African press review 2 June 2017

There's chaos in the Nigerian parliament. An Al-Shabaab commander surrenders in Somalia. Riek Machar calls for UN help to get to South Sudan peace talks. And South Africa's employment figures plunge to a 13-year low.

There was chaos yesterday in the Nigerian parliament.

Punch newspaper reports that the cause of the rowdiness was the rejection of a bill seeking to establish a South-East Development Commission.

Parliamentary proceedings had to be adjourned because the legislation's sponsor was not present for the debate.

A similar bill to establish the North-East Development Commission had already been passed by the National Assembly, and is awaiting the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The bill's sponsor and Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Chukwuka Onyeama, whose absence caused yesterday's delay, says the south-east geopolitical zone needs the commission to develop collapsed infrastructure and undo the damage suffered by the zone as a result of the Nigerian civil war.

Representatives of most of the federation's other regions are opposed to the new legislation.

Al-Shabaab commander surrenders to Somali soldiers

A commander of the jihadist Al-Shabaab terror group has reportedly surrendered to the Somali National Army.

This is reported on the front page of regional paper the East African.

The commander, named as Bishar Mumin Afrah, surrendered to national troops at Hiran in central Somalia, about 200 kms north of Mogadishu. He brought two AK47 assault rifles and a large amount of ammunition, according to an army statement.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo in February offered pardon to any Al-Shabaab member who renounces the jihadist ideology.

Riek Machar calls for UN help to get to South Sudan peace talks

South Sudan's former First Vice President and rebel leader Riek Machar has called on the UN Security Council to bring an end to his forced exile in South Africa and to allow him to engage in a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

This is the main story in today's Sudan Tribune.

In October last year Machar left Khartoum for Pretoria, officially for medical treatment. But in fact, his travel had been decided in a common agreement between the Igad countries. Washington was also involved in the decision.

One month later the former first vice-president escaped from his residence in Pretoria and reached Khartoum and Addis Abba. But he was forced to return to South Africa after the Sudanese and Ethiopian authorities refused to allow him to remain in their territories.

Now he wants the United Nations to end the international isolation of his Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement in Opposition, and release him from his current "confinement and detention" so that he can participate in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Machar accuses President Salva Kiir of resisting reforms and the democratisation of the ruling party.

South Africa faces a further stint on the investment junkheap

It looks as if South Africa's sovereign credit status is firmly settled in the junk zone.

Johannesburg-based financial paper BusinessDay reports that the international ratings agency Fitch has confirmed its junk rating, ahead of an expected downgrade by Moody’s, which is likely to leave South Africa’s ratings at just one notch above subinvestment grade.

The Moody's announcement is expected later today.

South African unemployment hits a 13-year high

South Africa's latest employment statistics came out yesterday, and they don't make happy reading.

With nearly 28 percent of the working population on the dole, unemployment hit a 13-year high in the first quarter of this year.

Six million of South Africa's workforce of 22 million are currently out of work.

African debt collector goes out of business

An American debt collection agency has decided to close down its African operations, citing harsh economic conditions.

According to a front-page report in the East African, Collection Africa Ltd, the debt collection wing of American credit reference bureau TransUnion, has closed its operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia and Malawi, leaving hundreds jobless.

The company has suffered from low performance levels and has failed to complete several attempted mergers or attract a suitable investor for a buy-out.

In Kenya, for example, non-performing loans, that's the polite terminology when the borrower fails to pay, are currently at an all time high of nearly 10 percent of all loans issued.

The East African says the decision to close the debt collection unit at a time when banks in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda are struggling with bad loans has raised concerns since demand for debt collectors is expected to rise.