Weekly Round-Up - IRINSA-280: 28-Apr-06
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
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e-mail: irin-sa@irin.org.za
SOUTHERN AFRICA
IRIN-SA Weekly Round-Up 280
22 - 28 April 2006
CONTENTS:
ZIMBABWE: Government to tap cyberspace
MALAWI: After years of drought, set for food sufficiency
NAMIBIA: Govt hit with whopping bill for human rights violations in
treason case
SWAZILAND: King speaks - says democracy too expensive
ANGOLA: Cholera epidemic - NGO warns worst is yet to come
ZIMBABWE: Government to tap cyberspace
Media organisations and internet service providers (ISPs) in Zimbabwe
are up in arms about the government's planned introduction of a bill to
regulate cyber-communication in the "interests of national security".
The Interception of Communications Bill seeks to empower the minister of
information to intercept certain emails, perceived to be a threat to
national security. Apart from infuriating civil society organisations,
who fear the bill paves the way for government snooping of private email
communications, the bill has angered ISPs too. If the bill is passed
into law, ISPs will have to pay the costs of surveillance. The bill is
likely to go through parliament next week.
Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53028
Taking it to the streets
As a Zimbabwe-based regional financial services, Imara Asset Management,
predicted that the country's inflation rate would shoot past 1,000
percent by the end of April, the Zimbabwean government announced a 200
percent salary increase for the security services.
However, some analysts claimed that the salary hike was a political
decision ahead of a threatened civil disobedience campaign by the
opposition. Senior government officials and military officers have
voiced concern over the impact of Zimbabwe's economic crisis on the
armed forces, with reports of increased desertions, robberies, and
soldier sent home because of a lack of food in the barracks.
Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53033
MALAWI: After years of drought, set for food sufficiency
For the first time in five years, drought-stricken Malawi will have a
bumper maize harvest, according to a final crop estimate by the ministry
of agriculture. According to official sources, good rain and a
successful government-sponsored fertiliser and seed distribution
programme have boosted farmers' yields. The country is forecast to
produce about 2.35 million mt of maize, just over the annual requirement
of 2 million mt. Last season Malawi experienced one of its worst
droughts in a decade and struggled to harvest just 1.3 million mt. The
last bumper crop was 2.3 million mt in 1999/2000.
Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=52969
Interview with UNDP Country Coordinator Michael Keating
In a wide-ranging interview with IRIN, UN Development Programme (UNDP)
Country Coordinator in Malawi, Michael Keating, lauded the government's
efforts to deal with food insecurity and corruption. He however, noted
that while it is still too early to assess the impact of prolonged
periods of food insecurity, it was likely to include increased incidence
of diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and TB, higher levels of
chronic malnutrition, social disruption in communities and loss of
assets at the household level.
Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=52961
NAMIBIA: Govt hit with whopping bill for human rights violations in
treason case
The Namibian government could have to fork out as much as US $11.6
million in compensation claims for alleged human rights violations
linked to the long-running Caprivi treason trial. Attorney General and
Minister of Justice Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana told the National Assembly
last week that 116 civil claims, averaging $100,000 each, were pending
against the state for alleged human rights abuses.
The alleged abuse stems from the government's attempt to stamp out a
secessionist movement in Western Caprivi, a barren semi-arid strip of
land in northeastern Namibia. In August 1999 Caprivi separatists
launched an attack on the regional capital Katima Mulilo that left 12
people dead. Around 130 people have been in custody for six years, and
on trial for over three. The accused are claiming compensation for
alleged unlawful arrest and detention, malicious prosecution, and cruel,
inhuman and degrading treatment.
Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53013
SWAZILAND: King speaks - says democracy too expensive
In a rare interview, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch King
Mswati of Swaziland said this week his country is not ready for
political parties and criticised foreign governments for meddling in its
internal affairs. Although Mswati lifted a royal decree banning
political activity in the kingdom, the king said the nation's economy
must improve before parties may be permitted. Pro-democracy political
groups have not been able to operate since the promulgation of the new
constitution. Police blocked a rally of the People's United Democratic
Movement in Manzini last month. The Women's League of the Ngwane
National Liberatory Congress was turned down by government officials
when they attempted to register as an organisation.
Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53014
ANGOLA: Cholera epidemic - NGO warns worst is yet to come
As the cholera outbreak in Angola reached epidemic proportions, the
death toll hit 941 this week. Tuesday saw the highest daily toll to
date, with 929 new cases and 25 deaths. Last week, MSF saw an average of
30 newly infected people and a death every hour. In one of MSF's
treatment centres in Luanda alone, 240 new patients came in over a
24-hour period.
Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53055
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