The Group Chairman of MTN, Mcebisi Jonas, has condemned the ongoing attack on foreigners in South Africa , saying the country’s economic growth would suffer without the rest of Africa.

Delivering a deeply political eulogy at the funeral of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant Thokozani Damasane, the former South African Deputy Minister of Finance turned private-sector leader issued one of the most direct interventions by a major African business figure on the country’s immigration crisis.

He pushed back against the narrative that removing foreign nationals would solve South Africa’s socioeconomic woes, attributing the crisis instead to state failure and cynical political exploitation.

“Foreigners can leave tomorrow – inequality will be with us,” Jonas told the congregation. “Foreigners will leave tomorrow – unemployment will be with us. Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our police will remain corrupt. Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our politicians will still be concerned with one thing: being elected and re-elected.”

He placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on the South African government, arguing that weak law enforcement and failing systems have created fertile ground for political manipulation. “The problem is the failure of the state. The state doesn’t manage immigration. It doesn’t manage its borders. It doesn’t enforce law enforcement. It doesn’t manage education. What are you expecting?” he asked.

When citizens feel the burn of state failure, Jonas noted, they become vulnerable to opportunists. “When people feel the burn, they become vulnerable to politicians whose sole purpose is to be elected and re-elected. Some of them have no credibility whatsoever. But they lead marches and tell our people that the problem is not us – it is foreigners.”

Beyond immediate political failures, Jonas offered a sharp historical critique of tribalism and ethno-nationalism, describing them as colonial inheritances designed to divide African people. “The tribe is a product of colonial powers,” he argued, noting that ethnic divisions were historically amplified to enforce indirect rule.

He lamented that this colonial logic has mutated into the engine driving contemporary xenophobic violence. “You would see in the streets, it’s no longer about whether you are from South Africa or not from South Africa. It’s about the tribe, it’s about who you are, you are not like us, and you are different, and therefore we have to persecute you. Something fundamental has been lost in our country. Something fundamental has been lost in our nations,” Jonas said.

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Nigrrian actor Joseph Momodu has announced his enlistment in the United States Army after completing 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

In an Instagram post on Friday, Momodu said he had been unreachable for 10 weeks.

“From inception, I have always believed in achievements earned through merit, which is why I constantly push myself beyond limits.”

“Ten weeks of being incommunicado. Ten weeks of learning to find comfort in discomfort,” he wrote.

He is now serving as Specialist SPC J.A. Momodu with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 3-10, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment.

“Today, it is official: Specialist (SPC) J.A. Momodu, United States Army @usarmy, 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 3-10, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.”

He described the training period as demanding, marked by limited communication, physical exhaustion, and mental pressure.

“This particular one was forged through tears, fear of failure, resilience, endless days, short nights, fatigue, rain, and the scorching sun.”

“There were moments of doubt and times I questioned myself, “who sent me a message?” But I never lost sight of the finish line. We trained tirelessly, were broken down and rebuilt”

Photo caption: DG NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike and his Chinese counterpart, Dr. Chen Zhenlin at the WMO event.

The Nigerian Meteorogical Agency, NiMet and its Chinese counterpart, have agreed to strengthen relation towards deploying artificial intelligence, AI to fast track real time and warning on climate and weather dynamics in their two countries.

The discission took place on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the WMO Executive Council between NiMet’s Director-General/CEO and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at WMO, Professor Charles Anosike held a bilateral meeting with the Administrator and Director-General of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Dr. Chen Zhenlin.

The two leaders pledged to deepen the long-standing partnership between both countries and explore new areas of collaboration.

Prof. Anosike (second from left) and representatives of some other WMO member countries at the meeting

Both Permanent Representatives expressed commitment to advancing cooperation through the adoption and customization of the MAZU AI Early Warning Platform for Nigeria while leveraging emerging AI technologies to strengthen weather and climate services.

The meeting also agreed on the adoption of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering the MAZU platform, staff exchanges, joint research, data sharing, remote sensing, aviation research, knowledge exchange, and scholarship programmes for the mutual socioeconomic benefit of both countries.

Speaking at the event on the theme-  “Scaling AI-Powered Weather Services for Farmers,” Prof. Anosike said effective AI-driven weather forecasting begins with quality observations, stressing the need to address observation and data gaps across Africa. He noted that investment in observation systems is fundamental to unlocking the full potential of AI in meteorology.

He also showcased NiMet’s structured approach to integrating AI into its operations, adding that the Nigerian Agency inaugurated its AI Research Team in January 2026 to drive the identification, evaluation, and operational deployment of AI and machine learning technologies.

Since then, NiMet has developed AI Terms of Reference (TOR), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), an AI Operational Framework with phased milestones, and documented AI use cases to guide implementation.

As part of these efforts, NiMet is evaluating leading AI weather prediction models and developing the MeteoAI platform to enhance weather forecasting, climate prediction, forecast verification, and early warning services. The Agency is also assessing the most cost-effective computing infrastructure to support operational AI deployment.

Prof. Anosike reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to leveraging AI and modern geospatial technologies to strengthen operational meteorology and advance the Early Warnings for All initiative across Africa, ensuring that farmers and vulnerable communities benefit from more timely, accurate, and actionable weather and climate information.

The event which took place at EMO headquarters, brought together global leaders, meteorological experts, and development partners to discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can enhance weather forecasting, strengthen climate services for agriculture, and improve food security through innovative partnerships.