African press review 7 May 2013

More on Guptagate in the South African press, while the large number of child bride marriages in Chad and Niger is another big story today...

The South African BusinessDay reports on one of the country’s most important recent scandals referred to as the Gupta scandal - or Guptagate - which has caused divisions in the ANC and could lead to President Jacob Zuma's demise.

The wealthy Indian family has occupied the headlines over the past week after allegations it received special treatment from political officials and special access to the military airbase of Waterkloof, near Pretoria, as a private landing strip for guests at a family wedding.

The Guptas are said to be closely associated with President Jacob Zuma and his family, says BD, and comments critical of their alleged influence on the country’s politics are not well-viewed by Zuma.

In Kenya, the burial day of the late Senator Mutula Kilonzo has been announced as Thursday, at his Mbooni home in the Eastern county of Makueni, writes the Kenyan Capital FM News.

Speaking to Capital FM, the Kilonzo family’s spokesman said the decision was in accordance with the late Senator's wishes to be buried alongside his mother and father.
Even as Kilonzo is laid to rest, adds the article, questions surrounding his unexpected and suspicious death still remain and will remain at least until July, when the results of tests carried out during his autopsy are available.

In Mozambique, the World Bank’s Loans for Agriculture are slowly starting to change the country’s agriculture performances while also improving people's food and nutrition security, reports the Country’s National News Agency in Maputo.

The Executive Board of the World Bank approved two credits for a total of 115 million euros on 25 April to improve Mozambique's agricultural performance and the results are already starting to show.

And an interesting report published by online magazine Think Africa Press takes a look at the issue of Child marriage, a topic that has been sadly missing from international development agendas for far too long.

Around the world today, about 400 million women were married as children, a practice which is particularly widespread in certain parts of Africa such as Chad and Niger. These two countries, says the report, have the highest child marriage rates in the world with 70 per cent of women married before their 18th birthday.

According to some estimates, adds the report, between 10 and 14 million child brides are married every year - in spite of international protests and bans.