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South Africa’s top court bars Jacob Zuma from standing in election

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South Africa's top court bars Jacob Zuma from standing in election
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South Africa’s highest court has barred former President Jacob Zuma from running for parliament in next week’s general election.

The Constitutional Court ruled that his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court disqualified him.

Mr Zuma was convicted in 2021 for refusing to testify at an inquiry investigating corruption during his presidency which ended in 2018.

He has been campaigning under the banner of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party after falling out with the governing African National Congress (ANC).

MK secretary general Sihle Ngubane said the party was disappointed with the ruling, but it would not affect the party’s campaign for the 29 May election.

“He is still the leader of the party. It [the ruling] doesn’t affect our campaign at all,” he said.

South Africans vote for political parties, with the candidates at the top of their lists getting parliamentary seats depending on the number of votes the party gets.

The electoral commission said Mr Zuma’s name would now be removed from MK’s list of parliamentary candidates, while confirming that his image would remain on ballot papers, alongside his party’s logo.

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MK members sang and danced outside the court portraying Mr Zuma as a victim, while those inside – some dressed in traditional Zulu regalia – sat silently as Justice Leona Theron read out the unanimous judgement.

Mr Zuma has not yet commented on the ruling.

His supporters rioted after he was sent to jail in 2021, and some of its leaders had threatened violence if the court disqualified him from standing for parliament.

But MK officials have since changed their rhetoric, saying the party’s focus was on getting a two-thirds majority so that South Africa’s constitution could be changed, and Mr Zuma could be returned to power.

In court, his lawyers had argued that because he was released after three months in prison by his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa, the rest of his sentence was cancelled.

But the court disagreed, saying the length of time he actually spent in prison was irrelevant.

South Africa’s constitution barred anyone sentenced to 12 months in prison, without the option of a fine, from serving in parliament in order to protect the integrity of the “democratic regime” established after the end of the racist system of apartheid in 1994, Justice Theron said.

Mr Ramaphosa told a local radio station that he “noted” the ruling.

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“The court has ruled, and as I have often said, that is the highest court in the land and we have given the judiciary the right to arbitrate disputes amongst us in terms of our constitution,” he said in an interview with 702.

Political analyst Levy Ndou told the BBC that the ruling had the “potential to test his [Mr Zuma’s] character – whether he joined the party for selfish reasons or whether he joined it to take South Africans forward”.

The ruling could weaken MK’s chances in the election if its members joined the party out of loyalty to a “single individual”, but if they genuinely believed in its cause then they “would have to focus the activities of the party without him”, he added.

MK has been plagued by in-fighting since last month, with Mr Zuma rising to the helm of the party after ousting its founding leader, Jabulani Khumalo. He insists he is still the leader of the party.

Mr Ramaphosa ousted Mr Zuma as president in 2018 after a vicious power struggle, and is leading the ANC’s campaign to extend its 30-year rule.

Mr Zuma’s removal was welcomed by many South Africans as his nine years in office were marred by widespread allegations of corruption, which he has always denied.

The former president said last December that he could never vote for a party led by Mr Ramaphosa and has spearheaded MK’s campaign. This will be the first election that it will contest after it was registered as a party last September.

The party’s emergence has raised the prospect that the ANC could lose its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years ago.

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MK’s support is mainly in Mr Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, and the economic heartland, Gauteng.

These two provinces have the highest number of registered voters, and have been the main battleground in the election.

South Africans will be voting for the national parliament, and nine provincial legislatures.

The president is elected by the new parliament, while each legislature elects a provincial premier.

The court’s ruling bars Mr Zuma from taking up a seat in parliament or any of the provincial legislatures.

An Ipsos opinion poll released last month gave MK 8% of the vote, and the ANC 40% as it loses support to MK and other opposition parties.

But some analysts suggest that with the governing party stepping up its campaign in recent weeks, it could still cross the 50% mark.

The ANC got 57.5% in the 2019 election.

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Former President Thabo Mbeki, who remains popular among many voters, recently joined the ANC’s campaign in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, denouncing Mr Zuma as a “wolf in sheep’s skin” and a “counter-revolutionary”.

uMkhonto we Sizwe, which roughly translates as Spear of the Nation, is the original name of the ANC’s armed wing, which fought apartheid. (BBC)

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International

Liberia’s notorious rebel-turned-senator Yommie Johnson dies at 72

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Senator Prince Yommie Johnson, the leader of the erstwhile Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), is dead.

Family sources confirmed that Senator Johnson collapsed in his bathroom during shower on Thursday morning and went into coma. He was later confirmed dead upon arrival at the Hope For Women Hospital in Paynesville.

He died at age 72.

The self-proclaimed Godfather of vote-rich Nimba County was instrumental in deciding the last few elections in Liberia.

Senator Johnson was last seen on November 25 when he honored the legacy of the late Gnassingbe Eyadema, former President of Togo, by naming his university’s auditorium after him.

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Prince Johnson, seen here in 2008, had a key role in Liberia’s years of civil war

The event was attended by a diverse group of officials, including traditional leaders, legislators, and students, celebrating Eyadema’s contributions to goodwill and generosity.

In his remarks, Senator Johnson reflected on Eyadema’s significant role in fostering peace in Liberia and throughout West Africa, labeling him a “man of peace.”

Senator Johnson’s history with civil war

Johnson allied himself with Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group when it launched the First Liberian Civil War in 1989 to overthrown President Samuel Doe. Due to a rift with Taylor, Johnson soon formed an NPFL splinter group, the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), which captured, tortured and executed Doe in 1990.

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Following continued clashes with Taylor and the pro-Doe ULIMO group, the INPFL was disbanded and Johnson was forced into exile in Nigeria in 1992, where he converted to Christianity and reconciled with the Doe family.

Prince Yommie Johnson dies at 72

Johnson returned to Liberia in 2004 following the end of the Second Liberian Civil War and was elected to the Senate of Liberia in the 2005 Liberian general election. He founded a political party, the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP) in 2010, before being expelled from it in 2014.

He founded a new party, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) in 2016. He has since been re-elected to the Senate in 2014 and 2023. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for President in 2011 and 2017, respectively finishing in third and fourth place in the first round.

Johnson was born in Tapeta, Nimba County, in the east-central interior of the country, and was brought up by an uncle in the capital city of Monrovia. In 1971, while living in Monrovia, he joined the Liberian National Guard (LNG), which was transformed into the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) in the aftermath of Samuel Doe’s 1980 overthrow of President William R. Tolbert.

He rose to the rank of Lieutenant, receiving military training in both Liberia and the United States, where he was instructed in military police duties in South Carolina.

A stern, often draconian, disciplinarian, he served as aide-de-camp to General Thomas Quiwonkpa, the Commanding General of the Armed Forces of Liberia and accompanied him into exile in 1983, after Quiwonkpa was accused of plotting a coup against Doe.

Johnson, the Liberian warlord-turned-politician became infamous for the 1990 footage of him sipping beer while the-then president was tortured nearby.

As one of the key figures in the two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said he should be prosecuted for war crimes, though he was never brought to trial.

But as a senator since 2005, he was highly influential in Liberian politics, backing the last three successful presidential candidates.
While some have celebrated his political role, others viewed him as a symbol of the country’s struggles with accountability.

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“We see his death as a blow to many victims who were awaiting to see the senator to face justice given his role in the civil war,” human rights activist and campaigner for a special war crimes court Adama Dempster told the BBC.

An estimated 250,000 people died in the conflicts and many survivors from sexual assault and other attacks were left permanently scarred.

In a condolence message to his family, President Joseph Boakai – who Johnson supported in his presidential campaign last year – described him as “a figure who played a pivotal role in Liberia’s complex historical evolution and contributed to national discourse through his service in the Senate”.
Back in 1990, rebel soldiers from Johnson’s Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia captured President Samuel Doe and were then, in front of their leader, filmed mutilating him – his ear was sliced off – before he was killed.

The warlord later expressed regret for what had happened, but, as quoted by the AFP news agency, justified his role in the war, saying he was defending “my country, my people, who were led to the slaughterhouse as if they were chickens and goats, by the Doe regime”.

He also said he had changed and had become a pastor in an evangelical church.

As a politician he was praised by his constituents in Nimba county for working to improve their lives.
But he also courted controversy.

In 2021 Johnson was sanctioned by the US for alleged involvement in so-called pay-for-play funding, where he would reportedly personally benefit from the distribution of government funding to various ministries.

He was also accused of selling votes for personal gain in several elections, leading to criticism from some of his allies.

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But Wilfred Bangura, a former leading official in Johnson’s Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction, said “politically he was very weighty and strong” and that he only changed alliances once he saw people moving away from him.
While certainly revered and being mourned by many in his home county – where he was seen as a hero and liberator – elsewhere people feel he was not made to pay for the crimes committed during the civil war.

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Catholic bishops reject Sh12.3 million donation from President

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Archbishop Philip Anyolo
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The Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi has rejected a Sh12.3million donation from President William Ruto, citing its policy against accepting financial contributions from political figures.

Archbishop Philip Anyolo confirmed in a statement on Monday that the money would be returned.

It was gathered that the funds, donated on Sunday, November 17, were allocated to the Soweto Catholic Church Choir, the Parish Missionary Council, and a construction project for the parish priest’s residence.

President Ruto contributed Ksh600,000 (Sh12.3 million) during the church’s Sunday service.

An additional Sh2 million was earmarked for the construction of the priest’s house, while Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja donated Ksh200,000 (Sh4.1 million) to the same initiative.

THECITIZEN reports that the President has promised to purchase a parish bus and pledged an additional Ksh3 million (Sh61.6 million) towards constructing a priest’s house.

However, the move has drawn mixed reactions, with the Catholic Church reiterating its stance against the politicisation of religious spaces.

Speaking on Monday, Archbishop Anthony Anyolo explained that the Catholic Church discourages using fundraisers and church events as platforms for political self-promotion.

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“Politicians are urged to refrain from turning the pulpit into a stage for political rhetoric, as such actions undermine the sanctity of worship places,” he said.

Archbishop Anyolo also urged the Church to maintain its integrity by rejecting donations that could compromise its independence or facilitate unjust enrichment.

He called on political leaders to address pressing issues highlighted by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), including corruption, human rights abuses, political wrangles, and freedom of expression.

See also BREAKING: FG Begins Payment of New Minimum Wage To Workers
“The Church must remain a neutral entity, free from political influence, to effectively serve as a space for spiritual growth and community guidance,” he added.

Meanwhile, last Thursday, the KCCB criticised President Ruto’s government for fostering a “culture of lies” and using state machinery to silence dissenting voices.

However, Archbishop Anyolo clarified that politicians are welcome to attend church as ordinary Christians seeking spiritual nourishment, provided they refrain from leveraging their positions for political gain.

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Man kills wife, ex-girlfriend, children, commits suicide over Trump’s victory

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Anthony Nephew eliminates wife, former girlfriend, children and took own life
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A man named Anthony Nephew, from Minnesota, reportedly took his own life and that of his wife, former partner, and two of their children after Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 election.

Reports from the New York Post indicated that the 46-year-old father was deeply troubled by Trump’s win.

Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa shared on Friday that Anthony had a history of mental health challenges.

The police found five people dead in two different homes, including Anthony Nephew’s 47-year-old former partner, Erin Abramson, and their 15-year-old son, Jacob, who died from gunshot wounds.

After identifying Anthony Nephew as a suspect, authorities also discovered his 45-year-old wife, Kathryn, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver, dead from gunshot injuries in their nearby home.

Reports mentioned that Anthony had been sharing political views and comments on Facebook, often critical of Trump and Republicans. In July, he wrote, “My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion.”

He expressed fear of religious extremists and posted that he had intrusive thoughts of being persecuted.

In another post, he criticized Republicans for making it difficult for women to leave abusive relationships, referencing “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a story set in a world where women lose their rights.

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Anthony also shared political images that depicted Trump negatively compared to Democratic leaders, stating, “We can do better than a binary choice between fascism and not fascism.”

Anthony had earlier warned about mental health struggles in an op-ed for the ‘Duluth News Tribune’ in 2021, where he highlighted the stigma around mental health.

He wrote, “For millions of Americans, a breakdown leads to suicide — or homicide before suicide,” emphasizing how mental health issues are often overlooked or dismissed as individual burdens.

Authorities in Duluth, a city north of Minneapolis, have not confirmed a motive for the tragic events. The police assured the public that there was no ongoing threat to the community.

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