South Africa Border Tech: President Cyril Ramaphosa launched an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system to speed up travel while tightening border management, aiming to boost tourism, trade and investment. Migration Costs & Diplomacy: South Africa demanded about $18m from Ethiopia, Malawi and Nigeria to reimburse deportation expenses, escalating tensions over xenophobia-era enforcement. Zambia Election Watch: Polls opened in Zambia’s presidential vote as voters weigh Hakainde Hichilema’s reforms against high living costs; the race is seen as a referendum on jobs, inflation and electricity reliability. ConCourt Impeachment Fallout: South Africa’s Constitutional Court refused to fast-track an appeal over Ramaphosa’s impeachment process, with critics warning delays could blunt accountability. TVET Quality Push: South Africa’s higher education minister urged against judging the whole TVET sector by isolated problems found during oversight visits, including staffing qualification gaps. Football Governance: CAF president Patrice Motsepe backed FIFA’s Infantino staying in the race until the 2027 vote by member associations. Climate & Ocean Policy: Six African countries now support a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining amid governance and science gaps. Regional Energy: Tanzania highlighted natural gas as a route to cleaner cooking and energy security, targeting reliance on charcoal and firewood. SADC UN Gender Bid: South Africa’s Ronald Lamola urged SADC states to back a woman for UN secretary-general.