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

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SOUTHERN AFRICA
IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 61
02 - 08 March 2002


CONTENTS:

ZIMBABWE: Voting rules change as violence continues
MADAGASCAR: No more doubt over who's in charge
ANGOLA: Humanitarian situation in spotlight

ZIMBABWE: Voting rules change as violence continues

President Robert Mugabe again changed the rules on Friday for this
weekend's presidential election - just 14 hours before polling was due to
begin, according to the government gazette.

AFP reported that the new rules bar journalists from counting centres, but
allow officials at polling stations to decide whether journalists can
enter. Rules issued one week earlier had barred journalists from polling
stations, but allowed four to be inside counting centres at any one time.

The latest rules reduced the number of party polling agents allowed at
polling centres from two to one, and banned the use of cell phones and
pagers from counting centres.  They also included a revised code of
conduct for candidates and political parties, AFP reported.

Another rule that would mainly affect Zimbabwe's 40,000 whites requires
citizens to prove that they have not lost or renounced their citizenship
under a recent law banning dual citizenship.

The latest changes add to mounting confusion surrounding the weekend
election, and came as the Supreme Court was preparing to consider an
opposition challenge to rules Mugabe issued last week. Mugabe, using
sweeping powers granted him under Zimbabwean law, has made several
unilateral changes to the election laws, including some aimed at
circumventing Supreme Court decisions.

While Mugabe faces his toughest political challenge to date from Morgan
Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Shakespeare Maya
of the National Alliance for Good Governance, and independent candidates
Wilson Kumbula and Paul Siwela will contest the election.

Political violence scars women

While men have been the high profile targets of Zimbabwe's political
violence, concern is beginning to emerge that women may have been its
hidden victims.

Young men have been at the forefront of political activism in the run-up
to this weekend's presidential election. As a consequence, "it is quite
noticeable that in the past six weeks there have been far more injured men
that have made it to our offices", said Francis Lovemore of the Amani
Trust, which specialises in the rehabilitation of torture victims.

For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=24274&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=ZIMBABWE

Violence continues on eve of poll

On Friday South African President Thabo Mbeki hit out at "white
supremacists" critical of the Commonwealth response to Zimbabwe, as his
country's currency plummeted as a result of "Zimbabwe jitters".

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has also expressed concern about violence
during and after the election this weekend. He called for the "utmost
restraint" from both sides.

For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=24270&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=SOUTH_AFRICA-ZIMBABWE

Human Rights Watch slams land grab

On Thursday 7 March IRIN reported that Human Rights Watch (HRW) placed the
blame for Zimbabwe's ongoing political and social instability squarely on
President Robert Mugabe's "fast track" land reform programme, claiming it
has harmed the very people it was designed to assist.

"Militia groups affiliated with the party of President Robert Mugabe have
carried out serious acts of violence against rural dwellers and landless
workers on commercial farms," the organisation said. It also said it
received reports of discrimination, on political grounds, in the
distribution of land.

For more details: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=24110

Crisis threatens African recovery

On Wednesday 5 March IRIN reported that the crisis in Zimbabwe was
threatening Africa's recovery plan, the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (Nepad).

This followed comments by British Prime Minister Tony Blair that support
for Africa's recovery plan could be jeopardised by the perceived
"ambivalence" of African leaders to democracy and good governance. Blair
had denounced as "the lowest common denominator" a Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting statement on Zimbabwe on Monday.

For more details: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=23909

Focus on post-election scenarios

Commentators warned this week that violence could follow the elections,
irrespective of which candidate wins. Mutual fears existed on both sides
of the party divide a close poll was likely to see violent acts of
resistance and a settling of scores, they said.

For more details: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=23911

Focus on forced disenfranchisement

The outcome of Zimbabwe's presidential election could rest on how many
people are prevented from voting, civil rights groups warned as the week
began.

They said the government's election strategy was based on
disenfranchisement of the urban areas - perceived as pro-opposition - and
control of the voting process in the rural areas, which holds the majority
of the constituencies.

More details: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=23764

MADAGASCAR: No more doubt over who's in charge

There was no longer any doubt over who had control of Madagascar, an
analyst told IRIN on Friday, after self-declared president Marc
Ravalomanana installed in own defence minister in office.

The last ministry still in the hands of the official government was taken
early in the day and soldiers guarding the defence ministry building did
nothing to prevent the new "minister" from entering his office, alongside
Ravalomanana.

"If anyone had any doubt about Ravolomanana's influence and popularity,
the seizure of one the most crucial ministries is a clear message to
President (Didier) Ratsiraka that he has lost control of the capital,"
said Heidi Hudson, political science lecturer at the University of
Stellenbosch.

On Thursday, at least 100 army officers pledged their allegiance to
Ravalomanana, who claims to have won last December's presidential
election. Local newspapers have reported that two generals have sworn
allegiance to Ravalomanana. The generals claim that almost 90 percent of
the country's soldiers now support Ravolomanana.

For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=24265&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=MADAGASCAR

No resolution to crisis

The week ended in Madagascar with ongoing talks between Madagascar's two
rival leaders Marc Ravalomanana and incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka.

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) mediated talks are aimed at
preventing a civil war and allowing the resumption of normal economic
activity.

Former Cape Verde president Antonio Mascarenhas Moteiro, leader of the OAU
delegation which arrived on Wednesday, said the meetings had been "very
interesting and fruitful".

Fears of civil war spread as the army found itself split on Thursday
between supporters of Ratsiraka and self-declared president Ravalomanana
as fuel shortages began to bite.

More details: http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=24128

ANGOLA: Humanitarian situation in spotlight

Oxfam International was among several aid agencies to address the UN
Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Angola this week.

IRIN reported on Thursday that Oxfam had urged both the rebel movement
UNITA and the Angolan government to accept responsibility for providing
for people in areas they control - and to allow them access to
humanitarian aid.

More details: http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=2412

In Wednesday, UNITA spokesman Jaka Jamba told IRIN the possible death of
new UNITA leader General Antonio Dembo could give added impetus to calls
for a cessation of hostilities between the rebel movement and the
government.

Jamba said Dembo's death, so soon after that of longtime UNITA commander
Dr Jonas Savimbi in February, would further weaken the rebel faction
remaining on the battlefield and could serve as a catalyst to the peace
process.

For more details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=23913


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

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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2002


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