U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Southern Africa

Tel: +27 11 880 4633
Fax: +27 11 880 1421
e-mail: irin-sa@irin.org.za


SOUTHERN AFRICA
IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 46
17 - 23 November 2001


CONTENTS:

ZIMBABWE: European Union snubbed by Mugabe
ZAMBIA: Election date finally announced
ANGOLA: Partial Angolan troop withdrawal from DRC
MALAWI: Muluzi urged to 'defend constitution'
SOUTH AFRICA: SA urged to nab traffickers
MOZAMBIQUE: Fears of more flooding
NAMIBIA: Condemnation of new policy on UNITA "collaborators"
LESOTHO: NGOs lobby against electoral bill

ZIMBABWE: European Union snubbed by Mugabe

Zimbabwe found itself further isolated internationally this week when a
European Union (EU) delegation said it had failed to hold constructive
talks with President Robert Mugabe on Friday 23 November, and that its
relations with the country had reached a "critical point".

"Our relations are now at a critical point, we have to admit that, we have
arrived at a critical point," said Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel,
who headed the EU team. The EU is considering imposing sanctions against
Zimbabwe because of mounting human rights abuses and the government's
crackdown on civil liberties.

The 15-member bloc is also concerned about President Robert Mugabe's
refusal to guarantee fair elections next year and the admission of
international observers. Zimbabwe's controversial land reform programme is
also expected to come under the spotlight.

Early this month, EU foreign ministers agreed to invoke Article 96 of the
Cotonou agreement that governs relations between the European Union and
its African, Caribbean and Pacific partners. The move meant that the EU
was to formally ask Zimbabwe to discuss such issues as land reform, ending
political violence, ensuring press freedom and judicial independence, and
allowing election observers at next year's presidential poll.

Michel added it was difficult to engage in constructive dialogue with
Mugabe during Friday's 90-minute talks. "We didn't have the opportunity to
have a constructive exchange of views," said the Belgian foreign minister.
"But today it was not really easy to have this discussion, we just put on
the table the issues and there was a brutal reaction," Michel told a news
conference shortly before leaving Harare for Bujumbura.

For a background story on the EU visit:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15832&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=ZIMBABWE

Civil rights march thwarted

Mugabe, however, weathered a demonstration planned for Wednesday. The
protest march by civic groups in Harare over amendments to the country's
electoral act was thwarted by an army of riot police who prevented
protesters from approaching parliament. The marchers were confronted
outside parliament by riot police wielding batons. The police chased the
marchers back towards the city centre where the demonstration fizzled out.
At least 25 demonstrators were arrested for public order offences.

The protest was over what they say are changes to the country's electoral
laws ahead of next year's presidential elections which would
disenfranchise millions of expatriate Zimbabweans and bar NGOs from voter
education and election monitoring. The march was planned by the National
Constitutional Assembly (NCA) - an umbrella NGO bringing together student
groups, human rights organisations, churches, trade unions and political
parties. The NCA has campaigned for a new constitution for Zimbabwe as
well as free and fair elections and an independent electoral authority.

For the full IRIN story:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15605&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=ZIMBABWE

Citizens forced to carry identity papers

In a move seen as another clampdown on dissenters, the government is to
introduce laws to force Zimbabweans to carry identity cards at all times,
the state-controlled Herald reported on Thursday. Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa was quoted as saying that "the country must be protected from
terrorism" and this could only be possible if police were empowered by law
to demand identity cards from people who move within the country.

The right of police to demand identity cards was abolished by the supreme
court in 1997, when it ruled that it was a violation of constitutional
guarantees of freedom of movement. The opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) immediately said it would block the move. "It's plainly
unconstitutional," said MDC Secretary-General Welshman Ncube.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean Supreme Court threw out charges of terrorism
against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday, saying the charges
contravened sections of the constitution. "Our application was successful.
The Supreme Court unanimously found the sections under which he was
charged to be in contravention of section 18 of the constitution," said
Tsvangirai's lawyer, Innocent Chagonda.

Tsvangirai was charged with terrorism and sabotage after telling a rally
last year that President Robert Mugabe should stand down or face violent
removal. The ruling clears the way for Tsvangirai to challenge Mugabe in
presidential elections next year. If he had been found guilty he would
have faced a possible jail sentence.

NGOs fear being targeted as violence escalates

But Zimbabwe's Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) fear being next on a
"hit-list" after a weekend of political violence, representatives of civil
society said on Monday. "It's open season now on the opposition and white
farmers, government label us as anti-state so we're expecting the worst,"
the head of a prominent Harare-based NGO told IRIN anonymously, fearing
reprisals.

In the last month, NGOs and civil groups have come under increasing
government scrutiny. Last week Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said
local and international NGOs would not be allowed to distribute emergency
food aid that Zimbabwe has requested from foreign donors. Such groups have
also effectively been banned from monitoring and observing the election.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa
said local monitors would be government appointees and international
observers could only play a role in the election process "when invited".

For the full IRIN story:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15172&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=ZIMBABWE

Government to limit farm sizes

Zimbabwe said on Monday it would limit farms not earmarked for seizure to
a maximum of 2,000 hectares each and give left-over space to the landless.
"Government has decided that every property that has not been gazetted for
compulsory acquisition should immediately be sub-divided to comply with
the maximum size regulations," Agriculture Minister Joseph Made told a
news conference.

The limits would range between 250 and 2,000 hectares, depending on the
type of land, Made said. Properties affected by the rules would include
large-scale commercial farms not targeted for government seizure and
properties belonging to foreign nationals, he added.

"We believe that small farms and related enterprises will be more
productive than the current large farms," he said. Analysts dubbed the
move economic suicide, while the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU)
representing white farmers, said it spelt the end of commercial
agriculture in Zimbabwe.

However, the government plans to allocate about a dozen large-scale farms
or the equivalent of 10,000 hectares of land to Libyan entrepreneurs as
part of an economic cooperation package between Zimbabwe and its north
African ally, the Financial Gazette reported on Thursday.

Poverty breeds opposition

A visitor to Joseph Shonga's home can't help but notice the large fissure
that zigzags from the roof of his mud hut, down the decaying wall, and
into the ground. A few metres from the crumbling dwelling is a stinking
metal and plastic shack that serves as the toilet for Shonga's family.

These images of poverty and squalor are everywhere at Porta farm, a
fast-expanding squatter camp 18 km southwest of Zimbabwe's capital,
Harare.

For the full IRIN story:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15104&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=ZIMBABWE

ZAMBIA: Election date finally announced

Ending months of uncertainty, Zambian President Fredrick Chiluba announced
on Thursday 22 November that presidential, parliamentary and local
government elections would be held on 27 December, news agencies reported.
Parliament is to be dissolved on 8 December, a brief statement issued by
the presidency said.

Announcing the election date ends months of speculation and criticism of
Chiluba's silence. As Zambia's rainy season runs from November to March,
many civic leaders and opposition officials worry some voters might be cut
off from their polling stations and effectively disenfranchised. This
week, human rights groups were divided over whether to support a call by
opposition parties for a public disobedience campaign to press Chiluba to
make the date public.

Chiluba is to step down as president after a decade in power, and the
ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has chosen Levy Mwanawasa
as its candidate to replace him. Nine opposition leaders will contest the
presidency. Mwanawasa's biggest challenge is expected to come from
Christon Tembo, a former army commander who leads the fledgling opposition
Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD). The FDD is likely to pose the
strongest challenge to the ruling party.

Anti-torture law promised

The Zambian government has agreed to "domesticate" the standards of the
international Convention against Torture into domestic law, according to a
press release by the UN office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The UN's Committee against Torture concluded its consideration on Tuesday
of a report by the Zambian government which committed the country to
translate the standards of the convention into international law "as a
matter of priority", and that a specific definition of the crime of
torture would be established.

Committee members on Monday had noted a "lack of consonance" between the
Zambian legal regime and the convention. They decried, for example, the
admissibility in court of evidence extracted under torture, leading to
"widespread" maltreatment of suspects by police officers.

ANGOLA: Partial Angolan troop withdrawal from DRC

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said after a meeting with Angolan
President Jose Eduardo dos Santos on Thursday that Angola would withdraw a
significant number of its troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC). However, Michel declined to reveal the proportion of Angolan forces
to be withdrawn. Angola is estimated to have 2,000-2,500 troops in the
country.

A European Union delegation, headed by Michel, seeking a solution for the
regional war in the DRC, arrived in Luanda for talks with Angolan leaders.
The EU team, including EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, met
separately with Dos Santos and Foreign Minister Joao Miranda as part of a
five-day mission to promote peace in the DRC and Burundi.

Zambia admits killing 10 Angolan soldiers

Zambian President Frederick Chiluba on Thursday said that the country's
armed forces had shot dead 10 Angolan soldiers on Wednesday in a border
incident near where seven Zambian villagers were killed two weeks ago. "I
regret that our soldiers killed 10 Angolan soldiers last night," Chiluba
was quoted as telling a business delegation in the country's northern
mining city of Kitwe. The president said Zambia's northwestern border with
Angola remained tense but gave no further details.

Meanwhile, Angola has refused to take responsibility for the deaths of the
Zambian villagers allegedly killed when Angolan forces crossed into Zambia
in pursuit of suspected UNITA rebels. Speaking in Lusaka after delivering
a message from Dos Santos to Chiluba, Angolan presidential envoy George
Chikoti was quoted as saying that it was difficult to ascertain whether
the Zambians were actually killed by Angolan security forces. Chikoti
suggested that the seven Zambians might have been caught in a crossfire
between the Angolan Armed Forces and the UNITA rebels.

Military call-up

In a separate development, in the last few weeks, radio announcements have
been instructing young men aged between 18 and 20 to report to military
bases around the country to register for military service, as is normal at
this time of year. But the FAA also have the legal right to conscript men
up to the age of 30 who have not previously served for two years. Many
young men fear that even those who have served their time could still be
forced to put on uniforms.

The army has recently stepped up its operations in the eastern province of
Moxico, saying that the aim is to capture Jonas Savimbi and to destroy the
last UNITA forces in a region where the rebels are well established. Young
men who hear this worry that it will be a signal for the military to make
a particular effort this year - after 26 years of war - to get more of
them into the army. Whether or not this is actually happening remains
unclear. The conscription laws in Angola are never applied consistently.

For the full IRIN story: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15933

MALAWI: Muluzi urged to 'defend constitution'

The Magistrates' and Judges' Association of Malawi this week wrote to
President Bakili Muluzi, urging him to reject his United Democratic Front
(UDF) MPs attempts to sack three senior High Court judges.

Parliament passed three UDF MP's motions on Wednesday 14 November,
recommending the judges' dismissal to Muluzi. The judges - Justice
Dunstain Mwaungulu, Justice Chimasula Phiri and Justice Anaclet Chipeta -
were accused by the MPs of supporting opposition leaders, ruling in their
favour in a number of cases and prejudicing the UDF. The petition has
sparked a major row between parliament and the judiciary which could,
according to several lawyers, lead to a constitutional crisis - a crisis
which Muluzi could now flame with the stroke of a pen.

Dingiswayo Madise, president of the Magistrate's and Judge's Association,
told IRIN on Monday that because Muluzi had not yet endorsed parliament's
petition, the association decided to petition him themselves. "I delivered
the petition to the presidential palace myself," he said. "We addressed
our concerns to the president, urging him not to sign (parliament's)
petitions and to keep his word and the oath he took to defend the
constitution. We are urging him as a democrat to not sign those
petitions."

For the full IRIN story:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15192&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=MALAWI

IRIN interview with democracy activist, Rafiq Hajat

Rafiq Hajat describes himself as a "political activist and grassroots
person". He is an executive member of Malawi's ruling United Democratic
Front (UDF), vice president of the country's chamber of commerce and
industry, chairman of DEMAT, the Development of Malawian Traders' Trust,
and also founding director of the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI).

For the full IRIN interview:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15199&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=MALAWI

Suspended aid to resume soon - government

In a separate development, a government spokesman told IRIN on Tuesday
that millions of dollars worth of aid to Malawi suspended due to
corruption and the curtailment of the government's privatisation programme
will be released soon. "Although some aid had been suspended because of
problems over privatisation, agreement has been reached with donors and
the monies are set to flow again," Anthony Livuza said.

According to a report on Monday in Malawi's Daily Times, the European
Union (EU), the United States and British governments have suspended K1.5
billion (US $23 million) worth of aid pledged for this year's budget
because of top level corruption and the suspension of the government's
controversial privatisation programme. According to the Daily Times, the
EU had decided to withhold K700 million (US $10 million) and had asked
government to refund K400 million (US $5.2 million) alleged to have been
misused by government in the tendering of the rehabilitation of the
Blantyre-Chileka road.

For the full IRIN story:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15392&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=MALAWI

SOUTH AFRICA: SA urged to nab traffickers

A United Nations panel on Monday urged South Africa to tighten its laws
against traffickers who were using the country as transit point to smuggle
illicit high-value commodities. The panel recommended in its report on the
plunder of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
that a moratorium be placed on the importation of gold, diamonds, copper,
cobalt, timber, coffee and other valuable commodities from rebel-held
areas of the country.

In its response, the South African government said in a statement on
Thursday: "It is stated in the Addendum that the Panel has credible
information indicating that various actors, some based in South Africa and
others outside, are using the territories and facilities of South Africa
to conduct illicit commercial activities involving the natural resources
of the DRC. It is surprising that the Expert Panel neither mentioned this
during its meetings in South Africa, nor did it at any stage share with
the Government the evidence that it claims to have in this regard. The
government will now seek to obtain the information from the Expert Panel
in order to take appropriate action where necessary."

MOZAMBIQUE: Fears of more flooding

Fears of flooding in southern Mozambique mounted this week after the
regions water authorities forecasted heavy rains in the next two weeks.
Authorities said that because of continued heavy rain, the Pequenos
Limbombos dam south of Maputo, might have to increase its discharge rate
to hold more water during the rainy season.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the UN's World Food Programme in Maputo told
IRIN on Friday 23 November that 235,000 people throughout Mozambique would
need some form of food aid, starting in December. "The hungry season in
Mozambique normally begins in about December and runs through until
February. This year it started early. Added to this farmers have not had a
very good season. The hungry season is a time when traditionally people do
not have enough food in their storage bins and turn to secondary sources
for food."

He explained to IRIN that most of the aid would be in the form of
food-for-work programmes. "Of this 235,000 there are still those that are
recovery from the floods and are still in camps waiting to be resettled.
This will receive direct food aid or be part of food-for-recovery
programmes," he said.

Club of Paris slashes Mozambique's debt

Meanwhile, the Club of Paris announced on Tuesday that it was reducing
Mozambique's debt by US $1.65 billion, more than half the amount owed by
the African country to the group of creditor nations. According to the
Portuguese LUSA news agency, the group said in a statement issued in Paris
that the debt reduction came in recognition of Maputo's "important efforts
in the framework of economic and structural reforms" overseen by the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

NAMIBIA: Condemnation of new policy on UNITA "collaborators"

Namibia's National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) this week condemned a
warning by Defence Minister Erkki Nghimtina that anybody found
"collaborating" with Angolan UNITA rebels would be shot on sight. In a
statement released on Wednesday, NSHR condemned as unconstitutional "the
pronounced policy of shoot-on-sight anyone perceived to be collaborating
with the alleged enemies".

Nghimtina reportedly made the remarks at the weekend in the insecure
northern Kavango region, which borders Angola. According to Namibian
national radio, Nghimtina issued the warning that "enemies" would be shot
when addressing a consultative meeting of government officials,
representatives of the private sector, and regional and traditional
leaders, the NSHR statement said. According to the NSHR, the minister's
comments have provided credence to the human rights group's allegations
that Namibian forces in southeast Angola had carried out "massacres,
enforced disappearances and summary executions" of civilians suspected of
siding with UNITA. Namibian troops operate inside Angola in a bid to
prevent the rebels from crossing into Kavango.

For the full story:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=15606&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=NAMIBIA

Red cross withdraws from Osire

The Namibian Red Cross Society (NRCS) told IRIN this week that it was
withdrawing its services from the Osire refugee camp. "We will be
withdrawing as of 31 December 2001," Geniene Veii, deputy
secretary-general of the NRCS told IRIN on Tuesday. "Part of the reason
that we are doing this is because of a lack of donor funding and partly
because donors have been slow in making payments."

"It needs to be emphasised that we are not abandoning the refugees and we
will continue with some services such as tracing which includes
re-establishing links between families." she said. The NRCS has, up to
now, acted as UNHCR's main implementing partner at the camp, helping with
issues such as sanitation, food distribution and water provision.

UNHCR in Namibia told IRIN that it was informed of the NRCS decision in
September. "We have had some time to prepare and we have already
approached some organisations who might be willing to work with us at
Osire," a UNHCR spokesman said.  Meanwhile, The Namibian newspaper
reported on Friday 23 November that Africa Humanitarian Africa (AHA) would
act as UNHCR's new implementing partner. The report said that the
organisation had already deployed a medical officer to Osire and taken on
the 14 clinic staff.

LESOTHO: NGOs lobby against electoral bill

Lesotho's NGOs are lobbying against a complex election bill which they
allege could deepen the country's political instability if passed by
parliament.

The Elections Amendment Bill being debated introduces a "mixed member"
system under which 80 MPs are to be elected under a first-past-the-post
constituency-based system, with another 40 members to be elected on the
basis of proportional representation. According to the bill, the
allocation of seats for one party will be determined by dividing the total
votes by 120 or any number of constituencies that successfully contested
elections, including the 40 proportional representation seats, the Maseru
newspaper Mopheme reported

Seabat Motsamai, the acting director of the Lesotho NGO Council, told IRIN
that the two ballot papers needed for the mixed member system was
confusing. "The level of voter education is not enough for people to grasp
the need for two ticks." He added that the complicated new electoral
system proposed by both the Interim Political Authority and the
Independent Electoral Commission was not the proportional representation
the country's NGOs supported. "Literally what they (the authorities) are
saying is to take the country as one constituency and see what support you
have," rather than reserving 40 seats for proportional representation
alone, based on the number of votes won by each party.


IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 880-4633
Fax: +27 11 447-5472
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

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