Africa

Mali to Ban Native Gold Mining … Was Jim Willie Right About French Gold Seizures?

"The French not so long ago invaded the impoverished African country of Mali. This invasion was said to have been caused by French concern that Al Qaeda mercenaries from Libya (also destabilized by the French, Americans, NATO, etc.) were finding sanctuary and beginning a further destabilization. If this report by RT is correct, Willie's suspicions look to have been confirmed. Under guise of concern about local mining and lack of taxes, the Mali 'government' has decided to shut down the industry in favor of broad, outside prospecting. Swiss surveyors and other representatives of international mining firms are arriving in Mali to take over from the locals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMali to Ban Native Gold Mining … Was Jim Willie Right About French Gold Seizures?

Botched circumcisions during initiation ritual kill 30 in South Africa

"Botched circumcisions killed 30 young men and landed almost 300 more in hospital during traditional initiation rites in a South African province, the health department said Sunday. The 30 deaths in rural Eastern Cape province occurred during the annual season when young males undergo a rite of passage into manhood. Ten other youths were hospitalised after being rescued from a forest on Sunday. 'The ten initiates’ private parts are rotten. They are badly damaged. Their condition is scary,' said spokesman Sizwe Kupelo. A further 293 young men were undergoing hospital treatment for dehydration, gangrene and septic wounds. Some had lost their genitals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBotched circumcisions during initiation ritual kill 30 in South Africa

Kipochi launches first Bitcoin wallet in Africa with M-Pesa integration

"This enables Kenyans to receive money transfers from the diaspora in an easier, faster and cheaper way, compared to using banks and money transferring services such as Western Union and MoneyGram. Kipochi is a light weight easy to use BitCoin Wallet that allows users to receive and send BitCoin all over the world. Even for people using simple low cost feature phones. M-Pesa currently accounts for 31% of Kenya’s GDP. M-Pesa, the leading mobile payment system in Kenya and in the world, more than 70% of Kenya’s adult population uses Mpesa for small transfers, such as cash between family/friends, paying domestic help, utility bills etc." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKipochi launches first Bitcoin wallet in Africa with M-Pesa integration

Gideon Gono is Not Disappointing Me

"I have just started reading former Zimbabwe central banker Gideon Gono's book, Zimababwe's Casino Economy. It is meeting my expectations. So far I have learned, he has four children, Passion, Prince, Pride and Praise. He has an undergraduate correspondence degree from Rapid Results College and in the book, he slams critics of his honorary PhD degree from the University of Zimbabwe. In a Krugman-would-be-proud fashion, Gono informs in the book, that toward the end of his reign as head of the central bank, inflation hit 231 million percent annually." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGideon Gono is Not Disappointing Me

Gambia to punish those who spread ‘false news’ with 15 years in prison and $100,000 fine

"Gambia’s information minister Nana Grey-Johnson, said the law had been put forward to prevent people, at home and abroad, from engaging in 'treacherous' campaigns against Gambians. 'They do this by inciting the people to engage in unpatriotic behavior, spreading false news and engaging in criminal defamation against Government officials.' Grey-Johnson added that, if unchecked, such statements were a recipe for chaos and instability in any country. Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has ruled the tiny slither of a country surrounded by Senegal since he seized power in a 1994 military coup." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGambia to punish those who spread ‘false news’ with 15 years in prison and $100,000 fine

Obama Introduces $300 Billion Crony Capitalism Electricity Program for Africa

"Africa needs electricity. What else is new? Africans need many things. So do people all over the world. Obama has 'pledged' $7 billion toward we-know-not-what that is supposed to build Africa's electricity. The White House says it will cost $300 billion by 2030. Liberals are liberals. They promote endless government programs and endless government, and often, as in this case, it's subsidizing particular businesses that will benefit. This is crony capitalism, which is not free market capitalism. And, as has often been the bi-partisan case, they promote funds that trickle down through corrupt governments [...] and are largely wasted and mis-directed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama Introduces $300 Billion Crony Capitalism Electricity Program for Africa

Obama Introduces $300 Billion Crony Capitalism Electricity Program for Africa

"Africa needs electricity. What else is new? Africans need many things. So do people all over the world. Obama has 'pledged' $7 billion toward we-know-not-what that is supposed to build Africa's electricity. The White House says it will cost $300 billion by 2030. Liberals are liberals. They promote endless government programs and endless government, and often, as in this case, it's subsidizing particular businesses that will benefit. This is crony capitalism, which is not free market capitalism. And, as has often been the bi-partisan case, they promote funds that trickle down through corrupt governments [...] and are largely wasted and mis-directed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama Introduces $300 Billion Crony Capitalism Electricity Program for Africa

Satellites to bring cheap, multi-gigabit Internet speeds to 3 billion people

"The first four of 12 satellites in a new constellation to provide affordable, high-speed Internet to people in nearly 180 'under-connected' countries, were shot into space. The orbiters, part of a project dubbed O3b for the 'other 3 billion' people with restricted Internet access, will be lifted by a Russian Soyuz rocket from Kourou in French Guiana. The project was born from the frustrations of Internet pioneer Greg Wyler with the inadequacy of Rwanda’s telecommunications network, while travelling there in 2007. The system would cover the entire African continent, most of Latin America, the Middle East, southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSatellites to bring cheap, multi-gigabit Internet speeds to 3 billion people

Obama steps into China’s African shadow

"Obama's trip comes a little over two months after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Africa. Chinese investments in Africa have grown steadily over the years that the United States has been engaged in Asia and the Middle East. Several private Chinese firms have also invested heavily in Africa. For example, Huawei, a leading global telecom services provider, has invested US$1.5 billion and employs 4,000 workers in Africa alone. The past decade's trade figures also attest to China's growing ties with Africa, having grown from just $9 billion in 2000 to $200 billion in 2012. That is more than double the US trade for last year, which stood at $95 billion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama steps into China’s African shadow

South African group calls for Obama’s arrest during presidential tour

"Cosatu cites Obama's 'horrifying record of US foreign policy in the world', highlighting, the 'militarisation of international relations for the multinational companies and their profit-seeking classes in the US'. It is also opposing the 'US support for oppressive regimes that benefit US narrow interests', saying in a statement on its website that its call was part of world-wide struggle against imperialism. Many in the country have already heeded the call with a huge protests, dubbed the 'Nobama campaign', being planned across the country. The University of Johannesburg's decision to award him an honorary degree has already spurred protest and frustration." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSouth African group calls for Obama’s arrest during presidential tour