Botswana has hanged a man for murdering his girlfriend and her son, the first execution in two years by the only southern African nation not to have abolished the death penalty. Joseph Tselayarona, 28, was executed on Saturday after the 2010 murder of his girlfriend and her three-year-old son, the Botswana Prison Service said. In Botswana, the death sentence is usually issued upon murder under aggravated circumstances and is carried out by hanging.

Ethiopian Minister of Defence, Siraj Fegessa has disclosed that the state of emergency imposed by authorities following the resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn will last six months.

Fegessa told journalists that, “There are still pockets of areas where violence is prevalent. The (ruling EPRDF coalition‘s) council were unanimous in their decision.”

Voter registration in Libya ended yesterday February 15, as the country’s electoral commission makes a last public appeal for people to sign up, according to the BCC. No date has been set for an election in the country yet, but there have been calls for one to be held by the end of the year.

More than 80 political prisoners have been released by Sudan's government, following a directive from President Omar al-Bashir.

The detainees, among them women, students and journalists, were arrested last month following protests over the high cost of living.

Families and friends, who camped outside prisons, celebrated as the detainees walked free.

South African stocks index rose as much as 5 percent on Thursday, putting the main index on track for its biggest one-day gain in more than three years, on hopes that President Cyril Ramaphosa will quicken the pace of economic growth.

The currency remained on the front-foot, soaring to its firmest since early 2015 in the wake of Jacob Zuma’s exit. Analysts have however warned the rally faces serious obstacles ahead of a budget speech next Wednesday.

Zuma quit late on Wednesday, reluctantly heeding orders by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to bring an end to a nine-year tenure punctuated by scandals, stagnant economic growth and policy uncertainty.

The US Senate on Thursday soundly voted down President Donald Trump’s immigration proposal, leaving Congress with no viable plan for shielding “Dreamer” immigrants from deportation once their protections expire beginning March 5.