Botswana President Ian Khama needed stitches on his face after being scratched by a cheetah, officials say.
The animal was reportedly being fed in its enclosure at an army barracks when it jumped up and scratched Ian Khama, who was standing nearby.
The incident was “a freak accident, but not an attack”, government spokesman Jeff Ramsay told local media.
Ian Khama’s injuries were minor and there were “no real security implications”, the official added.
Botswana President Ian Khama needed stitches on his face after being scratched by a cheetah
The incident is said to have happened very fast, catching the president and his bodyguard by surprise.
“He was scratched by a cheetah but not really attacked per se,” said Jeff Ramsay.
Ian Khama was seen sporting a plaster at a meeting following the attack.
Cheetahs, the world’s fastest land mammals, are listed as an endangered species.
Around 12,400 are thought to remain in the wild in African countries, including Botswana.
The Botswana High Court has overturned a customary law which prevented women from inheriting the family home.
The judge ruled that the law contravened the constitution, which guarantees equality for men and women.
Edith Mmusi and her two sisters have fought a five-year legal battle after their nephew said he was the rightful owner of their house.
Correspondents say traditions which stop women from inheriting property exist in many African societies.
Judge Key Dingake said that in the name of fairness and equality women should have the right to inherit property.
“It seems to me that the time has now arisen for the justices of this court to assume the role of the judicial midwife and assist in the birth of a new world struggling to be born,” AFP news agency quotes him as saying.
Edith Mmusi, the only one of the sisters at the High Court in Botswana’s capital Gaborone, was very excited by the ruling.
“It’s a great day for us,” she said.
They first contested their nephew’s claim in a customary court in 2007.
They lost the case and a subsequent appeal before turning to the civil courts.
King Juan Carlos I of Spain, who is still recovering from his fall in Botswana and who has been using a crutch, took another tumble yesterday when he was inspecting the troops during a visit to the Estado Mayor de la Defence.
King Juan Carlos tripped on a step and fell to the floor hitting his nose and chin hard. His injuries did not stop him continuing with his visit and he presided over the meeting of the military chiefs.
King Juan Carlos took another tumble yesterday when he was inspecting the troops during a visit to the Estado Mayor de la Defence
Yesterday evening at 17:00, King Juan Carlos was due to meet the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti.
The King has had several falls, and has passed through surgery nine times since the 80’s.
[youtube 4ZmtQSQa1zU]
