Month: August 2023

Jacob Zuma, the 81-year-old former president of South Africa, has avoided having to spend more time in prison, as part of a government-approved ‘special remission’ pardon scheme that has granted release to thousands of non-violent inmates and aimed to ease overcrowding concerns in its jails.

“This decision is aimed at alleviating the overcrowding in the prison services across the country,” South Africa’s justice minister Ronald Lamola said on Friday. He added that “the president’s decision is to remit offenders across the country and not specifically Zuma.”

Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 after he was found to have refused to attend a court-ordered tribunal that investigated systematic corruption in state institutions, but was later released on medical grounds. However, it was ruled last month that his release –which came after he’d served two months– was unlawful and that he was to be returned to prison.

But after presenting himself at the Estcourt Correctional Center in KwaZulu-Natal Province on Friday, Zuma was released two hours later under the terms of the plan introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Both Zuma and Ramaphosa are members of the African National Congress (ANC) political party.

According to the country’s correctional services, the measures implemented “approved the remission of non-violent offenders in South Africa.” The department added that the block pardons to nearly 10,000 prisoners, including Zuma, will help ease overcrowding in South African correctional facilities, while also protecting non-violent offenders from a “surge in gangsterism.”

Zuma’s initial detention in 2021 sparked a wave of protests and riots in two provinces which led to the deaths of more than 350 people. The South African government deployed military forces to four provinces soon after it was revealed last month that Zuma was to be returned to incarceration.

South Africa’s primary opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), have questioned the legal methods which resulted in Zuma’s release, and said that the remission for close to 10,000 non-violent offenders was little more than an “elaborate scheme” with the sole purpose of letting “a single man” out of prison.

“The fact that remission comes into effect today – the same day on which Zuma returns to prison to be ‘processed’ is a clear indication of what has really occurred,” said the Democratic Alliance’s shadow justice minister Glynnis Breytenbach.

Separately, Zuma still faces 16 corruption charges related to 783 counts of alleged wrongdoing including corruption, racketeering, fraud and money-laundering related to a multi-billion-dollar arms deal while he was president.

Source: Russia Today

A manhunt has been launched in South Africa after a mass shooting in which six people died, police say.

Four suspects allegedly shot the victims in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, before midnight on Friday, initial information suggests.

One of the suspects believed that one of the victims had his ID, dropped accidentally during a previous murder he was wanted for.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

It is thought the suspects shot two people inside the house, a third in a backroom and a fourth next to an outside toilet, a police statement says.

The suspects then allegedly proceeded to shoot three people in a shack nearby.

One of those victims was later rushed to hospital.

Three of the suspects have been identified and police are calling on anyone who might have information on them to come forward.

Source: BBC

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says the call for the military to interfere in the nation’s democracy is highly unpatriotic and wicked.

A statement by the Director Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau on Friday in Abuja, said it was an attempt by unpatriotic elements to distract the military from performing its constitutional responsibilities.

Gusau said the DHQ frowned at the report being circulated online about welfare issues in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

He said the leadership of the armed forces has given priority to welfare of its personnel and will continue to do so.

“The military hierarchy detests any attempt by any individual or group to instigate the law abiding military to embark on any unconstitutional change of government in the country.

“We wish to state unequivocally that the military is happy and better under democracy and will not get involved in any act to sabotage the hard-earned democracy in our country.

“The armed forces under the leadership of Gen. Christopher Musa is determined to ensure its complete subordination to constitutional authority under President Bola Tinubu.

“We will not be distracted from these roles that are well defined in the 1999 constitution (as amended),” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

As the world celebrates this year International Youth Day (IYD), Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Abuja, an NGO, has called on the youth to invest in education and training that focus on green skills.

Founder and President of the foundation, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, made the call at a news conference on Saturday in Abuja, as part of activities to mark this year’s international youth day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that International Youth Day, observed on Aug. 12 every year, is a special day recognised by the United Nations to bring attention to issues impacting young people globally.

The day is also used to celebrate the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.

“The Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World” has been chosen as the theme for the 2023 International Youth Day.

Mrs Ahmadu stressed that the theme highlights the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to build a more environmentally conscious and sustainable world.

She noted that by acquiring green skills, the youth could contribute to finding innovative solutions to the pressing environmental challenges confronting the planet.

“As the custodians of tomorrow, you have the power to make a profound impact on the health of our planet.

“It is now more important than ever before to invest in education and training that focus on green skills, such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, conservation, and eco-friendly technologies.”

She, therefore, enjoined the youth to envision a world where clean energy sources replace fossil fuels, where sustainable agriculture practices feed the growing population, and where waste is reduced, reused, and recycled.

“I encourage you to take charge of your own learning and seek opportunities that allow you to develop these essential green skills. Embrace sustainability as a way of life and incorporate eco-friendly practices into your daily routines.

“Choose renewable energy sources, reduce your carbon footprint, and advocate for sustainable practices within your communities,” she affirmed.

Mrs Ahmadu, who, however, acknowledged that the journey to a sustainable world does not rest solely on the youth, advocated for collective action for achieving lasting change.

She urged the youth to engage with their peers, community leaders, critical stakeholders and organisations to work towards sustainability.

She also emphasised the need for the youth to unite and demand policies and initiatives that prioritise environmental conservation, social equity, and economic viability.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria