The Nation Newspaper

Tag: South Africa

  • Rand is double-edged sword for South Africa

    South Africa’s rand is proving to be a double-edged sword for the nation’s current-account deficit.

    While the currency’s slump to a 13-year low this month against the dollar should be benefiting exports, that’s being offset by rising import costs at a time when electricity utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. is buying more diesel to run emergency gas turbines because of a power shortage. The weaker rand has pushed inflation to the highest this year and fueled a sell-off in bonds. An index of South Africa’s local-currency debt lost three percent for dollar investors this quarter, compared with average gains of 0.4 percent among 31 emerging markets tracked by Bloomberg.

    The rand’s drop probably didn’t boost exports enough to narrow the deficit on the current account, the widest measure of trade in goods and services, in the first quarter. A central bank report on Tuesday will show the shortfall unchanged at 5.1 percent of gross domestic product, according to the median estimate of 15 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

    “With Eskom’s operation of diesel-powered stations, it definitely will push the oil import bill higher,” Isaac Matshego, an economist at Nedbank Group Ltd. in Johannesburg, said by phone. “The weaker rand is definitely putting pressure on the import bill.”

    South Africa ran a 32.6 billion rand ($2.7 billion) shortfall on its trade account in the first three months of the year, compared with 27 billion rand in the same period last year, according to data from the South African Revenue Service. Eskom says it will need an additional 10.9 billion rand to import diesel in 2015 as it struggles to meet demand for electricity.

    The utility is running diesel plants to augment power supply and limit blackouts. Eskom has increased rationing of electricity since November because of plant breakdowns and delays in bringing new facilities online. The power crisis in stifling factory production and curbing the ability of manufacturers to boost exports and take advantage of the weaker rand.

  • Buhari’s full speech at 25th AU Summit in Johannesburg

    Buhari’s full speech at 25th AU Summit in Johannesburg

    • Statement by President Muhammadu Buhari, Federal Republic of Nigeria

     

    Excellency President Robert Mugabe, Chairman of the Union,

    Excellency President Jacob Zuma, our Host,

    Excellencies fellow Presidents and Heads of Government

    Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations,

    Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission,

    Excellencies, Heads of Delegation,

    Invited Guests, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

    1.           Please permit me to join previous speakers in conveying my delegation’s appreciation to our host, H.E. President Jacob Zuma, to his Government, and the brotherly people of South Africa for their warm hospitality, and for the excellent arrangements made for our comfort and for the success of our meetings. As this is my first address at this august assembly, may I also congratulate H.E. Dr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, for his unanimous election as the Chairman of our Union.

    2.        I feel highly honoured and extremely pleased to be able to address you today, barely two weeks after my inauguration as the President of Nigeria, following the 2015 Presidential election in my country. That process, which was adjudged as the fairest and most credible in the history of elections in Nigeria, was midwifed by the dogged and sustained determination of the Nigerian people, and their desire to deepen our democracy. Their quest was amply supported, and even encouraged by the goodwill of our friends and partners in the international community. I therefore wish to seize this opportunity to convey my very deep appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of that election.

    3.        My election has been described as historic. I agree that it is indeed historic because for the first time in the practice of democracy in my country, an opposition Party has defeated the ruling Party in a keenly contested election. The election was also held against the backdrop of the fears and concerns expressed both in Nigeria and among our international friends abroad and partners that the outcome of the election could spell doom for Nigeria. I am glad that even though those fears and concerns were not without basis, the outcome was totally different, to the relief of all of us.

    4.        I cannot fail to acknowledge the very positive role played by my predecessor, H.E. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in averting the feared crisis, and in facilitating the peaceful transition of power between the two parties.  I also wish to express my deep appreciation to all who honoured us with their presence at my inauguration, and even those, who for unavoidable reasons were unable to attend. I thank you all.

    Mr. Chairman,

    5.        It is gratifying to note that our Union has made laudable progress over the past one and a half decades since its transformation from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU). Notably, we have been able to redirect our priorities at the continental level from mainly political goals to more diverse aspirations that are equally fundamental to our survival and development in a global community.

    6.        It is however clear, Mr. Chairman, that some of the greater challenges to our peoples within this Union still lie in the political, economic, as well as peace and security spheres. Our continent is currently bedevilled by the twin evils of terrorism and insecurity; poverty, youth unemployment, and underdevelopment. The destructive effects of the inhuman and criminal campaigns of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria and neighbouring countries; the Al-Shabab attacks in East Africa, and the activities of the Al-Qaida in the Maghreb, all bear testimony to a continent under siege.

    7.        The images in the international mass media of African youths getting drowned in the Mediterranean sea on their illegal attempts, and often times illusory hope of attaining better life in Europe is not only an embarrassment to us as leaders, but dehumanises our persons.  Indeed, they combine to paint a very unfavourable picture of our peoples and countries.

    8.        Those of us gathered here today owe it as a duty to reverse this ugly trend. We must put an end to the so-called push factors that compel our young men and women to throw caution to the winds and risk life, limbs and all, on this dangerous adventure. We must redouble our efforts to sustain the economic development of our countries, ensure empowerment of our youths, create more jobs, improve and upgrade our infrastructure, and above all continue the enthronement of a regime of democracy, good governance and respect for human rights and rule of law. These and other measures that engender peace and stability must be pursued relentlessly.

    9.        In this connection, we must persist in our collective endeavour to work together through the African Union and our respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs), to uplift our continent and provide the African peoples the enabling environment for the realization of their legitimate dreams and aspirations. At this juncture, let me assure you of the unflinching commitment of Nigeria to the ideals and aspirations of the African Union as explained in the Agenda 2063, which is geared towards ensuring a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa in the next 50 years. It is for this reason that Nigeria is fully and irrevocably committed to the ECOWAS vision.

    10.      We do so because we believe that African integration is best attained through the instrumentality of our Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as the building blocs of viable continental institutions. Nigeria will therefore continue to play her part in supporting the African Union Commission and other continental and regional institutions in their efforts to prioritize African development in all sectors of human endeavour.

    11.      The journey might look arduous, but certainly not impossible. There are opportunities in every challenge. If and when we adopt this call for a change of attitude, approach, and disposition towards agreed protocols and commitments, we shall be bequeathing a politically stable, economically developed, and socially harmonious Africa, thereby justifying the confidence reposed in us by our electorates. We will also demonstrate our qualities as statesmen and true daughters and sons of Africa.

     

    12.      I thank you for your kind attention.

  • Buhari promises to implement government’s cardinal policies

    Buhari promises to implement government’s cardinal policies

    President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to implement the cardinal policies of  his administration  in order to move the country forward.

    Buhari made the pledge in Johannesburg, South Africa, when he met Nigerians resident in South Africa.

    He said government was determined to secure the country, improve the economy and eliminate corruption.

    ‘’ Government is determined to secure the country, manage the economy, create employment and fight corruption.

    ‘’ Some articulate writers have said if we do not kill corruption in Nigeria, corruption will kill Nigeria.

    ‘’ This APC administration intends to kill corruption in Nigeria. We will do our best, I assure you,’’ Buhari said.

    The presidents said the G7 leaders had expressed commitment to helping Nigeria tackle insecurity as well as develop its oil and gas sectors.

    ‘’ We are getting the facts and logistics requirements together,’’ he said.

    He also said the leaders of the Lake Chad Basin Commission had set up a military command headquarters in Chad with a Nigerian general heading it.

    Buhari, however, urged Nigerians resident in South Africa to be good ambassadors of the country.

    ‘’ Those of you who have the opportunity to come here and represent us, make sure that you are representing Nigeria, you are all ambassadors of Nigeria.

    ‘’ This means a lot of patience, restraint and self respect and pride. You must have all these,’’ he said.

    According to Buhari, Nigerian and South African leaders will soon meet to discuss several issues bordering on their relationship.

    The Consul General of Nigeria in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, said shops and other property worth millions of Rand belonging to Nigerians were lost during the recent xenophobic attacks.

    She also said 143 Nigerians were killed in South Africa between 2011 and 2014, adding that another 81 were in Johannesburg prison.

    ‘’ Out of this 81 Nigerians, 21 have been convicted,’’ she said.

    The President of Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, congratulated the president on his election and inauguration.

    “ Your victory is victory over poverty, hunger and signals hope for the common man,’’ he said.

    He urged the president to facilitate compensation for Nigerians affected by the xenophobic attacks.

  • Fayose spotted in South Africa

    Fayose spotted in South Africa

    Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose was spotted late Sunday  evening at the Johannesburg International airport in South Africa  on his way back from  a trip.

    Accompanied by only one aide, Fayose joined passengers waiting to board the South African Airways 11 pm flight to Lagos.

    He exchanged greetings with some of the Nigerian passengers who were surprised to see him.

    The governor eventually joined the plane and sat in the economy section on the journey back to Lagos.

  • Nigerians in South Africa commend Eagles’ win

    Some Nigerians resident in South Africa have hailed the Super Eagles’ 2-0 victory over Chad in a 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, as a good start for the team.

    The Vice-President of Nigeria Union (NUSA), South Africa, Anthony Usembo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pretoria, South Africa, that the match was difficult for the Eagles.

    “The match was difficult because the Chadians were physical, even though in the end, the Eagles won; that is important,’’ he said.

    Adetola Olubajo, Secretary of the Union, commended the Eagles for the win and called for continuity in their game plan.

    “I am impressed with the new players fielded by Coach Stephen Keshi. I also appeal to Nigerians to give the coach a chance as he tries to re-build the new national team.

    “The team played well, given the fact that they were playing together for the first time in a long while,’’ he said.

    Chris Ifeacho, a lecturer at the Kwazulu Natal University, said the Eagles utilised the chances that came their way in the second half to record victory.

    “We are happy for this victory. Winning this match is a welcome development.

    “It is a good start and I hope the team keeps it up and ensures they qualify for the next AFCON tournament,’’ he said.

    Odunze Samuel, Vice-Chairman of the Eastern Cape chapter of the Nigerian Union, urged the Eagles to remain focused and win in their other matches.

    “I urge them to win in the other matches in the group,’’ he said.

  • Buhari to attend AU summit in S/Africa

    Buhari to attend AU summit in S/Africa

    President Muhammadu Buhari is set to depart Abuja for South Africa on Saturday, June 13, to attend the 25th African Union Summit in Johannesburg.

    A statement by Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, said President Buhari is scheduled to undertake his first continental assignment since taking office by chairing a meeting of the Peace and Security Committee of the African Union during the summit.

    The President is also expected to hold bilateral talks with other African leaders on the sidelines of the summit to consolidate his ongoing drive to secure Nigeria and neighbouring countries from Boko Haram.

    President Buhari is due back in Abuja on Tuesday at the conclusion of the summit which will focus mainly on continental peace and security.

  • Nigerian AU delegate robbed in South Africa

    A major manhunt is underway for a group of men, who posed as policemen and robbed a Nigerian delegate in Johannesburg, agency reports indicated yesterday.

    Gabriel Gundo is in the city to attend the 25th African Union (AU) summit.

    Police confirmed that the taxi transporting Gundo was stopped on Marlboro Drive outside the suburb of Sandton while driving from OR Tambo International Airport.

    Police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said the assailants produced police identification and took 570 dollars from the Nigerian, but did not hurt him.

    The elite Hawks crime-fighting unit is now investigating whether the robbery was planned or if Gundo’s vehicle was followed from the airport.

  • What we expect from Buhari, by Nigerians in South Africa

    What we expect from Buhari, by Nigerians in South Africa

    Some Nigerians resident in South Africa yesterday urged the Federal Government to tackle insecurity, unemployment, epileptic power supply and poverty facing the country.

    The Nigerians made the call at the sidelines of the inauguration of the National Secretariat of the Nigerian Union in Pretoria, South Africa.

    Prof. Dele Braimoh, a retired professor of Adult and Distance Education, University of South Africa, urged the Federal Government to tackle insecurity in the country.

    ‘’ Many Nigerians in the Diaspora are afraid of going home because of insecurity.  I appeal to the government to win the war against Boko Haram to bring peace to the North Eastern part of the country,’’ he said.

    Braimoh also said many Nigerians in the Diaspora were willing to return to contribute to the development of the country in various fields.

    Senior Pastor, Jesus The Breathe of Life International Ministry, Pretoria Rev. Harold Anagu urged the Federal Government to work for the unity of the country.

    ‘’ We thank God for a successful election and inauguration of a new administration in Nigeria. We also want the government to ensure unity, empowerment and understanding among the people.

    ‘’Nigerians in South Africa want a relationship with the Buhari administration to enable us contribute to the development of the country,’’ he said.

    Chairman of the Nigeria Union, NorthWest Province Chapter Mr Chikaodili Nwanedo called on the government to tackle epileptic power supply in the country.

    He said inadequate power supply had taken its toll on Small and Medium Scale businesses in the country.

    ‘’ Nigerians also need good health care and efforts should be made to tackle poverty,’’ he said.

    Chairman of the Nigerian Union, Gauteng Province Chapter Mr Mathew Okafor urged the Federal Government to tackle insurgency and improve on intelligence gathering.

    Okafor, an IT specialist in Johannesburg, commended Buhari for relocating the command centre of the armed forces to Maiduguri in order to effectively insurgency.

    ‘’ To me, this is a step in the right direction. Nigeria has a good army. We need to equip our army to make it fight the new enemy that is using guerrilla warfare.

    ‘’ Guerrilla warfare is alien to us and I believe we will defeat the enemy,’’ he said.

    The President of Arewa in South Africa, Mr Nimram Longbap, said Nigeria was blessed with resources to make her the leading economy in Africa.

    ‘’ Buhari has a track record of performance and we believe he can still do it again. The Federal Government should embark on massive road construction aimed at opening up the country such that each state would be linked to its nearest neighbour,’’ he said.

    Longbap also said the Federal Government had the potential to win the war against the Boko Haram.

    ‘’ I appeal to other intelligence agencies in the country to sit up and assist the armed forces in intelligence gathering to overcome the insurgents,’’ he said.

  • Dutch cyclists to South Africa arrive Nigeria

    Dutch cyclists to South Africa arrive Nigeria

    The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, in collaboration with the Netherlands Embassy Office in Lagos on Wednesday received two Dutch Cyclists of the Building Bridges project who had embarked on a bicycle journey to Cape Town in South Africa.

    The Cyclists, Jilt van Schayik, and Teun Meulepas, who are stopping over in Lagos, took off from Amsterdam in the Netherlands in February to connect and encourage young people across two continents of Africa and Europe, habouring 21 countries; a journey of about 17,000km.

    Schayik and Meulepas arrived Lagos –Nigeria on Tuesday night in the company of the Togolese grassroots initiative for Building Bridges, and were received by their Nigerian counterparts.

    Recounting the experience, Meulepas, one of the cross-continent bikers said: “So far so good, we had a great trip, we met a lot of inspiring people, we saw a lot of crazy things and we had a lot of fun on the road as well.

    “But what is important in this is the story of a lot of young people. We saw a lot of young people who are worried about their chances of getting a job. Young people are worried about the systems of education in their countries; young people are worried about corruption.”

    Meulepas and colleague promised to relate the stories of a lot of young people, who they met in the course of their journey, to the United Nations office in New York when they return.

    During his welcome address, Director of UNIC in Lagos, Mr. Ronald Kayanja, lamented the poor involvement of young people in policy making recounting that in 2000 eight goals were spelt out by the UN.

    According to him, “They were supposed to be achieved by 2015, and now we are in 2015 but the results are mixed. Some countries have achieved them, some countries have not and now we are discussing a new set of goals by2030. And we call those the Sustainable Development Goals. They are 17 goals that are being discussed.

    “In September this year in New York, member states of the United Nations will meet to agree on these goals that we shall use as our target for the coming 15 years.

    “But what we have realised is that, in all these things, young people are either not interested or are not well informed about what is going on. So their participation is minimal.”

    He however noted that the essence of accompanying the cyclists as they ride on the streets of Lagos is to create the aware among young people that something is happening.

    On his part, Drs. Taco Westerhuis, Press Secretary to Embassy of the Netherlands in Lagos commended the bikers for the courage to undertake the journey, urging Nigerian youths to connect with the idea of developmental policies from their immediate neighbourhoods.

    Drs. Westerhuis, who observed that there are more opportunities in Lagos than there are in the Netherlands, said: “The only thing to do is getting the opportunities to the right people.”

    He however commended the Nigerian group of cyclists for the team spirit observing that: “We all know biking in Lagos is not easy, I therefore commend those of you who dare to ride your bikes in Lagos.”

    Building Bridges project is about involving young people in policy making and breaching the gap between young people and policy makers.

  • South Africa’s minister warns mercenaries in Nigeria

    South Africa’s minister warns mercenaries in Nigeria

    South African mercenaries battling Boko Haram in Nigeria may face serious consequences for their actions, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has warned.

    The Federal Government enlisted the services of the former South African Defence Force (SADF) soldiers to help fight the terrorist group.

    But, Mapisa-Nqakula said the Foreign Military Assistance Act prohibits South Africans from fighting outside the country for financial gain.

    She said the conduct of the former SADF members from the apartheid regime was illegal and in violation of the laws of the country.

    This means these former soldiers were liable for prosecution on their return.

    It has been reported that at least 100 mercenaries were helping in the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria.

    Former SADF soldier Leon Lotz was killed in Borno State in March, confirming the involvement of mercenaries in Nigeria.

    Mapisa-Nqakula, who was briefing the Cape Town Press Club following her budget vote, did not indicate if they would immediately pounce on the former soldiers once they came back to South Africa.

    The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, also expressed concern this week that the outgoing government had hired the mercenaries.

    He said it was supposed to have been the Nigerian military taking on Boko Haram, and not private soldiers.

    Mapisa-Nqakula said South Africa had not deployed any troops in Nigeria.

    The action of the mercenaries had not been sanctioned by the government, she added.

    “To simply sneak out of the country for financial gain, it renders you a mercenary. Those are mercenaries and there should be consequences,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.

    She added that the Foreign Military Assistance Act would have to be applied against these former soldiers when they returned home.

    The act prescribes a prison term of up to six years.

    The government introduced this act in 1998 after it emerged that former SADF soldiers were hired guns across the globe, mainly in Africa.

    One infamous case involved the arrest of members of Executive Outcomes who were arrested in Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea for trying to overthrow the government of Obiang Nguema Bassongo in the mid-2000s.

    Several of these men were jailed for more than five years and languished in foreign prisons for their role.

    Nguema said the mercenaries had been hired by exiled opposition leader Severo Moto.

    Nguema came to power in 1979 after overthrowing his uncle Fransisco Macias Nguema in a military coup.

    Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s son, Mark Thatcher, was also arrested in South Africa by the then Scorpions for being involved in the plot to oust Nguema.

    He was released after a plea bargain with the state and was given a suspended four-year jail term and a fine of R3 million in 2005.