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  • Mar, Wed, 2020
Foreign

U.S. sanctions 2 South African companies, 7 others over Iran

Sanctions

By Harrison Arubu

New York, March 18, 2020 (NAN) The United States has sanctioned two South African companies along with seven others in China and Hong Kong for allegedly trading in petrochemical products with Iran.

The U.S. Department of State identified the two South African entities as SPI International Proprietary Limited and Main Street 1095 in a statement on Wednesday.

It named the Hong Kong-based companies as McFly Plastic HK Limited; Saturn Oasis Co., Limited and Sea Charming Shipping Company Limited.

The affected Chinese companies are Dalian Golden Sun Import & Export Co., Limited; Tianyi International (Dalian) Co., Limited and Aoxing Ship Management (Shanghai) Ltd.

Also hit by the action is the Social Security Investment Company of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Three Iranians, said to be executive officers of three of the affected companies, are also targets of the latest sanctions.

They are Mohammad Hassan Toulai, Managing Director of the Armed Forces Social Security Investment Company; Hossein Tavakkoli, Director of SPI International Proprietary and Reza Ebadzadeh Semnani, Director of Main Street 1095.

The department accused the South Africa, Hong Kong and China-based companies of “knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran’’.

The Secretary of State, Mr Michael Pompeo, said the affected companies and individuals engaged in activities that could enable the Iranian regime’s violent behaviour.  

“The actions of these individuals and entities provide revenue to the regime that it may use to fund terror and other destabilising activities.

“These include the recent rocket attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces located at Camp Taji in Iraq.

“Our sanctions will deprive the regime of critical income from its petrochemical industry and further Iran’s economic and diplomatic isolation.

“The United States will continue to fully enforce our sanctions,’’ said Pompeo. (NAN)

ARU/IKU/AIB

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Edited by Tayo Ikujuni/Abdulfatah Babatunde

Foreign

African leaders gather for AU summit focused on security 

 

Summit

Addis Ababa, Feb. 9, 2020 (dpa/NAN) African leaders are gathering in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday for the 33rd African Union (AU) summit focusing on security which is expected to discuss the Libyan crisis.

The summit will see South Africa taking over the group’s presidency from Egypt.

The two-day meeting is held under the theme “Silencing the Guns,” reflecting goals of the AU’s Agenda 2063.

The plan, which kicked off in 2013, is aimed at transforming African states  and establishing security and peace across the continent.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to attend the summit, which is expected to discuss the Libyan crisis.

The UN has been trying to turn a fragile ceasefire between the warring Libyan parties into a lasting truce.

On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and stressed the importance of African states’ involvement in shaping a solution for the conflict in Libya.

Egypt supports military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, while the UN backs the Tripoli-based government of Fayez Serraj.

The summit also comes amid a dispute between Egypt and Sudan on the one side and Ethiopia on the other over a dam built by the latter on the Blue Nile, which Cairo fears will reduce its supply of water.

After several meetings hosted by Washington, the three states said a final agreement would be signed in late February. (dpa/NAN)

YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

South African police arrest 18 suspects after foreign shops looting

 

Arrests

Johannesburg, Aug. 17, 2019 (Xinhua/NAN) The South African police said on Saturday that 18 suspects had been arrested following the Soweto looting of shops belonging to foreigners on Wednesday night.

According to the police, the situation is now calm in Soweto townships following the looting spree.

On Wednesday night, several shops belonging to foreigners were looted.

Gauteng police spokesperson Kay Makhubele told Xinhua that the situation is calm and they are monitoring the situation.

“The situation is calm and we are monitoring the affected areas.

“We have arrested 18 suspects who will be charged with public violence. They will appear in court soon,” said Makhubele.

He condemned the looting of shops on what he blamed on opportunistic criminals.

The chairperson of the African Diaspora Forum (ADF), Vusumuzi Sibanda, said that some shops are still closed due to fear.

“The situation is a bit calm with police patrolling but some shops are still closed. Some ran away to seek shelter at police stations while some went to live with friends. Some shop owners are still afraid to open shops,” Sibanda said.

Sibanda said the government is not doing enough to protect foreigners who are always attacked and their property confiscated by locals.

ADF is an organisation of citizens of more than 35 African countries whose residents stay in South Africa. (Xinhua/NAN)

YEE

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(Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

General news

Xenophobia: Union condemns violent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa

Xenophobia

By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt, March 27, 2019 (NAN) The Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) has expressed displeasure with the alleged violent attack of Nigerians in the latest wave of xenophobic attacks on foreigners in that country.

The Acting Secretary of NUSA, Collins Mgbo, gave the condemnation in a letter addressed to the South African authorities, a copy of which made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

He said the xenophobic attacks on foreigners started on March 24 in Brits, North West Province and Durban, Kwazulu-Natal province.

“NUSA is using this medium to bring to your attention of attacks on our nationals in Brits, North West Province which started on Sunday, March 24 2019.

“Our people are living in panic and fear of more attacks by a coalition of gang members called Russians and Taxi Drivers.

“Information available to our disposal revealed that shops and properties of Nigerians were damaged and burnt during the attacks,” he said.

Mgbo said that seven Nigerians were injured in the on going attacks with three of them hospitalised having sustained life threatening injuries.

He said that intervention from governments of South Africa and Nigeria was urgently needed, especially as the situation could easily escalate further.

“Also, earlier in the day, foreign nationals in Durban area of Kwazulu-Natal Province were attacked, beaten and their properties burnt by angry locals.

“Over 100 foreigners have taken refuge at the police station. Some of the displaced foreigners are Nigerians.

“As at the time of this report, no death of any Nigerian has been recorded; even though two foreign nationals have been reported dead,” Mgbo said in the letter.

Mgbo said that a high level delegation led by NUSA would soon engage stakeholders as well as groups that allegedly carried out the assualt with the aim of finding a lasting solution. (NAN)
DES/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

Sport

2019 AFCON Qualifiers: South Africa qualify after beating hosts Libya 2-1

Qualification
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, March 25, 2019 (NAN) South Africa joined Group E leaders Nigeria to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of the Nations (AFCON) finals after defeating Libya 2-1 in their final qualification match on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match played at the Stade Taieb Mhiri in Sfax, Tunisia saw the hosts dominate the opening stages.

They kept Darren Keet busy in the South Africa goal.

The Bidvest Wits goalkeeper was called into action in the seventh minute and he denied Libyan attacker Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.

The Mediterranean Knights continued to press and they had another chance to break the deadlock with the half hour mark approaching.

Ali Elmusrati’s goal-bound effort was brilliantly saved by Keet as he continued to keep Libya at bay.

South Africa came close to scoring when Themba Zwane’s low shot was deflected wide by the Libya defence in the 39th minute.

The score was 0-0 at the interval, thanks to some good goalkeeping by Keet who denied Ahmad Benali on the stroke of half time.

South Africa broke the deadlock just five minutes after the restart through star forward Percy Tau.

The Belgium-based attacker scored with a thunderous left-footed shot which beat Muhammad Nashnoush to make it 1-0 to South Africa.

The hosts then piled pressure on the Bafana Bafana defence and the Mediterranean Knights were awarded a penalty kick after Anis Saltou was fouled by Keet.

Former Manchester City midfielder Benali beat Keet from the penalty kick spot to make it 1-1 in the 65th minute, much to the delight of the home crowd.

However, parity was only restored for three minutes as Tau scored a second for the South Africans with a curling effort from inside the box, with Kamohelo Mokotjo grabbing an assist.

South Africa’s head coach Stuart Baxter pulled out attacker Zwane and the British tactician introduced defensive midfielder Hlompho Kekana.

The visitors managed to contain Libya in the closing stages of the match as South Africa ran out 2-1 winners on the night as the Mediterranean Knights failed to qualify.

Group E Final Table
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Nigeria 6 4 1 1 14 6 +8 13
South Africa 6 3 3 0 11 2 +9 12
Libya 6 2 1 3 16 11 +5 7
Seychelles 6 – 1 5 3 25 -22 1
(NAN)
VO/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

General news

(Audio) No deliberate killing of Nigerians in South Africa — Ramaphosa

Audio attached
No deliberate killing of Nigerians in South Africa but mere criminality, says Ramaphosa
Killings
By Donald Ugwu
Abuja, July 11, 2018(NAN)President  Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa on Wednesday declared that the killing of Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country was an act of criminality,  not specifically targeted at Nigerians..

He gave the explanation while addressing state House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja.

According to Ramaphosa, the killings are caused by high level of unemployment among the youth as well as other social factors emanating from long apartheid misrule while government is doing all best possible to bring it down.

Cue in audio (Ramaphosa)

“These are acts of criminality. When we were involved in our struggle we said the South Africa that we are fighting for is the South Africa which will regard everyone who lives in South Africa on the basis of equality, respect for human rights.

“And we said that South Africa belongs to all the people who live in it; so the Nigerians who are in South Africa are also part of our community.

“They can never be targeted on intentional basis as people who must either be attacked or killed.

“When that happens I would like us to see that as acts of criminality which in the main affects many South Africans in various parts of our country.

“So see it in that regard and I would like that you should never think that it is being done against Nigerians intentionally.

“It is an act of criminality and our government is determined to bring down the levels of criminality and also to go after those who perpetrate these acts of criminality so that anyone who attacks any person in South Africa will be pursued with the might of the law to make sure that they are brought to justice and to book.’’

Cue out audio

The President acknowledged that there were quite a lot of incidents in his country where foreign nationals, some of whom are Nigerians had lost their lives and had been attacked.

“And I will like to say here and now that that has been as a result of criminal activity amongst our own people, which we are focusing on from a criminal element point of view.

“I want to say it here right now that South Africans do not have any form of negative disposition or hatred toward Nigerians and the main, Nigerians and South Africans in a number of places of our country live side by side.

“They cooperate very well and some are in the corporate structures of our various countries and some are traders and some do a whole number of things.

“So I want to dispel this notion that when a Nigerian loses his or her live in South Africa it is as a result of an intentional sort of action by South Africans against Nigerians. That is simply not true,’’ he added.

He noted that South Africa had a number of challenges. “One of the challenges is criminality and which is all pervasive.’’

The President hinted that the country had in over a number of years been bringing down the level of crime in the country and working on a concerted basis to ensure that crime was reduced.

“The criminality that we have is borne out of a number of factors. One of those is unemployment amongst a number of our people. Twenty seven per cent of South Africans are unemployed which amounts to about nine million and most of these are young people.

“Poverty is still all pervasive in South Africa and all this emanates from our  very said history of Apartheid misrule.

“There is still inequality in South Africa; a few people are extremely very rich and the majority of the people are very poor.

“And all these factors and others, and there are many other social factors that have contributed to the high levels of crime.

Ramaphosa emphasized that his  administration is  focusing on reduction of criminality “and we are doing everything to bring it down.

“And in the cause of everything else, people in various parts of the country do get engulfed in acts of criminality.

“Majority of them are South Africans and some of them will then be foreign nationals and they will either be Nigerians and other people from other countries,’’ he noted.
DCU/YEE
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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

Foreign

FG condemns killing of another Nigerian in S/Africa

FG condemns killing of another Nigerian in S/Africa

NAN-F-7

By Isaac Aregbesola

Abuja, Jan. 2, 2017 (NAN) Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the latest extra judicial killing of a Nigerian in South Africa as “worrying and condemnable”.

Dabiri-Erewa in a statement in Abuja on Monday said the latest gruesome killing of Tochukwu Nnadi by Police in South Africa, was unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria.

The statement was signed by her Media aide, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

She reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari’s calls to Nigerians to avoid crimes like drug peddling which attracts stiff penalties, sometimes death.

The Presidential aide noted that the killing of Nnadi had brought to 20 Nigerians killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in 2016 alone.

While appealing to Nigerians to avoid crimes, Dabiri-Erewa said the extra judicious killing of Nigerians is condemnable and unacceptable.

“The barbaric behaviour of the perpetrators is not only unacceptable, but also calls for urgent attention by diplomatic authorities in Nigeria and South Africa,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa urged the South African Government to ensure that justice prevails by carrying out investigation and bring the culprit to book.

She reiterated her calls to Nigerians living abroad to always respect the laws of their host countries and be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

She recalled that a Nigerian based in South Africa, Tochukwu Nnadi, was allegedly choked to death by the Police in South Africa on Thursday Dec. 29, after he was arrested for allegedly selling drugs.

According to eyewitnesses, the man, popularly known as King Kingsley, was not struggling after he was arrested and handcuffed, but one of the officers held onto his neck and squeezed tightly until blood started gushing out.

“My heart goes out to the families of the deceased and pray God to grant the departed soul eternal rest,” the SSA prayed.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union in Pretoria had confirmed the latest killing.

The Secretary of the union, Mr Adetola Olubajo, told newsmen in Pretoria that “Nigeria Union is calling on the Nigerian Mission to demand results of investigations of all murder cases involving Nigerian victims from the South African authority’’.

Olubajo said that the union was not happy that all murder cases involving Nigerians in South Africa were never resolved.

In the year 2016 alone, it has brought to 20, the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa under such cruel circumstances.

Among such victims were Ikejiaku Chinedu, Monday Okorie, Gideon Ogalaonye, Nnamdi Michael, Adeniyi Olumoko, Christian Onwukaike and Tochukwu Nnadi.

Nigerians are perennial victims of the xenophobia in South Africa, with Nigerians losing more than 4.6 million Rand or N90 million during the last attacks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 150 South African business organisations are currently operating in Nigeria, despite the former’s allegedly restrictive policies, which have made it difficult for Nigerians to invest in that country. (NAN)

IAA/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola