SSABE

SUB SAHARA AFRICA BUILT ENVIRONMENT

INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED FACILITY

From the Desk of Paul S Rogers

+27 (0)83 520 7596

E: [email protected] Issue 279- 35, 2012

SSABE CONNECTS YOU with Sub Sahara Africa at no cost, - it is a free service for all built environment suppliers and contractors. No registration, just a get-down-to-basics Internationally Acclaimed service. Just send your eddress and request to [email protected] SSABE PRODUCES - A weekly international tender and news collation of matters relating to the built environment. An easy scrolling ‘.PDF FORMAT NEWSLETTER’ in country alphabetical order divided into the key trade blocs. The articles covered in these weekly updates will provide you with the leads you need to follow up on early warning prospects. Most have names and companies for you to record. Should you target an individual country before a trade visit, scanning the relevant collations will give you a myriad of prospective appointments in business development.

SSABE SPECIAL – A SSABE Participant has provided a HUGE volume of PVC pipes and tubing for bulk purchasers at very competitive pricing – interested wholesalers and contractors should contact SSABE – minimum quantities apply –

TENDERS

SSABE TENDER NOTICES – Provides you with the full tender notice of the abridged version in the newsletter at a nominal fee [US$20 / ZAR150] – Just send request and the interested bid reference to [email protected] (A few notices will not be available and ‘Prior Information’ is posted 30 days or more before bid opening)

BENIN: Tender - Support to the Development of Small-scale Irrigation among Private Individuals in Karimama Malanville Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 18, 2012

BENIN: Technical assistance in support to the Western African Power Pool (WAPP) Request For Proposals City/Locality: COTONOU Publication Date: Sep 7, 2012 Deadline: Oct 11, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services •Technical assistance services •Energy-management services •Electrical services •Training services 1 BENIN: Tender - Access to Modern Energy Development - Acquisition of Fault Locator Underground Vehicle Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 19, 2012

BURKINA FASO: Procurement Plan for next six months Prior Information Notice City/Locality: Ouagadougou Publication Date: Sep 7, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services •Agricultural and horticultural products •Works for complete or part construction and civil engineering work

BURUNDI: Tender - Architectural, Engineering, and Monitoring of Construction Works of the Centre de Formation Professionnelle de la Justice à Ngozi in Burundi Opportunity Type: Services, Works, Goods Express Interest By: Oct 05, 2012

CAMEROON: Project - Project for the Rehabilitation and Sustainable Management of the Areas of Biological Interest in Tcheboa, Cameroon Opportunity Type: Services Project Summary - The objectives of the project are to reforest 1,000 acres with approximately 50,000 plants in multi- use spaces as well as spaces for the conservation of wildlife; to strengthen organizational capacity, operational and managerial capabilities of community-based organizations (CBOs); promote alternatives to poaching activities and revenue-generating; promote the use of improved stoves; develop and implement a management plan; and to negotiate a co-management arrangement with the local community. The total budget for this project is approximately $78,360

CONGO R.O.C: Tender - Control and Supervision of Rehabilitation Works and/or Construction of Two (02) Primary Schools and Three (03) Integrated Health Centers in Pointe-Noire Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 21, 2012

CONGO R.O.C: Tender - Control and Supervision of Construction Works for Two (02) State-owned Marches in Brazzaville (Lots 1 and 2) Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 26, 2012 Project Summary - pour le contrôle et la supervision des travaux de construction de deux (2) marchés domaniaux à Brazzaville.La durée de la mission est de treize (13) mois. Lot 1: Marché domanial SOUKISSA Lot 2:Marché domanial de BOURREAU

CONGO R.O.C: Tender - Control and Supervision of Construction Works for Two (02) State-owned Marches in Brazzaville (Lot 3 and 4) Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 26, 2012 Lot 3: Marché domanial de NGOYO Lot 4: Marché domanial de MONGO KAMBA

Cote d’Ivoire: Tender - Supply of Plumbing Equipment in Cote d’Ivoire Opportunity Type: Goods Express Interest By: Sep 19, 2012

DRC: Tender - Provision of Gardening Tools in the Democratic Republic of Congo Opportunity Type: Goods Express Interest By: Sep 14, 2012

DRC: Tender - Monitoring and Evaluation, Environmental and Social Management and Maintenance of Roads in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo Opportunity Type: Services Proposal Due Date: Sep 27, 2012 Project Summary -Programme for the build/upgrade of four priority strategic roads, a sustainable maintenance system to safeguard in the longer term these four roads and a further five roads previously built under the ISSSS, to generate employment that is equitably distributed, and to manage the environmental and social impacts of the roads, the roads 2 to lead to increased incomes and improved security for local people, requires the services of a Supplier to act as a Monitoring and Evaluation Service Provider to monitor and evaluate the Programme, manage the long-term and indirect environmental and social impacts and oversee the maintenance of the Programme roads in South and North Kivu.

DRC: Supply of tyres with inner tubes for various civil engineering equipment Request For Proposals City/Locality: KINSHASA Publication Date: Sep 4, 2012 Deadline: Sep 19, 2012 Original Language: French Goods, Works and Services •Tyres for motor cars •Inner tubes

ETHIOPIA: Tender - Construction of the WFP Compound in Samera, Ethiopia Opportunity Type: Services Proposal Due Date: Sep 25, 2012

ETHIOPIA: GROUNDWATER RESOURCE MAPPING IN AGP WOREDAS Request For Expressions of Interest Publication Date: Sep 6, 2012 Deadline: Sep 24, 2012 Original Language: English Assignments •Natural resources management or conservation strategy planning services

GHANA: Tender - Consulting Services for Project Management, Engineering and Construction Supervision Services for the 330 kV Kumasi-Bolgatanga Transmission Line Project in Ghana Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 30, 2012 Project Summary - The project involves the construction of approximately 530 km 330 kV Kumasi - Bolgatanga transmission line and intermediary substations in Kintampo and Tamale. The project is expected to be executed within twenty-four (24) months. The estimated cost of the project is US$ 160 Million.

GUINEA: Tender - Consultant Services of a Firm on the Legal Aspects of Negotiations in Guinea Mining Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 24, 2012

GUINEA-BISSAU: Tender - Construction/ Renovation of 12 Model Police Stations in Guinea-Bissau Opportunity Type: Works Express Interest By: Oct 12, 2012

IRAN: Tender - Sarney Dam and Water Supply System Project in Iran: Project Management Consulting Services (PMC) Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 29, 2012

KENYA: Tender - Supply and Delivery of 10,000 Liter Plastic Water Tanks Opportunity Type: Works, Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 17, 2012

MALAWI: Tender - Supply, Installation and Construction of Integration and Expansion Works for Salima Lakeshore Water Supply Schemes Opportunity Type: Works, Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 17, 2012

MALAWI: Tender - Aerial Survey Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Sep 25, 2012 Project Summary - Aerial Survey for the Lower Shire River.

MAURITIUS: Tender - Procurement of 80,000 Cold Potable Water Meters (Diameter 15mm) in Mauritius Opportunity Type: Services, Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 16, 2012

MOROCCO: Tender - Development of a Technical Study on the Rehabilitation of Tamda N'Massoud Dam Opportunity Type: Services Proposal Due Date: Sep 24, 2012 3 MOROCCO: Tender - Rehabilitation Works to Increase the Capacity of the Rail Link Tangier and Marrakech Opportunity Type: Services, Works Proposal Due Date: Oct 18, 2012
Lot 1 : Pylône pour caténaire ;
Lot 2 : Armement en tube ;
Lot 3 : Parafoudres ;
Lot 4 : Isolateurs ;
Lot 5 : Attache et connectiques ;
Lot 6 : Système de compensation ;
Lot 7 : Interrupteur et sectionneur ;
Lot 8 : Fils et câbles.

MOZAMBIQUE: Tender - Supply of New Submersible Pumps Including Fittings for Tete, Moatize, Angoche, Pemba, Xai – Xai, Chókwe, Inhambane and Maxixe Cities Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 17, 2012

NIGER: Tender - Creation and Rehabilitation of Nurseries in the Tillaberi and Dosso Regions Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 25, 2012

RWANDA: Tender - Supply of 45,300 Prepayment Meters and House Connection Accessories Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 23, 2012

RWANDA: (1)PROCUREMENT OF 1,000 TONS OF LIME - Request For Proposals (2) SUPPLY OF 500 TONS OF ALUMINIUM SULPHATE City/Locality: Kigali Publication Date: Sep 4, 2012 Deadline: Oct 19, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services •Operation of a water-purification plant

RWANDA: SUPPLY, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF MATERIAL TESTING LABORATORY EQUIPMENT Prior Information Notice Publication Date: Sep 6, 2012 Deadline: Oct 23, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services •Checking and testing apparatus •Measuring instruments

RWANDA: TENDER NOTICE FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR 3 EWSA CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: RENOVATION AND EXTENSION OF EWSA HQ AND KACYIRU & REMERA BRANCHES Request For Proposals Publication Date: Sep 6, 2012 Deadline: Oct 8, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services •Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

RWANDA: SUPERVISION OF DEVELOPMENT WORKS OF GACACA MARSHLAND (400HA) INCLUDING DAM AND IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURES, IN KAYON ZA DISTRICT, EASTERN PROVINCE. Request For Expressions of Interest Publication Date: Sep 7, 2012 Deadline: Sep 28, 2012 Original Language: English Assignments •Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services

TANZANIA: Tender - Construction of Weighbridge Station Including Supply and Installation of Two Brand New Weighbridge Scales at Vigwaza in Coast Region Opportunity Type: Works, Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 18, 2012

4 UGANDA: Development consultancy services Request For Proposals City/Locality: KAMPALA Publication Date: Sep 7, 2012 Deadline: Oct 1, 2012 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services •Development consultancy services

UGANDA: Tender - Supply of Four (04) Sludge Exhausters and Five (05) Sludge Vacutugs to the Project Towns of Mayuge, Ntungamo, Buwama/Kayabwe and Bukakata Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 16, 2012 Project Summary - four (04) Sludge Exhausters under Lot 1 and five (05) Sludge Vacutugs under Lot 2 to the Project Towns of: Mayuge, Ntungamo, Buwama/Kayabwe and Bukakata. Bidders are free to bid for either one or both lots.

SENEGAL: Tender - Excavation and Construction of Civil Engineering Works on the Emissary Delta - Lot 3 Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Nov 02, 2012 Project Summary - The Compact program in Senegal is structured around integrated development programs of regional development centers in North and South zones of the country. For the South zone, the funding will rehabilitate approximately 256 kilometers of RN6 from Ziguinchor to Kounkané and Kolda Bridge, with a goal of reducing transportation costs and improve access to national and international markets. For the North, it will be about (i) rehabilitate approximately 120 kilometers of N2 from Richard Toll to Ndioum and (ii) carry out water projects in the Delta-structuring Dagana and in the Middle Valley-Podor in order to improve agricultural productivity through irrigation. In these different intervention sites, it is also considered to achieve social infrastructure in order to curb the negative effects of planned investment on vulnerable groups (women, men, youth, disabled, farmers, etc.).

SENEGAL: Tender - Supply and Installation of Rehabilitation Equipment TAG4 Opportunity Type: Services, Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 26, 2012

SOMALIA: Tender - Supply of Low Bed Trailer, Tracor Head and Spares in Somalia Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 24, 2012

SOUTH SUDAN: Tender - Procurement of Civil Works for Construction of RSSDDRC Offices in Bor, Torit and Wau in South Sudan Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Sep 19, 2012

SUDAN: Tender - Stabilized Soil Blocks Machines in Kenya Opportunity Type: Goods Express Interest By: Sep 11, 2012 Project Summary - supply 80 pieces of stabilised soil block machines (non interlocking stabilised soil block press with adjustable knob and piston). The stabilised soil blocks machines will be manual EARLY WARNING & PROSPECTIVES SADC

Angola: Foundation Stone for Funzi Agro-Farming Project Laid ANGOP 7 September 2012 - The foundation stone for the construction of the Funzi Integrated Industrial Agro-farming Project was laid Friday in the locality of Chela, Buco-Mazi village, northern Cabinda province, by the local interim governor, Aldina Matilde da Lomba. Estimated to cost more than Usd 4.0 billion, the project is designed for production of cereals, ration, chicken and eggs. MOZAMBIQUE: Chinese group Jinan Yuxiao takes advantage of increased mining activity in Mozambique September 3rd, 2012 - Mozambique is witnessing an unprecedented increase in mining activities and Chinese group Jinan Yuxiao is one of the most active on the ground, seeking to take best advantage of existing opportunities. Africa Great Wall Mining, the group’s subsidiary, at the end of July was given a zircon and titanium prospecting license by the Mozambican government. This is the third license awarded to Chinese companies in Mozambique, according to the Economic and Commercial Department of the Chinese Embassy in Mozambique. The license, according to the same source, covers the biggest concession area ever granted by the Mozambican Mining Resources Ministry for mineral prospecting. The mine is located in Zambeze province, near the port of Quelimane, with a total area of 231 square kilometres covering the areas of Chinde, Inhassuge and Nicoadala, and including a coastal area of 50 kilometres in length. The 5 Yuxiao group also has a company set up in partnership with businessman Chuanyou Cong, with stakes of 80 percent and 20 percent, respectively, the Africa Yuxiao Mining Development Company, which was registered in Mozambique in 2008 and is focused on surveying and exploration of mining resource, including industrial processing. Since 2009 the company had sought to secure prospecting and surveying for ilmenite, titanium and other minerals in the Inharrime district of Inhambane province, in southern Mozambique. As well as in Moma district, in the coastal area of Nampula province, there are occurrences of heavy sands in other parts of Mozambique, notably in Chibuto district. However, they have no commercial value, which has meant that some investors such as BHP Billiton, which controls Limpopo Corridor Sands have moved away from the area. In Moma, specifically in Topuito, Ireland’s Kenmare Resources is exploring the Namalope deposit, which contains 21 million tons of heavy mineral concentrates, and another deposit has also been identified with potential of 140 million tons. Even before securing this concession, Africa Great Wall Mining was authorized by the Mozambican government to build a cement factory in Magude, along with other companies such as Cimentos da Beira (Sofala), S and S Cimento (Matola), and China Mozambique – Cement and Mining Development (Cheringoma). (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Stake in gas block in Mozambique on sale for US$3 billion September 6th, 2012 - Indian group Videocon Industries is asking US$3 billion for a 10 percent stake in a gas field with large reserves of natural gas in Mozambique, according to financial news agency Bloomberg citing a source close to the sales process. According to the source, the Videocon group, which manages a television and mobile phone manufacturing business, amongst others, is negotiating with several companies and groups to sell the stake. The agency also said that the sale of a 10 percent stake in the Mozambican block for the US$3 billion figure would help the group, which is controlled by millionaire Venugopal Dhoot, to pay off debts of US$3.6 billion. The oil block is operated by US oil group Anadarko Petroleum, which has a stake of 36.5 percent, and the remaining partners are Japan’s Mitsui & Co., with 20 percent, India’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Videocon, with 10 percent each, Mozambique’s ENH (15 percent) and Cove Energy (8.5 percent), which meanwhile has been acquired by Thai group PTT. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambican government seeks funding to build port in Gaza province September 5th, 2012 - Mozambique’s Ministry for Transport and Communications is seeking funding for construction of a rail and port system in Gaza province capable of processing 150 million tons of cargo per year, Minister Paulo Zucula said Monday. According to daily newspaper Notícias, the minister, who was speaking at the opening of the 30th Coordinating Council in Chidenguele, Gaza province, said that the project should be a public-private partnership (PPP). The minister also noted that, as Mozambique was about to take on the presidency of the SADC, along with the fact that the recent summit meeting held in Maputo adopted “Development Corridors towards regional integration,” as a theme, the country had a specific responsibility to transform that commitment into a reality. “For that purpose we have set out the tasks of construction, refurbishment and expansion of the airport terminals, ports, planning of new railway lines and construction of mooring facilities, as well as improving urban transport services,” said Zucula. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation presents coal terminal in Mozambique September 5th, 2012 - Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) is due to make a public presentation of a coal terminal project to be built in Nacala-a-Velha at meetings scheduled for next week in the Mozambican cities of Nampula and Nacala-Porto, Macauhub learned Tuesday in Maputo. The company, which has its headquarters in London and is listed on the London and Kazakhstan stock exchanges, plans to build and operate a port terminal for exporting coal at Namuaxi point (Nacala bay) near the town of Nacala-a-Velha. The project for construction and operation of a coal terminal in Nacala-a-Velha is associated to another one by ENRC for construction of a railway line between Chiúta, in Tete province, and Nacala-a-Velha in Nampula province. ENRC and Jindal Resources (Mozambique), Ncondezi Coal Company and Minas do Revobué are part of a group of coal sector companies expected to start mining coal within the next three years. ENRC entered the Mozambican market following its acquisition, in 2009, of the Central African Mining Exploration Company (CAMEC), and will mine for coal at its concession in the district of Cahora Bassa, in the Moatize coal basin. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: South Korea provides Mozambique with loan to build solar power plants September 4th, 2012 The Export Import Bank of South Korea (Exim Bank) has granted Mozambique a loan of US$35 million, which will be used to fund construction of three solar power plants, a source from Mozambique’s National Energy Fund (Funae) told Macauhub in Maputo. For its construction Funae Monday launched a public tender stipulating that only candidates with specific experience may apply and set out the conditions that only candidate companies that have been involved in similar construction projects or that have managed solar power plants in the last five years may apply. Proposals can be put forward to the National Energy Fund until 17 October, 2012. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Nacala Airport in Mozambique due to start operating in 2013 September 4th, 2012 - Nacala International Airport is scheduled to start operating in 2013, said the head of the special projects office of Aeroportos de Moçambique, António Loureiro, cited by Mozambican newspaper O País. The future international airport, which will be the result of converting the air base at its location, will cost US$114 million over all, which will mainly be funded by a loan of US$80 million from Brazilian development bank, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economic e Social (BNDES). Construction work at the airport, which is the responsibility of Brazilian group Odebrecht, will provide the facility with initial capacity to receive 500,000 passengers per year, which will later be increased to 1 million people. Construction to convert the Nacala airbase was awarded to Brazilian company Odebrecht which, over 20 months, will build passenger and cargo terminals and the control tower as well as repaving the runway, which will be 3,400 metres long and be capable of receiving Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft. (macauhub)

6 MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambican government plans to build new power transmission line September 3rd, 2012 A new high voltage power transmission line may be built between Chumuara, in Mozambique’s Zambézia province, and the city of Nacala, in Nampula province, in order to boost the power supply to the Special Economic Zone (ZEE), the Energy Minister said. Without mentioning figures or a date for the construction work to begin, the minister noted the need also to build two hydroelectric dams on the Lúrio and Malema rivers to boost the power supply to the region. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Master plan for natural gas due to be presented in Mozambique September 3rd, 2012 - The Mozambican National Oil Institute (INP) is set to present its Natural Gas Master Plan, a document that outlines the framework for carrying out projects in the sector, said the INP chairman, Arsénio Mabote. According to Mabote, cited by daily newspaper Notícias, the document is due to be submitted for approval by the government by the end of September. Mabote noted that Mozambique already produces natural gas for export, but lacks a framework for the sector and thus the master plan would make up for that lack by setting out priorities in the use of the resource notably production of fertilizer, methanol, and petrochemical products such as plastics. Potential reserves of natural gas in Mozambique total 150 trillion cubic feet, and the government is expected to launch an international tender for exploration of new areas at the end of this year or beginning of 2013. (macauhub) Namibia: A New House in Only Three Weeks NAMIBIA ECONOMIST By Lorato Khobetsi, 7 September 2012 A company that market a new, cheap and easy way of house construction, this week started building a house at the Windhoek Show grounds which they say will be finished in time for the show three weeks from now. Vela Building Solutions, a company which offers a quality, low cost, effective, innovative and fast construction solution might be able to help with the current housing shortage faced by Namibians and throughout Africa. The new company is backed by the substantial technical and financial resources of Wispeco which is a 50% shareholder. The other 50% is owned by Vela Building Solutions South Africa. "This will prove that Vela Building Solutions can offer a durable building alternative that will not only have an impact in the cost of supplying housing to the nation but also in the speed in which it can be done," he said. The company is also looking at erecting a factory in Namibia that will manufacture its building panels. Since its inception, Vela Building Solution has completed projects to the value of N$275 million in Angola, Mozambique and South Africa. Namibia: Ohlthaver and List Group Sets Up Energy Unit NAMIBIA ECONOMIST By Waldo, 7 September 2012 The Ohlthaver and List Group of Companies has established a new energy company, O&L Energy, specialising in renewable energy across southern Africa. The energy company will focus on transmitting, manufacturing, supplying, distributing and dealing in all forms of renewable energy and other energy related fields. "O&L Energy and its partners have long-standing experience in consulting, planning and constructing of large PV plants ranging from 500kW up to 3.5mW projects in Spain, Italy and Greece and now also in southern Africa. We offer high quality products and services for solar power plants with customer-specific turnkey systems." O&L Energy has a broad product portfolio with a wide range of photovoltaic/solar and solar water heaters, from residential solutions to large scale megawatt projects. The company also specialises in consulting, designing, planning and building of solar water heating, photovoltaic and biogas plants. Namibia: Namport Signs N$30 Million Deal With Erongo Red THE NAMIBIAN 6 September 2012 - NAMPORT and Erongo RED have entered into an agreement to upgrade the bulk electricity supply to the Port of Walvis Bay. The conclusion of the study was that a new electricity feeder must be installed from the Paratus substation to the port and that Erongo RED should upgrade its bulk power supply to the Paratus substation. The forecasted electricity requirements for the new container terminal are currently estimated at 15 megawatts (MW) maximum demand. This means that the port cannot cater for any additional electricity demand in future. The port is currently limited to about 2,5MW in total. It is thus required to upgrade the port's power supply infrastructure to cater for normal port growth, as well as for upcoming planned development projects. This contract that Namport has signed with Erongo RED is worth about N$30 million, which is a network contribution of the total Walvis Bay bulk supply upgrade expected to cost Erongo RED N$311 million, but the overall Port of Walvis Bay electricity supply upgrade project alone is valued at N$85 million in total, inclusive of this N$30 million network contribution. The Walvis Bay supply upgrade project has already started and once commissioned it will increase Namport's dedicated supply capacity from 2,5MW to 18MW. South Africa ends fracking freeze BBC 7 September 2012 - South Africa has lifted a ban on the extraction of shale gas using the controversial fracking technique. There are said to be huge deposits of shale gas in the semi-desert Karoo area, known for its natural beauty. Campaigners warn that fracking - pumping water and chemicals into rock at high pressure - is dangerous for the environment. One study found that Karoo could hold enough gas to supply South Africa for 400 years. The area is extremely poor and fracking supporters say it would bring new jobs to the region. But the decision was condemned by campaigners. "Essentially what it means is that our government has sent a signal to the international community that it has made in our view a hasty and ill-informed decision about a vastly unpopular technology," Jonathan Deal of the Treasure the Karoo Action Group told the private eNCA news channel. A government statement said a series of public consultations would now be held before any extraction began, reports the AFP news agency. The Associated Press news agency says environmental impact studies will take two years.

7 A guide to fracking

• Fracking is a method that energy companies use to get shale gas out of shallow deposits in the ground. • It uses a mix of water and chemicals at very high pressure to split rock. • The gas can then escape into "wells" where it can be drawn out for use in homes and power stations.

TANZANIA: Tanzania Delays Offshore O&G Licensing Round by Dow Jones Newswires Nicholas Bariyo September 03, 2012 - The Tanzanian government Monday said that it would delay a licensing round for up to nine deep-sea oil and gas blocks, previously slated for this month, to allow parliament first to ratify a new natural-gas policy next month. The licensing round will include nine blocks sitting between 1,200 meters and 3,500 meters of water depth. The blocks on offer include new areas and blocks that have been relinquished by current operators. Tanzania: Govt Secures U.S. $1.2 Billion Loan From China Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) 7 September 2012-09-08 - TANZANIA has secured a 1.2 billion US dollars loan to finance the construction of a 230-kms natural gas pipeline linking Mtwara gas fields and Dar es Salaam.

The Tanzanian government plans to build a pipeline to carry natural gas to Dar es Salaam. The agreement to that effect was signed in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday and witnessed by Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda and the visiting Chinese Vice Premier, Mr Hui Liangyu, at the Prime Minister's Office in Dar es Salaam. The agreement was signed by the Finance Minister, Dr William Mgimwa and the Deputy President of EXIM Bank of China, Mr Li Jun. Other documents initialed by the two parties are exchange of letters on the project of office building for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and amemorandum of understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation. He fourth document was an MoU between the Government of Tanzania and China Merchants Holdings (International) Company. Tanzania: 830m/ - Bus Stop for Segera Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Amina Kingazi, 8 September A MODERN bus stop project to be built at Segera village in Handeni District will cost approximately 831m/-.The project Managing Director, Mr Hassani Mwachibuzi revealed the sum at the inauguration ceremony held at the Project site on 5th September this year at Segera. The phases of the project are divided as following: Phase one is for procurement, taking measurements and preparing the plot at Segera ready for the construction.However, the council paid for the Land lease of the plot where the construction will take place.According to the programme phase two will involve the construction of parking areas, sheds for passengers, fencing the area, construction of toilets and removing the electrical posts, which surround the plot. The bus stop is expected to accommodate 200 buses at once. Mr Mwachibuzi said that the Segera Bus Stop will be the largest bus Terminal in East Africa and that the council expects to collect over 276m/- per year.The construction plan shows that phase three will involve the construction of bussiness stalls which will be rented to small entrepreneurs now peddling their wares in the area. Also in this phase the parking areas will be constructed with concrete slabs. Segera was growing fast and that the Handeni District expected to construct an international market for fruits and vegetables.

8 Tanzania: Mtwara Freeport Plans Get Major Boost - EXPORT Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) has allocated 110 hectares in Mtwara for a Free port Zone, Mtwara Regional Consultative Council (RCC) heard here on Wednesday. "Out of the alloted area, ten hectares at the existing Mtwara port are scheduled for immediate development to serve service providers to oil and gas companies," Tanzania: Mtwara Seaport Undergoes Expansion Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Masato Masato, 7 September 2012 - THE thriving economic activities in the country's southern regions are exerting pressure on Mtwara Port, necessitating immediate expansion of the facility to cope with demand estimated at 25 million tonnes of cargo in the next 20 years. Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Acting Director General Madeni Kipande told the Mtwara Regional Consultative Council (RCC) here on Thursday that the first phase of the port improvement has started with construction of four berths and expansion of the supply base for oil and gas exploration activities. He, however, called for joint strategies to improve transport infrastructure connected to the port, warning that any improvement will remain irrelevant and mere wastage of resources unless supported by a reliable railway network. "We as a country will never move if we rely on road transport. We have to put a reliable railway network in place to help us reap the fruits of our investment on expansion of Mtwara Port," Mr Kipande told the one-day RCC. The absence of a railway that would haul cargo destined for other regions and the neighbouring countries of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia in particular, is among the impediments that cripple port efficiency. Mtwara Port, with a 400,000- tonne capacity, is currently capable of handling all cargo but experts warn that given the speed at which investors are relocating to Mtwara and other southern regions, the facility will soon be overwhelmed. Cargo handled at Mtwara Port have almost doubled in six years from 143,072 metric tonnes in 2006/07 to 244,183 tonnes as a result of mainly bumper cashew nut harvests and oil rig supplies to oil and gas exploration companies. A further drastic cargo increase is projected out of the multibillion US dollar projects in the pipeline. The Director of Heavy Industry with the National Development Corporation (NDC), Mr Alley Mwakibolwa, told the meeting that projects under the Mtwara Development Corridor (MtDC) alone can create about 34 million tonnes of cargo in mineral, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, trade and tourism sectors. Through Liganga iron ore and MtDC coal resources, Tanzania seeks to unlock 5.6 billion US dollar (about 9trn/-) investments, with potential of generating thousands of jobs and revenues. TANZANIA: East Africa Resources to increase coffers by A$1.2m for uranium hunt in Tanzania - The funds will advance exploration at the company's three key projects within Tanzania, which include the Mkuju Uranium Project which is comprised of 15 tenements covering 4340 square kilometres on the south of the country. East Africa Resources also has the Madaba Project which hosts uranium anomalies based on historical exploration undertaken in the 1970-80's, and the Eastern Rift Uranium Project in the north of the country which has target geology is the Manyara Basin, where playa lake sediments have filled a large rift structure. Zambia: Investment Pledges Soar $4.1billion TIMES OF ZAMBIA By Nchimunya Muganya, 4 September 2012 THE Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has recorded a 37 per cent rise in investment pledges during the first half of this year, amounting to US$4.1billion with an expected job creation of 18,778 opportunities for locals. Zambia Development Agency Acting director general, Glyne Michelo said that the agency approved 197 applications for the certificate of registration for large-scale projects. Zambia: Govt to Refurbish Mulobezi Railway Infrastructure - GOVERNMENT wants to improve Mulobezi railway line infrastructure to promote commerce and other economic activities along its network,Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda has said. Mulobezi railway line, which stretches for about 163 kilometres from Livingstone in Southern Province to Mulobezi in Western Province, was established between 1905 to 1930 but has not been upgraded since its inception. Zambia: World Bank, State Seals U.S.$56 Million Power Deal TIMES OF ZAMBIA By Perpetual Sichikwenkwe, 8 September 2012 - Government and the World Bank have signed a financing agreement amounting to more than US$56 million which will help reduce the incidences of power shortages once implemented. The financing agreement is for the Kafue-Muzuma-Victoria Falls Power Transmission Line Reinforcement Project worth $56.5 million to upgrade the Kafue West-Muzuma-Livingstone 220kv transmission line to 330kv and connect to a new 330/220kv substation in Livingstone. The project, which is expected to help in filling the gaps in the power requirements, is further expected to provide a linkage between Kafue West with the Kariba North Bank Extention 330kv transmission line. Zesco was currently implementing a power sector plan which included substantial capital expenditures for investments in new generation and transmission projects. Mr Chikwanda said the main projects expected to add to the installed capacity include the Kariba North Bank Extension Project (360Mw), Maamba Thermal Plant (600Mw), Lunzua (50Mw), and Lusiwasi (84.4Mw). The further construction of Kafue Gorge Lower (750Mw) and Itezhi-Tezhi (150Mw) would be carried forward. Zimbabwe: First Toll Plaza Opens December - Zimbabwe's first state-of-the-art toll plaza will open in December this year along the Harare-Bulawayo highway, a senior Government official said yesterday. The highway is 820 kilometres and is being rehabilitated and upgraded to international standards by Zinara and its partner Group Five, a South African based company. Zimbabwe: Thoko Khupe Launches the Zimbabwe Energy Policy - Zimbabwe today launched the Zimbabwe Energy Policy in Harare. The launch comes at a time when Zimbabweans across the country have a sad story to tell about the power cuts they experience every day. Zimbabwe: Transporters Blast Zimra Over Poor Border Roads - Transporters from across the country have lambasted the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for failing to repair damaged roads at Beitbridge Border Post where at least five trucks have overturned or fell off due to the bad state of the roads. In separate interviews, the truckers 9 accused Zimra of employing a business as usual attitude rather than attending to their concerns. The worst damaged road is the one on the arrivals commercial side near the vehicle inspection depot where there is a high volume of inbound trucks. The road was built to separate haulage traffic from other traffic such as private cars and buses which access the border as a way of reducing congestion. An average of 3 000 trucks pass through Beitbridge Border Post each day. A total of five trucks have been involved in accidents around this area between June and July this year. Early this year a US$97 million project to upgrade the border post was recently shelved, leaving Zimra stuck with its old system. COMESA

EAST AFRICA: Two Factories to Produce Sugar in Sudan, Tanzania Egypt State Information Service (Cairo) 4 September 2012 - The Egyptian-African company for investment and development has decided to invest a total of US$400 million to establish two sugar mills, one in Sudan and the other in Tanzania, in order to meet local demand and export surplus to neighboring and European Markets. The company established by both the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr on one hand and a number of businessmen on the other succeeded in providing necessary funds from the African Bank for Development and some French establishments. Kenya: State to Set Up Kitale EPZ The Star (Nairobi) By Nicholas Wamalwa, 7 September 2012 - The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce in Trans Nzoia, the government and EPZ authority plan to set up an Export Processing Zone in Kitale. CEO Martin Waliaula said they need at least Sh15 million to put up the EPZ for agricultural products and assembling of agricultural machines. Kenya: Building of Sh180 Million Likoni Ramps Start The Star (Nairobi) - By Martin Mwita, 7 September 2012 - The Kenya Ferry Service has started the constructions of two new ramps at the Likoni ferry terminal to reduce traffic at the crossing channel. The expansion, which has already begun, will cost Sh180 million. The south coast mainland ramp which will be the first one to be erected will cost Sh91 million and is expected to be complete by the end of October. The Mombasa Island side ramp expansion is expected to start immediately after the completion of the mainland ramp and will cost Sh89.5 million according to Kenya ferry. The contract has been given to Coastal Marine Construction & Engineering Limited (Comacoe) will handle the huge population at the crossing channel. KENYA: Mt Kenya to get electric fence to stop wildlife straying 7 September 2012 - Kenya's government is to inaugurate a project that will encircle much of the country's highest peak with an electric fence to stop wild animals straying. On completion it will be about 400km (250 miles) long, stand 2m (6ft 6in) high and extend a metre underground. The charity building the fence, Rhino Ark, believes it will take five years to complete. "It is going to encircle 2,000 sq km (772 sq miles) of indigenous forests on the mountain, and a source of many, many rivers and outflows in all directions from the mountains," Colin Church from Rhino Ark told the BBC. According to the charity, it is being done in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service and with the support of the Kenya Forest Service. The fence, which will have five electrified strands, will discourage wild animals from straying from the mountain's forests and devastating crops on the small holdings on the other side of the fence. It discharges a shock, but not one that endangers people or animals. Building the first phase of the fence, which will be 50km long, has already begun and is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2014, Rhino Ark says. BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut says the scheme may seem wildly optimistic, but Rhino Ark has already fenced in the Aberdare mountains, which provide water for Kenya's capital, Nairobi. That fence took 12 years to complete. But with government support and finance, Mr Church believes the Mt Kenya project, expected to cost about $11.8m (£7.4m), should be much faster. Rwanda: Nyanza District Plan to Construct U.S.$4.95 Million Stadium THE NEW TIMES By Peter Kamasa, 7 September 2012 - NYANZA District is planning to construct a multi-billion stadium which will cost between Rwf2.5 and Rwf3 billion, according to the Mayor, Abdallah Murenzi. "This will be one of the biggest stadiums in the country. RWANDA: Rwanda's Surging Mining Sector THE NEW TIMES By Emmanuel R. Karake, 3 September 2012 Rwanda's mineral exports have increased over the past few years, with the sector emerging as a major foreign exchange earner with even much brighter prospects. The country's economy was, traditionally, centred on coffee, tea and tourism but the mining sector has increasingly attracted attention following investment in various mines across the country. Last year, the sector fetched $164 million up from $ 94 million the previous year. Jean de Dieu Mutunzi, a veteran minerals dealer and employee at Phoenix Ltd, a mineral exporting company in Kigali, says that Rwanda's huge cassiterite deposits, especially the Rutongo Mines located just 20km north of Kigali, are among the sites that have become profitable for the surrounding communities, investors and the country as a whole. Rwanda ranks number eighth in the world for un-melted tin which translates into 1.5 percent of global tin production. It produces about 8,000 to 9,000 tonnes of mineral compounds combined every year, and according to Dr. Michael Biryabarema from the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority, this production can increase fivefold if structural bottlenecks are addressed. The minerals that rank high on Rwanda's mineral export receipt include tantalum, tungsten, gold and tin. Experts from the London-based International Tin Research Institute (ITRI) involved in traceability of the minerals, told The New Times that there was evidence of vast mineral potential in Rwanda. There are even muted hopes that Rwanda could strike significant oil and gold deposits in the future although the government has been cautious not to raise public expectation. There have been oil and gas findings in the East Africa Great Rift Valley stretch, and Lake Kivu lies in the same geographical stretch.

10 And, last July, an official at Rogi Mining Rwanda, one of the country's largest gold explorers, announced that it is in the final stages of fieldworks in Northern Province to ascertain whether the gold deposits there merit commercial production. The company is prospecting gold on 2,937 hectare under Miyove Gold Project in Gicumbi district. The assumption that Rwanda is resource poor could prove to be false after all as the sector's potential comes into the limelight. Uganda Oil Rift Sets Back Tullow, Total, CNOOC Plans by Dow Jones Newswires Geraldine Amiel & Nicholas Bariyo September 05, 2012 - Plans by Tullow Oil PLC, Total SA and CNOOC Ltd. to start pumping Ugandan crude face renewed setbacks as a growing rift between the partners and the East African nation delays an ambitious plan to develop the country's nascent oil sector. Less than six months after Uganda approved Tullow's long-delayed $2.9 billion deal to split its oil licenses with CNOOC and Total, Uganda is now withholding approval of the companies' development plan until several issues are resolved, key being Uganda's desire for them to part-fund a large refinery. With around 1.8 billion untapped barrels of oil, Uganda is expected to soon join Nigeria, Angola and Sudan among sub-Saharan Africa's major crude producers. However, Tullow--and its predecessors--have faced a litany of problems that continue to push back the planned commencement of production. In an interview, Uganda Junior Energy and Minerals Minister Peter Lokeris said he would rather see initial production delayed by several years than have an unsustainable development plan implemented. "[Oil production] is a very big project, which we must handle carefully," said Mr. Lokeris. "Oil is a finite resource and it would benefit the Ugandan people better if it isn't rapidly exploited." While Tullow, Total and CNOOC want to sell crude on the open market--they are mulling $5 billion of investment in pipelines to the East African coast--Uganda insists that most of it is refined locally into fuel products, initially for domestic consumption and then for regional export. While the three had initially agreed to help fund a small 20,000 barrel-a-day refinery at an estimated cost of around $1.5 billion, Uganda now wants them to build a larger facility, capable of producing around 150,000 barrels a day of refined fuel products. A Tullow spokesman declined to comment, referring queries in this regard to previous statements. Tullow has said in the past that it doesn't intend to invest in a refinery, citing its lack of downstream expertise. Speaking in July, Tullow's Chief Operating Officer Paul McDade said: "Our view, very strongly, is that an export pipeline is required to underpin the overall [basin] development and the government of Uganda themselves are looking at refinery options." In an earlier interview, Mr. Lokeris said Total, CNOOC and China's CNPC had expressed an interest in building the refinery. However, the French major was noncommittal. "Total understands the needs of the government of Uganda for a phased refinery to be built in Uganda, the capacities of which would address market demand," a Total spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires. CNOOC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The differences underscore the challenges inherent in building an oil industry from scratch in a poor, underdeveloped country. Tullow, Total and CNOOC are eager to quickly recoup the $12 billion they expect to spend turning Uganda into an oil-producing nation. But Uganda's leaders, who are under pressure to translate the new-found oil wealth into jobs, say they are wary of the "curse" that afflicts resource-rich developing nations. Regional politics are also a consideration. Uganda is a key member of the East Africa Community trade bloc, which has emphasized the importance of greater local refining capacity as a means of boosting growth. In July, the Ugandan government appointed a panel to oversee oil development--Tullow, Total and CNOOC will only begin their investments in earnest when Uganda approves the plan. To date, the members of the panel have yet to be appointed and government hasn't indicated when it expects to grant final approval for the projects. According to Tullow, oil output from Uganda is expected 36 months after approval. Uganda: Oil Exploration - Govt Releases Bunyoro Map THE NEW VISION By Robert Atuhairwe, 5 September The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has released a draft map showing details of the population and properties of people who settled on the land earmarked for the construction of an oil refinery in Buseruka Sub-county in Hoima district. Bashir Hangi, the refinery project's communications officer said the draft maps are on display for a week effective August 29. He said the maps are on display at Hoima district headquarters in Kasingo Busiisi Division in Hoima town, Buseruka sub county offices, and in each of the 13 villages that are earmarked for the project. Uganda: Kcca Unveils New Plan to Decongest City THE NEW VISION By Taddeo Bwambale, 5 September 2012 The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is finalizing a new development plan for the city that projects a housing demand of 2.2 million housing units by 2040. The Kampala Physical Development Plan (PDP), which covers the city's development between 2012 and 2040, is expected to be released by the end of the year. KCCA's director in charge of physical planning, Joseph Semambo said the plan would incorporate fast-growing suburbs in Mukono, Wakiso and Entebbe districts, an area termed the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). The plan also provides for the creation of five satellite towns to ease pressure on Kampala's infrastructure and services. The proposed areas include Ssisa-Nsangi, Ntenjeru-Nakisunga, Goma-Kira and Nansana, located in Mukono and Wakiso districts. The plan proposes the establishment of a Rapid Bus Transport (RBT) system as well as the construction of by-passes and new lanes to ease traffic. ECOWAS

NIGERIA: Oil found in Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria 07 september 2012 Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Friday announced the discovery of crude oil in an area of about 3,350 square metres in the Lake Chad Basin with Vice President Namadi Sambo directing the commencement of steps towards engaging "willing and ready investors that will facilitate speedy and timely exploration in the second phase of the exercise". 11 Nigeria: Furore Mounts Over Calabar Port N9 Billion Dredging Contract THIS DAY By John Iwori, 7 September Tongues have continued to wag on the $56 million (about N9 billion) spent on dredging the Calabar Port channel in 2006 without tangible results. They lampooned the federal government for throwing N9 billion down the drain while crying over lack of money to finance its budget over the years. The position of the stakeholders came on the heels of an imminent award of another contract to dredge the channels of the same Calabar Port following the conclusion of fresh bids for the project. "Contract for the dredging of the 84-kilometre Calabar port channel was awarded in 2006. Dredging work was said to have been carried out but it is clear that the exercise has become a bottomless pit where millions of dollars were poured in without results. It seems that Calabar Port dredging has become a sort of conduit pipe where money is siphoned with impunity", it added. THISDAY recalled that the contract for the Calabar Port channels dredging was awarded to two dredging firms: Messrs Jan de Nul and Van Oord. The federal government divided the entire length of the channel in Calabar Port between the two firms. While Van Oord was paid $26 million to dredge kilometre 0 to 46, Jan de Nul got $30 million to dredge kilometre 46 to 84. According to the scope of the contract, the two firms were to scoop out 25 million cubic metres of sand to achieve an overall draught of 8 metres. According to MARAN, it is rather unfortunate that the two dredging companies started work in October 2006 and demobilised from the location Nigeria: Nasarawa to Build Two Airports, Says Al-Makura Leadership (Abuja) 6 September 2012 - Gov. of Nasarawa State on Thursday in Lafia, said that two airports would soon be built in the state as part of his administration's transformation agenda. He said that the State Government would build a cargo airport in Karshi in the Karu Local Government Area of the state and an aerodrome in Lafia, the capital of the state. Al-Makura explained that the cargo airport would serve as the second runway for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja. Nigeria: FG Approves N106 Billion for Construction of New Airport Terminals Leadership (Abuja) 6 September The Federal Government has approved N106 billion for the construction of 11 new international airport terminal buildings, Aviation Minister Stella Oduah announced on Thursday. The new international terminal projects were different from the ongoing remodeling and reconstruction of 11 airports in the country. The 11 new projects would include five international terminals for commercial flights and six for perishable cargoes. The FEC had given approval for the award of contracts for the "immediate take off of construction work on the five terminals for international flights. They are Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Enugu. The six perishable cargo terminals will be in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Asaba. "The second phase in our implementation strategy of the Road Map which falls under the medium term programme of action is the construction of five new international terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu. The minister said that the first phase of the remodeling and construction of 11 airports would be completed in the next 90 days, while the contract for the second phase of another 11 airports would take two years before completion. "In a few days' time, I shall be returning to China to sign a contract for the take off of construction work on the five brand new terminals. We shall also use the opportunity to conclude discussions with the investors that have shown tremendous interest and enthusiasm to invest in the Aerotroplis project," Oduah said. Eleven airports that are currently undergoing reconstruction are Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Lagos; the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa; the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. Others are Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos; the airports in Yola, Kaduna and Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri. NAN Nigeria: FG Approves N65 Billion for Benin-Shagamu Road Project DAILY TRUST By Abdul-Rahman Abubakar, 6 September 2012 - The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the sum of N65 billion for the re- construction of Benin-Ofusu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu road. Briefing State House reporters after the FEC meeting, Information minister, Labaran Maku said government also approved N10.9 billion the construction of Southern Parkway from Christian Centre, S8/S9 to Ring 1, (RRI), Abuja. The minister said Contract for the Benin-Shagamu road is awarded to RCC Nigeria Limited with a completion period of 36 months. Nigeria: Contractors Abandon Sites Over Nonpayment in Akwa/Ibom DAILY TRUST By Patrick Odey, 6 September 2012 — Contractors handling various projects in the state have abandoned sites following the inability of the state government to meet its financial obligations to them, Daily Trust learnt yesterday. Our correspondent reports that while some local contractors were complaining of lack of patronage by government, those being patronized were laying off their workforce for government's inability to fulfil its financial obligations. It was gathered that the situation affected many ongoing projects including the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre where over N75 billion had allegedly been spent. Daily Trust reports also that the 20th anniversary hospital whose foundation stone was laid by the governor in 2007 on assumption of office is yet to reach 50% completion. Others projects whose work have either stopped temporarily or abandoned include Okoita- Use-Ikot Amama -Ikot Esifa road awarded to AEC Works, Etebi -Ewang Bridge awarded to Sinoeng and Stadium and the third Ring Road project being handled by Julius Berger. Nigeria: Jonathan Approves Funds for Settlement of Contractors' Debts VANGUARD 5 September 2012 President Goodluck Jonathan said on Wednesday that adequate funds had been earmarked for the settlement of all outstanding debts to contractors. He said that a huge allocation had been set aside in the third quarter for payment to such contractors. "Regarding the issues that were raised to do with payments of contractors, Government is effecting releases to settle contractors at the federal level and in fact this third quarter release is huge.

12 AFRICA

Africa: Bank See Record Growth in Agric Sector TIMES OF ZAMBIA By James Muyanwa, 7 September 2012 AFRICA's agricultural sector is set for record growth due to increase in consumer demand and the abundant natural resources which are attracting the interest of global investors, Standard Bank Africa has said. Speaking at the AgriBusiness Congress Mr Arora said the agro sector had been one of the biggest recipients of FDI apart from the oil and gas sector. "Outside of the oil and gas sector, the biggest recipients of FDI included retail and agriculture. While it is well-known that Africa has 60 per cent of the arable land, two key drivers of investments are not commonly recognised - namely strong consumer side dynamics in terms of the 330 million strong middle class that is comparable to India and abundant water resources. "Strong domestic demand growth in the food sector along with increasing investor interest is expected to propel agricultural output growth to 4 times to about $900bn by 2030 and potentially exceeding Latin America," said Mr Arora. Africa has exploited only two per cent of available water resources. He said agriculture was expected to feature as one of the driving forces in Africa's economic resurgence and was already among the key factors contributing towards a swelling interest in the continent'sconsumer markets and natural resources. Africa: Chinese Private Broadcaster Emerges As Game-Changer in Africa Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Beijing) By Xu Lingui and Li Qingbing, 3 September 2012 - Pang Xinxing has long dreamed of building a global media empire. Although difficult to penetrate the powerful state companies-dominated Chinese market, the African continent has proven to be fertile ground for his ambitions. In just five years, Pang's company -- the StarTimes Group -- has become one of three major digital TV providers in Africa, reaching out to 1.4 million families in nine countries from Rwanda to Nigeria. "Our subscription base is growing by tens of thousands every month," Pang, chairman of StarTimes, said. "It won't be too long before we have the largest number of subscribers in Africa." But observers say it is the company's pricing that has rattled the market. Pang's company has offered TV services at half their previous cost, forcing local and international rivals to slash prices in order to survive the competition. Pang says his goal is simple: to let ordinary Africans pay less for TV. "We aim to allow every African family to afford and have access to good quality digital TV," Pang said after meeting with a dozen African communication and press ministers at a digital TV forum held in Beijing this week. The company's clients in Africa now pay as little as 35 U.S. dollars for a digital decoder and 6 dollars a month for a TV program subscription -- down from 150 dollars and 70 dollars, respectively. "People like StarTimes," said Guinea's Communication Minister Dirus Diale Dore, adding that France's Canal Plus also operated in the country but the prices were much more expensive. TESTING THE WATERS Chinese investment is widely known for driving the infrastructure and manufacturing boom across the African continent in recent years, but few Chinese companies have ventured into the media sector. Pang said his ambition was inspired by an urge to counter the negative portrayal of China that he believes exists in Western media. Pang said he was saddened to see exaggerated and biased reports while visiting European countries and the United States in the late 1990s. "That was when the idea of founding a media conglomerate struck," he said. Today, African viewers have options like Aljazeera, CCTV News, CNC World in addition to BBC World News and FRANCE 24 on StarTimes channels. Pang said has company also managed to produce seven self-developed channels including one that features Kungfu. But among the more than 140 channels his company operates, football is the most watched program, Pang said, adding that he wants as many African families as possible to watch their beloved football games on TV. Although many families still lack access to electricity, the market in Africa for digital TV is huge, he said. StarTimes' turnover in Africa has been doubling annually since 2009 and is projected to reach nearly 100 million U.S. dollars this year, Pang said. "We expect the growth momentum to continue for a couple of years." Many African nations pledged as early as 2006 to shift from analog to digital TV by 2015. But concerns have surfaced that some are likely to miss the deadline, as little progress has been made over the years. "We want StarTimes to be a strategic partner in our efforts to migrate our national broadcasting from analog to digital," said Cameroon's Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary. "For the time being, we are still broadcasting on analog." LOW PRICE, LOW PROFILE Pang said that before he entered the African market in 2007, TV was unreasonably expensive there. A veteran electronic engineer, he said StarTimes' low-price strategy was made possible through a strong technical team and more than 20 years of expertise in the sector. Enforcing the same set of standards in the originally fragmented Pan- African market has also helped to reduce costs. For small-screen mobile digital TV devices, StarTimes has been able to push for the use of the China-developed CMMB standard in nine African countries. But StarTimes' major regional rival -- DStv of South African media company MultiChoice -- quickly adjusted its market strategy in response, slashing prices and launching a new platform called GOTV to counter StarTimes, Pang said. The Chinese entrepreneur said his philosophy is "to keep my head down so the sector's dominating players won't pay attention," but as the company rapidly expands, it has been difficult not to make a splash. Last December, the China-Africa Development (CAD) fund, a Chinese equity fund focusing on Africa, agreed to invest in StarTimes' African digital broadcasting project. Chi Jianxin, the fund's president, said it will be the fund's first deal in the cultural sector since it started operating in 2007. More than 100 million U.S. dollars have been invested in the project. "The fund is not a form of foreign aid. We operate on market terms, so we only invest in projects with good commercial sustainability," he said. A report on the fund's investment, written by the fund's senior managers, indicates that the project involves an investment of 300 million U.S. dollars. 13 "It is the largest Chinese cultural sector investment in Africa," said the report, compiled in the 2012 Yellow Book on Africa by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "The project aims to reach 25 African countries with a subscription base of 7 million people in the next five years." Chi said the fund, which has pledged 2 billion U.S. dollars for China- Africa cooperative projects, will continue to support StarTimes' initiative to bring digital TV to more African families in more countries. AND THEREIN LIES A LESSON TO ENTREPRENEURS AND BIG BUSINESS MIDDLE EAST/OTHER

Egypt: Turkish Company to Pump Investments Worth U.S.$400 Million Into Nation - Industry and Foreign Trade Minister Hatem Saleh said on Tuesday 4/9/2012 that a number of Turkish companies are keen to pump investments into a number of development projects in Egypt, including one to produce cement at 400 million dollar cost. Egypt: EGP 1.650 Billion for Developing Sinai Egypt State Information Service (Cairo) 4 September 2012 - The government has decided to assign LE1.650 billion for completing development and infrastructure projects in Sinai during the current fiscal year. Different government bodies and ministries will carry out these projects under the supervision of Sinai Development Agency which has been established in Arish. Major General Shawqy Rashwan, the Chairman of Sinai Development Agency said the government is discussing the establishment of three free zones in Rafah, Nuweiba and Arish to make sure of their economic feasibility adding the government is seeking to regulate the possession of land in Sinai by the Egyptians. He said under the new regulations, foreigners will be allowed to invest in Sinai under usufruct system and through Egyptian shareholding companies in which Egyptians will possess not less than 55% of shares. He said the government has appropriated LE 1,95 billion for developing Sinai in the budget of this year, besides additional support from the Armed Forces worth LE 250 million to finance urgent needs of Sinai citizens such as water projects. Egypt: New Gas Project Worth U.S.$11 Billion Egypt State Information Service (Cairo) 4 September 2012 President Mohamed Morsi met on Monday 3/9/2012 with British Petroleum (BP) Chief Executive Robert Dudley for talks on a project to produce natural gas through investments worth 11 billion dollars. In statements following the meeting, the Petroleum Minister said the project aims to extract natural gas from the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 7,700 meters. BP is currently digging at a depth of 7,700 meters in the Mediterranean Sea to extract one billion square foot of natural gas daily or 20% of Egypt's total energy productivity, said Petroleum Minister Osama Kamal. The project is expected to be fully carried out in four or five years, he said. President Mohamed Morsi's meeting with the BP delegation underlined the Egyptian government's protection of investments, he noted. LEBANON: Lebanese real estate association sees prices quadrupling - Lebanon's real estate contractors association has said apartment prices are expected to skyrocket over the next few years despite current stability in real estate markets, The Daily Star has reported. A sustained scarcity in land available for real estate projects has been pushing prices upward sharply but had not yet affected apartments, said the head of the association, Elie Sawma. "In the near future a market adjustment is bound to happen and the increase in land prices would be reflected in apartment prices," said Sawma. LEBANON: Lebanese tourism sector continues to attract investment - The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon has granted the Summerland tourism project full tax exemption on income and distribution of dividend for 10 years, exemptions from real estate registrations, and a reduction of work permit fees for Summerland Hotel staff, The Daily Star has reported. The project involved the reconstruction of the former Summerland Hotel in Beirut covering a total built area of 65,000 sq m. The $155m project is being built south of Beirut and will comprise a five-star hotel, a club, cabins, a gym and a yacht marina. MOROCCO: AfDB gives Morocco 105m euro loan for agric sector 07 september 2012 Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) Friday announced a loan of 105 million euro to Morocco for funding the support plan of the country's large-scale agriculture programme, known as Maroc Vert (Green Morocco). Morocco: Afdb to Lend Morocco $800m for Wind, Solar Project THIS DAY 6 September 2012 - The African Development Bank has approved $800 million in loans to Morocco to support renewable energy programs, the bank said on its website on Wednesday. The loans will help Morocco develop a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant at the town of Ouarzazate, the Tunis-based bank said. The project would be the first to be implemented under a programme which seeks to deploy about 1 gigawatt of generation capacity through plants and transmission infrastructure stretching across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan, the bank added. OMAN: Galfar Engineering scores OR11m deal for Barka fishing harbour - Omani contractor Galfar Engineering and Contracting has won an OR10.9m contract for the construction of a fishing harbour in the wilayat of Barka, Muscat Daily has reported. "It will be a standard fishing harbour with two breakwaters between 450m-600m length each," said Jai K Salvi, vice president of business development and tendering at Galfar. The harbour will have a 100m long quay wall for berthing small fishing vessels," he said. Construction works will start within two months and will be completed within 18 months, added Salvi. SAUDI: Saudi Ports Authority inks deal for kingdom's ports - Abdul-Aziz bin Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, president of the Saudi Ports Authority has signed two contracts for the preparation of master plans for Saudi Ports, Arab News has reported. The duration of the contracts, which cost about SR18m, is eight months. Saudi transport minister signs SR2.96bn of road deals - Saudi transport minister, Jabara Al-Seraisry has signed 41 road contracts worth more than SR2.96bn, Arab News has reported. The contracts cover a number of new road 14 projects valued at SR213m in the Makkah province, including the first phase of the second ring road in Jeddah, as well as Jabal Sharqi and Jabal Thudair roads in Muzdalifah. SAUDI: Saudi-Egypt causeway project on track - Egyptian transport minister, Mohamed Rashad Al-Mateny has said Egypt and Saudi Arabia are pressing ahead with plans for a proposed $3bn causeway project linking the two countries, Arab News has reported. A technical committee will meet in late September to discuss first steps to implement the project, the minister said. Under the plan, the 32-km causeway is to start from Ras Nassrani in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh and pass by Tiran Strait before reaching Ras Hamid near Tabuk in northern Saudi Arabia. SAUDI: Saudi Aramco floats tender for gas plant contract - Saudi Aramco has floated a tender for the contract to develop a plant to process gas from the Midyan field to supply a power plant, as the world's largest oil exporter moves to stop burning crude oil and diesel to generate power industry, Reuters has reported, citing industry sources. Seven companies will submit their offers by the end of November to build the plant, to have a processing capacity of 75 million standard cubic feet per day (scfd) of gas and a pipeline to a power plant in the western port city of Dheba, one of the sources said. Aramco also invited companies to bid for the upgrade of Riyadh's 124,000 barrels per day oil refinery. Companies are due to bid by October 20 for the project, estimated to cost around $300m, to produce cleaner fuels. AFRICA INFO, GENERAL INTEREST & RISK ISSUES

Angola: Promises temper election victory BBC By Louise Redvers Luanda 5 September 2012

Angola's long-serving President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and his party, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), have enjoyed another thumping victory at the polls. Although not quite the 82% landslide of 2008, with 97% of ballots counted so far, they have scored more than 70% and will retain an absolute parliamentary majority in parliament and be able pass any law they wish. But with a new mandate comes new responsibility, and while the opposition parties squabble over alleged fraud and irregularities, ordinary Angolans are waiting for campaign promises to be delivered in Africa's third-largest economy. Failure to meet growing demands from his electorate could expose Mr dos Santos - who has been in power since 1979, making him Africa's second-longest serving leader - to Arab Spring-style protests, a handful of which have taken place in the past year. While the capital Luanda's ever-expanding glass and steel skyline gleams as a symbol of the country's oil-fuelled post-war growth, in graffitied doorways women sit on upturned boxes selling vegetables while their young children play in the dust. "I don't have any water or electricity in my home," explained Andre Antonio, a motorbike courier, as he parked a bike - his only source of livelihood - on the crumbling litter-strewn pavement. "I think the new marginal development [waterfront] is beautiful - I really do - but most people won't be able to benefit from it or even access it." The 2008 election was about proving Angola's years of conflict were over, and while memories of 1992, when the contested result led to bloodshed, still loom large for the older generation, there is a definite sense that now in 2012 a new chapter is beginning. It has been more than a decade since peace came to the country and people, especially the young who have no memory of war, now want to start sharing in its dividends. BAHRAIN: Bahrain court upholds verdicts against group accused of coup attempt From Kindah Shair, CNN September 4, 2012 -- A Bahrain appeals court has upheld all verdicts against 13 defendants accused of plotting to overthrow the regime and breaching the constitution, authorities said Tuesday. Seven of the sentences upheld were for life in prison, and one of the people sentenced was Abdulhadi al-Khawajah, a prominent activist who ended a 110- day hunger strike earlier this year. Bahrain plays a key strategic role in the Middle East and is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters. China mine accident kills 10 - Ten miners have been killed in an accident in a coal mine in China, a week after an explosion killed 45 miners in another part of the country.

15 Colombia: The queen is dead, long live the barons! PRAVDA 07.09.2012

PROMISE, SHE’s A SHE On the night of September 4, in Colombia, Griselda Blanco was killed. She wore the title of the Queen of Cocaine. Back in the 1970s, she started supplying cocaine from Colombia to the United States. Blanco has developed ways to deliver drugs that have been used by drug traffickers for decades. She was one of the first in the country who started working with large volumes. The murder of Griselda Blanco is just one of many moments of this war of the government of Colombia with the powerful drug mafia that has been lasting for decades.

DRC: Young men near Mbuji-Mayi in the Democratic Republic of Congo sift through rocks and river water searching for diamonds on Tuesday. Eighteen-yea-old Tshibara (L) said he stopped his studies several years ago and has been digging for gems since 2010. EGYPT: Egypt kills militants, seizes weapons in Sinai offensive By the CNN Wire Staff September 8, 2012 Cairo - Egyptian forces have killed nearly three dozen people so far in its fight against jihadis in the volatile Sinai peninsula, the army said Saturday. The deaths occurred during an ongoing Egyptian operation against militants near the Palestinian territory of Gaza, a military spokesman said, according to state media. Kenya clashes: 'Revenge attacks' in Coast Province 7 September 2012 - Twelve people have been killed in renewed ethnic clashes in a remote part of south-eastern Kenya, officials say. Armed raiders set fire to houses overnight, a local official said Local residents told the BBC that the attackers were wearing military uniforms and carrying "sophisticated weapons". They said five men, six women and a child had been killed. Kenya: Roads Authorities Set to Be Wound Up Soon The Star (Nairobi) By Stephene Sangira, 7 September 2012 A quiet war is simmering in the roads sector after stakeholders learnt yesterday that the government had formulated a draft policy that is set to abolish the roads authorities. Titled 'Draft Policy on Aligning the Roads Sub Sector with the Constitution,' the draft policy proposes the abolition of the Kenya Roads Board, Kenya National Highways Authority, Kenya Urban Roads Authority and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority. The draft policy unveiled yesterday to the members of the public proposes the formation of the Kenya National Trunk Roads Authority which will be in charge of design, construction and management of national trunk roads currently being handled by KeNHA. It also proposes the establishment of the Kenya Roads Fund which will be in charge of management of roads maintenance funds, effectively killing the Kenya Roads Board. A private consultant in the sector, who sought anonymity, claimed yesterday that there was a cartel in the ministry's headquarters that was "allergic to change." "We are aware that the PS and some of his cronies want to centralize the roads sector while the whole government is decentralising. What is their agenda?" he posed. Roads PS Eng Michael Kamau could not be reached for comment, as he is away in Australia for official duties. OFFSHORE BANKING DEPOSIT OF “EARNINGS” Liberia: The Ambassador - Mads Brügger Uncovers Elite Corruption AFRICAN ARGUMENTS By Aaron Leaf, 31 August 2012 - Two years ago during my first month living in Liberia, my colleague Lamii took me to the annual Press Union retreat in the city of Buchanan. It was a chance for journalists from across the country to spend a weekend bonding and discussing the state of their profession. Many people were scheduled to speak: journalists, foreign dignitaries and local politicians in ascending order of importance. The last to go on, the keynote speaker, was arguably Liberia's most powerful man: Varney Sherman. It was my first lesson in the unique art of public speaking in Liberia. How could a man as important as Sherman address lowly journalists without also lowering himself? Not with an opening joke. Sherman began with an insult and continued for the next hour to slur and denigrate Liberian journalists as illiterate, lying, corrupt individuals with no respect for the country or the people who ran it: people like him and the President, 16 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He was, he reminded us, the lawyer representing every multinational working in the country, the President's personal attorney, the head of the ruling party, and a Harvard Law School graduate who charges $500 US and hour just to get him on the phone. Liberian journalists by comparison are lucky to make two dollars a day. He doesn't have to be here, he kept reminding us. We are nothing. After the speech, a couple of brave souls asked deferent questions and were quickly shot down. Then Sherman and his entourage brushed past the battalion of heavily armed Nepalese peacekeepers and took off in a shiny SUV, literally leaving us in a cloud of dust. The Liberian journalists seemed pleased. It was a significant victory, I gathered, just having him there. The hairs on my arm stood up last week when I heard Sherman's familiar Americo-Liberian drawl, the Liberian equivalent of an aristocratic accent, in the middle of Danish documentarian Brügger's new film, The Ambassador. This time it wasn't scolding, but sycophantic. In the film, Brügger works his way through a shadowy network of European diplomatic passport brokers eventually ending up in Sherman's Monrovia office with a secret audio recorder. Pretending to be a wealthy Danish businessman, Brügger asks Sherman to make him the official Liberian consul to the Central African Republic. A title, Brügger imagines, that will allow his character, a swaggering adventurer in jodhpurs, to run a blood-diamond smuggling operation under the protection of diplomatic immunity. "A thirty thousand dollar campaign contribution," Sherman says sweetly and the President will appoint you herself. Lamii, my Liberian colleague who first took me to see Sherman speak, tells me that The Ambassador is a hot commodity right now among the "intellectual classes" of Monrovia, Liberia's capital. It is being passed around on memory sticks and cellphones. He's seen it, as have many people like him--Lamii is a trained lawyer working in development--but the majority of Liberians have not. "I think he did a relatively good piece of work exposing our corrupt politicians," Lamii tells me in an email. "The government's response is angry. They're claiming that they're going to put the producer on trial for breaking Liberian laws. Ironically they're not really interested in throwing the book at the people in their ranks who actually took the payments, especially as such people are within their reach. But I think the president is only angry because it paints her government in a bad light internationally." Indeed, the Liberian government, which counts on its international reputation to attract investment, is eager for revenge calling the film "not only immoral but also criminal and offensive to the government and people of Liberia." Nobel laureate President Johnson Sirleaf has told Liberia's largest newspaper FrontPage Africa that she is "exploring extradition proceedings to bring the Danish national to Liberia to face justice." My friend Wade Williams, an editor at FrontPage echoes Lamii's sentiment saying that many Liberians "feel it is a shame that President Sirleaf cannot call a probe but decides to take issue with the journalist." Sherman, she tells me, has denied that he dealt with Brügger as head of the ruling party or took a bribe. An email exchange Sherman released earlier this year implies that the money exchanged was part of a processing fee that he tried to return after the deal fell through. But Brügger's target was never really Sherman, nor Liberia. Most of the film follows Brügger's character in Europe and the CAR as he signs shady contracts, tours brutal diamond mines and instructs his sullen pygmy employees on the importance of economic self sufficiency. The Ambassador purports to be an expose of white adventurers who use Africa as a means to enrich themselves, hurting and corrupting Africans in the process. And we do meet quite a few people who fit that description, like European and Asian diplomats living in the CAR who give Brügger logistical advice on diamond smuggling. In the end the films attempts a short criticism of Francafrique, before his main source, a French mercenary acting as head of security to the President of the CAR, is assassinated, perhaps by the President himself. In Brügger's first film, The Red Chapel, he founds a Danish-Korean Communist theatre troupe in order to stage a comedy production in Pyongyang for North Korean officials. By the end of the harrowing stunt it is easy to question the ethics of his methods, especially when he exposes regular people to risks they surely didn't ask for. In The Ambassador, the line between Brügger the documentarian and Brugger Cortzen the capitalist isn't clear. As the businessman, Brügger uses his privilege to trample over less important people in order to attain more power. As a filmmaker he does essentially the same. As for Sherman, his interaction with Brügger has surely broadened his prejudices against journalists to include foreign ones as well. Judging by his statements in the Liberian press he's pretty annoyed. But with no one in Liberia able to hold him to account, I'm predicting he will be just fine. - Aron Leaf is a freelance journalist and editor. Liberia: Fraudulent Payroll Detected New Democrat (Monrovia) 7 September 2012 - The government's payroll is loaded with huge ghost names and duplicated names making the nation to lose millions of United States dollars, according to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Concurring with legislators' assessment on the national budget during their recent debate, she said people were being illegally employed and placed on the payroll which also has "ghost, duplicates and temporary personnel ..." The President then authorized the Director of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) "to clean up the civil service payroll," saying money accrued therefrom would be used to increase the civil servants' salaries. MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique is the 7th worst country on 2012/2013 Global Competitiveness Index September 6th, 2012 - Mozambique is the worst-placed Portuguese-speaking country on the 2012/2013 Global Competitiveness Index, which was published Wednesday by the World Economic Forum, having fallen five places to 138th in a list that has a total of 144 nations. This document, which has been assessing 12 factors of competitiveness since 2004, does not include Angola, Guinea Bissau, or Sao Tome and Principe. 17 Each year the World Economic Forum analyses institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic climate, health and education, higher education and training, efficiency of the commodities market, efficiency of the jobs market, the financial market, availability of technology, size of the market, business sophistication, and innovation of the 144 countries. The top Portuguese-speaking country is Brazil, in 48th place, followed by Portugal, in 49th. In the previous index Brazil placed 53rd and Portugal was in 45th place. The next Portuguese-speaking country to appear is Cape Verde, which fell from 119th place to 122nd place this year, with East Timor (Timor Leste) appearing further down the list in 136th place, having also fallen five places in relation to the previous index. Finally, Mozambique appears towards the bottom of a list in which the top places are taken up by Switzerland, Singapore, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and the bottom places are filled by the Yemen, Guinea Conakry, Haiti, Sierra Leone, and Burundi. (macauhub) Namibia Opposes Iran Sanctions NEW ERA 5 September 2012 - Namibia has pledged support to Iran saying the unilateral economic sanctions, such as those imposed on Teheran by the West, restrict free trade and would not promote lasting world peace. Foreign Affairs Minister Utoni Nujoma recently told the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Teheran, Iran, that joint global governance over issues of international trade is important for sustainable peace in the world. "It is for these reasons that Namibia condemns the illegal unilateral economic embargo imposed on Cuba. We also condemn the illegal unilateral economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and Iran by the West. We call for the immediate and unconditional removal of these illegal measures," said the Foreign Affairs Minister. He described the theme of the summit, 'Lasting Peace through Joint Global Governance', as pertinent and timely because the world today is far from being a peaceful, just and secure place. BYE- BYE THE U.S. MCC FUNDING COMPONENT Nigeria: Kidnap Kingpin's Building Demolished in Anambra DAILY TRUST By Beatrice Onuchukwu, 6 September 2012 - Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has intensified the fight for flushing out criminals with demolition of a building at Ifite in Oraifite belonging to suspected kidnap kingpin Olisagbo Ifedike alias Ofe Akwu who was recently arrested by the police alongside a member of the gang. The demolition followed arrest of the suspects and discovery of sophisticated arms and ammunition in a plastic cover concealed underground behind the building that include 27 AK 47 rifles, 12800 live ammunitions,143 fully loaded magazines, rocket launchers, general purpose machine guns and grenades, among others. Apart from the underground structure, there was also an extended building with toilet facilities behind the bungalow suspected to be cell where kidnapped victims are hidden. In a small building inside it, there was a shrine allegedly used by father of the suspect Patrick Ifedike alias Ogbujingidi who was said to be a native doctor. The building before its demolition was obviously attacked by suspected angry mobs burning parts of it after smashing windows, doors and furniture. Obi personally supervised the demolition exercise and was accompanied by some members of the state executive council. 'Renoir painting' snapped up at US flea market 8 September 2012

The painting was bought for less than $50 A painting bought at a flea market in the US may turn out to be a rare bargain - a work by French master Pierre- Auguste Renoir. It was bought by a woman as part of a box lot that included a doll and a plastic cow, and cost about $50 (£31). She took it to a Virginia auction house where experts said they believed it was Renoir's Paysage Bords de Seine - a river scene - from about 1879. The auctioneers expect it to sell for up to $100,000 later this month. It is believed the painting was bought from a Paris gallery in 1926. A Renoir plaque on the frame prompted the woman to have it analysed by a local auction house. RWANDA: Rwanda Tops EAC in Global Competitiveness NEWS OF RWANDA 6 September 2012 - Rwanda has moved up by seven places this year to 63rd position out of 144 countries compared to last year's position in the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). In the 2012-2013 competitive index, Rwanda maintains the third in the sub- Saharan African region after South Africa (52nd) and Mauritius (54th) and first in the East Africa Community ahead of Kenya (106th), Uganda (123rd) and Burundi (144th). Rwanda, No Country for Thieves - Transparency International Rwanda Focus (Kigali) By Kenneth Agutamba, 3 September 2012 - The 2012 East African Corruption Index has once again portrayed Rwanda as a country not for thieves. As with the previous reports, Rwanda once again emerged the least corrupt nation compared to the four other member states of the EAC. Ironically, the report was launched in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda that emerged as the most corrupt state in the EA community. According to the report, Uganda registered the highest bribery levels with a percentage value of 40.7%, while Tanzania had 39.1% and Kenya 29.5%. Surprisingly, Burundi, the worst ranked country in last year's survey results, emerged significantly 'cleaner' with the index perception rating it at 18.8%. Rwanda did not just emerge 'cleanest' but also did so after scoring the lowest aggregate index of 2.5%.

18 However, it seems, like the case in Uganda where the police were ranked the most corrupt, that their counterparts here are also in danger of losing the battle - the report names the National Police Force as the worst performing institution, closely followed by financial institutions especially commercial banks, and provincial administrations. However, unlike in other partner states where the judiciary is perceived by respondents as corrupt and untrustworthy, Rwanda's judicial system is seen as clean, straight and trusted by the people. More confirmation of Rwanda being perceived as no country for thieves is to be found in the recently launched report on a 2010 survey on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country conducted by the National Statistics Institute of Rwanda (NSIR). SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Most Competitive in Sub-Saharan Africa SAPA 5 September 2012 — South Africa remains the most competitive economy in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2012/13 released on Wednesday. "South Africa is ranked 52nd this year, remaining the highest-ranked country in sub-Saharan Africa and the third-placed among the BRICS economies," the WEF said in a statement. "South Africa ranks 113th in labour market efficiency (a drop of 18 places from last year), with rigid hiring and firing practices (143rd), a lack of flexibility in wage determination by companies (140th), and significant tensions in labour- employer relations (144th)." The WEF pointed out that the poor security situation remains another important obstacle to doing business in South Africa. "The high business costs of crime and violence (134th) and the sense that the police are unable to provide sufficient protection from crime (90th) do not contribute to an environment that fosters competitiveness." The health of the workforce - ranked 132nd out of 144 economies - was concerning. South Africa: New SAA Baggage Policy to Kick in Today SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane) — South African Airways 's (SAA) new baggage policy - which will restrict the number of pieces of baggage a passenger may check in - kicks in today. "The new checked-baggage policy restricts the number of pieces of baggage a passenger may check in, rather than the total weight of the passenger's checked-in baggage. Excess baggage such as additional items, or where the baggage exceeds the weight and or size allowance, will be charged at a flat rate, per rule broken, per piece of luggage. This is a change from the current policy where excess baggage is charged per kilogram. An excess baggage charge will apply for each piece of baggage that exceeds the maximum dimensions which are 80cm x 60cm x 18cm = 158cm or 62 inches. A piece of baggage weighing over 32kg will have to be repacked in order to weigh 32kg or less or will have to be checked in at the SAA Cargo counter where cargo rates will apply. If a piece of baggage is overweight and oversized, two excess baggage charges will apply. For those flying within South Africa, passengers will be allowed to take one piece of baggage at a maximum of 32kg while those in economy class will be able to take along one piece at a maximum of 23kg. NOTE THAT THE “FLAT RATE” NOT PUBLISHED, OBVIOUSLY A NEW CASH COW, LET ALONE WATCHING YOUR LAPTOP, CAMERA AND VALUABLES WALKING FROM THE “SINGLE BAGGAGE” RULE TO SUPPORT THE ENDEMIC BAGGAGE HANDLER THIEVES

SOUTH SUDAN: A barge on the River Nile carrying hundreds of Southern Sudanese from Sudan comes into dock at Juba. Huge numbers of southerners have been arriving after they lost their Sudanese nationality following Sudan Sudan's secession last year. SUDAN: Japan writes off Sudan's US$ 40 million debt 06 september 2012 Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Japan has written off Sudan's US$ 40 million debt, promising to provide another US$ 60 million to Khartoum when the two States discuss bilateral issues later this month. Sudan: Wikileaks - Sudanese Launchpad for Egyptian Attack On Ethiopian Dam SUNDAY TRIBUNE By Toby Collins, 3 September 2012 — Egyptian authorities fearful of a monopoly on Nile waters received agreement from Khartoum to build an airbase in Sudan, to launch attacks on Ethiopian damming facilities, claims the anonymous media outlet; Wikileaks. Wikileaks has leaked files allegedly from the Texas-based global intelligence company, Stratfor, which quote an anonymous "high-level Egyptian source," claiming the Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon said in 2010 his nation would do anything to prevent the secession of South Sudan because of the political implications it will have for Egypt's access to the Nile. The Nile is vital in providing fresh water to the people and agricultural projects of Egypt. Also in the Nile Basin and reliant on its waters are Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi. As Egypt is at the end of the river it is a particularly politically precarious situation. Ethiopia's planned massive hydroelectric damming project has sent shockwaves throughout the region, highlighting the faults in previously-signed treaties on Nile-sharing. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be Africa's largest 19 hydroelectric facility and will be built 40km upstream from Sudan on the Blue Nile. Ethiopia has denied Egypt's requests to inspect the dam, unless it relinquishes its veto on water allocation. Although, according the source, Ethiopia has agreed not to use the reservoir waters for irrigation, there are concerns about the extent of water loss due to evaporation from the dam's reservoir. According to Wikileaks, a 2010 internal email records Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir's agreement to host an Egyptian airbase in Kursi in the west of Sudan's Darfur region. This base would be used to launch an Egyptian assault on the Ethiopian dam, if diplomatic efforts fail. The anonymous source cites the "useful case-study" of Egypt's 1976 sabotage of an Ethiopia damming project. However, the viability of joint Sudanese-Egyptian military operations have been brought into question in light of their fractious relationship. According to Wikileaks, the Stratfor source claimed that "if it comes to a crisis, we will send a jet to bomb the dam and come back in one day, simple as that. Or we can send our special forces in to block/sabotage the dam." Although they agree upon the Nile Basin Treaty, the contested Halayed Triangle, in 2010, to Bashir accusing Egypt of occupying Sudanese territory. The immediacy and extent of the Ethiopian threat to Egyptian freshwater access is questionable but its domestic political usefulness for the now ousted Mubarak regime is not. The continued political application of the Ethiopian threat is, allegedly, now being exerted on the incumbent government by the Muslim Brotherhood. On 26 August Egypt denied allegations that the new government is under pressure to persuade key regional investor, China, to not back such Nile development programmes. Uganda: Hilton Hotel Set to Open in March 2013 The Observer (Kampala) By Michael Mubangizi, 6 September After a lengthy delay and several postponements, Hilton Hotel Kampala developed by the Aya Group is set to start operations early next year, company officials told President Museveni during a visit to the site in Nakasero today. White House divulges Barack Obama's honey beer recipe BBC 2 September 2012.

Mr Obama has been enjoying the occasional brew in campaign breaks The White House has released details of one of its most closely guarded secrets - the recipe for President Barack Obama's home-brewed honey ale. The beer is believed to be the first-ever made at the White House. The recipe was kept under wraps until 13,000 people signed an online petition demanding to know it, and someone even filed a freedom of information request. Mr Obama has been taking the beer with him on the campaign trail, and has been known to offer it to voters. For weeks, the White House had refused to comment on the recipe, but the secret was finally aired in a blog post entitled "Ale to the Chief". The long-awaited special ingredients include: light malt extract, amber crystal malt, honey, gypsum, yeast and corn sugar. "With public excitement about White House beer fermenting such a buzz, we decided we better hop right to it," says the White House's assistant chef Sam Kass, who brews the ale. Although Mr Kass is the brewer, the White House stressed that it was Mr Obama who bought the equipment and pays for the ingredients out of his own pocket. There is also a video on how the beer is brewed. "God, that is one incredible beer, if I do say so myself. America I wish everyone could taste this but we don't quite brew enough," Sam Kass comments at one point. The BBC's Zoe Conway says cynics may say there is more than a bit of politics in the mix. One of the oldest political cliches states that people vote for the person they would most like to have a beer with - and Mr Obama's rival in the November election, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, does not drink. Why Barack Obama does not deserve to be re-elected 05.09.2012 PRAVDA By Peter Baofu - Four years ago, in 2008, Barack Obama the Democratic Party presidential candidate promised many Americans that "he would change America,...put aside partisan differences, restore hope to those without jobs, begin the process of saving the planet from global warming, and make America proud again," as reported by The Economist on September 01, 2012. He even won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize prematurely for his promises (only after a few months in office). This is his "audacity of hope" in action, so to speak. Today, four years later, he has not achieved any of them. In a recent poll, "more than 60% of voters believe their country to be on the wrong track. Mr Obama's approval ratings are well under 50%; almost two-thirds of voters are unimpressed (however harshly)" by his performance, as reported by The Economist on September 01, 2012. Therefore, as the U.S. presidential election on November 06, 2012 is approaching, an important question to ask here is, Does Barack Obama deserves a second term (for four more years)? The answer is a resounding "no," for the following 11 reasons, which reveal what can be called his audacity of failure. ZAMBIA Radisson Blu Hotel opens in Zambia 07 Sep 2012

20 The Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka, with its impressive range of international top end facilities is perfectly positioned in the Zambian capital’s commercial district. Carlson Rezidor have opened their first hotel in Zambia. The first class, 142 room Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka is the group’s 22nd hotel in operation in Africa and brings Carlson Rezidor’s total African portfolio of properties in operation and under development to 48 hotels with 10 889 rooms. The emerging region of Africa is one of their key areas for future development, and they aim to further grow Radisson Blu at primary destinations across the continent, he says. Future openings include Radisson Blu hotels in Maputo/Mozambique, Kenya/Nairobi, Luanda/Angola, and Kigali/Rwanda. Zambia: RTSA Director Fired TIMES OF ZAMBIA By Joseph Banda, 5 September 2012 ROAD Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) director, Fredrick Mwalusaka and deputy director in charge of Transport, Robert Mtonga have been fired. Zimbabwe: Cabinet Finally Approves Ziscosteel Deal - The nightmare for Ziscosteel employees may be coming to an end after Cabinet finally approved the multi million dollar deal between Ziscosteel and Indian company Essar Africa Holdings. Thousands of workers in the town were absolutely dependent on Ziscosteel for their livelihoods and their way of life. Schools and hospitals in the town were supported by Ziscosteel who paid their bills and ensured property maintenance through its social responsibility program. But senior ZANU PF officials took control of the company and plundered and looted it. After many years of bad management and theft Ziscosteel was closed down in 2008. By that time it had a $300-million debt. Zimbabwe: Aborted Deal Costs Riozim U.S. $13 Million THE HERALD 6 September 2012 - RIOZIM Limited was left with a US$13,6 million liability after terminating a toll refining agreement with Swiss firm, AG Centametall. The agreement was cancelled in the last quarter of this year, because it had become "uncompetitive". But the cancellation of the longstanding deal resulted in a US$13,6 million liability, of which US$7 million has been paid through the delivery of finished metal. "The remaining US$6,6 million balance is included in the (RioZim) balance sheet as a long- term debt," said RioZim in a statement. While the debt to AG Centametall is long term, RioZim remains trapped in a huge debt crunch, considering the US$51 million in short-term borrowings on its books. Due to its almost US$60 million debt the company paid US$6,3 million in finance costs, pushing it into loss. Zimbabwe: Jatropha Dream Collapses THE HERALD By Fortious Nhambura, 6 September 2012 - Richmore Chitava (12) of Jekunye Village, Mudzi, struggles with a bucket full of jatropha seeds. He has to ferry his pickings to a central place where buyers of the seeds come to collect the feedstock for the production of bio-diesel. Richmore has been foraging the popular "Mujirimono" trees lining the family compound picking up the seeds for the past three hours. The not so lucrative business has now been left only to children and a few women who want to earn a few cents to cover their daily expenses. The majority of villagers in Mudzi have just given up, as the market is not encouraging. Companies dealing in the seed are paying an average of US10 cents and US15 cents a kilogramme. The low prices have virtually knocked out jatropha production as a business in the area. The project that showed a lot of promise for the people of Mudzi and Mutoko is slowly losing steam even before the people start enjoying the proceeds. This has seen a number of plantations that had been established in Mudzi, Murehwa and Mutoko to provide feedstock for the national bio-diesel projects being neglected. THE BIOFOOL CONCEPT HAS HUNDREDS OF HECTARES ACROSS AFRICA SUFFERING THE SAME DELUSION, RE-TILL AND PLANT FOOD CROPS ZIMBABWE: US Indicts 7 From Zimbabwe in Tax Fraud Case VOA News September 07, 2012 - The United States has indicted seven men from Zimbabwe on charges of filing hundreds of false U.S. income tax returns, netting them up to $10 million in illegal refunds. Prosecutors in the midwestern city of Cincinnati say the seven operated a storefront tax preparation service and used the names and information from hundreds of customers to send in fake returns. The suspects allegedly bought cars, trucks, expensive computers and watches with the refunds and sent them to family members in Zimbabwe. Only one of the suspects is in federal custody. One is still in Cincinnati and has been ordered to appear in court next week, while the other five are believed to have fled the U.S.

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