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 255
29 October - 4 November 2005


CONTENTS:

SOUTH AFRICA: A handful of Zimbabweans granted asylum
MOZAMBIQUE: People in need of food aid doubles
ZIMBABWE: Annan "concerned" with government refusal of aid
ZAMBIA: Protestors demand constituent assembly to vet draft
   constitution
SWAZILAND: Welcome rain falls, but not enough to break the four-year
   drought
NAMIBIA: Pohamba's anti-graft campaign gets fresh impetus
ANGOLA: Growing unease over lack of readiness for elections


SOUTH AFRICA: A handful of Zimbabweans granted asylum

Just 86 of the thousands of Zimbabweans who have sought asylum in South 
Africa have been successful in their applications, according to 
immigration officials.

Zimbabwe has experienced six years of bitter economic recession that has 
seen fuel, food, electricity, essential medical drugs and other basic 
commodities become scarce due to a shortage of foreign currency needed 
to pay external suppliers.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49890


Focus on global warming

Every month, a few dozen people gather in Johannesburg's gritty inner 
city to learn how to make a solar-powered stove - a parabolic cooker 
that looks something like a home-made satellite dish yet can direct 
enough of the sun's energy to boil a pot of water in about 10 minutes.

The workshop run by the GreenHouse People's Environmental Centre Project 
is just one of its programmes to educate South Africans on energy 
efficiency and using renewable sources. GreenHouse regularly runs 
identical projects in the townships and informal settlements on the 
outskirts of Johannesburg, where many residents still rely on cheaper 
resources, like paraffin, for cooking, while others go without 
electricity when they can't pay the bills.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49928


Formal sector creating 1,000 jobs a day, says study

Contrary to fears of deepening unemployment, South Africa's formal 
sector is creating 30,000 jobs a month, according to a new study 
commissioned by the United Association of South Africa (UASA) labour 
union.

"The findings show that jobs are being created - more than what was 
previously thought," said economist Mike Schussler, author of 'The South 
African Employment Report'. The study, released this week, was based on 
Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) records and tax collection figures, 
which are not usually used by official statistical surveys.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49927


MOZAMBIQUE: People in need of food aid doubles

A combination of factors including escalating maize prices has almost 
doubled the number of people in need of food aid to more than 800,000 in 
Mozambique in the past six months, a food security official told IRIN 
this week.

"The findings of our survey indicate that maize prices in some of the 
drought-affected districts have risen by more than 100 percent," said 
Marcela Libombo, coordinator of Mozambique's Technical Secretariat for 
Food Security and Nutrition (SETSAN).

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49859


ZIMBABWE: Annan "concerned" with government refusal of aid

Although victims of Zimbabwe's recent urban clean-up campaign remain in 
desperate need of humanitarian assistance, the government has rejected 
offers of help from the United Nations (UN).

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's spokesman said in a statement that 
Annan was "deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe" 
and disturbed by the continued suffering.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49892


ZAMBIA: Protestors demand constituent assembly to vet draft constitution

Thousands of Zambian demonstrators, many wearing green ribbons and 
carrying fresh-cut branches as a sign of protest, marched to parliament 
on Tuesday to insist that a constituent assembly be convened to pass a 
new constitution for the country.

The demonstrators, ranging from university students to the clergy and 
opposition party leaders, braved soaring temperatures to hand out 
petitions to MPs demanding a bill be passed creating a constituent 
assembly.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49894


SWAZILAND: Welcome rain falls, but not enough to break the four-year 
drought

Rain fall across the country from Friday through Monday, the first 
widespread soaking Swaziland has seen in months, has given farmers hope 
that the planting season can be salvaged.

"October has ended and farmers are still waiting for dependable rains, 
but the first rains have made us optimistic," said principal secretary 
at the Ministry of Agriculture, Noah Nkambule.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49888


NAMIBIA: Pohamba's anti-graft campaign gets fresh impetus

Namibian president Hifikepunye Pohamba's anti-corruption campaign scored 
a significant victory this week with the resignation from parliament of 
a scandal-tainted former minister, analysts said.

Paulus Kapia was forced to resign from his position as deputy minister 
of works, transport and communication in late August, after a high court 
liquidation inquiry into a US $5.7 million investment in his company, 
Avid Investment Corporation, went missing.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49910


ANGOLA: Growing unease over lack of readiness for elections

With less than a year to go before Angola's first post-war elections, 
there are growing concerns over whether the country is moving quickly 
enough to be ready in time.

The ballot is expected to take place in September 2006, although no 
exact date has been set, and the president can leave it until 90 days 
prior to the vote before making the date public.

More details:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49901


IRIN-SA
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Fax: +27 11 784-6759
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za

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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
2005


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