Sudafrica

  • US sanctions alleged IS financiers based in South Africa

    The US has warned that Islamic State (IS) members in South Africa are playing a key role in transferring money to the group’s branches across the continent.

    This comes after the US imposed sanctions against four alleged Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) and Isis-Mozambique (Isis-M) facilitators based in South Africa.

    Among the four men is alleged Durban Isis cell leader, Farhad Hoomer. He was arrested in 2018, but later released along with his associates, for their alleged involvement in a plan to deploy improvised explosive devices near a mosque and commercial and retail buildings in the region.

    The case against them was thrown out of court because of delays by the prosecution in submitting evidence. Mr Hoomer was never asked to plead in court and has threatened to sue the state for damages.

    On Tuesday, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also listed three others, aside from Mr Hoomer, as being sanctioned including one Ethiopian and one Tanzanian national.

    They are allegedly linked to recruitment, robberies, kidnapping and extortion. They have not commented on the accusations.

    The OFAC has said that IS members and associates in South Africa are “playing an increasingly central role in facilitating the transfer of funds from the top of the ISIS hierarchy to branches across Africa”.

    They say IS has recently attempted to “expand its influence in Africa through large-scale operations in areas where government control is limited”.

    The sanctions mean the four men are effectively blocked from doing business with the United States.

    In response to the sanctions, South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has urged the country’s finance minister to act against terrorism financing.

    It said in a statement that “South Africa’s robust financial system should not be a safe haven for terrorism, nor should it be subject to abuse by terrorists who harm innocent people on our continent and abroad”.

  • Luci e colori dal Sudafrica per il Fuorisalone 2019 a Milano

    Anche quest’anno, per il Fuorisalone, Cape Best, il luogo a  Milano in cui incontrare tutta la bellezza del Sudafrica, si ispira alla tradizione Ndebele, che caratterizza le case con disegni geometrici, luci e colori brillanti, simbolo di un’intensa comunicazione tra persona e abitazione.

    Cape Best presenta una casa in cui le luci vengono interpretate da Ngwenya Glass con le sue lampade in vetro soffiato dai differenti e vivaci colori e dalle innovative forme cilindriche, e dalle lampade Round Round, in legno lavorato a mano a creare originali forme circolari.

    Cape Best inserisce nella sua casa Ndebele anche la poltroncina “Love Story”, che con il tessuto dell’artista Wonderboy rappresenta un’interpretazione suggestiva dei tratti e dei colori dell’arte africana.

    Non possono poi mancare i tessuti di Carole Nevin, espressione fedele dell’arte Ndebele, e i coloratissimi animali creati a mano in perline di MonkeyBiz. Questa collezione colorata affianca la consolidata offerta di cornici in antichi legni recuperati di Luna Design.

    L’appuntamento per gli appassionati e i curiosi e nella shop gallery in corso Garibaldi 44, dal 9 al 14 aprile, dalle ore 10.00 alle ore 20.00.

  • Il Sudafrica nel cuore di Milano durante il Fuorisalone2018

    Anche quest’anno Cape Best racconta il Sud Africa con i suoi colori, i suoi sapori, la sua arte in occasione del Fuorisalone2018 (Milano 17-22 aprile). E lo fa con nuove proposte provenienti anche da altri Paesi africani che affiancheranno quelle di artisti e designer che da tempo animano, con le loro creazioni, scaffali e angoli di questo locale per amatori e non solo. In occasione della kermesse milanese verrà presentato Lisa Firer Design, team di artiste di Città del Capo che sotto la guida della designer Lisa Firer realizza a mano preziosi oggetti in porcellana.
    Altra novità le lampade di Ngwenya Glass dello Swaziland, realtà riconosciuta internazionalmente per la creatività ed accuratezza nella lavorazione del vetro.
    Da segnalare ancora i geniali sgabelli/contenitori di Pedersen+Lennard di Woodstock, Città del Capo, presentati in occasione del Fuorisalone 2018 con nuove sedute ricoperte con tessuti Ardmore, fortemente caratterizzati ed iconici dell’arte africana. Con Ardmore, realtà creata nel Kwazulu Natal (Sudafrica) dall’artista Fée Halsted nativo dello Zimbabwe, collaborano molti artisti locali, che insieme e sotto la guida di Fée, danno vita ad una comunità artistica ben conosciuta in Sudafrica e nel mondo, per la grande forza espressiva delle sue creazioni.
    Non mancheranno nell’esposizione di Cape Best le affascinanti cornici in legno recuperato di Luna Designs, gli eleganti attaccapanni-sculture in legno di John Vogel, i divertenti e coloratissimi animali di MonkeyBiz, e naturalmente i pregiati vini provenienti da alcune cantine secolari del Western Cape.
    Il duo di designer CARA\DAVIDE ha collaborato alla realizzazione dell’allestimento e, grazie a MiBACT, Mosca Partners e MIA Photo Fair, organizzatori della mostra AfricaAfrica tenutasi a Palazzo Litta a marzo, saranno presenti da Cape Best alcuni dei nuovi artisti e designer. Tra questi Siwa Mgoboza di Cape Town, con i suoi lavori fotografici e tessili della serie “Les Etres d’Africadia” in cui incorpora “isiShweshe”, un abito sudafricano ivi portato dagli Inglesi e proveniente dalla cultura indiana, e Jean Servais Somian della Costa d’Avorio, con la stupefacente panca scolpita a mano in legno di palma di cocco “Banc Mechoi”, che si impone per la sua essenzialità ed eleganza. Presenti anche due artisti del metallo, provenienti entrambi dal Burkina Faso: Ousmane Kouyate con il suo armadio di metallo smaltato “Colonne Wemtenga” ed Evariste Ouedraogo con i suoi piatti di metallo “Leo Plats” ricavati dai barili del petrolio.
    Appuntamento allora, in un tripudio di colori e fantasia, nella shop gallery Cape Best in corso Garibaldi 44, tutti i giorni dalle 10.00 alle 20.00.

  • Banned by his own: the fall of South Africa’s Zuma

    South African police minister Fikile Mbalula denied speculation on Wednesday that President Jacob Zuma could be arrested as part of a series of police raids targeting the Guptas, a family of businessmen of Indian origin accused of corrupt links to Zuma.

    South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) party executive committee has decided to “recall” or remove President Jacob Zuma as head of state, on Tuesday, after a 13-hour meeting of the party’s top leadership.

    Since Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was elected party leader in December, Zuma has faced mounting calls from his party to end his scandal-plagued second term due to run out mid-2019. The party’s executive committee has the authority to order Zuma to step down as head of state, although there is domestic media speculation that he might yet refuse. Zuma said on Wednesday that the order by the ANC that he step down as head of state was “unfair” as the party had not spelled out what he had down wrong.

    “I don’t think it is fair, I think it is unfair.” He stopped short of saying he would not stand down as president, but added: “There’s nothing I’ve done wrong.”

    The Secretary-General of South Africa’s African National Congress, Ace Magashule, said on Tuesday the party would deal with the issue should President Jacob Zuma refuse to step down as head of state as ordered by his party.

    “We will deal with that matter,” Magashule said when asked by reporters what the party would do if Zuma refused to heed the edict from his party.

    Zuma, in power since 2009 and beset by corruption allegations, has been in a weakened position since Deputy President Ramaphosa replaced him as ANC leader in December. Ramaphosa has talked of a transition of power since he took over as leader of the ANC. The 75-year-old Zuma has been South Africa’s most controversial president since the end of white-minority rule in 1994, overseeing a tumultuous nine years marked by economic decline and numerous allegations of corruption.

    Zuma also faces another no-confidence vote against his leadership in parliament on Feb. 22, brought by the ultra-left Economic Freedom Fighters party.

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