Media Monitor & Intelligence Update

Media Monitor and Intelligence Update

Wednesday 24th March 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

”We believe that North Africa is ideal for renewable energy technologies,” Pia Alina Lange, First Solar spokeswoman speaking about prospects for solar and other renewable energy projects in Africa.

AFRICAN POLITICS

Kenya Goes E-Voting In 2012, As Ghana Dithers – Ghana Web (GH)

24 March 2010

Kenya, keen on preventing the kind of violence that followed the general election of December 2007, has resorted to the introduction of electronic voting for the 2012 general election. Full Story

Nigeria leader Goodluck Jonathan 'chooses cabinet' – BBC (UK)

24 March 2010

Nigeria's acting President Goodluck Jonathan has nominated a list of ministers, sources say, a week after he sacked his entire cabinet. Full Story

Voting whether Namibia is a ‘shining example’ – The Namibian (NA)

24 March 2010

Is the score ten out of ten for democracy, as Namibia emerges from its teens? Since free speech and exchanging ideas are core to a strong and durable democracy, a good way to check Namibia’s progress was a debate last Thursday night in the historic chambers of Britain’s Houses of Parliament. Full Story

Somali Backlash May Be Militants’ Worst Foe – New York Times (US)

24 March 2010

For the past three years, the Shabab, one of Africa’s most fearsome militant Islamist groups, have been terrorizing the Somali public, chopping off hands, stoning people to death and banning TV, music and even bras in their quest to turn Somalia into a seventh-century-style Islamic state. Full Story

AFRICAN ECONOMY

Hyundai mulls local assembly; establishing commercial vehicle dealerships – Engineering News (SA)

22 March 2010

Hyundai Automotive South Africa is mulling local assembly at the proposed multi-brand East London vehicle assembly plant, says CEO Alan Ross. Full Story

South African Inflation Rate Drops to Three-Year Low – Bloomberg (US)

24 March 2010

South Africa’s inflation rate fell to a three-year low of 5.7 percent in February, easing into the central bank’s target range for the first time in three months as a stronger rand helped to curb import costs. Full Story

Angolan imports from Argentina hit US$200 million - African Manager (TUN)

24 March 2010

Angolan imports from Argentina amounted to US$200 million in the last two years, the Argentine ambassador in Angola, Juan Agustin Caballero said in Luanda on Tuesday. Full Story

Angola is strong trading partner for US in sub-Saharan Africa – Macau Hub (MAC)

24 March 2010

Angola continues to be one of the United States’ main trading partners in sub-Saharan Africa according to a study from the US Congress Research Center. Full Story

AFRICAN BUSINESS

Banking and Finance

Bourse: Regional bourse rises higher - Afrique en Ligne (FR)

24 March 2010

The Regional Bourse for the French West Africa (BRVM) in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, closed trading on Tuesday slightly higher than it did Monday. Full Story

Authority collects close to 18 bln birr revenue in half budget year - Walta Info (ETH)

23 March 2010

The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA) said it has collected close to 18 billion birr revenue in the first half of this budget year. Full Story

De Beers Renews Loan Facilities, Cuts Debt – Wall Street Journal (US)

24 March 2010

The world's largest producer of rough diamonds said it has refinanced its banking facilities and successfully tapped its shareholders for $1 billion to repay debt. Full Story

Oil and Energy

Mozambique Electricity to Spend $289 Million by 2013 - Bloomberg (US)

24 March 2010

Electricidade de Mocambique, the state-owned power utility, plans to spend $289 million on an electrification program in the southern African country by 2013, Chief Executive Officer Manuel Cuambe said. Full Story

Tullow Oil Eyes East Africa – Wall Street Journal (US)

24 March 2010

Tullow Oil PLC is looking for more opportunities in East Africa following exploration successes in Uganda. Full Story

Metals and Mining

Australian explorer buys stake in Namibia uranium project - Mining Weekly (SA)

24 March 2010

Australian resources company Oklo Uranium has acquired a 70% interest in the Hoasib uranium project, in Namibia, in a A$20-million cash-and-share deal. Full Story

Technology and Communications

Boeing ‘Maintenance Tool’ attracts key African airlines - African Manager (TUN)

24 March 2010

Moving to enhance maintenance efficiency, Kenya Airways and TAAG Linhas Aereas de Angola have signed up for the Boeing Maintenance Performance Toolbox, as part of each airline’s programme to improve dispatch reliability through the use of e-enabled technologies. Full Story

DABRA 2010 beckons at journalists – The Guardian (NG)

23 March 2010

The closing date for the participation by Nigerian business journalists in the 2010 edition of Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards (DABRA) is fast approaching. Full Story

Transport and Infrastructure

European Union provides funding to Guinea Bissau to rebuild roads and bridges - Macau Hub (MAC)

24 March 2010

The European Union (EU) plans to provide Guinea Bissau with a total of 3 million Euros for the rebuilding of some bridges and roads and to help set up the legal framework for management of the road sector, under the terms of a document signed Tuesday in Bissau. Full Story

Israeli group proposes to build 100,000 houses in Angola - Macau Hub (MAC)

24 March 2010

Israeli construction company LR Group plans to build 100,000 social houses in Angola as part of the government programme to build 1 million homes by 2012, the group’s director for Angola said in Luanda. Full Story

Agriculture

Rice growing: Mali gets 7.5 billion CFAF loan from Kuwait – Afrique en Ligne (FR)

24 March 2010

The Kuwait Fund has granted a loan of 7.5 billion CFAF to Mali for an Irrigation Development Programme in Bani and Selingue basins, under an agreement signed Monday in the Malian capital, Bamako. Full Story

Kenyan Coffee Prices Fall by 3.5% as Quality Declines – Bloomberg (US)

24 March 2010

Kenyan coffee prices fell 3.5 percent at an auction yesterday as the quality of the beans declined, the Nairobi Coffee Exchange said. Full Story

Other

SA identified as a partner country in new Brazilian aviation programme – Engineering News (SA)

24 March 2010

The commander of the Brazilian Air Force, General Juniti Saito, has told the media in his country that South Africa has been “confirmed” as a partner in the $1,3-billion Embraer KC-390 military transport and tanker aircraft programme. Full Story

Nujoma drives Nam-China trade promotion – The Namibian (NA)

24 March 2010

“We want to charter Air Namibia and fill it up with Namibian products,” the Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, yesterday quoted former President Sam Nujoma promoting trade between the two countries. Full Story

Ghana's Biometric Passport Launched – Ghana Web (GH)

23 March 2010

Ghana is today joining eight of her colleague ECOWAS States to issue Biometric passports to its citizens. It’s expected that the new passport which has high security features will significantly reduce challenges such as theft and other fraudulent activities associated the old passport. Full Story

AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT

Gorillas in danger from hunters, timber trade, warfare in central Africa, UN report says – Winnipeg Free Press (CAN)

24 March 2010

Gorillas in central Africa are in danger from illegal logging, mining and from hunters who are killing great apes for meat, said a joint report from the United Nations and Interpol released Wednesday. Full Story

Rare animals are being 'eaten to extinction' – Telegraph (UK)

24 March 2010

Research in the Congo Basin in Africa found more than three million tonnes of 'bush meat' is being extracted from the area every year, the equivalent of butchering 740,000 bull elephants. Full Story