Senzo Meyiwa shooting: Suspect images released

 

The two intruders demanded mobile phones and valuables

South African police have released composite images of two men suspected of killing national football captain Senzo Meyiwa.

Meyiwa, 27, was reportedly shot on Sunday after burglars entered his girlfriend's house.
Police have offered a reward of 250,000 rand (£14,000; $23,000) for information about the attack.
Meyiwa's death has once again highlighted the high rates of violent crime in South Africa.
Intruders entered the house in Vosloorus, south of Johannesburg, at around 20:00 (18:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Before releasing the pictures, police had described two of the suspects: one said to be tall, dark-skinned and slender with dreadlocks; the other was said to be short, dark-skinned and well-built.
The men demanded mobile phones and valuables while a third man remained outside.
National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega told a press conference that Meyiwa was then shot once in the upper body as he moved towards the door. The three men then fled.
The footballer was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. His funeral is expected to take place on Saturday.

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How violent is South Africa?

South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, has led tributes to the football captain.
"We mourn the death of this young footballer and team leader whose life has been taken away at the prime of his career," Mr Zuma said.
Team-mates have also expressed their grief.
South Africa midfielder Dean Furman told the BBC Meyiwa was "just the nicest guy you could wish to meet".
His killing has sparked outrage about crime in South Africa.
The shock was summed up by Senzo Meyiwa's team-mate Tsepo Masilela, who tweeted: "How do you kill someone for a cellphone?"
Between April 2013 and March 2014, more than 17,000 people were murdered in South Africa, an increase of about 5% over the previous year, according to police figures.
However, overall murder rates are lower than during the high points of the apartheid years.

Zambian President Sata death: White interim leader appointed

 

 It is unclear if Guy Scott will be able to run for president because he is not a third generation Zambian

Zambian Vice-President Guy Scott has been named acting leader following the death of President Michael Sata.

Presidential elections to choose a permanent successor will be held within 90 days, Defence Minister Edgar Lungu said.
Mr Scott, who is of Scottish descent, becomes Africa's first white head of state for many years.
Mr Sata died in the UK aged 77 after receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.

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A look back at Zambian President Michael Sata's life

He was being treated at London's King Edward VII hospital where he died on Tuesday night.
'Beloved comrade' Mr Scott regularly stood in for the president at official events, but was never appointed acting president when Mr Sata was abroad - so this is his first time to officially lead the country.

Guy Scott

• Often disparagingly referred to as the "ceremonial vice-president"
• He was born in 1944 in what was then Northern Rhodesia after father emigrated from Glasgow to work as a doctor on the railways
• A Cambridge-trained economist, he entered politics in 1990 joining the MMD which won the first multiparty elections the next year
• As agricultural minister he oversaw the recovery from a devastating drought in 1992/93
• He joined Michael Sata's Patriotic Front (PF) in 2001
• Appointed vice-president in September 2011 after the PF's election victory
• As his parents were not born in Zambia, a constitutional clause requiring the president to be a "third generation" Zambian may nullify any attempt to run for president

In a brief televised address Mr Scott confirmed his appointment.
"The period of national mourning will start today. We will miss our beloved president and comrade," Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.
The president's death comes just days after Zambia celebrated the 50th anniversary of independence from the UK.
Cabinet secretary Roland Msiska said on national TV that President Sata's wife and son were at his bedside.

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Michael Sata is the second of Zambia's five presidents to die in office

He is the second Zambian leader to die in office after Levy Mwanawasa in 2008.
Earlier this month reports in Zambia said that President Sata had gone abroad for a medical check-up amid persistent speculation that he was seriously ill.

Obituary: Penny Dale, BBC's former Zambia correspondent

 

 Mr Sata was known as "King Cobra" for his tough style of public speaking

Gravelly-voiced as a result of years of chain-smoking, Michael Sata rose to political prominence in the 1980s. He quickly earned a reputation as the hardest-working governor while in charge of Lusaka and as a populist man of action. But he was also known for his authoritarian tendencies, an abrasive manner and a sharp tongue - and his critics say his nickname of "King Cobra" was well-deserved.
A devout Catholic, Mr Sata had worked as a police officer, railway man and trade unionist during colonial rule. After independence, he also spent time in London, working as a railway porter, and, back in Zambia, with a taxidermist company.
At the fourth attempt, Mr Sata won presidential elections in 2011. At first he looked as if he would keep promises to tackle corruption and create jobs and prosperity. But his term in office was marred by a crackdown on political opposition and a decline in the economy.

He had rarely been seen in public since returning from the UN General Assembly last month, where he failed to make a scheduled speech.
After he left the country, Defence Minister Edgar Lungu was named as acting president.
Mr Scott is of Scottish descent and his parents were not born in Zambia, so he may not be able to run for president in January because of a constitutional clause.