Nigeria youths 'attack MTN office in Abuja'

MTN's regional office in Abuja reportedly shut down its operations on Wednesday following attacks by irate youths presumably protesting over the on-going xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Quoting the Daily Sun newspaper, Naij.com said a group of more than 100 youths converged at the MTN premises carrying placards with different inscriptions.

Apparently worried that more attacks could follow, the MTN office immediately shut down its operations, the report said.

MTN staff said services would be suspended until the xenophobic attacks faded away and stability returned to South Africa.

MTN Nigeria warned early this week that any attack on its facilities could force it to close shop, a development that could see at least 99 percent of its over 6 000 workforce in the country become jobless, a newswirengr.com report said.

This comes as Nigeria's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned South Africa's High Commissioner over anti-immigrant violence.

Dumped for birth by caesarian

A MARONDERA woman last week left a court stunned when she said her husband of four years had dumped her for giving birth through caesarian procedure.

Lillian July made the disclosure after she took her former husband, Cosmas Mapasi, to the civil court demanding $120 monthly maintenance for the couple’s two children and herself.

“Mapasi chased me away from my matrimonial home saying that he wanted many children, therefore he could not stay with me since l deliver children through operation (caesarian procedure) which meant I would not have as many children as he would have wanted,” July said.

In response, Mapasi said although his wife had moved away from their home he still regarded her as his spouse and hence could not pay the maintenance she was demanding.

However, July told the court that she was no longer prepared to reconcile with Mapasi accusing him of being abusive.

Presiding magistrate Josephine Sande ordered Mapasi to pay $60 for the children and another $60 towards July’s monthly maintenance until their marriage has been officially terminated.

Zimbabweans Call For Boycott Of South African Shows

Several high profile South African artists will be performing in Zimbabwe in the coming weeks.

Following the violent xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal, some Zimbabweans have told South African hip-hop star Cassper Nyovest that he is not welcome in Zimbabwe. Nyovest is set to perform in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on 25 April, but some say that because South Africans don't want Zimbabweans in South Africa, Zimbabweans don't want Nyovest in Zimbabwe. RA'EESA PATHER explains.

Nyovest, the man behind hip hop hits Gusheshe and Doc Shebeleza, has been advised to cancel his performance in Bulawayo after being threatened by Zimbabweans on social media. A Facebook post by Zimbabwean musician, Augustus Baba Zaine Verunga, helped spur the furore after he called on Zimbabweans to boycott Nyovest's show.

"This show will not happen, and if it does it will not end well. We'll send a message to every SA citizen watching, partaking and promoting XENOPHOBIA," Verurunga wrote on Facebook.

Nyovest's mother saw the Facebook post, and called the rapper, asking him to cancel his performance.

*** Very nice this is called tit for tat.

Zimbabweans Evacuated After Xenophobic Attacks

The government has provided free transport for hundreds of Zimbabweans who were displaced by violence in South Africa.

killings of Emanuel Sithole

Immigrant Emmanuel Sithole,  was photographed being stabbed to death in a Johannesburg township.

Pictures were published by South Africa's Sunday Times of Sithole pleading for his life while being attacked in Johannesburg's Alexandra township.

After police offered 100,000 Rand (£5,500, $8,300) for information in connection with the killing, officers arrested four men overnight.

Police confirmed that among those arrested was the man allegedly photographed wielding a knife in the attack.

Zambian radio station silences SA music

A privately-owned Zambian radio station has stopped playing South African music in protest against the xenophobic attacks.

"Radio QFM has blacked out the playing of South African music effective April 17, in protest against xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals taking place in that country," QFM managing director Asan Nyama said in a statement posted on the station's website.

Nyama said the move to black out South African music indefinitely was in solidarity with Africans who have fallen victim to xenophobic attacks in Durban.

He said considering that QFM had a listenership not only in Zambia but across the world, the station felt duty bound to voice its protest at the attacks by stopping the air play of their music.

He said considering it was not the first time foreign nationals were being targeted in xenophobic attacks in SA, there was a need to send a clear message to South Africans that violence on fellow Africans negated African unity.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency said at the weekend: "In South Africa,xenophobic attacks over the last three weeks have ... displaced over 5000 foreign nationals." It said it was "extremely concerned".

"We would like to underscore that those affected in these xenophobic attacks are refugees and asylum seekers who were forced to leave their countries due to war and persecution."

Neighbouring Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique announced plans to evacuate their citizens, as the violence drew regional outrage.

 

 

South African singer Kelly Khumalo was forced to postpone performances in London because of outrage, while kwaito group Big Nuz had to cancel a concert in Zimbabwe, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said on Friday.

The anger in neighbouring countries was exacerbated by the fact that they hosted thousands of South African exiles during the struggle against apartheid - a point that President Jacob Zuma raised in a speech to parliament Thursday.

Xenophobic Attacks - Mandela Won't Be Happy in Grave - Lagos Assembly