TheNewsGuru

Tag: South Africa

  • Xenophobia: Another Nigerian attacked, killed in South Africa

    A Nigerian, Jelili Omoyele, a 35-year-old cellular phone technician, was allegedly shot dead in Johannesburg on Saturday, the Nigeria Union, South Africa, has said.

    Its president, Adetola Olubajo, told newsmen on telephone from Johannesburg that Mr. Omoyele, a.k.a Ja Rule, a native of Ibadan, Oyo State, was killed at a parking lot at Doornfontein, Gauteng Province.

    He said a fact-finding team to the scene led by him and National Welfare Officer, Trust Owoyele, met a witness, Sipususo Mkalipi, a South African taxi driver, who confirmed the killing.

    “The deceased and the son of the caretaker of a parking lot had an argument over an unpaid R300 (N11,400) rent.

    “The witness said that the deceased decided to leave his car in the parking lot till Monday because he had no money to pay, but the caretaker’s son shot him on his way out of the building.

    “Omoyele gave up the ghost a few minutes later,” he said.

    Mr. Olubajo said Mr. Mkalipi was the driver, who brought the victim to the parking lot.

    According to him, a murder docket has been opened at Jeppe police state near Johannesburg while the case has been forwarded to the union’s legal adviser, Omoriege Ogboro, for a follow-up.

    The Nigeria Union President also said the incident had been reported to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa.

    “We implore the mission to give necessary support to the union in order to ensure that justice is served.

    “Omoyele is survived by a pregnant wife also in South Africa and his parents in Nigeria,” he said.

     

  • Nigerian Navy to strengthen ties with South African counterpart, says CNS

    Nigerian Navy to strengthen ties with South African counterpart, says CNS

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) said it would continue to strengthen the existing relationship with its South African counterpart for better service delivery.

    The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Ibok Ete-Ibas, said this when the Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Adm. Mosiwa Hlongwane, paid him a courtesy visit at the Naval Headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Ibas said the visit would not had come at a better time than now, that the two countries’ oceans needed more protection than ever.

    He said this was especially critical given the activities of sea pirates and crude oil thieves.

    The CNS also reminded Hlongwane of the existing relationship between the two countries’ naval organisations since the 1990s, and the need to further strengthen it for good.

    He said the two countries Naval forces initiated strategic a forum where they would be mobilised in safeguarding the oceans for economic development.

    He noted that the challenges facing the two countries’ navy was similar, hence the need to collaborate with each other for safety purposes.

    Ete-Ibas also said that capacity building should be explored as well as partnership in other areas that could be of great benefits to the two countries’ navy.

    Hlongwane expressed delight at the visit and promised to assist the NN for the security of the nation’s waterways.

    He said his visit to the Ete-Ibas was in reciprocation of the visit he (the CNS) had earlier paid to his country, promising to explore areas of interest with the NN for better service delivery.

  • South African Govt hold us responsible for offences we didn’t commit – Union tells FG

    South African Govt hold us responsible for offences we didn’t commit – Union tells FG

    The Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Union, North West Province of South Africa, Mr Kelvin Okolo has said Nigerians are innocently prosecuted and punished by the South African Government for offences they are ignorant of in the country.

    Okolo noted that Nigerians are contributing to the growth of the country through legitimate businesses.

    He told newsmen in Rustenburg, North West Province of South Africa, on Friday that not all Nigerians in that country were bad.

    Okolo said that the notion that all Nigerians in South Africa were into crimes was false because many of them in the province had thriving businesses.

    “I am aware that businesses owned by Nigerians have employed many South African and Nigerian youths.

    “Some of the businesses have trained many youths and made them self-employed,” he said.

    Okolo appealed to the Federal Government to empower its mission in South Africa to visit Nigerians in the nine provinces of the country regularly.

    He said that although the mission was trying its best on the welfare of the people, they needed to do more through more contacts.

    “The major challenge we have is that any crime committed by a non-South African is attributed to a Nigerian.

    “It’s sad because after investigation, it will be revealed that the crimes were committed by citizens of other countries. By then, the damage had been done to the image of our country,” he said.

    The spokesman stressed the need for synergy between Nigeria and South Africa on the welfare of our people in that country.

  • South Africa releases five Nigerians from prison – Union

    South Africa releases five Nigerians from prison – Union

    The Nigeria Union, South Africa, (NUSA) says five Nigerians detained by the police for protesting the killing of a businessman, have been released.

    Clement Kalu, 35, a native of Obosi, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra, was allegedly killed by the police while being interrogated for being in possession of drugs, at Springs town, near Johannesburg on Sept.5.

    The Nigerians protested in front of the police station in the town, prompting the police to shoot rubber bullets to disperse them.

    Some of the protesters were allegedly wounded and treated in the hospital.

    Mr Adetola Olubajo, President of the Union, told newsmen in Pretoria, South Africa, on Friday that the Nigerians were arrested on Sept. 6.

    “They were arrested for protesting the killing of a member of the Nigerian community in the town.

    “Following our intervention, they were released on Sept. 7. We urge Nigerians in the town to remain law abiding while we await the outcome of the post mortem on the deceased,” he said.

    Olubajo said that the union had informed the Nigerian mission in South Africa on the latest development and would continue to monitor the situation.

    He said that the union was on top of the situation and expressed shock on the alleged killing of the businessman.

     

     

    NAN

  • South African confirms exit from recession

    South African confirms exit from recession

    South Africa’s Statistician-General, Pali Lehohla has confirmed the exit of his country from economic recession.

    Lehohla said in Pretoria that the economy expanded 2.5 per cent in the three-months to the end of June after contracting by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter and by 0.3 per cent in the final quarter of 2016.

    Lehohla said: “The growth rate is not what planners and those in decision making positions would have wanted.’’

    “Although it’s not negative, it is not at the level (of growth) that was planned for,” he said.

    According to Lehohla, helping the recovery is growth in agriculture with the sector expanding 33.6 per cent as it recovers from last year’s drought.

    “The other key sectors of mining, manufacturing and trade also registered growth.’’

    Gross domestic product rose 1.1 per cent on an unadjusted year-on-year basis in the second quarter, compared with 1.0 per cent expansion in the previous three months,” he said.

    The rand firmed against the dollar in response to the data, and was trading 0.23 per cent firmer at 12.9500/dollar at about noon.

    Government bonds also firmed with the benchmark paper down 1.5 basis points to 8.5 per cent.

    President Jacob Zuma last month said that 2017 growth would be below 0.5 per cent, down from a forecast of 1.3 per cent in February, after the poor first quarter numbers.

    Low growth has piled pressure on Zuma, who has been beset by the fallout from credit downgrades and corruption scandals that have further dented investor’s confidence.

    Economists polled by Reuters had expected a quarter-on-quarter GDP expansion of 2.1 per cent and a year-on-year expansion of 0.4 per cent.

    Since emerging from the 2009 recession, South African growth has fallen short of the government’s 5 per cent target that economists say is needed to curb unemployment.

    “A restoration of investor confidence remains important for a sustained recovery. For now, that is still elusive,” Razia Khan, Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Africa Economist, said.

    “The Q2 GDP data demonstrates some momentum in the economy, but this is unlikely to be sufficient to discourage the (central bank) from further easing in support of the economic recovery.”

    The South African Reserve Bank cut its repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.75 per cent in July for the first time in five years in order to support the economy.

     

  • Nigeria, South Africa out of recession – Report

    Nigeria, South Africa out of recession – Report

    Nigeria’s economy is out of recession, a report said on Sunday.

    The economy broke out of a long slump in the second quarter with a median forecast for 1.55 per cent year-on-year growth, the Reuters report said.

    The report also shows that South Africa quit shrinking with 2.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth.

    South Africa and Nigeria have a lot in common. They are Africa’s two biggest economies and are both making their ways out of recession.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Nigeria slipped into recession late 2015 while South Africa confirmed a technical recession in the first quarter of this year.

    Reuters report shows strong growth will not show up until business confidence is restored.

    The report indicated that Nigeria and South Africa have both benefited from a recovery in commodity prices since early 2016.

    CEO of Rich Management in Nairobi Aly-Khan Satchu said: “Both countries have bounced off the bottom, but the sustainability is in question. Nigeria needs a single FX policy and South Africa needs more policy certainty.”

    “We expect a return to positive year-on-year growth in Nigeria, helped by improved foreign exchange availability and a recovery in oil production,” said Razia Khan, head of Africa research at Standard Chartered.

    Gaimin Nonyane, head of economic research at Ecobank, said she expected the positive growth trajectory to be maintained.

    In South Africa, catering and accommodation sector was the worst performer in the first quarter. The sector contracted 5.9 percent. The key manufacturing sector shrank 3.7 percent.

    “Recovery in manufacturing in the second quarter should help drive a quarter-on-quarter acceleration, but growth is expected to remain weak overall,” said Khan.

    Khan added that agriculture should provide some lift to growth but other sectors are likely to only see negligible growth because of waning confidence.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal Government and other financial and economic experts have earlier expressed optimism that the nation will exit recession before the last quarter of 2017.

  • Olubajo elected president of Nigeria union in South Africa

    Olubajo elected president of Nigeria union in South Africa

    The Nigeria Union in South Africa has elected Mr Adetola Olubajo as the new president of the union, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    Olubajo, a native of Odogbolu in Ogun, was former a Secretary-General of the union.

    He scored a total of 83 votes, despite the disqualification of his opponent, Mr Theodore Ezeunara.

    Others elected at the union`s congress held in Durban in the Kwazulu Natal Province of South Africa on Saturday are Mr Joshua Itua and Mr Emeka Ezinteje, the new Secretary-General.

    Mr Collins Mgbo was elected Assistant Secretary-General while Mrs Nkemdilim Chukwuma was Financial Secretary.

    Others elected are Mr Saliu Habib, Publicity Secretary; Mr Ikele Odefa, Assistant Publicity Secretary and Mr Trust Owoyele, Welfare Officer.

    Also elected are Mr Peter Ananaba, Assistant Welfare Officer and Bishop Longbap Nimram, Treasurer.

    Speaking after the election, Olubajo thanked delegates for electing the new executive, assuring that his team would not disappoint.

    “We will use all avenues to achieve peace and unity within the Nigerian community in South Africa.

    “To do that, issues bothering on tribalism, gender discrimination and oppression will be eliminated.”

    Olubajo said the executive would make service delivery and community spirit its priority.

    “We will achieve these objectives by ensuring that when a brother or sister is in trouble, we will never close our eyes.

    “The new executive has come with a message of peace and unity,” he said.

    Olubajo commended the past president of the union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, and members of the board of trustees and other past officers, whom he said, made sacrifices to keep the Nigerian community united.

     

     

    NAN

  • Killings of Nigerians in South Africa is worrying – Dabiri-Erewa

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Abike Dabiri-Erewa has expressed her displeasure over the incessant extra judicial killings of Nigerians living in South Africa.

    In a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdurrahman Balogun, the Presidential aide said ” this is one death, too many”

    She said in spite of all diplomatic talks between Nigeria and South Africa to put an early warning signal in place,” it doesn’t seem to be working”.

    The Nigeria Union in South Africa has confirmed the killing of another member, Kingsley Ikeri, at Vryheid town in Kwazulu Natal Province of South Africa on August 30.

    Ikeri, 27, was a businessman and native of Mbaitolu in Imo State and the second Imo indigene to be so killed in the last two weeks.

    Dabiri-Erewa described the latest extra judicial killing of another Nigerian in South Africa as “worrying and condemnable”.

    She said that the latest gruesome killing of Ikeri by the Police in South Africa is “unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria”.

    While reiterating President Muhammadu Buhari’s calls to Nigerians to avoid crimes like drug peddling which attracts stiff penalties, sometimes death, she noted that the latest killing has increased the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in the last one year.

    “The barbaric behaviour of the perpetrators is not only unacceptable but also calls for urgent attention by diplomatic authorities in Nigeria and South Africa”, she said.

    Dabiri-Erewa urged the South African government to ensure that justice prevails by carrying out investigation and bring the culprit to book.

    She reiterated her calls to Nigerians living abroad to always respect the laws of their host countries and be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

    “My heart goes out to the families of the deceased and I pray God to grant the departed soul eternal rest”, the SSA stated.

    Bartholomew Eziagulu, Chairman of the Nigerian Union in the province, disclosed that Mr. Ikeri was allegedly tortured to death by the police.

    He said the union’s investigations revealed that the police arrested the deceased and a friend on suspicion that they were carrying hard drugs.

    “While interrogating him, the police used plastic to cover his face to extort information from him.

    “In the process, they suffocated the deceased. When the police took him to the hospital, he was confirmed dead,” he said.

    The Secretary General of the union, Adetola Olubajo, noted that the national secretariat had been informed about the death of the Nigerian.

    He said the body had informed the appropriate Nigerian authorities and the police in South Africa.

    A report has it that a senior Diplomat from the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg had visited Vryheid on a fact-finding mission.

    In February Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa met with the South Africa High Commissioner, Mr. Lulu Louis Mnguni in Abuja, where he said a total of 116 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in the last two years.
    Seven out of 10 of the killings were carried out by the South African Police.

  • FG yet to retrieve $15m seized by South Africa from Jonathan’s govt – AGF

    FG yet to retrieve $15m seized by South Africa from Jonathan’s govt – AGF

    The Federal Government has said it is yet to retrieve the $15m seized by the South African Government under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    This was revealed on Tuesday by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami during a review of the activities of the ministry in the last one year.

    The minister noted that the bureaucracies involved in retrieving monies laundered abroad was quite cumbersome.

    In his words: “As it relates to the money in South Africa and other countries, my reaction to recovery generally is that it is a process; a process involving mostly nations whose legal systems differ.

    “The process in respect of diplomatic consideration equally plays a key role over and above international convention and best practices.

    “So, when multiplicity of legal systems is in issue, multiplicity of diplomatic engagement is in contention, delay is naturally bound to set in.

    “But, one thing I want to state categorically is that the government is doing whatever is possible to ensure the recovery of moneys that relate to Nigeria in all jurisdictions and not necessarily limited to South Africa,” he said.

    The minister however declined to answer a question on the rift between him and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, over the country’s suspension from the Egmont Group.

    He also declined comments on whether or not his directive that the EFCC provide him with a status report on on-going high profile cases had been complied with.

    Malami said the Federal Government planned a committee on how to defray the N113billion judgment debt pending against it and its agencies to avoid its assets being attached.

    He said the Judgment Debt Verification Committee, to be headed by the AGF, will, among others, ensure compliance with enforcement of court judgments and orders against government and its agencies.

    Malami said memos on the recommendations of the Senator Ken Nnamani-led Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee would soon be presented before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for deliberation and adoption, following which Bills relating to the recommendations would be sent to the National Assembly.

    The minister, who could not confirm if members of the Nnamani committee had been paid their allowances, said he was aware the Federal Government has approved the payment and that the approval had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance.

    On the prosecution of Boko Haram suspects being kept in custody, Malami said a speedy trial had been planned.

    He said some judges have been assigned to handle the prosecution. He declined to give further details, citing security concerns.

    Malami also hinted of plans for prisons decongestion, which he said would be electronically driven and last for the next two years.

    The AGF, who praised his ministry for a successful outing in the last legal year between 2016 and 2017, said it concluded 7,119 criminal cases, including 4,709 petitions and 325 civil cases in the last legal year.

    Malami, who highlighted various plans to be executed in the new legal year, said a coordinating centre would be created in his ministry for among others, ensure coordination of all criminal justice agencies.

    The unit will enable the office of the AGF to “have a first-hand information of the status of all criminal investigations/trials in the country”.

    Malami also spoke about a plan to create an investigation unit in the ministry to address the “want of legal expertise in the conduct and process of investigation by the various security agencies and to address such anomalies leading to the consistent rejection of vital evidence in the course of prosecution.”

    The AGF is relying on his constitutional powers and the provision of Section 105(1) and (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to create the unit, it will coordinate and form part of every investigation to ensure robust investigation and successful prosecution of cases, Malami said.

     

  • Mugabe’s wife, Grace back in Zimbabwe after being accused of assault in South Africa

    Zimbabwe’s first lady, Grace Mugabe, returned home on Tuesday from South Africa after failing to turn herself in to police in Johannesburg to face charges of assaulting a model in a hotel room.

    There was no immediate public comment on the case from Grace, 52, a possible successor to her husband President Robert Mugabe, 93, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980.

    However, Zimbabwe government sources confirmed she had returned home.

    “Yes, she is back in the country.

    “We don’t know where this issue of assault charges is coming from,” said a senior government official, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the press.

    A second official also confirmed that Grace had returned, saying “she is around now” and accused the media of a plot to tarnish the first family’s name.

    Earlier, South African police had been negotiating with Grace’s lawyers to get her to turn her in to face charges of assault, a senior police source said.

    Twenty-year-old Gabriella Engels told South African media Grace had attacked her after the model had gone to see the Mugabes’ sons Robert and Chatunga at a hotel in Johannesburg’s upmarket Sandton district on Sunday.

    Confusion surrounded the case on Tuesday. South African police minister Fikile Mbalula had earlier in the day said that Grace had already handed herself in to police and would appear in court shortly.

    However, in the afternoon, the magistrates’ court where Grace had been expected to be formally charged closed for the day without her appearing.

    The police source said Grace had earlier agreed to hand herself over at 10 a.m. local time but failed to do so.