Top Africa stories: Mnangagwa, Lungu's mansion, kenyatta

2018-05-17 08:00

'Africa spending at least $50bn on food imports,' says Zim's Mnangagwa

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly urged African countries to focus more on agriculture, saying the continent imported food amounting to at least $50 billion per year.

According to NewsDay, Mnangagwa said this while speaking at the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Union (Sacau) annual meeting in Victoria Falls.

Mnangagwa said the continent needed to "harness its arable land to stimulate economic growth and improve its food security".

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'Elders in UK have promised us funding if MDC wins,' says ex-Zim finance minister

European donors have pledged substantial investments in Zimbabwe should the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) Alliance win the upcoming elections, former finance minister, who is now the leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Tendai Biti has reportedly said.

Zimbabwe was expected to go to the polls before the end of August.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, Biti - who is one of the lieutenants of the MDC alliance - told the alliance's supporters in Marange over the weekend that the elections were about finding a new development partner.

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Zambian leader 'builds $4m mansion' in Swaziland on land 'given to him as a gift' by King Mswati

Zambian President Edgar Lungu is reportedly building a mansion worth millions of dollars for himself at Nkonyeni area in Swaziland.

Reports, according to BBChave put the mansion's price tag at around $4 million.

Zambian media quoted the country's minister of information Dora Siliya as confirming that Lungu was indeed building a mansion in Swaziland.

According to Zambia Eye, Siliya maintained that there was nothing sinister about the development, as King Mswati "gave Mr Lungu the land as a gift". 

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Mom tells of horrifying moment she found a baboon with its teeth 'sunk into' her baby's face

A Zimbabwean woman has reportedly told of the horrifying moment she found a baboon "mauling her 1-year-old baby" outside their home in Victoria Falls.

According to the privately-owned Standard newspaper, Jean Gama said she did not believe that her baby would survive after she found the primate with its teeth "sunk into" her daughter's face.

The vicious attack left the baby with huge scars on her head and face, the report said.

"My daughter was playing outside the house with her 12-year-old brother, while I prepared breakfast around 09:00.

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Zim, China sign $1 billion deal... investment to create 25 000 jobs

Zimbabwe has reportedly signed a $1 billion deal with a Chinese firm to build a 400 megawatts coal methane-fired power plant in Matabeleland North Province and setting up new ferrochrome smelters at Zimasco.

According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, the new development was likely set to create at least 25 000 jobs and would be implemented in phases.

The deal was signed by the southern African country's Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando and the Chinese firm Sinosteel Corp president Andong Liu.

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Kenyan president signs controversial cyber-crimes law

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday signed into law a sweeping cyber-crimes act criminalising fake news and online bullying, with clauses that critics argue could stifle press freedom.

The bill imposes stiff fines and jail terms for hacking, computer fraud, forgery of data, cyber espionage, publishing child pornography or sending pornographic content via any electronic means.

However, bloggers and media rights activists have expressed alarm over a clause which criminalises the publication of "false, misleading or fictitious data."

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