Egypt: African Press Review 25 September 2012 2012-09-26

Egypt: African Press Review 25 September 2012

An Egyptian blogger faces court for upsetting the religious. South Africa heads for corruption stardom. Liberia is on the lookout for its next female president. Why has Museveni stopped shaking people's hands? Will Morgan Tsvangirai get a divorce? And how do you gain a Gambian lady's favour?

The English edition of Egypt's Al-Masry Al-Youm reports that blogger Albert Saber Ayyad was referred on Monday to a court on charges of defamation of religion.

His trial is set to begin on Wednesday. According to the paper, Ayyad is accused of defaming Islam and Christianity and mocking religious beliefs, rituals and figures.

SA's Star laments the conutry's "precipitous slide" in Transparency International's annual corruption perception index.

The article features Nigel Payne, chairman of the Durban-based Mr Price Group, who unleashed a "scathing attack on corruption in the government" at a conference in Durban. Payne said corruption was crippling SA and that firm leadership was needed to reverse the trend to avoid the country becoming one of the world's most corrupt countries, reports the paper.

Liberia is looking for another female president in 2017. Liberian Observer gives a prominent place on its front page to the search.

"What appears to be a careful search for a female personality, who may be groomed to 'take over' from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is underway amongst Liberian women", says the paper.

It notes that women have become extra competitive with their male counterparts in terms of a massive involvement in the agreement-making process of the country. Nevertheless, the article points out that that most male politicians in the country are not too happy about the political moves their wives, daughters, nieces, aunties, or mothers have embarked on.

The paper quotes Liberian women's rights activist Mother Mary N Brownell as saying: "For over 150 years, Liberian men had dominated Liberia's political mainstream including the presidency; it is now time that women begin to exert themselves extra, to enter the leadership loop of the country at the highest level."

Have you ever wondered why Uganda's president won't shake hands any extra? The answer is in the country's daily New Vision.

It looks as if President Yoweri Museveni is on a disease-prevention campaign. "Am now 68 years and one of the things I don't have is a budget for is sickness. This is because am a very determined person and I don't want a situation where I can't do anything because am sick," said the president.

The paper explains that the president no longer shakes hands as a precaution against the deadly Ebola virus. The recent Ebola outbreak in Kibaale district in western Uganda killed 19 people.

The Zimbabwean PM's personal life is making headlines in the South African and Zimbabwean papers.

Zimbabwe's Herald Online reports that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's emissaries yesterday stormed a property in Christon Bank to deliver divorce papers to his wife Locardia.

The paper says the prime minister's "divorce commando" allegedly jumped the gate to gain entry into his wife's property. The reason for the intrusion: PM Tsvangirai is embroiled in a bitter divorce with Locardia that resulted in him failing to wed his new love Elizabeth Macheka last week.

South Africa's Sunday Independent features another spicy story about the Zimbabwe PM's love life.

The paper reports that last week a 35-year-old South African, Nosipho Regina Shilubane, became the new woman to try to have Tsvangirai's nuptials stopped.

The lady's romance with the Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) leader came to light last week when pictures of the two, showing Tsvangirai holding her tightly while on a love cruise in Singapore, were made public.

Shilubane claimed in court that she was engaged to Tsvangirai. The mother of two said Tsvangirai had taken her on holiday to Singapore, the Seychelles and Botswana and that they were "still engaged to be married".

We can only be impressed by the Zimbabwean prime minister's capacity to perform simultaneously his government and multiple nuptial duties.

Staying on the issues of romance, in its Loveline section, Gambia's Daily Observer's publishes "guidelines to woo women".

Here are the essential steps to gain a woman's favour:

First approach the woman no matter what, it is either yes or no answer, but be positive no matter what will happen;

Than applaud yourself if you are able to stop the woman and open a love conversation with her. This is because you have taken a step ahead of the man nearby.

Next "focus on how you will feel if you do not talk to her. Save yourself the agony and go talk to her my dear", says the guru.

Lastly, says the author, "look at the next woman you meet as an opportunity to work on your 'approach skills'."