African press review 28 March 2017

What's happening in South Africa? Pravin Gordham is on his way home, the rand is on its way down and the markets are off the dial. Even Gwede Mantashe is mesmerised.

Is South Africa facing a cabinet reshuffle?

That's the question on all this morning's front pages in the republic.

"Nation on tenterhooks as Gordhan recall fuels fear of showdown," reads the main headline in the Johannesburg-based financial paper BusinessDay.

The value of South Africa's rand plummeted about 52c against the dollar yesterday after President Jacob Zuma ordered Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to return home, possibly to face the axe in a cabinet reshuffle. BusinessDay says bank and property stocks also retreated on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

The rand’s reverse was directly attributable to Zuma’s action despite a weaker US dollar, which normally leads to an appreciation in the rand, analysts said.

The South African currency finished the day 2.6 percent weaker against the dollar, with analysts warning that the rand could fall a further five percent should Gordhan be removed as minister.

The main story in the Mail & Guardian says Gordhan's recall is a test by Zuma of the consequences of a reshuffle.

Either Gordhan obeys and Zuma emerges stronger, says the Mail & Guardian, or Gordhan disobeys and challenges the president to fire him.

The tabloid Sowetan says ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe has no idea what's going on.

Yesterday Mantashe claimed ignorance about Zuma's controversial decision to recall Gordhan from London on a trip which was intended to convince investors that South Africa is a safe place for their money. While many have linked the recall to a possible cabinet reshuffle‚ it is unclear what the president’s intentions are, says the Sowetan.

All papers mention the name of Brian Molefe, former boss of the national electricity company Eskom, as a potential replacement for Gordhan.

And all agree that this is going to be a crucial week for South Africa.

Kenya-Tanzania border row

There's trouble brewing at the border between Kenya and Tanzania, according to the top story in this morning's edition of the regional paper the East African.

Kenyans at the border town of Namanga yesterday engaged police in running battles as they protested alleged harassment by Tanzanian authorities.

The protesters lit tyres on the roads paralysing transport services and threatened to eject all Tanzanian nationals living and working at the border town if the harassment did not stop.

Police used tear gas to disperse the angry locals who blocked vehicles with Tanzanian registration numbers from entering Kenya.

The irate mob also damaged a tanker supplying to the neighbouring country from the Kenyan side.

The East African says the current standoff was triggered about three weeks ago when Tanzanian authorities gave Kenyans seven days to leave.

Will Sudanese corridor help the starving south?

The United Nations has opened a new humanitarian corridor through Sudan to save thousands of people facing famine in South Sudan.

The development follows an agreement signed on Sunday between the UN and Khartoum, allowing the flow of aid to South Sudan's border Unity State, considered one of the areas most affected by war and famine in South Sudan.

Unity State boasts of rich oil reserves but has witnessed the bloodiest battles since the civil war broke out in December 2013.

Is Uganda soon going to have a new police chief?

According to the East African, the effort by the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura to have his tenure renewed for the fifth time in November faces a stern test after President Yoweri Museveni‘s utterances last week betrayed a crisis of confidence in Kayihura's leadership.

In the wake of the murder of high-ranking police officer Andrew Kaweesi in Kampala earlier this month, the president said the force had been infiltrated by criminals and ordered Kayihura to sort the situation out, a task many analysts believe would require a major shake-up of the police ranks.

Many senior officers are suspected of running criminal gangs and there have been accusations of corruption, mismanagement and abuse of office in the force.