This Week on the Continent

31 July 1969: Albertina Sisulu's banning order is renewed for a further 5 years for continuing to be a member of the Federation of South African Women. 

1 August 1954: The Natives Resettlement Act, Act No 19 is passed allowing the South African government to remove black people from Johannesburg's ministerial district resulting in forced removals from suburbs such as Sophiatown, Driefontein, Mogopa and Braklaagte.

2 August 1998: Start of the Second Congo War or the Great African War. Combatants included the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Namibia, Chad and Libya. The war officially ended in July 2003.

3 August 1964: Lucky Dube a famous South African reggae musician is born. Dube released 22 albums in in three languages.

4 August 1905: Kinjikitile "Bokero" Ngwale, an East African prophet and rebel leader is hanged.  Bokero was a leader in the Maji Maji Rebellion against German colonial rule in modern day Tanzania.

5 August 1982: On the 20^th anniversary of his imprisonment China makes an international call for the release of Nelson Mandala.

6 August 1861: Britain annexes Lagos and begins colonising Nigeria.