African press review 26 March 2013

The aftermath of Kenya's elections and the Brics summit in South Africa are among the stories in today's African press...

In Kenya, the main story in this morning's Nairobi Standard reports that the Supreme Court has ordered a complete audit of the 4 March presidential election through scrutiny of each of the forms received from the 33,400 polling stations nationally.

The purpose of the audit is to establish the number of registered voters, as well as votes cast and the number of votes rejected.

Defeated candidate Raila Odinga argues that some polling centres had more votes cast than registered voters and that the electoral commission inflated the voter turnout to favour Uhuru Kenyatta.

The highest court in the land has also ordered a complete re-count in 22 polling stations.

The actual sittings to determine the petitions to endorse or nullify the election of Uhuru Kenyatta as president will be on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Judges have until Saturday to deliver their ruling on the election outcome.

The Nairobi-based Daily Standard reports that the family of a former witness in the International Criminal Court case against Deputy President-elect William Ruto, have claimed their son’s life is in danger.

Ruto is one of three Kenyans facing charges of crimes against humanity for his alleged role in organising the violence which followed the last presidential election, in 2007.

The family of the former witness have asked the government to guarantee their son's security following claims that officials from The Hague-based court are asking the man to reconsider his decision not to testify.

According to the main story in the Johannesburg-based financial paper BusinessDay, local entrepreneurs have warned President Jacob Zuma against signing trade deals at the Brics summit, saying they could lead to a flood of cheap imports that could harm South Africa’s own industrialisation drive.

South Africa is currently hosting the leaders of the main emerging economies . . . China, Russia, India and Brazil . . . at the fifth Brics summit in Durban.

BusinessDay also says that a row is brewing in Zimbabwe between Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono over indigenisation plans for foreign-owned banks.

Kasukuwere on Monday insisted that foreign banks meet him ahead of a July deadline to discuss indigenisation. Failure to attend the meetings would be taken as evidence of the banks’ unwillingness to comply.

It is the latest chapter in a feud that has raged since January, with no clear indication of how the government intends to handle Gideon Gono’s backing of foreign banks’ opposition to the far-reaching provisions of the proposed law.

Gono, who is thought to be close to President Robert Mugabe, is said to have been quietly meeting foreign bank CEOs in what his critics say looks suspiciously like an attempt to strike a deal.

Kasukuwere said on Monday he had received reports that Gono was being "paid" by the banks to block indigenisation, but had not verified them. He compared Gono to Zimbabwe’s first black prime minister, Abel Muzorewa, saying he opposed the wishes of the people.

Gono was not available for comment on Monday.

All is not well in neighbouring Zambia.

According to the southern African pages of BusinessDay, Zambia has charged former president Rupiah Banda with abuse of authority in connection with a Nigerian oil deal.

Banda, who has been accused of misappropriating more than 10 million euros during his three years in office, was arrested, formally charged and released on bail.

He is to appear in court again today.

Earlier this month, Zambia stripped Banda of immunity from prosecution, and Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba said at the time that the country was close to bringing charges against the former president.

Banda, who led Africa’s top copper producer from 2008 to 2011, has maintained his innocence. He says the charges are part of a witch-hunt by the government targeting anyone seen to oppose incumbent President Michael Sata.