African press review 9 September

Did someone try to kill Gabon's ex-Justice Minister who resigned after President Ali Bongo's controversial re-election?This, and more in today's African press.

Gabonese Crisis worsens

We begin with reports from Gabon that there has been an attempt on the life of ex-Justice Minister Seraphin Moundounga who resigned on Monday over President Ali Bongo's refusal to recount ballots, amid allegations of vote-rigging.

South Africa's Mail and Guardian quotes Moundounga as saying that his house was attacked by five men, and his guard tied up.

They broke everything in my house, including the security camera, he explained adding that the attackers ignored the fact that those security camera images are safe guarded. Seraphin Moundounga a close confidant of the incumbent Ali Bongo told foreign media outlets that by resigning from the government, he was professing his commitment to the Gabonese people.”

Zimbabwe is gripped by cash shortages as political crisis worsens

Times Live reports that finance minister Patrick Chinamasa told Parliament on Thursday that he was forecasting a budget shortfall of more that 2.4 million euros.

Times Live

says that while  4 million people are facing food shortages due to drought, Zimbabwe is also running out of cash, forcing the central bank to impose limits on imports and cash withdrawals from  banks.

The publication also claims that the economic woes are feeding into frustration among Zimbabweans who have turned to social media to organise anti-government protests against cash shortages, high unemployment of above 80 percent and delays in payment of public sector salaries.

Meanwhile in its interactive coverage of the banned anti-government protests, the Zimbabwe Standard reports that a soldier allegedly stoned to death a protester near Copacabana Terminus along Jason Moyo in the capital Harare, sparking renewed skirmishes and and bloody clashes between suspected ZANU/PF youths and the protesters close to the main opposition MDC-T.

The paper also publishes pictures of and an opposition supporter lying on the floor of a court after allegedly being beaten up by security forces.

Kenya's ruling Jubilee in giant merger

The Standard looks forward to the "blast off" of a mega Jubilee Party to "carry President Uhuru Kenyatta's aspirations to re-election". According to the paper some 7,370 delegates from 11 disbanded parties gather at Kasarani Indoor Arena today to "ratify formation of the Mother of All Parties, the mother ship".

The publication quotes a top member of the Jubilee "coalition affiliates" as saying that they were setting "the stage for all those who believe in one nation, in one leadership and one country".