Politics

South Africa’s opposition leader asks FBI to investigate President Ramaphosa over corrupt allegations

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2022

Leader of South Africa’s main opposition party, John Steenhuisen of the Democratic Alliance (DA), has asked the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to probe President Cyril Ramaphosa over allegations of corruption and money laundering.

Steenhuisen’s request in a written petition to the South African branch of the FBI, comes two weeks after former head of intelligence agency, Arthur Fraser, filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, accusing him of money laundering and not reporting a robbery at his Phala Phala farm where over $4 million was reportedly stolen.

Steenhuisen said it was important for the FBI to investigate how the money ended up in South Africa and whether it was brought in legitimately or laundered by Ramaphosa.

“The FBI are tasked with investigating white-collar corruption and money laundering involving the use of US dollars,” he said.

Accusing the president of remaining silent in the face of the strong accusation, the DA leader said he has refused to come clean on the allegations.

“I think the longer the president stays silent on this issue, the more people will call him to step aside. We are not yet calling on him to step aside yet, we want to give him the benefit of the doubt to come clean and tell us his side of the story,” Steenhuisen said.

In the heat of the allegations and calls for his resignation, Ramaphosa had come out refuting them saying the stolen money was less than the $4 million claimed by Fraser and it was from the proceeds from the sale of the game at his farm and not from the country’s taxpayers.

“I have never stolen taxpayers’ money. I want to reaffirm that I was not involved in any criminal conduct, and once again I pledge my full cooperation with any form of investigation,” Ramaphosa had said.

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Politics

Mauritius’ Prime Minister to double as Finance Minister

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In an effort to maintain a tight eye on the economy, Mauritius’ Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, who took office this month following a resounding election victory, said on Friday that he would retain the position of finance minister for himself.

“We are doing an audit of the economy to see to what extent the outgoing government has destroyed it,” Ramgoolam told reporters in the capital Port Louis after he presided over the swearing-in of other ministers.

Ten years after he stepped down as prime minister, the seasoned politician returned to the position when his Alliance du Changement (ADC) alliance won 60 of the 62 seats in the national legislature.

The 77-year-old Ramgoolam said earlier this week that he would be auditing governmental finances. Before this, he was prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.

Ramgoolam started a campaign in 2006 to streamline taxes and reduce bureaucracy to diversify the $10 billion economy beyond exports of sugar, textiles, and tourism.

Since then, the 1.3 million-person nation, which positions itself as a bridge between Africa and Asia, has developed into a major offshore financial hub and has been rated by the World Bank as the easiest location to do business in Africa regularly.

Politics

Mali’s junta names spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga new Prime Minister

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A day after dismissing Choguel Maiga for criticising the government, Mali’s governing junta named its spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, as Prime Minister on Thursday, according to state broadcaster, ORTM.

A source close to Choguel Maiga told Reuters that the ruling generals were incensed by Maiga’s remarks over the weekend denouncing the junta’s inability to hold elections within the 24-month timeframe given for the return to democracy.

After promising to hold elections in February, the military authorities, who took control in two separate coups in 2020 and 2021, have put off the poll indefinitely, citing technological difficulties.

Choguel Maiga’s firing coincides with indications of growing discontent and disarray among Mali politicians, even those who first supported the coup and collaborated with the junta.

As the wait for elections continues, Choguel Maiga, a civilian prime minister who was installed by the military junta in 2021, is the most recent to lose support.

He was cited on Saturday as claiming he learnt of the junta’s decision via the media and that there had been no discussion regarding the delay of the elections inside the cabinet.

“It’s all happening in total secrecy, without the prime minister’s knowledge,” Choguel Maiga told reporters.

Before then, he had frequently stood up for Mali’s junta against criticism from foreign friends and neighbours in West Africa who denounced its repeated election delays and military collaboration with Russian mercenaries.

As government spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, the new prime minister, has also made strong public remarks against France, the previous colonial master. One such speech was demanding French President Emmanuel Macron to stop his “neocolonial” and “condescending” behaviour.

Abdoulaye Maiga and Assimi Goita, the leaders of the junta, announced they had kept all of the important cabinet ministers in their portfolios in the new administration in a statement that was broadcast on state television ORTM.

The announcement said that Abdoulaye Maiga will remain minister of territory administration.