South Africa’s ANC party, the celebrated political force that ended white-minority rule and ushered in democracy, had hoped its dominance of national politics might last for generations. But deep concerns over the country’s post-apartheid direction and President Jacob Zuma’s unpopularity have raised the sudden prospect of the African National Congress failing to win the next … Read more
South Africa’s ruling ANC party Wednesday expressed support for President Jacob Zuma after senior members openly criticised his cabinet reshuffle, citing fears of worsening corruption and economic crisis. The African National Congress acknowledged the growing calls for Zuma to resign, admitting to “serious and difficult disagreement” over his sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan … Read more
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), now struggling with internal conflicts, started out as an elite black group. The liberation movement took power in 1994, four years after the lifting of a four-decade ban linked to its fight against the white minority rule of apartheid. – 1912: On January 8, influential blacks found the … Read more
The backlash against South African President Jacob Zuma’s shock reshuffle has intensified pressure on him to resign ahead of the 2019 general election. Here are four of his possible successors: Cyril Ramaphosa, a 64-year-old veteran with strong anti-apartheid struggle credentials, came strongly against the cabinet cull which he described as “totally unacceptable”. Ramaphosa, a former … Read more
South African President Jacob Zuma’s sweeping cabinet overhaul exposes deep divisions between the ANC’s apartheid-struggle old guard and a new generation often accused of not living up to expectations. Malusi Gigaba, 45, who replaced Pravin Gordhan, 67, as finance minister is a fervent Zuma loyalist always ready to defend the president despite corruption scandals and … Read more
South African President Jacob Zuma sacked his respected finance minister and made ten new cabinet appointments late Thursday in a dramatic reshuffle widely seen as an attempt to control the selection of his successor. The ruling ANC party, which led the fight against apartheid and came to power under Nelson Mandela in 1994, was rocked … Read more
A plan by South African President Jacob Zuma to sack his respected finance minister threatened Thursday to split the African National Congress (ANC) party that led the country out of apartheid. Zuma has been at loggerheads with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan for months, and this week abruptly ordered him to return home from a foreign … Read more
South African President Jacob Zuma has vowed to sack his respected finance minister, a government coalition party confirmed Thursday, in a move which could split the African National Congress (ANC). Zuma has been at loggerheads with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan for months, and this week abruptly ordered him to return home from a foreign investment … Read more
Pravin Gordhan is seen as a safe pair of hands by the financial markets South African President Jacob Zuma’s instruction ordering Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to cancel an international investment roadshow to London has sparked speculation about a possible cabinet reshuffle. The move brings into sharp focus the divisions within his administration and within the … Read more
Chad’s former foreign minister Moussa Faki Mahamat assumed office as head of the African Union Commission on Tuesday, pledging to reform the institution and tackle the continent’s many crises. Faki takes over leadership of the 54-country continental bloc days after the United Nations announced that the food emergencies in four countries, including Somalia, South Sudan … Read more
Africa now has the unique web address .africa, equivalent to the more familiar .com, following its official launch by the African Union. AU commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma hailed its creation as the moment when Africa “got [its] own digital identity”. The AU says the .africa domain name will “bring the continent together as an … Read more
In the beginning was .com, followed by a host of other .somethings, but on Friday, 32 years after the world’s first domain name was registered, the African Union has launched .africa for the continent. Africans who want to register a website will be able to apply for a .africa domain name in the coming months, … Read more
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is tipped to take over from her ex-husband as president of South Africa – but a Xhosa royal family is not convinced she is up to the job… because she is a woman. Xhanti Sigcawu, the brother of King Mpendulo Sigcawu, told South Africa’s News24 that he agreed she might be too “delicate”: … Read more
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the African Union’s theme for 2017 – “Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in the Youth” – is essentially a pact leaders on the Continent have made “with both present and future generations to leave them a better legacy than we inherited from our forebears.” … Read more
VOTE OF THANKS DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE 28TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE AFRICAN UNION, ON JANUARY 31, 2017, IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA. Ghana and my modest person are honoured by the invitation of the newly installed Chairperson … Read more
Former President John Dramani Mahama has joined in the ongoing global condemnation of the President of the United States, Donald Trump over his decision to ban refugees from some selected countries from traveling in America. According to the former Ghanaian president, the ongoing African Union Summit should deliberate over the issue and address it accordingly. … Read more
The African Union (AU) swore into office new officials who were voted on Monday, January 30, 2017, the first day of the 28th Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Heads of State elected former Chadian Foreign Minister, Moussa Faki Mahamat to replace former AU Commission (AUC) chief, South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Faki … Read more
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the African Union’s theme for 2017 – “Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in the Youth” – is essentially a pact leaders on the Continent have made “with both present and future generations to leave them a better legacy than we inherited from our forebears.” … Read more
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has called on the new Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, to take the lead in effecting reforms at the UN, so as to promote and deepen international co-operation. According to President Akufo-Addo, with the reform of the Security Council being the most debated topic … Read more
Morocco has been readmitted into the African Union on Monday since it left in 1984 after the organisation’s recognition of the independence of Western Sahara. The readmission was approved during the 28th AU Summit in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa after Morocco formally announced its wish to rejoin six months ago. According to Senegalese President Macky … Read more