Nigeria released a photograph of President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, the first in almost three months after he left the country on May 7 for medical leave in Britain.
In stark contrast to his first absence, when numerous photos of a notably skeletal leader were published, the presidency had released no images of Buhari during his current medical leave until now. That sparked speculation ranging from his ability to contest the 2019 election for a second term to his death.
The president is on his second medical leave so far this year, the majority of which he has spent being treated for an undisclosed ailment in London.
The picture purports to show Buhari dining in Britain with senior members of his political party on Sunday, according to an accompanying statement from the presidency.
Reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the photograph.
&#8220;The party delegation spent more than an hour with President Buhari over lunch,&#8221; said Sunday&#8217;s presidency statement, adding that &#8220;President Buhari will be back as soon as the doctors give him the green light.&#8221;
The refusal of officials to disclose details of Buhari&#8217;s illness has triggered fierce speculation in Nigerian media and on social media over the past few months about his ailment and whether he will seek a second term in the 2019 election.
Details of the 74-year-old president&#8217;s condition have not been disclosed. Buhari left the capital, Abuja, in May and handed over power to his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, seeking to allay concerns of a void at the helm of Africa&#8217;s biggest economy.
The president&#8217;s first medical leave began in January and lasted nearly two months.
A thin-looking Buhari was last seen in Nigeria on state television welcoming a group of 82 girls released by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, just hours before he flew to Britain to begin his medical leave.
Buhari reduced his working day to a few hours each day after returning to Nigeria from his first stint of medical leave on March 10, diplomats and government sources said.
He was not seen outside of the presidential villa in Abuja before leaving again on May 7.
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Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Peter Cooney
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Nigeria releases first photo of ailing president in almost 80 days

South Africa needs structural reforms to shore up the economy as there is little room for monetary and fiscal stimulus, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported on Monday.
Africa&#8217;s most industrialised economy slid into recession in March. The country is also struggling with a high unemployment rate, and credit downgrades by two of the top three ratings agencies, triggered by economic and political turmoil, have dented business and consumer confidence.
&#8220;Reviving economic growth is crucial to increase well-being, job creation and inclusivity,&#8221; the Paris-based OECD said in an Economic Survey on South Africa.
&#8220;As there is limited room for monetary and fiscal stimulus, bold structural reforms, supported by social partners, are needed to unlock the economy.&#8221;
The OECD said one possible structural reform was to open key sectors to more competition, including telecommunications, energy and transport. South Africa also must address the serious income inequality, it said.
&#8220;The low employment rate, especially for black South Africans, contributes to high income inequality,&#8221; OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria told a news conference in Pretoria held to present the Economic Survey.
&#8220;More needs to be done to achieve growth that is strong and inclusive; it has to capture all the ones that have been left behind.&#8221;
The government has developed a 14-point economic strategy to stimulate growth, released by Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba on July 13, but the plan has elicited only a lukewarm reception from investors.
Gigaba told the OECD media conference that said the plan would address some of the challenges highlighted by the survey, including provision of political and policy certainty.
&#8220;The action plan aims to accelerate progress, coordinate government efforts and act as a mechanism for accountability, and it has realistic, achievable objectives set against realistic and firm timelines,&#8221; Gigaba said.
Critics say the plan, which included the possible sale of assets and partial privatisation of state-owned firms, is not enough to restore business confidence and stimulate private sector investment. Ratings agencies have also warned of further credit ratings downgrades.
Last week, the South African Reserve Bank halved its 2017 growth forecast to 0.5 percent and cut the benchmark lending rate for the first time in five years to help out the economy.
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Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; editing by James Macharia and Mark Heinrich
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South Africa needs structural reform to grow economy: OECD

Mauritius&#8217; trade deficit widened by 18.6 percent to 8.25 billion rupees ($245 million) in May from the same period a year earlier, driven by higher imports of mineral fuels and lubricants, the statistics office said on Friday.
Imports rose 6.3 percent to 15.28 billion rupees, with minerals fuels and lubricants up to 2.66 billion rupees from 2.41 billion rupees in May last year.
Export revenue fell 5.3 percent to 7.02 billion rupees, Statistics Mauritius said in statement.
France was the main buyer of goods from Mauritius in May, accounting for 11.9 percent. India supplied 19.3 percent of Mauritius&#8217; imports.
($1 = 33.7000 Mauritius rupees)
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Reporting by Jean Paul Arouff; Editing by Katharine Houreld and Alexander Smith
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Mauritius trade deficit widens 18.6% yr/yr in May

More than 60 ANC members in South Africa&#8217;s parliament will back a no-confidence vote against President Jacob Zuma if the ballot is secret, the leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party (EFF), Julius Malema, said.
Toppling Zuma requires 50 of the 249 African National Congress members of parliament (MPs) to support the no-confidence motion and some have said publicly they want him removed, including former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, whose sacking in March triggered damaging debt ratings downgrades. South Africa&#8217;s national assembly has 400 members.
Malema, a firebrand politician known for his colorful language, said in an interview late on Thursday, he had received personal commitments that ANC MPs would dump Zuma.
Malema, a former head of the ANC&#8217;s Youth League before his expulsion from the party, could plausibly still have plenty of contacts in the organization.
&#8220;I personally spoke to more than 60 MPs of the ANC who have committed that if we give them a secret ballot they will deliver,&#8221; Malema told Reuters in his office.
&#8220;They&#8217;ve asked that this thing must be secret. They are not happy themselves,&#8221; said Malema, seated in front of an EFF sign featuring a clenched black fist holding a spear, super-imposed over an African map.
Zuma faces the no-confidence motion on Aug. 8, the ninth time the opposition will have tried to unseat him by peeling off dissidents from the ruling party, whose majority has so far protected him.
But unlike previous attempts, this time the vote may not be open. The Constitutional Court has cleared the way for the Speaker to allow a secret ballot, though it remains unclear she will.
The ANC&#8217;s official line is that the party will close ranks and back Zuma. Party officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Malema&#8217;s remarks.
<h3 data-reactid="47">Growing Dissent</h3>
ANC MP Makhosi Khoza chose Nelson Mandela&#8217;s birthday on Tuesday to denounce Zuma, making clear she would break party ranks.
&#8220;If you see one person doing that under such a hostile environment you must know that she must have powerful backing. She has a lot of backing,&#8221; Malema said.
One ANC MP has told Reuters they would vote for Zuma&#8217;s removal and the South African Communist Party, whose 17 MPs back the ANC in parliament, said in April Zuma should resign.
Tens of thousands of people took part in marches in April calling for Zuma, 75, to step down over a string of graft scandals and missteps as the economy is in recession and unemployment rising.
Malema, whose party supports expropriating white-owned land and the nationalization of mines and banks, said economic misrule under Zuma was deepening apartheid&#8217;s racial disparities.
&#8220;The problem is that as the gap widens the blacks become more poor and the whites become richer. As a result then we are two nations in one country, the rich people who are white and the poor people who are black,&#8221; he said.
Malema said his party was still urging the landless to occupy unutilized land despite charges he faces for inciting property grabs.
&#8220;It&#8217;s an EFF resolution and that resolution has not been suspended by any court of law. We are calling upon our people to occupy the land,&#8221; he said.
Malema formed the EFF, known for its trademark red berets and rowdy behavior in parliament, four years ago, and the party plans to hold a birthday bash next week in the port city of Durban in the heart of Zuma&#8217;s Zulu political power base.
Durban&#8217;s streets that day will run red with cattle blood.
&#8220;We are slaughtering 10 cattle because in our African culture it is not a celebration until there is slaughter. There must be some slaughter to thank the ancestors,&#8221; Malema said.
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Editing by James Macharia and Robin Pomeroy
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More than 60 ANC MPs will turn on Zuma: Malema

By Samuel Getachew
At the CEOs Forum inside Hilton Addis where business executives, heads of government institutions, and investors gathered to hear from Finance and Economic Cooperation Minister Abraham Tekeste (PhD), it was Henok Assefa, the architect of the gathering who attracted the most attention.
After all, he is the man Tedros Adhanom (PhD), one time noted Ethiopian health minister and now director general of the World Health Organization calls “the most undervalued brilliant entrepreneur” in the country. He has been making headway since he returned to Ethiopia a decade-and-a-half ago with little resources and big dreams. He was quickly being noticed for his entrepreneurship passion. “(He is) a highly polished and business astute person that has the ability to understand the local business dynamics,” Fasil Yilma the country director of Dow Chemical said. “That is coupled with his attempts to make it work for everyone.”
<h4>Passion for entrepreneurship</h4>
He has been making headway since he returned to Ethiopia a decade-and-a-half ago with little resources and big dreams. He was quickly noticed for his passion for entrepreneurship. “(He is) a highly polished and business astute person that has the ability to understand the local business dynamics,” Fasil Yilma the country director of Dow Chemical said. “That is coupled with his attempts to make it work for everyone.”
Articulate, collected and informed, at the CEO forum, he was engaging and inspired the minister to reflect on a slew of topics. He often spoke in sound bites like an aspiring politician.   “Please network,” he said throughout the programme. It was his talent for networking that helped him win friends and favours when he first moved back to Ethiopia.
“I left in 1991, when the nation was preoccupied with a slew of difficulties, including conflicts and war,” he said.  “I did not want to leave the country; I was the last among my eight siblings to depart.”
The CEO gathering was no ordinary day for him and his colleagues as they marked a milestone, the 10th anniversary of PRECISE Consult, a firm he started a decade ago from scratch. It is currently rumoured that he is in negotiations to sell it to a well-known American company.
<h4>Ambitious and determined</h4>
From his initial years, when he returned to Ethiopia, after living in the United States for &#8220;an eon&#8221;, many remember him as a passionate and engaged young leader, who was a volunteer board member of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce, as well as the American Chamber of Commerce in Ethiopia. He was ambitious and determined, according to many of his colleagues.
He was said to want to break from conventional wisdom, unlike those who wanted to find refuge in established international companies instead of starting an institution of their own. PRECISE Consult became his vehicle – a hub for business and economic development in the country. Equipped with the realisation of the American dream, a graduate degree from Fordham University, he wanted to work towards his own dreams, not somebody else&#8217;s.
He would venture abroad to the United States and help attract foreign investment to Ethiopia.
Many responded while a small segment of the Ethiopian diaspora protested, as they saw such an investment as a political endorsement. He appeared in blogs and articles and he was denounced and insulted. Nevertheless, he was determined; believing investment, not aid, was the absolute best solution to the nation&#8217;s pressing problems.
<h4>Bridging the information gap for investors</h4>
“Henok has done a fabulous job of bridging the information gap for investors, Levi Girma, a partner with Transsion, said. “Especially in the diaspora.” He wanted to engage the diaspora more than any other and help move the nation forward as an economic powerhouse, not a destination for charitable gestures. The late Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, became his early supporter and appeared at one of his investment forums gathering in the capital during the World Economic Forum on Africa.
Inside his spacious office at the top of a landmark building in Bole with the PRECISE signature designed by Asseged Gessesse, a noted creative director and a longtime friend, placed perfectly behind him, he opened up on reasons why he remains optimistic about the future of Ethiopia.
With an Apple laptop, answering emails, tweeting and talking at all the same time and a collection of coffee mugs from Jupiter Hotel and Guinness on his table, he seemed like a man on the move.
Beyond his PRECISE business, he has plenty of business interests, shopping centers in Bulbula and a nearly completed second hub at CMC, a supermarket, interest in the agriculture and food processing business, he seemed more content when talking about the mentorship he has offered, the opportunities he gave others find their footing in the hot Ethiopian market rather than answer the rumors that are…..well rumors.
<h4>Strategic engagements benefited Ethiopian economy</h4>
Henok has been involved in hundreds of strategic engagements with investors, helping move the Ethiopian economy closer to an industrialised nation. He was one of the architects of the Ethiopian Climate Innovation Center, a clean tech incubator that was funded by the World Bank and the agribusiness Incubator funded by USAID. “That helped many and connected thousands of local farmers to be engaged to the international market,” he said.
The proud father of two is also proud of the team he built at PRECISE. The team seems to value and appreciate his efforts to be a hands-on manager. “Henok is an excellent manager and leader. He has a unique approach to leadership, which is very humanistic and addressing of problems. He always encourages and empowers his colleagues to become leaders especially the young people,” Hailemelekot Asfaw, senior program director at PRECISE said.
“Henok without question is positive about Ethiopia and loves his country,” Addis Alemayehou of 251 Communications reflected. “He was and has always been focused on private sector development in Ethiopia and has played a valuable role in linking government with the private sector and finding middle ground on key issues facing the (local) economy.”
Henok once told the New York-based online Ethiopian-American magazine TADIAS, how being an athlete gave him a good stable foundation to be successful. “It taught me so much about discipline and teamwork,” he said. “Athletic scholarship actually got me through college and graduate schools.”
Lucky for him, it also helped him transition to a powerful voice in Ethiopia’s progression as a middle-income nation in the years to come.

Henok Assefa: Ethiopian entrepreneur on the rise

Linda Ronnie, University of Cape Town &#8211; In the next year or two, the workplace faces an unprecedented situation where for the first time, due to the fact that we’re all living longer, five generations may be working side by side: Veterans (pre-World War II); the Baby Boomers (World War II – 1960s); Generation X (mid-60s – late 1970s); Millennials (aka Generation Y) (1979 – 1991); and last, but not least, the largely unknown factor: Generation Z, born after 1992.
It’s estimated that there are more than 2 billion of Gen Z worldwide. In South Africa, a third of the population is under the age of 21.
It may be too soon to be definitive about the characteristics of this generation, but they are said to be realistic, cause and value driven, entrepreneurial, financially prudent, and have boundless curiosity.
This is the first generation born into a fully technological environment &#8211; a world of being connected, being digital, and having mobile phones or tablets as a matter of course . They’re therefore more advanced in searching for information and figuring things out on their own.
It’s said that Generation Z will have jobs that have not even been created yet. But that’s not the only thing we aren’t sure of. Although there’s some indication of who they are and the influences shaping them, their characters are still forming and their role in the workplace is yet to take shape.
And, let’s face it: organisations are still struggling to analyse the challenge that Millennials pose in the workplace. These include fitting in with organisational culture, their communication style preferences and negative stereotypes of each generation. All these need to be managed in the workplace.
What exactly are they going to do when Generation Z arrives?
Business as usual
Popular wisdom argues for a fairly predictable set of approaches – all of which are wise. And increasingly people are understanding that while there are important differences between generations, they can be complementary and there is a significant opportunity for both ends of the age spectrum to learn from each other.
Listed staffing agency Robert Half asked chief financial offices where the biggest differences (and therefore opportunities for learning) lay between generations in the workplace. Thirty percent said “communication skills”, 26% said “adapting to change”, 23% said “technical skills”, 14% said “cross-departmental collaboration”, and 7% noted “no differences”.
The gist of tried and tested approaches is to:
<ul>
<li>encourage collaboration between generations;</li>
<li>facilitate mentoring;</li>
<li>allow for a cross-pollination of knowledge, where older employees share their experience, and younger employees contribute technological know-how, newer techniques and innovation.</li>
</ul>
It has also been well argued that managers should take the lead in adapting their management style rather than expecting staff to change.
The crucial bridge for Generation Z
But just how different will Generation Z really be? The Millennials (aka Generation Y) has been described more than once as “Generation X on steroids”. All indications are that Generation Z will take this up a notch. Emma Davies, Human Resources Manager for South African construction company ALEC, says the organisation has already experienced this to some extent with work experience students:
They are a very politically aware generation, and they have been taught to question everything, but to do so respectfully. The toddler stage of asking ‘why?’ does not end!
Both inside and outside the workplace, listening skills, patience, tolerance and humility will become more and more crucial for older generations. And two-way mentorship will become even more important than it has been with Millennials.
Generation Y has already pointed to some important changes that need to happen. Because they want involvement and feedback and are generally outspoken they have played a role in creating a more inclusive workplace as teamwork has become central to their work life.
This will be a crucial tool in making the most of the skills of Generation Z. This, combined with their strong communication skills and self-awareness, will emphasise the importance of teamwork.
These integration skills may prove crucial in helping to manage Generation Zs. Millennials, in this sense, may function as a bridge. This isn’t to say it will all be plain sailing, even if older employees are patient and ready to learn from the youngsters.
Generation Y and Z’s desire for connectedness and relationships on the part can be used for more successful mentorships. A desire for learning could also help alleviate tension with Generation Xs, Baby Boomers and Veterans, who may otherwise experience them as disrespectful or arrogant.
Focus on the similarities
But stereotyping needs to be avoided. South African organisations are very familiar with the effects that negative racial stereotyping can have on teams and productivity. They need to guard against the same thing happening with different generations. By fixating on minor differences and taking them out of context, and by failing to appreciate similarities, organisations could be missing an opportunity.
More than that, the differences between generations might be smaller than we think. Research from the University of North Carolina showed that Millennials want the same things as Generation X and Baby Boomers: challenging, meaningful work; opportunities for learning, development and advancement; support to successfully integrate work and personal life; fair treatment and competitive compensation.
And all three generations agreed on the characteristics of an ideal leader – a person who leads by example, is accessible, acts as a coach and mentor, helps employees see how their roles contribute to the organisation, and challenges others and holds them accountable.
The chances are, Generation Z won’t be too far off this mark either.
Respect and common sense is key
Implicit in this list of characteristics of the ideal leader is respect – of self and others. In business, as in life, the fundamentals of mutual respect go a long way in building positive workplace cultures. Respect will be key in managing multiple generations too.
All that’s really needed is a commonsense approach that maintains a focus on individual needs, honours each person’s contribution, and strives to keep older workers engaged alongside newer hires so as to avoid losing institutional knowledge.
It may also help to remember that each generational shift evolves organically – and so, too, will the workplace, if we are open to allowing it to do so.
Linda Ronnie is a Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour and People Management at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business,

Op-Ed: Here’s why you shouldn’t be worried about Generation Z joining the workforce

Tanzania detained and questioned two senior local Acacia Mining staff at an airport this week in a dispute with the government, two sources said on Friday, and the company said it was having trouble renewing work permits for foreign staff.
Chief Executive Brad Gordon denied a Reuters report that foreign staff were asked to leave by the government due to a dispute over mining licences and accusations of tax evasion.
He said its local employees had been interviewed by Tanzanian &#8220;government agencies&#8221; but did not confirm detentions.
&#8220;We were having difficulty getting work permits renewed. But no foreign nationals have been asked to leave the country. So there may be some confusion in that. That’s a normal part of business,&#8221; Gordon told Reuters.
Acacia Mining said this month it was seeking an adjudicator to resolve its dispute over mining contracts after President John Magufuli ordered the suspension of any new licences.
Tanzania passed two laws this month forcing companies to re-negotiate their contracts as Magufuli pushes through reforms he says will distribute revenue to his people.
The government accused Acacia of tax evasion in 2016 in a case that is ongoing. This year, it accused Acacia of operating illegally. The miner denies the allegations.
&#8220;Acacia is fully cooperating with these investigations and has provided extensive documentation and information to the investigating authorities,&#8221; Gordon said.
&#8220;In addition, employees in Tanzania have been and continue to be interviewed by government agencies as part of the process,&#8221; the chief executive said.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said two senior local staff of the mining firm, Tanzania&#8217;s largest foreign investor, were detained and interrogated at an airport this week.
Acacia Mining shares were down 7.4 percent by 0852 GMT. The company, majority owned by Barrick Gold, reported first half results on Friday showing gold production was up 4 percent year-on-year.
Reporting by Joe Brock and Zandi Shabalala; Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Ed Cropley and Edmund Blair

Tanzania tells foreign Acacia Mining staff to leave

Wessel Lemmer, Absa &#8211; Africa will this year continue to be home to some of the fastest-growing cities; thanks to the continent’s large young population seeking jobs and improved livelihoods. However, a key challenge associated with rapidly urbanizing populations is a chronic food insecurity problem that is aggravated by a lack of sufficient property rights, agricultural investment and policy and regulatory uncertainty leading to rising food prices despite access to land and willing producers to cultivate it.
Achieving sustainable food security for both the urban and rural citizens remains an important priority for governments across the continent. Crucially, food security depends not only on a tricky balance between availability and affordability, but also on coordinated partnerships between the various stakeholders in the agricultural sector. Also, it is increasingly becoming important to explore newer and more innovative approaches to successful farming. Urban agriculture is one of the techniques considered to be on the cusp of advancements within the sector, and one that can contribute towards the provision of sustainable access to nutritious food.
The practice involves the growing of farm produce near or around urban cities in the form of gardens provides organic produce to the local community. According a report published by The Sustainable Development Goals Centre for Africa this year, the continent has 65% of the world’s arable land, with food demand in Africa is expected to rise by over 60% by 2050 due to population growth. Simple shifts can result in better efficiencies and environmentally friendly produce that are less prone to climatic changes, and which ultimately has a positive influence on production yields. Community gardens and what is commonly known as co-op’s (co-operatives) can also play a key role in supplementing household budgets, and more importantly, can introduce a wider range of vitamins and minerals into the consumer’s diet.
A healthy and diverse diet, comprising of fresh produce, is imperative for a strong body and mind, and is also essential for enabling Africa’s youthful population to grow into the workforce capable of driving Africa’s economic growth. With half the population being under the age of 25, and 72 percent of these young people seeking employment, agriculture can be a key contributor to economic development[1]. These statistics are only set to grow, with over 330 million young Africans set to enter the job market in the next 20 years[2]. One of the challenges has been attracting young people into the sector and positioning it as an attractive and lucrative career option.
In coping with the food demands of increasing populations, nations such as Nigeria have shifted towards a more intensified and commercialized production system. This shift from the traditional sense of farming has included increased irrigation and modernization of systems, as well as the use of genetically modified seed and fertilizer inputs. In another case study, Zambia, which had a net deficit in maize production a mere decade ago, is now considered a maize exporter with a surplus of grains, all due to an uptake of technology in its farming methods[1].
Another area of opportunity for greater investment in alleviating the vulnerability of crops and livestock, which many nations on the continent need to invest in, is production research. Countries such as Morocco invest heavily in research and development, and new technologies that will assist in increasing yields and quality of production. South Africa, for its part, has the most developed and profitable agricultural sector on the continent. Commercial farms are mainly large-scale, capital intensive and export oriented, accounting for approximately 90 percent of the total agricultural production and covering approximately 86 percent of the country&#8217;s cropland. However, the South Africa’s agricultural sector is also taking strain from insufficient investment into agricultural infrastructure, research and development, as well as education and training programmes particularly for farmers that are starting out.
What is clear is that while Africa has leapfrogged within industries such as financial payments and telecommunications, the continent is yet to flex its muscle in providing grains and proteins that will feed not only its citizens, but also those in other parts of the world. If agriculture is to improve its contribution to economic development and the achievement of sustainable and secure food supply systems on the continent, key stakeholders have to be much more coordinated in their partnerships, not only within countries but also within the various regions of the continent. Ultimately, new approaches and partnerships among the many, but disconnected stakeholders, must be encouraged and strengthened if we are to curb hunger and malnourishment in Africa.
Lemmer is a Senior Agricultural Economist at Absa Bank. These comments were delivered at an Agriculture &amp; Food Security panel discussion recently hosted by Absa, the Oliver &amp; Adelaide Tambo Foundation as well as the University of Fort Hare.

New approaches, sustainable partnerships needed to enhance food security in Africa

Jared Jeffrey, NKC African Economics &#8211; According to ESAT, protests by small business owners, which began last week in Addis Ababa and parts of Oromia, have spread to towns in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples&#8217; (SNNP) region.
The protests are against new taxes being imposed on businesses with annual turnover of up to Etb100,000 ($4,300). The revised Income Tax Proclamation, which came into effect on July 7 (the start of the fiscal year), saw tax collectors estimating the turnover of small businesses (such as roadside hairdressers and coffee vendors), with some entrepreneurs complaining that the estimates were as much as 10 times their actual daily sales figures.
The protests have largely been peaceful.
In parts of Oromia and SNNP, businesses remained shut (July 17-19) and transport services were disrupted.
More aggressive forms of protest have been recorded in Ambo city, the site of some of the bloodiest anti-government protests in 2016. There, disgruntled residents attacked State-owned vehicles on July 13, according to Addis Standard.
Meanwhile, citizens posted pictures of public infrastructure (roads, schools etc.) in a shoddy state on social media in order to make the point that taxes were not being used to improve their lot, and implying that more taxes would simply lead to more embezzlement.
The attitude towards the tax changes is indicative of the lack of legitimacy the authorities are coming up against. The belief that tax revenues will be embezzled rather than ploughed back into infrastructure and services speaks to a distrust in the government and a lack of accountability.
Authorities have defended the taxes and said that the anger expressed is due to business owners being confused or trying to avoid paying their dues. Birhanu Tadesse, coordinator of the tax policy directorate at the ministry of finance and economic cooperation, was quoted in the media as saying: “This is disgraceful and shows how their tax understanding is small.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-153913 aligncenter" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Ethiopia-graph-300x200.png" alt="" width="300" height="200" />
The state of emergency that has been in place since October last year is expected to be lifted at the end of July.
The extraordinary measures put in place have seen the number of protests drop considerably (see graph) and have restored order.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that many Ethiopians have welcomed the return to stability, but as these latest protests show, the underlying discontent that fuelled the uprising has not been addressed and the potential for further unrest remains.
A judge in Ambo described this potential to Agence France-Presse in June by saying: “It’s a fire under ashes.”
However, it is expected that authorities have learnt from 2016 and will be quick to snuff out any rekindling of resistance.
Jared Jeffrey is a Political Analyst at NKC African Economics.

Ethiopia anti-tax protests spread

Zimbabwe&#8217;s budget deficit shot up to $1.4 billion, or 10 percent of national output, in 2016, above previously revised estimates, its finance minister said on Thursday.
Patrick Chinamasa told parliament the shortfall arose from unbudgeted subdidies to farmers, food imports following a devastating drought and support for loss-making state-owned companies in the southern African state.
The deficit increase far exceeded an initial projection of $150 million, Chinamasa told parliament. In his annual budget address last December, he said the deficit had risen to $1.18 billion but on Thursday he revised the figure upwards again.
The government initially set aside $66 million to finance farmers last year but ended spending $615 million, with most of the money borrowed from domestic banks and the central bank, according to Chinamasa.
This year&#8217;s deficit, earlier forecast at $400 million, is also expected to increase by nearly $120 million this year due to a maize subsidy, Reuters calculations show &#8211; a scheme that critics of President Robert Mugabe say will be open to abuse and saddle a troubled economy with more debt.
Chinamasa reiterated that a rebound in agriculture would see the economy grow by 3.7 percent in 2017 while revenues, at $3.7 billion, are expected to be in line with the budget forecast.
&#8220;The outlook for 2017 is very positive,&#8221; he said in a half-year budget review statement to parliament.
The IMF has urged Zimbabwe to slash public sector wages, now at more than 90 percent of the national budget, reduce farm subsidies, improve transparency in the mining sector and reach an agreement on the compensation of white farmers as a precursor to new funding from foreign lenders.

Zimbabwe budget deficit rose to $1.4BN in 2016

South Africa intends to suspend the granting of applications for prospecting and mining rights as well as any renewals pending a court case to review new mining laws, the Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Thursday.
Such a move could seriously hamper growth and investment in South Africa&#8217;s mining sector, already beset by policy uncertainty, depressed prices, soaring costs and often violent social and labour strife.
&#8220;The moratorium would ensure that any applications &#8230; are concluded in terms of the 2017 Mining Charter,&#8221; Zwane said in a statement.
The Charter is part of a wider empowerment drive in South Africa designed to rectify the disparities of apartheid that persist more than two decades since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
The Chamber of Mines said it believed the move to suspend new mining and exploration rights was &#8220;unlawful&#8221;, damaging to the sector and was beyond the minister&#8217;s powers under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.
&#8220;The effect of the notice is to pave the way for the Minister to issue a further notice to prevent the issuing of new mining and exploration rights which will have an immediate negative impact on investment in the sector,&#8221; Chamber said.
Zwane and the Chamber have been at loggerheads over the implementation of a new mining law, which includes raising the level of black ownership in mining firms.
Mining shares fell to more than one-year lows when Zwane released the revised mining charter last month, giving resource firms 12 months to meet a new 30 percent minimum for black ownership, up from 26 percent.
The Chamber has applied to the High Court to prevent implementation of the mining charter.
On Friday, the chamber said the minister had given a written undertaking that the new code would not be implemented until a court ruled on the case.
The latest move by Zwane opened up a new area of contention.
The Chamber, which has complained that mining companies were not properly consulted about the revisions to the charter, said if the minister did not back down on the mining moratorium, it would challenge the move in court.
&#8220;The Chamber is writing to the Minister to request his immediate withdrawal of the notice, failing which the Chamber will apply for an urgent interdict to suspend and review the notice,&#8221; the Chamber said.
The mining code was introduced in 2002 to increase black ownership in the mining industry after years of exclusion under apartheid. The sector accounts for about 7 percent of South Africa&#8217;s economic output.
Ratings agency Moody&#8217;s said the new rules seeking to accelerate black ownership in South Africa&#8217;s mining industry would deter investment, raise costs and diminish cashflow generation. The mining minister has defended the new code, calling it a &#8220;win-win&#8221; for all.
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SUSPENSION OF RIGHTS UNLAWFUL: CHAMBER OF MINES
South Africa&#8217;s Chamber of Mines said on Thursday it was writing to the mines minister to withdraw a threat to suspend new mining and exploration rights, saying it believed such action was &#8220;unlawful.&#8221;
The chamber, which represents South Africa&#8217;s major mining companies, said if the minister did not back down it would challenge the move in court.
Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said earlier that South Africa intends to suspend the granting of applications for prospecting and mining rights as well as any renewals pending a court case to review new mining laws.
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South Africa to suspend mining rights

By Unathi Sonwabile Henama
On the 17 July 2017, an Uber partner driver in Pretoria died after his car had been set alight five weeks earlier outside Loftus Versveld. The driver suffered severe burn wounds. Metered taxi drivers are suspected because of the turf war between Uber and the meter taxi drivers. Uber has asked for a meeting with the Minister of Police to discuss the challenges faced by the Uber partner drivers and their passengers.
In a journal article titled ‘’Uber: The South Africa Experience’’ the challenge of Uber Xenophobia is raised, where Uber experiences discrimination. The death of the Uber driver is a turning point in South Africa, indicating the failure of the state to fulfil its responsibility to create safety and security for the Uber partner drivers and their Uber passengers.
On the other side, the meter taxi industry accused Uber drivers of stealing their business, calling the ride-hailing service illegal.  Earlier this year, on the 10 March, the metered taxi drivers blocked major highways towards OR Tambo International Airport, a protest that did much to contribute to them losing more business.
<h4>Drivers and passengers attached through a syndicate</h4>
Uber partner drivers and passengers are also attacked through a syndicate of metered taxi drivers and car parking guards who attack Uber drivers because they are seen as easy targets for opportunistic crimes associated with robbery. The transient nature of Uber means that the drivers do not form the relationships that metered taxi drivers would have with the car guards in areas where they operate from.
This opportunistic crime is a classical South African challenge, institutionalised by the service delivery strikes that are associated with the looting of stores. Gautrain stations have become the turf war where the metered taxi drivers are the instigators of violence, and police vehicles have been dispatched to Gautrain stations.
Instead of focusing on their declining businesses, the violence that metered taxi drivers are using has done more to dampen customer appetite to use metered taxi than driving them away from Uber partner drivers. The world-class convenience that Uber provides has meant that insurance companies encourage their clients to use Uber instead of driving under the influence of alcohol. This has benefited the night time economy with more patrons encouraged relying on the safe transport provided by Uber.
<h4>Model of disruptive entrepreneurship</h4>
Uber is part of disruptive entrepreneurship, where humans become co-producers in providing services for consumption in the economy. It has created a whole new market that does not compete with the metered taxis and has managed to encourage those that own cars to use Uber instead and reduce their cost of living by reducing wear and tear on their cars, and the e-toll bills that harass Gauteng residents.
Uber has also been used as an alternative means of scholar transportation by thousands of parents who want a transport system that is safe, reliable and transparent. It has reduced the need for car ownership, by acting as the invisible second car for many households, which means fewer cars on the road and less pollution. Uber matches supply and demand more efficiently and does not occupy valuable parking space like the metered taxis.
An attack on Uber remains an attack on the fundamental principles of democracy, the right to choice and liberty. Metered taxi drivers display a sickening mentality that citizens have an obligation to use their metered taxis, even though they often deliver abysmal levels of service.
<h4>A form of homegrown terrorism</h4>
Instead of adapting their offerings because of increased competition from Uber, the metered taxi drivers response has been violence. This is a form of homegrown terrorism. These taxi drivers are specialists in terror. No-one has a monopoly on violence, and the meter taxi drivers must understand that acts of violence are not their exclusive preserve.
What stops the Uber partner drivers from arming themselves and responding with violence to the meter taxi drivers? This is a situation that I hope will be averted. If it is not, it will mean that South Africa will become a failed state, the Wild West in the south of Africa. An attack on Uber remains an attack on the tourism economy because tourists use Uber disproportionately. An attack on the tourism economy is an attack on South Africa, as tourism is the leading job creating sector that grew by 13% last year.
By extension, any crime against Uber is a form of treason. South Africa must ask the Minister of Transportation when the National Land Transport Amendment Bill will be enacted as law, which would legalise e-haling services provided by Uber.
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Author: Unathi Sonwabile Henama teaches tourism at the Tshwane University of Technology and writes in his personal capacity.

Op-Ed: Uber deaths – home grown terrorism?

By Rejoice Ngwenya
Thanks to much-celebrated African nationalists, I am politically independent but in desperate need of freedom. Some would argue that, despite glaring income and standard of living disparities, those living in South Africa, with its world class infrastructure and liberal constitution, are better off than other Africans.
If freedom was that simple, I would be one hell of a happy Zimbabwean. As it stands, I am at a loss as to what extent South Africans are ‘free to choose’, given the vice-grip that the ANC ruling party has on the country’s political system and stuck with a populist president burdened with all manner of accusations. But I have my own country to worry about.
Robert Mugabe and his coterie of grateful cronies have good reason to deliberately confuse independence with freedom. To them, it is a pastime fraught with gainful patronage. They may fool themselves, but they cannot fool me, or even other progressive Africans.
Ironically, we often concur that independence has strong strains of self-determination, devolution, self-rule, and self-governance. The point of departure depends on where we position ourselves on the ideological spectrum because, with even a limited knowledge of liberalism, anyone will know that communism, socialism, authoritarian dictatorship, popular leftist zealotry and ‘executive’ monarchy would not offer, by any stretch of the imagination, a morsel of true freedom.
<h4>Post-colonial nationalist dictatorship</h4>
Zimbabwe labours under the yoke of post-colonial nationalist dictatorship which pretends to allow citizens to play, worship, learn and move at will. Yet looks can be deceiving. True freedom has nothing to do with anarchy or constitutionalised multi-party democracy. Freedom is when the state keeps clear of my life; allowing constitutional institutions meant to safeguard my personal liberties to do their work, unimpeded.
Mugabe, like his counterparts in Zambia, Mozambique, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Lesotho, Swaziland, and, to a lesser extent, South Africa, epitomises this poisonous conflation of independence and freedom. It is impossible to be an executive president for 37 uninterrupted years in a free country.
When institutions and processes that govern electoral independence have been perverted with patronage and cronyism, citizens like me cannot approach the polling station with an open mind. When state media, the police, the army and traditional leaders are contaminated with patronage, designed and paid only to sing praises to an incumbent president and the ruling party, that is not freedom.
<h4>Depriving citizens of true freedom</h4>
When those like me with opposing political views cannot access public media institutions; cannot gather in public spaces to preach the alternative view without attracting the wrath of the police, that is not freedom. Even in the case of South Africa, State Capture deprives citizens of true freedom.
Is it freedom when close to three million Zimbabweans have been hounded out of a country that cannot sustain their professional and economic interests? Is it freedom when 80% of employable adults are etching subsistence livelihoods from vending stalls and underdeveloped crop fields? What about thousands of teachers who struggle on pittance salaries; thousands of civil servants who cannot afford decent shelter and food; or thousands of sick people marooned in public hospitals with no drugs – would that be our version of African freedom?
I could tell you about Mugabe’s cronies who siphon millions of dollars from diamond mines; continue to haemorrhage state companies and benefit from state tenders to line their own pockets. Would I assign that to my freedom?
<h4>How free am I?</h4>
Tell me about a justice system that confines innocent political activists to uninhabitable prisons; allows ruling party politicians to buy votes as thousands of their supporters access food relief – is that freedom? How free am I when I drive on roads that are filled with pot holes and inundated with police check points, while Mugabe squanders millions of dollars on numerous international flights? What about a defunct railway system and electricity supplies that are routinely interrupted – is that freedom?
Besides, these so-called nationalist governments have perpetrated the most heinous crimes on their fellowmen, in the name of sovereignty. Imagine if Ian Douglas Smith had murdered 20,000 white Rhodesians, would he not have been classified as a modern-day Adolph Hitler?
In the fight for independence, Mugabe’s ZANLA forces inflicted the most callous acts on thousands of villagers they labelled sell outs. These acts of unwarranted violence were never documented. The momentum of murderous retribution on political opponents was carried over to Entumbane, Gukurahundi, commercial farm invasions, Murambatsvina and the 2008 elections in the so-called ‘era of freedom’.
<h4>Human rights activists continue to be harassed</h4>
Even as you read this, hundreds of human rights activists continue to be harassed while private citizens are denied independent radio and television broadcast licences.
There is no true freedom that impoverishes its citizens, decimates industry and sends millions of young citizens into exile. There is no true freedom that rigs elections and compels villagers to vote for a party they do not support. There is no freedom that allows party deployees to monopolise state institutions to frustrate local governance.
There is no freedom that deprives a country of its own local currency and allows millions of citizens to spend cold nights outside banks queuing for $50 in coin withdrawals.
That is why I insist: thank you Mugabe and your fellow nationalists for independence but, for crying out loud, show me my freedom.
Author: Rejoice Ngwenya is a writer and head of COMALISO (Coalition for Market and Liberal Solutions) in Zimbabwe.

Op-Ed: Mugabe, thanks for independence #ShowMeMyFreedom

A Nigerian court has ordered that a $37.5 million property owned by former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke be seized, the state news agency said, as she faces charges of corruption and money laundering.
The U.S. Justice Department filed a civil complaint last Friday aimed at recovering about $144 million in assets allegedly obtained through bribes to Alison-Madueke, petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan.
Alison-Madueke&#8217;s whereabouts are unclear, but she was last known to be in Britain.
In April, she was charged in absentia with money laundering by Nigeria&#8217;s financial crimes agency. She had previously denied to Reuters any wrongdoing when questioned about missing public funds and corruption allegations.
On Wednesday the Federal High Court in the commercial capital Lagos issued the order over Alison-Madueke&#8217;s property in the city&#8217;s upmarket Banana Island district which she bought in 2013, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said.
It also ordered a temporary freeze on sums of $2.74 million and 84.54 million naira ($269,000) that were said to be part of the rent collected on the property.
The temporary seizure orders were made following an application to the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Anselem Ozioko, the barrister representing EFCC, told the court that the financial crimes agency suspected the property was acquired with the proceeds of alleged illegal activities.
($1 = 314.5000 naira)
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Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Hugh Lawson
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Nigerian court orders seizure of former oil minister’s $37.5M property

Africa&#8217;s major central banks are entering an easing cycle as they try to stimulate growth after months of drought, austerity drives and confidence issues across the continent, a Reuters poll found on Thursday.
Much of southern and eastern Africa is still recovering after an El Niño-related drought wilted crops last year. Poor business confidence in South Africa and foreign exchange restrictions in Nigeria have also hampered growth.
&#8220;We expect that African monetary policy is entering a widespread and protracted period of policy easing. This will provide a boost to growth,&#8221; said John Ashbourne, Africa analyst at Capital Economics.
Ghana, which agreed a three-year fiscal discipline deal with the International Monetary Fund in exchange for aid in 2015, cut 100 basis points from its benchmark interest rate in May and is expected to do the same on Monday, putting it at 21.50 percent.
Medians in the poll predict South Africa will make a first quarter trim of 25 basis points to 6.75 percent and while Kenya will hold steady on Monday it is expected to cut 100 basis points to 9.00 percent in the second quarter of next year.
Nigeria is expected to hold rates at 14.0 percent on Tuesday, and through this year, but will reduce borrowing costs by 175 basis points across 2018.
<h3 data-reactid="36">Battered Confidence Chips at Growth</h3>
Aly-Khan Satchu, CEO of Nairobi-based Rich Management said policymakers in Africa&#8217;s biggest economies have lost credibility and it would be difficult to regain that.
To try to reduce demand for dollars, Nigeria banned the importing of 41 items, but that only fueled the gap between the official and black market rates for its naira currency.
The policy, alongside a commodity price slump that hurt oil exports, has since 2015 forced its central bank to hike the benchmark rate 300 basis points to 14 percent as it tried to deal with much faster inflation and restore the currency&#8217;s strength.
Nigeria &#8212; Africa&#8217;s biggest economy &#8212; fell into recession for the first time in 25 years in 2016 but is expected to turn in growth of 1.0 percent this year and 2.5 percent the following.
South Africa is expected to expand 0.7 percent this year after escaping a six-month recession last quarter that was partly due to weak confidence and drought.
Confidence in South Africa&#8217;s economy has been sapped by the chopping and changing of finance ministers four time since the end of 2015 by President Jacob Zuma. The last change in March triggered a credit rating downgrade to &#8220;junk&#8221; status.
Kenya is expected to grow 5.2 percent this year and 5.9 percent next.
Growth slowed to 4.7 percent in the first quarter, hit by a credit slow down after authorities late last year capped the interest banks could charge on loans.
However, Ghana is expected to fare better than most, growing 6.1 and 6.8 percent in 2017 and 2018 respectively, supported by the IMF program, recovering from 3.5 percent last year.
On Tuesday, President Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghana would not extend its three-year aid program with the IMF beyond April 2018, but the fund urged it to do so to allow time to complete the program&#8217;s goals.
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Editing by Jonathan Cable/Jeremy Gaunt
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Africa’s major central banks embarking on policy easing cycle

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara replaced ministers in charge of defence, budget and the interior on Wednesday in a reshuffle of key cabinet positions following months of unrest, a government official announced in a statement.
The world&#8217;s top cocoa producer has endured waves of army mutinies and public sector strikes this year that have cost it hundreds of millions of dollars in pay-outs and squeezed a budget already under stress from a drop in export revenues.
The armed uprisings, which quickly swept across cities and towns across the country, also tarnished Ivory Coast&#8217;s image as a post-war success story and exposed the civilian authorities&#8217; tenuous hold on the fractious military.
Hamed Bakayoko, who had been serving as Interior Minister, took over the defence post, according to the statement read to reporters before the start to a cabinet meeting.
&#8220;We must reform the army, because an army must be disciplined,&#8221; Bakayoko told reporters after the meeting. &#8220;It&#8217;s an enormous challenge that we are going to meet together with the soldiers.&#8221;
The previous defence minister Alain-Richard Donwahi, who was the public face of the government&#8217;s repeated capitulations to the mutineers, will now head the Water and Forestry Ministry.
Sidiki Diakite, the prefect of Ivory Coast&#8217;s main city Abidjan, replaced Bakayoko at the head of the Interior Ministry.
Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly will meanwhile take on the budget portfolio, assisted by Moussa Sanogo in the role of a secretary of state.
Former Budget Minister Abdourahmane Cisse, an ex-Goldman Sachs banker seen as a rising political star in French-speaking West Africa&#8217;s largest economy, was named as a special advisor to Ouattara.
&#8220;The changes at the Budget Ministry probably came as a surprise to bondholders,&#8221; said Samir Gadio, head of Africa Strategy at Standard Chartered Bank. &#8220;That said, there has been no particular market reaction today, suggesting that investors do not expect a change in policy.&#8221;
Ivory Coast has been a darling of frontier market investors since the end of civil war in 2011. A Eurobond it launched last month raised $1.25 billion in 16-year debt and 625 million euros ($720 million) in 8-year paper.
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Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly and Ange Aboa; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Emma Farge and Toby Chopra
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Ivory Coast’s Ouattara replaces key ministers in reshuffle

University of Pretoria researchers are working with the poultry industry and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to contain the current bird flu outbreak in South Africa.
The H5N8 variant of bird flu, more correctly known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, has been reported around the world. So far, four farms in South Africa have been affected by H5N8. The disease is spread by wild bird populations, and the movement of infected poultry and contaminated clothing, shoes, equipment and vehicles. Current control measures include quarantines, movement controls, increased biosecurity and increased surveillance.
&#8220;It is important for everyone involved including consumers, to be informed about the available options and the measures in place to curb the spread,&#8221; said Professor Celia Abolnik, Research Chair: Poultry Health and Production in the Department of Production Animal Studies.
Abolnik is recognised internationally as the sub-regional expert in bird flu, and has been intimately involved in diagnosis and research for this disease. She is an expert in advanced genetic characterisation of influenza virus strains.
Members of the South African Veterinary Poultry group, a network of poultry specialists, has been meeting regularly, to assist in containing the virus and to discuss how to avoid future outbreaks, together with DAFF, the South African Poultry Association and other stakeholders.
&#8220;Poultry meat and eggs available commercially in supermarkets are completely safe and have not come from any H5N8 infected flock. The public is urged to remain vigilant and report sick or dead birds, including poultry and wild birds, to their local state veterinarian,&#8221; said Professor Abolnik.
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News

Nigeria releases first photo of ailing president in almost 80 days

South Africa needs structural reform to grow economy: OECD

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Op-Ed: Here’s why you shouldn’t be worried about Generation Z joining the workforce

Tanzania tells foreign Acacia Mining staff to leave

New approaches, sustainable partnerships needed to enhance food security in Africa

Ethiopia anti-tax protests spread

Zimbabwe budget deficit rose to $1.4BN in 2016

South Africa to suspend mining rights

Op-Ed: Uber deaths – home grown terrorism?

Op-Ed: Mugabe, thanks for independence #ShowMeMyFreedom

Nigerian court orders seizure of former oil minister’s $37.5M property

Africa’s major central banks embarking on policy easing cycle

Ivory Coast’s Ouattara replaces key ministers in reshuffle

Bird flu outbreak: University of Pretoria weighs in

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News

Nigeria releases first photo of ailing president in almost 80 days

South Africa needs structural reform to grow economy: OECD

Mauritius trade deficit widens 18.6% yr/yr in May

More than 60 ANC MPs will turn on Zuma: Malema

Henok Assefa: Ethiopian entrepreneur on the rise

Op-Ed: Here’s why you shouldn’t be worried about Generation Z joining the workforce

Tanzania tells foreign Acacia Mining staff to leave

New approaches, sustainable partnerships needed to enhance food security in Africa

Ethiopia anti-tax protests spread

Zimbabwe budget deficit rose to $1.4BN in 2016

South Africa to suspend mining rights

Op-Ed: Uber deaths – home grown terrorism?

Op-Ed: Mugabe, thanks for independence #ShowMeMyFreedom

Nigerian court orders seizure of former oil minister’s $37.5M property

Africa’s major central banks embarking on policy easing cycle

Ivory Coast’s Ouattara replaces key ministers in reshuffle

Bird flu outbreak: University of Pretoria weighs in

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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