The Nation Newspaper

Tag: South Africa

  • Another Nigerian killed in South Africa

    Another Nigerian killed in South Africa

    The Nigerian Union in South Africa on Thursday said that another  Nigerian, Mr Uchena Eloh, has been killed in the Western Cape Province of that country.

    Kanayo Onwumelu, Chairman, Western Cape chapter of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Cape Town that Eloh was strangled to death by South African policemen.

    NAN reports that Eloh hailed from Eziagu in Eziagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    “We want to call the attention of Nigerian Government to the senseless killing of innocent Nigerians by the police in South Africa.

    “At about 11.00 a.m. South African time on Wednesday, a Nigerian, Uchenna Emmanuel Eloh, popularly known as “Monkey’’, was killed by a South African police officer.

    “He was walking out of his house toward the bus station when a police van stopped to search him, suspecting that he might be in possession of illegal substance.

    “Three policemen accosted Eloh, one of them, by the name Williams, held him on the neck suspecting that he swallowed a substance, while another police officer held him by the legs,’’ he said.

    The union official alleged that the policemen dragged Eloh on the ground until he started foaming and suffocated to death on the spot.

    “This is not the first time such senseless killing of innocent Nigerians was carried out by South African police officers.

    “We have reported similar killings to the South African Government and Nigeria High Commission in South Africa and nothing was done to bring the culprits to book.

    “We want the Nigerian Government to intervene to stop this brutality against innocent Nigerians and stop killing Nigerians out of hatred, racism or xenophobia,’’ he said.

    Ikechukwu Anyene, President of Nigerian Union in South Africa, who also confirmed the incident, called for an end to the incessant killing of Nigerians in South Africa.

    “Our government needs to do something urgently to make it clear that Nigerian lives matter.

    “We have made suggestions on what can be done, but it is now clear to us that the endless talks cannot yield any positive result,’’ Anyene said.

    He said that the union had engaged a lawyer to take up the case against South African Police Service.

    “But, this kind of legal service should form part of consular services to provide legal services to victimised Nigerians,’’ Anyene said.

    The union said that the police have opened an inquest into the case.

  • Zuma urges ANC to punish lawmakers who voted against him

    Zuma urges ANC to punish lawmakers who voted against him

    President Jacob Zuma of South Africa has urged the African National Congress (ANC) to identify and punish party members who voted against him in a no-confidence motion in parliament on Aug. 8.

    Some 30 ANC lawmakers supported the opposition motion in a secret ballot, not enough for it to pass but the defection exposed rifts within the ANC that could weaken Zuma’s ability to influence the choice of next party leader at elections in December.

    Addressing an ANC meeting, Zuma called the defectors “people who have double hearts, one for the ANC and one for other parties,” and said they “must be taken to the (ANC) disciplinary committee,” South African media reported.

    “What our enemies (opposition members of parliament) were doing was to say: ‘How can we destroy the ANC and weaken it, so that we can take control of the country?’ … We should never do it again,” Zuma was quoted as saying.

    It was unclear how the party would be able to determine who had voted against Zuma or what action could be taken against them.

    The president said he would discuss the issue of dissenters at a meeting of the ANC on Monday.

    ANC communications officials were unavailable to comment.

    Critics say Zuma’s priority is to ensure he retains sufficient control over the party to ensure that his chosen candidate succeeds him as leader so he can avoid scrutiny over corruption allegations that have dogged his eight years in power.

    Zuma has denied wrongdoing.

    The opposition sought to oust Zuma after he removed finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March, a move that hit the financial markets and prompted two credit ratings agencies to downgrade South Africa’s debt rating to junk status.

    Following the failure of the no-confidence motion, the main opposition Democratic Alliance party said it would bring a motion to dissolve parliament and call a general election.

    The ANC, which has a strong majority in the assembly, dismissed the DA’s call as “dreams and hallucinations”.

  • South Africa’s opposition calls for dissolution of parliament

    South Africa’s opposition calls for dissolution of parliament

    The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday called for the dissolution of the South African parliament and a national election to be held, one day after its no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma was defeated.

    Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said the party would bring the motion to dissolve parliament to the assembly on Thursday and request that it be debated as soon as possible.

    Zuma, who has been dogged by accusations of corruption and mismanaging the economy, survived an attempt in parliament to force him from office on Tuesday.

    He was left politically wounded after some members of his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party voted with the opposition.

    Maimane told a news conference in Cape Town that the result showed the ANC was divided and the country needed “a new beginning”.

    “The ANC may have won in the no-confidence motion in parliament yesterday, but it has lost the confidence of the country,” Maimane said.

    “We believe the voters should now have the chance to express their opinion about the conduct of the ANC in defending Jacob Zuma.

    In short, we believe that parliament should be dissolved now so that the country can hold an early election.”

    Zuma’s term as South Africa’s president is due to run until 2019, when an election is scheduled.

    It was not clear whether the motion would be allowed and parliamentary officials could not be reached for comment.

    Wednesday is a public holiday in South Africa and government offices and financial markets were closed.

    Zuma, who has held power since 2009, has now survived nine no-confidence votes despite a record in office marred by allegations of sleaze and influence-peddling.

    He hailed his win as a victory for the ANC.

  • South African parliament begins debate in Zuma no-confidence motion

    South African parliament begins debate in Zuma no-confidence motion

    The leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance urged South African lawmakers to oust President Jacob Zuma at the start of a parliamentary debate on a motion of no-confidence in the scandal-plagued leader on Tuesday.

    Zuma, who has held power since 2009, would have to relinquish office if he loses the vote expected once the debate ends.

    “I plead with you let us put the people of South Africa first and vote to remove Jacob Zuma today,” Mmusi Maimane said.

    Speaking on behalf of the ruling African National Congress party, deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude said the motion against Zuma amounted to a “power grab” by the opposition.

    “The ANC rejects this motion with the contempt it deserves,” she said.

    NAN reports that protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and rocks in a show of opposition to President Zuma hours before the South African parliament was due to vote on a no-confidence motion which could force him to step down.

    Newspaper headlines reflected the high stakes at play “JZ’s moment of truth” read The Star, while The Sowetan declared: “High Noon for Zuma”.

    Zuma, who has held power since 2009, has struggled to fend off opposition accusations of corruption and mismanaging the economy.

    If parliament votes in favor of the no-confidence motion, he and his entire cabinet would have to step down.

    The parliamentary speaker on Monday had ruled that the vote would be a secret ballot a decision the opposition hopes will embolden members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to vote against Zuma.

    It was unclear, however, which way the vote would go.

    The ANC has 249 seats in the 400-seat parliament and the opposition controls 151 seats, so it would take 50 ANC lawmakers backing the opposition to vote Zuma and his cabinet out.

    Markets had welcomed Speaker Baleka Mbete’s decision, with the rand, bonds and banking shares surging after Mbete’s announcement, buoyed by the prospect of Zuma’s removal. On Tuesday, the rand traded flat as markets waited anxiously.

    In the past year, Zuma has upset investors, in particular by removing finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March.

    The country’s credit rating has been downgraded to junk by two of the top three credit rating agencies, unemployment is at a 14-year high of 27.7 per cent and the economy is back in recession.

    Zuma has also faced a welter of corruption accusations, which he denies, and the ANC, which has governed since the end of apartheid in 1994, is deeply divided.

    “Jacob Zuma has brought our nation to its knees,” the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party, which brought the motion to parliament, said in a statement urging lawmakers to vote the president out.

    Across Gauteng province, where the commercial hub Johannesburg and capital Pretoria are located, protesters blocked major roads with burning tyres and rocks.

  • Two Nigerians arrested for human trafficking in South Africa

    Two Nigerians have been arrested for alleged human trafficking in South Africa.

    Four women, believed to have trafficked by the suspects have been rescued at a house in Randburg, north of Johannesburg.

    Police said the four women, aged between 20 and 30 years confirmed that they had been raped and forced to take semi-nude photos to be posted on a pornographic website.

    This happened just after a week where a South African woman was rescued from Malaysian sex trafficking syndicate. The 24-year-old woman from Bloemfontein was duped in an internet scam into going to Malaysia.

    The women, three from the Northern Cape and one from Riverlea in Johannesburg, said they were being held in the house against their will.

    Luyanda Longwe from the Office of the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety in the City of Johannesburg said, “They were forced to wear lingerie and pose for a website that the two suspects were running, a pornographic website.

    “The two foreign nationals were arrested and taken to the Randburg police station. The four women were rescued and taken for some social work and therapy after their traumatic event.”

  • No-confidence vote: South African ANC MPs rally round Zuma

    No-confidence vote: South African ANC MPs rally round Zuma

    South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) rallied behind President Jacob Zuma on Friday, saying its lawmakers would have to be “bewitched” to vote for a no-confidence motion to remove the scandal-prone leader.

    Parliament are due to vote on Tuesday.

    Zuma, 75, has suffered a string of judicial and political setbacks since he took office in 2009, but has held on to power with the backing of his party, which dominates parliament.

    In July, South Africa’s top court ruled that secret ballots may be held for motions of no confidence if the speaker of parliament so decides.

    Zuma’s critics want the no-confidence vote brought by the main opposition Democratic Alliance party to be anonymous, hoping it will embolden ANC lawmakers to support his removal by shielding them from pressure from other party members.

    ANC parliamentary Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu said the party would vote as a bloc against the motion.

    “We cannot, with our eyes open, assist our nemesis to remove the government from power.

    “It’s only a bewitched party that would do so.

    “Nobody in his right mind will do so,” Mthembu told a news conference in Cape Town.

    A motion of no confidence requires a simple majority to pass, in this case 201 votes out of the 400-member parliament.

    If the motion succeeds Zuma who has survived eight previous motions of no-confidence and his entire cabinet would have to step down.

    Mthembu said voting for the motion would be “tantamount to throwing a nuclear bomb on ourselves” that would unleash political and economic hardships in the country.

    Africa’s most industrialised economy has sunk into recession and had its credit rating downgraded to junk by two of the three main credit rating agencies.

    Unemployment is at a 14-year high of 27.7 per cent and business confidence is sagging.

    Mthembu accused Julius Malema, a former protege of Zuma who now leads the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party, of wishful thinking for saying more than 60 ANC members in parliament will back the no-confidence vote.

    “I’ve seen and heard other party leaders saying that there are about 60 MPs of the ANC who will be putting their vote in the positive bloc.

    We are saying there is no such,” Mthembu said.

    NAN reports that Baleka Mbete, Speaker of the South African National Assembly, on Thursday said, she would “do the right thing” on whether to allow a secret ballot that could oust Zuma.

    The country’s top court in June ruled that secret ballots may be held for motions of no confidence in parliament, but did not order one, leaving the decision to Mbete.

    Zuma’s critics want a no-confidence vote in Zuma to be anonymous hoping it will embolden lawmakers from his African National Congress party to support his ouster by shielding them from pressure.

    The Zuma administration has been beset by scandals and criticised for failing to address serious economic problems.

    Mbete was non-committal after the Constitutional Court ruling, simply noting that she now had the right to decide.

    On Thursday, the New Age reported Mbete as promising to “apply her mind judiciously” and “do the right thing”.

    “What I am willing to say to the people of South Africa, as members of parliament … trust us,” Mbete said.

    A motion of no confidence requires a simple majority to pass, in this case 201 votes out of the 400-member parliament.

  • AIB, Unilorin sign agreement on usage of $5.8m lab

    AIB, Unilorin sign agreement on usage of $5.8m lab

    The University of Ilorin (Unilorin) and the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the usage of the bureau’s $5.8 million metallurgical laboratory at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agreement was signed by both parties at the AIB’s headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday.

    Mr Akin Olateru, the Commissioner of AIB, said at the signing ceremony that the partnership would be beneficial to the agency and the university.

    He said it was worrisome that both private and public business organisations expend little or no resources to funding of researches and projects in the country.

    According to him, Harvard University in the United States alone has in excess of $30 billion for research purposes.

    The commissioner said with adequate research, the country would benefit more.

    He explained that the vision of the management was to make the laboratory a world class facility where giant construction companies and countries like South Africa, United Kingdom and other European nations could come to conduct research.

    The AIB boss said the collaboration with the university would lead to the recognition of Nigeria as a serious nation in research in the international community.

    He maintained that usage of the facility would lead to human capital development in the country, while the laboratory would also give students more opportunity to practise whatever they had been taught in the classrooms.

    Olateru said :”This is a very important occasion for us and I believe University of Ilorin too should be proud of this occasion.

    ” I have about 30 years experience in aviation and this is the first that I know of, that an aviation agency is signing an MOU with any higher institution in this country for the benefit of Nigerians.

    “Let’s look at it very well, Federal Government owns AIB and University of Ilorin is equally owned by the federal government. Why can’t we collaborate?

    “I challenge every other agency to see how we can all collaborate. No more a stand-alone business. We should find a way how we can benefit on one and other.

    “You don’t need to have all the resources, competence or the technical expertise by yourself; it is all about collaboration,” he said.

    Olateru said that the agency hoped to lure more academic institutions to make use of the facility, stressing that it would also form part of its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    On his part, the leader of the university’s delegation, Prof. Yinusa Jimoh, noted that it was the first time the institution would sign an MoU with any Ministry, Department and Agency (MDA) in the country.

    He expressed the hope that it would be mutually benefitial to parties involved.

    Jimoh noted that Nigeria had a lot to gain from the partnership, stressing that rather than travel abroad for research, they would be able to do so with ease in the country.

    He enjoined other academic institutions in the country to take a cue from the institution by looking inward whenever they are conducting researches, stressing that this would also go a long way in curbing capital flight out of the country.

    “Nigeria has a lot to gain through this partnership because Nigerians go to every part of the world for research purposes.

    “We still send materials overseas when we are doing some research work. Our facilities still require improvement and this is a good facility for us; we are taking good opportunity of this.

    “We are looking for a place to improve our facilities and we have it now. By tomorrow, this thing that we are starting today will be a huge benefit for this country.

    “I can assure you that we are starting an agreement that would be sustained. It’s a win-win situation for all of us involved,” Jimoh said.

  • Kakadu: From South Africa with rich theatrical resonance

    Award-winning total theatre treat and one of Nigeria’s ‘box office success stories’ ‘Kakadu the Musical’ recently treated audiences in South Africa to a captivating theatrical performance that has continued to resonate with palpable nostalgia weeks after it ended.

    The show was part of events to mark the Africa Day celebrations. It featured a ‘combination of amazing dance, music and drama with a strong plot of captivating story line that enthralled the audience, especially as they followed through on the enactment of landmark events that happened in Nigeria’.

    Co-sponsored by the MTN Foundation as part of its contribution to the entertainment industry in advancing theatre and performing arts in Nigeria, Kakadu the M usical will no doubt linger in the minds of its audience. Other co-sponsors include the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Custodian Insurance and Zenith Bank Plc.

    Based on several pivotal events that happened in Nigeria between 1965 and 1974, the watershed years immediately following independence from British colonial rule, leading to the Biafran War and the aftermath of that war, Kakadu the Musical, written and produced, surprisingly by one of the leading lawyers in Nigeria, Uche Nwokedi SAN, is the journey of four friends through a time of  infinite possibilities. It  has become the benchmark for musical theatre in Nigeria, a time to dream and to hope.

    A nation celebrates the end of colonialism and the promise of a bright new future in a city that is as colourful and hedonistic as any European city in the 60s. At the heart of the city is Kakadu, a popular night club and a mecca of music of all genre and fashion. During this period, Kakadu’s live music encompassed Anglo-American pop, Latin beat, Highlife and even ballroom. This jubilant music added to the stunning swinging sixties costumes, extravagant hairstyles and the assimilation of western attitudes gives Kakadu the Musical a stylish and exuberant sense of time and place.

    The four friends echo the ethnic diversity of the newly independent country. At the centre of it all is Kakadu’s charismatic manager, Lord Lugard, a larger than life character who symbolizes the pleasure, seeking spirit of the club. Then the military coups set off a chain of events which lead to the civil war (the Biafran War) and changes begin to occur to their relationships. It is a story of dreams and hopes, of peace and war, of friendships and broken promises, of pain and loss, and of love and innocence.

    Kakadu the Musical is an exciting blend of the western music of the 60’s that influenced musical expressions in the 1960s Africa, with highlife, afrobeat, contemporary and traditional Nigerian folk music, to produce the most wonderfully eclectic musical ever.

    Having followed Kakadu from its first showing in May 2013, for the theatre savvy audience of South Africa, it was a show that will resonate with palpable nostalgia, given its rich, colourful theatrical and historical resonance.

     

  • S. Africa’s Malema says no fewer than 60 ANC MPs will turn on Zuma

    S. Africa’s Malema says no fewer than 60 ANC MPs will turn on Zuma

    Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party (EFF) said 60 African National Congress (ANC) members in South Africa’s parliament will back a no-confidence vote against President Jacob Zuma if the ballot is secret.

    Toppling Zuma requires 50 of the 249 ANC Members of Parliament (MPs) to support the no-confidence motion and some have said publicly they want him removed, including former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, whose sacking in March triggered damaging debt ratings downgrades.

    South Africa’s national assembly has 400 members.

    Malema, a firebrand politician known for his colorful language, said in an interview, he had received personal commitments that ANC MPs would dump Zuma.

    Malema, a former head of the ANC’s Youth League before his expulsion from the party, could plausibly still have plenty of contacts in the organization.

    “I personally spoke to more than 60 MPs of the ANC who have committed that if we give them a secret ballot they will deliver,” Malema told Reuters in his office.

    “They’ve asked that this thing must be secret. They are not happy themselves,” said Malema, seated in front of an EFF sign featuring a clenched black fist holding a spear, super-imposed over an African map.

    Zuma faces the no-confidence motion on Aug. 8, the ninth time the opposition will have tried to unseat him by peeling off dissidents from the ruling party, whose majority has so far protected him.

    Unlike previous attempts, this time the vote may not be open.

    The Constitutional Court has cleared the way for the Speaker to allow a secret ballot, though it remains unclear she will.

    The ANC’s official line is that the party will close ranks and back Zuma.

    Party officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Malema’s remarks.

    ANC MP Makhosi Khoza chose Nelson Mandela’s birthday on Tuesday to denounce Zuma, making clear she would break party ranks.

    “If you see one person doing that under such a hostile environment you must know that she must have powerful backing.

    “She has a lot of backing,” Malema said.

    One ANC MP has told Reuters they would vote for Zuma’s removal and the South African Communist Party, whose 17 MPs back the ANC in parliament, said in April Zuma should resign.

    Tens of thousands of people took part in marches in April calling for Zuma, 75, to step down over a string of graft scandals and missteps as the economy is in recession and unemployment rising.

  • South Africa’s Central Bank accuses anti-graft watchdog of incompetence

    South Africa’s Central Bank has accused the head of anti-graft watchdog of incompetence, following her proposal to switch the target of its monetary policy from inflation and currency stability to economic growth.

    Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane set off a political row and sparked a selling frenzy in the rand currency last month when she said the Reserve Bank current mandate focuses on a “few commercial interests”.

    In a scathing court filing, Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the constitutionally mandated watchdog was “reckless” and her later explanation of the report showed a lack understanding of the constitution and the Central Bank’s powers and functions.

    “This is a grave, rudimentary error,” Kganyago said. “The only explanation that the Public Protector has offered for her clearly unlawful conduct exposes her own lack of competency.”

    Opposition parties, Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters, have also branded Mkhwebane incompetent and urged her to resign or for parliament review her ability to execute her duties.

    Public Protector spokeswoman Cleopatra Mosana rejected the accusations of incompetence, saying Mkhwebane continued to “discharge her duties as prescribed by the constitution.”

    Mkhwebane has been in the job since October last year. Her proposal was also opposed in court by parliament and finance minister Malusi Gigaba, both of whom have said she over-stepped her powers.

    The call threatened to further stain South Africa’s credentials as an investor-friendly emerging market, coming less than a week after mines minister Mosebenzi Zwane spooked investors by raising the minimum threshold for black ownership of mining companies to 30 percent from 26 percent.