FOR a man who a few months ago was one of the most powerful individuals in Nigeria, heading the central bank of Africa’s biggest economy, and aspiring for the presidency of the continent’s largest nation, Godwin Emefiele’s fall from grace has been headlong. In a flash, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor’s fortunes have nosedived. The longest serving chief of the bank has been suspended then detained as the new president, Bola Tinubu (71), positions himself as a new…

Professor Puleng LenKabula, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa (Unisa), reminds me of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Lenkabula and Rousseff, for different reasons, epitomise the pain of being an outsider and the consequences of not being a candidate for the establishment in any race. The establishment is the dominant social group, the élite, who control a polity, an organisation, or an institution.  Brazil’s first female president, Rousseff, is a former guerilla fighter and member of the Workers…

Former President Jacob Zuma has been briefed about the programme of action of the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (ARETA), which includes plans to create unity amongst left-wing political parties and “save our nation”. Zuma met the senior leadership of ARETA at his home in Nkandla, northern Kwazulu-Natal yesterday, where he was presented with the organisation’s 10-point plan ahead of next year’s general elections, according to party president Carl “Mpangazitha” Niehaus.  The seven-hour meeting between Zuma and members of the ARETA…

GENEVA, May 17 (Xinhua) — The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) issued a worldwide appeal on Wednesday calling for an increase in the value of pledges for digitalizing the world from the current 30 billion U.S. dollars to 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2026. The target was announced on the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), observed annually on May 17 to mark the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and ITU’s founding in 1865. “Tech is at…

MOSCOW, May 12 (Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed global food security and the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during a telephone conversation on Friday with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Russian side confirmed its readiness to supply needy African countries with substantial amounts of grain and fertiliser, including no-cost deliveries, the Kremlin said. Putin welcomed Ramaphosa’s proposition with regard to the participation of a group of African leaders in potential discussions on the prospects for a resolution…

TSHWARELO HUNTER MOGAKANE  A CRIMINAL gang which terrorised and robbed pensioners and others after withdrawing huge sums from the banks, has been sentenced to a combined 705 years in prison.  Calvin Congo Mabunda, 42, Sibusizo Shamase Mkhwanazi, 43, Bhova Sticks Nkuna, 54, were sentenced in the Johannesburg High Court last week following their five-year reign of terror.  Working with spotters who frequented the banks, they targeted unsuspecting victims in various parts of Mopani district in Limpopo, including Giyani, Bolobedu, Malamulele…

FORMER President Thabo Mbeki’s foundation has refused to comment on claims that his leaked letter to ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile has raised “good points” at the “wrong time” for all the “wrong reasons.” The criticism came at the height of Mbeki’s name having once again taken centre stage on matters concerning incumbent ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa. This time the former statesman has received praise for the leaked letter that he addressed to Mashatile and copied the rest of the…

The Ghanaian diplomat’s legacy is complicated. He served as both head of the United Nations peacekeeping and as Secretary General of the UN. His tenure in these high offices – from 1992 to 2006 – were marked by great human tragedies as well as episodes of progress. His role in these events raises difficult questions about individual responsibility and the role of international organisations and their leaders in creating a more peaceful and just world. On the plus side, his…

LIMPOPO Public Works MEC Nandi Ndalane has appointed her underqualified and inexperienced son in law to  a senior post, in what insiders say is part of a jobs for pals scheme she has been running since taking over the department in November last year. Khazamula Khoza was parachuted to the position of employee wellness director, a level 12 post five notches above a junior position (level 7) he held in another government department, allegedly at the instruction of Ndalane. This is…

THE ANC in Gauteng is in over drive to lure back voters ahead of the 2019 elections and it has started by deciding to scrap the controversial e-tolls system. This was the decision taken during the two-day provincial elective conference which we held at the St George’s Hotel in Irene where David Makhura was elected as chairperson. The system was introduced in Gauteng highways in 2013 and has been widely rejected by motorists in the province who have called for…