Africa highlights: Blogger appeals 'blasphemy' death sentence, Nigeria anti-bribery protest

1. Mauritanian court packed for blogger's appeal hearing
2. Nigeria taxi drivers protest against "extortion by security officers"
3. UK tries South African woman for "acid attack" on ex-boyfriend
4. Mugabe says his sacked deputy "was told that he would die before me"
5. Mnangagwa "flees Zimbabwe after receiving death threats"
6. Tanzania schoolchildren killed in explosion
7. Paramilitary police shot dead in Cameroon's main English-speaking city
8. DR Congo trial of 18 alleged child rapists postponed
9. Somali minister says militants have been defeated

Scroll down for Wednesday's stories

That's all from BBC Africa Live today. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or check the BBC News website.

A reminder of today's wise words:

He who is stubborn buys unripe bananas."

A Jopadhola proverb sent by Ebeli Martin in Kampala, Uganda

Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this picture of a man gazing at the Murchison Falls, in Uganda.

K100: How a Kenya Airways flight became famous in the UK

Move over Air Force One: For a few hours on an otherwise unremarkable Wednesday, the most famous plane in the world belonged to Kenya Airways.

A staggering 22,000 people were watching the plane make its way across continents, thanks to one of its passengers.

The UK's Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel was rumoured to be on board, ordered back from an official trip by Prime Minister Theresa May after finding herself in hot water over undeclared meetings.

In short, it wasn't looking good for Ms Patel, who many thought was unlikely to still be a minister be the evening.

Still, it seems likely the huge interest in Flight KQ100 from Nairobi to London Heathrow left more than a few people a little confused - not least, the airline itself.

Of course, social media - in true social media style - also saw the chance for huge amounts of fun while waiting to discover whether Ms Patel was indeed on board the jet.

The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg did try to play down expectations as the plane came into land, though.

Either way, no one can deny wall-to-wall coverage of a Kenya Airways flight cannot have been bad publicity for the airline.

Blogger appeals death sentence over 'blasphemy'

A court in Mauritania has begun hearing an appeal against the death sentence imposed on a Muslim blogger over an article deemed as blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.

There was a large audience in the court in the north-western city of Nouadhibou, with the authorities banning the carrying of cameras, mobile phones and laptops, a judicial source is quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

Conservative Muslims have protested to demand that the blogger, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, be hanged, but human rights groups have called for his immediate release.

See earlier post for more details

Separatists blamed for killings in Cameroon

Separatists were behind the killing of two paramilitary police officers in Bamenda, the main English-speaking city in Cameroon, information minister Issa Tchiroma has told AFP news agency.

The separatists were armed with "combat weapons" and fled with the guns of the officers, he added.

On Monday, another paramilitary police officer was killed in the nearby town of Jakiri.

Last month, the International Crisis Group think-tank warned that the government's crackdown on Anglophone protests could lead to an armed uprising.

English-speakers have been protesting for months against the government, which is dominated by French-speakers.

AFP

The government has vowed to maintain law and order

Pro-independence rallies were held in English-speaking parts of the country last month to mark the 56th anniversary of their incorporation into Cameroon.

The divisions in the central African state date back to the post-colonial settlement.

Cameroon was colonised by Germany and then split into British and French areas after World War One.

The country was unified in 1961 - but English-speakers accuse the Francophone majority of discrimination.

See earlier post for more details

South African woman faces murder trial after acid attack

Family handout

Berlinah Wallace, who was brought up in Gauteng, denies murder

A South African woman who allegedly poured acid over her boyfriend in a fit of jealous rage is on trial for his murder in the UK.

Berlinah Wallace is said to have yelled "if I can't have you, no-one else will" as she attacked Mark van Dongen in her Bristol home in September 2015, weeks after their five year relationship ended.

He died at a euthanasia clinic in his native Belgium 15 months later.

Doctors agreed Mr van Dongen, who was left paralysed from the neck down, lost his left leg, the sight in his left eye and most of the sight in his right eye as a result of the attack, was living in unbearable pain.

Ms Wallace, 48, a part-time fashion student who grew up in South Africa's Gauteng province, denies murder and throwing a corrosive substance.

Read the full report of Wednesday's proceedings here.

The trial continues.

Paradise Papers: Angola's Isabel Dos Santos 'turned down by legal firm'

Reuters

Isabel Dos Santos is the oldest daughter of Angola's former president

The legal firm at the centre of the Paradise Papers leak turned down business from Africa's richest woman, it has emerged.

Appleby -the main source of the leaked Paradise Papers documents and providers of offshore financial services - refused to work with billionaire Isabel Dos Santos in 2012.

Ms Dos Santos, the daughter of Angola's ex-President José Eduardo Dos Santos, wanted to buy a “shelf” company in Mauritius or the British Virgin Isles, to be used for investment purposes.

But Appleby refused to work with her because she is a politically exposed person and because it doesn’t provide shelf services, according to the leaked documents.

You can read more here.

Former Vice-President Mnangagwa 'flees' Zimbabwe

AFP

Emmerson Mnangagwa says Zanu-PF is not the "personal property" of the first family

Zimbabwe's sacked Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has left the country after receiving death threats, a statement attributed to the politician says.

The statement, which Chris Mutsvangwa, a Zanu-PF war veteran allied with the former vice-president, said was genuine, also hits out at Robert and Grace Mugabe.

In it, Mr Mnangagwa says:

My sudden departure was caused by incessant threats on my person, life and family by those who have attempted before through various forms of elimination, including poisoning."

At the same time, he said that "I will go nowhere", vowing to "fight tooth and nail" those who had made a "mockery" of the original values of the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Addressing Mr Mugabe, the statement said Zanu-PF "is not personal property for you and your wife to do as you please".

It added the party was now "controlled by undisciplined, egotistical and self-serving minnows who derive their power not from the people and party but from only two individuals in the form of the First Family".

Mr Mnangagwa has not confirmed the authenticity of the statement.

Nigerian swaps a career the City for snail farming

It is perhaps not the most obvious career move: going from a high-paying job in London's financial centre, to raising giant African land snails for a living.

But that is what Nigerian-raised Ollie Thomson decided to do.

Find out why here:

Thousands of city jobs could go following Brexit so is there life after the city?

Analysis: Chelsea will miss Michael Emenalo

Stanley Kwenda

BBC Africa

AFP

Michael Emenalo worked with 11 managers at Chelsea during his time with the club

The departure of Nigerian, Michael Emenalo, from the post of technical director at English Premier League club Chelsea came as a surprise.

Emenalo, who was at the club for a decade, was the only African holding a top executive position in the elite football league.

His position would have no doubt put him at constant loggerheads with the club's coach but that he stayed on the job despite Chelsea changing managers 11 times tells a lot about his exceptional skills and persona.

I have met Emenalo several times. First at the Best of Africa Awards in London and most recently at a party organised to celebrate the achievements of Brighton Albion Manager Chris Hughton, the only black Premier League manager.

He was obsessed with details and that no doubt served him well in the high-pressured environment at a top Premier League club.

Not many would point him out from a crowd because he rarely gave interviews, opting instead to pull the strings away from the limelight.

He was, however, a common fixture at home games, always seated behind the Chelsea first team bench at Stamford Bridge.

His influential role saw him act as a link between the Chelsea board and club owner Roman Abramovich.

With that position he wielded enormous power at the club pulling strings on the players who join and leave the club.

In December 2015, he was thrust in the limelight when he had to appear on Chelsea FC TV to announce the sacking of Jose Mourinho from the club.

He leaves behind a legacy of a successful club both on and off the field. Chelsea is much better than it was when Emenalo joined in 2007.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, the London club won eight major trophies, its football academy blossomed so did its women’s team.

Liberia's democracy 'under assault'

EPA

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has been in power since 2005

Liberia's president says the country's "democracy is under assault", after elections to find her successor were halted indefinitely.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf spoke out in a radio broadcast two days after the Supreme Court ordered the second round vote to be stopped while an investigation into irregularities was carried out.

According to Reuters, Mrs Sirleaf said:

Democracy is only as strong as its weakest link and at these moments, our democracy is under assault. Our country’s reputation is under assault, our economy is under stress.”

Libera's next president should have been decided on Tuesday, 7 November, when former footballer George Weah and Mrs Sirleaf's deputy Joseph Boakai were due to face each other in the run off.

But a complaint by the Liberty Party's Charles Brumskine, who came third in the original vote, over alleged frauds and irregularities led the court to suspend the vote.

It is unclear when it will now take place.

Read more about the legal challenge here.

The boy who is a headscarf stylist to Nigeria's stars

This is Fatai, and he has a very special talent when it comes to styling African headscarves, or gele.

At just 13, his skills are already much sought-after - even if others have tried to put him off.

He shows off his creations to BBC Pidgin below:

Gele expert: Nigerian headscarf stylist is young boy

Mugabe: 'Church prophets told Mnangagwa he would die first'

AFP

Robert Mugabe has vowed to purge the party of "conspirators"

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe,93, has been hitting out at his former vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa during an address to the crowds in Harare today.

We've reported on his accusations here.

According to Shingai Nyoka, the BBC reporter at the rally, this is what he said:

The road to leading the country is long. You don’t try to take shortcuts. Those roads are filled with lions, pits and death. Be warned.

We new a long time ago what he [Mnangagwa] was like. But we tried to shield you from it.

He went to apostolic church prophets to find out when Mugabe would die. But he was told he would die first.

He thought that, being close to me, I would carry him on my back to the presidency. But I didn’t die, I didn't resign.

He wasn’t a new comer in our movement, that we would say he is still learning. We hope we can deal with others who were conspirators alongside him."

The state-run Herald newspaper gave a slightly different version of his address, as we reported earlier.

Paradise Papers: Tycoon 'believes in Africa's immense potential'

Clare Spencer

BBC News

An entrepreneur who was paid more than $41m while the asset manager to Angola's sovereign wealth fund has tweeted that he believes "in Africa's immense potential":

Jean-Claude Bastos, who is a close friend to the ex-president's son, did not mention the investigation, which showed payments were made via a complex web of companies set up in the offshore jurisdiction of Mauritius.

The administrators of Angola’s sovereign wealth fund have brushed off the investigation.

News agency Lusa says the administrators insisted today that they worked in a legitimate way and complied with the highest regularity standards.

But the country is watching how the new president will react to the investigation, as this Angolan journalist points out:

The sovereign wealth fund was mired in controversy from its outset in 2011 because the then-Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos appointed his son, Jose Filomeno, to run it.

It has led some to wonder whether Angola’s new president could sack the ex-president’s son.

When Mr Dos Santos stood down in August after 38 years in power, I wrote that it was widely believed that he would hold on to power and maintain the status quo - partly through his children.

But David Pilling points out in the Financial Times that current President Joao Lourenco has surprised the world by making some changes.

He abolished a government communications department, which one of Mr Dos Santos' daughters was reportedly associated with, and sacked the central bank governor.

Abuja taxi drivers block roads in anti-bribery protest

Ishaq Khalid

BBC Africa, Abuja

Hundreds of taxi drivers have taken to the streets of Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to protest against what they call extortion, harassment and intimidation by law-enforcement officers.

The demonstration was triggered by the alleged killing of a taxi driver by security agents during an argument over a bribe they had demanded.

The authorities have not yet commented on the allegation.

The drivers blocked some major streets in the central business district, leaving motorists stranded in heavy traffic jams.

They are furious with the Task Force - a combined team of soldiers, police and traffic officers in charge of enforcing traffic regulations - accusing its members of constantly harassing them on the road even if their vehicles and documents were in order.

The protesters burnt tyres and chanted "No more Task Force".

BBC

DR Congo child rape trial delayed

Eighteen men accused of raping dozens of young girls go on trial in the DRC.

The trial of 18 men accused of raping dozens of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been delayed.

The men allegedly targeted girls aged 18 months to 11 years because they believed virgins' blood would make them impervious to bullets.

They are accused of stealing the girls away at night and raping them as their parents slept - apparently drugged so they would not wake.

Many of the girls were left with irreparable damage due to their young age.

The trial is now due to start on 20 November.

What's in a (Nigerian budget) name?

Olubunmi Okunnu

BBC Pidgin, Lagos

In a speech lasting one hour and five minutes, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday announced the proposed budget for 2018 which has been themed “budget of consolidation”.

According to him, the budget will consolidate on "the achievements of previous budgets", and hopefully should further help Nigeria recover from their first recession in 25 years.

But why bother to name annual budgets?

According to Kenneth Erikume, partner at PwC Nigeria, a global tax and advisory company, naming budgets is unique to Nigeria.

The names originate from the executive, and are usually a reflection of the government’s plan.

Reuters

President Muhammadu Buhari unveils his 2017 budget

Mr Erikume says the reason "consolidation" is used now is probably because, with just one more year before 2019's election, Mr Buhari's government is looking to consolidate all the efforts made since 2015 – when it came into power – in bringing the country out of recession.

Naming national budgets is not a new thing in Nigeria. Here are their six previous budget names:

2018: Budget of Consolidation

2017: Budget of Recovery and Growth

2016: Budget of Change

2015: Transition Budget & Hope

2014: Budget for Job Creation and Inclusive Growth

2013: Budget of fiscal Consolidation with Inclusive Growth

At the end of the day, these names do not really matter, what does is their implementation, Mr Erikume concludes.

Mnangagwa asked 'healers when Mugabe would die'

Re

Grace Mugabe and Emmerson Mnangagwa are rivals in the contest for the presidency

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has accused his sacked deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, of consulting traditional healers to find out when the 93-year-old would die, as he schemed to take power, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports.

Mr Mnangagwa first spread rumours that the president intended to retire in March, Mr Mugabe said but "upon realising that I wasn’t, he started to consult traditional healers on when I was going to die". He added:

At some point, he was told that he would die first before me.”

Addressing thousands of his supporters in the capital, Harare, Mr Mugabe said Mr Mnangagwa lacked "supreme discipline", and tried to orchestrate "rebellious" behaviour in the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Mr Mugabe fired Mr Mnangagwa - a close comrade of his since the 1970s war for independence - on Monday, in what analysts saw as a move to pave the way for his wife, Grace, to take power when he dies or retires.

Mr Mugabe is expected to appoint her as vice-president.

She has called for Mr Mnangagwa's expulsion from Zanu-PF, which has been in power since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.

Protest to demand Mauritania blogger's execution

Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed M'khaitir

The blogger says he did not intend to cause offence

Protesters in Mauritania are demanding the hanging of a young Muslim blogger accused of insulting Prophet Muhammad, local media reports.

The two separate protests comes as a court convenes in the second city, Nouadhibou, to review the case of Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir.

He was sentenced to death in 2014 over an article he wrote in which he lashed out at those who use religion as a means of discrimination against members of certain ethnic groups.

The courts deemed it blasphemous.

But in January Mauritania's Supreme Court set aside a ruling by the Court of Appeals which upheld the death sentence, according to campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW).

It ordered a new panel of judges at the Court of Appeals to review the case.

A strong contingent of policemen have been deployed in Nouadhibou, and they have blocked roads leading to the court building, as protesters, operating under the banner of "The Committee for Defending the Noble Prophet", demand Mkhaitir's execution, local media report.

A similar protest is taking place in the capital, Nouackchott.

In a statement, HRW's Middle East and North Africa director Sarah Leah Whitson called for the blogger's release:

Mauritania has no business charging anyone with ‘apostasy,’ much less sentencing a blogger to death for such an absurd charge based on an article he wrote.

It’s good that the appeals court is reviewing this case, but he never should have been charged in the first place.”

Mkhaitir has apologised for the article and has said he never meant to insult the Prophet.

Mauritania, an Islamic republic, has not applied the death penalty since 1987.

Boy, eight, dies after ambulance attacked in SA

A boy who was being rushed to hospital following a road accident in Cape Town, South Africa, has died after the ambulance he was in came under attack.

Robbers ambushed the vehicle near to Cape Town International Airport as it made its way to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, less than 15 minutes away.

Metro EMS spokesperson Robert Daniels told South Africa's Eyewitness News:

The crew was gun pointed and robbed, and the ambulance was left immobile. Unfortunately, the eight-year-old patient passed away due to the delay caused by the robbery.”

This is the latest in a string of attacks on ambulances in the city.

A spokesman told Independent Online earlier this year that 32 ambulances had been attacked, leading to 15 separate areas being marked as "red zones" - areas where ambulances could not go without a police escort.

Mugabe due to address rally

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is due to address thousands of his supporters for the first time since he sacked Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The rally comes ahead of a meeting of the ruling Zanu-PF's powerful politiburo committee, which is expected to "seal the fate" of Mr Mnangagwa, the state-run Herald newspaper reports, without elaborating.

Mr Mugabe's wife, Grace, has called for Mr Mnangagwa's expulsion from the party.

He was her main Zanu-PF rival in the battle to succeed Mr Mugabe, 93.

Mrs Mugabe is at the rally in the capital, Harare. Her supporters have been showing their loyalty to her after many party structures nominated her for the post of vice-president.

Shingai Nyoka

See earlier post for more details