Julius Malema Eyes King-Maker Role in South Africa’s May Election
South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters, the country’s second-largest opposition party, is positioning itself as king-maker in this year’s general election, promising to nationalize all land, banks and mines and double welfare payouts in its bid to lure voters and ensure the ruling African National Congress loses its majority. EFF Party leader Julius Malema delivered the keynote address in a fiery speech that touched on the revelations at the state capture commission of inquiry, the land question, and the state of education in the country, among other issues. The crucial question is whether the EFF will vote with the governing ANC over constitutional changes to expropriate land without compensation.
SOURCES: Bloomberg | Business Live | Joburg Post
Sudan’s Bashir Promises Rural Development as New Protests Loom
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday pledged to bolster rural development, as he seeks to face down anti-government demonstrations that have rocked cities and villages.The veteran leader has been on a charm offensive with rallies across the country in a bid to head off weeks of protests seen as the biggest threat to his 30-year rule. Bashir’s attempts to rally support have so far failed to halt the wave of discontent. Bashir and other senior Sudanese officials have repeatedly said that the government can be changed only through elections.
SOURCES: Al Jazeera | Daily Nation
Nigeria’s Yemi Osinbajo Thanks Crew After Helicopter Crash
Nigeria’s vice-president has said he is “safe and sound” after surviving a helicopter crash as he was on his way to an election campaign rally. Yemi Osinbajo also tweeted his thanks to the crew of the aircraft for the way they handled the situation in the central town of Kabba. Alongside VP Osinbajo, the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, senior presidential aides, security officials and the crew; there were a total of 12 people on board. Everyone came out safely after the incident.
SOURCES: BBC | Vanguard NGR
Egypt Unveils Ancient Burial Site of 50 Mummies
Egyptian archaeologists uncovered a tomb containing 50 mummies dating to the Ptolemaic era, in Minya, south of Cairo, the Ministry of Antiquities said Saturday. Some of the mummies were found wrapped in linen while others had been placed in stone coffins or wooden sarcophagi. The archaeological finding was the first of 2019 and was unearthed through a joint mission with the Research Center for Archaeological Studies of Minya University. Photo gallery.
SOURCES: VOA News
U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on Ghana
The United States has announced that beginning from February 4, its Embassy in Accra will discontinue issuing all non-immigrant visas (NIV) to domestic employees (A3 and G5) of Ghanaian diplomats posted in the US. The imposed visa restrictions follow the government’s refusal to accept Ghanaian nationals deported from the U.S. back into the country. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “has ordered consular officers in Ghana to implement visa restrictions on certain categories of visa applicants,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement. “Ghana has failed to live up to its obligations under international law to accept the return of its nationals ordered removed from the United States.”
Where is the Biggest Airport Aviation Hub in Africa?
In its pursuit to become Africa’s gateway into the world, Ethiopia this week boasts a new milestone. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the newly expanded Addis Ababa Bole International Airport terminal as the biggest airport aviation hub in Africa. The news created a buzz across the continent, with reports stating that Bole was now the biggest airport in Africa. Yet that distinction still goes to O.R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg, which is the biggest and busiest airport in Africa—receiving over 21 million people annually with the capacity to process up to 28 million. In many ways, however, Ethiopia is winning the battle to become the aviation hub in Africa, thanks to Ethiopian Airlines’ rapid growth.
SOURCES: QuartzAfrica | EthiopiaNege
Bobi Wine: Seriously Considering Running for President
Ugandan pop star turned MP Robert Kyagulanyi, also popularly known as Bobi Wine, is seriously considering challenging Uganda’s longtime leader President Yoweri Museveni. Kyagulanyi’s meteoric rise on the political scene in the past two years has earned him unprecedented global recognition. A red beret, red overall and people power chants is the basic definition of Bobi Wine, the politician. Wine has launched a grassroots movement for young people to be encouraged to head to the polls.
SOURCES: OKAY Africa | The Observer
Central African Republic Armed Groups Reach Peace Deal
A peace deal has been reached between the government of the Central African Republic and 14 armed groups after their first-ever direct dialogue aimed at ending years of conflict, the United Nations and African Union announced on Saturday. The agreement reached in Sudan is seen as a step towards ending years of fighting that has killed thousands. The renewed peace negotiations between the armed militias and the CAR government have been going on in Khartoum since January 24. Thousands of people have been killed during violence in CAR, one of Africa’s poorest countries, where a quarter of the 4.5 million people have fled their homes because of the unrest.
SOURCES: New York Times
A South African Case Study: How to Support Young Job Hunters
The reasons most often given for youth unemployment are limited skills, lack of work experience, and high wage expectations. But our findings show that over half of the sample had prior work experience and did not report unrealistic wage expectations, suggesting there were other factors keeping young people locked out of the labour market. The study concludes that one reason contributing to the continued inability of young people to break into the jobs market is the cost of seeking a job. The data on the cost of looking for work has been collected by the Siyakha Youth Assets for Employability Study. The ongoing study launched in 2013 to assess whether government programmes designed to help young people is actually making a difference in their efforts to find work.
SOURCES: The Conversation
Iconic SA Actor: From Apartheid to Black Panther
Four decades ago, John Kani was approached to play the lead in a production that focused on the destruction of interracial marriage. This was during the apartheid era in South Africa and just two years prior, interracial marriage had been outlawed in South Africa. The laws were repealed, but segregated schools and residential areas were still making life difficult for mixed couples at the time. It was against this backdrop that Kani decided to join the production. At a performance in Cape Town, half the theatre walked out after Kani’s character kissed a white woman. Fast-forward to 2018… the younger generation may only be hearing about Kani for the first time because of his role in Black Panther. It has been revealed that the SA legend had a bigger impact on the film than just his role. While isiXhosa eventually became the official language of Wakanda, it was Kani and his son who helped convince film director Ryan Coogler to make it official. Now you know.
SOURCES: FACE2FACE | The South African