News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Zuma’s dancing and scribbling do the rounds

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 10:35 PM PDT

As President Jacob Zuma’s legal problems appear to mount, a video showing him dancing the night away went viral.

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Johannesburg - As President Jacob Zuma’s legal problems appear to mount, a video showing him dancing the night away in a circle with his wife and other politicians at a state dinner in Kenya on Wednesday went viral.

In the video, which starts with Ndihamba Nawe by Mafikizolo, the president can be seen taking centre stage.

The video enraged many South Africans who felt that the president was ignoring local affairs, including the fees protests and the upcoming court appearance of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Some Kenyans also voiced their anger.

 

 

 The same happened when a picture, which was posted and then deleted on Twitter by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, allegedly showed Zuma’s illegible handwriting.

It looked as though Zuma filled in a visitors’ book in which he thanked Kenyatta for inviting him to Kenya and for the warm welcome.

President Jacob Zuma'™s greeting which he allegedly wrote in a visitors' book on his visit to Kenya. 

Although it could be confirmed that it was Zuma’s writing, the scribble was shared like wildfire before Kenyatta deleted it. Kenyans again took to Twitter to mock the handwriting.

 

 

 

 

@El_kagas was another who found it hilarious and tweeted: “Zuma’s handwriting needs some prayers.” Another, @Joe_Kioko, wrote: “Jacob Zuma-RSA’ president needs to consult his kindergarten teacher. The handwriting! “

The jibes were in contrast to Mwendandu Kilunguyu’s remarks: “We Kenyans are an interesting lot. The media bash on the South African president is a sign of a badly behaved people. We lack manners and decorum, which are very basic indicators of being civilised. The bashers of the president will, without batting an eyelid, go ahead and apply for a SA visa and wonder what happened when they are mistreated.”

Jarusingah Oscar added: “I don’t see anything wrong with President Jacob Zuma’s handwriting. Just like any other politician, either in our country or outside Kenya; we are always mindful of the content than the writing types it entails. The same applies to doctors and lecturers; when you are prominent it doesn’t mean that you are a total man. We all have weaknesses.”

Onimi Nimii said: “I think we should focus more on the purpose of the visit than the handwriting.”

The Presidency had not commented at the time of publication.

lerato.mbangeni@inl.co.za

The Star

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Burundi votes to leave the ICC

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 07:23 PM PDT

Burundi’s MPs voted to withdraw from the International Criminal Court - but the move must still pass the legislature’s Upper House.

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Nairobi - Burundi's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, a move no other country has taken despite complaints from Africa that the court disproportionately targets the continent.

Only two lawmakers voted in favour of staying under the jurisdiction of the Dutch-based ICC, while 94 voted against and 14 abstained.

Pro-government lawmaker Gabriel Ntisezerana said the court was “a political tool used by powers to remove whoever they want from power on the African continent”.

The bill to remove Burundi from the court's jurisdiction still must be approved by the upper house of the legislature and then be signed by the president. That would trigger a withdrawal process lasting a year.

The ICC declined to comment on the vote, saying it had not yet been formally notified of the action. The US State Department, however, said it was “concerned” by the country's human rights situation, including the government effort to withdraw from the court.

“Such a move... would isolate Burundi from its neighbours and the international community at a time when accountability, transparency and engaged dialogue are most needed,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

The ICC opened a preliminary investigation in April into Burundi, focusing on killings, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, as well as enforced disappearances.

Burundi's government was infuriated last month by a UN report that named officials accused of orchestrating the torture and killing political opponents.

Since then, Burundi has banned three UN investigators from its territory and condemned a UN decision to set up a commission of inquiry to probe the violence, which began last year after President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to seek a third term in office.

Opponents said his candidacy violated the constitution and a peace agreement that ended a civil war in 2005. The opposition mostly boycotted the polls and Nkurunziza won a third term.

The ICC said in April that political violence had killed about 450 people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee.

Opposition lawmaker Fabien Baciryanino favoured staying under ICC jurisdiction, saying to withdraw was “no more, no less, than inciting the Burundian people to commit more crimes”.

Since it was set up under the 1998 Rome Statute, the court based in The Hague has focused on prosecuting such politically-motivated crimes as genocide and crimes against humanity.

Most of its investigations and indictments have been of Africans, stirring criticism from many governments on the continent.

Nine out of 10 situations under investigation by ICC prosecutors are African. All five verdicts have dealt with African suspects from Congo, Central African Republic and Mali.

South Africa has been in conflict with the court since Pretoria failed to carry out an ICC arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir when he visited Johannesburg last year.

Court spokesman Fadi El Abdallah said the ICC could not comment on Burundi's vote because it had not yet been formally notified.

“There is a possibility for countries to withdraw, but it only takes effect one year after being submitted to the UNSG,” he said, referring to the United Nations Secretary-General.

“Withdrawal does not effect the past obligation of a country to co-operate with any ongoing proceedings or investigation.”

REUTERS

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Calls to scrap visas between SA and Uganda

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 12:21 PM PDT

South Africa’s Ambassador to Uganda, Professor Lekoa Solly Mollo, has called for the scrapping of entry visas between the two countries.

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Johannesburg - South Africa’s Ambassador to Uganda, Professor Lekoa Solly Mollo, has called for the scrapping of entry visas between the two countries.

Mollo told Uganda’s Observer newspaper on Wednesday that visa-free travel between the two countries was important because of the two countries’ political history and growing trade ties.

Mollo added that with the current number of Ugandans going to South Africa and South Africans coming to Uganda for trade, business, education and tourism surging, there was a need to abolish visas and ease travel for the economic development of both countries, the Observer reported.

“Trade relations between the two countries have increased with over 70 South African companies such as MTN and Stanbic working in Uganda,” he said.

“Children go to school between the two countries and even in Makerere University, we have South Africans, we have them in primary schools and the same applies to Ugandans studying in South Africa,” he added.

The fact that Uganda had played a key role in South Africa’s liberation from apartheid was further reason to scrap the visa system, said Mollo.

“You cannot talk about South Africa’s freedom without talking about Uganda, the two countries that provided us a home were Uganda and Tanzania,” he added.

“The relationship between Uganda and South Africa is a historical one. It’s not a relationship that was crafted with the signing of memorandums in boardrooms, but a relationship born out of the struggle for freedom in the trenches of battle through sweat and blood.”

Mollo told the African News Agency (ANA) during an interview earlier in the year that he had been based in Uganda as a cadre of the African National Congress’ armed wing Umkhonto We Sizwe during the liberation struggle and that he wouldn’t forget how good Kampala had been to both him and his comrades.

According to Mollo, preparations to make this a reality were underway after both the South African and Ugandan authorities responded positively to the idea.

“At an official level, the request has already been made and technocrats of both countries are working on all those things. However, it’s not something easy because of terrorism,” Mollo said.

The ambassador went on to explain that before such a move could take place, security agencies of both countries and Interpol needed to be engaged in the move.

African News Agency

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Zim pastor petitions Pope to excommunicate Mugabe

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 12:19 PM PDT

A Zimbabwean pastor has petitioned the Pope Francis to excommunicate President Robert Mugabe for exposing the country's citizens to poverty.

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Harare - A Zimbabwean pastor on Tuesday petitioned the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, to excommunicate President Robert Mugabe for running down the country’s economy and exposing the country’s citizens to poverty.

Pastor Phillip Mugadza, who first hogged the limelight in December last year. when he was arrested for staging a one man demonstration against Mugabe at the Zanu PF conference in Victoria Falls, handed the petition at the Catholic Nunciature in Zimbabwe.

The petition was handed over to Father Gabriel Pesce, the Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Zimbabwe. The Catholic Nunciature is like an embassy representing the Pope in the country.

“We of the above mentioned nation hereby hand you this petition asking you to excommunicate the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The nation and its peace loving people have been subjected to poverty of unimaginable levels when Zimbabwe is endowed with all minerals discovered so far,” read part of the petition.

The petition noted that since Mugabe called himself a Catholic, it was only proper for Zimbabweans to petition the Pope to help the country before the nonagenarian leader carried out his threats to crush all dissenting voices.

“We so very much Your Holiness beg for your intervention. We are so very much aware of how you are so compassionate about the oppressed and the suffering. According to Romans 13:4, a leader is a representative of God here on earth but according to the given account, there is no proof of godly representation in his leadership,” the petition read.

The petition also noted that the Catholic department of peace and justice in Zimbabwe had detailed records of heart wrecking experiences that Zimbabweans experienced under the Mugabe regime. Mugadza later told journalists after handing over the petition that it was his hope that the Pope would see sense in the petition and take action.

“I handed over the petition to Father Gabriel Pesce who is the Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Harare. I strongly believe that if they take heed to this petition then the Pope will do the right thing because the nation of Zimbabwe is going through a very difficult time,” he said.

He said Zimbabwean pastors could no longer stand and watch things going wrong in the county and had to take a stand and demand good governance, adding that what was happening in the country was too ghastly to narrate to future children and should immediately be addressed.

“If our President was 29 years then there was a bit of hope but being 92-years-old shows us that there is no more hope, so we need to tell him that in no uncertain terms he should retire, it is time for him to go. I just want to urge the nation of Zimbabwe to make sure that in their little ways they try to send a message to say that he has got to go,” he said.

Mugadza urged Zimbabweans to demonstrate for seven consecutive days next week to demand the exit of Mugabe in anyway they could.

“I Am suggesting that with our national radio and television stations wherever you could be if you know there’s going to be a live call in, just make a call; whatever will be discussed there don’t worry about it. Just make a call on national television and just begin to say that Mugabe must go. Don’t worry what they will be discussing or what the programme will be about,” he said.

He said he would continue to don his national flag wherever he was despite the purported ban on carrying, selling or displaying the national flag.

African News Agency

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Zuma concludes visit to Kenya

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 09:35 AM PDT

President Jacob Zuma has wrapped up his State visit to Kenya in which six agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed.

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Nairobi - President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday wrapped up his State visit to Kenya in which six agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed.

Zuma also called on South Africa’s business community to increase their investments in Kenya as it was a growing economy.

Zuma was in Kenya on a three-day State visit. Addressing a Kenya-South Africa business forum on Tuesday evening, Zuma had said there were currently 60 companies from his country operating in Kenya.

According to a release from the Kenyan Presidential Strategic Communications Unit (PSCU), the MOUs were signed after Zuma and host President Uhuru Kenyatta led their delegations in bilateral talks at State House in Nairobi.

The statement said that Zuma pronounced the visit successful, and saw the two leaders agreeing to progressively remove all trade barriers to enable the two countries to benefit from their untapped trade potential.

Zuma said trade between the two countries stood at around Sh60 billion, noting that this did not reflect the true potential that existed between the two countries.

He said there was a need to create new sources of economic growth with emphasis on agribusiness, energy equipment, infrastructure and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Zuma said Africa’s future looked bright as seen through the tripartite free trade area of EAC, SADC and COMESA which has 600 million people with a GDP of one trillion US Dollar.

“The two countries have good foundations for economic growth through good national economic development plans of Kenya’s vision 2030 and South Africa’s national development plan of 2030,” said Zuma.

He also called on Kenya’s business community to exploit business opportunities in South Africa.

Other speakers included South Africa’s Minister of Public Enterprise, Lynne Brown, Chairperson of the Kenya Association of Manufactures, Florah Mutahi, and Chief Executive of Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Carol Kariuki, among others, the statement said.

The two governments signed MOUs on Cooperation between the Kenya Investment Authority, and Investment South Africa; on Police Cooperation and Agreement and on Visa Exemption for Passport Holders of Diplomatic and Ordinary/Service Passports.

Other MOUs were on Cooperation in the Field of Biodiversity, Conservation and Management and Agreement on Defence Cooperation.

Another agreement was signed for South African investment in the development of the Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport corridor (LAPPSET), a pivotal infrastructure project for Kenya, the region, and the continent.

Before his departure, the South Africa leader toured Karen Roses farm situated in Karen, Nairobi.

Zuma, who was with Kenyatta, was conducted on a tour of the farm and briefed on the activities of the company which was started in 1989. The company supplies quality cut flowers mainly to Europe, the Middle and Far East.

Zuma was seen off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenyatta and other State authorities.

African News Agency

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8 die in car bomb attack on taxi on Nigeria

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 04:40 AM PDT

About eight people were killed and 15 wounded when a car laden with explosives hit a taxi in northeastern Nigeria.

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Maiduguri, Nigeria - About eight people were killed and 15 wounded when a car laden with explosives hit a taxi in northeastern Borno state's capital of Maiduguri, birthplace of a seven-year-old Islamist insurgency, military and medical sources said.

Five people were inside the taxi in a convoy to Gamboru, a town near the Cameroon border, police said in a statement. Cars in Borno state often travel in convoys organised by the military to minimise the risk of Boko Haram ambushes in rural areas.

The army has retaken much of the territory initially lost to the militants but Boko Haram still stages suicide bombing attacks and plants roadside bombs.

"We evacuated eight dead bodies and about 20 other injured persons," said a rescue worker. A hospital official put the number of wounded at ten.

Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million in its attempt to create a state adhering to strict Islamic laws.

It controlled a swathe of land in northeast Nigeria about the size of Belgium at the end of 2014 but was pushed out early last year by Nigerian troops, supported by soldiers from neighbouring countries: Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

Reuters

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SA’s Zuma touts opportunities in Kenya

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 12:44 AM PDT

President Jacob Zuma wants to see more South African companies investing in Kenya’s growing economy.

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Nairobi - Visiting South African President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday called on his country’s business community to increase their investment in Kenya.

Zuma, who said there are currently 60 firms from his country operating in Kenya, noted that he wants to see more South African companies investing in Kenya’s growing economy.

He told a Kenya-SA Business Forum that his visit to Kenya will open up a new chapter in relations between the two countries, pointing out that the business forum provides opportunities to strengthen economic and trade ties.

Zuma said Africa’s future looks bright as seen through the tripartite free trade area of EAC, SADC and COMESA which has 600 million people with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $1 trillion.

“The two countries have a good foundation for economic growth through good national economic development plans of Kenya’s vision 2030 and South Africa’s national development plan of 2030,” he said.

Zuma, who arrived in Nairobi on Tuesday at the start of his three-day visit to Kenya, said both plans are intended to transform the economies into rapidly industrialised nations offering their citizens a high quality of life.

Zuma said that to achieve this objective, there is a need to develop industrial clusters and adjust policies to ensure global competitiveness.

He said initiatives toward achieving this goal are already under way through quadrilateral arrangements between South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt to promote industrialisation.

Zuma also called on Kenya’s business community to exploit business opportunities in South Africa.

Speaking at the forum, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta challenged the private sector to maximise the economic opportunities between the two countries, adding that the two governments will continue improving the business environment.

“We have made significant progress in these areas; eliminating or lowering many of the barriers to trade and movement that once existed. And we will continue to make progress,” Kenyatta said.

He said he had reached agreements with Zuma to remove all trade barriers - tariff and non-tariff - between the two countries because Kenya and South Africa are not in competition with each other.

The Kenyan leader said the two governments needed to do more to facilitate trade and allow free movement of goods and people sooner rather than later.

Kenyatta said Kenya and South Africa are leading the process of integration in their respective regions as per the goals of the African Union.

“The full potential of Africa cannot be exploited if we are not working in harmony together,” said Kenyatta.

Zuma said trade between the two countries stands at around $600 million, noting that this does not reflect the true potential that exists between the nations.

He said there is a need to create new sources of economic growth with emphasis on agribusiness, energy equipment, infrastructure and ICT.

ANA-Xinhua

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Merkel tells AU to stem migration to Europe

Posted: 12 Oct 2016 12:06 AM PDT

The German chancellor has called on African states to do more to stem migration to Europe and to address the rise in Islamic extremism.

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London - The German chancellor has called on African states to do more to stem migration to Europe and address the rise in Islamic extremism.

In a speech to the African Union (AU) at the culmination of a three-day tour of the continent, Angela Merkel proposed Libya as a “sad example” where state structures had collapsed and the assembly of nations could do more. “I am expressly in favour of the African Union bringing its influence to bear to help solve the conflict,” she said.

Speaking in Ethiopia after earlier visits to Mali and Niger, Merkel vowed to make Africa a priority for Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017. But in return, she has asked that the African countries do more to stop the growing culture of young people leaving to seek a better life in Europe.

In Mali, she described the migrant exodus as a “brain drain” of skilled young workers, and said more coherent development policies were needed. “It is important that Africa does not lose its best minds,” she said.

Migration was among the key topics discussed on Tuesday in Addis Ababa in a meeting with Merkel’s counterpart, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. For his part, Hailemariam said Germany could help with Ethiopia’s own influx of refugees.

The country is one of the world’s largest hosts of refugees, with hundreds of thousands arriving from nearby Somalia, South Sudan and elsewhere. “Ethiopia is one of the global hosts of refugees... the first in Africa, with 780,000 refugees here. I think Germany can support us on this,” Hailemariam said.

During her visit, Merkel also raised the issue of Ethiopia’s newly-declared state of emergency, its first for 25 years, called in response to growing protests by the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups.

Leading opposition figures had asked the German chancellor to call for the opening up of political dialogue in Ethiopia and the release of political prisoners.

Merkel signalled support for protesters, saying “a vibrant civil society is part and parcel of a developing country”, and said Germany has offered to train Ethiopian police to deal with the demonstrations in Oromia and Amhara in a peaceful way.

Human Rights Watch says more than 500 protesters have been killed in a police crackdown, and the US - Ethiopia’s most important international ally - has expressed concerns. Stability in Ethiopia is important not just for its strategic allegiances with Western partners. It is also home to the African Union, and on her visit Merkel officially opened a new AU facility partially funded by the German government.

“We are already working in Oromia to de-escalate the situation there by offering mediation between groups,” Merkel said. “I would always argue for allowing people of a different political opinion... to engage with them and allow them to express their views because, after all, a democratic experience shows that out of these discussions good solutions usually come,” she added.

Ethiopia’s president has tried to temper concerns over its six-month state of emergency, announcing in parliament on Monday that the country’s election law would be amended to accommodate more political parties and opposing views.

But the country’s internet service continues to be largely blacked out after last week’s unrest, which included the targeting and burning of both foreign and local businesses over suspected ties to the government.

The tensions culminated in the deaths of scores of protesters during a stampede to flee police vehicles and tear gas at a religious event in Bishoftu at the start of the month. The UN human rights office has asked for access to allow independent observers into the most troubled Oromia region.

The Independent

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