Connect with us

Metro

South African minister blames Pakistanis, illegal foreigners over unemployment

Published

on

South African Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, has blamed the lack of job opportunities for youths in the country on “Pakistanis and illegal foreigners” who take up any available jobs and businesses, leaving the teaming youth population unemployed.

Mbalula who made the allegations while responding to questions at a South African Youth Economic Council (SAYEC) conference on Wednesday, said the “country’s lack of job opportunities for the youth” have been traced to the influx of illegal foreigners in the country.

The minister said to remedy the situation and reverse the trend, there was a “need to interrogate where Pakistani nationals and other migrants” were getting their jobs and businesses from.

He added that the Pakistanis who owned majority of businesses in major cities, had a way of buying them up from their local owners.

Narrating a personal experience, Mbalula said one of his uncles once sold his shop to Pakistanis businessman because he couldn’t compete with them because Pakistani nationals were selling goods and products at a cheaper price.

Mbalula, a former police minister, went on to accuse Pakistani nationals of being “the biggest loan sharks in the country.

“They’ve got an open book and they loan you and your whole pension is going to the Pakistanis. You can even loan up to R500. Your whole pension is going to the Pakistanis every month,” he said.

According to statistics in the country, the overall unemployment rate in South Africa is 35 percent, with youth constituting more than half of that figure and this has frequently led to conflict between immigrants and groups of South Africans who blame foreign nationals for taking jobs and businesses supposedly meant for the locals, often degenerating into xenophobic attacks.

Over the years, protests have erupted throughout the country with frustrations about unemployment, crime, and poor service delivery frequently spilling over to attacks and lynching of foreign nationals and their businesses.

Metro

65% of Nigerian households lack money for healthy food—Survey

Published

on

A survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that around 65% of Nigerian households, which is about two-thirds of the population, lack the financial means to eat healthy food.

According to the survey by the agency, the decline is a reflection of the multidimensional poverty in the country and the impact of continuous reduction in the purchasing power of Nigerians due to rising prices of goods and services.

And as a result, two-thirds of households in the country lack money to eat healthy, nutritious food, the NBS said.

Titled “Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024),” the survey examined demographics, education, and health trends in Nigeria, comparing data from Wave 4 (2018/19) and Wave 5 (2023/24).

On food insecurity, the survey stated:

“Approximately two out of three households indicated being unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods because of lack of money in the last 30 days.

“Similarly, 63.8 per cent of households ate only a few kinds of food due to lack of money, 62.4 percent were worried about not having enough food to eat, and 60.5 percent ate less than they thought they should.”

It added that between Waves 4 and 5, the proportion of households that reported being worried about not having enough food to eat because of lack of money increased significantly, from 36.9 percent to 62.4 percent.

On access to energy, the survey revealed said:

“82.2 percent of urban households have electricity, compared to 40.4 per cent in rural areas. Nigerian households face an average of 6.7 power blackouts weekly.

“Cooking typically involves traditional three-stone stoves (65.0 percent), primarily using wood as fuel (70.2 per cent), but with use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rising significantly.

“Many households lack toilet facilities and rely on tube wells or boreholes for drinking water. Waste disposal is mostly informal, with 45.6 percent of households using bushes or streets,” it added.

Continue Reading

Metro

Zambia: APP leader lampoons PF over pledge to reverse forfeited properties

Published

on

Leader of one of Zambia’s opposition parties, Advocates for People’s Prosperity (APP), Mwenye Musenge, has criticised the Patriotic Front (PF) over its promise to reverse forfeited properties if the party won the 2026 presidential election.

Musenge, who was reacting to a statement credited to the PF Member of Parliament (MP) for Lukashya Province, George Chisanga, described the PF’s promise as a betrayal, saying the declaration had exposed the party’s disregard for accountability and justice.

The APP leader, who spoke to Zambia Monitor in a telephone interview from Kitwe, expressed shock that Chisanga, a former Law Association of Zambia president, would endorse what he termed a “regressive agenda,” accusing the PF of prioritising the protection of corrupt individuals over the welfare of citizens.

“This declaration reveals the PF’s true intentions, returning to power not to serve Zambians, but to shield their corrupt network and restore stolen assets,” Musenge said.

He alleged that former President Edgar Lungu’s consistent calls to protect his family, who he claimed cannot explain their amassed wealth, further demonstrate the party’s self-serving mission.

Musenge further described the PF as “a political carcass animated by greed and nostalgia for its days of unchecked looting,” and accused its leaders of leaving Zambia impoverished while enriching themselves.

“Allowing them near power again would be akin to handing a butcher’s knife to a thief already drenched in the blood of the nation’s resources.

“The PF represents everything wrong with Zambian politics—a relic of the past clinging to survival through recycled lies and corrupt agendas,” he added.

Musenge went on to call for the party to be permanently eradicated, saying it had no vision, morality, or credibility to serve Zambians.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

VenturesNow7 hours ago

IMF mission concludes 4th loan program assessment in Egypt

Following the completion of a recent visit to Egypt, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that its mission had...

Politics8 hours ago

Mali’s junta names spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga new Prime Minister

A day after dismissing Choguel Maiga for criticising the government, Mali’s governing junta named its spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, as Prime...

Musings From Abroad8 hours ago

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment...

Musings From Abroad8 hours ago

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday. According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince...

Metro8 hours ago

65% of Nigerian households lack money for healthy food—Survey

A survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that around 65% of Nigerian households, which is...

Tech1 day ago

Ghana partners with The Gambia to provide free roaming services

Ghana and The Gambia are in the process of launching free roaming services that will enhance a West African connectivity....

Metro1 day ago

Zambia: APP leader lampoons PF over pledge to reverse forfeited properties

Leader of one of Zambia’s opposition parties, Advocates for People’s Prosperity (APP), Mwenye Musenge, has criticised the Patriotic Front (PF)...

Sports1 day ago

Ghanaian winger Fatawu out for season with ACL injury

Ghana and Leicester City winger, Abdul Fatawu, has been ruled out of the rest of the EPL season after suffering...

Culture1 day ago

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at...

Musings From Abroad1 day ago

Finnish court imprisons Nigeria’s Simon Ekpa for aiding terrorism

  Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian separatist leader based abroad, has been placed under detention by the Päijät Häme District Court...

Trending