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 332
4 - 11 May 2007


CONTENTS:

ZIMBABWE: Prisoners routinely dying from starvation, illness
COMOROS: Tension between islands continues
ZIMBABWE: Justice takes another beating
NAMIBIA: Government accused of muzzling radio talk shows


ZIMBABWE: Prisoners routinely dying from starvation, illness

The horrendous conditions prevailing in Zimbabwe's prison system, where 
prisoners routinely die from illness and starvation, have inmates urging 
human rights organisations to make an independent assessment of the 
country's jails.

Zimbabwe has roughly 35,000 people incarcerated in 42 jails, but this is 
well over their intended capacity of about 17,000 inmates. The country 
is in the in the midst of an economic meltdown, in which the plight of 
prisoners seems all but forgotten.

See report: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72083


COMOROS: Tension between islands continues

The standoff between Anjouan's local authorities, which took control of 
the island in a deadly clash last week, and the Comoros Union 
government, remains unresolved. Upcoming elections and Comoran unity 
hang in the balance.

Francisco Madeira, special envoy for the African Union, arrived in the 
Comoros to help resolve the confrontation and strongly denounced the 
fighting, particularly considering the archipelago's volatile political 
history and the successful Union presidential elections held one year 
ago.

See report: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72051


ZIMBABWE: Justice takes another beating

The detention of two lawyers for providing legal counsel to members of 
Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party is the latest 
attempt by the ZANU-PF government to undermine the rule of law and 
victimise practitioners representing the opposition, legal experts have 
said.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe, which represents the country's legal 
fraternity, had organised a protest march in the capital, Harare, 
condemning the arrests, but heavily armed police prevented the march 
from taking place.

See report: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72028


NAMIBIA: Government accused of muzzling radio talk shows

The government's interference in the format of two popular and 
long-running radio phone-in programmes has provoked anger from listeners 
and criticism from free-speech organisations, which contend that the 
meddling is little more than censorship.

The morning programme, 'Chat Show', broadcast on the national radio 
service of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), and 'Open Line', 
its sister programme in the evenings - both presented in English - have 
allowed the public to air their grievances and opinions on any topic 
they chose, provided the discourse was polite and without any profanity.

See report: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72049


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