Muhsin Hendricks, a pioneering figure dubbed the world’s first openly gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa.

The 57-year-old cleric ran a mosque in Cape Town intended as a safe haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims. He was killed on Saturday morning after the car in which he was travelling near the southern city of Gqeberha was ambushed.

“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” police said in a statement.

News of Hendricks’ death has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the globe.

Julia Ehrt, executive director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga), called on the authorities to thoroughly investigate “what we fear may be a hate crime”.

“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives,” she said.

Hendricks was killed after he had reportedly officiated at a lesbian wedding, though this has not been officially confirmed.

The details of the attack emerged through security footage that was shared on social media.

It shows a car pulling up and blocking the vehicle in which Hendricks was travelling as it was pulling away from the curb. According to police, the imam was in the back seat.

The angle of CCTV footage reveals what happened from one side of the road – an assailant jumps out of a car, runs to the ambushed vehicle and shoots repeatedly through the back passenger window.

Hendricks’ Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, which runs the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in the Wynberg suburb of Cape Town, confirmed he had died in a targeted attack on Saturday morning.

But Abdulmugheeth Petersen, chair of the foundation’s board, appealed via a WhatsApp group for their followers to be patient, stressing the importance of protecting Hendricks’ family.

Hendricks’ work challenged traditional interpretations of Islam and championed a compassionate, inclusive faith.

South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to protect people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and in 2006, became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage.

But despite a thriving LGBT community, gay people still face discrimination and violence. The country also has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Hendricks came out as gay in 1996, which shocked the wider Muslim community in Cape Town and elsewhere.

That same year, he founded The Inner Circle, an organisation providing support and a safe space for queer Muslims seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality before going on to establish the inclusive Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque.

He was the subject of a documentary in 2022 called The Radical, in which he said about the threats he faced: “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die.”

Hendricks often spoke about the importance of interfaith dialogue and the need to address the mental health issues and trauma faced by LGBTQ+ individuals within religious communities.

He told the Ilga World Conference in Cape Town last year: “It is important that we stop to look at religion as the enemy.”

Reverend Jide Macaulay, an openly gay Anglican minister, described Hendricks’ death as “truly heartbreaking”.

The British-Nigerian LGBTQ rights activist runs House of Rainbow, an organisation that provides support for gay people in Nigeria where same-sex relationships or public displays of affection are illegal, and paid tribute to Hendricks’ bravery.

“Your leadership, courage, and unwavering dedication to inclusive faith communities have left an indelible mark,” he said.

Sadiq Lawal, a gay Muslim man living in Nigeria, told the BBC that Hendricks, had made such an impact as he had made “the impossible possible” by saying the words: “I’m a queer imam.”

“He’s a mentor to many queer Muslims in Africa, especially in Nigeria, because of religious extremism,” he said.

“I’m still in shock and devastated.”

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Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations and Benefits at SSNIT, Adam Sulley

President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Adam Sulley as the Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations and Benefits at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

Adam Sulley, an astute business strategist and marketing practitioner, has over three decades of professional experience across multiple industries, including banking, insurance, pensions, and education.

He initially joined SSNIT in 1998 and was later seconded to the Ghana Healthcare Company, a subsidiary of SSNIT.

From July 2003 to November 2015, he held senior management positions at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), including Executive Head of Retail Banking.

After a successful tenure at ADB, he returned to SSNIT in July 2016 as the Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations and Benefits.

He is a Fellow (FCIM) of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), a Certified International Retail Banker (CIRB), and a Fellow of the International Academy of Retail Banking in the United Kingdom.

Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), and was awarded the CIMG Marketing Practitioner of the Year in 2010.

He previously served as the Board Chairman of the then Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), now the Northern Development Authority (NDA), where he played a key role in supporting master planning efforts to accelerate development in the Savannah zone.

Adam Sulley has also been a board member of Fidelity Bank, past President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute of Loan and Risk Management, Ghana, and a former Governing Council Member of the CIMG.

For nearly two decades, he served as a Panel Member of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), now the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

Currently, he is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) and the Consulting Director for the CIMG Localisation Programme.

Adam Sulley is the inaugural Board Chairman of the Ghana School of Marketing, a Global Professional Mentor, and a widely recognized expert in marketing education, business coaching, and training.

He is also the Board Chairman of Sissala Rural Bank, a member of the National Council of the Association of Rural Banks, and the President of its Upper West Chapter.

He holds a BSc in Industrial Management from the University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; an MSc in International Business from London South Bank University; and a Diploma in Social Health Insurance from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Italy.

SA/MA

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Television personality Nana Aba Anamoah

Television personality Nana Aba Anamoah has stated that the directive preventing government officials from traveling first class is not a genuine cost-cutting measure.

She argues that in Ghana, only Emirates offers first-class services, meaning appointees will continue to travel in business class, which remains expensive and has always been their preferred option.

According to her, if President John Dramani Mahama is serious about reducing costs, appointees should instead travel in premium economy.

“The truth of the matter is that only Emirates offers first-class services in Ghana. British Airways does not have first class; they offer business, premium economy, and economy. KLM has business and economy; Brussels Airlines does the same. It is only Emirates that provides first class.”

“While I think it is a great idea to deter our appointees from traveling first class, we must be sincere—most of them already travel business class unless they are flying Emirates, in which case they might opt for first class,” she said.

“So if the directive allows them to travel business class, that is what they have been doing anyway, meaning no real cost is being cut. Unless they are flying Emirates, where first class is an option, they will still choose business class. But for airlines like British Airways, appointees always fly business class. To truly cut costs, they should travel in premium economy,” she added.

She continued, “The head of every diplomatic mission in Ghana represents their country’s president. The majority of them travel economy and are not allowed to fly business class. So if the heads of mission from Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the UK travel in economy, who are we, mere mortals?”

Meanwhile, watch as Asiedu Nketiah breaks silence on the ‘uneasiness’ within the NDC and his ‘fight’ with Mahama

A staff team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Stéphane Roudet, has concluded a four-day visit to Ghana, engaging with government officials and stakeholders on key economic issues.

At the end of the visit, which lasted from 10th to 14th February, Roudet issued a statement highlighting the discussions held with Ghanaian authorities.

“The mission team engaged the Ghanaian authorities on recent macroeconomic developments. It also started discussions on the policies that will underpin the 2025 budget. This dialogue is set to continue over the coming weeks.”

The visit also focused on reviewing Ghana’s commitments under the IMF-supported program. According to Mr. Roudet, “We also took stock of the authorities’ progress in meeting key commitments under the Fund-supported program. These will be formally assessed in the context of the fourth review of the Extended Credit Facility arrangement, which is expected to be undertaken in April 2025.”

During the engagement, IMF staff met with President John Mahama, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Acting Governor of the Bank of Ghana Maxwell Asiama, and representatives from various government agencies and key stakeholders.

“IMF staff held meetings with H.E. President Mahama, Finance Minister Forson, and Bank of Ghana Acting Governor Asiama, and their teams, as well as representatives from various government agencies, and other key stakeholders. Staff would like to express their gratitude to the Ghanaian authorities and other stakeholders for their constructive engagement and support during this mission.”

The discussions are expected to continue in the coming weeks as Ghana prepares its 2025 budget and progresses towards the next review of the $3 billion Extended Credit Facility in April. The outcomes of these discussions will be closely watched as the country works towards economic stability and growth.

 

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Energy Minister, John Jinapor

Energy Minister John Jinapor has revealed a significant fraud involving the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), amounting to $500,000.

During an appearance on TV3’s Hot Issues on February 16, 2025, he highlighted the improper auctioning of critical equipment that was meant for ECG.

Jinapor explained that ECG failed to clear essential equipment from the port in a timely manner, leading to financial losses.

He cited a specific case where a container valued at $500,000 was auctioned off for just GHC100,000 and then resold to ECG for $300,000.

“I checked with the port, and the security report I received shows that a container worth about $500,000 was imported. ECG couldn’t clear it, and somehow, someone was able to buy it at auction for 100,000 Cedis, then resold it to ECG for $300,000,” he disclosed.

Describing the situation as unacceptable, Jinapor vowed to take decisive action against such practices: “It will stop. And I mean it will stop. Whatever it takes to stop that, no matter how unpopular that may be, we must take action.”

The revelations have sparked public outrage and calls for an investigation into ECG’s procurement and auctioning processes. Stakeholders are urging the government to implement stricter measures to prevent financial mismanagement.

In addition to the auction fraud, Jinapor noted that ECG currently has around 3,000 containers stuck at ports, accumulating GHS 1.5 billion in demurrage costs due to delays in clearance. He attributed this issue to what he termed “frivolous procurements.”

“It’s all because they are engaged in what I call very frivolous procurements. Now, they have about 3,000 containers stacked at the ports, generating GHS 1.5 billion in demurrage—that is very unacceptable. Some of the things they’ve procured will last them ten years; some will even expire in five years,” he stated.

To tackle these issues, Jinapor has established a committee tasked with investigating ECG’s procurement practices and assessing the financial losses incurred due to mismanagement.

“So, we’ve commissioned a committee to investigate ECG’s procurements and the cost of these containers stacked at the ports. The committee is doing a very good job,” he said.

Initial findings from this committee suggest that previous management at ECG did not adhere to proper procurement processes. “So far, the preliminary reports I have gotten indicate that there’s massive rot at ECG,” Jinapor added.