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 298
4 - 8 September 2006


CONTENTS:

BOTSWANA: Reviewing government evictions from Kalahari of Bushmen
SOUTH AFRICA: New and worryingly virulent strain of TB found
SOUTH AFRICA: New comic book on HIV/AIDS launched for deaf community
SWAZILAND: Procurement problems cause acute drug shortage
ZAMBIA: Advocacy groups put HIV/AIDS on the election agenda
ZAMBIA: Crushing stones is not child's play
ZIMBABWE: Opposition groups join forces



BOTSWANA: Reviewing government evictions from Kalahari of Bushmen

It will take another few months, but then Botswana's 'First People', the 
San, will know whether they have won their marathon legal battle to 
remain on their traditional lands in the Kalahari Desert. The San's 
legal team said in their closing arguments at the Lobatse High Court 
this week that government evictions from their ancestral lands were 
"unlawful and unconstitutional".

Full report http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55477


SOUTH AFRICA: New and worryingly virulent strain of TB found

International and regional medical personnel gathered in South Africa 
where a new, virtually untreatable strain of an old disease, 
tuberculosis or TB, has been found. Initial reports said the virulent 
extremely drug resistant TB has killed 52 of the 53 people known to have 
been infected by it. All those diagnosed with the new form of TB were 
HIV positive and receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Full report http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55473


SOUTH AFRICA: New comic book on HIV/AIDS launched for deaf community

Using illustrations of South African Sign Language instead of speech 
bubbles, a new comic book is reaching out to the deaf community with 
messages about HIV and AIDS, sexual violence and sexual rights. Judge 
Edwin Cameron, a prominent HIV/AIDS lobbyist, said at the opening of an 
exhibition of artwork from the comic book that deaf people remained "a 
politically, linguistically, socially and economically marginalised 
group".

Full report http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55397


SWAZILAND: Procurement problems cause acute drug shortage

Hospital pharmacy shelves remain barren two weeks after Swaziland's 
government vowed to supply essential drugs that have been unavailable 
for months. The nation's largest referral hospital says the drug 
shortage has led to "chaos" due to the absence of essential medicines.

Full report http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55403


ZAMBIA: Advocacy groups put HIV/AIDS on the election agenda

Advocacy groups are forcing HIV/AIDS issues onto the agenda in the 
run-up to this month's general election, by canvassing candidates about 
their attitude towards the disease, which has infected about one in five 
sexually active Zambian adults. Of the nation's 1.6 million HIV/AIDS 
positive people, only about 60,000 have access to antiretroviral (ARV) 
medication.

Full report http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55395


ZAMBIA: Crushing stones is not child's play

More than 600,000 children in Zambia are believed to be working on 
farms, in construction and other business sectors, and in the sex 
industry. Many small children chip stones for a meagre living on the 
outskirts of the Zambian capital. Five-year-old Maria Banda has been 
crushing stones in the quarries for the past year.

Full report http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55427


ZIMBABWE: Opposition groups join forces

Unionists, students and political opposition parties will launch 
nationwide protests to force President Robert Mugabe's government to 
improve the living conditions of Zimbabweans. The country's largest 
union federation announced that rolling mass action would begin on 
Septemebr 13, and student organisations and political opposition parties 
would also protest against President Robert Mugabe's government.

Full report http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55432


IRIN-SA
Tel: +27 11 895-1900
Fax: +27 11 784-6759
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za


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