The Nation Newspaper

Tag: South Africa

  • Union set to initiate Enugu House project in South Africa

    Union set to initiate Enugu House project in South Africa

    The Enugu State Union in  South Africa  says it is planning to buy a house in that country for commercial use and image branding of the state.

    The President of the union, Mr Mike Ugwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday that the group would acquire the property in an upscale location  and it would be named Enugu House.

    “We want to acquire it or get a land and erect it the way we want. If we buy a house, we will renovate it the way we want.

    “Our aim is to use the house for image branding  of   Enugu State in South Africa. It is not also going to be an ordinary house, it will generate funds for the union.

    “One day, we will think of home and this project will make members have something memorable to reminiscence on.

    “Members have been told to adopt  a think-home philosophy,” he said.

    Ugwu said  while  the union could  not raise  enough funds at its  20th anniversary  last year, efforts were on to begin the project.

    “The union is already engaging some property firms in South Africa on the choice of house to buy.

    “The house will be renovated and  partitions created  for business centres while a  hall for events and offices for business outfits would be let out, ” he said.

  • South African jazz legend Ray Phiri dies at 70

    South African jazz legend Ray Phiri dies at 70

    South African jazz legend, Ray Phiri, died on Wednesday at the age of 70, the presidency and media reports said.

    The guitarist and vocalist was internationally known for his appearance on U.S. singer-songwriter Paul Simon’s “Graceland” album in 1986.

    Phiri died from lung cancer at a hospital in Mbombela in his native Mpumalanga province.

    The jazz, fusion and mbaqanga musician helped to found the soul music group The Cannibals in the 1970s.

    He later founded Stimela, with which he conceived gold and platinum-winning albums such as “Fire, Passion and Ecstasy” and “People Don’t Talk So Let’s Talk.”

    The presidency described the award-winning musician as having used “arts as an instrument of social transformation.”

    “He was a musical giant, this is indeed a huge loss for South Africa and the music industry as a whole,’’ President Jacob Zuma said in a statement.

    Phiri faced controversy for working with Simon and the other Graceland musicians, who were accused of breaking an international cultural boycott of South Africa for its apartheid regime.

  • Nigerians set up 200 small businesses in South African province

    Nigerians set up 200 small businesses in South African province

    Mr Chacaodili Nwanedo,  the Chairman of  Nigeria Union in North West Province of South Africa, says Nigerians have set up no fewer than  200 small businesses in the area.

    Nwanedo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Rustenburg, North West Province of South Africa, on Tuesday that the aim was to create employment and keep the youths busy.

    “Nigerians in the province have set up small businesses in  vocations such as  barbing, auto mechanic, hair dressing, trading ,food restaurant and construction.

    “They employ fellow Nigerians and  South Africans. The union assists  them to advertise and get clients for their businesses,”  he said.

    Nwanedo said the strategy had worked as Nigerians, especially youths,  are now busy and sustaining  themselves and their  families.

    The chairman also said that the union often embarks on  enlightenment campaign against drug abuse and prostitution.

    “This is also in line with a similar one done by our national body. We have sustained the awareness  campaign  and we are happy that Nigerians in the province are responding to it,” he said.

    Nwanedo said  the five ward chapters  of the union in the province meet regularly to discuss the welfare of Nigerians  and how to assist one another.

  • Why nuclear weapons should be banned – Nigeria’s UN envoy

    Why nuclear weapons should be banned – Nigeria’s UN envoy

    Prof. Tijjani Bande, Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN said nuclear weapons should be banned because they cause more crises than promote peace among countries.

    Bande told a news conference at the UN that nuclear weapons now create instability globally rather than deterrence, the excuse most nuclear powers gave.

    The UN on Friday adopted the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty in a majority vote by 122 countries leading towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons, while 60 countries boycotted.

    With the adoption of the nuclear treaty, nuclear weapons now joined all other weapons of mass destruction, which have already been prohibited.

    Nigeria, together with Ireland, Austria, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa played a leadership role in bringing forward the UN resolution convening the Diplomatic Conference that negotiated the ground-breaking treaty.

    Bande said it was sad that “there are countries that still have nuclear weapons and refuse to give them up”, pointing out that the resources expended on maintaining nuclear weapons could better be channeled to other development projects.

    According to him, those regions with nuclear weapons have continued to be unstable, citing India and Pakistan and Israel and its neighbours.

    “Pakistan has a very terrible relationship with its neighbor. Literally, India and Pakistan used to be one country, and the instability of the situation is that these are two nuclear neighbours.

    “So what advantage in the relationship strategically do they have? Nothing; they are just spending the money on nuclear weapons.

    “A lot of people are poor in India, a lot of people are poor in Pakistan, and everyday people are killed in low-level warfare but they are nuclear States,” he said.

    According to him, Israel also has nuclear weapon while Iran is reportedly trying to acquire one in what seems to be a sad reminder of dangerous arms race among countries.

    “So the larger question really is: there is something that makes people crazy about wanting to have latest weapons in nuclear but of what use then are they?

    “With all the provocations, would Israel use nuclear weapons in its own neighbourhood?

    “So these are the questions but when you ask these questions, people say ‘oh, my neighbour has’. He has and he can’t eat them.

    “You are trying to have, you can’t eat it, you can’t even use it. So the whole issue then is that there is a sense of competition.

    “These are like toys; the ‘big boys’ have them, I must also have them. But we are dealing with human lives, ”
    he added.

    Bande, however, warned that while countries that possessed nuclear weapons could not even use them deliberately, accidents could happen.

    The Nigerian envoy alluded to the recent nuclear weapons concerns over North Korea, saying deterrence via the threat of the use of nuclear weapons had failed.

    “In classrooms and politics, we are told they (nuclear weapons) are ‘deterrence’, I do not think that this deterrence has worked; these just are theories.

    “If there were no nuclear weapons and no threat felt by North Korea, it’s possible that the regime would not have started its efforts to produce these weapons,” he stated.

    122 nation states voted in favour of the adoption of a legally binding instrument – a treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons at the UN conference, while one respectively voted ‘no’ and ‘abstention’.

    Netherlands voted against while Singapore abstained as well as all the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, a fewer other countries and Japan that was the victim of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    The text adopted on Friday represented the successful outcome of the first multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations in 20 years.

    State Parties to the Treaty are expected to have the signing ceremonies at the UN headquarters in September, at the sidelines of the High-level UN General Assembly, and subsequently ratify it.

  • Thieves steal computers from S/African state prosecutors’ offices

    Thieves steal computers from S/African state prosecutors’ offices

    Thieves broke into South Africa’s state prosecutors’ offices early on Monday and made off with two laptop computers, the latest in a series of high-profile burglaries targeting law enforcement bodies.

    “I can confirm that there was a break-in in the early hours of Monday. Two laptops belonging to prosecutors in those offices were stolen,” said Luvuyo Mfaku, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority.

    Mfaku said no arrests have been made.

    The burglary, in a country with one of the highest crime rates in the world, including for murder and corruption, came just days after thieves stole hard drives and other computer equipment from an elite police crime-fighting unit, the Hawks.

    The Hawks, whose full name is the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, is responsible for investigating national criminal priorities such as corruption, organized and commercial crimes.

    In March, burglars stole 15 computers containing information on South Africa’s judges and court officials from the administrative offices of the Chief Justice.

  • 11 teenagers die during circumcision in South Africa

    11 teenagers die during circumcision in South Africa

    Eleven teenagers have died of botched circumcision within two weeks during the winter initiation season in South Africa, authorities said on Saturday.

    According to Provincial Department of Traditional Affairs, all the deaths are in Eastern Cape Province, a hotbed of circumcision-related deaths.

    “The death toll of initiates in a short period is alarming,’’ Fikile Xasa from the department said.

    He added that the deaths occurred in spite of “Zero Deaths” campaign launched by the government.

    Government-dispatched teams were currently monitoring the situation across the country, according to Community Development Foundation of South Africa (CDFSA), which deals with the safety of initiates.

    It, however, said over 22 boys were rescued from illegal initiation schools in the province.

    The department stated that six other initiates died in the province when their initiation school caught fire, noting that their funeral was held on Saturday.

    Circumcision is viewed a sacred practice in African cultures, marking a male’s transition from child to adulthood.

    In South Africa, young males must traditionally be circumcised as passage to manhood.

    According to the CDFSA, over 70 boys died at initiation schools in 2016 and scores of others were hospitalised in the Eastern Cape alone.  (Xinhua/NAN)

  • Employment: Mission partners Nigerian professionals in South Africa to assist youths

    Employment: Mission partners Nigerian professionals in South Africa to assist youths

    Nigeria’s Consul General in South Africa, Mr Godwin Adama, says the mission was working with Nigerian professionals to assist unemployed youths in that country.

    Adama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Johannesburg, South Africa,  on Friday that the mission was determined to ensure that such Nigerians were kept busy in an occupation.

    He said that Nigerian professionals had been approached to engage such  youths  to make them earn a living.

    “We have encouraged Nigerian professionals and others who can offer assistance in any area to move these youths out of the streets.

    “The response has been positive and we are optimistic that  more will be achieved in this direction, “ Adama said.

    According to him, this is one way of informing the South African authorities  that the mission is not in support of   Nigerians involved in crime .

    The consul general, however, said that the mission would give papers to Nigerians who voluntarily want to return home.

    “We are ready to give papers to those who want to return home. We give  Emergency Travel Certificates (ETCs)  to those who do not have passports.

    “The mission recently sent home  two Nigerians with health challenges, paid their fares, while their families received them on arrival,” he said.

    Adama also said that the mission visited the deportation camps in South Africa to document Nigerians there.

    “About 100 Nigerians were deported a month ago.

    “We issued them ETC after documentation that  ascertained   they were Nigerians and their cases had been concluded.

    “The mission cooperated and gave them papers to go home,” he said.

  • Nigeria Drops in FIFA World Ranking After South Africa’s Defeat

    Nigeria Drops in FIFA World Ranking After South Africa’s Defeat

    Nigeria has dropped in the latest FIFA rankings released by the world football governing body on Thursday.

    Previously ranked 38th in the world, the Super Eagles and are now occupying the 39th position in the world, and down to sixth in Africa from the fourth position they occupied the previous month.

    This drop may not be unconnected to the 2-0 defeat suffered at the hands of South Africa last month in Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

    The South Africans on their part moved one step up from 65th to 64th spot in the world.

    Meanwhile, the Eagles’ next opponent in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Cameroon, also dropped four spots down and are now 36th in the world and fifth on the continent, despite featuring at the Confederations Cup.

    Another group opponent in the race for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Algeria, have climbed five spots to 48th in the world and eighth in Africa.

    While Zambia, the other team in Nigeria’s World Cup group, are also enjoying a surge – they have moved seven places up and they are now 92nd in the world and 24th in Africa.

    World champions and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup winners German are back on top of the rankings after a two-year wait.

    Brazil and Argentina are 2nd and 3rd respectively with Portugal, Switzerland, Poland, Chile, Colombia, France and Belgium making up the top ten teams in the world in that order.

    The next FIFA ratings will be released on August 10.

    Latest CAF ranking

    1. Egypt
    2. Senegal
    3. Congo DR
    4. Tunisia
    5. Cameroon
    6. Nigeria
    7. Burkina Faso
    8. Algeria
    9. Ghana
    10. Cote d’Ivoire

  • President Mugabe donates $1m to AU Foundation

    President Mugabe donates $1m to AU Foundation

    President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe on Monday delivered a one million U.S. dollars check to the African Union (AU) Foundation, a “humble gesture” to help push the regional block toward financial independence.

    Mugabe made the donation during the opening of the 29th AU summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

    He was fulfilling a pledge made during his tenure as rotating AU chairman, at the 25th AU summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    Handing over the check, Mugabe said the “modest” donation “demonstrates what is possible when we apply our mind to the most urgent task before us, … of funding our union and in particular Agenda 2063.”

    Launched in January 2015, the AU Foundation is tasked with finding new ways of generating domestic resources to fund African development programs and support Agenda 2063, an ambitious blueprint for future development of the continent.

    Mugabe said funding independence is vital to Africa’s future.

    “Unless and until we can fund our own programs, the African Union will not be our own,” he said, referring to a decision made in 2016 at the 27th AU summit to eventually be able to finance 100 percent of its operational budget, 75 per cent of its programmes budget, and 25 per cent of its peacekeeping budget.

    The decision requires that member countries contribute 0.2 per cent of their import levy to AU coffers.

    Mugabe said: “It is never going to be easy to wean ourselves from the ‘donor-dependency syndrome,’ but we need to forge ahead for our sake and that of our future generations.

    “This modest contribution… is a symbolic step in that direction.

    “Let us build our continent brick by brick, stone by stone.”

    According to Moussa Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, the 0.2-per cent import levy requirement, originally scheduled to come into effect in January 2017, has yet to be fully complied by all member countries.

    The AU hopes to be able to meet all its operational funding needs by the year 2022.

  • Avenues exist for Nigerian investments in S/Africa, says Envoy

    Avenues exist for Nigerian investments in S/Africa, says Envoy

    The Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Amb. Martin Cobham, has called for more Nigerian investments in that country, to enhance the balance of trade between the two countries.

    Cobham told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pretoria on Monday that the Federal Government should use the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission to open up avenues for more of such investments.

    “Nigeria is a big market; South Africa has the technology, so, the two countries share an inclusive and collaborative desire to work together.

    “The two countries are economic giants. Therefore, there should be joint ventures between Nigerian and South African investors.

    “South Africa has a lot of companies in Nigeria, but there is a dearth of Nigerian companies here,” he said.

    According to Cobham, the next meeting of the Bi-National Commission, should open doors for Nigerian investors to have similar investments and enterprises in South Africa.

    “For a start, we can have Mr Biggs, or a Nigerian bank to cater for the Nigerian community in South Africa. The South African banks have stringent measures,” he said.

    The high commissioner suggested that relevant bodies like the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce, could also be used to open up avenues for such Nigerian investments.

    “To date, only Dangote Cement has a substantive presence in South Africa. Currently, the balance of trade is in favour of South Africa.

    “Beyond the area of investments between the two countries, flights to Nigeria from South Africa are dominated by the South African aviation industry.

    There are 10 weekly flights to Nigeria, seven to Lagos, three to Abuja and none from Nigeria,” he said.

    Cobham also called for collaboration in the aviation sector, to make the two countries jointly own planes to meet the needs of their people.

    The high commissioner said, “we want to see a Nigerian telecommunication giant, like Globacom equally make forays in here.

    “We should also make a case for Nigerian farm produce to come in here without hindrance because we have a sizeable Nigerian population here and they love our native food.

    “There should be more opening of doors in favour of Nigeria in South Africa,” Cobham added.

    Trade between Nigeria and South Africa has increased steadily from N43.6 billion (R.20.6 billion) in 2010 to N1.3 trillion (R.62 billion) in 2015.

    The gradual movement since 2010 could be attributed to Nigeria’s demand for automotive parts. South Africa exports cars, vehicles, structures and parts of structure, uncoated paper and paperboard.

    Nigeria presents a huge market with a population of over 170 million people and vast resources, while South Africa presents the technical know-how in developing industries.

    The South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Lulu Mnguni, recently described Nigeria as one of the countries in Africa currently enjoying a favourable balance of trade with South Africa.

    The high commissioner, who said that there was an increasing number of South African multinational companies in Nigeria, added that there were currently about 120 South African companies in the West African nation.

    Mnguni said that the companies had invested in engineering, ICT, construction, aviation, media, hospitality, banking, retail chain and oil and gas exploration services in Nigeria.

    “South African companies have today become significant players in these sectors of the Nigerian economy since 1999.

    “Nigerian SMEs are dominant in the small business sector in South Africa. Therefore, the two are really complementing each other,” he said.

    The envoy said it was imperative for both countries to close ranks toward the implementation of the 2063 African Union agenda.

    He said strategic partnership is required in pursuance of Africa’s South-South cooperation and in the promotion of a rules-based international system.