TheNewsGuru

Tag: South Africa

  • Xenophobia: FG protests killing of Nigerian in fresh attacks

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday protested against the killing of a Nigerian, Mr Rasaq Ajao, in Polokwane, Limpopo Province, South Africa on Thursday.

    Amb. Olushola Enikaonolaiye, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement in Abuja, urged South African authorities to assume their responsibilities in taking proactive measures to prevent such incident.

    Enikanolaiye said the deceased was killed by a mob over alleged engagement in drug peddling in Polokwane, Limpopo Province.

    He added that “Mr Ajao, an auto mechanic, had lived in South Africa and had been practising his trade for over 10 years without any record of involvement with or in any drug related transaction.

    “The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria also reported that five other Nigerians were wounded in the mayhem and so far, two of the wounded have been discharged and three still receiving treatment in local hospital.

    “Following the unfortunate incident, our High Commission has dispatched a strongly worded letter of protest on the death of Mr Ajao and the continued violence against Nigerians.”

    According to him, Federal Government considers this development reprehensible and calls for restraint on the part of its citizens as it continues to engage South African authorities for explanations on the recent incident.

    He said government would continue to pursue the course of justice for the dead and the injured, as well as ensure adequate compensation for victims.

    The permanent secretary said Nigeria was prepared to attend the inaugural meeting of the newly-created Early Warning Mechanism scheduled to hold next week in South Africa.

    In the same vein, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, had condemned attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, describing it as pathetic.

    Dabiri-Erewa said in a statement by her Special Adviser, Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, that `this renewed attacks and killing of Nigerians in South Africa is pathetic, coming after high level, successful meetings by both the executive and legislative arms of government.”

    She urged South Africa to show political will to deal with the issue by at least punishing the culprits, lamenting that no one had been penalised so far.

    She appealed to Nigerians in South Africa to limit themselves to safe surroundings and warned that “this is an attack too many.”

    There were reported cases of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa on Feb. 5, Feb. 18 and March 21, where property worth millions of dollars were destroyed, though no life was lost.

     

    NAN

     

  • Photos: Family finds naked woman sleeping in bed with their 4-year-old daughter

    A family in South Africa was left shocked after they found a naked woman sleeping in bed next to their 4-year-old daughter. According to the little girl’s mother, Casma Selepe, 34, the incident happened at their resident in Solomondale, in South Africa’s Limpopo Province.

    She put her children to bed at 9.15pm before going to sleep. Her husband who was initially out came back and discovered someone sleeping next to their daughter.

    “My youngest child is four years old and she sleeps in our room on a separate mattress. She was sleeping peacefully until my husband arrived home and woke me up – asking who the person sleeping next to our little girl was.”

    The mysterious intruder, who was naked, gave no response when they asked her how she had got into the house or what she was doing there. The family was left horrified after insisting all the windows and doors were closed and securely locked. Some people in the area have described the lady as a witch.

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  • Xenophobia: Attacks on Nigerians in South-Africa is saddening – diplomat

    Amb. Bukun-Olu Onemola, Nigeria’s former Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has condemned the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

    He described the attacks as “unfortunate and uncalled for.’’

    Onemola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, that he was glad that the South African government had intervened and was investigating the matter.

    “The renewed attacks on Nigerians are most unfortunate especially as their host South African communities have accused them of being illegal immigrants and responsible for the rise in crime.

    “Not all Nigerians there are undocumented, and there are many Nigerians and other foreign nationals there who have legitimate businesses and have contributed to the South African economy.

    “It is wrong to assume that they are all illegal immigrants; I am happy that the South African government is intervening and promise to investigate the matter.

    “The South African government has promised to take actions by investigating this case and arresting the perpetrators in this incident.

    “However, when this investigation is concluded, I think it will be right to have the Nigerians who were unfairly attacked to ask for compensation from the South African government,’’he said.

    Onemola stressed the need for the Nigerian and South African governments to develop the habit of contacting each other and exchange visits to volatile areas that host their nationals.

    “I don’t know the level of development in these communities that the attacks occurred, but the government should take measures to protect the lives and property of foreigners in these communities.

    “Just like in Nigeria and various countries, any community where there is low level of development, enlightenment and engagement, such crisis have the potential of occurring,”he added.

    The former envoy noted that such disputes within and between African countries had negative effects on the development and reputation of the African continent as a whole.

    He said: “My immediate appeal is that South Africa should do all within its reach to stop the unfortunate incidents as it doesn’t portray a good image of South Africa within and beyond Africa.

    “I see this as distraction between the two countries because this could hinder the two countries from pursuing collaborative endeavours that will promote both socio-economic and political developments in Africa.

    “The issue of attacking, deceiving, undermining or blackmailing each other and destroying property will not be beneficial to the citizens of both countries and for Africa.

    “The government should discourage such actions that can put both parties in such sad situations because such acts prevent growth and development.

    “Africa still remains in a very poor state so Nigeria and South Africa should be the arrow heads to lift the continent out of the situation we find ourselves in.

    “Both counties have to develop their regions using the abundant natural resources available in both countries and respect each other so that we can trust each other and integrate our regions which will develop Africa.

    “We have to bear in mind that these domestic and internal crises and attacks would affect our reputation and how we are treated by nationals of other countries because the international community would be watching.

    “As Nigerians we can’t allow ourselves to be called corrupt and disorderly through our actions and expect to get respect in the international community.

    “We have to develop ourselves and ensure that we abide by laws wherever we find ourselves because if we stick by this, nobody will disrespect us and call us corrupt.

    “We can’t keep saying to ourselves that Nigeria is a corrupt country and expect those words not to have a role in how we are viewed and treated by foreign nationals and international bodies.

    “Although, I don’t think that we need any international body to get involved as a third party in settling this matter at this stage and hopefully it won’t come to that.

    “I believe this can be resolved between the two parties by the foreign ministers of both countries or even the permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs of both countries.

    “I am sure a good discussion between them would go a long way in solving whatever the underlining problem is.

    “The last attacks were in 2015 and it has happened again two years after so a dialogue and a constant reminder of these actions is needed.

    “This doesn’t just apply to Nigeria and South Africa, but between various African countries in order to promote peace, unity and development in Africa.”

     

    NAN

  • Sperm harvesters: How 4 women in Zimbabwe gang raped a male teacher

    A male Zimbabwean teacher from Lupane was on Friday, February 17, 2017, kidnapped, drugged and gang-raped by four women, suspected to be ‘Sperm harvesters.’ The victim whose name was withheld reportedly woke up naked in the bush, feeling extremely weak on Saturday morning.

    The teacher, who already has filed a complaint at Lupane police station, said he was sexually abused for hours by a group of four light skinned women who gave him a lift on Friday night.

    According to Chronicle, a police source said the victim was given a lift in a Toyota Quantum with five people on board, four women and a man who was driving the vehicle.

    ‘The teacher was intending to travel to Bulawayo on Friday night. He was given a lift by the group of women who were traveling in a Quantum with South African number plates.

    The man said the women were speaking IsiNdebele and another language that he could not understand.

    ‘After some time, the driver diverted the route and one of the women told him that they wanted to pick up someone,’ the source said.

    He also stated that after the driver stopped the car, one of the women quickly covered his eyes while others held his feet and hands together.

    ‘The man said they forced him to drink a substance from a bottle and he passed out. He suspects that they sexually assaulted him and took away his semen as he woke up at 5.am naked with a weak body and bruised private part.

    After wearing his clothes, which were left on the scene, he walked to the main road where he boarded a lift to Lupane police station and filed a report,’ the source added.
    The man was later taking to St Luke’s Hospital for treatment.

  • Court orders South Africa Govt to reverse ICC withdrawal

     

    A South African court has ruled that the decision of the South African Government to withdraw from the International Criminal Court ICC is not only unconstitutional but irrational and procedural flawed.

    Judge Phinehas Mojapelo gave the ruling on Wednesday in Pretoria, the country’s administrative headquarters ordering that government should revoke it.

    South African government had in October last year announced its withdrawal from the ICC on the ground that its membership hamper it efforts towards resolving African conflicts.

    he major opposition party, Democratic Alliance dragged the government to court alleging that government acted unconstitutionally by not seeking approval from the parliament.

    The court therefore ruled that the move was “unconstitutional, irrational and procedurally flawed,”

    The court noted that the power to coordinated matters as regards treaties rest on the Executive but must get approval from the parliament before doing so.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that South Africa is not the only country that have announced to exit the ICC, Burundi and Gambia in the days of Yahaya Jameh has announced to leave.

     

     

  • Photos: See how angry mob beat-up Nigerian Cele pastor in South Africa

    Cele Church Pastor felt the wrath of a mob of angry South African residents who assaulted him during a violent protest against Nigerians selling drugs and prostituting.

    During a violent protest on Saturday‚ South African, angry mob descended and assaulted a Nigerian SA-based Church minister in an attack they claim is against Nigerians selling drugs and prostituting their South African children.

    The angry mob which also included community members drinking beer‚ entered Celestial Church of Christ in Atteridgeville, in an attempt to search the church for drugs and any illegal activity.

    The church’s prophet‚ Samson Sangojinmi‚ was immediately called. When he arrived in his Mercedes Benz he was assaulted by the mob‚ leaving his white robe bloodied before his congregation managed to drag him inside.

    By then about 20 police officers had arrived and fired a stun grenade to disperse the crowd. However, paramedics have treated Sangojinmi but the man of God said he was hurt that people thought he would sell drugs.

    Sangojinmi said: “We help many people in this church‚ when they want food or a place to stay we help them. It’s sad to see people attacking me even when I’m trying to talk to them”.

    One woman‚ who refused to be named‚ said she had witnessed children in school uniform entering several of the houses they had searched.

    “Some of the girls we found in the houses were high‚ wearing short outfits‚ who’ve ended up never leaving because they owed these Nigerians too much money. Enough is enough‚ we can’t trust the police anymore because they never do anything to help us‚” she said.

     

  • Nigerians suffer fresh xenophobic attack in S/Africa

     

    The Nigerian Community in South Africa have confirmed attacks and looting of Nigerian-owned businesses in Pretoria West on Saturday.

    Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, President, Nigeria Union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Pretoria, South Africa, that the attacks began at 4.00 a.m.

    He said that the union had reported the incident to the Nigeria mission and South African police.

    “As we speak, five buildings with Nigerian businesses, including a church have been looted and burned by South Africans.

    “One of the buildings is a mechanic garage with 28 cars under repairs, with other vital documents, were burned during the attack.

    “Also, the pastor of the church was wounded and is in the hospital receiving treatment,” he said.

    Anyene said the union had informed Nigerians in South Africa to be vigilant in the face of renewed xenophobic attacks.

    According to him, the union received information that there will be xenophobic attacks against foreigners on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.

    “We began taking precautionary measures when the incident took place today.

    “The attack in Pretoria West is purely xenophobic and criminal because they loot the shops and homes before burning them,” he said.

    Anyene called on the Federal Government to persuade its South African counterpart to protect Nigerians in their country.

    “These attacks should not be allowed to continue because it is a big setback,” he said.

     

  • Photos: Naked women are being used to trap motorists in South Africa

    New hijacking method where bandits use naked women to trap motorist into hijacking their cars on SA roads, has now been revealed.

    Arrive Alive reports that a road safety advocacy and awareness group posted on its Twitter Page. The organization posted two photos on Twitter warning motorists, to keep an eye off the naked bandits while driving.

    ‘New hijacking method on N17 ..Naked women trying to stop truck… colleagues on side of road running to truck door @SALTruckers @Wheels24,’ the group tweeted

    Bandits are said to be operating the road by positioning an undressed woman on the road to distract drivers. When drivers slow down to look at the woman, her accomplices then emerge from hiding to rob and hijack cars.

     

  • South Africa’s unemployment falls in Q4 2016

    South Africa’s unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of last year retreated from its highest in 13 years as key sectors hired more workers, data from the statistics office showed on Tuesday.

    According to the data obtained in Pretoria, unemployment stood at 26.5 per cent of the labour force in the fourth quarter, down from 27.1 per cent in the third quarter.

    In its quarterly labour force survey, which polls households, Statistics South Africa said this amounted to 5.781 million people without jobs in the fourth quarter compared with 5.873 million previously.

    The office said the growth in employment was mainly driven by the services industry and the transport and manufacturing sectors.

    The data showed that currency responded by firming more than 1 per cent to its strongest in three months against the dollar.

    An economist at Nedbank, Johannes Khosa, said the South African data showed that economic conditions were improving.

    He warned that the decrease in joblessness was coming off a very low base and that the improvement would be difficult to sustain.

    “Remember the numbers are not seasonally adjusted and you find that firms tend to employ more people in the fourth quarter so it’s hard to read too much into the figures,” Khosa said.

    South Africa’s economy is set to have expanded by only 0.4 per cent in 2016, according to the Reserve Bank, which also estimates growth of 1.1 per cent for 2017.

    The figure is well short of the government’s target of 5 per cent annual growth.

     

    NAN

  • South Africa introduces $260 monthly minimum wage

    South Africa will introduce a national minimum wage of 3,500 rand (261 dollars) per month in 2018, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday, following protracted negotiations between the government and labour unions.

    Supporters of a minimum wage say it can stimulate growth as workers can spend more, as well as reducing inequality.

    Critics say it could lead to increased unemployment as employers will be unable to afford higher wage bills.

    Credit ratings agencies have said agreeing a minimum wage would help Africa’s most industrialised economy hold onto its investment-grade rating by stabilising the labour market and reducing the number of strikes.

    “The balance we have sought to strike is that it must not be too low, so that it doesn’t affect the lowest paid workers, but not too high that it leads to massive job losses,” Ramaphosa told a news conference.

    Ramaphosa said the national minimum wage, which equates to 20 rand (1.50 dollars) per hour, would come into effect in May 2018.

    Businesses that are unable to afford the minimum wage would be permitted to apply for an exemption of up to 12 months, Ramaphosa said.

    The Treasury had also thrown its political weight behind the policy initiative.

    Chief economist at Nedbank Dennis Dykes said the agreement was a sign of an improving relationship between labour, business and government, but warned that its implementation needed to be monitored.

    “It is by no means certain this will lead to job creation.

    “It needs to be watched carefully for any negative effects,” Dykes said.

    Monthly earnings for employees averaged 18,045 rand (1,200 dollars) per month in May 2016, according to Statistics.

    Mmany workers earn far less than that, with domestic workers and farm labourers among the lowest paid.

    Some unions had asked for a minimum wage of as much as 4,500 rand.

    South Africa’s mining sector was brought to its knees by a crippling five-month stoppage over pay in 2014,pushing the economy to the brink of a recession.

    South Africa’s unemployment rate hit its highest level on record, 27.1 per cent of the workforce, in the third quarter of 2016, and it remains amongst the world’s most unequal societies.