News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Zim cops crash anti-Vice President protest

Posted: 24 Jun 2016 09:37 AM PDT

Harare police crashed a demonstration by a handful of activists who were protesting against the country’s Second Vice President’s continued stay at a top class hotel at the taxpayers’ expense.

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Harare - Police in Harare on Friday crashed a demonstration by a handful of activists led by the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (Navuz) and the Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe (RoHR Zimbabwe) who were protesting against the country’s Second Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s continued stay at a top class Harare hotel at the taxpayers’ expense.

The protesters, who included women with children strapped to their backs, questioned the logic behind Mphoko’s stay in the Presidential Suite at the Rainbow Towers Hotel at a time most Zimbabweans were struggling to get a meal a day and while government was struggling to pay its workers.

The Vice President, who replaced the late John Nkomo, has been staying at the hotel for almost 15 months and has gobbled an estimated US$300 000.

He reportedly spurned three houses offered by government, describing one of the houses, a US$3 million mansion in the leafy Ballantyne Park as too small for a person of his stature.

The protesters gathered at the reception area of the hotel where they demanded that Mphoko immediately pack his bags and go to his official house which he was refusing to occupy.

Navuz chairman Stan Zvorwadza said they were protected by Section 59 of the country’s Constitution and the anti-riot police had no right to disrupt their protest.

“I am warning the Zimbabwe Republic Police not to interfere with our civic rights. If they interfere we will declare this hotel shut from now until Phelekhezela Mphoko leaves this hotel…We are not compromising for less, we are not even budging and I urge riot police to behave like human beings,” he said.

He threatened that the group would destroy the hotel if the anti-riot police attacked them.

The demonstration was, however, short-lived as baton wielding anti-riot police invaded the area targeting only Zvorwadza and activist Liberty William who they bundled into their truck.

The two were taken to Harare Central police station where they were still detained on Friday afternoon.

Police spokesman, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi, said he was not aware of the incident and referred all questions to national spokesperson Charity Charamba who cut off African News Agency on introduction.

The lawyer representing the two detainees, Tafara Goo, confirmed that his clients were still detained at Harare Central Police station and were yet to be charged.

“The police have not preferred any charges against my clients and I will soon be contacting the investigating officer to find out if they will prefer any charges at all,” he said.

African News Agency

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Karim Wade granted presidential pardon, but...

Posted: 24 Jun 2016 08:18 AM PDT

Karim Wade, the son of Senegal's former president, was granted a presidential pardon but he still has to pay his nearly R3.5bn fine.

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Dakar - Karim Wade, the son of Senegal's former president, was released from prison after being granted a presidential pardon, a spokesman for President Macky Sall and Wade's lawyer said on Friday.

Wade, who served three years in prison, had been convicted on corruption charges, sentenced to six years and ordered to pay a fine of $138 billion CFA francs. (Nearly R3.5bn).

The presidential decree included pardons for Wade and two others who had been sentenced for “illegal enrichment”. A press release from the presidency added that payment of the fine was not covered by the pardon.

Wade's lawyer Amadou Sall said his client had left the West African country immediately after his release.

When President Sall was elected in 2012 he had pledged to fight corruption, but opposition members and critics said the decision to imprison Wade was a political move intended to eliminate dissent.

A United Nations panel also criticised the government last year, saying that Wade had been detained arbitrarily and calling for the payment of unspecified compensation to the former head of four ministries.

Wade's Senegalese Democratic Party chose him as their presidential candidate for the 2019 polls while he was in prison but it was not immediately clear whether he was still eligible for the post.

Reuters

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Man jailed for cutting off Mugabe motorcade

Posted: 24 Jun 2016 06:36 AM PDT

Despite pleading ignorance, Harare motorist is jailed for cutting off Robert Mugabe's motorcade.

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Harare - A Harare motorist, who cut off Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's motorcade as it was passing, has been jailed.

Joseph Chakanetsa (28) was on Thursday jailed two years by magistrate Tendai Rusinahama after the court found him guilty of negligent driving. He was further slapped with a 60-day jail term for failing to stop after committing the offence.

Chakanetsa was also fined US$200 (R3000) for ignoring instructions by Mugabe's security team to drive to Borrowdale Police Station. Further to that, his driver's licence was cancelled and he was banned from driving heavy vehicles and public transport for life. He had been convicted on his own plea of guilty.

Chakanetsa was remorseful and pleaded for mercy, saying he did not hear the Presidential motorcade's sirens nor did he even realise it was passing when he drove into the convoy. He said his ERF tipper truck was making a lot of noise, hence it was difficult for him to hear external noises. The incident occurred last Saturday.

For the prosecution, Patience Chimusaru said Chakanetsa was ordered to stop by a police officer identified as Mazowe, who was in one of the escort team's vehicles. She said he complied, but when he was ordered to drive to the police station, he sped off, dodged two police vehicles until he was cornered and arrested in a high-density suburb across town, about 25km away. In between, he drove against oncoming traffic and shot past red traffic lights.

“I lost my mind”

Asked why he sped away, Chakanetsa said he got scared the moment he realised his truck was now part of the motorcade, adding he literally lost his mind. He said he even forgot his place of residence, thereby ending up in the Rugare high-density suburb. In mitigation, Chakanetsa had said when he realised Mugabe was passing, it was too dangerous for him to immediately stop, saying it would have caused more harm to himself and other motorists. He had also pleaded with the court to consider there was no injury, collision or damage to property.

The incident came a week after two members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police allegedly intercepted Mugabe's motorcade in the capital and assaulted two of his outriders after they had been ordered off the road. The two - Munyaradzi Chivengwa (34) and Lubelihle Nyathi (26) - appeared before magistrate Tendai Mahwe charged with assault and resisting law officers.

Prosecutor Francisa Mukumbiri told the court that Stanley Chimoto was leading a team of six outriders escorting Mugabe as he was on his way to his rural Zvimba home.

Chimoto is said to have stopped at an intersection to stop cars from crossing, when Chivengwa and Nyathi arrived in their car and ignored orders to stop, instead proceeding through the road. The outrider got onto his bike, went after the two and blocked them, before they attacked him.

Another outrider, Fortune Sibanda, came to Chimoto's rescue, but he was also attacked, before the public assisted in apprehending Chivengwa and Nyathi.

African News agency (ANA)

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SA man taken hostage in Nigeria is identified

Posted: 24 Jun 2016 12:14 AM PDT

A SA man who is among seven people kidnapped in Nigeria has been identified, Dirco spokesman Nelson Kgwete revealed in a tweet.

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Johannesburg - A South African man who is among seven people kidnapped in Nigeria has been identified, Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Nelson Kgwete revealed in a tweet on Thursday.

However, he would not reveal the man's identity.

“#NigeriaKidnapping We have established the identity of the SA national kidnapped in Nigeria. We have a copy of his passport.

“The kidnapped SA national is a 35-year-old male. We're unable to reveal his full identity till family are informed.”

On Wednesday night, Australian media reported that three Australians, a New Zealander and a South African were among those kidnapped.

The incident was confirmed by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

The men were working for the Australian mining and engineering company Macmahon, which was contracted to cement company Lafarge Africa.The attack happened in south-eastern Nigeria, close to the city of Calabar. About 30 militants reportedly carried out the ambush.

An escort police vehicle was unable to prevent the abduction. It is unclear why the men were kidnapped, but ABC said a ransom would probably be put to the Australian mining company - or the government - in due course.

A witness told ABC that the kidnapped men had been taken to a boat, although police had not confirmed that.

Militant group Boko Haram, which operates in the north-east of the country, is thought unlikely to be responsible for the kidnappings as they happened in the south.

The Star

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