Seven family members murdered in their South African home

Unknown gunmen have executed seven family members, including three children, in their rural South African home, police said on Thursday.

Among the victims was a five-year-old boy who were shoot at their home in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province late Wednesday.

The eldest victim was a 55-year-old woman.

Police is yet to establish the motive behind the attack in the highlands area, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) Northwest of the coastal city of Durban.

“We are convinced as police that it was an execution. It was a planned murder,” provincial police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told reporters outside the house.

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Some of the victims appeared to have been shot in the head while on the floor, he said.

“There was a total of about 25 bullets that were used.”

The gunmen burst into the house as the family was watching television and made one member of the family, who was outside the house, knocked on the door and then opened fire once it was opened.

South Africa has one of the highest peacetime per capita homicide rates in the world.

Nearly 6,200 people were murdered in the country between April and June, according to police figures released in August.

Seven family members murdered in their South African home

Kenya Court blocks billionaire Adani’s $1.85B takeover project of Nairobi Airport

A Kenyan High Court has suspended a $1.85 billion deal between the government and Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s Adani Airport Holdings Ltd.

The agreement would have granted Adani a 30-year lease to operate Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The court’s order prevents any implementation of the lease until further judicial review.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) filed a joint application, arguing that the country can raise the $1.85 billion required for the airport’s upgrade independently.

The groups expressed concerns over the financial risks, potential job losses, and lack of value for taxpayers associated with the lease, according to court documents published by KHRC.

The court granted permission for a judicial review to assess the legality and merits of the deal.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo announced on social media that the court had issued a stay, halting any implementation of the Adani proposal until the court case concludes.

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They stated in their filings, “Leasing the strategic and profitable JKIA to a private entity is irrational” and violates the constitutional principles of “good governance, accountability, transparency, and prudent and responsible use of public money.”

The proposed lease has faced significant opposition, particularly from the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which warned of potential job cuts and the introduction of non-Kenyan workers. The union had threatened to strike in protest against the agreement.

The Kenyan government, while acknowledging the need to modernise JKIA due to capacity constraints, has maintained that the airport is not for sale.

The administration described the potential lease as part of a public-private partnership and stated that Adani’s offer was under review.

In July, officials reassured the public that any deal would include safeguards to protect Kenya’s national interests.

The court’s ruling has temporarily alleviated concerns among critics of the deal, as the country awaits further legal developments and a resolution to the contentious airport lease proposal.

Kenya Court blocks billionaire Adani’s $1.85B takeover project of Nairobi Airport

Four commercial banks in our country belong to Nigerians – Liberia’s VP

Liberia’s Vice President, Jeremiah Kpan Koung, has said that Nigerians now own about half of Liberia’s commercial banks.

He said this during the 17th Annual Banking & Finance Conference organized by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Koung, speaking to an audience of banking professionals and government officials, praised the role Nigerian banks play in Liberia’s economic landscape.

He emphasized that Nigerian investors have been instrumental in increasing market competition, boosting efficiency, and providing credit lines to support private sector growth.

The Liberia’s Vice President said: “We welcome and applaud the expansion of Nigerian-owned banks in Liberia. The presence and increase in Nigerian-owned businesses, especially banks, are helping to increase market competition and improve efficiency.

“These banks continue to play major roles in providing jobs and establishing credit lines to support the development of our private sector. Presently, there are four (4) Nigerian-owned banks operating in Liberia out of a total of eight (8) commercial banks. This is a clear sign that Nigerians remain interested in investing in Liberia, and as a government, our doors remain open to you.” 

He expressed his government’s openness to further investment from Nigerian banks, noting their critical role in job creation and economic development.

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Koung also touched on Liberia’s efforts to integrate into the West African Monetary Zone and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with a vision to adopt a single currency regime.

He explained that the Central Bank of Liberia is working on a new monetary policy framework that will align with the region’s economic integration goals. However, Koung warned that achieving this vision will require collective economic responsibility from all member states, including managing debt and stabilizing exchange rates.

Koung said: “Currently, the Central Bank of Liberia is working on the monetary policy framework to meet the requirements for the West Africa Monetary Zone. As you may be aware, it is expected that Liberia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria will work towards the implementation of a single currency regime to achieve economic integration. 

“This policy framework will lay the foundation for the realization of a common currency for all ECOWAS member states. However, to achieve this vision, we have a collective responsibility to make sound economic decisions to reduce our debts and stabilize our exchange rates.” 

The vice president further emphasized the need for investment banks in Liberia, noting that the country’s only development bank, the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI), lacks the capital necessary to finance the country’s ambitious economic transformation agenda.

As a result, Liberia has had to rely on multilateral development institutions like the African Development Bank and the World Bank to finance large-scale projects. Koung called for more investment in Liberia’s banking sector to address this gap.

In his closing remarks, Koung expressed optimism that the Abuja conference would inspire new policy directions to enhance the banking sectors in both Nigeria and Liberia.

He highlighted the potential for greater collaboration between the two countries, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and financial services.

Four commercial banks in our country belong to Nigerians – Liberia’s VP