Culture

Tunisian rapper and presidential candidate sentenced to prison for alleged vote buying

Published

1 month ago

August 15, 2024

A Tunisian rapper, Karim Gharbi, popularly known as K2Rhym, has been sentenced to four years in prison in absentia on allegations of buying voter signatures to qualify for the country’s upcoming presidential elections.

A judicial spokesperson, Alaedine Aouadi, told journalists that a court sitting in Jendouba on Wednesday, also fined Gharbi 5,000 dinars or $1,600, as well as stripping him of the right to vote in the election.

“The court also sentenced the president of the commune of Jendouba to one year in jail and a fine of 1,000 dinars, and a colleague of the rapper to four years in prison and a fine of 5,000 dinars,” Aouadi said.

Gharbi who lives abroad and was the son-in-law of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, had announced in a video in July his intention to run in the presidential candidate scheduled for October.

Reacting to the sentence in a post on social media, the entertainer had said:

“What are you afraid of? The ballot boxes? Why organise elections?”

Gharbi who is seen as a controversial figure in Tunisia due for his tattoos and flashy lifestyle, had become known for his charitable endeavours with orphans, lower-income families, hospitals and schools.

The electoral law in Tunisia states that to be listed on the ballot, candidates are required to present a list of signatures from 10,000 registered voters.

Local media reports that the same court had, on August 2, sentenced four women working for the rapper to between two and four years in prison for having provided money or gifts in kind in exchange for voter signatures.

However, on August 5, the night before the deadline for submitting applications, the rapper had accused the government of refusing to provide him with a form showing he had no criminal record, preventing him from becoming a candidate.

Political experts say presidential hopefuls face significant constraints in their bid to challenge President Kais Saied, who was elected in 2019 but orchestrated a sweeping power grab in 2021 and is now seeking another term in office.

“Candidates from across the political spectrum have complained that the new, tougher endorsement requirements make it nearly impossible to get on the ballot,” a political analyst said in an interview.

Only two candidates, a former Member of Parliament Zouhair Maghzaoui and the leader of a small liberal party, Ayachi Zammel, were pre-selected to run against Saied who has been accused of authoritarianism by political opponents.

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Culture

Janet Jackson pulls out of ‘DStv Delicious Festival’ after brother’s death

Published

8 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

African-American popstar, Janet Jackson, has announced pulling out of the much-anticipated “DStv Delicious Festival” which will hold on Saturday, September 21, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to her management team, Jackson will no longer be performing at the festival following the death of her brother, Tito.

The organizers of the ‘DStv Delicious Festival” have also confirmed that ‘Janet Jackson will no longer be able to perform at the food and music festival this Saturday.”

Janet’s management team shared the following with the festival’s organisers:

“Janet’s brother Tito passed away this past Sunday. For obvious reasons, Janet has to cancel her performance at the DStv Delicious Festival to be with family.

“Management is making plans to come back next year. Janet also wishes to thank all of her South African fans for the warm and heart-felt support she’s receiving at this difficult time.”

The DStv Delicious organisers in the statement said they are sending their “deepest condolences and support to Janet and her family during this time of mourning.”

The organisers also expressed they are working on securing an international replacement for Janet Jackson, and have offered ticket holders the opportunity to exchange their tickets for Sunday, if they wish to.

“We understand that many fans were excited to see Janet Jackson perform, and the Festival’s Management Team is actively working on securing a suitable international replacement headliner to ensure an unforgettable experience.

“We appreciate the understanding and support of our festival community during this time of change, and we look forward to a memorable celebration of music, culture, and unity at DStv Delicious Festival Powered by Lottostar.”

Culture

Zimbabwe to kill 200 elephants for drought-ravaged communities

Published

1 day ago

September 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to wildlife officials on Tuesday, Zimbabwe intends to slaughter 200 elephants in order to feed populations who are very hungry following the worst drought in 40 years.

Over 68 million people in southern Africa have been affected by the drought brought on by El Nino, which also caused food shortages throughout the region.

“We can confirm that we are planning to cull about 200 elephants across the country. We are working on modalities on how we are going to do it,” Tinashe Farawo, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson, told journalists.

He declared that the drought-affected villages in Zimbabwe will receive the elephant meatballs. Hence, the districts of Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho, and Chiredzi will host the nation’s first cull since 1988.

Zimbabwe decision comes after bordering Namibia decided to slaughter 83 elephants last month and give meat to those affected by the drought.

One of the greatest elephant populations in the world is found in the southern African countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola, and Namibia, where over 200,000 elephants are thought to reside in a protection area.

According to Farawo, the culling is a component of the nation’s efforts to reduce the number of elephants in its parks, which can only hold 55,000 of them. There are more than 84,000 elephants in Zimbabwe.

“It’s an effort to decongest the parks in the face of drought. The numbers are just a drop in the ocean because we are talking of 200 (elephants) and we are sitting on plus 84,000, which is big,” he said.

Conflicts between people and wildlife can worsen during a drought this bad because supplies become more scarce. 50 people died in Zimbabwe from elephant attacks last year.

The nation has been urging the United Nations’ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to restore trade in ivory and live elephants. It is praised for its conservation efforts and increasing elephant population.

Zimbabwe, which has one of the biggest populations of elephants, possesses stqqqockpiles of ivory worth over $600,000 that it is unable to sell.