1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 2: With glossy influencer campaigns and promises of well paid work 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 2: and new experiences. Young African women are being targeted for 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: jobs in Russia. 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 3: You know that you can view the career in a 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 3: large international company in Russia while you learn the Russian 7 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 3: language and end between. It's hard than sixty dollars three thousand, 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 3: seven eighty dollars. Oh you didn't, well, now you do. 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: But could the reality be far grimmer than what's being sold? 10 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 2: With reports of African women being forced to build drones 11 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone under grueling and hazardous. 12 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 4: Conditions and for less money than promised. 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 2: On this week's Next Africa Podcast, we look at the 14 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: Alibuga Star program, how it's trying to recruit thousands of 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 2: young African women and the warnings from some that this 16 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 2: may amount to human trafficking. I'm Jennifer Zabasaja and this 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 2: is the Next Africa Podcast, bringing you one story each 18 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 2: week from the continent driving the future of global growth 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 2: with the context only Bloomberg can provide. Joining me to 20 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: discuss this story this week is our Bloomberg Senior Reporter 21 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 2: Anthony squisine based in Johannesburg. Anthony, thanks so much for 22 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 2: coming on the podcast and really fascinating story that you've 23 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 2: put out. Let's just start here and if you can 24 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 2: talk a bit about these outreach programs that you and 25 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 2: the team were able to uncover and what they're purporting 26 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: to offer to young African women. 27 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: What we found was is that a group called Alabuga Start, 28 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: which represents the Alabuga Special Economic sol and in a 29 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: Republic of Pakistan in Russia, is offering online registration for 30 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: jobs and study programs based at the economic zone and 31 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: they're also holding recruitment fares, one of which was in 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: Gabarone and Whatswana which we attended. Now, what they advertise 33 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: is a range of jobs ranging from hospitality, a bit 34 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: of home improvement, you know, plastering walls, things like that, 35 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: and generally developing a few skills and getting paid eight 36 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty dollars a month or wall And basically 37 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 1: it's a two year program, this is what they say, 38 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: and they advertise it as a positive experience where you 39 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: may get for the job opportunities once you've completed it. 40 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 2: And just on the face of it, based on what 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 2: you're saying, I mean, it sounds like it could be 42 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 2: a good opportunity for some people, but you know, digging 43 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 2: under the surface, it's clearly not the picture that you found. 44 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 2: But talk about who they're targeting with these programs. Who 45 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 2: are they trying to recruit and they who have they recruited. 46 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: Well, it's very specific. The course is only open to 47 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: young women between the ages of eighteen and twenty two. 48 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: They started in twenty twenty three when they recruited I 49 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: think just twenty or thirty people according to their website, 50 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: and another three hundred and thirty last year. But this 51 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: year they're trying to up it up by about a 52 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: good few thousand more. So it's really expanded incredibly, and 53 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: basically they've costed it very wide across seventy seven countries, 54 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: but the majority of African countries, and if you look 55 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: at their website and you look at who their recruits are, 56 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: who the testimony is a problem, it's predominantly a young 57 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: woman from or African countries now, but Swan is not 58 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: one of those. It's quite rich actually, but it does 59 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: have a massive youth unemployment problem. 60 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: And the programs, then what is it that is being 61 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 2: sold to them because you mentioned a lot of the 62 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 2: recruits are coming from poorer countries, but Tswana not included. 63 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 2: But what is it that they're trying to get away 64 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 2: from and being offered? 65 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: Well, in many of these countries, there are very few 66 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: opportunities for employment. And in many of them as well, 67 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: woman you get even less opportunity than young men would get. 68 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: So it's perceived as a good way of getting training. 69 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: All you have to do is have a little of 70 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: high school education and it's pretty unclear as to what 71 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: you'll exactly be doing. We've seen a lot of reporting 72 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: that people actually end up doing quite different jobs from 73 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: what they had anticipated. 74 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: Dig into that a bit more, if you can, Anthony 75 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: quite different meaning what Well, there's. 76 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: Been a lot of reporting in Russia's in the bed 77 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: and Press and even in the Associated Press last year 78 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: that a lot of the young African women actually end up 79 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: making well helping to assemble drones at a factory on 80 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: the site and especially on economic zone, and those drones 81 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: are used in Russia's war effort against Ukraine. Now that's 82 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: not the work they signed up for. In fact, the 83 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: organizers specifically deny that why they're being sent there. And 84 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: you know the event we went to. They told parents 85 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: that there was no way that people being recruits to 86 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: work in munitions factories or in drone factories, but there 87 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: is overwhelming evidence that that is the case, that they 88 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: do end up working in these factories as cheap labor, 89 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: and those factories are actually a military target for Ukrainian attacks. 90 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: As you know, we ran the story last week and 91 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: only two days before we ran the story, and there 92 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: was an attack on that site where Ukrainian drones bombed 93 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: the factory and that's happened I think eleven times as 94 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: far as we can see. So it does make them 95 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: in the awards. One analyst, we spoke to legitimate targets 96 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: of the Ukrainian conflict. 97 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: So, Anthony, you mentioned the event that the team went to, 98 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 2: can you just describe more about what you saw and 99 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 2: also some of the people that you heard from. 100 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 1: Well, it was quite hard to speak to a lot 101 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 1: of people. It's quite a secretive event. It was at 102 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 1: the University of Botswana. There were about sixty people there, 103 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: that's both young women and their parents and presenting to them. 104 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: We're a local organizer. A youth leader who was working 105 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: for Alabugie start as well as the head of a 106 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: youth employment program in Botswana, and there were also two 107 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: representatives from the Russian program who had flown out for 108 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: that program, and they basically, you know, encouragedly and wanted 109 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: to take up the opportunity. Spoke a lot about female 110 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: empowerment and how this was a good opportunity and how 111 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: you would learn lots of skills and then possibly after 112 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: the two years you could possibly get a work permit 113 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: and get an even higher pay job in Russia itself, 114 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: or alternatively, you could work your return home with all 115 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: of those skills and set yourself up for a prosperous future. 116 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: So that's the vision they were selling. Now, they got 117 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: asked a lot of questions by parents, especially, you know, 118 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: about what they've seen on social media about drone making, 119 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: and they denied all of it. In fact, Christopher Sigating, 120 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: the head of a nonprofit called BW Jobs for Gratz, 121 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: which is trying to find employment for Partswanans, said that 122 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: he'd be to Russia, saw no problem and people should 123 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: take a leap of faith and take up the program. 124 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 4: Sick with us, Anthony. 125 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 2: After the break, we're going to talk more about some 126 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 2: of these programs and what the international fallout could be 127 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 2: as more as uncovered about them, will be right back, 128 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 2: Welcome back. 129 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 4: Today. 130 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 2: We're looking into a Russian global outreach program active in 131 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 2: Africa that's being accused of trafficking young African women to 132 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 2: Russia to work in dangerous conditions. We have Anthony's cuisine 133 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 2: still with us. Anthony, Let's talk more about You talked 134 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: about the drones that are potentially being used. 135 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 4: In Russia's war effort. 136 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: How much evidence is there that there's a correlation between 137 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 2: the two. 138 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: I think that's a fair amount of evidence. It's been 139 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: reported extensively by both Russian media. There's a lot of 140 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: testimony and small obscure African newspapers from people who've returned 141 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: from these projects who said they didn't really experience what 142 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: they had been told they would be doing and that 143 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: actually ended up working in these factories. The organization itself 144 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: declined to answer any of our questions, as did the 145 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: regional government in Takastan. This has been building up quite 146 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: some time, and I think but there's realtinal evidence they're 147 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: doing much else aside from tronmaking. 148 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 2: So then if that is truly the case, shouldn't the 149 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 2: government in Botswana and some of the other countries where 150 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 2: these young people are being recruited, shouldn't they step in? 151 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 2: Shouldn't they also be taking some of these accusations quite seriously. 152 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: Well, we spoke to the Botswana and Foreign minisot and 153 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: he wasn't aware of the program, and we did the 154 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: same in Uganda, they had very limited information. Same in 155 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: Zimbabwe with young women have being recruited from those countries 156 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: because we've seen them on the website and we've spoken 157 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: to a few of them as well as Ethiopia. But 158 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: what we do find is that in SEPOL, which has 159 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: an office in Botswana, had seen the social media posts 160 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: or they'd been pointed out to them, and on suspicion 161 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: of there might be some human trafficking going on, they 162 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: had actually interviewed one of the local organizers for Alabugi 163 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: Start and they are conducting an investigation. So we'll need 164 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: to see if anything comes of that. 165 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 4: What would come of it? 166 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,719 Speaker 2: If anything, I mean you mentioned interpot people are very 167 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 2: familiar with that. Could Could the governments in Russia potentially 168 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 2: be implicated. 169 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: Well, I'm sure they could be because the program organizers 170 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: who came out from Russia to Botswana did meet with 171 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,439 Speaker 1: the ambassadors, so there is a connection with the Russian state. 172 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: Now what action Interval could take is unclear. I mean, 173 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: they could close down a program prevented from operating in Botswana, 174 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: and I'm sure if there was some more information that 175 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 1: would know basically raise awareness in other African countries who 176 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: I am, I'm sure will also be concerned that their 177 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: citizens were being misled into going to a program which 178 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: or no resemblance to what was being advertised. 179 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 2: Have we seen that and some of these accusations though 180 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 2: affecting the interest of young people wanting to go and 181 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 2: work on these jobs. 182 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: Well, I think that it's quite new. As I said, 183 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: they recruited twenty or thirty people in the first year, 184 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: a few hundred last year. Now they I think the 185 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 1: target they said was to eight thy five hundred for 186 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: this year, so it's a massive expansion. What we did 187 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,959 Speaker 1: see is that Russian reports things said that people who 188 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: work in these drone factories have to sign massive confidentiality 189 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: agreements and if they break those, they get you know, 190 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: large fines and leaded upon them. We don't know what 191 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: other pressure might be put upon them. So across the continent. 192 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: People we spoke to, people other newspapers are spoken to 193 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: have not wanted to disclose their identity because they are 194 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: concerned and frightened and therefore have wanted to, you know, 195 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: at least keep your anonymity. So I think it's taken 196 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: a while for this mess to get up. And we 197 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: also need to realize when you're recruiting from countries like 198 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: serial Leone, if you appear some of the poorest countries 199 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: on Earth, people are pretty desperate and are likely to 200 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: take up opportunities even if they do have sudden misgivings. 201 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 4: Which is the sad reality of it, right Anthony. 202 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 2: Finally, I mean, does this say something more about the 203 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 2: relationship that we're still seeing between Africa and Russia to 204 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 2: a certain extent, I mean, how much how much did 205 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 2: that feed into the story that you and the team 206 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 2: were trying to uncover. 207 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: Russia has made a concerted air in recent years to 208 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: rekindle the influence that had during the Soviet Union era 209 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: in Africa. You know, we've seen that with the deployments 210 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:13,079 Speaker 1: of mercenaries and wagoner operatives in many African countries. We 211 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: see the Russian Orthodox Church establish itself across the continent, 212 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: which is an example of soft power. And we've seen 213 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: frequent visits by Russian officials and politicians to Africa and 214 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: even the holding of Africa Leader summits in Russia which 215 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 1: are as entered by President Vladimir Putin. So I think 216 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: the fact that they've managed to expand the net across 217 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:39,319 Speaker 1: Africa has allowed groups like Alabuga Star to kind of 218 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: piggyback on that diplomatic reach and to try and attract 219 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: the young workers. I think they're not coming into these 220 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,079 Speaker 1: situations called there is an existing link between the embassies 221 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: and the governments of the African countries. And also they're 222 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: operating in Southern Stasia as well, and have said that 223 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: they will be looking into Latin America and I'm sure 224 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: it's pretty similar there. 225 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,719 Speaker 2: And you can read more of Antony's reporting on Bloomberg 226 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 2: platforms right now. Will put a link to that in 227 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:07,959 Speaker 2: the show notes. Here's some of the other stories from 228 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 2: the region that we've been following. South African Finance Minister 229 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 2: Ino Godongwana will return to Parliament on May twenty first 230 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 2: to present his third attempt this year at getting a 231 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 2: budget passed. Godogwana is revising his fending plans after a 232 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 2: dispute within the governing coalition over a proposed tax increase 233 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 2: forced him to backtrack. That left the national treasury with 234 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 2: the seventy five billion Rand or four billion dollars shortfall 235 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 2: to plug over the next three years. And Kenya's annual 236 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 2: inflation rate climbed to an eight month high in April 237 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 2: on the tight supply of food items including corn, potatoes 238 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:50,839 Speaker 2: and green vegetables. Official figures show consumer prices rose four 239 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 2: point one percent compared with three point six percent in March. 240 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 2: The nation's Monetary Policy Committee had projected inflation at four. 241 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 4: Point two percent in April. 242 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 2: And you can follow these stories across Bloomberg, including the 243 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 2: Next African Newsletter. We'll put a link to that in 244 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 2: the show notes. This program was produced by Adrian Bradley. 245 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 2: Don't forget to follow and review the show wherever you 246 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 2: usually get your podcasts. I'm Jennifer's Abisaja. Thanks as always 247 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 2: for listening. 248 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 4: We'll see you next time.