a date yet to be decided.

Former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, 68, is considered to have an outside chance.

“It’s a symbolic and historic day for me because it wasn’t easy to hold these elections, it was gained through a great fight,” voter Mohamed Bop, 42, told AFP in Dakar.

“So, I’m very relieved and proud,” he added.

The eventual winner will be tasked with steering traditionally stable Senegal out of its recent troubles, and managing revenues from oil and gas reserves that are shortly to start production.

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Voting will end at 1800 GMT and provisional results could be known overnight. The first official results are expected during the coming week.

Senegal has traditionally been considered a beacon of democracy and stability in the coup-hit region, where Russia is strengthening its influence.

Raucous campaign
Hundreds of observers will be out representing civil society, the African Union, the ECOWAS regional group and the European Union.

A raucous campaign, lasting just two weeks after being shortened, followed a dramatic last-minute delay to the election date, originally scheduled for February 25.

President Macky Sall’s intervention to delay the presidential vote sparked unrest that left four people dead.

Sall, who won praise abroad last year by renouncing a possible third-term bid, said he called off the vote over fears it would not go smoothly.

After weeks of political crisis, the country’s top constitutional body stepped in and forced him to reset the date to March 24, despite clashing with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Sall’s hand-picked would-be successor Ba has positioned himself as a last bastion against “bandits” and urged people to vote “for experience and competence instead of entrusting the reins of the country to adventurers”.

“We don’t need officials who need two years of apprenticeship,” Ba said at his final campaign rally on Friday.

“We need to consolidate what we have. We need to go even faster and further,” he said, with a vow to create one million jobs in five years.

But he must also face the darker side of Sall’s legacy that includes mass arrests, persistent poverty and 20 percent unemployment, and thousands of migrants setting off on the perilous voyage to Europe each year.

Senegal begins voting for new president

Africa

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Published

5 days ago

October 1, 2026

Trends Admin

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, have been killed in a helicopter crash that claimed six lives in Marondera Rural, east of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare.

The crash occurred at about 5pm local time on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, with the helicopter carrying six people, including Chivayo, his wife and two pilots.

Family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo confirmed the deaths, while Zimbabwean authorities said there were no survivors.

The aircraft came down in the Marondera area, about 72 kilometres east of Harare, before catching fire. Emergency responders and investigators were deployed to the scene after the crash.

Zimbabwean aviation authorities said preliminary information indicated that fuel spilled after the impact before a fire broke out. However, officials stressed that the information did not establish what caused the helicopter to crash.

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The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with aviation officials and other investigators examining the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the incident.

Police said the bodies were badly burned in the post-crash fire, making formal identification necessary. Forensic specialists were subsequently involved in the identification and investigation process.

Chivayo, 43, was one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent and publicly visible businessmen. He was known for his high-profile lifestyle, philanthropy and extensive social-media presence, where he frequently displayed luxury cars, properties and other expensive possessions.

He also maintained close links with senior political figures in Zimbabwe, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

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His business activities and political connections had previously attracted public scrutiny, including allegations relating to government contracts and political financing. Chivayo denied wrongdoing in connection with such allegations.

News of his death triggered reactions across the region, with political and business figures expressing condolences to his family.

Kenyan President William Ruto was among those who mourned Chivayo, describing the Zimbabwean businessman as a friend.

The crash has generated significant attention in Zimbabwe because of Chivayo’s prominence and his public profile, but authorities have not attributed the accident to any specific mechanical, weather or human factor.

Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, flight circumstances, weather conditions, pilot actions and other available evidence as they work to determine what caused the fatal helicopter crash.

Authorities have not announced a final finding on the cause of the accident.

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Africa

South Africa: 27 Killed, 26 Injured in Separate Mass Shootings

Published

1 week ago

September 27, 2026

Trends Admin

South Africa: 27 Killed, 26 Injured in Separate Mass Shootings

At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others injured in two separate mass shootings in South Africa, with police launching investigations and manhunts for the attackers.

The shootings occurred within hours of each other in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces, with the first attack reported at a tavern in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, on Saturday night, followed by another shooting at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, near Cape Town, in the early hours of Sunday.

In Wedela, police said gunmen opened fire on patrons at a tavern at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) said 17 people were killed in the attack, comprising 13 men and four women.

At least 15 people were also injured and taken to medical facilities for treatment.

According to the police, the attackers were armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols. They allegedly opened fire on people outside the tavern before entering the premises and continuing the shooting.

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The gunmen also reportedly searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before escaping in two unidentified vehicles.

Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects, while investigations are ongoing to establish the motive for the attack and identify those responsible.

A few hours later, another shooting occurred at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, a township near Cape Town.

Police said gunmen entered the venue, which also operates as a shisanyama, a popular South African establishment serving grilled meat, at about 1:46 a.m. on Sunday and opened fire on people inside.

The attack left 10 people dead and 11 others injured.

Five victims reportedly died at the scene, while five others later died after being taken to medical facilities.

Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi established a multidisciplinary investigative team led by serious violent crime detectives to investigate the attack and pursue the perpetrators.

No arrests had been announced in connection with either shooting at the time of the latest police updates.

The two incidents came days after another deadly shooting in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, where 11 people were killed and three others injured at a house party.

The KwaZulu-Natal attack occurred on Tuesday night, September 22, according to police.

Authorities said some of the victims were known to Crime Intelligence in connection with alleged illegal activities, although investigators had not established a definitive motive. Police said a possible conflict between rival groups was among the lines of inquiry.

The three shootings have renewed concerns over gun violence in South Africa, particularly deadly attacks involving groups of armed suspects.

However, authorities have not established any connection between the shootings in Wedela, Lwandle and KwaMakhutha. Investigations into the individual incidents remain ongoing.

South Africa: 27 Killed, 26 Injured in Separate Mass Shootings

Africa

South Africa: Two Women Arrested Over Alleged Rape, Kidnap of E-Hailing Driver

Published

3 weeks ago

September 13, 2026

Trends Admin

South Africa: Two Women Arrested Over Alleged Rape, Kidnap of E-Hailing Driver

South African police have arrested five suspects, including two women and a teenager, after a 25-year-old e-hailing driver was allegedly kidnapped, sexually assaulted and held for ransom in Cape Town.

The incident occurred in the Steenberg area of Cape Town on Saturday, September 12, 2026, after the driver reportedly went to meet a woman he had previously connected with through his e-hailing business.

Police said the driver’s brother alerted authorities after the suspects allegedly contacted him and demanded R4,000 in cash for the driver’s release.

Following the report, Steenberg police launched an investigation and used a vehicle tracking device to establish the driver’s location.

The tracking information led officers to Southampton Road in Heathfield, where they found and rescued the 25-year-old driver.

According to police, the victim had met one of the female suspects about a week before the incident through his e-hailing business.

The two reportedly exchanged telephone numbers and remained in contact for several days before arranging to meet.

Police allege that when the driver went to meet the woman on Saturday, he was instead kidnapped by the group and taken to another location.

The two female suspects allegedly sexually assaulted the driver while the other suspects were involved in holding him captive.

The five suspects arrested comprise two women aged 23 and 34, two men aged 42 and 48, and a 16-year-old boy.

The teenager is the youngest of the suspects arrested in connection with the case.

The arrests followed the alleged ransom demand made to the victim’s brother. After receiving the report, police acted on information from the vehicle tracking system and were able to locate the driver and bring him to safety.

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The suspects are expected to appear before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, September 14, 2026, where they are expected to face charges relating to the alleged kidnapping and rape.

The case has drawn attention to the safety challenges confronting e-hailing drivers, who regularly meet passengers, customers and other contacts at different locations, sometimes without knowing the people they are meeting.

The incident also highlights the fact that men can be victims of rape and sexual violence. Sexual assault can affect people of any gender, and the circumstances of an alleged attack should be treated with the same seriousness regardless of whether the victim is male or female.

However, the suspects have not been convicted of any offence. The allegations against them will be tested before the court, and they remain entitled to due process under South African law.

Police have not disclosed further details about the alleged sexual assault or indicated whether additional arrests are expected.

Investigations are continuing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping, sexual assault and ransom demand.

The incident comes amid broader concerns about the safety of e-hailing operators in Cape Town and other parts of South Africa, with driver associations and operators repeatedly calling for stronger measures to protect drivers from attacks and criminal activities while carrying out their work.