Across Africa in five minutes or less

Mozambique

A rebel leader in Mozambique has been killed following an intense gun battle with government troops in his forest hide-out in central Sofala province, police have said.

Mariano Nhongo – who led the Renamo Military Junta – was killed along with a close associate of his. Nhongo had broken away from Renamo, rejecting a peace deal it had signed with President Filipe Nyusi in 2019 to end conflict.

Uganda

Uganda has given out the first official documents that recognise a transgender person. Cleopatra Kambugu received her new passport and ID documents last week, identifying her as female.

She told the BBC’s Newsday programme that she hoped one day it wouldn’t be such a huge thing, but getting the papers felt like a moment in history, similar to when women got the vote.

South Africa

A German tourist and a crew member have died after a luxury houseboat caught fire on a dam in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, local media report. Five passengers and four crew were on the boat when it caught fire on the Jozini Dam on Saturday.

“They all jumped into the water and unfortunately three drowned, two bodies were recovered in the dam,” a police spokesman was quoted by the IOL news site as saying.

Ghana

Tema, Oct. 11, GNA — The Paramount Chief and Overload of Weta Traditional Area in the Ketu North Municipality, Torgbuiga Akpo Ashiakpor VI, has called for wider support for the passage of the Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer and its related activities (LGBTQI+) Bill currently before Parliament into law.

He asserted that traditional leaders are the custodians of customs and traditions hence the need to get them protected at all cost.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa convoy has been attacked with “burning logs” at a village in south-eastern Masvingo province, his party, the MDC Alliance, has tweeted.

Members of his entourage were taken to hospital after being badly injured in the attack by “hired thugs”, it said.

“Burning logs were used to beat up the delegation and block the road to Charumbira Village,” the party added.

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