ABUJA (Reuters) &#8211; A Nigerian tribunal dismissed charges against the Senate president, the country&#8217;s third most powerful politician, of false declaration of assets on Wednesday.
Senate President Bukola Saraki&#8217;s time at the helm of Nigeria&#8217;s upper parliamentary chamber has been marred by numerous accusations of misconduct and investigations, though none have stuck.
Last October, he was cleared of altering Senate rules to get himself elected.
President Muhammadu Buhari, now halfway through his four-year term, came to power on a mandate to clean up corruption. But halfway through his four-year term, the results have been mixed, and one of his own senior advisors was suspended after a Senate investigation into embezzlement.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal cleared Saraki of the charges made in 2015, saying that the prosecutor and Code of Conduct Bureau&#8217;s case did not have enough substance to incriminate the Senate president.
A spokesman for Saraki did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.
The original charges from 2015 mostly related to the ownership of land held by Saraki&#8217;s company Carlisle Properties Ltd between 2003 and 2011.
Other charges related to his transfer of $3.4 million to an account outside Nigeria while he was governor of Kwara state, and sending 1.5 million pounds sterling to a European account to cover a mortgage for a London property.
At the time, the Senate president&#8217;s camp denied the allegations of wrongdoing.
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh, Writing by Paul Carsten, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Nigerian tribunal clears charges against Senate president

The wife of Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane was shot dead late on Wednesday, just hours after her husband&#8217;s inauguration, raising fears of another wave of political violence in the southern African mountain kingdom.
Police spokesperson Clifford Molefe said Lipolelo Thabane, 58, was traveling home with a friend when both women where shot by an unknown assailant in the town of Masana, just outside the capital, Maseru.
Molefe said Lipolelo died on the scene while her friend was taken to a nearby hospital. Molefe said the motive of the shooting was unknown and that investigations were ongoing.
Lesotho, which has been on a political knife-edge since an attempted coup in 2014, held elections last week, the third in five years, after then-prime minister Pakalitha Mosisili lost a no-confidence vote in March.
Thabane&#8217;s All Basotho Convention won 48 parliamentary seats, compared with 30 won by Mosisili&#8217;s Democratic Congress.
Thabane and Lipolelo had been living separately since 2012 after Thabane filed for a divorce which had yet to be granted by the courts.
Thabane&#8217;s office was unreachable for comment.
(Reporting by Marafaele Mohloboli; Writing by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Ed Cropley)

New Lesotho Prime Minister’s wife shot dead: police

NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; Acacia Mining&#8217;s &#8220;very existence&#8221; has been jeopardised by accusations of wrongdoing levelled against it by the Tanzanian government, chief executive Brad Gordon said in an internal memo seen by Reuters.
In the memo, Gordon denied accusations of tax evasion and forging documents to avoid paying taxes. He also said the firm operated through locally registered subsidiaries, contrary to a government accusation it had been operating illegally.
Acacia has been caught up in President John Magufuli&#8217;s campaign to reform the mining industry, a key source of foreign exchange for the East African country. The sector accounts for 4 percent of Tanzania&#8217;s gross domestic product.
(Reporting by David Lewis; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Ed Cropley)

Tanzania claims threaten Acacia’s “very existence”: CEO

When I was elected Leader of the Democratic Alliance two years ago, I received an overwhelming mandate to grow the party by bringing South Africans of all races together. Since then, we have set our sights on unseating the ANC from government in order to save our country.
This project has never been more urgent. A corrupt cabal has captured the state for the purpose of personal enrichment, and our governing party appears powerless to act against it. As a result, our country faces an unprecedented economic crisis with jobs being lost every day.
If ever there was a time for unity of purpose, this is it. It is therefore deeply unfortunate that, over the last few weeks, we have expended energy dealing with Helen Zille’s tweet of 16 March and the fall-out that resulted from it.
Let me say from the outset that Helen Zille’s record in fighting apartheid and her contribution to a democratic South Africa speaks for itself. But there is no question that her tweet and subsequent defence of it did damage to race relations in our country and set us back as a party.
All of us, especially leaders in our society, must remain mindful that colonialism was not a victimless crime. Many South Africans suffered directly under colonialism and apartheid, and continue to be disadvantaged by the legacy of colonialism and apartheid.
I was personally angered by Helen Zille’s tweet and I know that many others were as well. This is why I took immediate action to correct the impression that these were the DA’s views. I wanted people to understand that, under my leadership, the DA is working work hard to reconcile South Africans – black and white – in pursuit of a common vision of progress and prosperity for all.
Over the last few weeks, I have had several engagements with Helen Zille on the subject of her tweet. We have not always agreed on everything, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. As I said when I was elected in 2015:
“All of us are animated by the idea of building a better tomorrow. All of us carry the belief that, out of the ashes of apartheid, a prosperous and united South Africa can emerge. 
Sometimes we disagree with each other because we care so much about the future we want to build. And that is okay.
It is healthy for us to engage in robust debate. But, equally, there is no room in this party for those who seek to divide, or those who mobilise on race.
We must challenge each other’s ideas in a constructive manner. For this is how we learn from each other and grow stronger.”
As Leader, my job is to listen, to engage and to set the political direction of the party. In the course of our engagements Helen Zille realised that her tweet and some of the communication that followed was hurtful to many people, and particularly black South Africans. Her acknowledgement of this was a huge step forward for us.
It was important to me that Helen offered the South African public a fulsome and unqualified apology, and I am glad to say that she is now prepared to do that. Her willingness to admit wrongdoing and apologise is a quality that I believe sets her apart from many other political leaders in our country.
Helen has agreed that it is in the best interests of the party for her to vacate her position on all decision-making structures of the party, including the Federal Executive, Federal Council and Provincial Council. In addition, her political communication from this point onward will focus on matters relating to the Western Cape provincial government where she will remain Premier. If she wishes to communicate on any other political issues, she will abide by the sign-off protocols of the Democratic Alliance.
Our nation has a proud history of reconciliation and we must, wherever possible, put aside our differences in pursuit of the common good. I believe this agreement allows us to draw a line under an unfortunate episode and to move on in the best interests of all South Africans.
This has not been an easy decision. The alternative was to become embroiled in a protracted legal battle in the lead-up to the 2019 election. I have no doubt that this would have done further damage to the project we have embarked upon, to the detriment of every South African committed to non-racialism and constitutionalism.
We have made huge progress in the last few years, particularly in the cities we won in the 2016 election. Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay are beginning to see the fruits of good, clean government with better services being rolled out to all, and particularly the poor and marginalised.
The Democratic Alliance will continue to build a future that is free of oppression, where every person has the opportunity to prosper and a live a life of value and dignity. This is our historic mission. We now need to redouble our efforts to make it a reality.
  
Apology by Helen Zille
After a period of debate and reflection, I recognise the offence caused by my tweet on 16 March 2017 with regard to the legacy of colonialism. I therefore apologise unreservedly to the South African public who were offended by this tweet and my subsequent explanation of it.
In South Africa, colonialism and apartheid subjugated and oppressed a majority, and benefitted a minority, on the basis of race.  This is indeed indefensible, and I do not support, justify, praise or promote it.
I realise the wounds of history that my tweet and subsequent defence of it has opened. In particular, I recognise that my actions were insensitive to South Africans who suffered under colonial oppression. For this, I am genuinely sorry.
During this period I have made public utterances that have had the effect of undermining the Leader of the Democratic Alliance and the project he is leading. I greatly regret this.  Mmusi Maimane is the democratically elected Leader of the DA and we must all get behind his leadership.
My intention now is to do everything I can to restore the public trust that has been eroded. Now, more than ever, we need to unite behind a shared vision of one nation, with one future.

SA main opposition party Premier apologises for offensive colonialism tweet

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s rand inched higher early on Tuesday, adding to the previous session&#8217;s gains, with focus on political uncertainty in Britain and the United States trumping local concerns in a search for yield.
At 0640 GMT, the rand traded 0.16 percent firmer at 12.8000 per dollar compared to close of 12.8200 overnight in New York.
The rand has gained around 1.2 percent since Moody&#8217;s downgraded the country&#8217;s credit by one notch on Friday with a negative outlook, but leaving it the only major agency to rate South Africa as investment grade.
Last Thursday&#8217;s shock election result in Britain which left Prime Minister Theresa May short of a parliamentary majority has sent jitters through developed markets. A probe into firing of FBI head also stymieing dollar progress.
The focus shifts to the meeting of U.S. Federal Reserve. The bank is widely expected to raise interest rates, with investors looking for fresh hints on the pace of tightening in coming months.
South African bonds were flat, with the yield on benchmark 2026 government bond unchanged at 8.48 percent.
(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana)
&nbsp;

South Africa’s rand inches ahead as political worries stall major currencies

Chris Mfula | LUSAKA
Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, who is facing treason charges for impeding a presidential motorcade, has been moved from a prison in Lusaka to a maximum security facility outside the capital, a prison source said on Friday.
Hichilema and five others who were moved with him are accused of trying to overthrow the government after a column of opposition vehicles failed to make way for President Edgar Lungu.
The case has stoked political tensions in what is regarded as one of Africa&#8217;s more stable and functional democracies following a bruising election last year.
<blockquote>&#8220;They arrived at Mukobeko this morning,&#8221; a source told Reuters, referring to a maximum security prison in Kabwe, about 150 km (90 miles) north of Lusaka.</blockquote>
Hichilema lawyer Jack Mwiimbu confirmed Hichilema had been moved but said he did not know where to.
<blockquote>&#8220;We are not privy to where they have been taken. They were taken to the City Airport and flown to an unknown destination,&#8221; he told Reuters.</blockquote>
The move went against a court order specifying Hichilema should be confined to Lusaka Central prison, he added.
Home Affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo could not be reached for comment.
Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development, was arrested in April when police raided his home and charged him with trying to overthrow the government.
An economist and businessman widely known by his &#8220;HH&#8221; initials, Hichilema was defeated in August by Lungu in an election he denounced as fraudulent. His attempts to mount a legal challenge have been unsuccessful.
(Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Ed Cropley)
&nbsp;

Zambia opposition leader moved to maximum security prison

Tanisha Heiberg | JOHANNESBURG
South Africa&#8217;s ruling African National Congress must put a stop to public spats and unite to avoid handing the advantage to its opponents, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.
&#8220;We must unite and close ranks and find solutions to the challenges we face,&#8221; Zuma told veterans of the ANC&#8217;s military wing. &#8220;We cannot afford anymore self-inflicted pain.&#8221;
The ANC has become increasingly divided over Zuma&#8217;s leadership in recent months due to a string of corruption scandals, diminishing public support and economic instability caused partly by a cabinet reshuffle in March.
(Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Ed Stoddard)

South Africa’s Zuma calls for end to ANC infighting

<ul>
<li>The U.K. voted in a general election on Thursday and so far, PM May&#8217;s ruling Conservative party is in the lead.</li>
<li>An exit poll released on Thursday night indicated the Conservatives would win the most seats but lose its parliamentary majority.</li>
<li>Results for key seats continue to roll in.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/nyshka-chandran/" rel="author">Nyshka Chandran</a> | <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/david-reid/" rel="author">David Reid</a> | <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/gemma-acton/" rel="author">Gemma Acton</a>
With the bulk of seats now declared in the general election, the <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/united-kingdom/" target="_self">U.K.</a> now faces a hung parliament.
<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/08/live-final-minutes-of-voting-in-uk-general-election.html" target="_self">Among the announced seats so far</a>, Prime Minister <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/theresa-may/" target="_self">Theresa May</a>&#8216;s ruling Conservative party has won 309 while the opposition Labour Party, led by <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/08/jeremy-corbyn-labour-leader-uk-election-manifesto-policies.html" target="_self">Jeremy Corbyn</a>, has gained 258. Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party has won 34 seats, the Liberal Democrats are at 12 and the Democratic Unionist Party has secured 10. Voter turnout was at 68.6 percent, according to the BBC.
There are 650 seats in total — 326 are required for a party to secure a parliamentary majority.
Reuters calculations on Friday also indicated May could no longer win a parliamentary majority.
A <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/08/uk-election-hung-parliament-2017-result-conservative-labour-may-corbyn.html" target="_self">hung parliament</a> — a situation in which multiple parties hammer out a coalition government — arises when neither party secures the 326 seats needed for a majority. Investors aren&#8217;t thrilled about that situation as passing legislation can be difficult with two parties that each hold strong political priorities.
Earlier, a BBC exit poll had indicated the Conservatives would win the greatest number of seats but lose its majority in Parliament — a scenario expected to hurt <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/08/uk-election-theresa-mays-future-tough-brexit-ahead.html" target="_self">upcoming Brexit negotiations as well as May&#8217;s political future</a>, according to strategists.
<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/08/british-pound-sterling-after-uk-election-exit-poll.html" target="_self">The British pound dropped sharply in Asian trade on Friday,</a> briefly falling below the $1.27 handle to a multi-month low. The currency has since recovered to linger around $1.2759.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-127887 size-large" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/JC-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="360" />
<h4 class="subtitle">&#8216;May should step down&#8217;</h4>
<div class="group">
After winning his seat back in Islington, North London, early on Friday, 68 year-old Corbyn called for May to step down. &#8220;People have said they have quite enough of austerity politics,&#8221; he said in a speech. &#8220;The PM called this election because she wanted a mandate. Well, the mandate she&#8217;s got is lost Conservative seats, lost votes, lost support and lost confidence.&#8221;
Betting exchange Betfair said that Corbyn was the favorite to become U.K. Prime Minister, Reuters reported.
In a speech on Friday, May said it will be incumbent on her party to offer stability if Conservatives win the most seats.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon called the early results &#8220;disastrous&#8221; for PM May and expressed disappointment over the SNP&#8217;s performance, Reuters said.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. London time Thursday and closed at 10:00 p.m, with the main flurry of results coming in after 2.00 a.m. London time Friday.
</div>
<iframe loading="lazy" src="http://player.cnbc.com/p/gZWlPC/cnbc_global?playertype=synd&amp;byGuid=3000625830&amp;size=530_298" width="530" height="298" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&#8216;A big miscalculation&#8217;
<div class="group-container ">
<div class="group">
On April 18, PM May surprised onlookers by calling a snap election— a decision aimed at strengthening her mandate to see the country through a hard Brexit. At that point, the Conservatives were polling ahead of Labour but as the campaign progressed, the polls narrowed sharply.
The Conservative campaign has attempted to focus on <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/brexit/" target="_self">withdrawal from the European Union</a>, repeating a mantra that only it can offer a &#8220;strong and stable&#8221; government as negotiations with Brussels heat up. This strategy has worked to an extent, with polls on leadership consistently backing May over Corbyn as a more trusted leader.
Corbyn has said he will honor the U.K.&#8217;s decision to leave but he&#8217;s widely expected to push for <a href="http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000625251" target="_self">a soft Brexit</a> and retain the benefits of the single market, a tariff free trading bloc for E.U. members.
&#8220;We have seen two dramatic political miscalculations by two conservative (U.K.) PMs in a short time span, it&#8217;s incredible,&#8221; said Heather Conley, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
</div>
</div>
<div class="group-container last">
<h4 class="subtitle">Terror comes to the fore</h4>
<div class="group">
The U.K. has suffered <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/05/civil-liberties-in-focus-after-uk-terror-attack.html" target="_self">three separate incidents of &#8220;terror attacks&#8221; in just three months</a>, pushing the issue of security to the fore of the election as both main parties accused each other of weakness.
Corbyn was criticized in the media for appearing weak on a &#8220;shoot to kill&#8221; policy and has apologized for statements made in the past describing Middle East factions Hamas and Hezbollah as &#8220;friends.&#8221;
Conservatives also felt a backlash. In her previous role as Home Secretary, May was responsible for cutting of the U.K.&#8217;s police force numbers — a decision that many believed put the nation at a greater risk of terror.
</div>
</div>

UK faces hung parliament; Corbyn calls for May to step down

Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo | JOHANNESBURG
Business confidence in South Africa fell to a seven-month low in May, hit by political tension, doubts over the course of economic policy and credit ratings downgrades, a survey showed on Wednesday.
The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry&#8217;s (SACCI) monthly business confidence index (BCI) fell to 93.2 in May &#8211; the lowest since October &#8211; from 94.9 in April.
(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
&nbsp;

South Africa’s business confidence at seven-months low in May: survey

Felix Onuah | ABUJA
Nigeria&#8217;s President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to fly home from London and arrive back in the country on Saturday, two presidency sources said, ending his second long break for medical leave in Britain this year.
Buhari left Abuja on May 7 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, 74, travelled to Britain last month for what his office described as medical tests. Officials have refused to disclose details of his medical condition. His first absence began in January and lasted nearly two months.
His wife Aisha Buhari, in a statement issued by State House, expressed appreciation for the support of Nigerians and said &#8220;he will soon be with them as he is recuperating fast&#8221;.
(Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
&nbsp;

Nigeria’s President Buhari is recuperating fast, wife says

Ori Lewis | JERUSALEM
Israel&#8217;s ambassador to Senegal will return to his post after he was recalled last year following Dakar&#8217;s support of a U.N. Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.
The announcement was made after a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Senegal President Macky Sall on the sidelines of an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gathering in Liberia
Netanyahu addressed ECOWAS as a guest speaker on Sunday and met several African leaders, including Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the president of Mali, a Muslim state with whom Israel has no diplomatic relations.
A statement from Netanyahu&#8217;s office said Senegal had agreed to support Israel&#8217;s candidacy to become an observer nation at the Organisation of African Unity.
The two states also agreed to resume joint projects and cooperation in security and agriculture, the statement added.
Senegal, New Zealand, Malaysia and Venezuela, sponsored last December&#8217;s Security Council resolution demanding Israel end its settlement activity on occupied territory which the Palestinians hope will be part of an eventual independent state.
Netanyahu recalled the envoys to Senegal and New Zealand, Israel has no diplomatic ties with Malaysia and Venezuela.
The resolution passed in the 15-member Security Council because the United States, under the administration of former president Barack Obama, broke with its long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not wield its veto power, instead abstaining.
(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
&nbsp;

Israel and Senegal end diplomatic rift after leaders’ meeting

TJ Strydom | JOHANNESBURG
The former head of South Africa&#8217;s power utility Eskom has approached the courts to overturn his sacking, local media reported on Sunday.
Eskom was told to remove chief executive Brian Molefe last week after members of the ruling African National Congress criticised his reinstatement just two weeks ago, given he resigned last year amid allegations of graft.
Molefe has launched an urgent application in the Labour Court in Johannesburg to have the decision to remove him declared invalid, the Timeslive website reported.
Eskom and Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown were listed as respondents, the report said. Neither Eskom nor Brown&#8217;s spokesman could immediately be reached for comment by Reuters.
Molefe resigned in November after a report by the Public Protector, a constitutionally mandated corruption watchdog, raised questions over Eskom coal contracts awarded to a company owned by the Gupta family, wealthy friends of President Jacob Zuma.
Zuma&#8217;s opponents said Molefe&#8217;s return was a new attempt to access contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Government ministers have said the Guptas have offered to secure them promotions in return for tenders.
Zuma and the Gupta family deny wrongdoing. Molefe also denies any wrongdoing and said he resigned in the first place in the interest of good governance and stability.
(Reporting by TJ Strydom)

South Africa power utility’s former CEO to challenge sacking in court

TJ Strydom
South African President Jacob Zuma has denied owning a &#8220;palace&#8221; in the United Arab Emirates, his office said on Sunday, after local media reported that an influential family bought him a home in the wealthy Gulf state.
Graft accusations in more than 100,000 leaked documents and e-mails last week heaped more pressure on the scandal-plagued Zuma only days after he survived a no-confidence vote by members of his own party&#8217;s top body.
South Africa&#8217;s Sunday Times newspaper reported that several independent sources had told it that the Gupta family had bought Zuma a retirement home for 330 million rand ($25 million) in an upmarket suburb of Dubai.
The newspaper did not name the sources, but said they included businessmen, senior officials in the ruling African National Congress and people close to the Zuma family. It also cited some of the leaked e-mails.
The Gupta family, wealthy Indian-born businessmen whose companies have contracts with state-owned firms, have denied all allegations of influence-peddling or improper dealings and through a spokesman last week labeled the e-mails &#8220;fake news&#8221;.
&#8220;President Zuma does not own any property outside South Africa and has not requested anybody to buy property for him abroad,&#8221; his office said in a statement, adding that the report about a &#8220;palace&#8221; in Dubai was a &#8220;fabrication&#8221;.
&#8220;The president has also not received or seen the reported emails and has no knowledge of them,&#8221; his office said.
South Africa&#8217;s anti-graft watchdog called in November for a judge to investigate alleged influence peddling in Zuma&#8217;s government and focused on allegations that the brothers, Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, influenced appointments of ministers.
Zuma is fighting the report in court and has not appointed a judicial commission to investigate. He denies any wrongdoing.
Last year, South Africa&#8217;s top court found that Zuma had failed to uphold the constitution by ignoring instructions to pay back some of the $16 million in state funds spent on renovations at his private home.
(Reporting by TJ Strydom; editing by Mark Heinrich)

South Africa’s Zuma denies owning ‘palace’ in Dubai

People in Lesotho voted in a national election on Saturday just two years after the previous one as the Southern African kingdom struggles with political instability.
The nation of 2 million people has been hit by several coups since independence from Britain in 1966 and army troops were on duty until the polls closed at 1500 GMT on Saturday.
Election officials expect results to start trickling in early on Sunday.
King Letsie III has been head of state of the landlocked country, which is surrounded by South Africa, since independence from Britain in 1996.
But political leadership has been volatile in recent years with the last two elections failing to produce a winner with a clear majority.
Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, who had been in power since 2015, lost a confidence vote in parliament in March after several defections by ruling coalition lawmakers to the opposition eroded his support.
Democratic Congress party leader Mosisili&#8217;s main rival is All Basotho Convention head Thomas Thabane, who governed from 2012 until 2015. Thabane cast his ballot mid-morning at the Makhoakhoeng polling station in the capital Maseru.
<blockquote>&#8220;I would like to see a changed Lesotho,&#8221; said Fanie Manyathela, speaking at the Makhoakhoeng polling station. &#8220;For way too long we have seen a lot of instability and insecurity causing other people to flee the country.&#8221;</blockquote>
Lesotho, with very little in terms of industry or commercial agriculture, relies heavily on remittances from relatives working on the farms and in the mines of neighboring South Africa.
&#8220;We are growing and we need people that will listen to us when we speak to them,&#8221; Peter Jonas told Reuters at the polling station.
Lesotho, source of some of South Africa&#8217;s largest rivers and home to a multi-phase dam project to with a long-term water supply, is of strategic importance to its much larger and more powerful neighbor.
(Reporting by Marafaele Mohloboli and Dinky Mkhize, Writing by TJ Strydom, editing by Angus MacSwan)

Lesotho votes just two years after previous election amid instability

MacDonald Dzirutwe | MARONDERA
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe called on Friday for unity in his ruling ZANU-PF party, which has been riven by infighting over who will eventually succeed the world&#8217;s oldest leader.
Mugabe, 93, has ruled the southern African nation since independence from Britain in 1980 and wants to seek another five-year term next year, his last under the constitution, despite concerns over his health.
The veteran leader, who looks increasingly frail, has made two trips this year to Singapore for medical checks, which his spokesman said were related to his eyes. Private media have reported that Mugabe has prostate cancer, which officials deny.
Addressing a ZANU-PF youth rally in Marondera town, some 70 kilometres (43 miles) east of the capital Harare, Mugabe said different party factions were preoccupied with plotting how to take over from him, saying some of the plots had assumed tribal overtones.
<blockquote>    &#8220;That kills the party. Stop it, stop it. We do not want to start to fight each other before the time comes,&#8221; Mugabe said.
&#8220;Be at peace, the time will come, it&#8217;s certainly coming. Congress will decide,&#8221; Mugabe said, referring to the five-year gathering of the party that chooses the ZANU-PF leader, due to take place in 2019 when Mugabe will be 95.</blockquote>
Some party officials have been privately lobbying for the meeting to be brought forward to December, allowing Mugabe&#8217;s successor to contest next year&#8217;s vote.
Friday&#8217;s rally was meant to see Mugabe making a pitch to youth voters ahead of the 2018 elections, and the veteran leader spoke for more than an hour, promising to hand over farms and fund construction of housing apartments for youths.
Young people make up nearly half the population and bear the brunt of chronic unemployment. They are also the ones most likely to turn their backs on ZANU-PF, either by supporting the opposition or leaving the country for better economic prospects.
ZANU-PF youth leader Kudzai Chipanga said young party members would support no one except Mugabe for president.
<blockquote>    &#8220;As long as you are there, you are our life president. There is no one with a name that qualifies to go on the ballot box except that of Gushungo (Mugabe&#8217;s clan name),&#8221; said Chipanga.</blockquote>
Critics accuse Mugabe of wrecking one of Africa&#8217;s most promising economies through policies such as violent seizures of white-owned commercial farms and money printing. He and his party say the economy has been undermined by western powers.
(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Helen Popper)

Zimbabwe’s Mugabe tells allies to stop fighting over his successor

Mfuneko Toyana | PRETORIA
South Africa&#8217;s Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Friday he would not be implicated in documents leaked to the media that allegedly expose influence-peddling in government.
Gigaba said allegations he was involved in anything untoward were &#8220;made to impugn my integrity and is meant to divert us from the work of transformation and growing the economy&#8221; adding that he had &#8220;done no wrong&#8221;.
Some South African media reported on Thursday they had access to over 100,000 leaked documents and emails that showed improper dealings in lucrative government contracts by business friends of President Jacob Zuma.
(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Writing by TJ Strydom; Editing by Joe Brock)
http://cnbc.africa/trending/state-capture/2017/06/02/south-african-graft-accusations-expose-split-anc-zuma/

South Africa’s Gigaba says not implicated in leaked documents

Joe Brock | JOHANNESBURG
The ruling African National Congress said on Friday it is gravely concerned by leaked documents alleging influence-peddling by friends of President Jacob Zuma, deepening a divide in South Africa&#8217;s ruling party over its leader.
Some South African media reported on Thursday they had access to over 100,000 leaked documents and emails that showed improper dealings in lucrative government contracts by business friends of Zuma.
The latest allegations of influence-peddling may deepen divisions in the ANC as factions battle for control ahead of a party conference in December where a successor to the beleaguered, scandal-plagued Zuma will be chosen. Zuma can remain as head of state until an election in 2019.
Zuma and the Gupta family, wealthy Indian-born businessmen whose companies have contracts with state-owned firms, have not commented but have denied similar allegations in the past. Reuters could not independently verify the new allegations.
&#8220;These reports contain very worrying claims about the nature of the relationship between government and private interests,&#8221; the ANC said in a statement, calling on government to urgently establish the veracity of the leaks.
&#8220;The ANC views these allegations in a very serious light as, if left unattended, they call into question the integrity and credibility of the government.&#8221;
The statement appeared to contradict Zuma, who said at a parliamentary session on Thursday that he was not interested in &#8220;hearsay&#8221; published in newspapers.
A backroom schism in the ANC over Zuma has burst into the open in recent weeks as his opponents seek to oust him or ensure his chosen candidate does not take over the reins.
Analysts say Zuma&#8217;s camp will back his ex-wife and former African Union chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in December, while another faction will support Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
ANC SPLIT IN TWO
&#8220;This week we have seen there are clearly two ANCs,&#8221; said political analyst Daniel Silke.
&#8220;One ANC sees very little wrong with crony capitalism, kickbacks and shady payments. The other ANC sees the reputation of the party among the electorate disintegrating and fear the real possibility they could lose power.&#8221;
Opposition parties have made upbeat comments about unseating the ANC in 2019, an unthinkable scenario a few years ago for a party that has led comfortably since it swept to power under Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid in 1994.
Zuma survived a call to resign at an ANC meeting last week due to disputes over political appointments and his friendship with the Gupta family.
Parliament is expected to hold a no-confidence vote in Zuma later this year but he has survived similar attempts before.
When Zuma sacked respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March, three of the top six members of the ANC, including Ramaphosa, openly criticising his decision, breaking the party&#8217;s strict rule of showing unity in public.
Gordhan&#8217;s replacement Malusi Gigaba has been accused of having close ties to the Guptas. Gigaba said on Friday that he had done nothing wrong and the leaked documents would not link him to the family.
(Additional reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, TJ Strydom and Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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