Politics

Tanzania becomes fourth African country to raise minimum wage after Morocco, Kenya, Zanzibar

Published

3 years ago

May 15, 2022

Tanzania has become the fourth African country in the last three weeks to raise the minimum wage of public servants after Morocco, Kenya and Zanzibar announced similar increases.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan who announced the wage increase on Saturday, said parliament decided on a wage increase of 23.3%, while also increasing the salaries of government workers for the first time since 2016.

“The salary increment was approved considering the country’s gross domestic product, domestic revenue and developments in both the local and global economies,” a statement from the President’s office said.

The minumum wage increase is a sharp departure from the policies of her late predecessor, John Magufuli, whose government was dogged by protests about high cost of living in the country.

Since coming to power last year following the death of Magufuli, Hassan has pursued a different path and has attempted to break with some of Magufuli’s policies by reaching out to the opposition and reversing most of his policies which were deemed to be anti-people.

Magufuli had bluntly refused to review wages following his election in October 2015, rather pursuing infrastructural plans by developing ports and railways and reviving the national airline.

By 2020, Tanzania’s economy had slowed to an all time low of 4.8%, barely edging upward to 4.9% the following year, as COVID-19 travel restrictions battered the tourism sector which is a key earner in the East African country.

During the Labour Day celebration on May 1, trade unions and civil servants led demonstrations in Tanzania’s capital Dodoma calling for an increase in wages, with many holding up placards saying: “Better salaries and benefits for workers is our demand.”

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

5 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

6 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.