A Pennsylvania school district is considering putting body cameras on its school resource officers after an officer was caught on camera tasing a student while the principal of the school held his head down.

Surveillance video released Tuesday showed Ahmad Williams sitting in the office at Woodland Hills High School when Churchill Police Officer Steve Shaulis puts his finger in the 15-year-old boy’s face and then follows him out into the hall, where Williams’ attorney said that he “taunted” the teen.

When the boy responded to the taunts, the office grabbed him by the collar and put him into a chokehold, dragging him down the hall away from the camera before slamming him to the ground. That’s when Woodland Hills High School Principal Kevin Murray stepped in to help hold Williams’ head down while Shaulis tasered the boy.

“Shaulis tased him a number of times and handcuffed him,” attorney Todd Hollis said in a statement. “After handcuffing the child, Shaulis lifted the child up off the ground by his handcuffs and took him back into his office, where he continued to assault the child. The child was later charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. After presenting the attached video in court, the student’s charge for resisting arrest was dismissed.”

Hollis said that this is not the only incident that the school has seen, citing an incident when one student was called a vulgar slur by an administrator and another when a teen was “interrogated” about a cell phone that had gone missing and was dragged into a camera-less room, slammed into a wall, and had his front tooth knocked out.

Now, the Woodland Hills School District is considering having its school resource officers wear body cameras.

“The idea of course is that a body camera will create greater accountability for everyone involved with a school resource officer,” Superintendent Alan Johnson told the Tribune-Review in an email. “It of course provides accountability for the officer but it also helps provide a clearer picture of the circumstances that surround a confrontation between a student resource officer and a student or staff member and we believe that can only help in understanding the contexts of these often difficult situations.”


Source:http://howafrica.com/shocking-video-shows-15-yr-old-black-student-being-tased-choked-by-white-cop-his-tooth-knocked-out/

Racist flyer “around Blacks never relax” found on UT Austin campus a day after stabbing

The day after a mentally ill black student stabbed four students on the UT Austin campus, killing one person, a racist flyer was found on the campus.

The flyer was posted on an emergency call box and showed a picture of a black man holding a knife in a threatening manner with the caption, “Around blacks…never relax!” as well as a Neo-Nazi website address.

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UT Austin President Gregory Fenves responded with a letter to students and faculty shortly after the flyer was discovered.

“The words and ideas on these fliers are deeply offensive and we are working to completely remove them,” he wrote. “If these difficult times it is even more important for the campus community to come together. We will not tolerate the actions of those who seek to divide us.”

The stabbing itself had happened the day before, and rumors were swirling that the perpetrator, Kendrex J. White, had specifically targeted white people, though police immediately refuted those claims as a “conspiracy.”


Source:http://howafrica.com/around-blacksnever-relax-racist-flyer-found-on-ut-austin-campus-a-day-after-stabbing/

An Oregon Black woman, Kara Steven says she was assaulted with bricks by three white men and called ‘stupid n*gger bitch.’

An Oregon woman’s trip to a Safeway the day after Donald Trump’s election turned into a racist attack she will never forget, The Grio states.

Kara Stevens was walking through the parking lot when a brick hit her in the abdomen, and she started to have trouble breathing.

“I just thought to myself, if I pass out from not being able to breathe and I hit the ground, it’s over,” Stevens said.

“I heard someone yell ‘Stupid n***** b****,’” she said. “Then they yelled ‘Are you scared? Are you scared now? Because you should be,’ and then they said ‘Now we got a president who finally feels how we feel.’”

Kara Stevens, 28, who is a Black woman, said she was at the store to buy a handful of items but never made it into the store, accrding to KGW.

“All of a sudden, I felt this sharp pain,” said Stevens. “I looked down and saw someone had thrown a concrete brick at me. If you’ve ever had the wind knocked out of you, it was that type of feeling.”

While doubled over in pain and clutching her side, Stevens said the three men came closer to her.

“I legitimately was coming to terms with the fact that I was probably going to die,” she said.

Stevens said the men hurled racial slurs at her and several threats.

“Just turn her into our s*x slave,” Stevens recalled one of the men saying. “‘When we’re done with her, we could string her up by a tree or something.’“

The Oregon Black woman, Stevens said during the attack, the men also mentioned Donald Trump, saying “this is what would make America great again,” before driving off in a black mid-nineties sedan.

“I just saw a Trump Pence ‘Make America Great Again’ bumper sticker, that’s all I caught,” Stevens said.

That afternoon, Stevens said a friend took her to the doctor because she was in pain, her side badly bruised.

On Monday morning, Stevens filed a criminal report with Hillsboro Police. She said it took her a few days to contact police because she was so shaken up. She said she hopes those who know the

men who hurt her, will do the right thing.

“Turn them in,” said Stevens. “Don’t let them get away with that. It was me hurt with potentially cracked ribs and contusions this time, but next time it could be someone’s life and you don’t come back from death.”

For those who threw the brick and hurtful words, she had this message:

“Nice try. It’s going to take more than a brick to break me,” said Stevens. “I will not let it break me. I will not let it hold me down. It will not dictate how I live my life. I won’t give them that power.”

Black woman, Stevens said the three men who attacked her were white and in their mid-30s to early 40s.

Anyone with information about this case was asked to call the Hillsboro Police Department at 503-681-6190.

Rouches said that hate crimes are rare in Hillsboro. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in three Hillsboro residents are non-white, and one in five are Latino, according to Breaverton Valley Times.

“We have quietly a diverse community here,” Rouches said. “This sort of thing typically hasn’t happened here.”

Rouches said that until detectives finish their investigation, there is no way for police to comment on whether the attack was politically motivated.

“The question I’ve been getting is whether this is related to the election? Are there people out there who feel emboldened, who think that maybe other minorities don’t have a voice? We don’t know that or if this was politically motivated,” Rouches said. “I am more concerned about the individual person being victimized.”

We have had to deal with the ugly nature of racism long before the campaigns to the presidential election started. There is the need for a call to action by all and especially the law enforcement to flash out such deviants from our society. This should be the focus of the media since that is a guaranteed method to deal with this menace than tagging it to the leader of the country.


Source:http://howafrica.com/stupid-ngger-bitch-black-woman-racially-molested-3-racists/

This video which has gone viral, shows a South African woman standing up to a white man who tried to bully her. The incident happened at Texamo Spur in South Africa on Tuesday March 21st.

According to the woman who shared the video online, she was out having lunch with her children when the white man asked her to warn one of them from touching his daughter.

A shouting match ensued between them and at some point, the white man made an attempt to slap the woman. The restaturant has issued a statement saying the white man has been banned from entering its restaurant nationwide

“The man in the video is not welcome at any Spur restaurant nationally. We do not condone any forms of violence against women or children, irrespective of the circumstances,”the statement read

Watch the video below…




Source:http://howafrica.com/viral-video-white-man-threatens-to-beat-up-black-mother-at-spur-restaurant-in-south-africa/

Cops arrested 20-year-old Arthur Palombo on Thursday, after seeing through his lies and determining the gunshot he suffered near the tennis courts inside Williamsbridge Oval Park off of W. 208th St. and Bainbridge Ave. in Norwood Wednesday was self-inflicted.

Palombo accidentally shot himself in the left side of the stomach about 10:45 p.m., police said. The bullet exited his left flank.

First responders took him to Jacobi Medical Center. He told investigators he went to the park to show an old revolver he had in his apartment to a potential buyer he had met a few weeks earlier.

The buyer, however, shot down the $100 asking price and shot him with the piece as they haggled over the price, he claimed. When pressed, Palombo, who is Hispanic, described the shooter as a black man with a bald head. Cops searched the park and found the revolver.

When Palombo was released from the hospital, he was questioned by detectives again, this time admitting he was by himself and the gun went off accidentally in his jacket pocket.

Prosecutors charged him with weapons possession and filing a false report. A judge ordered him held on $10,000 bail during his arraignment Friday, officials said.

Black men always a criminals in the eyes of people. That picture will always be on us, that’s a systematic racism. People think that that can blame black people for all their trouble, and more often than not it works in our system.


Source:http://howafrica.com/white-man-accidentally-shot-himself-then-blames-black-man/

Ricky Jackson is an African-American man who spent nearly 40 years behind bars in Ohio for a murder he did not commit.

On the discovery of his innocence, he was awarded $2 million from the state for his wrongful imprisonment. A witness had falsely testified against him.

This will not be the first time a black American was lied against in the court house.

A United States report released in April, says that one in every 25 death row inmates in the United States is innocent.

Together with his friend Wiley Bridgeman, Rick Jackson was convicted for the murder of a businessman, Harry Franks on May 19, 1975. Both had served 40 long years in prison paying for a crime they were innocent of.

The 13 year old witness back then in 1975 has retracted his testimony. Report says that the now 53-year old man, Eddie Vernon, confessed to a minister who visited him at the hospital that the 2 black American men were innocent of the murder crime.



Eddie says that he never even witnessed the crime. According to him he was pressured by the Police authorities to lie about the incident.

It is not a hidden fact that blacks in America are arrested more often than any other race. In the present time it has gone far beyond arrests of innocent black citizens.

Quite a good number of blacks in recent times have been gunned down by the American police for no clear cause to do so.

Not many people will be as lucky as Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman. Their exoneration is proof that there is still justice in the world no matter how long it takes.

The Ohio Innocence Project, which took up Ricky and Wiley’s case, is grateful that the duo were finally set free. The Innocence project says that both men were the longest-serving exonerees in US history.

$2 million may never take away the pain of the years but the innocent man expressed his gratitude for it anyway.


Source:http://howafrica.com/african-american-man-ricky-jackson-gets-2-million-after-being-wrongly-convicted-for-nearly-40-years/

A massive fish is set to break the record scale of the price of fishes in an African country, Uganda.

The massive fish in question
There is an ongoing heated debate online concerning the “outrageous” price of a massive fish was which was caught by fishermen recently at Ggaba Landing site in Uganda.
According to a report, the fish which weighed 205Kgs was sold at Shs4.2 million (over $1200 i.e nearly N500,000).

But the price tag did not go down well with online users who are currently debating on the trending photos – with most saying the price should be Shs2.4 million (which is nearly $700 i.e N300,000).
Whatever the actual price is, it still costs more than the new iPhone 7 which costs nearly $700.
See more photos below:




Source:http://howafrica.com/fish-or-mammywater-see-the-massive-fish-caught-in-uganda-set-to-be-sold-at-a-price-more-expensive-than-an-iphone/

Politics in Zimbabwe over the past 35 years have been about Mugabe and it appears it will remain so until the end of his life.

Turmoil could be avoided if Mugabe took a keen interest in who succeeds him and shepherds the process. He could use his immense influence in the party to assure stable leadership in Zimbabwe after his tenure. For instance, he could call a special congress for the election of his successor. Instead of hand-picking a successor, he could encourage internal party democracy, robust debate and campaigning.

This could be a significant legacy to bequeath to the party, and the country. Implemented well, it could become the template for succession in Zanu-PF and set the national democracy project back on track.



But who will succeed Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe? This has been the most important in Zimbabwe over the past few years

1. Emmerson Mnangagwa




From a constitutional and political perspective, Mnangagwa who replaced his bitter rival, Mujuru, who was ousted at the December 2014 Zanu-PF congress and subsequently expelled from Zanu-PF this April, is the most likely successor.

2. Phelekezela Mphoko



There is Mnangagwa’s co-vice-president, Phelekezela Mphoko, a former liberation struggle stalwart and long-serving diplomat, whom Mugabe plucked from obscurity just before congress to appoint as one of his deputies. Mugabe used his new-found sweeping powers that allow him to choose not only his assistants but also the party chairperson and the decision-making politburo members to effect the appointment.

Mphoko does not have a congealed faction, so he floats between the rival groups, although he sometimes sounds and looks like a one-man band intent on self-destructing. Of late, it has become increasingly clear that his guns are trained on Mnangagwa.

3. Gideon Gono



Grace Mugabe is pushing to have former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor, Gideon Gono, succeed her husband as president when he finally retires, according to senior CIO sources in Zimbabwe.

The two families are reportedly exchanging frequent personal visits, and many in Zanu (PF) interpret this as an indication that the latter is being groomed as President Robert Mugabe’s successor. Intelligence sources told The Zimbabwean that Gono’s regular visits to the first family’s Borrowdale home have become more frequent.

4. Grace Mugabe



The first lady has enjoyed a meteoric rise in Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and was recently appointed its secretary for women’s affairs. Photographs of her sitting alongside the president in the cabinet have done little to squash rumours that her 91-year-old husband is seeking to build a political dynasty.

Asked if she would like to be president one day, she laughed and said: “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

The Zimbabwean leadership battle has intensified, with Robert Mugabe, the world’s oldest leader, increasingly frail and Zanu-PF locked in a bitter factional struggle. Last year, his wife made a dramatic entrance on to the political stage, holding a series of rallies and denouncing the vice-president, Joice Mujuru, once seen as a possible contender but since expelled from the party.

“They say I want to be president,” Grace Mugabe said at one event. “Why not? Am I not a Zimbabwean?”

5. Generation 40




Besides Mphoko, there is an amorphous clique associated with Grace, described as Generation40 (G40) and representing the so-called Young Turks in the party. This group comprises ambitious mavericks like Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo, Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Zhuwao.


Source:http://howafrica.com/these-5-men-are-daily-wishing-mugabes-reign-ends-swiftly-they-are-the-eligible-successors-you-wont-believe-4/

Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday administered the oath of office for the country’s second female Chief Justice (CJ) and its thirteenth holder of the post of head of the judicial system.

Justice Sophia Abena Boafo Akuffo, was passed by the country’s Parliament after a vetting process that was held last week. She becomes the fourth most powerful official in Ghana’s governance structure.

Ghana swears in its second successive female Chief Justice
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
Preceding her is the President and his vice-president (Executive), the Speaker of Parliament (Legislature). Justice Akuffo becomes the West African country’s second successive female CJ and the fifth under the current 1992 constitution.

Her swearing in was graced by two former presidents of the country – John Agyekum Kufuor and Jerry John Rawlings. The head of the presidential advisory board (Council of State) and other top government officials were present at the ceremony.

She was nominated by the President weeks ago to occupy the post left by the first female occupant, Georgina Theodora Wood, who retired after serving as Chief Justice for the last decade (2007 – 2017).

The CJ’s duty is to preside over the judiciary but her more visible engagements include swearing-in the President and his vice, the speaker of parliament and all legislators. She also empanels justices for cases at the Superior Courts – the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

During her vetting, she addressed issues relating to mob justice in the country. The most recent case being the lynching of a top soldier after he was mistaken for an armed robber. She said she would adopt a holistic strategy to ensure that people had faith in the judicial service.

She has sat on some of the country’s landmark cases including the presidential election petition of 2012. The then-opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) took results of the polls to court citing irregularities, they however failed to overturn the results.

She also delivered judgment in respect of three radio panelists who threatened judges in the country. She sentenced them to four months in prison but barely a month after their incarceration, then-President John Dramani Mahama granted them pardon.
Here are some facts about Ghana’s new Chief Justice.

She has served as justice of the Supreme Court for the last two decades.
In January 2006, she was elected as one of the first judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
She was re-elected until 2014 when she served as the Vice-President of the court.
She is the immediate past President of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.
Ms Justice Akuffo, holds a master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Harvard, USA.
She has been a justice of the Supreme Court since 1995.
She was the second most senior judge but the seniormost is also expected to retire next year.



Source:http://howafrica.com/ghana-swears-in-its-second-successive-female-chief-justice-read-the-facts-you-need-to-know-about-justice-sophia-abena-boafo-akuffo/

412 Algerian women broke the Guinness World Record on Friday for the largest number of people washing dishes at the same time.

In the presence of an official judge from the world’s authority on record-breaking achievements, the 412 young women each washed two plates at the end of a charity meal offered in Algiers by a dish washing liquid brand, AFP reports.

“You are officially extraordinary!”, announced the judge, Hoda Khachab, who came from Dubai.

He announced the officially beaten record after having duly counted the competitors and verified the cleanliness of the plates.

The new record was set at a solidarity evening titled “Tahla Lemma” (“the joy of meeting” in Arabic), during which approximately 1,000 meals were served to orphans, the elderly and university residents on the occasion of the iftar (dinner for the breaking of fast during the month of Ramadan).

This is the second Guinness World Record broken in Algeria, after 6 tonnes of couscous – the largest in the world – was cooked in Algiers on June 3, 2004.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the previous record was as far back as November 15, 2016 when 300 people had simultaneously washed dishes in the Philippines during an event organized by a major household and hygiene product manufacturer.


Source:http://howafrica.com/412-algerian-women-break-world-record-for-washing-dishes-simultaneously/

These are ten inspirational African women every African can be proud of.

Traditionally, African societies viewed Women as second fiddle to the husband. As a result, any African woman who travels the path of equality or independence will find it a road less travelled.

The following women inspire hope and a promise of a greater tomorrow among young black ladies who have historically suffered from a lack of female role models.

History will remember these powerful African women for their achievement. Their works will greatly inspire upcoming generations, and their journey shall encourage others to travel their path.
10. Alengot Oromait



“I used to say way back that I want to become the President of Uganda”. – Proscovia Alengot Oromait

In 2012, Alengot Oromait decided to contest the National Resistance Movement primary elections to replace her late father. She was elected Member of Parliament for Usuk County, Katakwi District in Uganda with 54.2% of the vote. Proscovia Alengot Oromait became a member of the Ugandan Parliament at age 20; she is the youngest parliamentarian in Africa. Alengot Oromait is an inspiration to women and young Africans around the world.
9. Saran Kaba Jones



“I decided to focus specifically on water because the issue of water really crosses all aspects of development, it affects education, it affects health, it affects gender issues, so for me there was nothing more basic than the issue of water so I decided to make that my cause.” – Saran Kaba Jones

Saran Kaba Jones is a clean water advocate and social entrepreneur from Liberia. She founded FACE Africa, a nonprofit organisation that provides marginalised communities with clean and safe drinking water for thousands of Liberians. Sara Kaba Jones is not just making Africa proud, but she is enriching the life of people in her country through her foundation.
8. Lupita Nyong’o



“It’s only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you’re not expressing the utmost of your human experience”. –Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o came to the spotlight in 2014 due to her performance in her role as Patsey in Steve McQueen 12 years a slave. Her role earned her 25 awards from 2013 to 2014, including the prestigious Oscar award. Lupita Nyong’o is now a well-respected brand ambassador of Africa. She has remained true to her colour, roots, and she is regarded as one of the most influential African women.
7. Mimi Alemayehou



I don’t believe there is such a thing as a perfect position or a dead-end job. At every step, you learn. Life is a journey of learning.” – Mimi Alemayehou

Mimi Alemayehou has held several top roles in both George Bush and Barack Obama’s government. Ms Alemayehou is credited as one of the architects of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative to increase energy access across Africa. The Ethiopia-Born Mimi continues to prove to the world that, there is more to Africa than poverty and foreign aids.
6. Uzo Aduba



“If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.” – Uzo Aduba

Uzo Aduba, popularly known as “crazy eyes” has been actively involved in several movies and short films. She gained major recognition and won several awards for her role as crazy eyes in the television drama – Orange is the new black. She won 4 awards for her role in Orange is the new black. Uzo Aduba is a source of motivation and inspiration to the African film industry.
5. Dambisa Moyo



“I wish we questioned the aid model as much as we are questioning the capitalism model. Sometimes the most generous thing you can do is just say no.” ― Dambisa Moyo

Dambisa is a Zambian born international economist and author. She has served in top roles such as Barclays Bank, SABMiller and Barrick Gold. She also worked for two years at the World Bank and eight years at Goldman Sachs before becoming an author and international speaker. Dambisa is an accomplished economist; she is a source of pride and inspiration to Zambia and Africa as a whole.
4. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie



“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been called “the most prominent” of a “procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors [that] is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature.”Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has received prestigious awards for her literary works; BBC Short Story Award, The O. Henry Prize, the David T. Wong International Short Story Prize, Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, Orange Prize for Fiction and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award to mention a few. Globally, Chimamanda Adichie is regarded as one of the most powerful voices on women issues.
3. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala



“When I became finance minister, they called me Okonjo-Wahala – or ‘Trouble Woman.’ It means ‘I give you hell.’ But I don’t care what names they call me. I’m a fighter; I’m very focused on what I’m doing, and relentless in what I want to achieve, almost to a fault. If you get in my way, you get kicked”.- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

In her first role as finance minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala led the team that negotiated an $18 billion debt write-off from the Paris Club in 2005. Okonjo-Iweala also introduced the practice of publishing the monthly financial allocation to each state from the federal government in the newspapers. She played an important part in Nigeria obtaining its first ever sovereign credit rating (of BB minus) from Fitch and Standard & Poors. The Harvard-educated economist has risen to become one of the most respected economists in the world; she is an inspiration and a pride of Africa.
2. Folorunsho Alakija



“It’s essential to draw up a “things to do” list on a daily basis and set priorities in executing them, making sure that any unfinished task get posted to the next day’s list”. – Folorunsho Alakija

In May 1993, Folorunsho Alakija’s Famfa Oil was awarded an oil prospecting license for one of the most lucrative oil blocks in Nigeria thanks to her relationship with the first lady of Nigeria at the time, Maryam Babangida. Since then, she has become the richest woman in Nigeria and the second richest black woman in the world. Folorunsho Alakija is widely regarded as one of the most inspirational women in Africa and the world at large.
1. Isabel dos Santos



“I think there’s lots of people with family connections but who are actually nowhere. If you’re hard-working and determined, you will make it, and that’s the bottom line. I don’t believe in an easy way through.” – Isabel dos Santos

Isabel dos Santos is the oldest daughter of Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. She owns significant stakes in several top companies in Angola. Forbes puts Isabel dos Santos net worth at $3.4 Billion, which makes her the richest woman in Africa and the richest black woman in the world.


Source:http://howafrica.com/these-are-the-10-most-inspirational-african-women-check-out-their-achievements-and-mantras/
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Prophet Sheperd Bushiri is undoubtedly one of the richest pastors in Africa and founder of Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG).





The man of God has three private jets, which he got in two years. The jets are not only for personal use, they are part of his company, SB Airways fleet, a lucrative VIP travel airways. See photos of them below:






In a January 6, 2016, during the ceremony celebrating the pastor’s purchase of a Gulf Stream III, Bushiri claimed: “I am what God says I am. I was born a winner. This goes to people who understand my vision. This is not for me but to those who believe in better things,” according to local media.

Bushiri posted photos of his acquisition, which sells for about $37 million, on Facebook with the caption: “My third jet in two years.”

God is great!


Source:http://howafrica.com/in-photos-a-look-into-the-luxury-lifestyle-of-one-of-africas-richest-pastors-he-acquires-3-private-jets-in-2-years/

Being a dictator can’t be easy. All the ruling, the intimidating, and the killing will certainly take its toll on even the strongest of men. That, unfortunately, doesn’t mean that there is a shortage of dictators. In fact, there are more dictators than you likely think, and most of them are living like kings.

Although their leadership styles and personalities may be different, there is one very sizable similarity that all of the men below share. Each and every one of them is extremely wealthy – to the point where it becomes nearly comical (think Scrooge McDuck). While imagining Kim Jong-Un plunge head-first into a swimming pool of gold coins is an amusing image, there’s hardly anything to laugh about.

These dictators have lined their pockets with thick layers of cash at the expense of the people they should be helping. In this article, we will cover 10 of these quasi-kings and try to shine some light on their lives of luxury and remarkable opulence – starting our poorest contender.
#10 – Robert Mugabe ($10 Million)

Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve never heard the name, Mugabe is likely the most “low-key” of dictators that this list will cover. Robert Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe, and he reportedly has a net worth of over $10 million. While $10 million might not cause you to fall off your chair, it’s worth much more in Zimbabwe dollars. Zimbabwe is infamous for their extremely low GDP per capita. In 2013, as measured in United States Dollars, the GDP per capita was just over $950. To put that into perspective, the GDP per capita in the US was over $53,000 in that same year.

So, how is it that the president of Zimbabwe is living like a king while the rest of the population suffers in poverty? Well, Mugabe’s journey can be easily described as “hero to tyrant”. During his early years, he helped bring freedom to the fellow Zimbabweans, but, unfortunately, the power did not do him any good. Over the years, Mugabe has committed many crimes against human rights, and he is infamously known for referring to homosexuals as “worse than dogs and pigs.”
#9 – Denis Sassou Nguesso ($200-400 Million)

It’s hard to find a solid number when it comes to Congolese President’s net worth. That being said, his piles of wealth are estimated to fall somewhere in the $200 – $400 million range. Even if we assume that the real figure is closer to the lower end of the bracket, $200 million remains a number that most of us cannot even comprehend.

Nguesso has “earned” his millions by exploiting his oil-rich country. The money that he has made of the rich exports went to line his pockets instead of improving the quality of life for his citizens. The President and his family have (reportedly) been spending millions upon millions while traveling. His recent stay at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City has cost him over $400,000 – a bill that Nguesso likely didn’t even blink at.

His family doesn’t lag far behind in their spending. Nguesso Jr. has been spending quite lavishly as well – throwing daddy’s dollars around left and right. Credit card statements show extravagant purchases of quality cotton designed by the likes of Louis Vuitton and Roberto Cavalli.
#8 – Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo ($600 Million)

-Nguema-MbasogoWhen you’re worth over $600 million the difficulty of pronouncing your name doesn’t matter in the slightest. This dictator took the popular approach to wealth (oil) and put a slight twist on it. His rise to power (and subsequently great wealth) began when he suspiciously took over the national treasury to avoid corruption from government officials.

If you had $600 million at your disposal what would you do? Well, Teddy answers that question by parading his fleet of high-end automobiles. His garage stores the finest of cars, amongst which can be found – Bugatti’s, Maseratis and Bentleys. Besides his strong love for cars, Mbasogo also has an eye for architecture. The millionaire dictator owns an elite six-story building in Paris.

The lavish lifestyle isn’t exclusive to Teodoro alone. His family are also not strangers to any whim of their imagination. Last year, his oldest son spent a reported $80,000 at Gucci and over $50,000 and Dolce & Gabbana – in just a month.
#7 – Islam Karimov ($1 Billion)

Next on our list is another “president”. Islam Karimov has been the president of Uzbekistan for more than two decades. During his time as president, Karimov has been noted as making the country his family business. Over the years, he has been accused countlessly for various human right violations, but money clearly clouds all moral judgment. While profiting off of the country, Karimov was able to amass an impressive net worth of a reported $1 billion.

Using his daughters to disperse his wealth all over the world, Karimov is planning for a future in which his family may need to flee Uzbekistan. The money doesn’t sit idle, though, as Karimov’s youngest spawn has recently purchased an estate in Beverly Hills, California. The super modest lodging features three kitchens, a full out spa, and a 60-foot infinity pool, among many other luxurious amenities. Worry not, though, a similar fortress can be yours for just $58 million.
#6 -Ali Bongo Ondimba (Over $1 Billion)

Just like the majority of the men listed above, it’s impossible to say how much the Gabonese President, Ali Ondimba, is actually worth. Many estimates, however claim that the man is worth more than a quarter of his country’s total GDP. It’s both frightening and impressive that one man was able to singlehandedly embezzle 25% (if not more) of a country’s gross domestic product.

The embezzled cash doesn’t sit in a swiss bank earning some serious interest. Quite the opposite, actually – Ondimba and his family are no strangers to lavish spending. Ali owns a ridiculous townhouse in Paris that sits on one acre of land in the very heart of the city of love. His 14 bedroom “cottage” contains some super extravagant amenities – amongst which is a tennis court, a swimming pool, and plenty of parking for guests.
#5 – Bashar al-Assad ($1.5 Billion)

you’ve found the fact that Mr. Ondimba owns a quarter of the nation’s GDP impressive, then Bashar will surely blow you out of the water. The Syrian President owns somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of Syria’s total assets. According to Business Insider, al-Assad also holds over a billion in assets in Hong Kong and Russia.

The al-Assad family has been in power for over 4 decades – over the years the family has clearly managed to maximize their profits. When not oppressing his citizens the President, along with his family loves to travel and spend his hard earned dollars. His wife – Asma has quite a fashion taste, and Bashar has to break bank to please her. The first lady has previously made headlines when she was spending millions on extravagant goods while the Syrian police fired tear gas at the demonstrators.
#4 – Saddam Hussein ($2 Billion)

Hussein was the fifth President of Iraq and had a net worth of an estimated $2 billion prior to his death in 2006. Hussein had a love for palaces, and he intended to build one in every city – in an effort of reminding the Iraqi people of his power. Because of this little project, Hussein’s palace collection accounts for more than 70 astonishing palaces.

While these works of art certainly looked great on the outside, the decor was always a match. In these palaces, one would find mirrored bedrooms, gold toilets, gold toilet paper holders and lamps shaped as women. Most of these palaces sat on vast areas of land – some of which was used to build gigantic zoo’s that would house cheetahs and lions. Arguably, these cheetahs likely lived better than an average Iraqi at the time of Hussein’s reign. It was revealed that at the time Hussein was in power, the GDP per capita was an incredibly low $2,000.
#3 – Kim Jong-Un ($5 Billion)

UnCreating a “top dictator” list of any kind is impossible without at least a mention of North Korea’s lovely Kim Jong-Un. This nearly cartoonish villain is most often spotted wearing a black suit coat and a frown. Contrary to nearly every photograph you’ve seen of the dear leader, his luxurious lifestyle is much more exciting than suggested.

Since Kim is worth over $5 billion, he can throw a few bucks towards having a good time and enjoying the finer things – like alcohol, for example. In one year alone, Jong-Un has reportedly spent over $33 million on alcohol, and more than $600 million on importing luxury goods onto the country (watches, mostly).

Besides his love for fancy watches and quality booze, Kim also has a need for speed. Calling his garage impressive would be an insult. From classic Mercedes-Benz sedans to fancy supercars, Jong-Un has it all while his citizens are forced to suffer in poverty. For some contrast – consider that an average North Korean earns a mere $1500 a year.
#2 – Hosni Mubarak ($70 Billion)

Estimating net worth is a task that becomes increasingly more difficult as the person’s wealth grows more and more. Such is the case with the former Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak. Depending on where you turn, many estimates can be found – with some sources reporting a fortune nearing $70 billion.

Apparently, Mubarak has made his money through military contracts and legitimate business activities – a claim that is quite hard to believe. Then again, how hard can it be to skim off the top on all projects taking place within a country when you happen to be the president of said country?

Much like the rest of the dictators on this list, Mubarak was said to enjoy an opulent lifestyle while the rest of his country was filled with unemployed citizens and barely living wages. Mubarak owns many luxurious properties scattered around the world – most notable of which is likely the six-story Knightsbridge mansion in London, England.
#1 – Muammar Gaddafi (Over $100 Billion)

Even if you aren’t familiar with many names on this list, Muammar Gaddafi is a name you’ve likely heard – and for good reason, too. In his prime, Gaddafi was one of therichest people to ever live – with estimates of his net worth reaching upwards of $200 billion. After his death, investigators found over $67 billion in Europe and America and hypothesized that he had another $40 or so billion elsewhere. Unbeknownst to anyone, Gaddafi has been sending tens of billions of dollars abroad for many years.

So, what does one do when given access to a virtually infinite supply of cash? Well, in reality – just like the cash – the opportunities are endless. Muammar has considered himself somewhat of a fashion icon, a fact that has led him to changing his outfit multiple times a day. Often time the dictator could be spotted wearing all gold everything (he even had a gold gun).

Besides clothes, Gaddafi had a few other vices. Some of his money has been allocated to buying beautiful real estate properties. Among the long list of his properties is an incredibly beautiful London mansion. The 8 bedroom house is riddled with amenities, among which entertainment isn’t hard to find. While, buying millions of dollars worth of real estate is quite impressive, buying several hundred million dollars worth of private jets is just a tad more so.

It’s no secret that money tends to cloud people’s judgement, and assuming that’s the case with the men, it comes as no surprise that some of them are downright crazy.

Between tropical getaways, supercars, Paris apartments and extravagant palaces – these dictators have it all. Although the means by which these men have amassed their great fortunes are more than questionable, it’s still hard not to get anvious.

After all, it’s good to be king.


Source:http://howafrica.com/in-photos-top-10-dictators-that-took-living-like-kings-to-a-whole-new-level/

A man in Mozambique’s southern province of Inhambane had to pay the traditional bride price, locally known as “lobolo”, for a dead woman at the weekend, Mozambique’s state radio reports.

After the woman died due to complications during childbirth, her relatives forced her young partner to pay the “lobolo”, warning that she would not be buried otherwise.

The relatives accused the young man of failing to fulfil his obligations, including being introduced to the woman’s relatives, before the tragedy occurred.

To ensure that the funeral took place, the young man says he had to buy clothes and shoes for his dead wife, agree to pay more than $800 (£630), and hold a symbolic wedding ceremony on 15 December.

A brother to the young man, Irmao do Jovem, explained their dilemma:

We tried to raise the money they demanded, but we could only put together about $178. So we had to sign a pledge promising to pay the remaining amount on wedding day, December 15th.”

While the man’s family has conceded to the demands, they condemned the behaviour of the dead woman’s relatives.

However, this is a common practice among some ethnic groups in Mozambique, especially if a man decides to live with a woman, without going through all the marriage formalities.


Source:http://howafrica.com/mozambican-man-forced-to-pay-bride-price-for-dead-wife/

With more than 70 missions under its belt since it was formed in the mid-40s, the United Nations Peacekeepers have played a significant role in their quest to protect civilians and bring about peace in war-affected territories. In commemorating the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, marked annually on May 29, we take a look at some of the missions the men and women in blue helmets has carried out in Africa.


1.Burundi

Like its neighbour, Rwanda, Burundi was beset by a lengthy civil war that claimed more than 300,000 lives. The conflict, which dragged from 1993 to 2006, was caused by the age-old tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups in the country. The war started after Burundi held its first-ever democratic election in 1993, precipitated by the assassination of the new president, Cyprien Ntaryamira, two months into office.

In 2001, the Burundian Government and the main rebel group signed the Arusha Accords to establish a Hutu-Tutsi power-sharing government. Despite the agreement, the conflict persisted. In response to the protracted war, the United Nations deployed a peacekeeping force in the East African country in 2004 to oversee the peace process and the 2005 presidential election. The United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB) consisted of more than 5,600 soldiers and ended in 2007.


2.Democratic Republic of Congo

The UN’s first peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo ran from 1960 to 1964. Known as Organisation des Nations Unies au Congo (ONUC), the mission was created to help bring an end to the Congo Crisis, a period of conflict between 1960 and 1965.

The second UN mission in the DRC began in 1999 and has been ongoing ever since. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or MONUSCO, was established to restore peace during the Second Congo War, which caused 5.4 million deaths. In relation to the magnitude of the DRC conflict, it’s no wonder MONUSCO is the UN’s largest and most expensive peacekeeping mission in the organisation’s history.

The operation has seen the deployment of more than 19,000 troops and over 1,000 police in the Central African country. Contributions of military and police personnel come from more than thirty countries, with India being the largest contributor. The operation’s current budget is set at US $7.9 billion.


3.Eritrea and Ethiopia

The role of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), from 2000 to 2008, was to monitor a ceasefire in the border dispute between the two Horn of Africa nations. The war had begun in 1998 in the contested town of Badme, displacing about 250,000 Eritreans and killing about 80,000 people from both countries.

With headquarters in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, the peacekeeping mission was made up of over 1,600 military personnel.

The UN also responded to the war by imposing a one-year arms embargo on both sides, banning all nations from selling or supplying the neighbouring countries with weapons, and from providing them with arms-related training. A peace deal signed in 2000 ended the two-year territorial war. After the end of the war, the UN formed the Eritrea–Ethiopia Boundary Commission, which drew the border and established that the town of Badme belongs to Eritrea.


4.Angola

After Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975, victory celebrations were short-lived thanks to the civil war that erupted due to a combination of ethnic and international issues. Beginning immediately after independence, the conflict was also a proxy war between Cold War opponents that interfered to back the different fighting sides.

The war was a power struggle between two liberation parties, People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), and National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Cuba and the Soviet Union supported the former, while South Africa and the United States backed the latter.

A UN operation (United Nations Angola Verification Mission I) was established in 1988 to oversee the withdrawal of the Cuban troops. Following the success of the mission, the world body launched a follow-up operation known as United Nations Angola Verification Mission II in 1991. The second mission, which ended in 1995, was created to monitor peace agreements and oversee the ceasefire of 1990.


5.Mozambique

Mozambique was plunged into a lengthy and crippling civil war between the government and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), two years after the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. It was also revealed that the war was supported by South Africa’s infamous apartheid regime.

After two years of negotiations in Rome, the two parties eventually signed a General Peace Agreement on the 4th of October, 1992. As part of the agreement, the United Nations Operations in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) was established to help implement the peace deal, as well as to monitor a ceasefire, the demobilisation of foreign forces, and the national electoral process.


6.Rwanda

The Rwandan Civil War between the Rwandan Armed Forces (who were loyalists of the Hutu-dominated government), and the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a rebel group comprising mostly of Rwandan Tutsi refugees, broke out in 1990. The conflict was catapulted by the former’s invasion of the northeast part of the country. The carnage left by the three-year war resulted in several ceasefire agreements, most notably the Arusha Peace Agreement.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), at the request of both the Armed Forces and the Patriotic Front, was established to help implement the Agreement signed by the parties in 1993. The mission, which ran from 1993 to 1996, called for a democratically-elected government, in addition to the repatriation of refugees.


7.Chad and Central African Republic

The conflict in Darfur has forced over 240,000 Sudanese refugees and more than 45,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) to flee to Chad for safety. Civilians in eastern Chad, together with Darfurian refugees, lived in perpetual danger as armed rebel groups incessantly carry out attacks across the Sudanese border.

The UN sent peacekeeping troops to Chad and the Central African Republic in 2007 to protect civilians, promote human rights, and foster regional peace. The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) initially consisted of 350 military and police personnel, but as the conflict continued, the UN Security Council sent more troops, bringing the number to 5,200 by 2010. Countries that contributed to the military personnel included, among others, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya.


8.Liberia

The First Liberian Civil War was an eight-year conflict that commenced 1989, leaving more than 600,000 dead in its wake. Fighting started when former government minister, Charles Taylor, moved to Liberia from Côte d’Ivoire to spearhead an uprising that intended to overturn Samuel Doe’s allegedly crooked government.

The war led to the intervention of the UN and resulted in the establishment of The United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) in 1993. UNOMIL’s roles were to aid in the implementation of peace agreements, to investigate ceasefire and human rights violations, as well as monitor the electoral process, among other matters.

The UN mission was launched after the regional group, Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), brokered a peace agreement between the warring sides, making UNOMIL the first UN peacekeeping operation established in cooperation with an already existing and similar mission by another organisation.


9.Sudan

The second Sudanese civil war, which began in 1983 to 2005, saw the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLMA) fight over power, resources, and the role of religion in the country. The war continued for 22 years, and claimed more than two million lives, while some 600,000 people were displaced as refugees.

The conflict ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement by the government of Sudan and the SPLM in 2005. The peace accord led to the creation of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), which was tasked with supporting the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, protecting and promoting human rights, and supporting the African Union Mission in Sudan.

As a result of the mission, up to 10,000 military personnel, including observers and police, were deployed in Sudan. UNIMIS wrapped up on 9 July 2011, the same day South Sudan became an independent country.


10.Sierra Leone

Plagued by a civil war that lasted for eleven years, Sierra Leone was desperate for peace. An intervention was needed to help end the conflict that had begun in 1991 when the rebel group, Revolutionary United Front (RUF), supported by former Liberian leader, Charles Taylor, launched attacks in an attempt to overthrow the government.

The West African country was only able to see peace with the assistance of foreign forces. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was formed to help with the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord, an agreement intended to end the fighting.

The UN’s mission in Sierra Leone is often described as one of the organisation’s most successful peacekeeping operations. Among other things, the organisation’s troops successfully “disarmed more than 75,000 ex-fighters, including hundreds of child soldiers. The UN destroyed more than 42 000 weapons and 1,2 million rounds of ammunition – a potentially deadly arsenal that is now itself dead,” former Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, revealed about the mission.


Source:http://howafrica.com/a-look-at-the-top-10-un-peacekeeping-missions-in-africa/

Just like the popular ISIS barbaric style of public execution, a video clip have emerged online showing how African Juju priests beheaded a man and brought him back to life.


Screenshots from the viral video clip
In a video clip that emerged online and has already gone viral on social media, a man was publicly beheaded by witch doctors in an open ceremony.
Where and when the show of power by the voodoo priests was filmed, was not ascertained as the time of filing this report, but the viral video has shocked the world.
Watch the video below (viewer’s discretion is highly advised)



Source:http://howafrica.com/africas-got-real-juju-the-video-of-this-beheaded-man-being-brought-back-to-life-has-gone-viral/

A US jet has shot down an Iranian-made drone operated by forces backing the Syrian government in the south of the country, American officials say.

The drone was thought to be armed and threatening US troops on the ground, officials said.

It was shot down near Tanf, an outpost of the US-led coalition.

This is the latest incident in the skies over Syria, after the US shot down a Syrian fighter plane on Sunday and another drone earlier this month.

The F-15 plane downed the drone around 00:30 on Tuesday (21:30 GMT Monday) north-east of Tanf, according to a US military statement.

The shooting down underscores the growing tensions in the region as a battle develops for the control of eastern Syria, BBC Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent Jonathan Marcus says.

Military officials who spoke to CNN described it as a Shahed 129, a model unveiled by Iran in 2012.

It is said by the Iranians to have a range of 2,000km (1,240 miles) and capable of carrying bombs and missiles.

“They were threatening our forces on the ground,” the US official quoted by AFP said. “Their course was on a run toward our folks to drop a munitions on them.”

The last drone the US says it shot down was also reportedly destroyed near Tanf after firing on coalition forces.

Tanf has been used by Western special forces as well as Syrian rebel forces.

How dangerous is the situation in the region?

In Syria’s complex civil war, the US backs some rebel groups opposed to President Assad, as well as fighters seeking to drive out the Islamic State (IS) group.

Syrian government forces and pro-government militias, supported by Russia and Iran, are fighting both rebel groups and IS.

Last month, US-led coalition aircraft bombed a convoy of pro-Syrian government forces near Tanf.

The Syrian plane destroyed on Sunday, a Su-22 fighter bomber, was hit after reportedly dropping bombs near the town of Tabqa in Raqqa province.

As well as announcing that US-led coalition warplanes would be tracked, Russia’s ministry of defence suspended a hotline set up to avoid clashes between US and Russian aircraft over Syria.


Source:http://howafrica.com/us-fighter-jet-shoots-down-2nd-iranian-made-drone-over-syria/

NASA on Monday announced the discovery of 219 potential planets located outside our solar system, 10 of which are like Earth.

They located not too close to their star, therefore not too hot, and not too far from their stars, therefore able to support liquid water.

According to a statement released by NASA, this discovery brings the total number of identified planets to 4,034, 2,335 of which have been verified as exoplanets – planets outside our solar system. 50 of these are in habitable zones, and more than 30 have been verified.

The statement said, “There are now 4,034 planet candidates identified by Kepler. Of which, 2,335 have been verified as exoplanets. Of roughly 50 near-Earth size habitable zone candidates detected by Kepler, more than 30 have been verified.

“Additionally, results using Kepler data suggest two distinct size groupings of small planets. Both results have significant implications for the search for life.”


Source:http://howafrica.com/nasa-discovers-10-new-earth-like-planets/

Black Stars Captain Asamoah Gyan has lashed out at a presenter of Accra-based Muntie FM, who is popularly known as Mugabe over the latter’s unprofessional conduct.

Gyan took to Twitter Wednesday afternoon to address what he says were unprofessional statements of fact made by the presenter suggesting he was heavily involved in funding the NPP.

In series of tweets he said:

“Say no to irresponsible journalism, the owners/managers of Muntie fm must call Mugabe to order.. I’m a footballer and not a politician.

“I serve GH not politicians nor parties, I don’t fund politics, there’s more joy in charity and philanthropy n my works are my evidence.

“Journalism is a noble profession, say no to irresponsible Journalism… hate can’t win.. get a life n God will bless u


Source:https://howafrica.com/call-mugabe-order-im-footballer-not-politician-asamoah-gyan/

Zimbabwe’s opposition coalition, convened by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, has been sued for $1 million and accrued interest over damages during protests in the capital Harare last year.

A civil society group called Citizens Against Violence and Anarchy Trust (CAVAAT) filed the suit at the High Court on behalf of business operators in the central business district on Thursday against the coalition National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA).

“The total value of property belonging to private citizens, which was damaged and or lost during the demonstration is the aggregate sum of $1,000,000,” the group said in its suit cited by local media The Herald.

The 13-party coalition formed to demand electoral reform ahead of Zimbabwe’s 2018 presidential elections hit the streets in August last year during a demonstration that turned violent resulting in shops being looted and damages caused to business properties.

The total value of property belonging to private citizens, which was damaged and or lost during the demonstration is the aggregate sum of $1,000,000.

CAVAAT is holding NERA responsible for the damages saying it had the duty to ensure the demonstration was peaceful.

“The defendant, in breach of its said legal duty, failed to put in place adequate safeguard to ensure that its demonstration was peaceful and that no property belonging to private citizens was destroyed,” it said.

It also cited the failure of the group to follow a designated route approved by the authorities.

NERA has not yet responded to the suit.

The coalition holds rallies and demonstrations calling on the authorities to push for an even electoral play field and to mobilise people to register as voters.


Source:https://howafrica.com/zimbabwes-opposition-sued-for-1m-over-damages-during-2016-protests/