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African press review 23 June 2016

Kissa Besigye has been defending his right to defy the authorities in Uganda, a brave move given that the opposition leader is currently in jail facing treason charges. There's more trouble in Pretoria over the nomination of mayoral candidates. And foreign direct investment in Africa is in decline.

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Ugandan opposition leader Kissa Besigye is back on the front pages in Kampala.

The Monitor reports that Kizza Besigye has defended his defiance campaign in the Constitutional Court, saying it is a lawful means by which citizens can resist the illegal and unconstitutional acts and conduct of any person or authority to keep themselves in power against the provisions of the Constitution.

The former Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate submitted a written defence in court yesterday in response to the petition filed by the Attorney General seeking to permanently ban the Opposition party’s defiance campaign activities.

Dr Besigye did not deny using the word “defiance” throughout his presidential election campaigns or even calling on citizens to peacefully resist actions of any person who illegally retains themselves in power.

Besigye, who is on remand on separate charges of treason in Luzira prison, also stated that his election campaigns were conducted within the provisions of Uganda's electoral laws.

More arrests as violence continues in Pretoria

Front pages in South Africa are dominated, once again, by news of violence in Tshwane, the municipal area centred on Pretoria.

The Johannesburg-based financial paper BusinessDay reports more arrests yesterday, bring to 54 the number of people taken into police custody since the start of violent demonstrations. The trouble started following the announcement of Thoko Didiza as the ANC’s mayoral candidate for Tshwane in the August local government elections.

There have been allegations that some protestors want incumbent Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to retain his position because of his influence on the awarding of municipal tenders.

South African police are investigating claims that senior members of the ruling ANC in Tshwane are behind the wave of civil unrest in the capital city. Two people have already died in the disturbances.

Foreign direct investment in South Africa drops drastically

BusinessDay also reports that the slack economy, low commodity prices and high electricity costs have pushed foreign direct investment in South Africa down to one and a half billion euros, the lowest level in 10 years.

A global report from the UN Conference on Trade and Developmen, released yesterday, shows that the weak world market for commodities has also negatively affected overall investment flows into Africa. These fell to fifty billion euros in 2015, a decrease of 7 per cent over 2014.

The decline in South Africa is almost 70 per cent.

More dead in Benue cattle conflict

Punch daily newspaper in Nigeria reports that unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen raided four villages and killed 13 persons yesterday in two local government areas of Benue state in the centre of the country.

This is the third attack since the weekend, with 59 people reported dead.

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