NEWS - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Ghana and Uganda feel the heat from sanctions

A ruling this month by Uganda's Constitutional Court to water down a tough anti-LGBTQ+ law may have stemmed from concern to avoid further international sanctions over the controversial legislation, rights activists and analysts say. The court's decision to strike out several of the law's most contentious clauses came weeks after a similar law passed by Ghana appeared to have hit a roadblock amid Finance Ministry warnings it could derail $3.8 billion in international aid. Steven Kabuye, a Ugandan LGBTQ+ activist, said the court's April 3 ruling appeared aimed at appeasing international donors who had raised particular objections about the affected clauses on the grounds that they…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Kenya’s military chief among 10 people killed in helicopter crash

NEWS

KENYA'S military chief, General Francis Ogolla, was among 10 people killed when their military helicopter crashed shortly after take-off, President William Ruto announced. The aircraft, which had been on a visit to troops deployed in northwest Kenya to combat endemic cattle rustling, came down just minutes after leaving Cheptulel Boys Secondary School in West Pokot County, Ruto said. Two soldiers survived the crash and were in hospital, he said, adding that an air investigation team had been sent to discover the cause. "Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals," Ruto told a news conference. "The demise of…

Apr

2024

By CAMILLUS EBOH

Nigerian court adjourns Binance and executives’ tax evasion trial to May 17

NEWS

A Nigerian court adjourned a tax evasion trial against cryptocurrency exchange Binance and two of its executives to May 17 after the matter was stalled because the exchange has not been formally served with the charges. Binance and its executives Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and head of financial crime compliance, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British Kenyan who is a regional manager for Africa, face four counts of tax evasion. The charges include failure to register with Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for tax remittance purposes. Gambaryan appeared in court in Abuja on Friday but did not take a plea. Anjarwalla…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

France rejects accusations made by Burkina Faso against embassy staff

NEWS

THE French foreign ministry said in a statement that it regretted Burkina Faso's decision to expel French diplomats and staff, some of whom were assigned to the French embassy in Burkina Faso. "We reject the unfounded accusations made by the Burkina Faso authorities against our staff," it added. Burkina Faso's military government has expelled three French diplomats for alleged subversive activities, the foreign ministry said in a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Apr

2024

By PATRICK NELLE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

The Cameroonian TV host committing her media career to addressing social issues

NEWS

GATHERED in a room in the heart of Douala, Cameroon, almost two dozen women are busy exchanging views and debating topics of common interest. The dynamic engagement is not just a chat session; on this April evening, a speech trainer is conducting a training exercise. In the coming week, a psychologist will be on hand to advise on mental health during crises. Share Hub, as the meetings are labelled, is the brainchild of Jocelyne Fotso, a prominent Cameroonian TV host and journalist looking to balance a media career with social commitment. The platform provides a space for women to feel…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

US bars four former Malawi officials over corruption, State Department says

NEWS

THE United States has barred four former officials of the Malawi government from entry because of their involvement in significant corruption, the State Department said. The officials designated are former solicitor general and secretary of justice Reyneck Matemba, former director of public procurement and disposal of assets John Suzi-Banda, former Malawi Police Service attorney Mwabi Kaluba, and former Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service George Kainja, the department said. The four were cited by the State Department as having "abused their public positions by accepting bribes and other articles of value" from a private business person in exchange for…

Apr

2024

By SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Africa’s private wealth to jump to $4 trillion by 2034

NEWS

PRIVATE wealth in Africa will leap 65% over the next decade to US$4 trillion in new annual estimates, fuelled by growth in fintech, eco-tourism and business process outsourcing. Additional sectors like software development, rare metals mining, green tech, wealth management, media, and entertainment will further bolster the continent's wealth surge, according to the Henley & Partners Africa Wealth Report 2024. The international wealth advisory firm said Africa now has US$2.5 trillion in investable wealth and its millionaire population is set to rise by 65% or 223,080. Non-state wealth in 2022 stood at US$2.1 trillion and was expected to grow by…

Apr

2024

By ELIZABETH PINEAU and NAFISA ELTAHIR

Donors raise more than 2 billion euros for Sudan aid a year into war

NEWS

DONORS pledged more than 2 billion euros ($2.13 billion) for war-torn Sudan at a conference in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said, on the first anniversary of what aid workers describe as a neglected but devastating conflict. Efforts to help millions of people driven to the verge of famine by the war have been held up by continued fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), restrictions imposed by the warring sides, and demands on donors from other global crises including in Gaza and Ukraine. Conflict in Sudan is threatening to expand, with fighting heating up in and around al-Fashir, a…

Apr

2024

By JAMES OATWAY and THANDO HLOPHE

Man named Vote will cast ballot for change in South Africa

NEWS

WHEN Mariana Ubisi went into labour in her one-room home in rural South Africa, millions of Black citizens were queuing to vote in the election that would bring Nelson Mandela to power. It was April 27, 1994. Swept up in the excitement, Ubisi and her husband named their newborn son Vote. "I imagine it was because we were hearing the chants saying 'vote, vote, vote' on the radio," said Ubisi, a traditional healer in Lillydale, a poor village in Mpumalanga province. As Mozambican refugees who fled war in their country in the 1960s, Mariana and her husband Ernesto did not…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Volkswagen to invest $210 mln in South African plant

NEWS

VOLKSWAGEN plans to invest 4 billion rand ($210.67 million) in its South African manufacturing plant in the Eastern Cape in preparation to manufacture a new SUV in 2027, it said. South Africa is the largest automotive manufacturing hub on the African continent, hosting global brands such as Toyota, Isuzu, Volkswagen and Mercedes. The German carmaker's statement said the investment will be used to upgrade facilities in various areas in preparation for the addition of a third model to its production line-up from 2027. "As most global vehicle markets transition to electric vehicles, African markets like South Africa will continue manufacturing and…