EFF leader Julius Malema has been handed an effective seven-year prison sentence by Magistrate Twanet Olivier in the KuGompo City Regional Court.

The ruling relates to an incident at the party’s 2018 Mdantsane rally, where Malema was found guilty of unlawfully firing a weapon.

He was sentenced to five years for the primary charge and an additional two years for a secondary offence.

He was also fined R20,000 on other charges, with the option of serving six months for each if unpaid.

All sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a total effective jail term of seven years

Businessman Sir Wicknell Chivayo has stepped up his regional engagement efforts, holding high-level meetings with Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan during recent visits to Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

The engagements, described as part of a broader strategy to expand his footprint across East Africa, saw Chivayo applauding the pace of development in both nations while signalling a major financial commitment to the region.

Speaking after the meetings, Chivayo expressed admiration for Kenya’s ongoing rural transformation programmes.

“I am impressed by the scale and impact of Kenya’s rural electrification and water supply initiatives. These are not just development projects, but life-changing interventions that are uplifting communities and driving inclusive growth,” Chivayo said.

He added that such initiatives present viable opportunities for private sector collaboration.

“There is a clear alignment between government priorities and investment opportunities, which creates an enabling environment for long-term partnerships,” Chivayo noted.

In Tanzania, the businessman highlighted large-scale infrastructure projects as key drivers of economic growth, particularly the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the expansion of energy networks.

“Tanzania’s strategic focus on infrastructure development, including the SGR and energy expansion, is positioning the country as a regional economic hub,” he said.

Chivayo used the visits to announce an ambitious investment plan targeting both countries.

“We are looking at deploying at least US$100 million into each of these markets within the year, focusing on tourism, infrastructure development, and renewable energy,” he revealed.

He emphasised that the planned investments are not only commercially driven but also aligned with broader African development goals.

“Our vision is to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s growth story by investing in sectors that have a direct impact on economic development and job creation,” he said.

According to Chivayo, East Africa’s economic trajectory continues to inspire confidence among investors, citing policy stability and infrastructure expansion as key attractions.

“The region is demonstrating resilience and forward-thinking leadership, which is critical in attracting sustainable investment,” Chivayo added.

The visits highlight a growing trend of intra-African investment, as business leaders increasingly look beyond their home countries to tap into emerging opportunities across the continent.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has thrown its weight behind the Dangote Group’s ambitious expansion plans, announcing support for the Nigerian conglomerate as it seeks to grow its turnover to US$100 billion by 2030.

The Group’s leadership presented its long-term growth strategy, “Vision 2030: Supercharging Dangote Group for Long Term Success,” to the Afreximbank Board of Directors and its executive team on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.

The strategy outlines a two-phase expansion programme spanning 2025 to 2028 and 2028 to 2030.

During the presentation, Dangote Group outlined plans to scale and optimise its existing platforms and expand capacity across all active sectors. Key initiatives include increasing the capacity of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.4 million bpd.

The Group intends to quadruple its fertiliser production from 3 million tonnes per annum to 12 million tonnes per annum, a move that would position the Group as the world’s largest producer of urea fertiliser.

The expansion strategy encompasses rapid growth across other business lines, including cement, rice, and broader food production.

Beyond its current portfolio, the Group identified new investment opportunities in infrastructure , including ports and pipelines,  as well as gas, mining, data centres to support Africa’s digital transformation, and power, described as the engine of Africa’s industrial transformation.

To drive growth over the five years, the Dangote Group predicts it will require at least US$40 billion in new investments to realise its continental ambitions.

Recognising the strategic value of the partnership with Afreximbank, Mr Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, said: “Our partnership with Afreximbank is more than financial support; it is about a shared dream for the continent.

When we set out to build a 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery , the largest of its kind in Africa — the Bank believed in our vision when others were sceptical. Without their leadership and trust, the development of the African continent would not be where it is today.

We are joined at the hip with the bank because we share the same mission: to drive local capacity, eliminate our dependence on imports, and ensure Africa’s industrial growth is led by Africans.”

On his part, Dr George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, noted that the engagements demonstrated a strong convergence of purpose to free Africa from dependency and to ensure the continent’s resources are used to the benefit of its people.

He expressed confidence that the collaboration would lead to “a formidable bond of partnership to make large-scale investments that will accelerate the changes we desire,” changes that have gained urgency amid increasing global fragmentation and protectionism.

Dr Elombi recalled that at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Africa struggled to secure even basic protective materials due to limited production capacity, adding that “even when financing was available, we could not access these essential items.”

He further pledged the readiness of Afreximbank and its Board of Directors to support the realisation of the Dangote Group’s aspirations.

“This is the very purpose for which our institution was created. As is deeply rooted in our DNA, we do not only listen, we execute and convert aspiration into action.”

The event also featured the signing of an agreement for a US$2.5 billion facility underwritten by Afreximbank as part of a US$4 billion senior syndicated term loan in favour of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.