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African press review 1 July 2017

Despite recent claims that he was on life-support, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari is making a good recovery in London. The Kenyan electoral commission says ballot-stuffing won't be possible in next month's elections.

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Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is recovering. That's the main headline in today's Lagos-based Guardian.

According to the report, the chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has assured Nigerians that the ailing leader is fast recovering from his illness in the United Kingdom.

Contradicting a claim by Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose that Buhari had been on life support for the past three weeks, Odigie-Oyegun said Buhari is recovering in a very robust manner.

The ruling party chairman said that only the president’s medical team could decide when Buhari would be fit to return to the country.

You can't do that there 'ere!

The Kenyan electoral commission has been reacting to opposition fears of ballot stuffing in next month's elections.

According to the top story in this morning's Daily Nation, the electoral commission yesterday dismissed fears expressed by the opposition National Super Alliance that ballot papers will be interfered with, saying it had put in place mechanisms to prevent such malpractices.

Only voters identified by the biometric system will be entitled to vote. No additional ballots can be introduced into the system according to the commission.

Sudan still sponsors terrorism says US

The United States has no plans to remove Sudan from the list of nations that sponsor terrorism, this morning's Sudan Tribune tells us.

The US State Department yesterday said that an assessment is underway of Sudan’s compliance with conditions stipulated by the previous administration to allow the lifting of economic sanctions imposed in 1997.

An interagency report is to be submitted to US President Donald Trump on which he will base a decision on whether to maintain or to permanently remove sanctions against Sudan.

The country’s terrorism designation will not, however, change for the time being.

Zuma roasted for policy conference speech

Yesterday, South African President Jacob Zuma opened the ruling ANC's fifth national policy conference in Johannesburg with a speech calling for unity and renewal.

The Johannesburg-based daily paper BusinessDay reports the speech in full, interrupting the presidential presentation every few lines.

Zuma, for example, said of the South African economy that the "country is now in recession. At the time of the budget in February, the economy was expected to grow at a low 1.3 percent in 2017. Given the current difficulties, even this low growth rate may now not be achieved."

And BusinessDay wonders why there was no mention of the fact that the economy has gone down the tubes since Pravin Gordhan was sacked as finance minister.

The president boasted that social security has been expanded to reach 18 million people made up of the most vulnerable citizens.

Only to have BusinessDay note that this is the first year in which the number of South Africans on social security has exceeded the number of people with jobs.

Security high for fourth anniversary of Egyptian revolution

The security directorates in Egypt yesterday stepped up security measures in a number of areas on the fourth anniversary of the 30 June revolution.

Security measures were tightened around police facilities, government and private institutions, archaeological and tourist areas.

The Egypt Independent reports that secret informers were also deployed on streets to follow up on the situation.

In Luxor a state of emergency was announced especially in the vicinity of vital installations, electricity companies, the airport, the railway station, houses of worship and tourist attractions.

In Port Said the security director of the governorate called for vigilance and tightened security at vital installations. He warned citizens not to believe rumours.

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