TheNewsGuru

Tag: South Africa

  • Desmond Tutu: Obasanjo mourns, says he played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s debt cancellation

    Desmond Tutu: Obasanjo mourns, says he played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s debt cancellation

    Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has recalled the role played by late Desmond Tutu in getting the country’s debt cancelled, declaring that his death was a personal loss to him.

    The late anti-apartheid scion, pro-democracy guru and human rights crusader died earlier today at age 90.

    Obasanjo in a condolence letter to the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday, stated that “Over the years, Reverend Tutu had shown focused, credible, bold, sensitive and purposeful leadership not just to members of the Anglican Church but to all Christians.”

    The letter, which was released to the media by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, added Tutu had been part of building and strengthening the Anglican Church, and its eminent place in the Church system in South Africa today is not unrelated to his selfless service and leadership.”

    On the country’s debt cancellation role, Obasanjo said that he acknowledged late Tutu’s “uncommon solidarity and the deep passion with which he had argued Nigeria’s case for full debt cancellation by the contents of his letter to Mr. Gordon Brown, the then United Kingdom’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, during my administration as the President of Nigeria.

    “This heroic advocacy effort of his with respect to Nigeria’s indebtedness to the Paris Club on behalf of Nigeria was very much in his character.”

    Obasanjo told Ramaphosa that “Reverend Tutu was a patriotic and highly respected Teacher, Preacher, Intercessor and Field Commander of the Lord’s Army. He symbolized one of our finest examples of how a life truly dedicated to our Saviour Jesus Christ can make a difference. He had been a difference-maker for his family, his friends, his flock, his community, the Church, the Republic of South Africa and, indeed, the world.

  • JUST IN: Popular South African archbishop, Desmond Tutu is dead

    JUST IN: Popular South African archbishop, Desmond Tutu is dead

    Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace prize laureate who helped end apartheid in South Africa, has died aged 90.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa said the churchman’s death marked “another chapter of bereavement in our nation’s farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans”.

    He said Archbishop Tutu had helped bequeath “a liberated South Africa”.

    Tutu was one of the country’s best known figures at home and abroad.

    A contemporary of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, he was was one of the driving forces behind the movement to end the policy of racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the white minority government against the black majority in South Africa from 1948 until 1991.

    He was awarded the Nobel prize in 1984 for his role in the struggle to abolish the apartheid system.

    Tutu’s death comes just weeks after that of South Africa’s last apartheid-era president, FW de Clerk, who died at the age of 85.

    President Ramaphosa said Tutu was “an iconic spiritual leader, anti-apartheid activist and global human rights campaigner”.

    He described him as “a patriot without equal; a leader of principle and pragmatism who gave meaning to the biblical insight that faith without works is dead.

    “A man of extraordinary intellect, integrity and invincibility against the forces of apartheid, he was also tender and vulnerable in his compassion for those who had suffered oppression, injustice and violence under apartheid, and oppressed and downtrodden people around the world.”

  • Pregnant 10-year-old sparks social frenzy

    Pregnant 10-year-old sparks social frenzy

    A photo of a 10-year-old who is heavily pregnant has surfaced on the Internet and sparked a frenzy on social media.

    Sources say the unnamed girl who is from Soweto, South Africa is in the last trimester of her pregnancy and could be ushered into the labour ward soon.

    The development has caused much hubbub as people wonder the direction the world is heading towards with this strange report.

    See the photo below:

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Van De Maestro (@vandemaestrogh)

  • South Africa’s High Court orders Jacob Zuma to go back to jail

    South Africa’s High Court orders Jacob Zuma to go back to jail

    South Africa’s High Court ordered former President Jacob Zuma to return to jail after setting aside the decision to release him on medical parole, a court judgment showed on Wednesday.

    The 79-year old began medical parole in September, and is serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. Zuma handed himself in on July 7 to begin his prison sentence.

    The High Court in Pretoria ordered that Zuma, 79, “be returned to the custody of the Department of Correctional Services” to serve out the remainder of his 15-month sentence.

    Zuma, who was convicted of contempt of court earlier this year, was granted medical parole after serving less than two months in jail. The Helen Suzman Foundation challenged the decision.

    The jailing of Zuma in July was the catalyst for the worst civil unrest in South Africa since the country’s first non-racial elections in 1994.

    The violence left at least 354 people dead.

    Zuma can appeal Wednesday’s ruling.

    The rand traded 0.5% weaker at 16.1587 to the dollar by 10:37 a.m. in Johannesburg.

  • What I discussed with visiting South African President – Buhari

    What I discussed with visiting South African President – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja called for a stronger emphasis on people-to-people relations between South Africa and Nigeria to evolve a bond that will be of benefit to both countries and the entire African continent.

    According to a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, President Buhari who received President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the State House, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to improving a “special relationship’’ with South Africa.

    According to the President, this relationship will translate into gains for the continent, particularly in education, science, trade and investment, tourism and security.

    At the opening of the 10th Session of Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) held in his office, Buhari said: “Mr. President, permit me to state that some of the challenges identified during the last Bi-National Commission (BNC) have not been completely addressed. We need to ensure that our people-to-people relations are enhanced to a point where there would be no need for unhealthy competition.

    “In this regard, we need improvement in educational and scientific cooperation, mines and energy resources, transport and aviation, tourism, youth exchange programmes, trade, investment and military cooperation, to mention but a few.”

    The President told ministers and government delegates of both countries that a strong bond of brotherhood between Nigeria and South Africa would be of great benefit to Africa as a catalyst for economic, technological, social and cultural development and as a force for peace and security on the continent.

    “Let me at this point re-iterate my commitment to ensure that the special relationship between our two countries is continually strengthened,’’ he said.

    Spaking further, President Buhari noted that it was fulfilling that despite all the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the BNC was still holding on schedule.

    “It is also gratifying to observe that this has been brought about by the dogged commitment of senior officials from our countries.

    “More importantly, it is gratifying to note that despite the pandemic, our timelines for implementing some decisions of the 9th BNC have been met. Similarly, discussions are ongoing on new and important areas of cooperation between our two countries.

    “I must commend the Honourable Ministers and senior officials of both our governments for their sustained effort in breathing life into the bilateral agreements between our countries. I am aware that the Senior Officials Meeting and Ministerial Meetings which preceded this Presidential BNC were successfully concluded,’’ he added.

    At the end of the Summit, President Buhari expressed his delight at its successful conclusion, calling it, “heartwarming and a source of great pride that we have been able to further cement the special bond of fraternal friendship between our two countries.”

    He also remarked that the agreement on Early Warning Mechanism would “improve the people-to-people relations of our two countries. Similarly, our two countries have established high-level official communication channels for diplomatic consultations, trade and investment, and will, shortly, inaugurate the Nigeria – South Africa Youth Dialogue. I am confident that these vehicles of engagement and cooperation will serve our mutual interests.”

    The President commended the South African leader for initiating the Nigeria – South Africa Youth Dialogue which he (President Buhari) also endorsed.

    “I hope that beyond being a vehicle for mutual learning and understanding by our youth, it would also foster the kindred spirit of humanity towards others as prescribed in the great South African traditional philosophy of Ubuntu. That would lay a solid foundation for the realization of the Africa that we want,” he said.

    He appreciated President Ramaphosa and his delegation for the visit.

  • Buhari hosts South Africa’s President, Ramaphosa at Aso Villa

    Buhari hosts South Africa’s President, Ramaphosa at Aso Villa

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday hosted his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, in the Presidential Villa Abuja.

    Ramaphosa, who is on a two-day official visit to Nigeria, was received at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa by President Buhari before the two leaders went into a closed door bilateral talks.

    NAN observed that there was a brief cultural display by members of the Nigerian National Troupe, who entertained the visiting South African President and his delegation.

    The two presidents are expected to address a joint press conference at the end of the bilateral talks.

  • Omicron: President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit Nigeria, three other African countries this week as other nations shut doors against South Africa

    Omicron: President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit Nigeria, three other African countries this week as other nations shut doors against South Africa

    President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to conduct state visits to Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal this week hoping to talk about trade and economic recovery on the continent post-Covid-19.

    It is somewhat ironic therefore that this week’s trip was threatened by the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant of concern, Omicron, which led to several countries shutting their borders to flights from southern Africa.

    Before Ramaphosa’s departure for Abuja, Nigeria, on Tuesday morning, International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor thanked the Nigerian Government for receiving her delegation.

    “Thank you for being brave enough to allow us in,” she told officials at the Nigeria-SA Bi-National Commission in Abuja.

    “We are truly pleased to be with close friends and family in this great country of Nigeria. We are heartened by the continuing commitment to African solidarity shown by Nigeria towards southern Africa when many of the world treat our citizens as unwelcome pariahs.”

    She said it was reminiscent of the solidarity Nigeria showed South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle. Nigeria was the first country to provide direct financial aid to the ANC, starting in the 1960s. Civil servants famously gave 2% of their income to a relief fund then dubbed the “Mandela Tax”.

    Relations since the advent of democracy haven’t always been that smooth, with diplomatic spats and xenophobia often getting in the way.

    Ramaphosa, who as the African Union Champion for the Covid-19 Response has advocated vaccine equity for African countries, now also wants to help lead the economic recovery. He is hoping that “economic diplomacy” could help focus African countries on a common goal and fuel development without, say, letting uncomfortable conversations over freedom of expression (Twitter is blocked in Nigeria, for example) or human rights get in the way of this.

    Ramaphosa, in his weekly newsletter obtained by TheNewsGuru.com, TNG on Monday, said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, which kicked in on 1 January, “presents immense opportunity for the export of South African goods and services into the continent”. (He is clearly optimistic, possibly because he’s never had to cough up R4,500 for an ordinary business visa to Nigeria or faced the Ghanaian visa official at a time of bad blood between the two countries because of a football war of words over the awarding of a deciding penalty).

    The United Nations has estimated that the market created by the AfCFTA comprises about 1.3 billion people with a combined gross domestic product of $3.4-trillion.

    This month a number of African leaders, including President Buhari, attended the Intra-African Trade Fair in Durban as part of an effort to promote greater trade between South Africa and others on the continent — about $36-billion in deals were concluded there. Nigeria was one of the last countries to sign the AfCFTA agreement due to fears by manufacturers that the agreement would damage their businesses.

    During the series of state visits this week, Ramaphosa, who will be accompanied by a business delegation, said leaders “will look at how to leverage the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA to expand the footprint of South African companies into the continent and how we can better support those businesses already operating in other African countries”.

    Covid-19 has, however, derailed some of the plans.

    Ramaphosa wrote that there were more than 200 South African companies doing business in Ghana, with large-scale projects culminating in more than $1-billion in capital investment. Two South African banks, Investec and Rand Merchant Bank, have been involved in financing mass infrastructure projects there.

    In Senegal, “we will discuss how to facilitate greater trade and investment between our two countries”, Ramaphosa wrote. South African companies there operate in the energy and wildlife tourism sectors, among other interests, and a number of South African companies have expressed interest in entering the infrastructure construction space, Ramaphosa wrote.

    “For far too long, we African countries have trained our gaze on trade and investment opportunities in markets beyond the continent such as Europe, Asia and North America.”

    He said the visits would hopefully strengthen fraternal ties, but also “translate into new opportunities for South African businesses, new markets for our products and the creation of employment for our people”.

  • Buhari returns to Nigeria after 16 days engagements in Europe, South Africa trips

    Buhari returns to Nigeria after 16 days engagements in Europe, South Africa trips

    President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to the country after 16 days of official engagements in Europe and South Africa.

    The President arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Tuesday evening from Durban, South Africa, where he had attended the 2nd Intra-African Trade Fair 2021.

    Before the South Africa visit, he had participated in the Paris Peace Forum in France, where he was also a guest of the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

    President Buhari had also been in Glasgow, Scotland, where he participated in the 26th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

  • Banditry: We won’t abandon you to your fate, Buhari assures Nigerians from South Africa

    Banditry: We won’t abandon you to your fate, Buhari assures Nigerians from South Africa

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday condemned the latest massacre of 15 people in Goronyo and Illela Local Government Areas of Sokoto.

    In a statement signed by spokesperson Garba Shehu, the President, who is currently in South Africa, said the military was deploying advanced technology to crush the bandits carrying out the attacks.

    “This persistent and unprovoked violence against unarmed civilians must be met with fierce response by the government,” the President said, according to the statement.

    “Let me once again, reassure Nigerians, that this administration will not abandon them to their fate in the face of this existential challenge caused by banditry.”

    He added: “We are taking delivery of military equipment to improve the capacity of our security forces to effectively deal with this issue.

    “Our military is also deploying advanced technology to enhance surveillance and related operations to locate and crush these criminals and enemies of our common humanity.

    “This administration will not tolerate this state of affairs where criminals deprive the people of their means of livelihoods and turn them into beggars and refugees.

    “The bandits are living in a fool’s paradise if they believe that they can’t be crushed. The criminals cannot be lucky always; they will ultimately meet their Waterloo.

    “Evil cannot triumph over good no matter how long it takes.”

  • Why Buhari is in South Africa

    Why Buhari is in South Africa

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday arrived in Durban, South Africa, from Paris as part of his ongoing socio-economic diplomatic missions aimed at enhancing security and economic transformation of the country.

    The Nigerian leader is in Durban at the special invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, to attend the inauguration of the second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2021 on Monday.

    The theme of the Fair, ”Building Bridges for a Successful AfCFTA”, aims at boosting trade and investments across the African continent, Mr Femi Adesina, the presidential spokesman, said in a statement in Abuja.

    Adesina stressed that the event would also seek to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive across the continent.

    The event is expected to generate market information needed to connect buyers and sellers throughout the continent.

    ”Global businesses, including non-African international brands, are expected to key into opportunities generated by the fair, thereby attracting to continental trade investment deals worth $40 billion dollars,” the president’s media aide said.

    The president was earlier in Paris on Nov. 9 on an official visit as guest of President Emmanuel Macron at Palais de l’Élysée.

    He also attended the three-day Paris Peace Forum (PPF) from Nov. 11 to 13.

    Buhari and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, met and discussed issues of mutual interest for both countries.

    The discussions focused particularly on strengthening economic ties, improving partnership on security, and working jointly on education, health and halting the threats of COVID-19 to the global economy.

    While in Paris, the president also attended the Nigeria International Partnership Forum (NIPF), which brought together the Nigerian and French governments as well as their private sectors in wide-ranging discussions.

    On Nov. 10, Buhari attended a working lunch at Palais Elysee in Paris where he appreciated efforts of President Macron in expanding opportunities for business between Nigerians and French citizens, while committing to partnership to degrade international criminal networks.

    The president also in Paris, met with the President of Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Dr Mohammed Al-Jasser, and the Minister of State Foreign Affairs of United Arab Emirate, Sheikh Shakboot Alnahyan.

    Buhari, who also attended the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris, France, on Friday, saying Nigeria remains proud of its close association with the organisation since its establishment, 75 years ago.

    According to the Nigerian leader, the world has an opportunity to count gains of the UNESCO in the last 75 years, while exploring the historic moment for building solidarity and enthroning peace.

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had earlier on Nov. 8 presided over a high-level meeting on Nutrition attended by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Mrs Amina Mohammed, State Governors, and representatives of development partners, including UNICEF.

    Others at the meeting included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, and convener of the UN Food System Dialogue, Mrs Olusola Idowu, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Budget and National Planning Ministry.

    Osinbajo also represented president Buhari at the ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Accra, Ghana, during the week.

    The meeting review the political situations in Guinea and Mali, and decided to maintain the sanctions imposed on Guinea and imposed similar ones against the Mali Transitional Government.

    In the week under review, Buhari also congratulated Prof. Charles Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), for winning the gubernatorial election in Anambra.

    He praised the security agencies for their determination to ensure that the election went on as smoothly as possible.

    The president equally commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the successful conclusion of the exercise despite the initial challenges encountered.

    Buhari, who is expected back in Nigeria on Nov. 16, ended the week under review in a shock and sadness, following the demise of Brig.-Gen. Dzarma Zirkusu and three soldiers who paid ”the supreme sacrifice while fighting terrorists in the Northeast zone of the country.