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 353
6 - 12 October 2007


CONTENTS:

COMOROS: Non-cooperation has a price
MALAWI: Achieving MDGs will be a close run thing
ZIMBABWE: State violence targets women says report
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Struggling with soaring cereal prices
AFRICA: First global Arms Trade Treaty would particularly benefit
   Africa, experts say
SWAZILAND: Water crisis threatens economy
ZIMBABWE: Schools close as hordes of teachers resign


COMOROS: Non-cooperation has a price

After a series of fruitless negotiations and proposals, sanctions 
against Anjouan's "illegal authorities" are the African Union's (AU) 
latest attempt to resolve the political deadlock between the Union of 
Comoros and one of its semi-autonomous islands. The AU has been trying 
to negotiate a resolution to the conflict since individual island 
elections in June reignited inter-island hostility between Anjouan and 
the other two islands in the archipelago, Grande Comore and Moheli.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74769


MALAWI: Achieving MDGs will be a close run thing

Malawi will have a difficult time meeting its Millennium Development 
Goals (MDGs) by 2015, despite achieving improved food production, while 
rebuilding a battered economy against a background of high levels of 
poverty and maternal mortality. "It would be wrong to conclude that 
Malawi will not achieve the MDGs come 2015," Information minister 
Patricia Kaliati told IRIN. "Looking at the performance of President 
Bingu wa Mutharika's government in the past three years in sectors such 
as agriculture, education and economic development, one is compelled to 
say that there are indications that we will achieve these goals."

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74768


ZIMBABWE: State violence targets women says report

In a preliminary report detailing widespread state violence, including 
the torture and the unlawful detention of its members, a Zimbabwean 
social movement is warning southern Africa's political leaders to temper 
their optimism about the country's prospect of free and fair elections 
next year. Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), whose 55,000 membership is 
comprised of women aged between 16 and 73, mainly in low-income 
employment, released its interim report after the 14-member Southern 
African Development Community (SADC) expressed confidence in Zimbabwe's 
progress towards free and fair elections at its summit in August.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74763


SOUTHERN AFRICA: Struggling with soaring cereal prices

Record high wheat prices globally are forcing consumers in Southern 
Africa to dig deeper into their pockets: the price of bread has almost 
doubled since the beginning of the year and, according to the UN's Food 
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), have already caused food riots in 
some parts of the world. Wheat and maize prices have been at their 
highest in the past few months: the price of yellow maize doubled from 
an average of US$88 per metric tonne (mt) in 2000 to $177 per mt in 
February 2007, while the price of wheat rose from an average of $119 per 
mt in 2000 to $277 per mt in August 2007.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74758


AFRICA: First global Arms Trade Treaty would particularly benefit 
Africa, experts say

The creation of a global Arms Trade Treaty, currently being debated by 
the United Nations' first committee, would particularly benefit Africa, 
according to various arms control experts. "Arms don't necessarily cause 
conflicts in Africa, but they do fuel them and make them bloodier and 
more costly," said Oxfam's Debbie Hillier, a policy advisor on small 
arms.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74745


SWAZILAND: Water crisis threatens economy

Swaziland's continuing water crisis is jeopardising more than just food 
security: foreign investors are threatening to pull out, and employment 
opportunities, already scarce, are quickly drying up too. Struggling to 
cope with one of the longest dry periods in memory, about 40 percent of 
Swaziland's one million people are facing acute food and water 
shortages, according to UN agencies. Rivers and dams are at record low 
levels and in early September the national water utility announced 
rationing regimens throughout the country.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74734


ZIMBABWE: Schools close as hordes of teachers resign

A South African recruitment drive for teachers, combined with an exodus 
of education professionals escaping Zimbabwe's seven-year recession, is 
creating staff shortages so severe that some schools are closing. At 
least four schools have closed and several more are facing the same 
situation. The students are being transferred at a time when they are 
preparing to write their year-end examinations, placing even greater 
pressure on the recipient schools.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74698


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