Several human rights groups and organizations had appealed to the king for the release of all political prisoners and detainees, a large number of whom were part of the popular Rif protests in Morocco.

The evictions are happening despite a moratorium on evictions during the countrywide COVID-19 lockdown.

A few countries in Africa which have not recorded any cases of COVID-19 are preparing for the impact. These include Lesotho, South Sudan, Comoros and Sao Tome and Principe

The Azania shack dwellers’ settlement of Abahlali baseMjondolo in Durban, was attacked by agents hired by the eThekwini municipality authorities on April 2. 15 shacks were demolished, leaving several people homeless

Following a series of violent and illegal evictions of shack dwellers in South Africa, scholars and activists denounce the actions and stand in solidarity with the movement

Workers demanded adequate support from the government and protection from the economic distress caused by the lockdown. The countrywide shutdown has left a large number of people in the country without work

With a population of over 200 million, Nigeria had only screened 846 people by March 26. In comparison, South Africa, which confirmed its first case a week after Nigeria, had tested a total of 20,471 people by the same time

Golden Arrows Bus Services claims that it is permitted to provide essential services even as South Africa goes under a 21-day lockdown. However, it has been alleged by the union that the company misled the government by declaring itself as an essential services company “overnight”

The plunging of the currency to a historic low is likely to affect the country’s ability to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. South Africa has recorded the maximum number of cases in the continent

Soon after the lockdown began in South Africa, security forces patrolling the streets of Johannesburg were seen chasing homeless people with batons. Later in the afternoon, eight shacks were demolished in eThekwini municipality, while 17 have been marked for demolition in Durban

While official figures from the health ministry state 456 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country as of March 26, there may be at least 550 cases in the Egyptian army alone, say activists

Due to its close ties and proximity to Europe, Algeria was the second African country to confirm cases of COVID-19 in late February. As of March 26, the total number of cases stood at 367 with 25 deaths having been reported