Politics

Zimbabwe opens imposing, ultra-modern parliament built by China

Published

2 years ago

November 23, 2022

Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Wednesday, opened an imposing, multimillion dollar parliament built by the Chinese government, hailing the edifice as a result of the “excellent relations with China.”

Mnagwagwa who delivered a State of the Nation address at a new multimillion-dollar six-storey parliament building funded and constructed by the Asian country at the cost of $200 million, said it was a gift which signifies China’s growing influence in the country and the continent.

The address which also served as the official opening of the last session of the current parliament before elections next year, “marks the move from the colonial-era Victorian-style parliament building in central Harare,” the President said.

Mnangagwa described the mountaintop chamber that sits on 3.3 hectares (8 acres) of land as “majestic,” saying the building is a “testimony of the strategic and comprehensive partnership and excellent fraternal relations between Zimbabwe and China.

Apart from the construction of the parliament building, China is also involved massively in building and financing big-budget infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe including revamping major airports.

The National Defense College in Harare which opened in 2014, was financed with an interest-free $98 million loan from China, while the Asian country is also involved in almost every sector of the Zimbabwean economy, from energy to mining and agriculture.

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 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

3 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.