African press review 28 November 2015

The head of the Roman Catholic church Pope Francis arrives in Uganda, calling that country "a great nation". He probably hasn't yet had time to talk to too many opposition figures. South African president Jacob Zuma gets an "F" grade in the Democratic Alliance's annual assessment of government.

"Pope lands in Uganda to a rousing welcome," that's the main story in regional paper The East African.

According to the report, Francis arrived in Uganda yesterday after three days in neighbouring Kenya, where vast crowds turned out for an open air mass in Nairobi and where the pontiff criticised corruption and wealthy minorities who hoard resources at the expense of the poor.

The Ugandan Daily Monitor says Pope Francis last night declared Africa a “land of hope”, urging Uganda to invest in its young population and use the country’s abundant natural resources to benefit both current and future generations.

In a brief speech at State House Entebbe, which assembled diplomats, senior government and cultural leaders repeatedly interrupted with cheers and hand-clapping, the pontiff described Uganda as a “great nation”.

The Roman Catholic leader praised the country for opening its doors with compassion to receive refugees and allowing them rebuild their lives in “security and dignity”.

The Pope said Uganda’s national motto, For God and My Country, underlines the role moral rectitude and a commitment to the common good have played and continue to play in the social, economic and political life of the country.

South African president Jacob Zuma has received his worst-ever rating in the annual assessment of government by the opposition Democratic Alliance. This story is on the front page of BusinessDay.

International law violations, evading critical questions in Parliament, as well as disregard for the authority of state institutions and the courts, were some of the reasons used to explain why President Jacob Zuma received an F on his report card from the opposition.

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane told reporters that 13 ministers scored lower this year than in 2014. Zuma features at the bottom of the table, alongside Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and Communications Minister Faith Muthambi.

Maimane blamed the failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, court battles over Nkandla and the plunder of public resources at state institutions on a president who "prioritises the ANC above ordinary South Africans".

With the country facing crises on many fronts, including inadequate higher education funding, rising unemployment, slow economic growth and the worst drought since 1992, the president has done little more than laugh in the face of struggling South Africans, according to Maimane.

The Punch daily newspaper in Nigeria reports that the naira equivalent of well over one billion euros was lost by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between January and October this year, according to the firm’s oil and gas report for October 2015.

The NNPC made a total revenue of 79 billion euros but had group expenses of 91 billion during the period under review.

Most of the losses are explained by the failure of several major refineries to produce any petrol for the past two months.

The managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation warned in September that non-performing refineries would be shut down.

The main story in the Cairo-based Egypt Independent says at least 180,879 civilians have been killed by the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria since March 2011, according to a report released by the non-governmental Syrian Network for Human Rights.

The report says government forces committed large scale massacres when they shelled Al Ghouta with toxic gases and stormed Jdaidet Al Fadel in the suburbs of Damascus. Government soldiers committed other massacres in Baniyas and Al Bayda.

The report says armed opposition groups killed 2,669 civilians, unidentified groups 2,002 civilians, Islamic State 1,712, Kurdish forces 379, al-Nusra front 347, Russian forces 263 and international coalition forces 251.

At least 250,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, according to UN figures, with 7.6 million internally displaced and over four million having fled to nearby countries.