South African Woman fined $10,000 for Facebook Claptrap

A court in the southeastern Kwa-Zulu Natal province this Friday found Penny Sparrow guilty of “hate speech” and said the money would go to a charity that promotes cultural and heritage issues. Sparrow complained about black people littering beaches in Durban during New Year’s celebrations. Her comments sparked a storm of protest, prompting the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to approach an “equality court” — special tribunals set up to hear discrimination, harassment and hate speech cases. “Her words convey the message both explicitly and implicitly to the reader that black people are not worthy of being described as human beings,” said magistrate Irfaan Khalil. The court was told that Sparrow did not attend the hearing because she was sick and also feared for her safety. The government welcomed the decision, with the Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa tweeting that the “ruling serves as a warning to those who perpetuate racism.” Divisions along racial lines remain strong in South Africa 22 years after Nelson Mandela came to power vowing national reconciliation following the end of white-minority rule. A white High Court judge was placed on special leave last month over Facebook remarks linking rape and black culture, in one of a series of social media controversies.

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US Demands Immediate End To South Sudan Fighting

The United States demanded an immediate end to renewed fighting in the capital of South Sudan on Sunday, ordering all non-essential personnel out of the troubled country. "The United States strongly condemns the latest outbreak of fighting in Juba today between forces aligned with President Salva Kiir Mayardit and those aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, including reports we have that civilian sites may have been attacked," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

Prisoner escapes in Benin city

An inmate on Wednesday morning escaped from the court where he was taken to for his trial. The unidentified inmate, escaped from the watchful eyes of prison officials who took him and other inmates to court. The prisoner, an awaiting trial inmate in Oko medium prison, Benin, escaped at the premises of the state high court, Benin. A prison official who spoke with The reporter under the condition of anonymity, said prison warders have been sent to go after the escaped prisoner. Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Edo command of the Nigerian Prison Services (NPS), Mr Aminu Suleiman declined speaking to journalists on it. The spokesman, who could neither deny nor confirm the report, said he was not in a position to speak on the issue. Suleiman said that the state commander of the NPS, Mr Effiom Etowa, was out of the state on official assignment.

Buhari Considers Hadiza Bala Usman As Head Of NPA

Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, has submitted Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman’s name to President Muhammadu Buhari to take over as the new managing director of NPA, says Reporter.Should Buhari approve the recommendation, Ms. Bala Usman, 40, will become the first female chief executive of a top tier federal government agency and of the NPA. She shall take over from Alhaji Habib Abdullahi, who was reinstated by Buhari in August 2015 as the managing director of NPA, after he had been shown the exit by former President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2015.

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