African press review 5 August 2016

The South Africa municipal elections dominate the African press today as the African National Congress appears to be sailing towards its biggest electoral setback since the end of apartheid, with most votes now counted. The local elections are being seen as an indication of the mid-term popularity of President Jacob Zuma.

The African National Congress "gets knocked off its high horse" declares Zambia's Times Live - saying the ANC has been "squeezed" - and for the first time since 1994 its support has dipped below 60% nationally.

With about 90 per cent of the vote counted, the ANC trails its main rival, the Democratic Alliance, in the cities of Port Elizabeth and Cape Town the paper says - and preliminary results show it has lost control of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality in Eastern Cape.

While the ANC is still in the lead nationally, the two major parties are locked in a close fight in Pretoria and Johannesburg.

The paper puts the big voter swing down to poverty in black communities, poor housing, inadequate education and a lack of employment.

DA leader Maimane claims early victory

Democratic Alliance leader, Mmusi Maimane, has declared victory in Nelson Mandela Bay municipality reports the Mail & Guardian - winning 47% of the vote to the ANC's 42%.

At a press briefing at the Independent Electoral Commission’s centre in Pretoria, Maimane said the party was "excited" that they would "be the largest party there".

Though the predictions were still early, Maimane he vowed to "make sure that the final figures confirm that.”

The results for the hotly-contested seat are expected to be officially announced later this morning.

For the South African, while the ANC was seriously "haemorrhaged", it's still too early to say for sure who’ll take what in some of the "neck and neck" electorates.

Likewise, the South African Business Day says the "Titanic battle over Jo'burg and Tshwane continues".

Question mark over new Boko Haram leader

In other news, Nigeria's Vanguard reports that Boko Haram's elusive leader Abubakar Shekau has said in an audio message that he is still around - despite his reported ousting as head of the Nigeria-based jihadist group, by the Islamic State Group.

The voice in yesterday's 10 minute message was confirmed as Shekau's by Berlin-based Modern Security Consulting Group - Mosecon.

Reporting on the same issue, Business Day says the fact that IS claims it has appointed Sheik Abu Mossab al-Bornawi as new leader of Boko Haram, is "a sign that the Nigerian Islamist insurgency is retooling under the command of the terrorist group."

Brit charged in Kenya drug bust

And finally the East African reports that a British trader has been charged in Kenya over a 2.7 million euro 100 kilogram cocaine bust.

Businessman Jack Marrian denied the charges following the seizure of drugs found hidden in containers of sugar last Friday, shipped from Brazil to the port of Mombasa.

Marrian was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing on Monday along with a Kenyan suspect, Roy Francis Mwanthi, who also denies the charges.

African e-commerce boom ahead

Business Day also reports that the web startups looking to cash in on 1 billion African consumers.

The paper says tough customs and import regimes, complex markets and challenging distribution networks have so far meant that "only the lucky few" with the means to travel to Europe, the US and the Gulf can buy and take home consumer goods they need and want.

"But this is beginning to change," it reports, "The continent's potential customer base of more than 1 billion, combined with an emerging middle class, has attracted investors to African retail."

And while the majority of trade still takes place in corner shops - and to a lesser extent in shopping malls - the shift to online trading (also called e-commerce or internet retail), is happening.