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South Africa’s Government will seek court guidance on implementing a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum applications, as Home Affairs prepares to introduce a structured registration and appointment system by 10 November 2026.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration announced the measures in Pretoria on Sunday, 11 October 2026, following a review of the legal and administrative implications of the judgment delivered on 7 July 2026.
The ruling declared unconstitutional provisions of the Refugees Act that allowed asylum seekers without transit visas to be deported.
IMC Chair Mmamoloko Kubayi said the government would seek court supervision and time to strengthen its processing capacity, while remaining bound by the existing order. “The objective is not to delay compliance, but to ensure effective and sustainable compliance that serves both the administration of justice and the broader public interest,” she said.
Under the proposed system, applicants will register their intention to seek asylum online and receive a receipt with an appointment at a Refugee Reception Office. Assisted registration will also be available.
Valid receipt holders must not be deported, arrested or detained solely for lacking a visa while their applications await submission and determination. However, the receipt will not confer refugee status or constitute an asylum visa.
The Government is also preparing legislative reforms and plans to begin relocating refugee reception centres to ports of entry, starting with Beitbridge in December 2026.
Meanwhile, a High Court hearing on 29 October 2026 will consider conflicting directives concerning asylum seekers, with implications for implementing the Constitutional Court ruling.
Source :
https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/government-seek-court-guidance-asylum-ruling-introduce-registration-system
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Djibouti migrant boat disaster leaves 139 dead, 84 missing
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At least 139 migrants died and 84 remain missing after a boat carrying 305 people capsized off Djibouti’s coast during the night of Thursday, 8 October, into Friday, 9 October 2026.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday, 11 October, that about 82 people survived. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and recovery operations.
The boat was travelling to Yemen along a dangerous route used by East African migrants seeking to reach the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. The disaster adds to a series of deadly shipwrecks along Djibouti’s Red Sea coast.
Source :
https://english.news.cn/africa/20261011/c3654ad907a8491eb3ed58dc4bf1bd41/c.html
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Flights resume to Mekelle as former Tigray leader promises ‘visible change’
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Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Mekelle on Sunday, 11 October 2026, as former Tigray leader Getachew Reda promised improvements following the city’s recapture by government-allied forces.
Flights had been suspended since Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters seized the airport on 23 September. They withdrew on 3 October, when Government-allied units entered the city.
“I would like to assure you on this occasion that we will bring visible change, a change beyond mere hope,” Reda, now an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, told supporters at Mekelle airport.
Renewed fighting has undermined the 2022 peace agreement that ended the two-year Tigray war, while tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have heightened fears of a wider conflict.
On Friday, 9 October, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged all parties to cease hostilities and resume dialogue. Ethiopia accused Eritrea of sending troops across the border and occupying parts of its territory, claims the Associated Press could not independently verify. Eritrea’s response did not confirm or deny the alleged crossings, but described Ethiopia’s position as a “deplorable declaration of war”.
Source :
https://apnews.com/article/ethiopia-tigray-mekelle-conflict-2c6ebeb250cbf98852ab32bf2f36a04a
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Feysa retains Chicago Marathon crown as Kipruto wins men’s race
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Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa successfully defended her Chicago Marathon title on Sunday, 11 October 2026, while Kenya’s Amos Kipruto won the men’s race.
Feysa pulled clear of Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi in the final mile to finish in two hours, 13 minutes and 33 seconds. Lokedi placed second in 2:14:07, ahead of compatriot Brigid Kosgei in 2:14:55.
Kipruto claimed the men’s title in 2:01:09, improving on his second-place finish behind Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in 2025. Ethiopia’s Tadese Bikila finished second in 2:02:56, with compatriot Milkesa Mengesha third in 2:03:46. The victory gave Kipruto his second major marathon title following his London triumph in 2022.
Source :
https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/62cdb6f61f50
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Ghana tightens mining controls after spill and illegal extraction concerns
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Ghana is stepping up environmental oversight of gold mines, with Chinese operators facing closure measures and South Africa’s Gold Fields also coming under scrutiny, RFI reported on 12 October 2026.
Cardinal Namdini, a subsidiary of China’s Shandong Gold, received an immediate closure notice following a tailings spill that authorities said was reported late. The Environmental Protection Authority attributed the leak to an incorrectly connected pipe.
Another Chinese operator, Earl International, was shut down the previous week over illegal extraction concerns. The company said it had resolved the problem and secured permission to resume operations on Monday, 12 October.
Gold Fields’ Tarkwa mine has also come under scrutiny, although inspection findings have not been made public. Ghana, Africa’s largest gold producer, is seeking continuous monitoring of mining operations. It is also increasing royalties and developing a new mining law to strengthen State oversight, boost revenue and expand Ghanaian participation in the sector.
Source :
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20261012-le-ghana-premier-producteur-d-or-africain-serre-la-vis-aux-compagnies-mini%C3%A8res
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Zambia and Ethiopia tipped for biggest debt declines as Moody’s lifts regional outlook
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Zambia and Ethiopia are expected to record the largest declines in Government debt in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to Moody’s, which has upgraded its regional outlook to positive.
The credit rating Agency said economic reforms, strong commodity prices and improved access to financing had strengthened governments’ fiscal positions.
Moody’s projects regional economic growth of 4.3% in both 2026 and 2027. Government debt is forecast to fall from 62.4% of GDP in 2025 to 56.6% in 2027, while annual borrowing requirements are expected to decline from 12.3% to 11.2% over the same period.
However, it warned that debt repayments, limited government revenue, climate risks and security threats remain significant challenges. Kenya and Zambia are each expected to spend about 35% of government revenue on interest payments in 2027.
Ghana is among eight countries with positive outlooks, alongside South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Nigeria, Togo, the Republic of Congo and Zambia.
Source :
https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/3ba9df7ea6a4
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HRW raises alarm over arrests and abuse of LGBT people in Senegal
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned of worsening arrests, violence and abuse against LGBT people in Senegal following the adoption of tougher penalties for same-sex sexual acts on 11 March 2026.
In a report published on Monday, 12 October 2026, the organization drew on 39 testimonies to document deteriorating conditions for gay and transgender people. The amended law provides prison sentences of five to ten years for acts described as “unnatural”.
The African Meeting for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO) reported at least 212 arrests since the law came into force, alongside an increase in detention and abuse across the country.
Legal professionals also described pressure that could hinder detainees’ access to representation. One lawyer said relatives had discouraged him from defending people accused under the law.
HRW further reported that some detainees underwent HIV testing without informed consent, warning that the practice could discourage voluntary testing and undermine efforts to tackle HIV.
The report’s publication coincided with the opening of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ 89th Ordinary Session in Dakar on 12 October.