African press review 6 June 2017

South Africa's crime investigating agency is to probe a massive e-mails leak scandal that could topple President Zuma's government while Nigeria's budget is now in dire straits as crude oil revenue drops by 5 percent.

We begin in South Africa where  the Times investigates the still unfolding scandal over the leaking of thousands of emails exchanges by the powerful Gupta brothers  who are facing investigation for their murky ties with graft-embroiled President Jacob Zuma.

The paper reports that the acting head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has instituted an inquiry into the leaking of the correspondences exchanged between the Guptas and their associates.

Business Day says some of the mails contain evidence of the extent to which the wealthy Gupta brothers had captured politicians and state entities, amid reports that a so-called Gupta fixer paid for a minister's stay in Dubai and that senior intelligence officials may have had the habit of sharing top secret information with the Guptas.

The revelations come after City Press reported that law enforcement agencies were intensifying investigations of former Eskom group CE Brian Molefe‚ and President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane described as key figures in the tranche of e-mails and allegations that the Guptas moved billions of rand out of South Africa.

In Nigeria, Vanguard leads with grim economic news,  notably a five percent drop in the country's crude oil revenue. This after oil prices fell to $49.26 per barrel on Monday. According to the newspaper, the drop poses a fresh threat to implementation of the 20 billion euros 2017 budget.

Vanguard says the economy generated about $114 million from the export of about two million barrels of oil per day in May, 2017 when prices stood at $57 per barrel. Now it holds that the reduction in dollar supplies, is certain to undermine the stability of the Naira exchange rate.

And in Kenya, Standard Digital highlights an act of overzealousness by some authorities after 12 girls from a high school in the West Migirango County were sent home for allegedly refusing to shave their hair.

According to the newspaper, the Rangenyo Girls High School students were seen at Nyamira bus terminus stranded with their boxes, mattresses and other belongings, attracting the attention of the public.

Standard says it didn't take long before the town's residents and “boda boda” riders escorted the girls back to school, to demand an explanation from the school principal.

The publication reports flaring tensions around the school for the better part of Monday as the riders demanded the immediate transfer of the principal over what they termed "high-handedness with the girls".