South Africa Congratulates DRC President-elect

21/01/2019

President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the President-elect of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, following the ruling of the Constitutional Court which confirmed his victory.

On Sunday, the DRC Constitutional Court confirmed Tshisekedi as the winner of the December elections after rejecting a legal appeal by the runner-up.

According to the court, Tshisekedi, a candidate of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), won the elections with more than 38.5% of the vote, while his close rival Martin Fayulu, another opposition candidate, garnered around 28% of the vote.

They were followed by Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a candidate of the ruling coalition.

After Tshisekedi was declared the winner of the election last week, Fayulu rejected the result, claiming that he grabbed at least 61% of the vote, and filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court.

At least two people have been killed in that country as violence broke out following the announcement of the interim election results.

President Ramaphosa on Sunday called on all parties and stakeholders in the DRC to respect the decision of the Constitutional Court and commit to continue with the journey of consolidating peace, uniting the people of Congo and creating a better life for all.

“Now that the highest court in the land has ruled, all the people of Congo and all stakeholders are urged to accept the outcome of the court and move on to consolidate democracy and preserve peace, stability and security of the country,” the President said.

He reiterated the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, in keeping with United Nations Charter, the African Union Constitutive Act and the Southern African Development Community Treaty.

Further, President Ramaphosa emphasised the need for the full implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region. He assured Tshisekedi and the people of the DRC of South Africa’s continued commitment to support them in the journey to peace, stability, security and development. – SAnews.gov.za

South African Government Enforces Restrictions To Curtail FMD Outbreak

21/01/2019

Ramaphosa Pix — President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has reiterated that no live cloven hooved animals may be moved within the area affected by foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Vhembe District.

This follows the outbreak of FMD in Vhembe and Capricorn Districts in Limpopo.

“No live cloven hooved animals are allowed to move into, within, through and out of the area. Law enforcement has been reinforced and any animals found to be moved around will be confiscated by the police and destroyed,” the department said.

The department said following a meeting between DAFF Minister Senzeni Zokwana and industry, the technical task team met on 16 January and shared information and advice.

After agreeing on the terms of reference, the technical task team has agreed to limit the area being vaccinated to make the long term management of the disease easier, provided this does not compromise the disease control efforts.

The task team also agreed to increase police visibility and provide feed for the affected villages in order to limit the movements and interactions of animals at grazing sites.

“Two sets of teams have started work in the area. Seventeen vaccination teams working in the possibly infected areas are conducting inspections and vaccinations, and four inspection teams are working in the ‘clean’ area to determine the extent of the outbreak. Four thousand and twenty-one animals in nine villages have been vaccinated so far.

“To date, the disease has been confirmed in two villages. Following reports of clinical signs, three more villages are being followed up, samples have been submitted to the laboratory and the results are expected early next week,” the department said.

The Limpopo Department of Agriculture has since provided feed to the affected animal owners and letters have been sent to 20 trade partners and trade of processed products is starting to flow.

Areas with boundaries

Northern boundary, R524 road from Makhado to Thohoyandou up to the Kruger National Park (KNP) fence.
Western boundary, N1 Highway from Makhado to the point where the R36 road crosses the N1 Highway.
Southern boundary, R36 road from the N1 Highway to Mooketsi. Along the Mooketsi/Giyani Road (R81) from Mooketsi to where the road crosses the Little Letaba River. Along the Little Letaba River up to the fence of the KNP.
Eastern boundary, the KNP fence.

The department has reassured consumers that the product on the shelves is safe for consumption.

“The reason trade is interrupted is because FMD is a highly trade sensitive disease, which calls for trade partners to suspend trade with countries infected.”

The department said it is confident that this is a temporary setback, and it is working with industries to motivate the resumption of trade in safe products.

SAnews.gov.za

SDGs: Nile University Hosts Training Program for 70 Students.

20/01/2019

Seyifunmi Adebote:

Educational institutions in Nigeria are well positioned to communicate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, especially among young people.

No doubt, Nigerian Universities, when they accept this responsibility, can play a central role in promoting the Global Goals to deliver a better, more sustainable future for all.

On Tuesday, January 15, 2019, the International Climate Change Development Initiative through her SDGs4Universities program trained 70 selected students from the Nile University, Abuja. The program which held at the Conference Hall of the University was targeted to introduce the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework to young students across African Universities and more specifically to engage them to take tailored, innovative actions in their local community that have the potentials to birth global transformation.

According to the Director of Student Affairs, Nile University, Mrs. Aleshinloye, “We believe the Sustainable Development Goals will expose our students to understand how they can make social impacts beyond educational knowledge, as well as, interact with other young people doing amazing things in their communities. Our university will always welcome opportunities like this that helps us to amplify our efforts towards sustainability and sharing best practices to inspire students to implement their own plans.”

Making a presentation at the SDGs4Universities, Semiye Michael, one of 2018 United Nations Goalkeeper and the co-founder of DEAN Initiative shared with the students present some of his solution-based actions towards driving the SDGs in Nigeria. Another speaker, Rita Idehai explained how students can identify some social challenges prevalent in Nigerian Universities what measures the students can take to bring about solutions.

Rose Keffas, a special adviser to Princess Adejoke Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President, from the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the SDGs inaugurated a 20-man SDGs Ambassador group. This group of students will be further trained and equipped on ways of better advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in Nile University, demanding accountability from government and creating solutions to social challenges.

According to the SDGs4University project coordinator, Olumide Idowu, “We are taking this project to many other universities across Nigeria to promote knowledge and action about the Global Goals among young people in Universities across Nigeria – private and public.

South African Electoral Commission Approves Deposits For Parties Contesting 2019 Elections

20/01/2019

By Joseph Edegbo:

The South African Electoral Commission has approved election deposits for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections of R200 000 for parties wishing to contest national elections and R45 000 per provincial election contested.

The IEC said the amounts are the same as those used in the 2014 national and provincial elections, meaning it is a significant reduction in the amount in real terms.

“The final determination of the deposits by the commission followed the publication of the proposed amounts for public comment in October 2018. A total of 14 submissions were received from political parties and other stakeholders. The submissions ranged between calls for an increase in the deposit amounts, retaining the proposed amounts, and a decrease or the scrapping of deposits,” the IEC said.

In making a determination of the final deposit amounts, the commission said it has considered all the submissions along with local and international practice.

“The practice of prescribing election deposits has been part of our electoral democratic reality in South Africa since 1994. In setting the amount, the commission sought to strike a judicious balance between an amount so high that it unfairly impairs the ability of potential electoral contestants and an amount so low that it fails to dissuade frivolous parties and results in a long, unwieldy and cluttered ballot paper,” IEC explained.

In 2004, the amounts set were R150 000 for national elections and R30 000 for provincial elections. This was increased to R180 000 and R34 000 in 2009 and raised again to R200 000 and R45 000 in 2014.

Steady increase in parties contesting elections.

Despite the increases in the amount of deposits, the IEC noted that the number of parties contesting national and provincial elections has steadily risen over the past 20 years, while the number of parties that have won seats in the National Assembly has remained relatively constant.

The commission warned that parties which fail to secure a seat in the National Assembly or provincial legislature forfeit their deposit to the National Revenue Fund.

“The number of votes required to secure a seat in both the national and provincial legislatures depends on the turnout of the elections. In 2014, parties required 45 892 votes to be guaranteed a seat in the National Assembly and between 13 627 votes (Northern Cape) and 59 219 votes (Gauteng) for a provincial seat,” the IEC said.

There are currently 285 political parties registered for national elections with the Electoral Commission and a further 36 applications are currently under consideration.

In order to contest the elections, political parties must:

Be registered with the Electoral Commission;
Submit a list of candidates within the specified period on the election timetable and
Pay the relevant deposit within the specified period on the election timetable.

While there is no deadline for party registration for participation in an election (as with voter registration it is continuous), the IEC warned that political parties which have not yet submitted a registration application to the Electoral Commission are unlikely to meet all the requirements for registration in time to contest this.

Nigeria 2019 Election: History Beckons On Kaduna State

20/01/2019

By Ibraheem Musa:

In many ways, history repeated itself last Friday, when President Muhammadu Buhari went to Kaduna, in continuation of his presidential campaign tour across the country. Like always, the former capital of northern Nigeria stood still for Buhari, as residents waited for over 10 hours, under the scorching sun, for his arrival. As early as 6 am, people started trooping to Ahmadu Bello Stadium, the venue of the event, to take a vantage position where they will witness history. Around 2 pm, Ali Akilu road, Ahmadu Bello way and Junction road which lead to the stadium, were chocked up with people. Children, young men and women, including elderly people, took over the roads in order to catch a glimpse of their president.

At 4 pm, President Buhari arrived Kaduna airport but it took him an hour to reach the venue of the event. In fact, his motorcade inched its way very slowly, as his supporters were all over the road, trying to reach their hero as he waved at them. On November 4, 2014, a similar scenario had played out when General Muhammadu Buhari, as APC presidential aspirant, attended the formal declaration of Malam Nasir El Rufai to run for the governorship of Kaduna state.

Significantly, at the same 2014 declaration, General Buhari had raised the hands of El Rufai, declaring him as his anointed candidate. According to Buhari, he had personally asked El Rufai to contest for the governorship, in spite of the fact that the former FCT Minister wanted to work with him. At the event, Buhari had described El Rufai as a pragmatic and prudent manager of resources, who will be just to all the diverse people of Kaduna state. Last Friday, President Buhari also raised El Rufai’s hands and by so doing, the president has endorsed the governor’s re-election. Similarly, APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole also endorsed El Rufai last Friday, just as he did in 2014, when he was governor of Edo state.

Interestingly, history will not only repeat itself in 2019 but records will also be broken. According to El Rufai, Katsina, Kano and Kaduna states gave President Buhari 25 percent of his total score in 2015. Specifically, Kano state gave the highest votes of 1, 903,999 for the president. Equally, the president got 1, 345,441 votes in Katsina state and Kaduna state followed closely with 1,127, 760 votes about four years ago. Combined, the total votes of these states was 4, 377, 200, which is slightly above the 25 percent of Buhari’s total score of 15, 424, 921 across the country.

Significantly, Governor El Rufai promised that Katsina, Kano and Kaduna states will surpass their own collective record, by giving Buhari 30 percent of the total votes cast in their states this time around. In addition, he pledged that Kaduna state will give the president 80 percent of its votes. Indeed, these are not empty boasts, given the president’s anti-corruption crusade, payment of pension arrears and the various infrastructural upgrade across the country. In particular, these and many populist policies have endeared the president to the people.

In 2015, candidate Buhari had campaigned based on promises. By 2019, these promises of fighting corruption, tackling insecurity and improving the economy have been largely fulfilled. So, all things being equal, Governor Nasir El Rufai will get a befitting birthday gift on February 16, when President Buhari will get re-elected. On March 2, history will also repeat itself when he gets another four-year mandate as governor of Kaduna state.

Ibraheem Musa is with the Directorate of Strategic Communication of Kaduna State Chapter of APC Campaign Council.

Nigeria 2019: Physically Challenged Persons Declare One Week Prayer, Fasting … clerics Also

20/01/2019

By Ibrahim Yakubu:

The Association of Physically Challenged Persons in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria has declared a one week prayers & fasting for peaceful conduct of 2019 general elections, just as Cleric mobilized his colleagues to commence ceaseless prayers.

They also urged their counterparts in other parts of the country to join them in organizing prayers in mosques and churches.

The Coordinator of the programme and Public Relations Officer of the Northern Blind Forum, Mallam Muntari Saleh said at the commencement of the prayers that the move is for God Almighty to help Nigeria achieve peaceful election and keep the country united.

“We believe that God listens to our prayers and that is why we came out in mass with our wives and children in other to pray to Almighty God, to help Nigeria achieve peaceful and credible election 2019.

“The whole world is watching us, therefore Nigeria being the giant of Africa needs to be in peace. We want other Nigerians, home and abroad to equally support the country with prayers as general election approaches.

“We want JNI and CAN and all religious bodies and children in all orphanage homes across the country, to equally support Nigeria with prayers, so as to avert all forms of ethno-religious political crisis bedevilling peace stability in the country.

“We are the worst hit by all the election crisis in the country since the return of democracy in 1999, therefore we must start prayers to avert repetition of election violence”, Saleh said.

Meanwhile, the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and life Intervention Ministry, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna, Pastor Yohana Buru says he has mobilized 50 muslims and Christian clerics to equally commence prayer and fasting for God’s intervention in the conduct of 2019 general election.

Nigeria, he said, needs prayers and fasting in order to achieve peaceful and credible election, adding that, that was why he communicated with both muslim and Christian preachers, to equally commence ceaseless prayers and fasting, for peace and unity of the country before and after the elections.

“What this great country needs as the general election approaches, is for all imams and pastors to embark on ceaseless prayers from now till when the election is over.

Buru noted that Nigeria has bitterly experienced different forms of election violence, hence the need to stop it.

He called on all Non Governmental organizations, NGOs, Civil societies organization CSOs, local and international peace organizations as well as interfaith mediators, to equally start sensitizing the public especially youth, on the importance of peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance in Nigeria.

“We are the most religious people in the world, therefore we must embark on ceaseless prayers to support peace and unity of our dear great nation”.

Buru advocated National prayers ahead of the elections.

South Africa: Electoral Commission Approves Deposits For Parties Contesting 2019 Elections

20/01/2019

South African Electoral Commission — IEC Ballot Box

The Electoral Commission has approved election deposits for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections of R200 000 for parties wishing to contest national elections and R45 000 per provincial election contested.

The IEC said the amounts are the same as those used in the 2014 national and provincial elections, meaning it is a significant reduction in the amount in real terms.

“The final determination of the deposits by the commission followed the publication of the proposed amounts for public comment in October 2018. A total of 14 submissions were received from political parties and other stakeholders. The submissions ranged between calls for an increase in the deposit amounts, retaining the proposed amounts, and a decrease or the scrapping of deposits,” the IEC said.

In making a determination of the final deposit amounts, the commission said it has considered all the submissions along with local and international practice.

“The practice of prescribing election deposits has been part of our electoral democratic reality in South Africa since 1994. In setting the amount, the commission sought to strike a judicious balance between an amount so high that it unfairly impairs the ability of potential electoral contestants and an amount so low that it fails to dissuade frivolous parties and results in a long, unwieldy and cluttered ballot paper,” IEC explained.

In 2004, the amounts set were R150 000 for national elections and R30 000 for provincial elections. This was increased to R180 000 and R34 000 in 2009 and raised again to R200 000 and R45 000 in 2014.

Steady increase in parties contesting elections

Despite the increases in the amount of deposits, the IEC noted that the number of parties contesting national and provincial elections has steadily risen over the past 20 years, while the number of parties that have won seats in the National Assembly has remained relatively constant.

The commission warned that parties which fail to secure a seat in the National Assembly or provincial legislature forfeit their deposit to the National Revenue Fund.

“The number of votes required to secure a seat in both the national and provincial legislatures depends on the turnout of the elections. In 2014, parties required 45 892 votes to be guaranteed a seat in the National Assembly and between 13 627 votes (Northern Cape) and 59 219 votes (Gauteng) for a provincial seat,” the IEC said.

There are currently 285 political parties registered for national elections with the Electoral Commission and a further 36 applications are currently under consideration.

In order to contest the elections, political parties must:

Be registered with the Electoral Commission;
Submit a list of candidates within the specified period on the election timetable and
Pay the relevant deposit within the specified period on the election timetable.

While there is no deadline for party registration for participation in an election (as with voter registration it is continuous), the IEC warned that political parties which have not yet submitted a registration application to the Electoral Commission are unlikely to meet all the requirements for registration in time to contest this year’s elections.

SAnews.gov.za

Nigeria: One Person Injured As PRP, APC Supporters Clash In Bauchi

19/01/2019

Bauchi State Map — Map of Nigeria showing Bauchi State

Some supporters of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi state clashed on Saturday, leaving one person seriously wounded and a car destroyed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent who witnessed the incident reports that the fight occurred at Bauchi Club roundabout along Ahmadu Bello when the PRP was preparing to flag-off it’s gubernatorial campaign in the state.

An eyewitness, Mr Yusuf Yaro, told NAN that trouble started when one of the vehicles of a PRP supporter broke down in front of APC supporters office at the popular roundabout, due to mechanical problem.

“Today is the flagging off of PRP campaign exercise. The PRP supporters were conducting their rally and moving from Zaranda Hotel to Kobi street and to other selected areas chosen for the occasion.

“Unfortunately, a vehicle belonging to a PRP supporter broke down in front of an APC campaign office at the Bauchi Club roundabout, thus resulting in the clash,” Yaro said.

Another eyewitness who identified himself as Ibrahim Sani, said the faulty car was parked in front of the APC supporters office, with loud campaign music coming out from it.

“Honestly, I don’t know whether the vehicle was faulty, but it was parked in front of this APC supporters office.

“There was loud music coming out of it and from other PRP supporters conducting their rally.

“Maybe the APC supporters believed the action was deliberate and aimed at to mocking them, hence the clash that occurred,” he explained

NAN reports that the vehicle destroyed was Honda Accord with registration number DR-892-ABJ and the person injured, a PRP supporter, was simply identified as Abdullahi, who was taken to the hospital for treatment.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kamal Abubakar , told NAN that the command was yet to receive formal report on the incident.

NAN reports that as count-down to the Election Day commences, clashes among party supporters in the state, mostly youth, have become frequent.

Most of the clashes were over the positioning of campaign posters and billboards within the metropolis.

NAN

Africa Prime News.

Africa Prime News.

Africa Prime News.

Africa Prime News.

Popular

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY