South African anti-apartheid struggle hero, Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, Zoleka Mandela, has died of cancer aged 43, her family said on Tuesday.

Known for having detailed her long battle against the disease, the author was admitted to hospital on Monday as part of her ongoing treatment, a family spokesman said.“Zoleka passed away… surrounded by friends and family,” said Zwelabo Mandela.She was the child of Mandela’s youngest daughter, Zindzi Mandela, and her first husband, Zwelibanzi Hlongwane.

The family said recent scans revealed “significant” progress in cancer that affected her hip, liver, lung, pelvis, brain and spinal cord.

“We mourn the loss of a beloved grandchild of Mum Winnie and Madiba,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation wrote on social media, using the name by which the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was fondly known.

“Her work in raising awareness about cancer prevention and her unwavering commitment to breaking down the stigma surrounding the disease will continue to inspire us all.”

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has said for the first time that he plans to run for a fourth term in elections due to be held next year.“Yes, I am indeed a candidate,” Kagame, who has ruled over the country with an iron fist for decades, told Jeune Afrique, a French-language news magazine, in an interview published online on Tuesday.

“I am pleased with the confidence that Rwandans have placed in me. I will always serve them, as long as I can,” the 65-year-old was quoted as saying.

The Rwandan government in March decided to synchronize the dates for its parliamentary and presidential elections, which are due to be held in August next year.

Kagame had previously not made his intentions clear but has presided over controversial constitutional amendments that allowed him to serve a third term.

A former rebel chief, Kagame has been regarded as the country’s de facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide.

He won a third term in 2017, taking home nearly 99 percent of the votes.

AFP

The African Union looks set to become the newest member of the G20, officials said on Friday, as the bloc’s bid won backing from existing members gathered for a summit in India.

G20 host and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, called for the pan-African organisation to become a permanent member, arguing that developing nations need a greater say in global decision-making.

The proposal has won backing from Washington and on Friday, the European Union said it would also back the move.

“I look forward to welcoming the AU as a permanent member of the G20”, European Council president Charles Michel told reporters in New Delhi, where the two-day G20 summit begins on Saturday.

The Group of 20 major economies currently consists of 19 countries and the European Union, making up about 85 per cent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world population.

But South Africa is currently the only G20 member from the African continent.

The Ethiopia-headquartered AU was created in 2002, following the disbanding of the Organisation of African Unity.

At full strength, it has 55 members, but six junta-ruled nations are currently suspended. Collectively it has a GDP of $3trillion with some 1.4 billion people.

India’s top foreign service officer, Vinay Kwatra, said it expected a decision on AU membership would be made at the summit on Saturday morning.

In December 2022, U.S. President, Joe Biden, said he wanted the AU “to join the G20 as a permanent member”, adding that it had “been a long time in coming, but it’s going to come”.

On Tuesday, Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, reiterated the stance while discussing the U.S. priorities for the New Delhi summit.

“We’re also looking forward to warmly welcoming the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 — the newest permanent member. We believe that the African Union’s voice will make the G20 stronger,” Sullivan said at a White House briefing.

AFP