S. Africa lays to rest Winnie

Somalia, UAE tensions soar

SOWETO, South Africa, April 14, (AFP): South Africa lays to rest anti-apartheid icon and Nelson Mandela’s former wife Winnie Mandela with full state honours at a stadium funeral in Soweto on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of mourners burst into loud cheers as the casket carrying h e r remains was wheeled into the stadium, less than two kilometres from her home.

The casket draped with the multi-coloured South African flag was placed in the middle of the 37,500-seater stadium in front of a stage, decked in white and yellow flowers.

Mourners dressed in the colours of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), as well those of the radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), sang “there’s no-one like Winnie”, an adapted popular liberation struggle song.

The ceremony concludes 10 days of national mourning during which time thousands of South Africans have paid tribute to the “Mother of the Nation” at her Soweto home and elsewhere.

Winnie

Somalia, UAE row soars:

Tensions between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates ratcheted up this week as Mogadishu ditched a military deal with its ally and seized millions of dollars in cash from an Emirati plane.

The escalation came after months of building friction in Somalia as the Gulf crisis pitting Arab powers against each other spills over into the fragile state, whose position of neutrality has not gone down well at home or with its allies.

Rashid Abdi, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, told AFP that while the UAE and Somalia have traditionally been close, and Mogadishu has vowed to remain neutral over the Gulf divisions, the central government is nevertheless “perceived to be very much pro-Qatar”.

Gupta plane grounded:

A private jet used by a business family at the heart of corruption allegations against ex-president Jacob Zuma has been flown back to South Africa where it was grounded by a court order, an official said Saturday.

The Bombardier Global 6000 landed at Lanseria International Airport in Johannesburg late Friday night from Dubai with just two pilots on board, Mike Christoph, the airport’s operations manager, told AFP.

The Indian-born Gupta brothers — Ajay, Atul and Rajesh — are implicated in an investigation into corrupt dealings with Zuma. Their business allegedly benefitted from favourable government contracts and mining deals.

Nigeria violence kills 28:

At least 28 people have been killed in gang violence in northern Nigeria, police and local residents said on Friday, in the latest unrest causing security concerns for the government.

Twenty-six people lost their lives on Thursday evening when gunmen on motorcycles attacked gold miners in the Anka district of Zamfara state.

In a separate attack also on Thursday, two police officers on patrol were shot dead and six people were kidnapped in the Birnin Gwari area of neighbouring Kaduna state.