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Drought kills elephants

KENYA - More than 200 elephants and hundreds of zebras and gnus have died in Kenya’s worst drought in four decades, the country’s tourism minister said. The crisis has affected nearly half of Kenya’s regions and at least four million out of its 50 million people. “The drought has caused mortality of wildlife, mostly herbivore species,” Tourism Minister Peninah Malonza told a press conference in Nairobi last Friday, adding that 14 species had been identified as badly hit. “The mortalities have arisen because of depletion of food resources as well as water shortages.”

Granny arrested for dagga

CAPE TOWN - A 70-year-old Northern Cape pensioner has been arrested for dealing in drugs. The Kuruman grandmother was found in possession of 123 zip-locked bags of dagga. Police Spokesperson, Sergio Kock explains: “In Bothitong, Kuruman a 70-yearold granny was arrested with 123 ziplock bags of dagga after police followed up on information.” Meanwhile in Hopetown visible policing members apprehended a 26-year-old male suspect while he was hitchhiking on Saturday with dagga worth R100 000 00.

21 children released

NIGERIA - A group of 21 children who were abducted by gunmen last week from a farm in northwestern Nigeria’s Katsina State were freed and reunited with their families on Saturday, police said. Kidnapping has become endemic in recent years in Katsina – the home State of President Muhammadu Buhari – as roving gangs of armed men abduct people from schools, hospitals, roads and farms and demand ransom cash from their relatives. Three of the captives’ parents told Reuters the children, aged between 8 and 14, were released after parents paid a ransom of 1.5 million Naira (US$3,400), but Police Spokesman Gambo Isa denied a ransom had been paid.

GHANA - More than 1 000 protesters marched through Ghana’s capital Accra on Saturday, calling for the resignation of President Nana Akufo-Addo, amid an economic crisis that has hammered the cedi currency and seen fuel and food costs spiral to record levels.

Filing past police in riot gear, the redclad crowd waved placards and chanted ‘Akufo-Addo must go’ and ‘IMF no’ in reference to the government’s ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund for billions of Dollars to prop up the economy.

The president last week sought to reassure Ghanaians that the authorities would get the country’s finances back on track after consumer inflation topped 37 per cent in September, a 21-year peak despite aggressive policy tightening.

“He has failed, and we are asking him to resign. High fuel price increments are killing the people of Ghana,” said protester Rafael Williams.