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 215
22 - 28 January 2005


CONTENTS:

SWAZILAND: Inquest report accuses police of torture and neglect
ZIMBABWE: MDC calls for postponement of poll
SOUTH AFRICA: ANC/COSATU agree conditions in Zim not "conducive" to
   free poll
ANGOLA: GM food ban comes into effect, sparks WFP concern
BOTSWANA: Raising youth AIDS awareness like 'trying to fight a dead
   animal'
MOZAMBIQUE: Constitutional Council calls for greater electoral
   transparency
ZAMBIA: Desperate refugees steal villagers' food
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zambezi flood plain residents urged to relocate
COMOROS: Students barricade streets over teachers' strike
MALAWI: Charcoal production threatens forests
LESOTHO: Efforts to reopen textile factories underway



SWAZILAND: Inquest report accuses police of torture and neglect

A coroner's inquest has accused the Royal Swaziland Police Force of 
torture and neglect in a case that has highlighted human rights groups' 
concerns over the treatment of suspects in custody.

Mandla Ngubeni died in June 2004 after the police interrogated him over 
the disappearance of R28,000 (US $4,666) from his place of employment. 
Coroner Magistrate Lorraine Hlope, in a report presented to Prime 
Minister Themba Dlamini, concluded that Ngubeni had been tortured under 
questioning.

"From the evidence gathered, I find that the deceased, Mandla Ngubeni, 
was suffocated by the police interrogating him", the report said, 
although it was not established that his death was due to suffocation 
alone. The official cause of death was initially given as heart failure.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45278


'No work, no pay' crimps national stay-away

A poor response to a general strike called on Tuesday by Swazi labour to 
demand political reforms has exposed the limitations of the 
pro-democracy movement.

"The unions now have a political credibility problem. It is also time 
for the underground political parties to finally reveal their membership 
numbers, because by appearances they have no widespread following," a 
diplomat told IRIN.

The 80,000-strong Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU), and the 
smaller Swaziland Federation of Labour, were only able to muster a few 
hundred demonstrators for a march along the main commercial street of 
the capital, Mbabane. With the exception of some banks and the post 
office, businesses and government offices largely ignored the strike 
call and remained open.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45229


Tempers flare as govt pays orphans' school fees

A near riot at a Swazi primary school this week, when parents tried to 
register their children as orphans to qualify for government support, 
has underlined the resentment created by efforts to help the growing 
numbers of vulnerable children.

"Children whose parents can afford to pay school fees felt it was unfair 
that they had to pay, when government was paying for orphans. They said, 
'Why should these children be rewarded because their parents got AIDS 
and died?'" a teacher at Khuphuka Primary School near the capital, 
Mbabane, told IRIN.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45268


Sugar farmers urged to diversify as EU slashes subsidy

The recent drop in world sugar prices, coupled with a change in European 
Union (EU) purchasing agreements, is threatening to put Swazi producers 
out of business.

Sugar is Swaziland's biggest industry, delivering an annual turnover of 
about US $1.5 billion and exports of more than $637 million.

For years the government made a concerted effort to wean peasant farmers 
from monocropping maize, the staple food, and form cooperatives to grow 
sugar cane as a cash crop. More acreage is now under sugar cultivation 
than ever before, but some producers have begun to express regret over 
their over reliance on the crop.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45267


ZIMBABWE: MDC calls for postponement of poll

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic 
Change (MDC), said his party has yet to decide whether to participate in 
Zimbabwe's legislative elections, scheduled for March, as conditions in 
the country are not conducive to a free and fair poll.

Tsvangirai was addressing delegates at a conference on opposition 
parties and democracy in Africa at the South African Institute of 
International Affairs in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Given the number of 
reforms needed to ensure a free and fair election, he said, the 
parliamentary poll should be postponed to June.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45230


New demands will disenfranchise thousands, analysts

Thousands of eligible Zimbabweans will not be able to vote in the 
upcoming parliamentary elections without producing written proof that 
they reside in the constituency where they are registered.

In a last-minute public notice published in the official Herald 
newspaper, the Registrar-General's office said prospective voters in 
urban areas should present inspection officers with payment slips for 
water, electricity or other rates, or written statements from landlords 
confirming their tenancy within the constituency.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45265


SOUTH AFRICA: ANC/COSATU agree conditions in Zim not "conducive" to free 
poll


South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance 
partners have concluded that conditions are not believed to be 
"conducive" to holding "free and fair elections" in Zimbabwe in March, 
an official told IRIN.

The ruling alliance secretariat, made up of the ANC, the Congress of 
South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist 
Party (SACP), met on Thursday to develop a common understanding of the 
issues touching Zimbabwe, among other items.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45285


COSATU mission to Zimbabwe on, say labour leaders

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) remains firm in its 
intention to send a new fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe, despite 
official warnings that such a delegation would not be welcome.

Last week COSATU said the situation in Zimbabwe was critical, as the 
present legal and political situation was not conducive to holding free 
and fair elections, due in March, and alleged that labour unions were 
being suppressed.

The country has one of the highest inflation rates in the world, 
resulting in a steady erosion of household purchasing power. New laws 
restricting freedom of association and freedom of the press have also 
been heavily criticised.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45201


ANC, alliance partners to develop common Zimbabwe position

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party and its 
alliance partners are to formulate a common position on Zimbabwe, 
officials told IRIN. The move could indicate a shift in the ANC's stance 
on Zimbabwe.

The alliance partners, the Congress of South African Trade Unions 
(COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), have been openly 
critical of the ZANU-PF government.

The ANC also approved COSATU's plans to resume its fact-finding mission 
to Zimbabwe. "We were never against it, but have always maintained that 
COSATU should respect the Zimbabwean government's sovereignty", the 
ANC's head of presidency, Smuts Ngonyama, told IRIN. The second 
fact-finding mission is expected to leave for Zimbabwe early next month.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45225


ANGOLA: GM food ban comes into effect, sparks WFP concern

An Angolan law banning the import and use of genetically modified (GM) 
foods has come into effect, sparking fears that donor contributions - 
already being scaled back - will be cut even further.

The law, which came into effect in December 2004, prohibits the entry of 
GM seeds and grains unless destined for food relief. But even food-aid 
grains, like maize, must be milled before they are distributed to 
beneficiaries, either before arriving in the country or soon after.

Humanitarian workers fear this costly milling process will mean less 
produce will get through to the one million people in Angola - many of 
them internally displaced persons or returning refugees - who still rely 
on food aid to survive.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45217


Appointment of new justice ombudsman sparks concern

The appointment this week of Angola's first Justice Ombudsman sparked 
concern among human rights activists, who fear a lack of transparency 
and consultation in the process will render the position ineffective.

Former Justice Minister Paolo Tjipilica - the sole candidate for the 
post - was expected to be confirmed by a vote in the National Assembly 
on Friday.

Human rights organisations and civil society groups are up in arms 
because they have had no part in the selection procedure.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45244


BOTSWANA: Raising youth AIDS awareness like 'trying to fight a dead 
animal'

It's a well-known fact among young Batswana that their country has one 
of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world; they know what 
HIV/AIDS is, what causes it, and ways to prevent it.

But when you live in townships like Old Naledi, Broadhurst and Bontleng, 
and are surrounded by stigma, poverty, death and disease, all these grim 
statistics and AIDS messages can leave you fatalistic.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45237


Govt defends expulsion of political asylum seekers

The Botswana government this week defended its decision to deport two 
Namibian asylum seekers to the eastern Caprivi region earlier this 
month, saying that they had forfeited their refugee status.

According to news reports, until last week the authorities were denying 
that at least one of the refugees, Rodwell 'Fred' Katupisa Kauhano, had 
been deported from Botswana, where he spent six years in exile. Kauhano 
and the other refugee, identified only as 'Charles' were living in the 
Dukwe refugee camp in central Botswana.

Tueloyanne Oliphant, the permanent secretary for political affairs in 
the Botswana president's office, confirmed only Kauhano's deportation 
and said the authorities had followed the correct procedures laid down 
in the UN convention on refugees.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45245


Stepping up efforts to handle illegal immigrants

Botswana has unveiled plans to build an additional centre to house the 
growing numbers of illegal immigrants crossing into the country, mainly 
from neighbouring Zimbabwe.

The new centre, expected to be situated in Molepolole, a village 60 km 
west of the capital, Gaborone, is meant to ease the pressure on a 
similar facility in Francistown, which is already stretched to capacity.

Thousands of Zimbabweans have been flocking to Botswana since 2000, when 
President Robert Mugabe's government embarked on the controversial land 
reform programme that has compounded its economic problems.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45246


MOZAMBIQUE: Constitutional Council calls for greater electoral 
transparency

Mozambique's supreme law-making body has called for the inclusion of 
local and international observer missions at all stages of the vote 
tally, ensuring greater transparency in future elections.

Although the Constitutional Council (CC) last Thursday validated the 
results of the December 2004 general elections, which the ruling FRELIMO 
party won by a landslide, it reportedly said it had followed the debate 
on observers' access to vote tabulation "with concern".

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45203


Carter Centre concerned about accuracy and transparency of recent poll


Despite overall approval of Mozambique's recent general election, the 
US-based Carter Centre has expressed concerns over transparency.

In a 'post election' statement released earlier this week, the 
pro-democracy, founded by former US president Jimmy Carter, said that 
while the election results were not in question, the National Elections 
Commission had not administered a fair and transparent poll in all parts 
of the country.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45284


ZAMBIA: Desperate refugees steal villagers' food

Hungry refugees in Zambia have resorted to looting crop fields in nearby 
villages in a desperate bid to gain access to food, a senior government 
official said on Friday.

"The situation is out of hand, with increasing reports of refugees 
entering surrounding villages to steal crops and livestock. More 
worrying is that young girls from the refugee community are being forced 
into prostitution. The local communities have complained to the 
government because they are now afraid of growing insecurity in the 
area," Zambian home affairs permanent secretary, Peter Mumba, told IRIN.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45286


Mwanawasa adopts conciliatory tone on constitution

Zambia's President Levy Mwanawasa has extended an open invitation to 
civil society to contribute to the controversial constitutional review 
process, saying his government's goal of having a new constitution 
adopted in May 2008 was negotiable.

During a state visit to Japan last week, Mwanawasa reportedly told 
Zambians living there that "The government's roadmap is not cast in 
concrete and steel, and anyone with better ideas can come forward. If we 
get better ideas of adopting the new constitution before the next 
elections, we will do it." He also encouraged the Oasis Forum, an 
influential coalition of civic and religious groups, to discuss the 
issue.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45202


SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zambezi flood plain residents urged to relocate

Residents of flood-prone areas in the path of the rising Zambezi in 
Namibia and Mozambique have been asked to move to higher ground, 
disaster officials told IRIN on Monday.

"The Zambezi has crossed the flood-alert level of 5 metres in Sofala 
[the central Mozambican province]. It has not begun flooding yet, but we 
have issued the warning to the farmers in the flood plains in the 
provinces of Tete, Sofala and Zambezia", said Rita Almeida, spokeswoman 
for the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC) in the capital, 
Maputo.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45195


COMOROS: Students barricade streets over teachers' strike

Scores of students in Moroni, the capital of the Comoros Islands, took 
to the streets on Tuesday, demanding government action to end a 
teachers' strike that has closed schools.

More than 300 teachers across the Indian Ocean archipelago failed to 
turn up for classes at the start of the school term earlier this month, 
protesting accumulated salary arrears.

The headmaster of Said Mohammed Cheik Secondary School, Abdorahim Said 
Bacar, told IRIN the demonstration turned violent after students blocked 
roads with burning tyres and large stones.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45223


MALAWI: Charcoal production threatens forests

Pick almost any stretch of road in rural Malawi and at some point you 
come across bulging sacks of charcoal and neat stacks of firewood for 
sale. It is a cottage industry that provides one of the few 
opportunities for poor households to make a little money, but is also 
environmentally unsustainable, and in the long term impoverishes 
everyone.

"Charcoal production is a very serious issue, and is one of the major 
causes of deforestation in Malawi," director of the government's 
forestry department, Kenneth Nyasulu, told IRIN. "The damage to trees is 
causing soil erosion, which in turn causes food insecurity because the 
fertile soil is lost."

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45288


LESOTHO: Efforts to reopen textile factories underway

At least one of the six clothing and textile factories in Lesotho which 
closed down in December 2004, is expected to reopen early next month, a 
senior government official told IRIN this week.

About 7,000 clothing and textile workers' jobs were under a cloud when 
the factories, some of them believed to be facing "cash-flow problems", 
failed to reopen early this year.

"We are also trying to help at least another two factories - in the form 
of export incentives - to reopen next month as well," said David 
Rantekoa, permanent secretary for trade and industry.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=45289


IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 895-1900
Fax: +27 11 784-6759
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 
2005


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
     Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                    guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Southern Africa                  www.cidi.org/humanitarian/irin/safrica