Blatter and Platini corruption trial verdict due on Friday

In tonight's edition: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa admits that the country's ruling party could have done more to halt state graft under his predecessor Jacob Zuma as he testifies before an anti-corruption inquiry. In Somalia, the president tries to diffuse tensions over a proposed two-year extension of his mandate by inviting parliament to debate the move over the weekend. And hospitals in Madagascar are overwhelmed with an intensified wave of coronavirus cases in the country.

In Ivory Coast, corruption has infected most of the public sector – from procurement contracts, to customs services, to recruitment. The country is ranked 106th out of 180 countries, according to the NGO Transparency International. Re-elected in October of last year, President Alassane Ouattara has promised to make the fight against corruption one of the priorities of his new term. But so far, no concrete measures have been put in place to tackle the problem. Our correspondents report.

Former President Jacob Zuma is being tried for graft, fraud, racketeering and money laundering. The plea marks a turning point in the decadelong trial.

The military regime alleges the detained former leader accepted illegal payments. Suu Kyi is expected to go on trial next week.

The state accuses Zuma of bribery, fraud and money laundering in a $2 billion weapons contract with French company Thales in the late 1990s. He denies all the charges.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, testifying at a graft inquiry on Wednesday (August 11), said he chose to "remain but resist" rather than resign as deputy president when allegations of widespread corruption surfaced under his predecessor Jacob Zuma.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday the government took accusations of corruption very seriously and would hold lawmakers to account, but added that the process of investigating politicians needed to be changed.

With four months to go until election day, the two top candidates for the presidency are already at the center of allegations of corruption and abuse of power, with debate over policy relegated to the background.

British PM Johnson under pressure over corruption scandal at weekly questions

Former chancellor Sebastian Kurz is facing allegations that he used state money to pay for flattering polls to boost his image. Kurz has denied any wrongdoing.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday⁣

From establishing special commissions to mounting public billboards, Africa has made strides in tackling corruption. But the problem refuses to disappear. We catch up with our correspondents in Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe on the battle against corruption.