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 129
11 - 17 February 2003


CONTENTS

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Web Special on land reform
ZIMBABWE: Special Report on rising poverty 
ANGOLA: Break in essential medicines pipeline
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Food aid needs still serious
BOTSWANA: Feature on freedom of information campaign
MALAWI: Police fire on Muslim demonstrators
MOZAMBIQUE: SA maize to aid drought victims
ZAMBIA: Rains and subsidies boost production


SOUTHERN AFRICA: Web Special on land reform

The colonial histories of Southern African countries have influenced the
land reform debate. But whether land is in the hands of a white minority
or a black elite, redistribution in favour of the poor remains an emotive
issue.

Visit IRIN's new Webspecial on land reform 
http://www.irinnews.org/webspecials/landreformsa/


ZIMBABWE: Special Report on rising poverty

Behind the statistics marking Zimbabwe's decline lies the struggle by
ordinary families to put food on the table, send their children to school
and look after elderly relatives. This week IRIN took a closer look at the
reasons behind the crisis and the impact of rising poverty on the lives of
Zimbabweans.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35074

Feature - Wheat shortages to continue

Shortages of wheat are set to continue in Zimbabwe as preparations for the
2003-2004 planting season have been described by agricultural experts as
largely inadequate. The shortages have so far affected millers and
bakeries with adverse consequences on food security and employment. Low
harvests from the 2002-3 crop have also led to serious bread shortages and
a price hike of the commodity.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=35190

Little room for dialogue

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) this week said it
welcomed all initiatives to resolve the country's political crisis, but
the resignation of President Robert Mugabe remained a condition for
meaningful dialogue.

"The regime must immediately restore the rule of law and, in particular,
repeal the Public Order and Security Act, the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act, disband the infrastructure of violence and put
an end to all forms of state sponsored violence. This must be followed by
an announcement by Mugabe to exit from active politics in Zimbabwe. It is
in the context of this demonstration of sincerity by the regime that
dialogue can meaningfully begin," an MDC statement said on Wednesday.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35167


Focus on effects of fuel shortages on daily lives

Also this week, an oil deal between the government and Libya was revived.
Libya last year renewed a US $360 million fuel deal with Zimbabwe in
exchange for beef, tobacco and sugar but the supply line was cut after
Zimbabwe failed to meet its end of the bargain.

On Monday IRIN focused on the effects of the fuel shortages on the lives
of poor households in the country's urban centres.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35088


Save the Children refurbishes rural schools

Save the Children on Tuesday announced it would hand over refurbished
classrooms to communities in the Midlands province this week as part of
its emergency education programme.

Some 10 schools were damaged when a severe hailstorm hit Mberengwa
district in Midlands province in September 2002.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35114


ANGOLA: Break in essential medicines pipeline

Humanitarian groups reported a critical breakdown in the essential
medicines pipeline in three provinces of Angola.

Most affected by the shortages were the central Bie and Huambo provinces
and Benguela in the west, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest humanitarian update.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35113


UNITA opts to stay in interim government

UNITA secretary for foreign affairs, Alcides Sakala, told IRIN on
Wednesday the former rebel group would achieve more by remaining in the
Government of National Unity and Reconciliation (GNUR) until the country's
next elections are held.

Sakala said: "There remain many important bilateral issues which UNITA has
to tackle, together with the government, to ensure the transition is
complete and successful."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35135

Recommendations to lengthen the arm of the law

An international group of jurists this week called on Angola to reinforce
its judicial system, saying failure to do so may jeopardise funding for
reconstruction.

In a report titled, 'Angola, Promoting Justice Post-Conflict', the
International Bar Association (IBA) said it was mindful of the effects of
almost three decades of war on civil society but "attracting international
funders ... requires a strong and fair administration of justice".

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35162


FLEC/FAC resolute in call for independence

Separatists in Angola's northern Cabinda province on Thursday told IRIN
they would continue their struggle for independence despite the recent
defection of several key officials to the ruling party.

Last month seven top FLEC-FAC military officials, including the group's
chief of general staff, Francisco Luemba, handed themselves over to
government authorities.

The defectors claimed the separatist group lacked morale and was
under-resourced following a government offensive in the area last October.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35164

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Food aid needs still serious

On Wednesday the UN World Food Programme appealed for US $308 million to
provide close to 540,000 mt of food, enough to feed 6.5 million people
across southern Africa until June next year.

The continuing food crisis mainly affects Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho
and Swaziland. Zambia and Malawi have produced significantly better
harvests this year and food aid will only be targeted at the most
vulnerable groups in those countries - primarily people with HIV/AIDS and
children involved in school feeding programmes.

"WFP would particularly welcome cash contributions from governments this
year, to enable the agency to support local economies. With the overall
regional improvement in cereal output in parts of the region - South
Africa is expected to produce about a 2.2 million-mt surplus and Malawi,
northern Mozambique and Zambia are expecting improved harvests - WFP sees
buying opportunities that will help the region's agricultural sector," the
agency said.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35144


Urgent need for more spending on agriculture

Also on Wednesday the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) called on
African leaders to recognise the importance of agriculture in poverty
reduction, and properly fund the sector.

"There is now a growing recognition of the key role that the agriculture
sector must play in economic development and poverty reduction, and the
need to reverse trends in resource allocations to agriculture," FAO
Director-General Jacques Diouf said in a statement.

Diouf also said Africa lacked modern farm inputs, such as high yielding
seed varieties, vaccines and fertilisers. He characterised the continent's
rural infrastructure as "grossly insufficient."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35171


BOTSWANA: Feature on freedom of information campaign

This week media activists raised concern over a proposed draft
communications bill which they say will pose a serious threat to freedom
of expression and the free flow of information.

The government recently indicated it would push ahead with the
controversial Mass Media Communications (MMC) bill, which journalists say
is another attempt to muzzle the press and control editorial policy.

The current MMC draft is a reworked version of the bill presented to the
media in 1997. At the time it was roundly condemned by rights groups and
the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA), who said the practice of
licensing journalists was "impractical, unwarranted and a serious
potential threat to freedom of expression and the free flow of
information".

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35112


MALAWI: Police fire on Muslim demonstrators

Police in Malawi on Monday opened fire on Muslims demonstrating in the
central district of Kasungu over last week's deportation of suspected
members of the al-Qaeda extremist group, news reports said.

The disturbances in Kasungu followed weekend riots in the predominantly
Muslim southern town of Mangochi, in which protestors accused President
Bakili Muluzi of bowing to US pressure to have the five suspected al-Qaeda
members - two Turks, one Saudi, one Kenyan and a Sudanese - deported last
week.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35087

MOZAMBIQUE: SA maize to aid drought victims

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said at the weekend it can continue to
provide aid to thousands of Mozambican drought victims, thanks to the
first shipment of 16,000 mt of maize from South Africa.

The donation is part of a larger contribution of 100,000 mt of maize,
valued at US $20 million, given earlier this year to WFP's emergency
operation in Mozambique, the UN News Service reported.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35093

NAMIBIA: Proposed SADC free trade area has pros and cons

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) this week
noted that while the free trade area proposed by the Southern African
Development Community would create a larger market for both Namibia and
Zambia, short-term benefits would be limited.

The report said this was largely because both countries had overlapping
economic arrangements with other countries that already grant free trade
to some extent.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35136

SWAZILAND: Feature on community radio

Community radio is poised to challenge the Swazi government's monopoly on
electronic media, with widespread support among the local population.

Lubombo Community Radio, the first venture, is expected to serve the
country's poorest region, where developmental programmes are converging to
bring much needed poverty alleviation.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35111


ZAMBIA: Rains and subsidies boost production

Good rains and input subsidies for subsistence farmers helped Zambia's
food crop recovery at the national level, according to the latest Famine
Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) report.

Maize production in the 2002/03 season was double that of 2001/02, with
the majority of districts achieving a 100 percent increase over last
year's production. Access to cereals and other food has improved with a
continued fall in the prices of maize, and the staple mealie meal.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org./report.asp?ReportID=35091


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

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to
change your keywords, contact e-mail: IRIN@ocha.unon.org or Web:  
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this
item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
    Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Southern Africa                  www.cidi.org/humanitarian/irin/safrica