Africa briefs

Ndamanguluka Nakashole
Ramaphosa orders probe into state firms

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the country’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of maladministration at state run-power utility Eskom and logistics group Transnet, the government said on Friday.

Ramaphosa, who replaced former president Jacob Zuma in February, has made the fight against corruption a key plank of his administration as he seeks to restore investor confidence after the scandal-plagued Zuma era.

-Nampa/Reuters

Ghana to court Japanese bond investors

Government officials from Ghana will meet investors in Japan this week as the West African nation seeks to diversify its range of sovereign bondholders, the finance ministry said on Sunday.

Ghana, which exports cocoa, gold and oil, plans to issue up to US$2.5 billion of sovereign debt, including a US$1 billion Eurobond by the end of this month.

Finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta has previously said he is weighing the option of issuing a yen-denominated Samurai bond.

-Nampa/Reuters

Zambian economy to grow more than 4%

Zambia’s economy is expected to grow by more than 4% this year helped by the mining, agriculture and construction sectors, finance minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said.

Economic growth in Africa’s second-largest copper producer rose to 4.1% last year, helped in part by higher commodity prices.

Officials had initially targeted at least 5% growth this year, but Mwanakatwe’s comments in a statement issued by the finance ministry suggest growth could be closer to last year’s level.

-Nampa/Reuters

Nigeria awards two of three gas pipeline deals

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said on Friday it had awarded two of three gas pipeline contracts which in total will be worth more than US$2.8 billion.

One contract for a roughly 200 km (124.27 miles) stretch of the 614 km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline and stations was awarded to Oando PLC and OilServe, the state oil company said in a statement.

Another stretch of about 200 km was given to a partnership between China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau and Brentex, NNPC said.

-Nampa/Reuters

Egyptian court allows Uber and Careem to continue operations

An Egyptian court ruled on Saturday that a judicial decision to suspend the licences of ride-hailing companies Uber and Careem should not be applied, allowing them to continue their work, judicial sources said.

Forty-two Egyptian taxi drivers filed a lawsuit in the administrative court a year ago against US-based Uber and its Dubai-based competitor Careem, arguing they were illegally using private cars as taxis. They also claimed that the two firms were registered as a call centre and an internet company, respectively.

-Nampa/Reuters

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Namibian Sun 2025-02-03

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