African press review 9 April 2012

In today's African press, South Africa's ANC hits back at criticism from a leading banker, Malawi's new president takes control after days of political intrigue and airport workers in Kenya are warned to go back to work or face dismissal

It's all happening on the front page of this morning's South African BusinessDay . . .

The main headline reads "ANC lashes out at Khoza’s ‘twisted logic’". The man getting the lash is Reuel Khoza, head honcho at Nedbank. Last week in the bank's annual report, Khoza criticised the African National Congress government as incompetent and undemocratic. This morning, the police minister replies, saying Khoza's comments are an insult to South Africa's millions of voters. The minister goes on to say that Khoza should use his standing to respond to issues facing society overall and not be tempted to blame others.

Under the headline "Malawi’s new leader moves to heal political divide", we learn that Joyce Banda on Saturday told supporters there was no room for revenge as she was sworn in as Africa’s second female head of state after the death of the divisive Bingu wa Mutharika.

Ms Banda offered the conciliatory words following two days of political intrigue in which Mutharika’s inner circle tried to block her assuming the post, which fell to her as vice-president under the terms of the constitution.

Joyce Banda was expelled from the ruling party by the man she now replaces as president.

Speaking of disputes between big leaders and growing ones, our morning mate Juju Malema is back on the front pages, with BusinessDay reporting that the ANC has replied to Malema lawyers’ letter about the former Youth League Leader's suspension.

National disciplinary committee chairman Derek Hanekom confirmed that the party had made a response but declined to provide details.

Malema’s lawyers had threatened to take the ANC to court if it did not withdraw the suspension by 2pm last Thursday.

Malema is already appealing against his expulsion from the ANC for sowing division in the party and for bringing it into disrepute. Last Friday week, he called the party leader, President Jacob Zuma, a dictator saying he was suppressing the Youth League.

Continuing its reporting from around the continent, BusinessDay devotes space to both Mali and Zimbabwe.

The Mali story says that West African leaders have lifted all sanctions imposed on Mali with immediate effect following the agreement on restoring the constitutional order, according to a Sunday statement from the Economic Community of West African States.

Ecowas last week imposed a total embargo on Mali, closing all borders except for humanitarian aid, denying access to Ecowas ports and freezing Malian bank accounts.

Under the headline "Zimbabwe says it now ‘owns’ 51 per cent of foreign miners", BusinessDay wonders about the basis of the calculations and asks whether cash-strapped Harare can afford to pay for its share of the shares.

The demand for foreign companies, particularly in the mining sector, to transfer a 51 per cent stake in local operations to black investors is widely seen as a tactic by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party to raise cash for elections that are expected some time this year.

In Kenya, The Standard is covering the airport strike, saying Cotu, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, has taken over negotiations on behalf of striking airport staff who are locked in a pay dispute with their employer, the Kenya Airports Authority. The Central Organisation of Trade Unions justified its intervention, saying national security is endangered.

The Kenya Airports Authority insisted that workers who did not return to work by yesterday’s deadline would be dismissed and new staff employed soon. The authority said it was preparing to advertise vacant positions.

The workers accused the government of intimidation and vowed to go on with the strike until their demand for a 25 per cent pay increase was met.

The big story on page one of this morning's Daily Nation, published in Nairobi, says that Kenya's Foreign Affairs minister Sam Ongeri on Sunday dismissed claims by joint Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo that Ongeri was among those allegedly plotting to assassinate Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

On Saturday, Midiwo alleged that a meeting was held last Sunday, which brought together two ministers, a senior security officer and a permanent secretary during which elimination of Raila Odinga was discussed as the last option in clearing the presidential succession race. He further claimed that mercenaries had been hired to execute the plot.

Ongeri said that his style of politics is founded on professionalism and Christianity and that the allegations made by Midiwo are wild and without foundation.