By Mimi Kalinda
Innovation is a critical part Africa’s DNA, but it only plays a part in shaping the continent’s narrative when the world becomes aware of it. This is where tactical communication is paramount in disseminating information about the continent’s progress, so that the right people join the journey in supporting and investing in innovation.
The underlying concept of communicating to the right audience requires an understanding of Africa’s dynamics coupled with a strategic approach that encompasses not only smart ideas and effective planning, but also a combination of traditional and digital media expertise. As the communication landscape evolves rapidly, strategic communication means keeping a watchful eye on the way your audience consumes information and the channels they utilize.
Let’s look at The African Innovation Summit (AIS), for example. It showcased potential solutions to Africa’s challenges in water, energy, food and healthcare. Young innovators from across the continent identified problems in their communities and came up with ways to fix them. What followed was genius. A compelling communications strategy was developed and effectively delivered. It entailed a three-step approach from pre-summit to post summit and this method involved telling the stories of each innovator in a way that would inspire audiences to action. 
The hope was to enhance the African narrative and change the poor perception of its youth.
With media and business in attendance at the event, the summit highlighted detailed information about innovations that, with the right funding and support, could change Africa’s outlook in the future.
One of the inventions at the AIS included a remarkable diagnostic test that could detect and distinguish between seven different viruses simultaneously, including HIV. Dr Dougbeh-Chris Nyan invented the portable system, which fits into a college-size backpack and could be powered by a car battery plugged into its cigarette lighter outlet. Solar power was being looked at for alternative power.
This device could go a long way in helping deal with Africa’s health challenges, given that the continent accounts for 25% of the global disease burden. Health should be one of the region’s major priorities considering that HIV and AIDS claims around one million lives each year, while Africa’s leading cause of death in children under five is malaria.
This is just one example from the variety of proposals emanating from AIS that could advance Africa into the future. The key driver in turning these creative ideas into prototypes and tangible outcomes is strategic communications. Once the rest of the world sees Africa’s potential through a positive lens, investment and support is likely to follow.

OpEd: What is needed to get world to see Africa’s potential in order to attract investment in innovation

By Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO for Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa
The value of data coupled with connected infrastructure and industrial ecosystems offers Africa a remarkable opportunity to create smart factories of the future. Data will be at the heart of reinvigorating Africa’s industrial prowess, creating new industries and an entirely new set of jobs that previously did not exist.
Historically, Africa’s growth has been defined by its abundance in natural and mineral resources but digitalization will change this. It will tip the scales of Africa’s economic outlook more towards exports emanating from the manufacturing sector, with the textile vertical being the prime example. Developing factories of the future will boost Africa’s GDP and catapult its international competitiveness by merging both the physical and virtual worlds. The future will now be defined by how Africa harnesses its manufacturing potential and how it moves the industrial revolution forward.
The continent’s unique identity and extraordinary sense of creativity could be what puts us on the global map. The Afro-inspired design revolution taking shape is an opportunity to take our ingenuity to the world, and with skills development the continent will see a new industry emerge. The combination of smart hardware and intelligent software could help position Johannesburg, Nairobi or Lagos as the next design capital of the world.
The Siemens FABRIC showcase, launched at the end of August, is a testament to the talent Africa holds. Told through the universal language of fashion, FABRIC was a powerful project that demonstrated how data combined with technology could transform African cities. Three iconic African fashion designers (John Kaveke, Zizi Cardow and Palesa Mokubung) created one-of-kind outfits weaving in data extracted from these three African cities to tell a unique story about each of them. These are the kind of edgy collections that have gained the attention and admiration of the international fashion community, taking all three designers to renowned fashion shows across the world. But despite recognition on the global catwalk, the economic output from the apparel industry in Africa has not been grand in the last few years. However through digitalization, Africa’s dynamic fashion sense could become a global hit.
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Urbanization
As urbanization rapidly increases, so too does the demand in products and services. In the last few years, manufacturers have had to shorten throughput times to keep up with the increasing trend of individualised mass production and at the same time reduce their energy and raw material consumption. Now is the time for manufacturers to relook at rising production costs and determine how to safeguard their competitiveness.
As connectivity changes the world and how we communicate, the manufacturing industry will also need to adapt. Transforming into factories of the future will be a smart step because intelligent machines will effectively respond to changing market and customer needs, and enable manufacturers to pick up on inefficiencies quickly. The industrial internet of things (IIOT) will be the foundation of production, ensuring machine to machine communication and automation while real-time data boosts productivity and revenue. Digitalization will transform workforces and contribute to the entire value chain while ensuring safe, reliable operations.
According to a Frost &amp; Sullivan White Paper by the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the manufacturing industry will look completely different in the next 10 to 15 years as industries become high-tech engines of mass customization.
“Highly automated and information-intensive, the factory of tomorrow will look like an integrated hardware and software system…fuelled by vast quantities of information from every corner of the enterprise and beyond, moderated by analytical systems that can identify and extract insights and opportunities from that information, and comprise of intelligent machines that learn, act, and work alongside highly skilled human beings.”
Through research and insights, Siemens acknowledges the vast potential and possibilities for Africa’s future through manufacturing and has already been hard at work creating technologies for smart factories. It has created flexible, modular, economic automation and drive solutions to help industries transform easily. Its single-source solution maximises production and minimises downtime and has the capability to cover all facets of a textile plant from the production of chemical fibres and yarn to spinning, fabric manufacturing and finishing. It’s cost-effectiveness in configuration and commissioning makes it a manufacturer’s dream. Industrialisation will additionally bridge the gap between blue and white collar workers creating an upskilled workforce termed ‘grey-collar’ workers. This dynamic and developed staff contingent will be able to execute their duties with ease in the digital economy, alongside machines.
This transformation will push the continent onto another level that amplifies GDP, while creating a smarter Africa for all. The role of data architecture in this metamorphosis cannot be magnified enough, and with the exponential value of industrialization, Africa’s development could be fast tracked to tip the scales of its economic potential. The only element left will be active collaboration between government, regulators, business and society.

OpEd: How to transform Africa’s manufacturing industry through data

By <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/experts/landry-signe/">Professor Landry Signé</a>, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program and Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution and <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/author/chido-munyati/">Chido Munyati</a>, Global Leadership Fellow, World Economic Forum.
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This July, Zimbabwe held its first post-Robert Mugabe era presidential election, nearly four decades after his accession to power. The ruling ZANU-PF party won the 69 percent of the 210 seats in parliament after winning rural voters by large margins. In the presidential vote, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ZANU-PF party candidate and the incumbent president, emerged victorious from a 23-candidate field, winning 50.8 percent of the vote. The main opposition, the MDC Alliance, challenged the election results, and today the constitutional court upheld the outcome.
Free, fair, and credible elections are preconditions for sustainable peace and democratic development, as well as for attracting new investment and other support from international financial institutions and foreign governments. While most election observers have acknowledged improvements in this election, they have not considered them sufficient. They highlighted “inclusive participation rights and a peaceful vote” but also noted a “lack of trust in the process.” Two U.S. based groups, the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, highlighted “numerous incidents of food and agricultural assistance and extreme media bias” in favor of President Mnangagwa. The Southern African Development Community largely considered the election successful, noting that people had the “opportunity to exercise their constitutional right.”
Support for democracy is strong in Zimbabwe. According to the latest Afrobarometer Survey, 75.2 percent of people “prefer democracy” and an additional 4.7 percent “sometimes prefer democracy.” Additionally, 78.5 percent of citizens think that they should choose leaders in their country through regular, open, and honest elections. Finally, 67.8 percent of people believe that the constitution should limit the president to serving a maximum of two terms in office.
Zimbabwe seems to be regaining the trust of international investors and foreign governments. The country has attracted an estimated $16 billion in investments since Emmerson Mnangagwa took over in November 2017. Development partners are also collaborating again. The Indian government will provide a $310 million soft loan for the rehabilitation of the Hwange Thermal Power station and the CDC and Standard Chartered will provide $100 million in lending to new businesses.
Despite these advancements, there is still a lot to do to bring the country back to sustainable development:
IMPROVE GOVERNANCE TO REPEAL INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL DEBT, AND DELIVER BETTER PUBLIC SERVICES 
Recently, the U.S. government renewed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA), which requires that the country make credible progress towards holding free and fair elections, restore the rule of law, and ensure military subordination to the civilian government. The Government of Zimbabwe needs to increase accountability and accountable governance, and convince the U.S. government to repeal ZIDERA. With the sanctions bill in place, Zimbabwe cannot access loans or guarantees from international financial institutions without the approval of the U.S. government.
The renewed legislation also requires that U.S. representatives at multilateral organizations not support any efforts to address Zimbabwe’s debt situation. As of February 2018, Zimbabwe still had debts of $1.15 billion at the World Bank, $601 million to the African Development Bank, and $3 billion to Paris Club countries.
The government needs to re-engage diplomatically to get the sanctions lifted as they restrict business, its ability to borrow from international organizations, and resolve its debt situation. Zimbabwean officials continue to look to engage U.S. officials with the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Dr. Sibusiso Moyo, telling reporters that “we are determined to continue in the re-engagement with the U.S. administration, as we together seek to restore our bilateral relations to normalcy.” In order to regain access to international capital markets Zimbabwe must repay its debt arrears to major foreign lenders.
Other necessary reforms include repealing the chilling media laws—including the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Public Order and Security Act (POSA)—which restrict the media environment and promotes self-censorship. Additionally, the government must align current laws with the constitution.
IMPROVING THE MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT AND POLICY DELIVERY
Resolve the chronic cash shortage in the short-term, and create its own currency in the long-term 
Addressing the cash shortages must be a priority for the government. Zimbabwe desperately needs an influx of foreign cash to resolve the currency crises and spur economic growth. The country has not had a currency of its own since it dollarized in 2009 because of hyperinflation.
In the long term, Zimbabwe needs to have its own currency. In 2016, the Reserve Bank introduced “bond notes”, a substitute currency that locally has the same value as the U.S. dollar. Bond notes were meant to alleviate the shortage of U.S. dollars in the system—this, however, had the opposite effect by further increasing the demand for U.S. dollar.
Implement economic and civil reforms domestically 
As highlighted earlier, President Mnangagwa has attracted significant new investment to Zimbabwe since last year. However, the country continues to face chronic cash shortages that are holding back economic growth. In recent months, businesses raised prices as they struggled to find U.S. dollars to conduct business.
Beyond reforms, President Mnangagwa can send positive signals to foreign lenders and investors by tackling corruption, and appointing reputable and accountable technocrats to manage the economy. Indeed, the window of opportunity has narrowed considerably since the post-election violence that followed a peaceful vote. President Mnangagwa said there would be an independent investigation into the post-election violence. Some hope and goodwill remains; however, actions taken in the next few months will determine whether Zimbabwe is breaking with the past.
By <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/experts/landry-signe/">Professor Landry Signé</a>, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program and Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution, distinguished fellow at Stanford University’s Center for African Studies, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and author of “Innovating Development Strategies in Africa: The Role of International, Regional and National Actors,
and <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/author/chido-munyati/">Chido Munyati</a>, Global Leadership Fellow, World Economic Forum.

OpEd: Is Zimbabwe regaining the trust of international investors?

STRASBOURG (Reuters) &#8211; The European Union should offer a free trade agreement to the whole of the African continent and a new investment alliance, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a keynote speech on Wednesday.
Among various proposals for EU action to bolster prosperity in the world’s poorest continent and Europe’s close neighbour, the Commission chief called for a more equal partnership and investment rather than aid, as Europeans look for ways to stem an economic divide driving Africans to try to migrate northward.
Juncker said he had talked with African leaders and was proposing an alliance to boost sustainable investment, which he said could create up to 10 million jobs in Africa in the next five years.
While it was clear that a free trade pact would be some way off, and well after Juncker steps down in a year’s time, the EU would look to take advantage of African efforts to forge a free trade area within the continent to work towards a comprehensive continent-to-continent trade agreement.
Trade between Africa and Europe, said Juncker, was not insignificant &#8211; 36 percent of Africa’s trade is with the European Union, compared to 16 percent with China and 6 percent with the United States.
“But this is not enough,” Juncker told the European Parliament.
“I believe we should develop the numerous European-African trade agreements into a continent-to-continent free trade agreement, as an economic partnership between equals.”
The European Union already has a series of deals with individual African countries, largely in North Africa, as well as additional economic partnerships with African blocs, such as the Southern African Development Community.
Other agreements with other African blocs and countries, designed to increase access to the EU market and promote development, are pending or partly in place.
Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; editing by Philip Blenkinsop

EU could offer the African continent a free trade agreement, what you need to know…

* MTN faces $10 bln penalties in dispute with Nigeria
* Nigerian unit brings in third of annual core profit
* MTN CEO has said confident dispute can be resolved (Adds attorney general spokesman declining comment, background)
By Didi Akinyelure and Alexis Akwagyiram
LAGOS, Sept 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Nigeria’s attorney general exceeded his powers in demanding $2 billion in taxes and charges from MTN Group, Africa’s biggest telecoms firm said in papers filed with Nigeria’s High Court and reviewed by Reuters.
The papers, filed on Monday in a move by the Nigerian arm of the South African firm aimed at protecting its assets, also showed MTN was seeking 3 billion naira ($10 million) from the West African country in court and legal expenses.
Earlier this month, the Nigerian government handed MTN a $2 billion tax bill days after the central bank, in a separate move, ordered the company’s Lagos unit to hand over $8.1 billion that it said was illegally sent abroad.
Nigeria, which accounts for a third of MTN’s annual core profit, is MTN’s biggest market. Some analysts see politics as a factor in the pressure on MTN as Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office in 2015 on promises to push through tougher regulation, is seeking re-election in 2019.
“The attorney-general of the federation (of Nigeria) acted illegally, unconstitutionally, and in excess of his powers” by implementing charges in a “self-assessment exercise” that related to customs, the inland revenue and import duties, the court documents state.
The attorney general did not respond to telephone calls and a text message requesting comment. His spokesman, Salihu Isah, declined to comment.
The documents seen by Reuters include a writ of summons, dated Sept. 10, ordering the attorney general or his representative to make an appearance at the high court in Lagos within 30 days.
It was not clear whether the attorney general had filed a statement of defence.
The attorney general has previously said MTN Nigeria should have paid approximately $2 billion in taxes relating to imports of foreign equipment and payments to foreign suppliers.
The documents submitted by MTN, some 70 pages of which were seen by Reuters in which the attorney general is referred to as AGF and MTN Nigeria as MTNN, also refer to the allegation that MTN illegally sent $8.1 billion abroad.
The central bank said in a statement issued on Aug. 29 that the $8.1 billion was “illegally repatriated” through the “illegal conversion of MTN shareholders’ loan to preference shares”.
As a result, $8.1 billion in dividends paid by MTN Nigeria to its shareholders between 2007 and 2015 should be returned.
MTN has denied the allegations.
It is not the first time the telecoms firm has been accused of infractions in its largest market.
Its latest troubles come around two years after it agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle a dispute over unregistered SIM cards in Nigeria, whose finances have been hit by a weak economy and volatile global oil prices.
The chief executive of MTN, which has expanded in more than 20 frontier markets including war-ravaged Syria and Afghanistan, on Monday told reporters in South Africa he was confident that the dispute would be resolved.
$1 = 304.2500 naira Additional reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha and Camillus Eboh in Abuja, and Paul Carsten in Kano; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Mark Potter/David Evans and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Why MTN believes Nigeria’s attorney general exceeded powers in demanding $2 billion in taxes

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) &#8211; President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday there was no reason to believe that any country would impose sanctions on South Africa over the government’s plans to redistribute land to address racial disparities in ownership.
Ramaphosa announced in late July that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as whites still own the majority of South Africa’s land.
U.S. President Donald Trump waded into South Africa’s high-octane land debate last month when he asked his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study South African “land and farm seizures” in a late-night tweet.
Some analysts have since speculated that Trump’s government could impose economic sanctions on South Africa to express its disapproval with the ANC’s land reform agenda.
“We have no reason to believe that any country would impose sanctions on South Africa for any actions that we take, actions that are constitutional, that are lawful and consistent with international law,” Ramaphosa said in parliament while answering a question from an opposition party on his government’s land reform plans.
Ramaphosa added that the government was ready to discuss its land reform plans with any country. He repeated that land reform would follow a parliamentary process and that the government would not tolerate “land grabs”.
Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by James Macharia

Will South Africa face sanctions over land reform? Here’s what Ramaphosa thinks…

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) &#8211; The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea re-opened crossing points on their shared border for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday, cementing a stunning reconciliation and giving Addis Ababa a direct route to its former foe’s Red Sea ports.
Ethiopian and Eritrean forces stationed along the border will be moved back to camps to ease tensions further, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said.
“We heralded the new year by demolishing the trenches along our border,” Abiy told reporters, referring to the fact that Ethiopian New Year was celebrated on Tuesday.
“As of today, Ethiopia’s defence forces (along the border with Eritrea) will be gathered to camps and ease tension that was often extreme. The same will be done from the Eritrean side.”
The war that broke out in 1998 over the border and other issues killed an estimated 80,000 people before fighting ended in 2000 in a contested peace deal.
Tensions burned on over the position of the frontier &#8211; until Abiy offered to end the military standoff this year as part of a package of reforms that have reshaped the political landscape in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
Thousands of people from both countries watched one border opening ceremony in Zalambessa, an Ethiopian border town that was reduced to rubble soon after hostilities between the neighbours started in 1998.
Soldiers and civilians waving Ethiopian and Eritrean flags lined the road as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki opened the frontier in a ceremony broadcast live on Ethiopian state TV.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” Ruta Haddis, an Eritrean from the town of Senafe just across the frontier, told reporters. “I never thought this would take place in my lifetime.”
The two leaders opened another frontier crossing at Bure, Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Meskel said in a tweet.
The Debay Sima &#8211; Bure crossing leads to the port of Assab in Eritrea’s east, while its Massawa port is directly north of the Serha &#8211; Zalambessa connection.
Ethiopia, a rising economic power with 100 million people, had been almost entirely dependent on tiny neighbour Djibouti for access to the Red Sea since 1998.
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ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR
Pictures posted online by Abiy’s chief of staff showed the leaders talking and walking side by side in Bure &#8211; Abiy in camouflaged military fatigues and Isaias wearing sandals and a safari suit.
Some of the fiercest fighting during the 1998-2000 war took place in the Bure region.
The Eritrean and Ethiopian leaders have moved swiftly to end two decades of hostility since signing a breakthrough agreement in Asmara on July 9 to restore ties.
Eritrea reopened its embassy in Ethiopia in July, Ethiopia reciprocated last week and the two countries have resumed flights.
The two leaders also celebrated Ethiopian New Year together at the border with their troops on Tuesday, Abiy’s Chief of Staff, Fitsum Arega, said.
Ethiopia follows a calendar similar to the ancient Julian one &#8211; which started disappearing from the West in the 16th century &#8211; meaning the country entered its year 2011 on Tuesday.
Reporting by George Obulutsa in Nairobi and Aaron Maasho in Addis Ababa,; Writing by Ingrid Melander, Editing by Andrew Heavens and Ed Osmond

Former rivals Eritrea and Ethiopia reopen border crossing for the first time in 20 years

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s industrial output expanded in July as food and motor vehicle output rose, easing pressure on an economy that recently slipped into recession and is struggling for investment amidst policy uncertainty and possible credit downgrades.
The statistics agency in Africa’s most industrialised economy said on Tuesday manufacturing output rose by 2.9 percent year-on-year in July, following a revised 0.6 percent expansion in June.
Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a 1.1 percent year-year-on-year increase in July.
The rand responded positively to the data, strengthening to 15.0850 from 15.1200 before the release.
Analysts said manufacturing, which contributes 13 percent of gross domestic product and 11 percent of employment, is set to rebound for the rest of 2018 as inventories are replenished.
“This could be early signs of stabilisation in the sector, but we cannot rule out shocks especially as trade conditions are affected by the U.S.-China trade war,” said Isaac Matshego, senior economist at Nedbank.
The country slumped to a surprise recession, data showed last week, as manufacturing along with agriculture and retail shrank. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene on Monday said revenue collection could fall below target due to the recession.
Reporting by Nomvelo Chalumbira and Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia

South Africa’s manufacturing output for July rises by 2.9 percent, what you need to know…

ABUJA (Reuters) &#8211; At least 35 people were killed on Monday and hundreds injured when a gas tanker exploded in northern Nigerian state of Nasarawa and started a blaze, the state emergency agency said.
The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) official said the accident happened at a petrol station along the Lafia-Makurdi road linking the capital city of Abuja with northern and southern Nigeria.
Usman Ahmed, acting director at SEMA, said the truck exploded at the point of discharging the gas, citing a witness account. The agency was investigating the incident, he said.
“We have confirmed 35 dead and over a hundred injured. Most of those that died rushed to the accident spot to see what was happening,” Ahmed told Reuters.
Traffic accidents are common in Nigeria, where roads are bad and safety standards poor.
At least nine people were killed in Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos in June when a petrol tanker caught fire and burnt 53 other vehicles.
Reporting by Camillus Eboh, Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha, Editing by Angus MacSwan

Gas tanker explosion kills at least 35 people in Nigeria

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday labelled reports that top ANC officials, including former President Jacob Zuma and the party’s secretary-general, were plotting in secret to unseat Cyril Ramaphosa as party leader as “shameless gossip”.
The Sunday Times newspaper said earlier on Sunday that Zuma held a clandestine meeting with staunch backers including ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, former North-West premier Supra Mahumapelo, ANC Women’s league secretary-general Meokgo Matuba and ANC Youth league KwaZulu-Natal secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo on Thursday.
“The meeting is believed to have discussed a fightback strategy that involves court action to challenge the outcome of last year’s ANC national conference, which elected Ramaphosa party president,” Sunday Times said, citing witnesses and senior ANC leaders.
The paper said the first action from the group was a letter sent to Magashule on Wednesday from regional executive committees in the North West, challenging the ANC’s highest decision-making body for its decision to disband the Mahumapelo-led provincial executive committee.
In a statement, ANC spokesman Pule Mabe refuted the report, saying the ANC rejects attempts to link Magashule to the alleged plot to oust Ramaphosa.
“It is clear that this malicious gossip is calculated to cast aspersions on the integrity and commitment of our Secretary General to the unity and renewal project of the African National Congress,” Mabe said.
Ramaphosa narrowly defeated Zuma’s ex-wife and preferred successor, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, in a leadership vote at the party’s national conference in December. The ANC then ordered Zuma to step down as president in February.
Since taking office, Ramaphosa has been prioritising rooting out corruption as he strives to put the sluggish economy back on a sustained growth trajectory. Such measures led to the forced resignation of Mahumapelo as North West leader.
As bold as some of Ramaphosa’s decisions have been, he still maintains a cautious leadership style as he and some ANC officials know the power that Zuma loyalists retain within the ANC, Africa’s oldest liberation movement.
The ANC Women’s League also rejected the report, saying in a statement it will “defend the unity and integrity of the ANC.”
Reporting by Nqobile Dludla, editing by David Evans

Are top ANC officials plotting to unseat South Africa’s Ramaphosa as party leader?

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/francis-vergunst-230743" rel="author">Francis Vergunst, </a>Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Developmental Public Health, Université de Montréal, <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-louise-berry-8608" rel="author">Helen Louise Berry, </a>Professor of Climate Change and Mental Health, University of Sydney and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/massimiliano-orri-549142" rel="author">Massimiliano Orri, </a>Marie-Curie and CIHR Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University.
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Extreme heat has gripped the northern hemisphere in recent months, and the year 2018 is on track to be among the hottest ever recorded. Higher global temperatures are expected to have detrimental effects on our natural environments and our physical health, but what will they do to our mental health?
New research from an international team of scientists suggests that one of the most tangible impacts may be an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0222-x">increase in suicide rates</a>.
Suicide is already among the leading causes of death worldwide. For people aged 15-55 years, it is among the top five causes of death. Worldwide nearly one million people die by suicide each year — <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/more-people-die-from-suicide-than-from-wars-natural-disasters-combined/2438749.html">more than all deaths from war and murder combined</a>.
Using historical temperature records from the United States and Mexico, the researchers showed that suicide rates increased by 0.7 per cent in the U.S. and by 2.1 per cent in Mexico when the average monthly temperatures rose by 1 C.
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0222-x">The researchers calculated</a> that if global temperatures continue to rise at these rates, between now and 2050 there could be 9,000 to 40,000 additional suicides in the U.S. and Mexico alone. This is roughly equivalent to the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4473496/">number of additional suicides that follow an economic recession</a>.
<h2>Spikes during heat waves</h2>
It has been known for a long time that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.106.031948">suicide rates spike during heat waves</a>. Hotter weather has been linked with higher rates of hospital admissions for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25849087">self-harm</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-681">suicide</a> and violent suicides, as well as increases in population-level psychological distress, particularly in combination with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164190">high humidity</a>.
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.098">Another recent study, which combined the results of previous research on heat and suicide, concluded</a> there is “a significant and positive association between temperature rises and incidence of suicide.”
Why this is remains unclear. There is a well-documented link between <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/341/6151/1235367">rising temperatures and interpersonal violence</a> and suicide could be understood as an act of violence directed at oneself. Lisa Page, a researcher in psychology at King’s College London, notes:
<blockquote>“While speculative, perhaps the most promising mechanism to link suicide with high temperatures is a psychological one. High temperatures have been found to lead individuals to behave in a more disinhibited, aggressive and violent manner, which might in turn result in an increased propensity for suicidal acts.”</blockquote>
Hotter temperatures are <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heat-wave-health/">taxing on the body</a>. They cause an <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180425131906.htm">increase in the stress hormone cortisol</a>, reduce <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3427038/">sleep quality</a> and disrupt people’s physical activity routines. These changes can reduce well-being and increase psychological distress.
<h2>Disease, water shortages, conflict and war</h2>
The effects of hotter temperatures on suicides are symptomatic of a much broader and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0102-4">more expansive problem</a>: the impact of climate change on mental health.
Climate change will increase the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32464-9">frequency and severity</a> of heat waves, droughts, storms, floods and wildfires. It will extend the range of infectious diseases such as Zika virus, malaria and Lyme disease. It will contribute to food and water shortages and fuel forced migration, conflict and war.
These events can have devastating effects on people’s health, homes and livelihoods and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20033251">directly impact psychological health and well-being</a>.
But effects are not limited to people who suffer direct losses — for example, it has been estimated that up to half of Hurricane Katrina survivors developed post-traumatic stress disorder even when they had <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276074/">suffered no direct physical losses</a>.
The feelings of loss that follow catastrophic events, including a sense of loss of safety, can erode community well-being and further undermine mental health resilience.
<h2>Building resilience through community</h2>
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0222-x">Scientists caution</a> that there are no quick fixes.
Vigorous greenhouse gas reduction strategies will reduce the chance of dangerous <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1810141115">runaway climate change</a> and help mitigate the worst effects of climate change on mental health, but these efforts may <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/06/domino-effect-of-climate-events-could-push-earth-into-a-hothouse-state">not be sufficient</a>.
Installing more air conditioning units, for instance, may not significantly reduce suicide rates or mitigate the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4446935/">effects of extreme heat on health and well-being</a>. Adaptation, including substantial investment in mental health services, will be essential.
Unfortunately <a href="http://www.who.int/mental_health/action_plan_2013/en/">mental health services remain woefully underfunded and over-burdened</a> in most parts of the world. While government budgets are stretched to cope with front-line disaster relief, communities will bear the burden of responding to these challenges.
Building resilience through increased social connectedness within and between communities will be vital.
<h2>Research is a matter of life and death</h2>
Mental health problems have diverse manifestations that vary across contexts and throughout a lifetime. They are the result of long and intricate causal pathways. Climate change is not an isolated cause of suicide, but one of several factors.
Integrating these pathways into a conceptual framework — for example using <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0102-4">systems thinking</a> — is a crucial step toward developing public policy, practice and research that will equip us to respond to climate change.
Climate change is a daunting global public health challenge without ready solutions and we have been far too slow to take the risks seriously. We have also missed promising opportunities to use climate change as a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10398560903045328">mechanism to promote improved mental health</a>.
There is an urgent need for research that informs our understanding of the mental health consequences of climate change so that we can prepare for the challenges ahead.
For some, it really is a matter of life or death.
International suicide prevention and support hotlines can be <a href="http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html">found here</a>.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102156/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/francis-vergunst-230743">Francis Vergunst</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Developmental Public Health, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-de-montreal-1743">Université de Montréal</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-louise-berry-8608">Helen Louise Berry</a>, Professor of Climate Change and Mental Health, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/massimiliano-orri-549142">Massimiliano Orri</a>, Marie-Curie and CIHR Postdoctoral Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/mcgill-university-827">McGill University</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-will-increase-deaths-by-suicide-102156">original article</a>.

How climate change impacts mental health, could increase suicide rates

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe’s new Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube may scrap the quasi currency bond note and liberalise exchange controls as part of reforms he plans to implement by end of this year, a state-owned weekly newspaper reported on Sunday.
The southern African nation, which dumped its currency in favour of the U.S. dollar in 2009 following years of hyperinflation, introduced bond notes in November 2016 in a bid to ease acute shortages of cash. The shortages have, however worsened while a black market continues to thrive.
The notes are backed by U.S. dollars loaned to the government by the African Export and Import Bank, and can be used like cash.
Officially, they are pegged to the dollar at a rate of 1:1, but on the street $1 fetches up to 1.50 in bond notes.
“I am very clear that there have to be currency reforms and the current currency approach is not working,” Ncube told the government-owned Sunday Mail.
He said he would explore three options: either Zimbabwe joins the South African rand union; uses only the U.S. dollar while removing bond notes from circulation, or reintroduces the Zimbabwean dollar.
Ncube however said a local currency would only be introduced when the country has enough foreign reserves and achieves macro-economic stability. Zimbabwe currently has two weeks import cover, according to central bank data.
Ncube, a former senior executive with the African Development Bank, was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday and is expected to lead Zimbabwe’s economic recovery programme.
He was not immediately available to comment when Reuters tried to contact him.
A dwindling supply of cash dollars has led to banks limiting daily withdrawals to as little as $30 in bond notes. Companies are struggling to pay for imports and foreign investors cannot repatriate dividends or profits.
There are $350 million worth of bond notes in circulation, according to latest central bank figures.
Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

Zimbabwe’s new finance minister considering scrapping bond notes, what you need to know…

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s tax take could well be lower than forecast this year, with a downturn in the economy exacerbating problems at the tax revenue service, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said on Monday.
The country entered recession in the second quarter for the first time since 2009.
Nene said tax avoidance and evasion would rise in any economy that was growing slowly and where taxes have been increased, and the recession would only worsen matters.
“There is now additional downside risk to the tax revenue projected at the beginning of the year because of the contraction in the economy,” Nene told a tax conference.
“Fixing our economy to ensure that it grows faster and in a more sustainable manner is therefore critical.”
Nene also cited problems experienced by the South African revenue service (SARS).
President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended its commissioner Tom Moyane in March over alleged misconduct during the previous administration of Jacob Zuma, establishing an inquiry into the allegations two months later. Moyane has denied wrongdoing.
Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Writing by James Macharia; editing by John Stonestreet

South Africa’s Finance Minister says tax target could be lower than expected, here’s why

HARARE (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe has said he now accepts President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the country’s legitimate leader after initially accusing him of leading a “disgraceful” de facto coup that ended his near four-decades rule last year.
On the eve of the July 30 vote, Mugabe said he would vote for the opposition to remove Mnangagwa’s “military government”, as the 94-year-old leader expressed bitterness and turned against his one-time allies in the ruling ZANU-PF party.
But at a funeral wake of his mother-in-law, Mugabe said Mnangagwa’s victory, which is still disputed by his main opponent Nelson Chamisa, made him a legitimate president, the privately-owned NewsDay and state-owned The Herald newspapers reported on Friday.
“The wrong that happened last November has been erased by his victory in the July 30 elections. We now have a government born out of the constitution. I now accept his leadership and he now deserves the support of every Zimbabwean,” Mugabe said, looking frail in video footage on an online television site.
“Before the elections, I did not support him because he came through illegal means which violated our liberation values that politics lead the gun,” added Mugabe, likely ending the feud between the new president and his former mentor.
Mugabe’s forced resignation divided ZANU-PF and created mistrust between the army on one side and the police and intelligence agency on the other, but the rapprochement could help overcome those differences and rally others behind Mnangagwa.
The military last year intervened after expulsions of ZANU-PF officials that were sympathetic to Mnangagwa, then Mugabe’s deputy, and to stop the presidential ambitions of the wife of the veteran former leader.
Mugabe’s wife Grace and a ZANU-PF faction known as G40 had been resisting Mnangagwa’s rise to power. Mugabe again denied that he had planned to install Grace as his preferred successor, NewsDay and The Herald reported on Friday.
At the wake Grace also said people should pray for her husband, who she said was not feeling well. The couple have travelled to Singapore several times this year for Mugabe’s medical treatment.
Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Mugabe says he now accepts Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s legitimate leader, here’s why…

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; MTN Group has been put on review by Moody’s for downgrade after the South African mobile phone operator said it was on the hook for a total of $10.1 billion from its biggest market Nigeria, the ratings agency said on Thursday.
“MTN’s ratings have been placed on review for downgrade to reflect the uncertainty around the potential implications of the recent CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) and NAG (Nigerian Attorney General) announcements on MTN’s credit profile,” Moody’s said.
Africa’s biggest wireless phones group said on Tuesday the Nigerian Attorney General was seeking $2 billion in taxes incurred over the last decade.
That followed an order days before from that country’s central bank that MTN’s Lagos-based unit hand over $8.1 billion that it said was illegally sent abroad.
Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by James Macharia

MTN placed on review for downgrade by Moody’s, what you need to know…

By Francois Conradie, Head of Research at NKC African Economics
The Constitutional Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has, over the past two days, delivered some verdicts that aim to boost the chances of Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, the candidate of President Joseph Kabila’s Common Front for Congo (FCC), to win the presidential election in December.
These schemes are negatively affecting political risk by further delegitimising an already widely discredited electoral process, with the result that Congolese who are tired of Mr Kabila’s rule will be more likely to take to the streets in protest.
The biggest shock to opposition supporters was the Court’s confirmation of the barring of Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former vice-president and military commander, running on the platform of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC).
On Tuesday, September 4, the Constitutional Court ruled that Mr Bemba was ineligible to run in the election because of his 2016 conviction at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for bribing witnesses.
According to the Constitutional Court, this interference with the judicial process is a form of corruption, and a conviction for corruption, according to the DRC’s electoral law, is reason for a potential candidate to be barred from running. It accordingly upheld the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni), handed down in late August, to bar Mr Bemba.
The latter said in response that the “Constitutional Court obeys the orders of the power in place…so that the candidate of the power does not have a serious candidate facing him.”
The court also upheld the Ceni’s decision to bar five other candidates. The definitive list of candidates will be published on September 19.
Mr Bemba had advised patience pending the Constitutional Court’s verdict, but it is now certain that he has been barred from running against Mr Shadary, the ‘candidate of the power’, in December.
Eve Bazaiba, the MLC’s secretary general, has said that “no one can [now] fault the MLC an active inclination towards large-scale citizen action”, and we expect to see some of that, at least, in the coming months.
With Moise Katumbi out of the running too (he was prevented from returning to the DRC to register as a candidate), Felix Tshisekedi of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) is the only serious candidate on the opposition side and we expect him to gain some default support as a result, but we still consider Mr Shadary easily the favourite to win.

DRC top court deems opposition leader Bemba ineligible to run in election boosting Shadary’s chances

JOHANNESBURG/PRETORIA (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa will soon recover from recession, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday in his first reaction to news that undermines his effort to revive the economy and attract investment after a decade of stagnation.
Ramaphosa staked his reputation on economic revival when he took over in February from Jacob Zuma, whose tenure was plagued by scandal, and investors welcomed his accession to power in part due to his strong ties to the business community.
Ratings agency Moody’s said the slide into recession in the second quarter would exacerbate fiscal and monetary challenges. It said weaker-than-expected economic data was “credit negative”.
Data on Thursday showed the current account deficit narrowed to 3.3 percent of gross domestic product in the second quarter, from a revised 4.6 percent in the first quarter. The rand extended its gains to more than 1 percent stronger on the news.
The deficit figure was slightly smaller than the 3.4 percent deficit analysts polled by Reuters had expected, a much-needed boost for after data this week showed the economy slipped into recession for the first time since 2009.
In his first comments on the recession, Ramaphosa said the setbacks were temporary.
“All these things that are happening now are transitional issues that are going to pass,” Ramaphosa was quoted by local news agency Eyewitness News as saying.
“I will be meeting with the business community soon, so that we rally everyone together and pull our country out of the situation that we are in,” added Ramaphosa, who was attending a China-Africa summit in Beijing when the data was released.
South Africa needs faster economic growth to reduce its 27 percent unemployment rate and alleviate poverty and inequality, both of which stoke instability.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has made repeated pledges to improve the economy. Unemployment is a key concern for voters ahead of elections next year.
&nbsp;
MOODY’S WARNING
The rand has slumped as much as 5 percent against the dollar this week and government bonds have sold off steeply, also hurt by the turmoil on Turkish and Argentinian financial markets.
“This weaker-than-expected economic performance will exacerbate fiscal and monetary challenges, a credit negative,” Moody’s said in a statement on the weaker GDP figures.
The agency is the last of the “big three” international agencies to rate South Africa’s long-term foreign-currency debt investment grade.
While releasing the current account data, the Reserve Bank, which meets on Sept. 20 to decide on interest rates, said the improved current and trade account figures were due to higher value and volume of merchandised exports.
“South Africa’s terms of trade (including gold) improved in the second quarter of 2018 as the rand price of exports, including gold, increased at a faster pace than that of imports,” the central bank said in a statement.
Several foreign banks have slashed their growth forecasts for South Africa to less than 1 percent this year.
“Moody’s has pointed out that the task of fiscal consolidation is going to get harder, but I don’t think they’ll change our credit rating yet,” said portfolio manager Wayne McCurrie at First National Bank.
“A narrow current account helps. Any good news in this environment is really good news.”
Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg

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Special Report

OpEd: What is needed to get world to see Africa’s potential in order to attract investment in innovation

OpEd: How to transform Africa’s manufacturing industry through data

OpEd: Is Zimbabwe regaining the trust of international investors?

EU could offer the African continent a free trade agreement, what you need to know…

Why MTN believes Nigeria’s attorney general exceeded powers in demanding $2 billion in taxes

Will South Africa face sanctions over land reform? Here’s what Ramaphosa thinks…

Former rivals Eritrea and Ethiopia reopen border crossing for the first time in 20 years

South Africa’s manufacturing output for July rises by 2.9 percent, what you need to know…

Gas tanker explosion kills at least 35 people in Nigeria

Are top ANC officials plotting to unseat South Africa’s Ramaphosa as party leader?

How climate change impacts mental health, could increase suicide rates

Zimbabwe’s new finance minister considering scrapping bond notes, what you need to know…

South Africa’s Finance Minister says tax target could be lower than expected, here’s why

Mugabe says he now accepts Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s legitimate leader, here’s why…

MTN placed on review for downgrade by Moody’s, what you need to know…

DRC top court deems opposition leader Bemba ineligible to run in election boosting Shadary’s chances

Here’s what South Africa’s president Ramaphosa has to say about the country slipping into recession

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