On this day — October 23 in African history

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Paul Kagame, who became President of Rwanda in 2000, was born.

Spanish Ministry of the Presidency — CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Graça Machel, Mozambican politician and humanitarian who later married Nelson Mandela, was born.

Billy Nair, South African anti-apartheid activist, Umkhonto we Sizwe operative and former Robben Island prisoner, died.

Stephen Otu, the first Ghanaian to serve as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, died.

Rashidi Yekini, Nigerian striker who scored his country's first-ever World Cup goal in 1994 and became one of Africa's greatest forwards, was born.

Goldie Harvey, Nigerian singer and reality television personality, was born.

Stella Obasanjo, First Lady of Nigeria and wife of President Olusegun Obasanjo, died following complications from cosmetic surgery abroad.

Lebo Mathosa, South African kwaito singer and founding member of the pioneering group Boom Shaka, died in a car accident near Johannesburg.