News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Basotho nationals running out of time to apply for permits

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 10:41 AM PDT

The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that Basotho nationals have only 16 days to apply for SA-issued Lesotho Special Permits.

|||

 

Johannesburg - The South African Department of Home Affairs on Thursday confirmed that the the last day for Basotho nationals to apply for SA-issued Lesotho Special Permits (LSP) will be on Friday 30 September 2016.

Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Thabo Mokgola said there would be no further extension after the initial closing date was moved from 30 June 2016.

“The Department urges those who have not applied to do so speedily, with only 16 days to go and they should visit VFS ‘walk-in’ centres where they will be assisted with their LSP applications,” said Mokgola.

Mokgola said that in November the department would gazette the names of all persons who had applied but did not finalise their applications and provide a one-month grace period to submit all outstanding information by 31 December 2016.

“People with passports expiring within the next two years and having the LSP visa in them, will use both their old and new passports. In these cases there would be no need to apply and pay for transfer of LSP visas,” said Mokgola.

He said South Africa had earlier granted amnesty to all Basotho nationals until 31 December to hand over fraudulent SA IDs at dedicated Home Affairs offices, and that those who complied would be eligible to apply for LSP with the application closing date.

“The Department will make these concessions applicable, people with Lesotho ID cards but without valid passports can apply for LSP by 30 September, they must provide their passports and those who have submitted a fully completed application form but have not paid for their visa can do so by 31 December 2016,” said Mokgola.

African News Agency

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Zim poll candidate disrupts ZEC meeting

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 09:15 AM PDT

Themba Mliswa went ballistic over issues with the Norton by-election during a Zimbabwe Electoral Commission stakeholders meeting with political parties.

|||

Harare - The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) stakeholders meeting with political parties came to an abrupt end Thursday after one of the country’s most controversial politicians Themba Mliswa went ballistic apparently because ZEC officials had refused to address the issues he had raised concerning preparations for the Norton by-election in which he is contesting.

Mliswa, a former Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson, will contest the Norton seat as an Independent candidate against Tinashe Chindeza of Zanu PF and David Choga of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) in a by-election scheduled for October 22.

The seat fell vacant following the recalling of former War Veterans Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa by the ruling Zanu PF party following a purge that claimed several other senior party officials.

Trouble started when a Zanu PF official attempted to answer a question posed by Mliswa to the ZEC officials, resulting in the emotionally charged Mliswa refusing to hand over the microphone to other speakers, saying he was not going to sit down until his concerns were addressed immediately in the meeting by ZEC officials.

Mliswa had asked what ZEC was doing about the political violence in his Norton constituency and why the electoral body had not set up a committee comprising the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to look into the issue as prescribed by the Constitution.

“This is a ZEC meeting not a Zanu PF meeting, he cannot answer me. Is ZEC an extension of Zanu PF? I did not disrupt this meeting all I want is for you to respond to what is happening in Norton. We cannot go to 2018 when things are like this in Norton,” Mliswa fumed.

“I put facts to you to respond; you are useless, adulterously useless. You are puppets and a waste of taxpayers’ money and time. You a disgrace to the nation, you must resign with immediate effect. You are getting people killed in an election where the environment is not conducive,” he added.

Mliswa went on to castigate the ZEC officials for failing to investigate the cause of the violence that rocked Hurungwe West Constituency, where he lost to Zanu PF in an election he described as not free and fair, citing intimidation and violence against his supporters.

Although the youthful Mliswa was finally persuaded by his election agent to leave the room, ZEC chairwoman, Justice Rita Makarau, had to call the meeting to an end saying it was no longer possible to continue.

This was after Mliswa had turned down Makarau’s offer to meet him one-on-one at her offices.

Makarau later told journalists that the skirmishes would not deter them from engaging with stakeholders, saying they would now create platforms at different levels to address the issues.

“This will not deter us and we will not stop from engaging. As ZEC we believe that only through dialogue can we see an improved voting process. We will engage the stakeholders when the tempers have cooled down and say do we want to proceed and if so; how do we want to engage in future meetings.

“We will continue with interest groups meetings that we have and we are going to meet with political parties anyway on their own, we are going to meet with civil society organisations and find exactly what they want to see us doing,” she said.

Makarau said some of the political leaders were using the platforms to vent their anger instead of taking them as an opportunity to move the process of reforms forward.

“These are supposed to be debating platforms, where the answers don’t come only from ZEC, they can come from anywhere. Bright ideas are not confined to ZEC. We can’t have a platform in which people just come to vent out their anger but we also need platforms where we move processes forward, where

people come up with constructive ideas and say we have got an issue and lets all address it; how then do we resolve that issue,” she said.

African News Agency

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Media plays vital role in human rights, says AfCHPR

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 08:40 AM PDT

The newly elected president of the African Court for Human and People’s Rights emphasised the role of the media in human rights in Africa.

|||

Arusha - The media has an indispensable role to play for human rights in Africa, underscores the newly elected president of the African Court for Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR), saying that it is vital for the respect and dignity of the mankind in the continent.

President Justice Sylvian Ore’ said that since the adoption of the protocol in 1998 only 30 of the 54 member countries of the African Union have ratified the Court’s protocol as of August 2016.

However, he added, that in addition to the ratification of the Protocol, States have to make a declaration required under Article 34 (6) of the Protocol to allow NGOs and individuals to bring cases directly before the Court. Without such a declaration, the Court would have no jurisdiction over cases brought by individuals and NGOs.

As of August 2016, only eight out of the 30 states Parties had signed and deposited the declaration recognising the competence of the court to receive cases from NGOs and individuals.

“Therefore, it is the responsibility of journalists for countries to speed up ratification of the Court’s Protocol and other member countries which have not done so”, he told African News Agency (ANA).

“I have no doubts in my mind of journalists’ commitment to promote human rights in Africa, and especially the work of the African Court, which to a large extent, is very much unknown on the continent and thus to our people”.

The court as of August 2016 had received 111 applications and 24 cases have been finalised and it currently has 80 cases pending and four have been forwarded to the Commission.

“In collaborative effort, it is imperative that we take deliberate steps with journalists with a shared vision to support the expedition of commitments made to ensure the effective domestication and implementation of the agreed legal and policy measures”, said Frank La Rue, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information.

“This will include the establishment of protection mechanisms with early warning and rapid response system for journalists and media workers”.

The president, nonetheless warned that the power of media can be misused to the extent that the very functioning of democracy is threatened or undermined. Hence journalists must work in the framework of ethical and sheer careful sensationalism that will not cause considerable damage to individuals for any purpose at all.

“It is obvious that freedom of expression – though an absolutely basic human right – is not without limits. What I am underscoring is for ethical journalism— you can contribute to a better society through genuine professionalism.”

He also reminded journalists the tenets of Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which clearly states that every individual shall have the right to receive information.

“We have vivid memories of how media have exposed human rights violations and offered an arena for different voices to be heard in public discourse thus rightly the media is referred as the Fourth Estate”, he said.

The president of the African Court resides and works on a full time basis at the seat of the Court, in Arusha, Tanzania while the other 10 judges work on a part- time basis.

In the accomplishments of his duties, the president assisted by registrar, who performs registry of court cases, managerial and administrative functions of the Court.

The wave of abuses in the region since 2014 could be explained in the context of political developments in the countries. Access to information regarding the human rights abuse in countries like Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia in the past two years are only explained through journalistic works and “that must continue”.

“I commend journalists and the media houses for creating an environment that promotes mutual trust between them and the public and largely promotes independent media which abides with professional ethics in the practice of journalism,” he said.

African News Agency

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Ibori conviction stands despite bribery evidence

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 06:52 AM PDT

Jailed former Nigerian state governor James Ibori's convictions remain valid despite a British police officer taking bribes during the investigation of his case.

|||

London - Jailed former Nigerian state governor James Ibori's convictions remain valid despite evidence a British police officer took bribes during the investigation of his case, Britain's state prosecution agency said on Thursday.

Ibori, who as governor of oil-producing Delta State from 1999 to 2007 was one of Nigeria's most powerful men, is serving a 13-year sentence in a British prison after pleading guilty in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering.

He is the most senior Nigerian politician to have been held to account for the corruption that has blighted Africa's most populous nation for decades, and his jailing was hailed as a high point in the international fight against graft.

But the case has become an embarrassment for Britain since one of Ibori's associates, convicted money-launderer Bhadresh Gohil, alleged that the judicial process was tainted because prosecutors had covered up evidence of police corruption.

Authorities initially denied everything and charged Gohil with perverting the course of justice, but that prosecution was abruptly dropped in January.

In May, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had found “material to support the assertion that a police officer received payment in return for information”.

After an internal review of the case lasting months, the CPS said on Thursday that while the material “should have been disclosed to the defence”, that did not call into question the validity of the convictions of Ibori, Gohil and others.

Ibori's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gohil's lawyer said he could not comment for legal reasons.

Court proceedings on the confiscation of Ibori's assets are still dragging through the courts, and lawyers for Ibori and Gohil could use the next court hearing to challenge the findings of the CPS review.

Ibori first came to the attention of British police in 1991, when he was working as a cashier at Wickes, a home improvements chainstore in London, and was caught stealing from the till.

After returning to Nigeria, he became involved in politics. As governor of Delta, he amassed a huge fortune and became a power-broker in the PDP party then ruling the country.

The charges to which Ibori pleaded guilty amounted to the theft of about $80 million. Prosecutors said that was only part of his total booty, which was kept hidden via a complex web of shell companies, offshore accounts and front men.

During his sentencing in 2012, the court heard that he had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle involving foreign properties and a fleet of luxury cars. At the time of his arrest, he had been trying to buy a $20 million private jet.

Reuters

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Tanzania debris 'is from flight MH370'

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 04:12 AM PDT

Malaysia says a large piece of aircraft debris discovered off the coast of Tanzania in June is from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet MH370.

|||

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia said on Thursday that a large piece of aircraft debris discovered on the island of Pemba, off the coast of Tanzania, in June, was from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet MH370.

A search of more than two years has turned up few traces of the Boeing 777 aircraft that disappeared in March 2014, with 239 passengers and crew on board, soon after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, bound for Beijing.

The debris, an outboard flap, will be examined further to see if it can yield any insight into the circumstances around the missing plane, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement.

Investigators have previously confirmed a piece of plane debris found on the French island of Reunion in July 2015 as being part of MH370. They are examining several other pieces of debris found in Mozambique, South Africa and Rodrigues Island, a territory of Mauritius.

Reuters

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Botswana gay community wants US pastor banned

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 02:59 AM PDT

Representatives of the gay, lesbian and trans-gender community in Botswana don't want US pastor Steven Anderson in their country.

|||

Gaborone - Representatives of the gay, lesbian and trans-gender community in Botswana will on Thursday meet Labour and Home Affairs minister Edwin Batshu to ask him to ban controversial homophobic US pastor Steven Anderson from entering the country.

Anderson, who had a visit lined up for Botswana on September 25, was early this week banned from entering South Africa.

He was expected to launch the first African-based ministries of his controversial Faithful Word Baptist Church while visiting the two countries.

However, the Lesbian, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) called on the government to deny entry to Anderson and his crew on grounds that he would bring "tainted messages" to the country.

LEGABIBO representative Bradley Fortuin said they would on Thursday meet Batshu to deliver a petition against hosting the controversial clergyman.

"The petition will be delivered, but I hope our country will take a leaf from our neighbour and do the honourable thing by not allowing him (Anderson) entry into this country," Fortuin said.

The community felt that if allowed entry and given an opportunity to preach as he plans to do, Anderson would spread his trademark messages of hatred, homophobia, violence and sexism.

Shortly after being denied entry into SA, Anderson issued a statement saying he felt sorry for South Africans but thanked God for Botswana, which held the door "wide-open" for him: "I feel sorry for the people who live in South Africa, but I thank God we still have a wide-open door in Botswana. Stand by for reports of MULTITUDES saved in Botswana, where religious freedom still exists," he said.

Among other concerns, South African Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba said he denied the clergyman entry into the country because he was a homophobe who practiced hate speech, fanned racial hatred and promoted social violence.

African News Agency

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Zambians want ministers to pay back the money

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 12:28 AM PDT

Stakeholders in Zambia have urged President Edgar Lungu to ensure that former ministers pay back money they accrued when they illegally occupied their offices.

|||

Lusaka - Stakeholders in Zambia on Wednesday urged President Edgar Lungu to ensure that former ministers pay back money in salaries and other allowances they accrued when they illegally occupied their offices.

On August 8 this year, the Constitutional Court ordered the ministers and their deputies to vacate their offices after they had remained there following the dissolution of parliament in May.

The court also ordered them to pay back money they had accrued in salaries and allowances during the period.

Chimfwembe Mweenge, co-chairperson of the Zambia Elections Information Center (ZEIC), said Lungu should ensure that the former ministers and their deputies paid back the money they accrued. He expressed concern that despite the ruling by the court, none of the former ministers and their deputies have returned the money owed, adding that disregarding the court ruling would be setting a bad precedent, according to a statement.

The government, he said, needed to tighten its fiscal spending especially during the time the country was facing harsh economic conditions and that the government should demonstrate its commitment to proper use of public resources by ensuring that the money was paid back.

Macdonald Chipenzi, an electoral and governance expert, said it was unfortunate that the government had remained mute over the issue and that it had not even disclosed how much money the former ministers and the deputies should pay back since the court's ruling .

According to Chipenzi, the money owed belongs to Zambians and that the government should not be secretive about it.

Antonio Mwanza, spokesperson of the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), said the issue should not be allowed to die a natural death, and that the government should ensure that the money was paid back because it would go a long way in financing development projects, reported Zambia's QFM radio.

Xinhua

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Congo government, opponents strike election deal

Posted: 15 Sep 2016 12:27 AM PDT

Backers of Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila and part of the opposition have agreed on the sequence of a series of upcoming elections.

|||

Kinshasa - Backers of Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila and part of the opposition agreed on Wednesday on the sequence of a series of upcoming elections, potentially removing a major obstacle to breaking a dangerous political impasse.

The compromise came just two days after opposition leaders walked out of the talks on the timing of the presidential election.

The opposition had insisted the presidential election be the next poll held. The government said local elections should take place first, likely further delaying the presidential vote.

While Wednesday's agreement between the government and a group of opposition parties set no specific dates, the two sides agreed the presidential vote would be combined with legislative and provincial elections, with local polls to be held later.

"This opens the way to a calendar that will mention the exact date of the handover of power between the old president of the republic... and the newly elected president," said Vital Kamerhe, one of the leading negotiators for the opposition.

Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, who is representing Kabila's political supporters in the talks, confirmed the agreement.

"We solemnly announce to you that we will finance these elections. Take note of it," he said.

Despite the apparent advance in the negotiations, efforts to broker a peaceful exit from power for Kabila, who has led Africa's leading copper producer since the assassination of his father in 2001, remain fragile.

Congo has never experienced a non-violent transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

Most major opposition parties are boycotting the talks, which they see as giving Kabila a chance to justify what they say is his plan to stay in power beyond the end of his mandate in December, breaking constitutional term limits.

Diplomats and observers fear the political crisis could trigger a repeat of civil wars that killed millions of people between 1996 and 2003.

Reuters

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now