NEWS - The African Mirror

Apr

05

2024

Detained Binance executive in court on Nigerian tax, money laundry charges

NEWS

ONE of the two executives from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, detained in Nigeria appeared in an Abuja court to face tax evasion and money laundering charges. Binance and two of its executives Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and Binance's head of financial crime compliance, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan who is a regional manager for Africa, have been charged with four counts of tax evasion and with laundering over $35 million. Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were detained on February 26 in connection with a criminal investigation into Binance's activities in Nigeria when they arrived in the country. Anjarwalla escaped from custody and fled…

Apr

05

2024

By The African Mirror

Former South Africa junior international shot dead in hijacking

NEWS

FORMER South Africa junior international Luke Fleurs, who played for the country’s most popular club Kaizer Chiefs, has been killed in an attempted hijacking in Johannesburg, police officials confirmed. The 24-year-old was shot in the chest at a petrol station on Wednesday night and the assailants drove off in his vehicle. "While waiting to be served by the petrol attendant, he was confronted by two armed males," police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told reporters, adding no arrests had yet been made. Centre-back Fleurs played every minute for South Africa at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, and that same…

Apr

05

2024

By BATE FELIX and PORTIA CROWE

Senegal’s new prime minister is political firebrand Ousmane Sonko

NEWS

SENEGAL'S new prime minister Ousmane Sonko is a firebrand politician who rallied Senegalese youth to enable the election of his top lieutenant Bassirou Diomaye Faye as president, and who now, as expected, has secured a top role in return. A fierce opponent of former president Macky Sall, Sonko, 49, was barred from standing in the March 24 presidential election because of a conviction for defamation. He denied any wrongdoing, but chose the little-known Faye as his replacement, urging his supporters to back him instead. Sonko and Faye, both former tax inspectors, have positioned themselves as opponents of corruption and elitism…

Apr

05

2024

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Hunger grips southern Africa as Zimbabwe declares drought a disaster

NEWS

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa declared Zimbabwe's drought a national disaster and said the country needed more than $2 billion in aid to feed millions facing hunger. Mnangagwa's statement follows similar announcements by Zambia in late February and Malawi in March, as drought induced by the El Nino global weather pattern triggers a humanitarian crisis in southern Africa.d More than 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe will go hungry this year, Mnangagwa told journalists at the state house in Harare, adding that 80% of the country had received poor rains. "Preliminary assessments show that Zimbabwe requires in excess of $2 billion towards various…

Apr

04

2024

By The African Mirror

South African parliament speaker resigns amid corruption probe

NEWS

SOUTH Africa's National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said that she was resigning from her position amid an investigation into alleged corruption during her tenure as defence minister. Mapisa-Nqakula's home was raided last month by investigators as part of the corruption inquiry, who did not provide details on the investigation or the allegations. "My resignation is in no way an indication or admission of guilt regarding the allegations being levelled against me," she said in a statement. The resignation, which is effective immediately, also sees her stepping down as a member of the parliament. Mapisa-Nqakula was defence minister from 2012 to 2021. South…

Apr

04

2024

By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Africa begins licensing crypto as verified transactions hit US $117 billion

NEWS

REGULATORS in Africa are taking steps to bring crypto entities under official oversight as treasuries seek to blunt fiscal risks amid a surge in demand for digital assets. Authorities in South Africa and Nigeria, the continent's most 'crypto-ready' countries, are leading the continent's efforts to place crypto dealers under a licensing regime to protect consumers against money laundering and terrorism-related risks. Bringing crypto dealers under government radar will also ensure that future transaction benefits flow into the exchequer, and will help safeguard the value of local currencies. South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) recently approved operating licenses for 59…

Apr

03

2024

By ESTHER MUSEMBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

bird TenX: 10 influential youth activists shaping the African electoral climate

NEWS

WITH Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the youngest ever elected African president, serving as a symbol of youthful leadership, and a surge in young demographics increasingly prominent in mainstream politics, youth electoral activism is gaining momentum in countries like Ghana and Eswatini. These nations are experiencing renewed discussions and movements surrounding elections and civic engagement among the youth. With more than a third of African countries heading to the electoral booth in 2024, youth electoral activism is gaining a spotlight in countries like Ghana and Eswatini, where the youth have revived discussions and movements around elections and civic engagement. 1. Hardi Yakubu…

Apr

04

2024

By The African Mirror

Senegal President Faye appoints ally Sonko as prime minister

NEWS

NEW Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appointed firebrand politician and key backer Ousmane Sonko as prime minister in his first act as president. Sonko, an opponent of former President Macky Sall, is popular among the West African nation's youth but was barred from the March 24 presidential election due to a defamation conviction. He denied any wrongdoing. Campaigning jointly under the slogan "Diomaye is Sonko," Sonko urged supporters to vote for his top lieutenant, Faye, who ultimately won with over 54% of the vote in the first round. Faye was inaugurated on Tuesday. Speaking after his appointment, Sonko said he would present…

Apr

03

2024

By ANAIT MIRIDZHANIAN

China could drive Africa’s renewable energy revolution

NEWS

CHINA has a unique opportunity to drive forward an energy revolution in Africa, but it must first reverse nearly two decades of neglect of green power investments there, research from Boston University showed. Beijing has emerged as the continent's biggest bilateral trading partner since the start of the century and has financed billions of dollars worth of large-scale infrastructure projects. Three years ago, China's President Xi Jinping said the country would not build new coal-fired power projects abroad, pledging to deal with climate change by supporting the development of green and low-carbon energy. Although Africa's green energy potential is one…

Apr

04

2024

By DUNCAN MIRIRI

Kenyan doctors reject government’s offer to end strike

NEWS

KENYAN public hospital doctors rejected a government offer aimed at ending a weeks-long strike that has severely disrupted health services, their union chairman said late on Tuesday. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), which represents more than 7,000 members, went on strike on March 15 to demand payment of their salary arrears and the immediate hiring of trainee doctors, among other grievances. The government asked the doctors to end their strike in a statement issued late on Tuesday, saying the salary arrears have been paid and that trainee doctors would be hired from Thursday this week at…