African press review 25 August 2016

The South African papers are gripped by the developing scandal surrounding the country's Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan who is wanted for questioning by police over allegations linking to his time as head of South Africa's tax agency.

South Africa's Mail & Guardian kicks off with the headline "Gordhan defiant in the face of arrest: Let me do my job", as the minister refuses to present himself to the country's elite police unit, the Hawks.

Gordhan received a letter from the Hawks on Monday demanding that he show up to provide the unit with a warning statement, implying that he is a suspect and that he could be arrested.

He says the allegations tying to his days as tax agency chief days are unfounded and that his legal advisors say he is under no obligation to show to the police.

The rand, South Africa's currency, fell after speculation Gordhan may be arrested.

According to the paper, the minister's office has sent out a series of statements to the media effectively saying "I’ll fight this out in the open".

Speculation has been rife that Gordhan may be charged in connection with an alleged covert spy unit that was set up at the tax collection agency when he headed it up between 1999 and 2009. Rumours of an arrest first emerged in local South African media in May.

'Knives out' for Gordhan

According to Business Day Gordhan has always maintained the unit's work was above board and that he was unaware of any illegality connected with it. 

The paper says the country's business leaders have warned that "all progress made by a joint effort by government, business and labour will be threatened by the possible charging or even arrest of the finance minister".

"In a further indication that knives are out for Gordhan," it claims, the South African Revenue Service, SARS, has also launched an investigation into IT contracts awarded during Gordhan’s tenure as SARS commissioner.

Tourism not petrol could save Nigeria

The Daily Trust of Abuja says Nigeria's tourism and hospitality industry might overtake the oil sector by 2021 with the help of the African Union passport.

The country's tourism industry is hoping the government moves to adopt the recently launched pan-African passport.

One travel agent, the country manager of Jumia Travel Nigeria, Kushal Dutta, says the passport will allow free movement of domestic tourists into the country.

The opportunities of a unified African passport he says outstrip any unproven threats, such as the unmonitored inflow of migrants or criminals from one country to another.

The passport is even more important he adds as Nigeria's mainstay economic engine - oil - falters.

"Breaking the barrier of free travel for other African countries to come to Nigeria is a potent way of enhancing the growth of the hospitality industry," he says.

Zimbabwe brings on more teachers

In Zimbabwe the Herald newspaper says the education department is set to employ more mathematics and science teachers in the next two years, despite an ongoing government job freeze.

Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said that at least 1,000 mathematics and science teachers were needed in the southern African country.

He claimed that the state had intensified its efforts in training the teachers who would fill up the vacancies.

Kenya bolsters health services

Meanwhile, the Kenyan government has launched a programme to modernise health services according to the AllAfrica website.

The Kenyan Ministry of Health will tackle core healthcare services at 98 hospitals and government facilities across the country.

The initiative is being heralded as "the first government-led programme of its kind in Kenya, and one of the largest undertaken to date in Africa to support sustainable healthcare development".

The legality (or not) of a dog called Buhari

In Nigeria the debate over a dog called Buhari continues with the Nigerian Vanguard asking "Should Naming a Dog after a President Be a Crime?"

This follows the arrest of a man on Tuesday who named his dog after President Muhmmadu Buhari saying it was a compliment and done to show his support for the head of state.

The man was granted bail yesterday; now the local press are analysing the issue from every legal side.

Vice-president of the Nigeria Bar Association Monday Ubani said that, in the eyes of the law, it is not criminal for somebody to name his or her dog after another person.

"It may be offensive by examining the circumstances under which the incident happened," he concedes, nonetheless there are no criminal grounds for such a charge.

For human rights activist Okey Nwaguna the prosecution must show that the accused man intended to cause a breach of public peace with the naming of his pooch.