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African press review 10 December 2016

Gambia's Yahya Jammeh changes his mind and refuses to accept defeat in December 1 elections. Ghana's John Dramani Mahamaat sets example to follow, concedes defeat to Nana Addo even before the verdict of the December 7 polls is announced. And South Africa watches on as rogue prophets abuse unquestioning believers.

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Gambai's Yahya Jammeh feels the heat of defeat and backtracks on concession speech

We begin with reactions to the decision by veteran Gambian President Yahya Jammeh not to to accept his defeat in the December 1 elections, as he earlier announced.

Kenyan’s Daily Nation which leads with the baffling news from Banjul says the back-tracking by the strongman, who has ruled Gambia with an iron fist for 22 years, had plunged the West African country into turmoil with a demand for fresh polls.

It observes that Jammeh cited what he called “a string of unacceptable errors for his change of heart, adding that he would no longer concede to opponent Adama Barrow.

Daily Nation says soldiers were seen placing sandbags in strategic locations across the capital Banjul on Friday, a development which triggered widespread unease among the already-spooked population, who had been panic-buying food before the vote due to fear of unrest.

Meanwhile in Ghana, the papers marked a new watershed in the country's democratic culture... the peaceful election of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo as their new head of state after the December 7 General elections.

Ghana elects new President

The Statesman newspaper leads with a statement from Akufo Addo revealing that he received a call from his defeated opponent President John Dramani Mahamaat as early as 7:51 pm last night precisely, congratulating him on his victory, wishing him the best of luck and God’s blessings, and assuring him of his full co-operation in organizing the transition.

In Nigeria Vanguard commends the shining example of democracy shown by the Ghanaian people.

It observed that like ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who called Muhammadu Buhari, to concede defeat in the 2015 Presidential election, Ghanaian’s John Mahama, didn’t wait for the election commission to announce the results before conceding defeat.

Switzerland reaps bonus from returning Abatcha loot

Also in Nigeria, Punch says the Federal Government may have agreed to pay the Government of Switzerland $79m as part of conditions for the repatriation of almost $400m recovered from the family of the late military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha.

According to the newspaper, the Chairman of the Civil Society Network against Corruption, Olanrewaju Suraj, made the revelation during a seminar to commemorate the 2016 International Anti-Corruption Day in Abuja on Friday.

South Africa's rogue prophets

In South Africa, Times Live expresses shock at revelations by the Commission to protect culture and religion about increasing trend of abuse of peoples' beliefs.

This was after followers of a prophet were discovered in critical condition in a Limpopo Church after drinking the antiseptic Dettol served to them by their pastor.

According to the newspaper, Prophet Rufus Phalalarge of the AK Spiritual Church in Makgodu is not the first South African so-called prophets caught on camera violating the rights of the unquestioning believers.

The others causing concern to health authorities are the so called "prophet of Doom" and Prophet Phumzile Topi whose iProphet Topi's congregants collapsed in Mthatha this week after being made to drink or inhale insecticides under the pretext that it would bring them spiritual healing.

Times live quotes the CRL Rights Commission‚ as warning that something needs to be done to stop them before anything horrible might happen to anyone".

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