MULTICHOICE (DSTV) REACTS TO XENOPHOBIA IN SOUTH AFRICA

Pretoria, South Africa

The chief executive of Multichoice, providers of the satellite television subscription service, DSTV, has Monday, spoken out against the recent wave of xenophobic attacks in some communities in South Africa.

In a speech, the chief executive said that those who beat, stabbed and killed foreigners were cowards who knew nothing about what it means to be South African. He added that although xenophobia was unacceptable, "the calls for the boycott of South African goods and services particularly in countries like Nigeria" was unfair.

Making a pledge to keep speaking out against xenophobia, he added that DSTV was making the next two months free to all current subscribers of the television service in Nigeria, the company's biggest market. The free subscription applies to all customers with a valid subscription, whether those with the family bouquet or premium bouquet and takes effect from the end of each customers current subscription.

He advised customers benefitting from this xenophobia induced bonanza to use their two free months wisely and watch as many channels as their work and family life allow.

Efforts to reach the South African company MTN to ask if they too were planning a xenophobia bonanza proved abortive.

BREAKING: GOODLUCK JONATHAN, AIDES DECAMP TO APC

Abuja, Nigeria.

In a WhatsApp message leaked exclusively to our reporter, details of a secret meeting between APC party leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan have been revealed.

The trio met throughout the night, Thursday to work out a deal that would see General Buhari retain some members of the PDP government and protect the assets of the outgoing president.

The WhatsApp message sent to us by a close senior aide to one of the three, details how Goodluck Jonathan "begged Buhari not to revoke his oil well allocations or those of his wife Patience Jonathan."

Buhari who was stoic throughout the meeting, simply nodded without saying a word. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the one who allegedly broached the issue, first as a joke, that "it would be great to have the outgoing president embracing change by joining the winning party."

According to our source who pleaded anonymity, "President Jonathan laughed, stopped, and then nervously said: 'Wetin person go lose sef. Oya now, Tinubu, get me the party ticket. Make we all change together.'"

General Buhari then smiled, for the first time during the meeting.

Doyin Okupe, aide to President Jonathan, upon hearing this news, quickly called the APC leader in his local ward to demand an APC Party membership card. The WhatsApp message ended by saying that Reno Omokri and Reuben Abati were considering decamping to the PDP, but couldn't reach the APC National Chairman by phone. "Network problems," our source concluded.

It is unclear when President Jonathan will make the announcement formal, or whether Bola Tinubu will actually send President Jonathan the membership cards.

All attempts to reach the trio for comment proved abortive.