Features

LONDON (Capiatla Markets in Africa) – The scale of the challenge facing Boris Johnson to break Britain’s political deadlock was laid bare in his first days as prime minister, as the European Union immediately rejected his demands for a better Brexit deal. Johnson told European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that the U.K.’s Withdrawal Agreement with the EU would have to change for it to pass Parliament, according to his office’s account of the phone conversation between the two Thursday. Juncker said…

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed a little-known minister as acting head of the Treasury a day after finance minister Henry Rotich was charged with corruption. Ukur Yatani Kanacho, a former governor of the northern county of Marsabit, will also retain his role as the labor and protection minister, a position he’s held since February 2018. Kenyatta also appointed Julius Monzi Muia as principal secretary at the Treasury. He previously held a…

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Dominic Cummings, the director of the 2016 campaign to get Britain out of the European Union, is one of the most acerbic and divisive figures in British politics. His appointment as one of Boris Johnson’s senior advisers could signal a radical shake-up in Westminster. Cummings was made famous outside political circles earlier this year when he was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in a TV drama about the referendum campaign. It captured his…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – A proposal by the biggest owner of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s debt to convert its $6.4 billion holding into equity has become a rescue option as South Africa seeks to restructure the troubled power utility. In return, the Public Investment Corp., which manages about $150 billion and is responsible for the pensions of more than 1 million state workers, wants a say over Eskom’s messy finances, including board representation, said…

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Investors in Neil Woodford’s frozen flagship fund have been prevented from moving their accounts from Hargreaves Lansdown Plc to other investment platforms, according to a competing firm. Woodford shocked the financial world last month when he locked the LF Woodford Equity Income Fund after a run of poor performance. About 133,000 clients have invested a total of just over 1 billion pounds ($1.2 billion) in the fund through the Hargreaves Lansdown platform. The Telegraph newspaper reported the news…