African press review 5 April 2011

In our new reveiw of the African press, we look at postponed polls in Nigeria, marriages and divorces put off by strike action in Zimbabwe and other news from the continent.

African press review

Nigeria's The Guardian follows up yesterday's lead story on the postponement of elections. Negotiations continued yesterday at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja. A series of meetings were held involving commission officials and others concerned by the current transition process.

The meeting will continue today with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, who have been summoned to Abuja.

The same Guardian reports that the chairman of the Manufacturers' Association of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, Ini-Obong Jackson, has asked the Federal Government to issue licences to more independent power producers to resolve the crippling power supply situation in Nigeria.

According to Jackson, creating an environment in which independent producers could contribute to ending the national power crisis and would transform the industrial sector and push down the cost of goods and services.

The Herald in Zimbabwe reports that Energy Minister Elton Steers Mangoma has been released from remand prison. This follows a High Court refusal of the state's application to block Mangoma's request for bail.

Mangoma is charged with criminal abuse of office involving four million euros in a fuel procurement deal. His trial opened last week at the High Court. He denies the charge.

The Herald also reports that couples wishing to tie the knot and those seeking to divorce were yesterday united in common misery, as magistrates across Zimbabwe embarked on a strike to press for better salaries.

With the judicial officers demanding minimum salaries of between 700 and 2,300 euros depending on seniority, such everyday legal transactions as marriages and divorces were shelved as courts were not open for business.

Those facing criminal charges were also left in limbo, as trials and remand hearings were also abandoned.

Magistrates currently earn between 145  and 211 euros monthly and are demanding a minimum salary of 422 euros for trainees.

Air Zimbabwe's woes were compounded yesterday when workers owed nearly 282,000 euros in unpaid salaries and bonuses were legally granted control of airline property, including management vehicles.

Efforts to stop the attachment and subsequent auctioning of the assets failed at the High Court yesterday.

The property can now be auctioned any time, despite protests by Airzim that this will paralyse its already struggling operations.

Pilots are on strike and the airline has for the past two weeks been transferring passengers to other carriers. Airzim is incurring a monthly loss of 2.5 million euros and all its routes are incurring losses.

In Kenya, The Daily Nation reports that the Judicial Service Commission has released 24 names of applicants for the Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice posts.

The names include President Kibaki's initial nominee for the Chief Justice post, Judge Alnashir Visram, and three other appeal court judges.

The commission is scheduled to shortlist the applicants next week. Interviews are set of the first week of May.

A previous attempt at replacing Justice Evan Gicheru stalled after President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga failed to agree on the president’s nomination of Justice Alnashir Visram.

According to The Daily News in Tanzania, UN Deputy Secretary General Dr Asha-Rose Migiro has commended Tanzania for heroic measures taken to reduce the country's estimated 90,000 new HIV and Aids infections each year.

Speaking at the launch of a new prevention strategy in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Migiro said Tanzania remains a shining example after 30 years of the global epidemic.

The Daily News also reports that Tanzania's parliament resumes in Dodoma this Tuesday. The bill for the process of writing a new constitution is likely to dominate the debate.

The 2011 Constitution Act will be tabled by Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Celina Kombani, against a background of opposition from politicians and academics who want it amended before being tabled in the House.

Celina Kombani has shrugged off demands for the bill to be temporarily suspended, saying there is ample time for ammendment as this is just the first reading.

A threat to burn down the offices of The Daily Observer newspaper in Liberia follows the publication of a story regarding the award of a controversial mining bid to an Israeli company, Elenito Minerals and Mining Limited.

The story centred on doubts about the company’s ability to undertake mining operations in western Liberia. There are claims against Elenito’s financial capability and track record in the industry. The Daily Observer has already been burned down twice.