The Nation Newspaper

Tag: johannesburg

  • THE MAN RAMAPHOSA

    THE MAN RAMAPHOSA

    President Cyril Ramaphosa was born on November 17 1952 in Johannesburg, the South African capital.

    He assumed office yesterday following the resignation of Jacob Zuma.

    The 65-year-old, who attended the University of South Africa, began his political activism under the tutelage of the late President Nelson Mandela. He rose to become a veteran of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle.

    Ramaphosa was detained in 1976 after the Soweto student uprising and was later the head of the ANC negotiation team that helped bring an end to the country’s oppressive system of white-minority rule.

    A former union leader and trained lawyer, Ramaphosa has become one of the country’s richest citizens in a democratic South Africa and has a well-known interest in the country’s wild game industry.

    Ramaphosa has been at the centre of the ANC movement for years but has been passed over for the top job until now. The late Mandela reportedly wanted Ramaphosa to succeed him as president, but Thabo Mbeki was chosen instead. He became the deputy president in May 2014, a position he held until his appointed yesterday.

    Ramaphosa has promised to reform and unite a deeply divided ANC after it has been bruised by a series of high-profile corruption scandals.

  • Google pulls out 1.7 billion bad ads from sites

    Google pulls out 1.7 billion bad ads from sites

    Google pulled out 1.7 billion bad ads from sites with machine learning technology in 2016, an official, Ms Jenn Kaiser, has said.

    Kaiser, the Head of Ads PR, Europe, Middle East and Africa for Google and YouTube, gave the figure on Monday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    She spoke on “Good Advertising, Our Products and Policies’’ at a Google Online Advertising Conference for Media Personnel.

    Read also: Google reaffirms commitment to Safer Internet for all

    According to the official, some of the bad ads are misleading and redirect someone to other sites.

    Kaiser assured the global business community that policy enforcement by Google would ensure that bad ads would not infiltrate sites easily.

    She said that Google would provide tools that would ensure good decision making for advertisers and publishers involved in online ads.

    “Google policies are evolving; this is to ensure that bad ads do not infiltrate sites easily.

    “This has to do with regulation changes from various countries, legal and user safety market trends and technology.

    “The changes are made through investigations, user feedbacks and market trends that have to do with emerging businesses,” she said.

    Kaiser said that the policy would be valuable and transparent for it to make the required impact.

    The official warned that one could be blocked from the Google ecosystem if seen as a constant defaulter, although access could be returned later.

    According to the official, by February 15, Google Chrome would have a feature that ensures good ads on sites in the North America and Europe.

    NAN

  • ‘Nigerians in Diaspora should participate actively in 2019 polls’

    ‘Nigerians in Diaspora should participate actively in 2019 polls’

    Mr Emeka Ezinteje, the Secretary of Nigerian Union, South Africa has called on Nigerians living abroad to participate actively in the 2019 election.

    He told our reporter on the telephone from Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday that Nigerians in the Diaspora had so much to contribute to the development of the country.

    “ I encourage Nigerians living abroad to return home and participate in elective positions in the 2019 election. One way of contributing to the development of our country is to be part of the democratic movement.

    “ There are eminently qualified Nigerians in the Diaspora with good credentials that can be elected into positions, come 2019 election, “ he said.

    Ezinteje, who is also the Secretary-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural organisation, South Africa chapter, said that Nigerians in the Diaspora had lots of ideas if they get the people`s mandate.

    “Apart from the intellectual aspect, such Nigerians can use their contacts and exposure to attract investments and goodwill to the country.

    Read Also: Ibori tasks Nigerians on future elections

    “ They also have a lot to contribute intellectually and materially, especially in infrastructural and human capital development,” he said.

    Ezinteje said that he had plans to contest for the Oyi /Ayamelum Local Government of Anambra  Federal House of Representatives seat in the 2019 election.

    “ I have plans to represent my constituency in the House of Representatives. We have resolved to be the voice of the youths in government.. The aim is to give effective representation to our people,” he said.

    Ezinteje said that his priority would be education and infrastructural development.

    “ Education is the bedrock of any society. With education, the society is organised and development can be achieved,” he said.

     

    NAN

     

  • Mission plans census of Nigerians in South Africa

    Mission plans census of Nigerians in South Africa

    Nigeria High Commission in South Africa says the mission will carry out a comprehensive census of Nigerians living in that country for improved service delivery.

    The High Commissioner, Amb. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, said in Pretoria, South Africa on Tuesday that the exercise would cover the nine provinces of that country.

    “ The mission plans to have a comprehensive data of Nigerians in South Africa. We want to know their locations in each province.

    “ My intention is to have a comprehensive census of knowing the citizens of Nigeria residing in South Africa.

    “ I have made it very clear that it doesn’t matter if they have the correct papers or travel documents,” he said.

    Ibeto said that the mission’s aim was to have a data that would make it easy to know the number of Nigerians and their locations in each province.

    Read also: South Africa urged to end hostility towards Nigerians

    The envoy said that the exercise would assist the mission to know how to track the citizens and provide services to them.

    “ If we achieve that, we can provide services, we can track them, we can easily take care of their welfare. So, without this comprehensive data, there is no way we can take care of our nationals.

    “And I told them that with what I have in mind, in terms of having an interactive website, where the citizens can interact with the mission,” he said.

    Ibeto said that  Nigerians could use the website to access consular services from their locations.

    “ This will lessen expenses of traveling to Johannesburg or Pretoria for such services,” the Nigerian envoy said.

    NAN

  • Jonathan Leads NDI observation mission to Liberia’s presidential run-off

    Jonathan Leads NDI observation mission to Liberia’s presidential run-off

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan will this weekend leave for South Africa where he is scheduled as a key speaker at the inaugural
    African Presidential Leaders Centre Roundtable holding in Johannesburg.

    The Ex-President will be joined by other former Presidents and eminent African statesmen to explore how the continent’s economic growth could be enhanced through functional education.

    The theme of the conference is “Addressing Africa’s Educational Challenges in the 21st Century”.

    Speaking ahead of the meeting ex-President Jonathan, who is also the Chairman of Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, said he is excited by the theme of the meeting, stressing that education is key to unlocking Africa’s rich potentials and solving the nation’s economic, social and security challenges.

    A statement issued by the ex-President’s media adviser Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, said that at the end of the programme , the former President is
    billed to proceed to Liberia where he would be leading the National Democratic Institute’s International Election Observation Mission to
    the Liberian Presidential run off polls holding on 7th November, 2017.

    Ex-President Jonathan who was initially invited as co-lead of the NDI team for the October 10 Liberian elections could not honour the
    invitation because of his earlier commitment to attend the 15th Rhodes Forum in Greece, where he presented a paper on ‘Multipolarity and
    Dialogue in Regional and Global Developments’.

    He had however promised to honour NDI’s second invitation to lead the Mission to the runoff polls, after none of the presidential candidates failed to win 50 percent of votes cast during the first ballot.

    The National Democratic Institute is a United States based organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions
    worldwide, through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

    NDI works with local partners in more than 70 countries to encourage community dialogues, observe elections, increase citizen
    participation, and improve the responsiveness of government.
  • Nollywood actor, makes case for united Africa

    Nollywood actor, makes case for united Africa

    Nollywood actor, John Okafor, says Africans need  to be more united to attract the attention of the international community.

    Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu,  told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday that the process should start from individual countries  through the sub-regions to the  continental level.

    “ The process of unity should start from our individual countries to the sub-regions and then on to the continental level.

    “ We need to be more united at a time like this  to get the desired attention from the international community,” he said.

    Okafor said that media reports emanating from Africa were  always about conflicts and disasters.

    “ In some of the sub-regions, you do not need a visa to enter individual countries. My vision is that Africa should go beyond that.

    “ Let there be an  Africa without  borders. If you are an African, you should  get a visa at the point of entry.

    “ Let us endeavour  to become one united Africa. I am proposing one brother, one nation,” Okafor said.

    The artiste also canvassed a common currency in the continent, saying  Africa has the abundant natural and human resources to support its economy.

    “ The African Union should champion this cause and ensure that the continent is formidable, united and gets the desired attention from the rest of the world.

    “ Africa is not far from Europe. We can do so many things together for the benefit of our people,” the actor said.

  • Lagos to become Africa’s largest mega city by 2035

    Lagos to become Africa’s largest mega city by 2035

    Researchers have predicted that at least 30 million people would live in Lagos by 2035, making it the largest mega city in Africa.

    According to a statement by the African Property Investment (API) in Abuja on Thursday, researchers also predicted that by 2030, Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasa would each have a population of 20 million.

    Luanda, Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg were also predicted would have a population of more than 10 million by 2030.

    The API noted that with rapid population growth in African cities, urban planning had proven to be ineffective with private development often deterred by opaque or inappropriate regulations.

    The property development and investment organisation added that African cities had, until recently, failed to keep pace with the concentration of people.

    “When it comes to investments in infrastructure, industrial and commercial structures, and affordable formal housing, African cities have, until now, failed to keep pace with the concentration of people.

    “In Dar es Salaam, 28 per cent of residents live at least three to a room; in Abidjan, that number rises to 50 per cent.

    “In Lagos, Nigeria, two out of three people dwell in slums,” it said.

    The API pointed out that the World Bank’s African Cities report found that in several cities, built-up areas were scattered throughout the centre, with more than 30 per cent of land within five kilometres of the city centres still left undeveloped.

    The organisation noted that the rapid growth of Africa’s urban populations would place a new demand for infrastructure, housing and other physical structures, and amenities in the next 20 years.

    It said that to meet the new demand, city leaders and planners needed adaptable strategies.

    The group said it had commenced plans for a summit where experts, Africa’s real estate and built environment developers and investors would debate and craft a vision of what an African city should look like.

    “The API Summit and Expo 2017 Future Cities Africa sub-conference will look at how African governments and institutions can help formalise land markets, clarify property rights, and better leverage off land values to finance Africa’s urban development.’’

    Managing Director for API events, Kfir Rusin said the continent could not move forward without proper discussions on the planning, infrastructure and urban development requirements of African cities.

    Rusin explained that such discussion and information sharing would enable African cities thrive and grow.

    “The Future Cities Africa sub-conference will take an in depth look into how African Cities can better open its doors to the world, while creating more economically dense and inclusive urban areas,” he added.

    The Africa Property Investment Summit and Expo would hold in South Africa from 24 to 25 August.

  • South Africa’s MTN records higher first quarter revenue

    MTN Group reported a 7.1 per cent rise in first-quarter group revenue helped by a strong performance in data services, the mobile phone operator said on Wednesday.

    MTN said in Johannesburg that data revenue, which contributed 20 per cent of total revenue, was up 29.4 per cent for the three months ended March 31.

    As result, shares in MTN were up 1.36 per cent to 128.52 rand at early trading.

    “In our key markets of South Africa, Nigeria and Iran, significant network investments made over the past few years are underpinning the improving revenue trends,” Group Chief Executive Rob Shuter said.

    “The network investment planned for 2017 is expected to support further market share gains across our markets.”

    Year-to-date capital expenditure stands at 4.6 billion rand, MTN said.

    Ratings agency Fitch downgraded MTN to junk status in April and gave it a negative outlook, citing weakness in the economic and operating environments of its main subsidiaries in South Africa and Nigeria.

    Founded with the help of Pretoria at the end of white rule in 1994, MTN is seen as one of post-apartheid South Africa’s biggest commercial successes.

    But clashes with regulators in recent years have raised questions about its governance and have hobbled its growth.

    The firm, which does the bulk of its business in emerging markets, said Nigeria’s subscriber base declined by 2.3 per cent in the quarter due to new regulations, while total revenue increased by 11.6 per cent.

     

  • South African Airways cabin crew begins strike

    Cabin crew at South African Airways (SAA) went on strike on Wednesday over pay benefits, a top workers’ union at the state-owned carrier said.

    The strike disrupted domestic flights and threatened to extend the walkout to international routes.

    The South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) said that its nearly 1,400 in-flight workers would down tools indefinitely.

    Zazi Nsibanyoni-Anyiam, President of SACCA, told Reuters that the workers, who represent around 80 per cent of SAA’s cabin crew, had not received pay increases for six years.

    “We will be here until the company puts an offer on the table. We think what we are asking for is reasonable,” Nsibanyoni-Anyiam said from a picket outside O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg.

    SAA said that the strike had already delayed flights out of the airport, which handles around 19 million passengers a year.

    It added that the strike would affect flights from its coastal airports.

    SAA is reliant on government debt guarantees of almost 20 billion rand ($1.52 billion).

     

  • Zuma must go, South African protesters insist

    Zuma must go, South African protesters insist

    Tens of thousands of South Africans Friday stormed the streets of Johannesburg,Cape Town,Durban , Pretoria and other major cities  in a national outpouring of anger at scandal-tainted President Jacob Zuma.

    Nobel laureate and anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu, 85 and ailing, made a rare public appearance to support the protests.

    His foundation posted a scathing tweet in his name: “We will pray for the downfall of a government that misrepresents us.”

    In Johannesburg, police fired rubber bullets to disperse about 100 ruling party members who were making their way toward protesters, the African News Agency reported.

    Separately, ruling party members assaulted several protesters participating in a march organized by the Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s biggest opposition group.

    DA leader,Mmusi Maimane said in Pretoria that Zuma is a junk president.

    “We are not a junk country we just have a junk president,” Maimane said.

    Other ANC members in military uniforms who had been posted outside their party headquarters helped to escort the protesters to safety.

    Police in Pietermaritzburg city also fired rubber bullets to keep Zuma supporters away from a rally against him.

    The Fitch agency cited political uncertainty as a factor in its decision to downgrade South Africa’s credit rating to below investment grade; days after Standard & Poor’s did the same.

    Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle, in which Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was fired, will further discourage companies from investing in South Africa and could weaken “standards of governance and public finances,” Fitch said.

    The government appealed for calm and said it respected the right to protest peacefully. The country turned to democracy after white minority rule ended in 1994 with the country’s first all-race vote and the election of Nelson Mandela as president.

    In some cities, protesters with banners lined stretches of road or stood on overpasses; passing cars honked their horns. In the capital, Pretoria, they marched to the Union Buildings, which houses the offices of Zuma and other government officials. In Cape Town, motorcyclists with South African flags led a rally. “Fire Zuma,” read some placards.

    South African media outlets posted photos of Tutu and his wife, Leah, standing with residents at a bus shelter outside the retirement home where they are staying in Hermanus, near Cape Town. Tutu was shown smiling and raising a walking stick, apparently to acknowledge passing protesters.

    The retired Anglican archbishop, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his peaceful campaign against apartheid, has criticized the ANC for alleged mismanagement over the years.

    He has been hospitalized several times since 2015 because of infections linked to past treatment for prostate cancer.