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Tag: South Africa

  • Zambian Amb to South Africa sacked for asking male staff to shave her private part

    Zambian Amb to South Africa sacked for asking male staff to shave her private part

    The President of Zambia has fired the country’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ms. Mazuba Monze, for misconduct, according to a report by the Zambian Observer.

    The President took the decision after the High Commissioner reportedly asked a male staff member to shave her.

    The diplomat, who was serving at the Zambian Mission in Pretoria had reportedly made an uncommon request, and an undiplomatic directive.

    Apparently, the High Commissioner requested a Zambian staff member to shave her private parts.

    The staff member refused, stating that it was not part of his duties to shave ambassadors, especially their private parts

    The High Commissioner reportedly termed this act as disobedience and an act of insubordination and proceeded to fire the staff member.

    The matter went quiet for a while until he appealed against the decision and brought the matter to the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

    When the allegation about the strange request by Ms Monze was verified, President Hakainde Hichilema promptly fired the High Commissioner.

    Meanwhile, other reports suggest that the allegation against Ms Monze was exaggerated.

    The Maravi Post reports that a concerned Zambian living in South Africa has come forward, claiming that the allegations against Ms. Monze may have been exaggerated or fabricated by her detractors.

  • South Africa relaxes visa rules for Nigerians

    South Africa relaxes visa rules for Nigerians

    President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa says tourists from Nigeria can now apply for a visa without submitting a passport.

    Ramaphosa announced this on Tuesday at the opening of the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town, which President Bola Tinubu attended.

    He said South Africa had simplified its visa processes to facilitate travel for Nigerian business people and tourists, with measures such as five-year multiple entry visas.

    Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, disclosed in a statement.

    “Our efforts to create a favourable environment include our simplified visa process for Nigerian business people to travel to South Africa. Qualifying Nigerian business people can be granted a five-year multiple entry visa,” Ramaphosa said.

    He also pledged South Africa’s commitment to removing constraints on greater investment and addressing the challenges faced by companies in both countries.

    “As we mark 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, we see a bright future for our relationship. Our strong bonds of friendship provide a firm foundation for more meaningful economic cooperation.

    “Nigeria is host to a number of South African companies. South Africa has always been open to Nigerian business, reflected in the number of investments and operations established in this country.

    “But there is much more we need to do. We need to remove the remaining constraints to greater investment, just as we need to address some of the challenges that companies have experienced,” he said.

    President Ramaphosa acknowledged the Nigerian government’s reforms to further strengthen and foster a business environment that offered assurances to investors, including from South Africa.

    “Our government continues with its efforts to improve the ease of doing business in South Africa. We want to enable investors to operate, trade and pursue opportunities in various sectors.

    “We look forward to seeing more Nigerian companies investing in South Africa,” he said.

    The South African leader said Africa’s development and the challenges facing countries of the Global South would be firmly placed on the G20 agenda.

    “It will be the first time the G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held on African soil. We will seek to galvanise support for the AU’s Agenda 2063 as we pursue an inclusive global agenda.

    “For South Africa, it is our view that in shaping global discourse, programmes should be tailored to ensure that in our societies, no one is left behind,” he said.

  • Tinubu to junket from France to South Africa as Foreign trips continue

    Tinubu to junket from France to South Africa as Foreign trips continue

    President Bola Tinubu is to continue his international diplomatic engagements with a visit to South Africa, following his ongoing trip to France.

    The president is scheduled to leave France on Monday, December 2, 2024, and will arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, where he will co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    The BNC session will take place on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, and will be preceded by a ministerial meeting on December 2, 2024, at the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town. The two leaders will engage in comprehensive discussions on various matters of mutual interest, encompassing both bilateral and regional issues, as well as international concerns.

    The statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, highlighted that the meeting would build on commitments made during a previous engagement between the two leaders on June 20, 2024, in Johannesburg. During this earlier meeting, following President Ramaphosa’s re-election for a second term, both presidents reviewed the progress achieved since the 10th BNC session held in Abuja in late 2021.

    The 11th session of the BNC will feature deliberations across eight key working groups, focusing on specific areas of cooperation. These include political consultations, consular and migration matters, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, the social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investments.

    In addition, several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements are expected to be signed by officials from both countries during the session, aimed at strengthening the partnership between Nigeria and South Africa across these critical areas.

  • CARTOON OF THE DAY: The new Giant of Africa

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: The new Giant of Africa

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: The new giant of Africa

  • South Africa FA president, Danny Jordaan arrested

    South Africa FA president, Danny Jordaan arrested

    President of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan was arrested on Wednesday over allegations he used the organisation’s money for his own purposes, according to local media reports.

    Jordaan, who was a leading figure in bringing the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, had tried to interdict his imminent arrest on Tuesday, but the Johannesburg High Court is only scheduled to hear his submission on Thursday.

    Katlego Mogale, South Africa police spokesperson said the arrest stems from a raid by police on the SAFA offices in March.

    “Between 2014 and 2018, the president of SAFA used the organisation’s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board,” Mogale said.

    Jordaan, 73, and his reported co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling, are due to appear in court later on Wednesday.

    Neither Jordaan nor SAFA responded to a request for comment from Reuters, but in his affidavit to court seeking to block his arrest, he denies any wrongdoing.

  • I did not steal anyone’s identity – Chidimma Adetshina

    I did not steal anyone’s identity – Chidimma Adetshina

    Crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has addressed alleged identity theft by the South African Government.

    In an interview on Arise News, the 23-year-old denied stealing anyone’s identity, stating that she is waiting for the conclusion of the case before making further comments.

    Adetshina, who was born in Soweto, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother, faced criticism during her Miss South Africa contestant announcement.

    The South African Department of Home Affairs alleged that her mother committed fraud and identity theft.
    However, Adetshina maintained that she did not steal anyone’s identity and is avoiding commenting on the matter until all the facts are revealed.

    She explained that she exited the Miss South Africa pageant to pursue her dream of competing in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, adding that she is not running away from the allegations but rather focusing on her goals.

    “I did not steal anyone’s identity. I’m just waiting for the conclusion of the case and the whole matter. Then moving forward I will know exactly what to say because I feel right now if I say something and another thing comes out tomorrow. I’m just avoiding all those two things contradicting each other.

    “I really avoided the questions because it is a legal matter and I don’t have all the facts around the matter, but what I can say is that I was not running away from any of that. I was just running because I knew I had a dream that I wanted to fulfil.
    ” I’m not fully aware of the matter. But what I can speak on is that I know I did not steal anyone’s identity.”

  • Married pilot gets suspended after ‘drunkenly assaulting 3 female crew members’

    Married pilot gets suspended after ‘drunkenly assaulting 3 female crew members’

    British Airways has suspended one of its pilots, over allegations that he drunkenly assaulted three female crew members during a night out between flights from Johannesburg, South Africa.

    The pilot, a married man in his 50s, was said to have flown into a rage after engaging in a heated argument with his 25-year-old lover, who had accompanied him on Flight BA057 from Heathrow on a discounted ticket.

    Following the altercation with his young lover, the pilot allegedly confronted three colleagues—a cabin manager, a first-class stewardess, and an in-flight lead—in the crew hotel bar.

    The heated fight led to the intervenation of security staff at the Marriott Hotel who had to escort him to his room as he was reportedly too intoxicated to stand.

    The situation worsened after the crew refused to operate the return flight if the pilot was in the cockpit, prompting British Airways to fly him back to the UK as a passenger on a different flight.

    The pilot, a father of two, has been suspended pending further investigation. BA bosses are said to be increasingly concerned about unruly behaviour among their crew between flights.

    The airline has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the incident, but internal inquiries are ongoing.

  • South Africa’s Ex-President Zuma fired from ruling ANC

    South Africa’s Ex-President Zuma fired from ruling ANC

    South Africa’s ruling ANC on Monday expelled its former leader ex-president Jacob Zuma for leading a rival party into elections following disciplinary proceedings.

    The African National Congress, which lost its absolute parliamentary majority for the first time in May largely due to Zuma’s defection, said the veteran politician’s conduct was “irreconcilable” with its constitution.

    “Former President Jacob Zuma has actively impugned the integrity of the ANC and campaigned to dislodge the ANC from power while claiming that he had not yet severed his membership,” ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula told a press conference.

    He was thus “expelled” from the party, Mbalula said.

    The ANC first suspended the scandal-tainted ex-leader in January, after he endorsed the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK).

    MK cut into the ANC’s share of votes in the May 29 elections, taking third place with 14.5 percent.

    The ANC managed 40 percent in the May vote — its weakest score since it came to power three decades ago to replace the apartheid government.

    The result forced it to form a coalition government with nine other parties. MK was left out and is leading the opposition, with 58 lawmakers in the 400-seat National Assembly.

    MK, a populist, radical leftist party, initially disputed the election result.

    “His platform is dangerous, appeals to extremist instincts in our body politic and riles up a political base that may foment social unrest,” Mbalula said of Zuma’s MK.

    Zuma has been barred from serving as an MP because of a 2021 conviction for contempt of court.

    After news of his upcoming expulsion was leaked, the party lashed out at the “grave injustices against its leader”.

    “An examination of the leaked document reveals that the disciplinary process was not only not only profoundly flawed but also conducted in a manner akin to a kangaroo court,” said MK spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela.

    Elected South African president in 2009, he was forced from office in 2018 under the cloud of corruption allegations and was replaced by long-term rival, President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    The charismatic and outspoken 82-year-old still carries considerable political clout in South Africa, even enjoying support within some factions of the ANC.

    Many believed his political career would end when he was sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 after refusing to testify to a panel probing financial corruption and cronyism under his presidency.

    His imprisonment triggered riots that sparked South Africa’s worst episode of violence since the fall of apartheid, leaving more than 350 dead.

    He spent only two months behind bars and was released for health reasons, after which Ramaphosa commuted his sentence.

  • Ramaphosa unveils new cabinet with 12 opposition posts

    Ramaphosa unveils new cabinet with 12 opposition posts

    South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced his new Cabinet on Monday, confirming the handover of 12 ministerial posts to opposition parties in a televised speech.

    The largest opposition party, the economically liberal Democratic Alliance (DA), will take on six positions with DA party leader, John Steenhuisen, named to head the Ministry of Agriculture, Ramaphosa said.

    With 20 ministries, including key ministries such as Foreign Affairs, Defence, Energy and Finance, the African National Congress (ANC) retained the lion’s share of Cabinet posts.

    With a total of 32 ministerial posts, the Cabinet has two seats larger than in previous years.

    The new government consisted of 11 parties, expected to lead the African continent’s strongest economy in a government of national unity.

    Ramaphosa’s ANC lost its absolute majority for the first time in 30 years in the parliamentary elections on May 29 and can no longer govern alone.

    The new government plans to prioritize economic growth, social justice and democratic renewal of the country.

    Combating poverty, unemployment, and crime is also a priority, along with addressing corruption and state exploitation.

    The governing alliance has been formed without any firm coalition agreements.

    Political analysts have questioned the stability and effectiveness of such a form of government.

    South Africa is becoming increasingly important internationally due to its position in a continent rich in the raw material reserves needed for the green energy transition.

    The country is also the only African member of the Group of 20 major economies (G20).

  • Ramaphosa takes oath of office for 2nd term as South African president

    Ramaphosa takes oath of office for 2nd term as South African president

    Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), took oath as the nation’s president for the next five years on Wednesday at Pretoria, the administrative capital.

    Ramaphosa, 71, was re-elected as South African president by the National Assembly on June 14 with 283 votes against the other nominee, Julius Malema from the Economic Freedom Fighters, who received 44 votes.

    Under the South African Constitution, once elected as president by the National Assembly, the president-elect must assume office within five days.

    In the general elections on May 29, the ANC secured 159 out of the 400 seats in the National Assembly.

    This is the first time the ANC is falling below the 50 per cent needed to maintain its 30-year-old outright majority in the lower house of parliament.