Nigerian and South African female singers, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, and Tyla Laura Seethal, simply known as Tyla, once again, made the continent proud when they bagged different gongs at the BET Awards held at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

It was Tems’ fourth and she did it in grand style by edging out top stars like Kirk Franklin, CeCe Winans, Maverick City Music, and others to win the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award with her 2023 song, “Me & U” at the 2024 ceremony.

Tems had earlier won two BET Awards in 2022 for Best International Act and Best Collaboration for Wizkid’s “Essence”.

In the 2023 edition, Tems also won the Best Collaboration award for her song with Drake and Future “Wait for U”.

South Africa’s “Ampioano” star, Tyla, however, took home two awards for Best New Artist and Best International Act.

The BET Awards, established in 2001 by Black Entertainment Television, is an American award show that recognises and celebrates the achievements of Black entertainers and other underrepresented groups in music, film, sports and philanthropy.

Malawi’s apex court, the Constitutional Court, has dismissed a case filed by two applicants who wanted it to legalize same-sex marriages in the country.

The applicants, Jan Willem Akster from the Netherlands and a Malawian transgender man, Jana Gonani, had brought their case to the Constitutional Court for interpretation of Malawi’s anti-homosexuality laws following their arrest in 2021.

While Akster is currently facing nine charges of sexual abuse and sodomy, Gonani is charged with unnatural offenses.

In filing the application, the duo opined that Malawi’s laws violate their fundamental rights, including a right to privacy and dignity.

However in delivering judgement on the application on Friday, Judges Joseph Chigona, Vikochi Chima and Chimbizgani Kacheche rejected their arguments.

The lead judge, Chigona said the applicants failed to bring evidence of how the provisions in the country’s laws discriminated against homosexuals.

Chigona also said Akster failed to prove that Malawi’s laws violated his right to health.

“The first applicant was asked in a cross examination if he had ever accessed a public hospital and replied that he had gone to Zomba Central Hospital after he had been involved in a car accident,” Chigona said.

“When he was asked about his experience there, especially if he was asked about his sexual orientation before he was assisted, he said he was not.

“He actually said that he was medically assisted so well. The only complaint he had about the facility were spiders in the ward.”

Chigona said the court had also dismissed claims that Malawi police violated Gonani’s right to privacy when they ordered him to undress, to confirm his claims that he was transgender.

“We know that by Section 24 of Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code that police are empowered to search a suspect who is reasonably suspected of having committed a particular offense and who has been arrested,” the judge said.

“The caveat is that the search only extends as it is reasonably required for discovering a thing upon this person in connection to the offenses he was suspected of.”

After delivering the judgement, Chigona said the applicants were free to ask parliament to amend the country’s homosexuality laws if they were not satisfied with its judgment.

The judgment means homosexuality remains an offense in Malawi, punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Defense attorney Bob Chimkango who expressed his disappointment the the ruling, said:

“To be honest, we are satisfied with the process, but the only thing that we may not be agreeing with is the judgment itself.

“But it’s too early to comment as you will notice it’s a 135-page document. We were just listening — we were not working on it. So we will be waiting for it to be given to us, analyze it and then advise the client accordingly.”