Nigeria Ruling APC Bleeds as Key Figures Drop Buhari Before Vote

Nigeria Ruling APC Bleeds as Key Figures Drop Buhari Before Vote

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari lost a key supporter in his northern stronghold, a day after the senate president walked out of the ruling party amid a wave of defections to a swelling opposition movement ahead of elections in February. The governor of north western Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal, left the All Progressives Congress to join the People’s Democratic Party, which ruled Nigeria for 16 years until Buhari’s 2015 win, the governor’s…

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South Africa’s ANC Resolves to Change Constitution on Land

South Africa’s ANC Resolves to Change Constitution on Land

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s ruling party decided to complete a proposed amendment to the nation’s constitution to make it clearer under what conditions land can be expropriated without compensation, prompting the rand to weaken. This brings the African National Congress closer to the populist Economic Freedom Fighters party, after the ANC said earlier that land redistribution will only be done in a manner that doesn’t harm the economy, agricultural production or…

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Protests Erupt in Zimbabwe After Ruling Party Wins Landslide

Protests Erupt in Zimbabwe After Ruling Party Wins Landslide

HARARE (Capital Markets in Africa) – Sporadic violence erupted in Zimbabwe’s capital after the ruling party secured a landslide win in the first parliamentary election of the post-Robert Mugabe era that Western observer groups said was marred by abuses. The verdict by monitors from the European Union and the U.S. is likely to dent President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s drive to attract investors to rebuild the southern African nation, which is still reeling from two decades of misrule and…

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What to Expect From Zimbabwe’s First Vote Post-Mugabe

What to Expect From Zimbabwe’s First Vote Post-Mugabe

HARARE (Capital Markets in Africa) – For the first time since white minority rule ended in 1980, Zimbabweans won’t have the option of voting for Robert Mugabe when they choose their next leader. After driving the southern African nation to economic ruin, Mugabe unsuccessfully tried to line up his wife to succeed him and was forced to quit in November when the military briefly seized power and the ruling party threatened to impeach him. His former deputy…

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As Islamist Insurgency Deepens, Mali President Seeks New Term

As Islamist Insurgency Deepens, Mali President Seeks New Term

BAMAKO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Life in Mali’s presidential palace, an imposing mansion with manicured lawns and splashing fountains overlooking the capital, Bamako, has become increasingly lonely for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who is seeking a second term in elections to be held on Sunday. The front-line in a regional war against jihadists whose bombings and hit-and-run attacks are growing more sophisticated by the month, Mali’s failure to quash a fractured Islamist insurgency has reverberated…

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Zuma Fights to Halt Prosecution in Arms-Deal Corruption Case

Zuma Fights to Halt Prosecution in Arms-Deal Corruption Case

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Former South African President Jacob Zuma is seeking to ensure that his corruption case is never heard by applying for a permanent stay of prosecution over charges related to an arms deal two decades ago. Zuma appeared in the High Court in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg on Friday where the case was provisionally postponed until Nov. 30. Lawyers for Thint, the company that was the South African unit of French…

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Mass Defections Upend Nigeria as Buhari Seeks Re-Election

Mass Defections Upend Nigeria as Buhari Seeks Re-Election

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – After a series of missteps on economic and security issues, one of the things Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari could pin his re-election hopes on was a feeble opposition. Not anymore. More than fifty lawmakers and a state governor quit Buhari’s ruling All Progressives Congress this week, with the vast majority switching allegiances to the People’s Democratic Party. While both parties have struggled with internal divisions, the mass defections are breathing new…

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