Politics

Zimbabwe: Exiled Mugabe loyalist, Kasukuwere to run for president

Published

2 years ago

June 20, 2023

Zimbabwean politician, Saviour Kasukuwere has announced his interest to run for the presidency in general elections slated for 23rd August.

Kasukuwere, who was a strong voice under former president Robert Mugabe, said in a statement that he had “accepted the call to run for president of the Republic of Zimbabwe.”

The 53-year-old Kasukuwere, who has been exiled in South Africa since the November 2017 coup, said
he would be standing as an independent candidate because the ruling Zanu PF failed to hold an elective congress in December 2017, after the removal of Mugabe.

The ex-minister also accused the Zanu-PF of “politics of exclusion” which he said was unfair towards those who were loyal to Mugabe.

“We continue to experience exclusionary politics and the persecution of members who were loyal to president Robert Gabriel Mugabe. It is unacceptable that the so-called new dispensation has exiled myself and many other comrades over one key disagreement about how the internal succession process ought to have been handled,” he said.

“We can not afford to continue to be divided by binary and toxic politics. Our motherland is hurting and needs all hands-on-deck. My candidacy is for all Zimbabweans; including those marginalised and frightened in Zanu-PF and those in and outside other political formations,” he added.

Last week, Zimbabwean lawmakers upheld the proposal for presidential and parliamentary candidates to pay $20,000 and $1,000 respectively as charges and qualification fee before running.

Presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled to hold on August 23.

The President of Zimbabwe is elected using a two-round system. A candidate must be 40 years of age and resident in the country before qualifying to run for the top job.

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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.