African press review 23 June 2017

President Zuma feels the heat as South Africa's highest court rules law makers' secret "no confidence" ballot constitutional. Raila Odinga takes battle over elections material contract to Kenya's highest court.

We begin in South Africa where a ruling by the country's highest court may spell doom for beleaguered President Jacob Zuma who is facing a motion of no confidence for a cabinet reshuffle that led to a downgrade of the country’s credit rating to junk status.

Opposition parties believe it was Zuma's dismissal of finance minister Pravin Gordhan which sparked a loss of confidence in the economy and the resulting recession and have been clamouring for a secret ballot by Parliament to impeach Zuma.

But as Mail and Guardian reports that National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete argued that neither the constitution nor the rules of the National Assembly allowed her to prescribe a secret ballot.

Times Live says the ConCourt in a unanimous ruling stated on Thursday that the Speaker of the National Assembly effectively has the constitutional power to prescribe that voting rules.

According to the Sowetan, whichever position National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete takes on the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma‚ she will have to provide “sound reasoning“.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga‚ tells the paper that the Constitutional Court's ruling constrains Mbete's space to maneuver‚ making it very difficult for her not to allow a secret motion.

Opposition parties have been calling for a secret ballot as they believe there are members of the ANC who are tired of Zuma’s troubles with the Guptas and the manner that his administration is handling state-owned entities.

Cape Times argues that the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma is an opportunity for ANC MPs to redeem themselves in their constituencies.

In Kenya the Standard leads with the launch of a legal battle by opposition leader Raila Odinga to stop a ballot printing tender.

According to the newspaper the Presidential candidate of the National Super Alliance (NASA) made true his threats Thursday when he filed a suit to block the tender awarded to a Dubai firm by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)

The Star reports that in the case file NASA seeks to cancel the tender on account of alleged fraud and accused IEBC of ignoring voices of suspicion and fear over the involvement of the firm, Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC, in the electoral process and alleged links to the Kenyatta family.

Daily Nation however reports that High Court has asked the country's Chief Justice to appoint a three-judge bench to hear and determine the matter.

The Tribunal reportedly noted that the matter raises weighty issues touching on the Constitution and fair administration of justice, and is also of great public interest and should be urgently determined.

The case filed by the National Super Alliance will be heard on Tuesday next week and parties are required to file their responses expeditiously, according to Daily Nation.

In Nigeria several newspapers relay a message from the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, saying Nigeria will not only overcome the prevailing hate-filled agitations but will also remain one united country.

This was after a coalition of northern youth groups gave ethnic Igbos living in the northern parts of the country up to October 1, 2017 to quit or face the consequences. Igbos are clamouring for a separatist Biafra State.

Punch says the Sultan launched an appeal from his Sokoto palace to Nigerians to sit down and find out what really went wrong so as to sort things out.

Meanwhile, the the governors of 24 States made a grim admission on Thursday that they share responsibility  for the weak governance behind the current wave of separatist agitations in the country.

Vanguard reports that the governors, who are members of the ruling Progressive party issued the statement after a meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

They reportedly blamed the dwindling fortunes of the economy as well as poor law enforcement mechanisms for the agitations, according to the newspaper.