A South African man named Jabulani Nkosi has been accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend, Boitsoko Letoaba, and concealing her body in a fridge for days.

The shocking incident occurred in the town of Evander, Mpumalanga, and has sent shockwaves throughout the community.

In the midst of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence against women and children, the residents of Evander were left terrified after witnessing a horrific scene of the gruesome murder.

It is alleged that the suspect kept the pregnant woman in the fridge before setting the house on fire.

It is further alleged that the deceased and suspect have been in a love relationship and have been staying together.

Further allegations are that the suspect mutilated the deceased’s body.

Nkosi has not yet been arrested, and the police are trying hard to lay hands on him for clarification.

The motive for the killing is still unclear, but the police believe that it may have been a domestic violence incident.

Letoaba’s family and friends are grieving over her passing and are pleading for justice.

News of her death has sent shockwaves through the Evander community.

Many residents are finding it hard to come to terms with the tragedy.

“This is a terrible tragedy,” said one local resident. “Boitsoko was a kind and loving person. We can’t believe that she is gone.”

Another resident said, “I hope that the justice system will bring the perpetrator to justice. This is a senseless act of violence.”

Domestic violence is a serious problem in South Africa.

According to a 2021 study by the Medical Research Council, one in three women in South Africa have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner.

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Gunfire erupted in the capital of Guinea-Bissau on Friday morning following an attempt by National Guard soldiers to free a detained minister and a senior state official. The National Guard members initially took the officials into custody before seeking refuge in barracks south of the capital.

Efforts to negotiate a resolution failed, leading to the intervention of special forces and an ensuing exchange of gunfire. Eventually, calm was restored later in the day.

The detained individuals, Finance Minister Souleiman Seidi and Secretary of State for the Treasury Antonio Monteiro were under investigation for the alleged irregular withdrawal of $10 million (£8 million) of state funds. An anti-corruption investigation had questioned them the day before regarding payments made to 11 companies.

During a parliamentary session earlier in the week, the leader of the main opposition party claimed that the companies’ owners had close ties to the country’s governing coalition leaders. Mr. Seidi defended the payments as legal.

After Thursday’s questioning, both Seidi and Monteiro were arrested and detained to avoid jeopardising the ongoing investigations, according to local media reports. Later that evening, National Guard soldiers reportedly stormed the police cells near Bandim market, armed with AK-47 weapons and bazookas, and freed the detained officials, taking them to an undisclosed location.

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who is currently attending the UN’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai, was not present during the incident. In response to the situation, regional stabilisation forces deployed by the West African bloc, Ecowas, were observed patrolling the streets on Friday morning, as reported by the AFP news agency.

Guinea-Bissau has a history of coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. In February of the previous year, the president claimed to have survived a coup attempt linked to drug trafficking, although details remained unclear, leading to skepticism and unanswered questions about the events surrounding the incident.

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By Tata Mbunwe

Women who have been championing peace and humanitarian work in Cameroon have been honoured with the German Prize for Africa 2023.

The recognition was handed to three representatives of the National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon – Esther Omam, Sally Mboumien and Marthe Wandou – in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 30.

The ceremony was presided over by Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Vice-President of the German Parliament.

The award acknowledges the enormous efforts of these three women – who stand as the face of the National Women’s Convention – in empowering women facing conflict, gender inequality and economic hardship.

“This is a great recognition for the work of women peace builders,” said Esther Omam.

“The members of the platform are happy to accept this act of recognition on behalf of all the women of Cameroon, those living in conflict zones and those committed to building peace at all levels and in all senses,” she added.

The convention is the largest grouping for women in Cameroon. Created in January 2021, the body consists of 77 organizations that are advocating for peace in the country.

They held their first national convention in July 2021 in Yaounde, with nearly 1,800 women from across Cameroon in attendance.

After the convention, Esther Omam, Sally Mboumien and Marthe Wandou have continued championing peace and humanitarian works in the country.

Omam, who is from the South West, through her Reach Out organization, continues to provide healthcare, education, economic empowerment and psychosocial support to women affected by the Anglophone Crisis.

On her part, Sally Mboumien, a rights activist from Cameroon’s Far North Region, has been helping women affected by the Boko Haram conflict to regain their livelihoods through education and economic empowerment.

In the North West, Marthe Wandou has also helped thousands of women in the Region, affected by armed conflict, access education.

“Together, we have built an alliance that is stronger, louder and more numerous than those who profit from war,” Sally Mboumien told DW.

“We are ready to dialogue, ready to mediate, ready to support initiatives.”

The German Africa Foundation’s award comes as a recognition of the efforts of these women.

The award has been honoring African personalities since 1993.

The prize goes to outstanding individuals who are committed to peace, democracy, reconciliation, arts and culture and social progress.

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