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 425 – 36, 2013

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 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) TENDERS

BENIN: Tender - Calibrage et Ouverture de Collecteurs d'assainissement Pluvial a Cotonou Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Oct 03, 2013 Project Summary - un ou plusieurs lots, tels que définis dans le dossier d’appel d’offres. Les soumissionnaires sont autorisés à offrir des rabais dans le cas où ils sont attributaires de plus d’un lot à condition que lesdits rabais soient inclus dans le Formulaire de Soumission.

BENIN: Rehabilitation et Construction du Pont de Fifadji (Commune de Cotonou) Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Oct 04, 2013

CHAD: Travaux de canalisation, génie civil et équipement de 07 centres secondaires et 10 mini AEP et de construction de deux châteaux d’eau de 250 m3 en béton armé Opportunity Type: Works, Goods Proposal Due Date: Nov 25, 2013

CONGO – BRAZZAVILLE: Projet d’Appui à la Gestion Durable des Forêts, Phase II et Projet Paysage Forestier Nord Congo Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 10, 2013 Project Summary - Les écosystèmes forestiers du Nord du Congo couvrent près de 15 M d’hectares et constituent le refuge d’un patrimoine de biodiversité exceptionnelle. Ces espaces se partagent entre concessions d’exploitation forestière pour la production de bois d’œuvre et aires protégées (AP) menacées par des permis d’exploration minière et les prémisses du développement de plantations agro-industrielles.

1 CONGO – BRAZZAVILLE: Réalisation de 3 Forages d'Exploitation d'Eau Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Oct 18, 2013 Project Summary - Amélioration de l’accès à l’eau potable et à l’assainissement de base, ainsi que des pratiques d’hygiène pour les populations du plateau Batéké

DRC: Fourniture de Carburant et Lubrifiants pour la Brigade 602 de l'office des Routes avec Livraison a Uvira, Province du Sud Kivu Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 10, 2013

DRC: Géoscientifiques Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 10, 2013 Project Summary - *Un système performant SIG/DB de ses données géoscientifiques nationales ; *Une infrastructure TIC offrant les fonctionnalités requises, tant en Intranet qu’en Internet ; *Une cartographie géologique nationale mise à jour ; *Un inventaire de ses ressources minérales mis à jour ; *Une cartographie géophysique nationale mise à jour ; *Une connaissance moderne de la géologie, de la métallogénie, gîtologie de ses ressources minérales au niveau national, régional.

ERITREA: Agrochemicals, fertilisers and seed, pesticide, herbicide, milk cooling and beehive & Veterinary drugs, vaccines, laboratory equipment and consumables FORECAST Opportunity Type: Goods

EAST AFRICA: Development of the East African Community Aid for Trade Strategy Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 13, 2013 Project Summary - The Strategy could enable the region integrate regionally and also deepen intra-African and international trade opportunities respectively.

EAST AFRICA: Technical Services to support Local Finance for Small Scale Infrastructure Projects UGA & TZA Opportunity Type: Services Proposal Due Date: Sep 04, 2013

EGYPT: Installation Steel Pipes and Electrofusion PE80 Fittings (Lots 1 & 2) Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Oct 01, 2013

ERITREA: Bee Keeping Equipment - Readvertisement Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 10, 2013 Project Summary - DEBUB AND GASH BARKA REGIONS.

GHANA: Consulting Services for PPP Training Programmes on Best Practices in Project Preparation and Management in Roads, Health, Ports and Water Sectors Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 06, 2013 Project Summary - “Participant learning outcomes will include the ability to: *Undertake financial analysis of a project idea, in project appraisal. *Create a financial model for a project and audit a project financial model. *Perform project analytics with a project financial model. *Assess and quantify the fiscal commitments and contingent liabilities of government arising out of PPP projects. *Manage public sector PPP portfolio risk.”

Guinea-Bissau: Purchase of PVC tubes Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 09, 2013

KENYA: Supply and installation of power cables at the IMS Infrasound Station IS32 Opportunity Type: Works, Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 13, 2013

KENYA: Feasibility Study and Front End Engineering and Design Study - Nut Gasifier Power Project Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 23, 2013 2 KENYA: TRANSACTION ADVISORY SERVICES FOR NUMERICAL MACHINING COMPLEX Request For Proposals Deadline: Aug 30, 2013 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Miscellaneous services The Numerical Machining Complex is an engineering company equipped with computer controlled (CNC) machines, a foundry with modern sand moulding machine, heat treatment and Computer Aided Design/Manufacturing facilities (CADCAM). Following extensive consultations on the company, which is included in the Privatization Programme, the Privatization Commission is inviting Expressions of Interest

KENYA: Thwake Multi-Purpose Water Development Program, design review and construction supervision Request For Proposals Deadline: Aug 30, 2013 Original Language: English Goods, Works and Services • Development consultancy services

LIBERIA: Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment Consultation for REDD+ Readiness Preparation process in Liberia Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 15, 2013 Project Summary - The consulting services will be to ensure a comprehensive and participatory Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) that can integrate environmental and social considerations into Liberia’s REDD+ readiness process in a manner consistent with Liberian environmental laws and regulations and the environmental and social safeguard policies, to be implemented in 17 months

MADAGASCAR: Travaux de Rehabilitation du Perimetre Irrigue d'ankaibe District d'andapa Region Sava Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Oct 01, 2013

MALAWI: Design Review, Pre-Contract Services and Supervision of Mzuzu – Nkhata Bay Road Rehabilitation Project Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 23, 2013

MALAWI: Kholombidzo Hydro Electric Power Plant Feasibility Study Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 20, 2013

NAMIBIA: WATER INFRASTRUCTURE INSTALLATION IN THE KUNENE, OMUSATI, OSHOKOTO AND KAVANGO REGION. Opportunity Type: Works, Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 19, 2013 Project Summary - Installation of new water infrastructure installation in two lots: · Lot 1:Kunene, Omusati and Oshikoto Region · Lot 2: Kavango Region.

NIGERIA: Construction of BRT Bus Depot at Majidun and 6 Nos Pedestrian Bridges along BRT Corridor Mile 12-Ikorodu Roundabout Opportunity Type: Works Proposal Due Date: Sep 25, 2013 Project Summary - (1) Construction of BRT Bus Depot At Majidun, (2) Construction of 6 Nos Pedestrian Bridges Along BRT Corridor Mile 12-Ikorodu Roundabout.

NIGERIA: Consultancy Services for Lagos Mega City Region Freight Demands Study Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Sep 06, 2013

SENEGAL: Travaux de Densification, d’Extension et Rénovation du Réseau d’Eclairage Public de La Ville de Dakar Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Oct 03, 2013

3 SIERRA LEONE: Public Private Partnership (PPP) Institutional Reform, Capacity Building and Pipeline Development Support Opportunity Type: Services Express Interest By: Aug 29, 2013

SIERRA LEONE: Call for Proposals for Environmental Governance and Mainstreaming Project Opportunity Type: Grants, Works, Goods, Services Proposal Due Date: Oct 07, 2013 Project Summary - is to increase environmental awareness of the public in relation to environmental governance and climate change, and the progress towards environmental

SIERRA LEONE: Support to Freetown City Council ''Strengthening the Urban Environmental Health and Sanitation Facilities in the Municipality" Opportunity Type: Grants, Works, Goods, Services Proposal Due Date: Sep 14, 2013 Project Summary - is to enhance socially and economically sustainable development of the population by the elimination of constraints to the development of urban infrastructure.

SOUTH SUDAN: The supply and installation of 2 Generators at Bor Radio Station Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Aug 30, 2013 Project Summary - RFQ - Request for quotation

SUDAN: Request for quotation for SUPPLY OF Handheld GPS Units Khartoum, Sudan Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 05, 2013

TOGO: Avis General de Passation des Marches: Programme Régional Ouest-Africain de Développement des Infrastructures de Communication Opportunity Type: Works Project Summary - Le Gouvernement de la République Togolaise a obtenu un financement d’un montant équivalant à US$ Trente millions (30 000 000) pour financer le Programme Régional Ouest-Africain de Développement des Infrastructures de Communication (traduction anglaise: West African Regional Communication Program ou WARCIP) dénommé WARCIP - TOGO, et se propose d’utiliser ces fonds pour régler des fournitures, travaux et services devant être acquis dans le cadre de ce projet.

UGANDA: Supply of Assorted Furniture Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Oct 11, 2013

UGANDA: Supply, Installation and Commissioning of Welding Workshop Equipment Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 06, 2013

UGANDA: Supply, Installation and Commissioning of Electrical Workshop Equipment Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 06, 2013

UGANDA: Supply, Installation and Commissioning of Mechanical Workshop Equipment Opportunity Type: Goods Proposal Due Date: Sep 06, 2013 EARLY WARNING & PROSPECTIVES SADC

ANGOLA: Angolan government plans to encourage aquaculture August 22nd, 2013 Angola plans to encourage aquaculture in order to increase production in this sector, the country’s Fishing Minister, Victória de Barros Neto said Tuesday in Luanda according to Angolan news agency Angop. Whilst signing a cooperation agreement for a number of areas between the Fishing Ministry and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the minister said that encouraging fish farming and aquaculture would help to diversify sources of revenue for the country’s economy. (macauhub)

4 ANGOLA: BP, ConocoPhillips and Statoil to invest US$3.1 billion in oil prospecting in Angola August 20th, BP, ConocoPhillips and Statoil plans to invest US$3.1 billion in 2013 in prospecting at 20 oil wells in the Angolan sea, financial news agency Bloomberg reported, citing a consultant from the Wood Mackenzie company. MOZAMBIQUE: Portugal’s REN has 14 pct of company building power transmission lines in Mozambique August 23rd, 2013 - Portuguese power grid company Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) has a 14 percent stake in the consortium that will build power transmission lines linking central Mozambique to the south of the country, Portuguese financial daily Diário Económico reported. The newspaper said that the Portuguese company was expected to invest around US$252 million in the project known as Cesul (Centre-South). The biggest stake in the consortium, the newspaper said, is in the hands of REN’s strategic partner and majority shareholder, China State Grid. The Chinese group has a 46 percent stake of the Mozambican company that will build the line between Tete and Maputo. Other companies in the consortium include South African power group Eskom, the biggest customer of the electricity generated at the Cahora Bassa dam, with a 20 percent stake. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Australia’s Cokal group partners Mozambican state company for coal mining August 22nd, Australian metals group Cokal has set up a partnership with Mozambican state mining company Empresa Moçambicana de Exploração Mineira to mine coal in Mozambique, the group’s chief executive, Peter Lynch said. EMEM is a company set up by the Mozambican government to take part in mining projects, to explore mining resources and add value to the country’s mining products. (macauhub) Mozambique: World Bank provides loan to Mozambique to improve water supply to the capital August 21st, The World Bank has approved a loan to Mozambique worth US$178 million to improve the water supply to the Greater Maputo area, the company’s capital, the bank said. The funds will be used to build a water treatment plant with capacity for 60,000 cubic metres of water per day from the Corumana dam and construction of around 93 kilometres of transmission pipelines, with capacity for 120,000 cubic metres of water per day, as well as reservoirs, pumping stations and other related projects. Around 100,000 families will be linked to the formal water supply system in Greater Maputo as a result of this project. (macauhub) MOZAMBIQUE: Kwikspace secures contract in Mozambique BizLike 15 Aug 2013 Kwikspace Modular Buildings, a manufacturer and erector of prefabricated buildings, has secured a contract to provide accommodation in Nacala- Velha in Mozambique for a large international mining company. The camp will make provision for 700 people. As the country undergoes rapid growth in mining and railway development, the Nacala Corridor Project is currently one of the largest mining and construction projects taking place globally. Construction started in 2011 and the project involves the refurbishment of certain sections of the railway line as well as the construction of entire new sections together with a new coal terminal. The railway line will connect the Moatize coal fields to the port of Nacala-Velha and the first coal load is expected late next year. Kwikspace currently has a factory in Moatize, Tete Province and plans to open another factory in Nacala in September 2013. This development aims to support the works in Nacala and the nearby city of Nampula.

02 - 05 December, 2013 Maputo, Mozambique Mozambique: Two New Coal Concessions Granted AIM 21 August 2013 - The Mozambican government on Tuesday approved two new coal mining concessions, each to last for 25 years, in Moatize district, in the western province of Tete. One of the concessions was granted to the Indian company Midwest Africa, covering an area of 15,840 hectares about 50 kilometres from Tete city. Razak said the viability study on this area showed reserves of about 480 million tonnes of coal. Of this, 363 million tonnes is coking coal, and the rest thermal coal. Total investment in this concession is estimated at over 1.4 billion US dollars. The second concession was granted to Rio Tinto-Mozambique, this concession is known as the “Zambeze Project”, and is just ten kilometres outside Tete city, covering an area of 9,700 hectares. Rio Tinto expects to invest 3.3 billion dollars in this concession area. Mozambique: Indian Company Wants to Increase Stake in Rovuma Basin AIM 19 August 2013 The Indian company ONGC Videsh, a wholly owned subsidiary of the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has announced that it intends to increase its stake in Area One of the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado from 10 to 20 per cent. Mozambique: Overladen Trucks Plague Mozambican Roads AIM 20 August 2013 - According to data provided by the South African company TRAC (Trans-Africa Concessions), which operates the Maputo-South Africa motorway, of the 102,000 trucks tested between January and July this year at the weighbridges at the Maputo end of the motorway (at Texlom), and at Matola-Rio, on the road heading to Swaziland, more than 40,000 were overloaded. Looking just at the road to South Africa, 74,465 trucks were weighed at Texlom of which 39,983 were overloaded. The situation was not so serious on the road to Swaziland where only 3,874 out of the 26.760 vehicles tested were overloaded. These figures show that 54 per cent of the trucks using the motorway to South Africa were overloaded. This is a major contributing factor to the deterioration of the road surface. South Africa in 'World First for Brewing' SouthAfrica.info (Johannesburg) 23 August 2013 - Brewing giant SABMiller has begun using South African firm SurePure's liquid photopurification technology, which cuts down on 5 energy costs by using ultraviolet light instead of heat to purify liquids during the brewing process. "SABMiller's Flavoured Alcoholic Beverage (FAB) Brewery, situated in the west rand of Johannesburg, brews 11 FAB products via an ambient brewing process facilitated by UV photopurification, a world first," Sure Pure said in a statement earlier this month. "Research completed indicates that UV processing of FABs in the packaging plant negates the requirement for pasteurisation or preservative addition." Photopurification is an environmentally friendly alternative to pasteurisation and chemicals, using UV-C (short-range) light to purify microbiologically sensitive liquids such as wine, milk and fruit juice. The collaboration between the two firms has led to the commercial production of a lager brand that uses UV production in the brew house process that doubles the shelf life of conventionally brewed beer. Studies on beer packaged in clear glass also found that using UV photopurification replaces costly filtration processes. "This is the first time in the history of brewing that this technology has been applied to the brewing process," said SurePure senior marketing executive Steve Miller. "SurePure's technology significantly differs from the existing technology being used by SAB and utilises the world's first UV-C photopurification process that can be used on turbid liquids. "It uses light instead of heat to purify beer and other brewed products, including finished product, something no other UV technology can accomplish," he said. The technology is a first as it is also effective on both clear and turbid liquids. "SurePure are game-changers in brewing and can help win the race for the reduction in energy and water costs, as well as improvement in quality and throughput," said master brewer Craig Groeneveld. "The global brewing implications are enormous if SurePure finds the resources to exploit them." SOUTH AFRICA: Funding agency wants new Gauteng airport 19 Aug 2013 An agency within the Gauteng treasury is to commission a study of the feasibility of a new West Rand regional airport, a proposition dismissed by some experts as a waste of money. The Gauteng Funding Agency said a commercial case was being put together for the development of a freight and logistic hub on the West Rand. It said the terms of reference had been framed for a feasibility study and the development of a commercial justification for the establishment of a regional airport. The agency converts infrastructure project concepts that can be funded through public-private partnerships into reality. But aviation experts have rejected the idea of the new airport, describing it as a waste of money. Athol Franz, editor of aviation magazine African Pilot, said the province had too many airports already. The Times via I-Net Bridge Tanzania: Dar es Salaam Pursues Engaruka Soda Ash Project Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) 21 August The government through the National Development Corporation (NDC) is looking for a consultant to carry out socio- technical study for the project envisaged to stimulate the local economy of Engaruka area in the Rift Valley of northern Tanzania and further boost the economy of the country. NDC Corporate Affairs Manager Abel Ngapemba told the 'Daily News' yesterday that the study would seek to determine the economic viability of the project as well as infrastructure needed and the ideal technology to be used for the project regarded as one among national strategic investments. Latest studies have confirmed enough deposits for commercial exploitation of the soda ash deposits at Engaruka basin situated about 63 km north of Mto wa Mbu, on the road to Oldonyo Lengai and Lake Natron. The Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda said in Parliament last May that implementation of the soda ash mining project would largely depend on improvement of infrastructure, including revamping Tanga-Arusha railways line, construction of a railway line from Arusha to Lake Natron as well as expansion of Tanga port. Tender for construction of a railway line to tap the mineral deposits at Engaruka has already been advertised. Construction of the railway line is planned to be part of the major upgrading of Tanga to Arusha railway line and construction of the Arusha to Musoma railway line project. The Reli Assets Holding Company (RAH CO) announced tenders in May this year to upgrade the existing light rail metre gauge railway line from Tanga to Arusha (438km) to standard gauge (1,435mm) and construct a new railway line from Arusha to Musoma (approximately 670km) with spurs to Engaruka soda ash mine. Soda ash, known chemically as sodium carbonate, is a key raw material for glass, chemicals, soaps and detergents. Southern Africa: Zambia, Namibia to Link Rails TIMES OF ZAMBIA By James Muyanwa, 21 August 2013 ZAMBIA wants to link its railway line to that of Namibia to fully utilise the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor (WBNLC) and has asked that country to extend its line to Katima Mulilo border. And the authorities on the WBNLC will set up industrial clusters along the passage to transform it into the economic engine for the region. Officiating at a recent meeting, dubbed "the information session of the WBCG," organised by the WBCG in Lusaka, Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Stephen Mwansa said Zambia was committed to the connection of the two railway lines. "We would like to take this opportunity to urge our Namibian counterparts to urgently consider bringing the railway line up to Katima Mulilo in the shortest possible time for our countries and their people to benefit," he said. During the meeting, it was learnt that scoping studies on mining, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure development were underway along the corridor. Mr Mwansa the Zambian government would support the formation of these industrial clusters because they were in line with its vision. The WBNLC, which is one of the three corridors under the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) stretches from the port of Walvis Bay in Nambia to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo through Zambia. "We are thrilled to learn that you are now working with the African Development Bank to perform scoping studies on projects in mining agriculture, tourism and infrastructure development to transform the WBNLC into an economic development corridor. SWAZILAND: Comprehensive Project Management Workshop - Supporting the Development, Execution and Management of Projects: Dates 12-13 September 2013 Venue Royal Swazi Sun Valley, Mbabane, Swaziland Reservations - +27 12 546 5000 +27 73 594 7953 6 Tanzania: TBs Plans Standard Road Humps - HABITUAL violation of road safety and traffic regulations has forced the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) to design national standards that will govern construction of road humps countywide. QUASIMODO’S Tanzania: Serengeti Highway Defended in Court Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Marc Nkwame, 22 August 2013 Arusha — TANZANIA National Parks' Principal Ecologist, Dr James Wakibara, and the Serengeti National Park's Chief Warden, Mr William Mwakilema, have both defended the proposed construction of Arusha- Musoma highway, via Serengeti saying it will ease administration and tourism. They were testifying on behalf of the government before the First Instance Division of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), which was hearing witnesses in a Reference (case) by the Africa Network for Animal Welfare contesting Tanzania's intention to build the road. Zambia: 'Tobacco Processing Plant Coming' TIMES OF ZAMBIA By Judith Namutowe, 21 August 2013 - ROLAND Imperial Tobacco Company will set up a primary tobacco processing plant in Zambia at a cost of US$20 million. Company managing director Ephraim Mwenda said in an interview in Lusaka that the plant would be set up at the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone (LS-MFEZ) in 2014. Roland Imperial Tobacco Company Limited, a wholly- owned Zambian registered company, signed a lease agreement with the LS-MFEZ, for the establishment of a cigarette manufacturing plant at the zone at a cost in excess of US$5 million two weeks ago. ZAMBIA: Zambezi Portland Cuts Cement Exports - ZAMBEZI Portland Cement Limited (ZPC) has reduced its export sales by 50 per cent, effective August 1, 2013, to cater for the increased demand of the product on the local market. Zambia: Govt Hails Mongu-Kalabo Road Contractor - GOVERNMENT has commended the Chinese contractor AVIC International which is working on the 34-kilometre stretch of the Mongu-Kalabo Road, for the good job it is doing despite the bad terrain of the area. Zimbabwe: Hwange Acquires Equipment THE HERALD 20 August 2013 - HWANGE Colliery Company Limited has acquired new equipment from China as the company targets to raise production, the company's spokesperson said yesterday. The coal mining company would receive the first batch of the mining equipment this week, spokesperson Mr Burzil Dube said in an interview. Some 100-tonne trucks have already been cleared by regulatory authorities at the Beitbridge Border Post. The company recently paid part of the US$12 million to Sany Heavy Equipment Corporation for the mining equipment. "To be more precise, two dump (100-tonne) trucks will be at the mine within the next two days while the rest will be shipped in phases as we seek to ramp up our production capacity which has in the past been affected by ageing equipment. This in turn had a negative impact on the company's revenue base," said Mr Dube. Some of the machinery ordered includes 10 dump trucks with capacity of between 55 and 100 tonnes, two excavators and a 55- tonne crane. The company is also in the process of acquiring other mining support equipment such as drills "so that it operates at full capacity to meet both domestic and foreign demand". COMESA

Ethiopia in Chinese mobile phone deal - Ethiopia signs an $800m deal with Chinese telecom giant ZTE to expand its mobile phone network to allow for 3G internet access nationwide. Ethiopia: Frozen Twin Buildings to Transform Into Five Star Hyatt Hotel After U.S. $25 Million Purchase Addis Fortune (Addis Ababa) By Elleni Araya, 18 August 2013 - The Dubai-based holding company Albwardy Investments have finalised a 25 million dollar deal to purchase two hotels from M.A Kharafi & Sons Plc. The hotels are currently under construction at the junction of Africa Avenue and Jomo Kenyatta Street, at Meskel Square. M.A Kharafi & Sons Plc originally planned to build one three-star hotel, named Ibis, on the side of the Jomo Kenyata Street and another four-star, named Novotel, along Africa Avenue, both of them under the French company Accor Hotels. Albwardy, however, intends to turn them into one five-star Hyatt Hotel - an American franchise with 492 locations worldwide, according to an official statement Fortune obtained via email from the company. With the purchase it inherited a seven-storey building facing Jomo Kenyatta Street, which includes a basement meant to be a three-star Ibis Hotel and a six-storey building on Africa Avenue without a basement meant to be four-star Novetel Hotel. "Albwardy intends to completely redesign the inside of the buildings," a construction worker on the premises told Fortune. Ali Albwardy was advised locally by Zemedeneh Negatu, managing partner of Ethiopian Ernst & Young (E&Y) - a global consulting firm - when deciding to venture into Ethiopia. Zemedeneh was previously the advisor to Marriott and Sunshine Construction Plc, which had partnered to construct a courtyard hotel in front of Medhanyalem Church. Ethiopia: Feasibility Study to Begin for New Br251 Million Museum Addis Fortune (Addis Ababa) By Temesgen Bitewlign, 18 August 2013 - The Authority for Research & Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH) is embarking on a feasibility study for the construction of a new 10-storey museum facility, with the assistance of the European Union (EU). The construction of the building was indicated in a July 2012 project proposal involving scholars from Ethiopia, France, Italy, Spain Portugal and Germany. It was funded by the EU and assisted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Ethiopia: New Mango Juice Factory Is Being Built in Ethiopia Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency (Addis Ababa) By Nesru Jemal, 19 August 2013 - A new mango juice factory is being built in Ethiopia. According to agra- net.com, the mango juice plant will grow its own fruit. The USD10.0 million Seka Agro Processing plant is expected to come into production within 18 months. 7 KENYA: Kenya's Kenyatta and and China's Xi sign $5bn deals BBC 20 August 2013 - Uhuru Kenyatta said the deals were a "massive boost" to his government. Kenya has signed deals worth $5bn (£3bn) with China to build a railway line, an energy project and to improve wildlife protection, officials say. "The rail link, particularly, is important in the context of East Africa's shared goal of ensuring quicker movement of peoples, goods and services," it quoted Mr Kenyatta as saying. It will link the Kenyan border town of Malaba with the port of Mombasa, one of the busiest in Africa. Kenya: Sh100 Million Boost for Busia Rural Roads THE STAR By Gilbert Ochieng, 21 August 2013 - THE national government has set aside Sh100 million to facilitate the rehabilitation of rural access roads in Busia. Kenya: Land Commission to Acquire Chunk of Private Land for Lang'ata Road THE STAR 21 August 2013 The National Land Commission has expressed intention to acquire land from private owners to unlock the stalled Lang'ata Road project. Kenya: Real Estate Investment Gathers Pace in Eldoret THE STAR By Mathews Ndanyi, 21 August 2013 Indicators of a thriving real estate market in the North Rift are splattered all over Eldoret town, as savvy investors chase lucrative returns in commercial and residential properties. The town's hospitality sector is set to welcome new entrants in The Horizon, Star Bucks Hotel and the Kenya Red Cross-owned Boma Inn, which are in the final stages of completion. Besides individual investors (of whom athletes make up a significant number), universities and colleges have emerged as key property investors in Eldoret. For instance, the Moi University Pension Scheme is set to erect the tallest building that will dwarf the landmark 14-storey KVDA Plaza, re-shaping the town's skyline. "There are a lot of prospects (in the town) and many investors are moving in especially in the hotel sector and residential housing," said Joseph Tirei, a property dealer in the town who also doubles up as a construction manager. Tirei estimates that demand for decent housing units may be running into hundreds of thousands as Eldoret's resident population approaches a million. His team is preparing a Strategic Plan, which will outline the growth plan for the county and Eldoret municipality in particular. The town is the fifth largest in the country and North Rift's economic hub. Kenya: State to Tarmac Key Road in Bumula – MP THE STAR By John Nalianya, 21 August 2013 - The government is set to tarmac a major road in Bumula constituency, MP Boniface Otsiula has said. The MP surveying is already underway on the Musikoma-Boyufu-Mungachi road which connects Busia and Bungoma towns. Speaking in an interview with the Star in Bungoma, Otsiula the tenders for the project will be floated after completion of the survey in October. Construction is expected to begin in January. The road will cost an estimated Sh1.8 billion, money Otsiula said his CDF kitty does not have. He defended the decision by the Amani Coalition MPs in the region to work with Jubilee. He said this project is a result of his association with the Jubilee government. The 30km road traverses Bumula, Kanduyi and Nambala constituencies Kenya: Sh3.1bn Belgian Loan to Finance Kenya Power Project Capital FM (Nairobi) By Kennedy Kangethe, 21 August 2013 - The government has signed Sh3.1 billion loan agreements with the Belgian government that will facilitate the Sondu-Homabay-Kisii Rural Electrification Project and the E-government private network County Connectivity Project Phase 2 (CCP 2). National Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge says the Sondu - Homabay-Kisii Rural Electrification Project will construct an 85-kilometre (Km) electrification power distribution line consisting of 132 kilowatts. Thugge says the E-government private network CCP 2 involves installation of communication equipment and applications in 17 county office headquarters and 18 national government ministries headquarters in Nairobi. "The E- government Private Network Control Centre for the 47 counties and the 18 Central Government Ministries is located on the second floor of the Treasury building, and the Private Network Control Centre is for communication of both voice and data between Counties and the Central Government Ministries," he said. Kenya: Sh8.3 Million Kanini Kaseo Water Project Launched THE STAR 19 August 2013 - Safaricom Foundation in partnership with ActionAid Kenya has launched a water project at Katangini Village in Makueni. The Sh8.3 million Kanini Kaseo project will benefit more than 6,000 residents by providing water for household use, animals and smale- scale irrigation. Rwanda: Agric Takes Lion's Share of BDF Loan Guarantee NEW TIMES By Ben Gasore, 23 August 2013 About 70 per cent of the Rwf17.5b loan guarantees by the Business Development Fund (BDF) to date has gone to the agriculture sector. Over 1,750 loans have been guaranteed by the Fund, according to Innocent Bulindi, the BDF boss. He said Rwf12.3b of the Rwf17.5b (70 per cent of the loan guarantees) went to the agriculture sector, benefitting coffee, tea, maize, rice and livestock farmers. The remaining Rwf5.2b went to the hospitality sector, manufacturing, education, artisans, real estate and transport, he added. Bulindi said the agriculture sector gets more support because it employs the majority of Rwandans. Rwanda: Govt Launches Multi-Million Water and Electricity Projects NEW TIMES By Stephen Rwembeho, 23 August 2013 - The government has launched two multi-million projects that will ease access to clean water and electricity in Eastern Province. The clean water project was completed at $15 million (about Rwf10 billion) and will serve at least 55,000 residents from Kirehe and Ngoma districts. Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, the minister for infrastructure, who launched the water project, also flagged off another to upgrade, rehabilitate and expand the Musha sub-station, an energy distribution facility, which will be completed at a cost of $30m (about Rwf20b). Both projects are executed by Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).

8 Rwanda: The Road to Generating 560 Megawatts of Energy NEW TIMES By Frank Kanyesigye, 19 August 2013 Government has set an ambitious energy production target to see 563 megawatts (MW) of energy realised by 2017 in order to reduce the country's electricity deficit. Promising projects - Speaking to The New Times last week Vincent Bahingana, a technical advisor at the Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA), said that 563MW target will require an investment capital estimated at $1.8 billion. According to the energy sector strategic plan and roadmap 2013-2017, the government plans to increase the country's installed capacity from 110.8MW to 563 MW by 2017 mainly from hydro, peat, methane, geothermal and solar. "The target is achievable because of the promising ongoing projects and those ones in the pipeline. We hope to add 87MW to the national grid by the end of 2014 from 28MW Nyabarongo hydro power plant, Rukarara II hydro power plant (2.2MW), Giciye hydro power plant (4MW), six micro hydro plants with 4MW of Shili 1, Nyabahanga, Nyirabuhombohombo, Mukungwa II, Janja and Gashashi," he explained. He added that 25MW from Kivuwatt methane project, Gigawatt Global Solar Plant (8.5MW) and Gishoma peat plant (15MW) are among the projects that will enable the country achieve the set target. According to EWSA, the planned power generation will comprise peat (estimated at 200MW), methane (additional 100MW), hydro (additional 63MW), geothermal (90MW) and solar 18.5MW). Bahingana said that Rwanda is playing an active role in interconnection projects (mainly 220KV lines) with her neighbours especially Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania to import and export high capacity of energy. Since the beginning of 2013, Rwanda has signed million dollar projects including the $23 million (Rwf15 billion) energy deal with a Dutch firm to develop an 8.5 Megawatts solar power plant, Rwf241 billion agreement with an Indian company, Punj Lloyd to develop 100 MW of peat energy and a $15 million (Rwf9.7billion) with a Swiss firm, Renewable Energy For Accelerated Development (REFAD) to develop a 5 MW hydro power plants in the Southern Province among others. Last week, the World Bank approved $340 million (about Rwf220 billion) toward financing of the long-awaited 80 MW Rusumo hydropower project that is expected to serve Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi. Last year, in September, the government also signed 120MW peat energy pact with Hakan Mining and Generation Industry and Trade Inc, a Turkish firm to develop and manage a peat extraction and electricity generating plant. The 220 million Euros plant will be located at South Akanyaru in Gisagara District in the Southern Province. It will be implemented in two phases with the first 80 MW coming by End of 2017 and remaining 40 MW by 2020. The current generation capacity for solar is 280 kilowatt-peak (KWp) which is generated by two on-grid plants of 250KWp located at Mont Jali and a 30KWp at Nelson Mandela Education Centre in Bugesera district, Eastern Province. Bahingana said that presently there is no generation from peat despite the fact that the plans to extract power from peat are underway. The total geothermal potential is 320 MW and plans are underway to add 60 MW to the national Grid by 2017. There are four prospects of geothermal in the districts of Nyabihu, Gisenyi, Rubavu, Musanze, Bugarama and Rusizi. As for the methane project, Kivuwatt ltd, a Rwandan subsidiary of an American company Contour Global is currently extracting methane from Lake Kivu in Karongi District, western province. "The construction of the power plant was completed however the gas extraction has reached 70 percent completion," said EWSA official. According to the Energy plan of 2013-2017,EWSA expects to gradually ensure a more sustainable energy mix and phase out expensive rental diesel by 2016 that constitutes 40 per cent of the current electricity capacity. Uganda: National High Altitude Center Works Due Next Year NEW VISION By Norman Katende, 22 August 2013 The construction of the National High Altitude Center in the highlands of Teryet will only start in February next year, according to Commissioner for Sports Omara Apitta. Apitta is in charge of the project. "We need so many things in place like roads, water and power and I can assure you that these are what we have been doing in the background so that by the time we start the construction, everything is in place," said Apitta. A road that joins Teryet to Kapchorwa must be constructed first to enable smooth transportation of materials. Apitta said that the first set of technical drawings, which are being done by ID Forum in conjunction with Thai sports facilities construction company Yang Ma have been received by the ministry for proposed amendments. "It's when we get the final technical drawings that we will be ready to start the bidding process for the construction company which will do the actual building of the centre." The high altitude centre is aimed at helping national athletes train for international meets. It will have a three-lane track, field, swimming pool, gymnasium, hostel and hotel. Uganda: Govt to Save Money By Funding 500 KM of Key Roads NEW VISION By Joel Ogwang, 22 August 2013 The Government has underlined its growing stature as a key financier of roads development by taking over the construction of 500km of roads formerly meant to be worked on under the new Contractor Facilitated Financing (CFF) mechanism. The decision to take over the financing of the roads is economical, said Eng. David Luyimbazi, the Uganda National Roads Authority's (UNRA) director in charge of planning. "It is cheaper for the Government to finance roads when it has the money," he says. "This will save the tax-payer from paying interest on the borrowed funds and reduce Uganda's debt burden." Under CFF, a total of 1,900km of the 20 roads central to Uganda's primary growth sectors of tourism, agriculture and oil and gas were to be upgraded from gravel to tarmac under a Public-Private Partnership over the next three to five years. By tendering the roads, the Government expected to raise $2b by entering a memorandum of understanding with shortlisted firms to confirm their relationship in respect of financing and implementation of the works that kick-off this financial year. 9 The 500km are valued at $400m, according to Dan Alinange, the UNRA spokesperson. "The other 1,400km will be done under CFF," he says. "We are working out details of finalising the memorandum of understanding with pre- qualified companies to allow them negotiate with their financiers before submitting their bids." The shortlisting of the contractors is being conducted in accordance with the public procurement procedures contained in the Government Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, 2003, and will be open to all bidders from eligible source countries. Why internal financing is better Roads are a key government priority. It now funds 60% of the roads budget, whilst development partners' share has fallen to 40%, down from 60% over the years, the state will save on interest when it finances works on the 500km of roads it has taken over. Some of the roads include Mukono-Katosi- Kyetume, Mpigi-Maddu-Sembabule, Villa Maria- Sembabule, Olwiyo-Gulu- Kitgum and Musiita-Lumino. The African Development Bank has also taken over the financing of the Kapchorwa- Suam road that was also to be worked on under CFF. The 500km have been indicated in the 2013/ 2014 financial year budget that finance minister Maria Kiwanuka read in July, indicating a growth in roads and transport sector financing from sh1.6trillion in the last financial year to sh2.3 trillion of the sh12trillion this financial year. UNRA, in consultation with the finance ministry, is exploring the roads the Government has taken over. "We are seeking guidance from the Government on whether to replace the 500km or continue with the reduced scope (of the remaining 1,400km)," says Luyimbazi. Works state minister Eng. John Byabagambi noted that with an addition sh744.7b allocated to the works and transport sector in this financial year, more road projects will be undertaken. "Seven road projects were completed in the 2012/ 13 financial year," he said. "The expectations are high now. We will start five new projects this financial year, especially those in the NRM manifesto." UNRA trims down bidders UNRA advertised requests for expression of interest in local and international media on July 12, 2012, attracting 46 international companies. However, while Uganda boasts over 100 local contractors, none of them tendered in their interests, compared to 16 from China, nine from India, five from Turkey, three from South Africa, two from the US, two from Spain and one each from Egypt, France, Portugal, Israel, Ireland, Netherlands, Malaysia, Switzerland and the UK, according to UNRA. "Over 40 contractors bid for the tenders, but we scaled the number down to 20," says Alinange. "That is the number we are evaluating now. Procurement of contractors is on-going, but we shall see which projects take off this financial year. It is a complex undertaking we have not done before, so it will take time (to procure contractors)." Tarmac network Uganda has a national road network totaling 21,000km managed by UNRA. The body has upgraded 500km to tarmac and rehabilitated 1,000km over the past four years. Today, Uganda's paved/tarmac network totals 3,800km, up from 3,000km by 2008. "In one year, we will have 4,000km," says Alinange. "Over the next three years, we expect to have 5,000km of tarmac if all projects go as planned. This will go a long way in selling Uganda as a tourism and investments destination." Byabagambi noted that Uganda's construction industry has turned competitive, with contractors eager to finish projects ahead of time. "We are taking on more projects and, right now, the absorption capacity for project funds is 120%," he said. "Contractors are now more efficient as everyone has to prove their worth by working ahead of schedule." Uganda: Construction of New Bridge on R. Nile Starts October NEW VISION By Charles Kakamwa, 19 August Construction of a new bridge across the River Nile in Jinja which had been scheduled to begin in December last year, is expected to start in October this year, an official from the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has revealed. Mark Kasibante, an assistant engineer at the UNRA Jinja regional station told New Vision that the pre-contract negotiation stage, had been reached, which he said implies that a contractor for the work was secured. Kasibante who said at least 90% of the process of acquiring a contractor has been accomplished, stressed that a lot has to be done including scrutinizing the firm, to avoid mistakes in execution of the $120m (about sh295b) mega project. "When there is a consultant and contractor in place, we shall sign the contract and launch the project. We hope that services of the design consultant will begin in October this year," Kasibante said without disclosing the firm contracted to handle the project. ECOWAS

Liberia: House Passes Mount Coffee Bill The New Dawn (Monrovia) By Lewis S. Teh and Bridgett R. Milton, 23 August 2013 - Members of the House of Representatives have concurred with the Liberian Senate on the passage of the bill, seeking the implementation of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant. A communication from the Liberian Senate appealed to members of the House for the speedy passage of the bill to give the government and international partners' adequate time to start the rehabilitation exercise. The Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant, which was the main source of electricity, got destroyed during the 14 years civil war. Debate on the bill commenced after Montserrado County Electoral District #5 Representative Thomas Fallah filed a motion, calling for quick passage. Gambia: Taiwan Pumps U.S.156,986 in Gambia's Agriculture The Point (Banjul) 19 August 2013 - The fund is meant to assist the Gambian government to procure the needed PTO Pumps and GPS system for tractors used to promote and enhance the agricultural development and prosperity of The Gambia.

10 NIGERIA: Nigeria Signs U.S.$3.7 Billion MOU With Chinese Firm On Coal Energy Premium Times - The Federal Government, Monday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with a Chinese energy firm, HTG/Pacific Energy Co. Ltd, for a $3.7 billion coal to power project. Nigeria: Onitsha, Lokoja, Baro River Ports to Be Concessioned in 2014 – Minister PREMIUM TIMES 19 August The Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, has said that the Onitsha, Oguta, Baro and Lokoja River Ports would be concessioned by 2014. Apart from Onitsha River Port which has already been inaugurated, the others are still under construction. He said that the ministry was also working on the dredging of the River Benue, and planned to construct river port in Makurdi. "This is the ultimate solution to the over stretched existing ports facility, a memorandum is being presented to the Federal Executive Council to approve the development of the Lekki Deep sea port in Lagos" "While in the case of Ibaka Deep Sea Port in Akwa Ibom State, a steering and project implementation committee has been constituted. "Also discussions are in progress between the Nigeria Ports Authority, Lagos State government and the private sector to develop the Badagry Deep Sea Port." Nigeria: FG Identifies 34 Solid Minerals in Commercial Quantity DAILY TRUST 20 August 2013 – Represented by the Chief Accountant in the ministry, Mrs Edith Ezeokoli, the minister said diversification of the economy was a major component of the federal government's transformation agenda. He said a lot of the minerals had been found in the North-Eastern part of the country, which according to him, when harnessed, can benefit the host communities. "The North-East geo-political zone in particular, is endowed with a variety of mineral resources comprising clay, coal (lignite), kaolin, marble, limestone, barite, bentonite and lead/zinc ores, among others."Exploitation of some of these minerals, has made this part of the nation, especially Potiskum and Fika, hubs for gypsum trading activities. "The discovery of very high grade iron ore in Nangere Local Government Area of Yobe State and Trona in both Borno and Yobe states, have joined to make these states, and indeed the North-East Zone, a centre for sourcing trona for domestic and industrial use," he said. Nigeria: Zamfara to Build 14 Science Primary Schools DAILY TRUST By Shehu Umar, 21 August 2013 -The Zamfara State government has concluded arrangements for the construction of science boarding primary schools, chairman, Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Murtala Adamu Jangebe, has said. Nigeria: CCNN to Raise N45 Billion, Posts N1 Billion Profit THIS DAY By Mohammed Aminu, 22 August 2013 The Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) has disclosed plans to raise N45 billion for establishing a new production line of one million metric tonnes of clinker per annum with a coal grinding mill and accessories. The CCNN chairman attributed the reduction in profit to the high cost of oil (LPFO), revealing the company spent over N6 billion on oil. "As you are aware, CCNN generates 90 per cent of its need for electric power because the supply from the national grid is insufficient. The dependence on fuel oil makes the company exposed to changes in the oil prices and disturbances in the supply situation. "Thus, in order to address the situation, the board of the company resolved to implement the resolution of the 32nd annual general meeting authorising it to raise up to a maximum N45 billion for the purpose of erecting a new production line of one million metric tonnes of clinker per annum together with a coal grinding mill and accessories," he said. He declared the company was determined to tackle the challenge, expressing optimism that with the establishment of the clinker, the money being spent on oil would be reduced by 50 per cent The chairman added the company previously adopted alternative energy by using rice husk, which reduced the energy cost on cement production by 15 per cent. Nigeria: Gubi Dam Faces Imminent Collapse DAIY TRUST By Ahmed Mohammed, 22 August 2013 - Bauchi State governor Mallam Isa Yuguda has raised the alarm over the state of the Gubi dam which is the major source of water to Bauchi and its environs. Torrential rainfall in recent time witnessed in the state weakened the embankment of the dam, Governor Yuguda observed. Nigeria: FG Approves N125.6 Billion for Road, Power Contracts THIS DAY By Muhammad Bello, 22 August 2013 The federal government Wednesday rose from its weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, approving the sum of N125.626 billion for contracts to reconstruct five major critical roads and the procurement of six units of 40MVA 132/33 KV mobile substations for electricity supply. The roads project would gulp N123.735 billion for five-road contracts covering the reconstruction of Apapa-Oshodi expressway Section 2 Phase II: Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota expressway and service lanes, beach land junction as well as six other parts of Cele Bus Stop. Other roads slated for reconstruction under the Federal Roads Development Project (FRDP) are those of Mokwa-Bida road and Akure-Ilesha road, the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway spanning Lokpanta-Umuahia Tower, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Umuahia Tower-Aba Township rail/road bridge crossing in Abia State. On power, Nebo presented a memo to council seeking approval for the design, manufacture and supply of six units of 40MVA 132/33KV mobile substations worth N1.8 billion. West Africa: Mali Energy Deals May Strengthen Sahel Magharebia (Washington DC) By Jemal Oumar, 19 August Mali's decision to grant Taoudeni Basin oil exploration licences to international firms is being seen as a new sign of regional stability. The spectre of terrorism, smuggling and kidnapping had long haunted the Taoudeni, which stretches from Mauritania to Algeria, across Mali. But in July, the Malian transitional government authorised foreign companies to explore for hydrocarbons in the country's north. Czech firm New Catalyst Capital Investments committed to investing 51.7 million euros in prospecting the basin's Mali portion, Agence Ecofin reported. Irish firm Circle Oil PLC will sink nearly 7.7 million euros into exploring elsewhere inside the zone.

11 The region is also becoming more stable because the Touaregs are now leaning toward an agreement with the Malian government, he noted. Such a deal would require that local communities receive a stake in managing natural resources. Touaregs could be hired, for example, to guard oil installations, Ould Habib said. Analyst Mohamed Ould al-Akel agreed, noting: "Money can overwhelm fear and promote investment in Taoudeni Basin area where three Sahel countries are located." Mohamed Ag Ahmadou, a spokesman for young Touareg refugees in Mauritania, hailed the Malian initiative as the "beginning of the right direction for the development of the north". "Enticing international companies to invest in the north will create jobs and push the wheel of development in our region, especially since it comes at a time when all Azawadi factions have agreed to renounce violence and terrorism," Ag Ahmadou said. According to Maghreb historian Kabad Ould Abdelrahman, Malians are "seizing the opportunity of the war on terrorism to build an economy that helps diminish the chaos across the country". AFRICA

AFRICA: Should Shoprite and Walmart be worried by Carrefour's entry into sub-Saharan Africa? BY JACO MARITZ 26 JUNE 2013 - French retailer Carrefour, the second largest in the world, at the end of last month announced that it will enter eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Carrefour – which operates a mix of hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores – said it will enter the West and Central African countries of Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The company already has a franchise partnership in North Africa. Carrefour is, however, not entering sub-Saharan Africa by itself. The group has announced a joint venture with CFAO, a distributor of vehicles and pharmaceuticals in 32 African countries. CFAO is majority owned by Toyota Tsusho, the Toyota Group's trading arm. According to Pieter de Wet, head of research at Novare Equity Partners, Africa's infrastructure constraints mean that getting products to the end user is often a greater challenge than getting end users to the product. CFAO's established footprint and understanding of many of these African markets is therefore likely to be a significant benefit for Carrefour. CFAO has also announced that it plans to establish "dozens" of shopping centres across Africa, with the first one expected to open in Cote d'Ivoire's commercial hub Abidjan in 2015. "Carrefour can anchor new shopping malls being built by CFAO to attract the growing number of wealthier Africans who can afford brands and modern retail/convenience stores," commented Mike Dennis, a retail analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald. A threat to existing players? South African companies such as Shoprite and Massmart (owned by Walmart) have been major players in the growth of modern retail in sub-Saharan Africa. Some Kenyan supermarket chains – including Nakumatt and Uchumi – have also expanded outside their home market. So should these retailers be concerned by the entry of Carrefour? According to De Wet, Shoprite already has a substantial footprint across 17 sub-Saharan African countries and is not likely to be too worried by Carrefour's entry. Shoprite CEO, Whitey Basson, last year told Reuters that he sees potential for over 700 stores in Nigeria alone. De Wet added that Massmart's parent company Walmart is the world's number one retailer and has even deeper pockets than Carrefour. Shoprite, however, only has a presence in three of the countries that Carrefour will enter. Of the eight countries that Carrefour is targeting, only two (Nigeria and Ghana) are English-speaking. Neither Shoprite nor Massmart has a presence in French-speaking West Africa. According to De Wet, language and legal issues generally make it more difficult for companies from English-speaking countries to do business in francophone Africa. He added that France still has a significant influence in many of the francophone African countries, and that Carrefour will find it easier to enter these markets. "It always helps if your national government is active and has good relations with the country that you are entering into." A problem that Carrefour might face is finding top retail locations. A number of South African retailers have indicated that their growth in the rest of the continent is being held back by a lack of suitable retail space. Although CFAO has ambitious plans to build malls, this is easier said than done. "Getting the ideal spots is first prize," said De Wet. His company, Novare, is also involved in the development of shopping malls in sub-Saharan Africa, having recently opened the Grand Towers shopping centre in Nigeria's capital Abuja. "Location for a retailer is of utmost importance ... We know how difficult it is to find the perfect premises. It will become even more difficult." Carrefour's announcement comes at a time that an increasing number of multinationals are eyeing Africa's fast growing economies. The most recent high profile deal in the retail sector was Walmart's 2011 acquisition of South African group Massmart, which also has a footprint in many countries across the continent. "In our view, the window is not closing fast in Africa but only slowly opening with some US retailers buying into Africa via South Africa and a lot of new retail management coming from Europe to run South African and African companies," said Dennis. "As the per capita income grows so I suspect more retailers will look at joint ventures to enter Africa, and like Carrefour they will be via distribution companies." Dennis added that foreign retailers should consider whether hypermarkets are the right format going forward in Africa or if they should rather be opening smaller stores. Although there are still a lot of details missing on Carrefour's exact plans for the continent, African consumers are sure to benefit. "It is a brilliant thing for the African consumer who is the end user of all these retailers' products. I think more competition is a good thing," said De Wet. REALTORS, LANDLORDS, SHOPFITTERS, CONTRACTORS TAKE NOTE

12 MIDDLE EAST/OTHER

BAHRAIN: Five firms bid for Bahrain Airport's BD20m facelift - Bahrain Airport Co (BAC) has received tenders from at least five companies to design a multi-million dinar expansion of Bahrain International Airport, Gulf Daily News has reported. The first phase of the $1bn project will include a new terminal that could cost between BD10m and BD20m. Talks about the scheme have been underway since 2011, but were pushed back due to several issues, including Gulf Air's three-year restructuring programme. The airport currently serves a maximum of nine million passengers annually, which could increase to 13.5 million under the new plans. JORDAN: Jordan to use GCC grant to develop public transport sector - Jordanian transport minister Nidal Katamine has said the government plans to implement several vital transport project including the National Railway Project and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Jordan Times has reported. The government will also implement other infrastructure schemes in the public transport sector through the GCC grant. JORDAN: Korean firm wins bid for Jordan's first nuclear reactor - The license to build Jordan's first nuclear reactor has been awarded to a South Korean consortium - after two years of delays. The Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute and Daewoo have united to create the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission. After a series of technical and legal delays, the research reactor project was green-lit by regulators - the five-megawatt facility will be built at the Jordan University of Science and Technology, near the northern city of Irbid. The license was signed off by the Jordan Nuclear Regulatory Commission (JNRC) this month, following environmental impact assessments and disagreements over safety. The $130 million reactor has been largely funded by a 2010 soft loan from Seoul, worth $70m. Construction of the facility is scheduled for early 2014 and it is expected to be operational by 2016. JORDAN: Jordan to build industrial cities in all governorates - The Jordanian government has decided to set up industrial estates in all governorates to accelerate their economic development and create jobs for more Jordanians, Jordan Times has reported. The first of the planned industrial cities will be built in Jerash, 48km north of Amman, where an 800-dunum plot of land has been selected as the location for the project. Similar estates will also be built in Karak, Ajloun, and Mafraq. There are 14 industrial zones in different parts of the kingdom, four of which are in Amman and two in Irbid OMAN: $1bn Musandam road project attracts 31 firms - Oman's Tender Board has said global construction giants are among the 31 companies that have submitted their credentials seeking prequalification to participate in a tender for a contract to build a 65km section of one of the sultanate's most expensive road projects, Times of Oman has reported. The new Diba-Lima-Khasab, expected to cost an estimated $1bn, is an arterial carriageway featuring a series of massive road and wadi bridges, as well as some of Oman's longest tunnels across the strategically important Musandam governorate in the far north of the country. OMAN: Oman picks contractor for Batinah Expressway Pkg 5 - Oman has awarded a joint venture led by Federici Stirling Batco (FSB) Package 5 of the Batinah Expressway project at a cost of OR132.6m, Oman Daily Observer has reported. Billed as among the most important of the six packages that together make up the 265km Batinah Expressway project, Package 5 covers the stretch from the 180km to the 221km mark. A total of three major bridges will be constructed across wadis intersecting the alignment along this stretch. OMAN: Oman awards 16 deals to enhance Sultanate-wide transportation facilities - Omani transport ministry has awarded 16 contracts, worth OR182.22m, for road, civil aviation and ports projects, Muscat Daily has reported. Of the total, OR159.09m has been allocated for roads, OR12.59m for the aviation sector and OR10.53m for the port sector. OMAN: Muscat to expand roads - The municipality of Omani capital, Muscat, is seeking an expansion for the main road in Al Mazare Town, which links it with other towns including Al Ghubairah, Al Jazeer, Al Hisn, Al Qaryah and Munsfat, Times of Oman has reported. The first stage will involve the extension of road link, which connects Al Ghubairah town to Wadi Dayqah Dam. The second stage will seek the expansion of roads that connect Al Malawas, Al Jazeer, Al Hisn, Al Qaryah, Munsfat and Al Dhahir with Wadi Dayqah Dam. The road will also be expanded to connect neighbouring towns including Alyaa, Fiq and Wadi Arbayeen. OMAN: Petroleum Development Oman awards L&T $250m EPC deal - Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has awarded India's Larsen & Toubro a $250m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, India Times has reported. "The EPC order is for the Yibal third stage depletion compression (Y3DC) project at the Yibal-Natih gas reservoir in Oman. The project is scheduled to be completed in 39 months," L&T said. Yibal-Natih is a sweet gas reservoir with recoverable reserves estimated at 90%. It has been in production since 1972 and undergone a series of expansions to accommodate increasing demand for gas. The Yibal third stage facility will be installed to boost reservoir pressure, L&T said. QATAR: QDB says rail project offers significant opportunities - Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has said the country's upcoming rail project offers local companies and Qatari entrepreneurs a significant number of business opportunities, the Peninsula has reported. The state-run lender sees $110m in business opportunities in providing the pre-fabricated tunnel linings for the 80km-long of metro tunnels and $200m in the manufacturing of protection walls. The bank also foresees another $480m opportunity in the construction of deep foundations for buildings and a $3.6bn opportunity in project management services sector. QATAR: Qatar to install energy-saving devices at mosques, public schools - The Qatari cabinet is set to float soon tenders to install energy- and water-saving devices in mosques and government schools across the country to help rationalise and reduce the consumption of these resources, the Peninsula has reported. The government expects

13 the new devices to help lower electricity and water consumption in mosques and government schools by 37% and 4%, respectively. SAUDI: Saudi Arabia awards contracts to build 40,000 homes - The Saudi government has signed contracts worth SR4bn to develop eight residential districts in different parts of the country comprising some 40,000 homes, Arab News has reported. The deals involve the development of 26 million sq me of plots in Jeddah, Madinah, Dammam, Al- Ahsa, Qatif, Tabuk and Al-Kharj to house 250,000 people, said housing minister, Shuwaish Al-Duwaihi. "We'll sign more contracts in the coming months to build homes in Asir, Najran, Baha, Makkah, Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, Al-Jouf, Northern Border Region and Tabuk," said Al-Duwaihi. SAUDI: Najran Province scraps SR60m road project - The Saudi province of Najran has decided to withdraw a contract from a local contractor for 36-km road project costing more than SR60m, Saudi Gazette has reported. Emir of Najran Prince Mishaal Bin Abdullah said the project was cancelled and its execution stopped because it would only be serving only five homes. "The concerned security authorities in the province discovered that the Al-Jafra-Al-Kawkab road project in the province has been approved at a huge cost only to serve a small area with very few residents," he said. SAUDI: Bahri studying plans for 'world class' facility - The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Aramco and Singapore's Sembcorp Marine to conduct a feasibility study for a maritime yard project in the kingdom, Reuters has reported. Bahri, which gave no value or location in the kingdom, said the yard would be a "world class" facility. The study comes after preliminary assessments for the project completed by Aramco and Sembcorp Marine. A decision on whether to go ahead with the development, which will provide engineering, manufacturing and repair services to rigs platforms, commercial vessels and offshore service vessels, will be made in the next 15 months, the firm said. SAUDI: KSA awards SR394m in contracts for water and sanitation projects - Saudi water and electricity ministry has awarded 22 contracts for the implementation of water and sanitation projects in different parts of the country at an overall cost of SR394m, Arab News has reported. The projects include sewer projects in Dawadmi district in Riyadh, at an estimated cost of SR109. 6m and another contract for the establishment of a water tank in Hail, signed at a value of SR64.3m. SAUDI: FIDIC says late payments to contractors stalling Saudi projects - Nabil Abbas, representative of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) in the GCC has said late payment to contractors from different government agencies in Saudi Arabia amount to more than SR100bn, or around 30% of the total volume of government projects in the kingdom, Arab News has reported. This is one of the main reasons for the faltering of government projects in the country, which accounts for about 20% of the total stalled projects, said Abbas. SAUDI: SABIC affiliate to build world's largest CO2 purification plant - The United Jubail Petrochemical Co (UNITED), an affiliate of the Saudi Basic Industries Corp (Sabic), has awarded Germany's The Linde Group the engineering, procurement and construction contract for its carbon dioxide utilisation project to build the world's largest CO2 purification and liquefaction plant, Arab News has reported. The plant will compress and purify about 1,500 tonnes per day of raw carbon dioxide coming from ethylene glycol plants for enhanced methanol and urea production. The plant will also be capable of producing 200 tonnes per day of liquid food-grade quality CO2 to be supplied by truck to the beverage and food industry. SAUDI: Saudi Arabia to develop third industrial city in Dammam - The Saudi commerce and industry ministry has signed a SR550m agreement to develop the third industrial city in Dammam, Arab News has reported. The contract covers the development of the second part of Dammam-3's first phase, which will be completed in 24 months. The new city will have petroleum, mineral, plastic, automobile, food and other industries, in addition to factories of building materials. Tunisia's Sonede Gets 60 Million Euro Loan to Fund Sea Water Desalination Facility Tunis Afrique Presse (Tunis) 22 August 2013 - A loan agreement worth 60 million Euros (120 MTD) was signed, on Thursday, by Tunisia's National Water Development and Distribution Corporation (SONEDE) and Germany's KfW Development Bank for the setting up of sea water desalination plant in Djerba (governorate of Medenine). UAE: Abu Dhabi seeking bids for new Corniche beach club - The municipality of Abu Dhabi is set to launch a tender for private sector firms to develop and operate a high-end beach club at the Corniche for residents and visitors of the emirate, Gulf News has reported. To be located at the Lagoons Beach near West Plaza, the Corniche beach club will offer a selection of new facilities for both the public and beach club members, as well as membership for guests of city centre hotels, which have no private beach facilities. UAE: Siemens awards Al Hassan Dhs69m deal - Siemens has awarded Al Hassan Engineering Co Abu Dhabi, which is controlled by Oman's Al Hassan Engineering Co (AHEC), a Dhs69.45m sub-contract for civil and associated building works for the new 400/220/33kV substation at Mirfa, Abu Dhabi, Muscat Daily has reported. "This is subject to the approval of the end-client Transco. The work is expected to be completed by August 2014 and we expect reasonable income from this project," AHEC said. UAE: Abu Dhabi to develop five new parks - The Abu Dhabi City municipality is set to launch construction works next month to build and develop five parks at Al Shamkha and Al Adlah in the emirate, Gulf News has reported. Spanning a total area of around 60,000 sq m, the parks will cater to the needs of the population and keep up with the overall urban expansion taking place in UAE capital city and metropolitan areas. "The municipality attaches utmost attention to the design of parks by tailoring a unique and distinctive theme for each park by adopting a specific selection of aesthetic elements, perpetuating sustainability concepts through using quality materials, using advanced

14 energy-efficient lighting systems, and rationalising consumption of irrigation water," said director of parks and recreational facilities at the municipality, Rashid Al Falasi. YEMEN: Yemen qualifies 18 oil firms to bid for 20 blocks - The Yemeni oil ministry has said it has given the green light to 18 international oil firms to bid for 20 onshore and offshore blocks in the ministry's sixth auction, Reuters has reported. The ministry received 45 applications from foreign firms to bid for the blocks, of which nine are onshore and 11 offshore. Of the 45, only 18 had qualified to bid including Hunt Oil and Gas, Norway's, Circle Oil, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co (Kufpec), Pakistan Oilfields and Dana Gas. AFRICA INFO, GENERAL INTEREST & RISK ISSUES

Africa: Treated Bed Nets Critical to Eradicating Debilitating Tropical Disease Voice of America (Washington, DC) By Steve Herman, 21 August 2013 - Inexpensive bed nets treated with insecticide may hold the key to eradicating a debilitating disease that threatens one-fifth of the world's population - mainly those living in Southeast Asia and Africa.

Scientists say they have been able to demonstrate that the most common cause of the tropical disease elephantiasis can be virtually eradicated - even in lieu of medication - if those at risk sleep under nets treated with chemicals that kill mosquitoes. Lisa Reimer, a lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, was part of the team in Papua New Guinea studying progress over several years in eliminating the disease, caused by tiny worms most frequently injected into people by mosquitoes. Reimer tells VOA she was surprised at how effective anti-malaria bed nets laced with insecticide could be at combating lymphatic filariasis - whose most horrifying symptom, elephantiasis, is the massive swelling of skin and tissue. "Filariasis is only picked up by mosquitoes late in the evening, so this is the time when people are more likely to be protected by their bed nets. So we found that bed net use actually is a greater barrier against filariasis transmission whereas malaria transmission may still be occurring outside the times when the user is under the net," said Reimer. Reimer says mass annual administration of drugs to residents of five villages in Papua New Guinea nearly eliminated the parasite from humans but did not stop its transmission by mosquitoes. "If we can reduce mosquito-biting rates then we're able to increase the thresholds below which the disease prevalence will move to zero. So by controlling mosquitoes we're making the targets for the mass drug administration more obtainable," she said. The treated nets block female mosquitoes from securing blood, which is essential for them to produce offspring. The insecticide also cuts in half the insect's life span, preventing the parasite from being transmitted. The WHO estimates that 120 million people suffer from lymphatic filariasis. About one-third of those have been disfigured or debilitated by the disease. Infection is usually acquired in childhood but the profound visible manifestations become evident later in life. Angola: Tax Police Seize Over 200.000 Litres of Smuggled Fuels ANGOP 22 August 2013 Cabinda — The Tax Police in the northern Cabinda province seized in the first semester of this year about 233.306 litres of fuels, under the operations to combat smuggling of oil by-products in the region, estimated at AKZ 5.743.473.00. The smuggling of fuel sis carried out along the land, maritime and river borders, through tanker trucks. Botswana: From sleepy backwater to global diamond hub By Rob Young BBC 20 August 2013

A sleepy African city is rapidly being turned into a major global trading centre. After decades of just mining rough diamonds, Botswana's capital Gaborone now cuts, polishes and sells the precious stones itself. Most people may be unable to find Gaborone on a map, but it's becoming a regular destination for global diamond traders and that's changing the economy here. This dusty, low-rise city is being transformed, as high-rise flats and hotels are constructed and businesses bet it will mean a boost for them. Diamond-related companies are setting up factories in anticipation of the global mining giant De Beers relocating its sales business here from London. Soon, $6bn (£4bn) worth of diamond trades will take place here, attracting buyers from around the world.

15 CONGO BRAZZAVILLE: Congo's Gen Dabira arrested in France over 'massacre' BBC 23 August 2013 - A general from Congo-Brazzaville was briefly arrested in France and has been put under formal investigation for crimes against humanity, officials say. It relates to the disappearance in 1999 of about 350 refugees who returned to Brazzaville from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Gen Norbert Dabira told AFP he was "totally innocent" and would not leave France during the investigation.

DiCaprio's Russian girlfriend on the beach - Anna Vyalitsyna is a Russian model. She now dates one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. The woman comes from Nizhny Novgorod, SORRY GIRLS DRC: UN troops in DR Congo shell M23 rebels near Goma BBC 23 August 2013 - UN troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo have launched an offensive, shelling positions held by rebels near the eastern city of Goma. The UN was responding to shelling from M23 rebels on Goma on Thursday, a UN spokesman said. Congolese officials say five civilians in the city died. A M23 spokesman told the BBC it had not attacked the city, blaming the army for provoking the fighting.

A REBEL ARMED PERSONNEL CARRIER A new UN intervention brigade is deploying to the area to tackle rebels. It has a mandate to neutralise and disarm rebel fighters. Its 3,000 soldiers are joining the regular UN peacekeeping force, Monusco, which has more than 18,000 troops on the ground with a mandate to protect civilians. UN spokesman Lt-Col Felix-Prosper Basse said two UN helicopters were involved in the latest operation, which was being backed by the Congolese army, attacking rebel positions in Kibati about 15km (nine miles) north of Goma. "Fighting has entered a new phase as Monusco is now engaging the rebels together with the government forces," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. The UN troops were protecting the area as the rebels had been firing indiscriminately at civilians, he said. DRC: Imprisoned Norwegian Tjostolv Moland dies in DR Congo BBC 19 August 2013

Tjostolv Moland (L) and Joshua French both wrote to the Congolese president asking for a pardon Tjostolv Moland, one of two Norwegian citizens imprisoned in the Democratic Republic of Congo on murder charges since 2009, has died, officials say. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Mr Moland was found dead in his cell on Sunday morning and that his family had been informed. Mr Moland and British-Norwegian citizen Joshua French were sentenced to death in 2009 for murdering their driver. The two former soldiers were also convicted of spying for Norway. The two men were convicted in the north-eastern city of Kisangani for the murder of their driver, Abedi Kasongo, and attempted murder of a witness. They were also found guilty of spying after military ID cards were found on them. Both men have maintained their innocence. They claimed they were in DR Congo to research setting up their own security company. They said they had hired Mr 16 Kasongo as a driver after their motorbike broke down but that he was killed when they were ambushed by gunmen in the jungle. FACEBOOK: Man Hacks Zuckerberg's Facebook to Prove Point Capital FM (Nairobi) By Ken Macharia, 19 August After repeatedly reporting a bug to Facebook developers and engineers and failing to get a response, Khalil (a Palestinian white hacker) decided to demonstrate the security issue to Mark Zuckerberg; He posted on Zuckerberg's facebook page to show how a user could post to all facebook users even if they were not friends. "Days ago I discovered a serious facebook vulnerability that allows a facebook user to post to all facebook users timeline even (if) they are not in his friend list. Khalil apologised for hacking Zuckerberg's account. "First sorry for breaking your privacy and post to your wall, I has no other choice to make after all the reports I sent to Facebook team." Facebook engineers immediately deactivated Khalil's FB account to "investigate" but re-activated later after fixing the bug. Kenya: She-Goat Gives Birth to 'Human' Kid THE STAR By Gilbert Ochieng, 23 August 2013 - A she-goat belonging to one of Bugengi residents yesterday gave birth to a kid with a human-like face. The villagers flocked the home of the goat owner, Benta Anyongo to take a glimpse of the abnormal creature. The kid had a head and skin similar to that of a person. Anyongo yesterday told the press that she bought the goat at a nearby market a few months ago. THE ‘DOWN-UNDER’ BOYS MUST HAVE BEEN VISITING A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK Maori legend has it that humans are descended from Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatuanuku, the earth mother, while the volcanoes in the middle of the North Island, are cast as rival warriors fighting for the love of two maiden mountains.

"The mountains are our ancestors too," says Burrows. "They fought upon the land for love - and one, my mountain Taranaki, migrated west to maintain his tapu or sacredness. My people call our mountain koro Taranaki, which acknowledges him as our grandfather or elder, someone we respect."

The diversity of the landscape - mountains, rainforest, pastureland, volcanoes and sulphurous mud pools - means New Zealand can play the part of Canada in X Men Origins: Wolverine, of Japan in Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai and of fantasy worlds. Madagascar Sets Date for Election, Three Candidates Barred DW 23 August 2013 - Members of the Special Electoral Court, which has barred nine candidates from the October elections, among them the current ruler Andry Rajoelina - who seized power from president Marc Ravalomanana - Lalao Ravalomanana, wife of the deposed president, and ex-president Didier Ratsiraka. Madagascar's electoral commission has said the country will hold a long- delayed presidential poll aimed at ending a political crisis. Three of the frontrunners for the post have been disqualified by an electoral court. 12-10 ON OFFER THAT RAJOELINA SLIMES OUT OF THIS DATE ONCE AGAIN Mobile subscribers in poor countries seek multiple profiles to suit daily needs 23 august 2013 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Demand for multiple mobile profiles presents sizeable opportunities for operators that are addressing the demand in both developing and developed markets, according to a new report from Pyramid Research. MOZAMBIQUE: Thai hotel group enters Mozambique’s hotel market August 23rd 2013

Thailand’s Minor Hotel group has set up a partnership with Rani Investment of the United Arab Emirates under the terms of which it will own a stake in the Indigo Bay Resort & Spa, a tourist resort on Bazuruto Island, in Mozambique, according to the UAE press. MOZAMBIQUE: Standard & Poor’s lowers outlook on Mozambique’s economy August 20th, 2013 Credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) lowered its outlook on Mozambique’s economy from stable to negative, according to a statement issued Friday. S&P’s explanation for this downward review is that data showed that Mozambique’s 17 current account deficit is bigger than previously estimated. The agency maintained its “B+” rating on long term debt and “B” on short term debt issued in both national and foreign, but warned it may lower those ratings in future. “The negative outlook reflects the possibility that we could downgrade Mozambique within the next year if progress on big investment projects slows, if projects seem less likely to generate the growth needed to narrow external and fiscal deficits, or if there is a material increase in public sector external commercial debt,” S&P said. (macauhub) Mozambique: South African Supermarkets Selling Expired Goods AIM 19 August 2013 - The South African supermarket chain Shoprite has been caught selling expired goods in its Mozambican establishments. The National Inspectorate of Economic Activities (INAE) sent a brigade to inspect the Shoprite supermarkets in Maputo, Matola and the neighbouring town of Boane. The preliminary results of the inspection are that 26 different types of products were found that were past their expiry date. Other foodstuffs were being sold with “irregular labeling” (INAE gives no details of the irregularities). NIGERIA: Abubakar Shekau of Nigeria's Boko Haram 'may be dead' BBC 19 August 2013 Nigeria's militant Islamist leader Abubakar Shekau may have been killed by the security forces during a shoot-out, an army spokesman has said.

An "intelligence report" showed that Shekau, the leader of the Boko Haram group, may have died between 25 July and 3 August, Lt-Col Sagir Musa said. Boko Haram, which has waged an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009, has not commented on the statement. The US had put a bounty of $7m (£4.6m) on Shekau's head. Nigeria: APC to Presidency - Tell Us How 400,000 Barrels of Oil Are Being Stolen Daily VANGUARD By Olasunkanmi Akoni, 19 August 2013 - "Nigerians want to know why over 40 million youths cannot get jobs under a government that gleefully touts a six percent GDP growth. Nigerians want to know how 400,000 barrels of oil are being stolen daily and who the thieves are. Nigerians want to know why the country is more divided than ever, under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan, and why corruption has become a bigger monster in the years under the PDP. NIGERIA: Navy Kills 12 Pirates in Delta - In an operation that was confirmed as the first direct confrontation between the men of the Nigerian Navy and pirates operating along the nation's waterways in recent time THAT’S 12 TOO FEW Nuclear Waste Can Power the World for 72 Years By: David Russell Schilling - It’s simple. Take all the nuclear waste in the world, currently 270,000 metric tons, equivalent to the weight of the same number of African elephants, put it into WAMSR (Waste Annihilating Molten Salt Reactor), power the entire world for 72 years, including accounting for the expected rise in energy demand over that time, and get rid of nearly all the world’s nuclear waste, reducing it to the volume of 270,000 baseballs. That’s right, from a metric ton to a baseball! Sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. Transatomic Power founders, Russ Wilcox, Leslie Dewan and Mark Massie may one day be household names for the benefits they are about to bestow on humanity and our natural environment: a non-carbon energy sources that is safe. Miraculously, the dynamic trio, Dewan & Massie being MIT students, and Wilcox their professor, went back half a century to revisit the birth of nuclear energy and dusted off an old technology called the “Molten Salt Reactor” and came up with a new way to “burn” radioactive fuel. In fact, the new reactor doesn’t use pellets at all, it runs on liquid radioactive waste obtained from them.

According to Forbes, instead of using highly enriched uranium as a fuel source, Transatomic removes the metal cladding or outside metal covering of the radioactive pellets that are considered spent by “light water” reactor operators. This is done by dissolving them in molten salts. Getting rid of the cladding and using the liquid by-product allows the fuel to stay in the reactor for as long as it takes to extract all the remaining energy. Due to the design of current nuclear power plants only 3% of a radioactive pellet’s energy potential is used before the it must be taken out of production and put into waste dumps. And the waste that comes out of WAMSR is much less radioactive. Conventional waste stays around for hundreds of thousands of years. The new technology produces waste that is radioactive for only a few hundred years; the problem of dealing with waste now becomes an engineering challenge of manageable proportions.

18 It gets better. According to Reuters, conventional light water reactors need immense cooling systems. As we saw at Fukushima, when adverse events occur, cooling systems can fail with catastrophic consequences up to and including meltdowns. WAMSR doesn’t need a conventional cooling system and so plants no longer need to be built near large bodies of water with the risks that entails. The new technology has a “freeze valve” and when a plant loses power the liquid fuel flows out of the reactor core and into an auxiliary container tank where the fuel loses heat and turns into a solid over a couple of days time. The plant is “Walk Away Safe” which means the electricity could go off and the plant workers abducted by space aliens and the plant would “coast” to a safe stop. In Fukushima, number of thyroid cancer cases grows six times 21.08.2013 Pravda.Ru - Radiation hazard at Fukushima-1 was raised to the third level on INES scale. The level means that radioactivity may spread, posing hazard to the environment. Moreover, it may affect personnel inside the nuclear power plant. Prior to that, Fukushima recorded the lowest possible level of risk. The level of contamination of water that flows into the Pacific Ocean waters is extremely high. A person, who stays near the contaminated water for an hour, receives a dose of radiation that exceeds the acceptable level of radiation that employees of nuclear power plants get in one year. In the Japanese prefecture of Fukushima, the number of cases of thyroid cancer has increased six times. Eighteen cases of the disease have been reported among minors. Experts intend to study each of the cases of cancer in detail to find out whether they were caused by radiation. FRACKING OR NUCLEAR, IS EITHER THE WAY? Rwanda: The Other Side of China's Generosity NEW TIMES By Gitura Mwaura, 23 August 2013 opinion Good tidings in Kenya often mean that Rwanda and the region get to more than bask in the glow: they join in the party. Such it is with Kenya having just signed deals with China worth $5 billion. The China package includes an energy project and wildlife protection and, more significantly for the region, support to build the much talked about railway. The re-built standard gauge railway will link the Kenyan border town of Malaba with the port of Mombasa, facilitating more efficient and faster movement of peoples, goods and services within the EAC. China's generosity, if one can call it that, to the region and the continent seems somewhat clear-cut and deceivingly unencumbered. While Western powers have tended to offer their support to social services such as health and education, tying their aid or grants to such indicators as human rights records, reforms and transparency, China's aid has tended to centre around infrastructure development with loose strings attached. It has one apparent condition: That Chinese multinational firms to a large extent undertake the job. This has seemed a small price to pay, and so China has continued to be welcomed with open arms in the region and the continent at large. A Chinese firm is expected to construct Rwanda's $650 million Bugesera International Airport. However, Kanya's newly signed deal makes it the top receiver. But, as the Persian proverb goes, he who wants the rose must be aware of the thorn. The coming of China to Africa has meant the bringing along its people and their baggage. It will be recalled the decry in Kenya sometime in August last year, as reported in the papers, of seeming invasion of Chinese hawkers selling anything from roast maize and cheap Nokia phones in Nairobi to cultivating small-scale farms and engaging in fishing in Nyanza. Add to these fears of setting up shop in Nairobi of the notorious Chinese or Yellow mafia, also known as the Chinese Triads. According to a recent newspaper report, the dreaded global criminal syndicate - known the world over to be involved in human trafficking, prostitution, loan-sharking, gambling, murder and gun smuggling - might be setting base in Kenya's capital, targeting the growing Chinese population and businesses in the country. Good press of Chinese industry, it appears, must also attract bad press. Thus, there have been allegations of China's currency manipulation by undervaluing the Yuan, with the net effect being cheaper Chinese imports and unbalanced trade at the expense of market regulated currencies, analysis saying that the Yuan is undervalued by between 30 per cent and 50 per cent. SOMALIA: Why MSF pulled out of Somalia DEVEX By Jenny Lei Ravelo on 15 August 2013 - MSF cited extreme attacks on its staff in an environment where armed groups and civilian leaders increasingly support, tolerate, or condone the killing, assaulting, and abducting of humanitarian aid workers as reason for its departure. Recent incidents include the abduction of two Spanish aid workers in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya that ended only last month after a 21-month captivity in Somalia. “Over the last 22 years, we have accepted the risks that Somalia has presented, and did our best to adapt our operations in order to ensure that people receive the care they needed, but … we’ve had 16 killings and dozens of attacks against our workers and our vehicles,” Karunakara said during a conference call with reporters. However, he explained, “the final straw was of course the realization that authorities, armed actors and community leaders were actively supporting or tacitly approving the attacks, abductions, killings of our staff.” Unlike other aid groups, MSF does not accept security provided by the U.N. and arranges for its own protection through community- negotiated agreements that also determine which areas they can access and which are off-limits for their staff. But even that policy is no longer a guarantee for them in Somalia. South Africa: Mixed reaction to Jardine’s resignation By: Terence Creamer Reaction to the announcement that Aveng CEO Roger Jardine had resigned was sharply divided – with some expressing genuine shock and others indicating that it came as “no surprise”, owing to the recent poor performance of the company. In a note to shareholders, Jardine indicated that the Competition Commission investigation into construction-sector collusion and bid rigging had been “personally very taxing”. “The settlement agreement confirmed by the Competition Tribunal last month provides a fresh platform for the group to move forward and to build on the culture of ethical corporate 19 behaviour that we have worked so hard to implement. I feel it is now an appropriate time to move on,” he explained. Aveng was fined R307-million and was one of 15 firms to conclude settlement agreements collectively valued at R1.46-billion. All of the analysts canvassed by Engineering News Online felt that the reason provided in the Stock Exchange News Service notice offered only part of the rationale for the resignation – none of these individuals was prepared to speak on the record, however. Some argued that Jardine might even have been pushed to resign, owing to a series of issues at the company, most notably the resurfacing of problems as Aveng Grinaker-LTA. On August 5, the company informed shareholders that its earnings for the year to June 30, 2013, would decline by up to 10% compared with the prior year. It attributed the decline to “much higher losses” from Aveng Grinaker-LTA, which, following a review, had been forced to revise cost-to-completion estimates on a number of projects. Aveng’s share price, which has more than halved since its highs of five years ago, fell sharply after the release of that trading update. One analyst raised concerns that the problems at Aveng Grinaker-LTA might be worse than had been communicated, adding that, while trading conditions were difficult, the performance had been compounded by poor management decisions. However, another analyst described the resignation as a “major shock”, and expressed concern about the ability of the company to secure a suitable replacement, particularly in light of the prevailing poor image of the industry. This individual was also not convinced that there was an obvious internal candidate to replace Jardine. SOUTH AFRICA: Group Five reports profit in annual results 12 Aug 2013 M&G Chantelle Benjamin Group Five has reported a return to profit in its annual results to June 2013, citing growth in its order book as one of the reasons. Group Five chief executive Mike Upton in a statement attributed its success to its continued conservative approach adopted "both in terms of the quality of the order book secured and our philosophy towards cash preservation to fund activity that will support future growth". The company's order book was up 26% since the previous June. The loss-making Middle East operations reduced its losses to R50.8-million, against R200-million a year ago, but a decision was still made to close the operation. South Africa: Dali Mpofu's 'Not Inconsiderable Fees' GroundUp (Cape Town) By Nathan Geffen, 21 August 2013 Opinion DILLY-DALI’ING FOR PROFIT - I enjoy lawyer jokes, but in my time with the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) the lawyers I worked with didn't fit the stereotype. They often represented TAC pro bono or at reduced fees. They put money aside to fight for justice, especially for poor people. They were also modest. In our high profile cases, the TAC's lawyers were not the centre of attention. Nevertheless, TAC won most of its cases and all the key ones. We were very ably represented. In TAC's litigation, people living openly with HIV, like Hazel Tau and Zackie Achmat, were the main focus of media attention. That was achieved through deliberate effort and made strategic sense. So in the grim aftermath of Marikana, I would have expected that in the public mind the salient names of the tragedy would be surviving miners or the widows and children of the dead miners. But it's not. Instead it's been Advocate Dali Mpofu. Somehow, he has placed himself at the forefront of media attention covering the commission of inquiry. Recently, Mpofu's remuneration for representing the miners at the commission has attracted notice. Not what the police did at Marikana. Not the lives of the family members of the deceased. Not the post-traumatic stress and anguish of the survivors. No. Instead it has been Mpofu and his fees. A Business Day editorial said, "What is most certainly undermining the inquiry's credibility is the tussle over whether the Legal Aid Board should be obliged to pick up the tab for Mr Mpofu's not inconsiderable fees." It also says, "The legal issues are complex, and it is by no means certain that Mr Mpofu will win. But the government should relent -- it is common knowledge it has already paid the police's legal team as much as R7m." The lawyers for the miners brought an urgent application before the North Gauteng High Court. They asked for urgent temporary relief compelling the state to pay their legal fees and, ultimately, final relief. The High Court has ruled only on the claim for interim relief. It dismissed the case "on the basis that it was constitutionally inappropriate for a court, in interim proceedings, to direct the Executive on how to expend public resources in the absence of proof of unlawfulness, fraud or corruption." On 19 August, the Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal by the miners on very much the same basis. Nevertheless, perhaps the Business Day editorial is correct. Maybe the state should pay Mpofu's "not inconsiderable" fees - even if the law doesn't compel it to. The issues are complex. But what is striking is this. Mpofu has not worked free of charge for the miners. From October 2012, he and his "team" have received more than R2.5 million from the Raith Foundation to represent the miners. They have also been offered R2 million more since. This was to pay Mpofu, his junior counsel and three attorney firms working on the case. The lawyers are not working solely on the Marikana Commission. It is reasonable to assume that a large chunk of the money has gone to Mpofu personally. Now it's true that some lawyers make considerably more money than Mpofu would have earned in the months that he has worked on the Commission, a point that raises troubling questions about legal fees generally. But, by any standards, Mpofu has nevertheless received a very large amount of money. By contrast, lawyers representing TAC seldom earned more than a few tens of thousand rands in fees for a case -- and certainly never millions, not even close. Although the Marikana Commission may be more time-consuming than the average court case, Mpofu is being very well paid. Representing the Marikana miners should be seen as a great honour where the fees are secondary. Advocate Mpofu's remuneration should not have taken centre stage. SOUTH AFRICA: Threat of labour unrest spreads FIN24 Aug 22 2013 Reuters - South Africa's labour unrest widened on Thursday as tens of thousands of construction workers prepared to down tools next week and unions in the gold sector also signalled their intention to call a strike over wages. The escalating industrial action spelled more trouble for South Africa, which was hit last year by a wave of violent wildcat strikes in the mining sector that cost billions of dollars in lost output, dented growth and triggered damaging sovereign credit downgrades. The labour strife 20 has also battered the rand, which dropped to a new four-year low against the dollar early on Thursday after wage talks in the gold sector stalled and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said it planned to ask members to vote on a strike. SOUTH AFRICA: NAMAQUALAND FLOWERS NOW BLOOMING, 2013 BUMPER SEASON

SUDAN: Hope for change keeps humanitarians going in Darfur DEVEX By Jenny Lei Ravelo on 19 August 2013 Last July 4, George Fedha was in distress. He and some staff members are stuck inside the World Food Program’s guesthouse in Nyala, Sudan. Fighting between armed militias and government forces had erupted the night before and would not stop. “Every moment, I was scared for my staff, but I’m also aware that I had to be in control of emotions and just make sure we make the right decisions,” Fedha, WFP head of operations in South and East Darfur, told Devex. “I was just hoping the situation gets better. And that we don’t suffer any casualties.” Late that afternoon, U.N. peacekeepers were able to evacuate him and other WFP personnel, although some staff were left behind and were not extracted until the next day. A few days later, the U.N. agency was able to partially resume operations in Nyala, and eventually, the situation started to normalize again — although the tension remains. The memory of that incident is still very fresh in Fedha’s memory, but not because it was something unexpected. Everyday, humanitarians must deal with insecurity in hotspots like Darfur, where just two weeks ago another group of WFP aid workers were ambushed and robbed of personal items and WFP supplies by gunmen. “Insecurity here is a daily event. Of course, we are trying to reduce risks, but it’s happening every day,” Dageng Liu, head of WFP’s programs in West and Central Darfur, told Devex. Syria: The predictable and false "chemical" attack 21.08.2013 Pravda.Ru - To date, the only use of chemical weapons in Syria has been by the Syrian so-called opposition, you know, the same people (?) who indulge in cannibalism, who are rapists, torturers, thieves and terrorists, who recently sliced the heads off Kurdish children ... and why were the videos uploaded from outside Syria the day before the "attack" happened? And just as the UN inspectors arrive... there is a so-called "chemical" incident, a false flag one of course, again, but once again, not a very intelligent ploy by the Syrian "opposition". If one is going to set up a false flag chemical weapons attack, one has to make sure it is deployed in an area where there is a massive advantage in using such weaponry, namely in an area where there is massive advantage to be gained in an active theatre of war. So, in an area where there has been fighting until recently but where the Syrian Arab Army (Government) has been making steady progress and where the terrorist opposition forces have been getting hammered, it does not make sense for the Government forces to use nerve gas, and it makes no sense at all to use it against large numbers of civilians, including children, who appear to comprise the majority of the victims. Therefore this morning's alleged chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, Eastern Damascus countryside, would not provide any advantage whatsoever to the Government forces, especially with the UN mission arriving in the country but it would provide a huge advantage for the "opposition" especially if the western media steamroller swings into action riding the crest of a drum-beating wave driven by politicians of the caliber of Obama, Cameron, Hague and no doubt their French poodles to justify a US intervention from Jordan. We have seen the chemical weapons story before, only for the west to back down and refuse to investigate every time the Syrian "opposition" makes allegations the Government has used chemical weapons, when it then becomes obvious that the Government would not, did not, has not, does not and never will deploy chemical weaponry against its own people. Terrorists do, real soldiers do not. Quite apart from all this, why were the "videos" providing "evidence" of this alleged chemical weapons attack posted on August 20, when the attack was supposed to be made in the early hours of August 21? They were certainly not uploaded from Syria. Tanzania: Seven Cheat Death As Aircraft Lands in Lake - Seven people on board a chartered TanzanAir aircraft from Bukoba town to Dar es Salaam, narrowly escaped death when it made an emergency landing in Lake Manyara, Babati, Manyara Region, on Thursday morning. The Arusha Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Liberatus Sabas, told the 'Daily News' in a telephone interview that all the six passengers and the pilot were in good condition. The plane developed mechanical problems in one of its engines and the pilot decided to make an emergency landing on the waters of Lake Manyara. The passengers were rescued by fishermen who rushed them to Selian Hospital for treatment. Tanzania: Dar, Maputo Move to Control Illegal Timber Trade - ILLEGAL loggers operating between the Tanzania and Mozambique border have been put on notice, following implementation of an agreement signed between the two governments to beef up measures against illegal cross-border timber trade. Tanzania: Citibank Demands Billions From Oil Firm Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) By Faustine Kapama, 19 August 2013 - CITIBANK Tanzania Limited has filed a legal suit at the High Court's Commercial Division, against

21 MPS Oil Tanzania Limited and its two officials, Amran Mohamed Talib and Asile Sleyum Mousud, demanding an unpaid 2,565,150.54 US dollars (about 4.1bn/-) loan. According to the plaint, the facilities comprised of letters of credit and an on demand overdraft facility for the aggregate value of 4,500,000 US dollars. It is claimed that the terms and conditions of the facilities were accepted by the Company on June 11, 2012. The facilities were secured by a debenture (agreement on debt) issued by the Company to the Bank creating a fixed and floating charges over all its assets, a personal guarantee of payment duly executed by Mr Talib, the Company's Director, in favour of the Bank. It is claimed further that a third party mortgage dully executed by Ms Mousud, who is Company Secretary, over her immovable property on Plot Number 60 Block A at Kimbiji area in Dar es Salaam with Title Number 59143. "The (Company) is in breach of and in non compliance with the terms and conditions of the facility letter. The (Company) has defaulted in repayment of the facilities by refusing, neglecting and, or otherwise failing to repay the facilities," part of the plaint of the suit reads. It is claimed that the Company's indebtedness to the Bank as at June 28, this year, stood at 2,565,150.54 US dollars, which continues to accrue interests at the agreed rate until payment in full. The bank demands the said amount being debt outstanding and due from the Company. "The plaintiff (Bank) states that the first defendant (Company) is liable as principal borrower and the second defendant (Talib) and third defendant (Mousud) are jointly and severally liable with the first defendant pursuant to their respective covenants," the plaints of the suit states. In their joint written statement of defence filed by Apex Attorneys Advocates, the defendants, however, request the court to dismiss the suit with costs, but admitted to have been offered the loan facility of 4.5 million US dollars and had provided guarantees. The defendants alleged that the demand of 2, 565,150.54 US dollars was, nevertheless, baseless because it was the Bank who breached the banking facilities and that there was nowhere in the plaint of the suit alleging that the Company utilized the banking facilities. It is alleged that after having executed the banking facilities agreement and executed the securities, the Company instructed the Bank to open letters of credit for the imported petroleum products within the contracted limit, but the Bank refused to do so in total breach of the banking facilities. The defendants have, therefore, raised a counter claim, demanding from the Bank specific damages of 189,648.69 US dollars and 1,307,940,382/43, being extra storage charges, penalty of revenue by the Tanzania Revenue Authority, supplier payments and loss of profit, among others. SO THEN, WHERE IS THE CLAIMED MISSING MONEY-FRAUD-A-LOOMING?? Zambia: Two Bankers Nabbed for Fraud - TWO Barclays Bank employees in Lusaka have been arrested for theft by servant and fraudulent false accounting involving K102,325. Zimbabwe: Mugabe Rejects SADC Vehicles ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT By Elias Mambo, 23 August 2013 APPARENTLY fearing for his life, President Robert Mugabe last week rejected the use of Sadc vehicles during the just-ended 33rd Sadc heads of state and government summit held in Lilongwe, Malawi, citing security reasons, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal. Sources said Mugabe was paranoid and did not want to accept a Sadc-hired Mercedes Benz because most European countries enjoy good relations with Malawi so chances of an ambush by locally based agents were high. FROM ONE WHO KNOWS HOW ‘ACCIDENTS’ ARE CREATED ZIMBABWE: Meikles to Lay Off 55 Workers - MEIKLES STORES says it will lay off 55 workers in Harare and Gweru as the retail giant continues making losses since the advent of dollarisation four years ago. YOU CAN’T RIG THE ECONOMY

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