African Briefs … ‘Thank you, South Africa’ – EFF

JOHANNESBURG — The EFF yesterday, extended its “deep and sincere gratitude to the people of South Africa who came out in their numbers” to vote on 8 May.

“We pay special attention to all who voted for the EFF, increasing our electoral support by 70% across the country.” The EFF’s support nationally grew to 10,79% from 6,35% in 2014. The party will now occupy 44 seats in the National Assembly. The EFF secured about 1,8m votes, up from 1 169 259 in 2014. Out of the 48 parties on the national ballot paper, the EFF saw the most growth overall. At provincial level, the EFF is now the official opposition to the ANC in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West. “We do not take it for granted that in each of the [nine] provinces, more people believe in the EFF than they did in 2014 and 2016. It is a sign that our revolution is on [course], and soon it shall be realised and accomplished,” EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said.

Niger tanker truck

blast toll rises to 76

NIAMEY — The death toll from a 6 May tanker truck explosion near the international airport in Niger’s capital has risen to 76, state television reported late Sunday. An earlier official report last Tuesday gave 60 dead, including 55 who died at the time of the explosion a few hundred metres from the airport in Niamey. Most of the victims were trying to collect spilt fuel flowing from the overturned truck when the blast occurred. About 40 people were injured. Security official Hamani Adamou Abdoul-Aziz had earlier warned that the toll was likely to rise as several people had sustained severe, life-threatening burns. The driver of the truck has told investigators that an electrical failure caused him to lose control of the vehicle and its brakes. The truck overturned by the railway track as he was trying to stop it, and people then rushed to collect petrol spilling from the vehicle.

Eswatini pupils forced

to learn in tents

JOHANNESBURG — Pupils at four schools in Eswatini (Swaziland) are being forced to take classes under trees and in temporary structures such as tents due to a lack of classrooms which the kingdom’s ministry of education and training were meant to have built. With the winter season approaching, parents and teachers alike from the four schools are wondering how the pupils will survive the winter chill while taking lessons either from inside the tents or from under trees, the Swazi Times reported. So desperate is the situation that good Samaritans have stepped in by donating more tents, which get hot in summer and are sometimes flooded during rainfall, while hoping that the government will take the necessary action.

Escalation against

Sudanese military called

KHARTOUM — Sudanese opposition forces are calling for an escalation of popular pressure against the Temporary Military Council as continuing negotiations involving mediation in the formation of a new civilian government remain at a stalemate. On Sunday, the Freedom and Change opposition said they would officially call for a campaign of civil disobedience beginning tomorrow, and have called for ordinary Sudanese to take to the streets, the Sudan Tribune reported. The sudden call for escalation followed attempts by protesters to remove military barriers near the ongoing sit-in outside army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, which were prevented by the military, which also tried tied to break up the sit-in by force. Soldiers also prevented water and ice being brought to the protesters when they tried to break their fast as they observed Ramadan.

– Nampa-AFP-ANA-News24

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