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SOUTHERN AFRICA: IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 39 covering the period 24 September - 1 October 1999
ANGOLA: The battle for Bailundo
Angolan government forces, with the support of newly trained fighter pilots, battled this week for control of Bailundo, a town in Angola's central highlands used as a key base by the rebel UNITA movement and its leader Jonas Savimbi.
According to reports by Western diplomats, Angolan officials and the South African-based Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS), the battle for Bailundo, part of a wider offensive against the rebels, still remained to be won despite news reports suggesting the government had seized control of the town some 480 km southeast of the capital Luanda.
Hannelie de Beer, an ISS Angola specialist, told IRIN on Tuesday that the institute had heard overnight from sources it had contacted in the area that Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) troops were currently within 7-12 km from Bailundo.
"What has made a difference for them during this offensive (which started two weeks ago) has been the deployment of fighter aircraft operated by newly trained crews," de Beer said. "It would do them (the government) wonders if they had taken it. They need this victory for a morale booster given the low morale of their forces and there is a lot of pressure on them for a victory."
She said that from the ISS contacts in Angola, there were no reports to back UNITA claims that government aircraft had dropped napalm or chemical weapons in Bailundo.
Asked about the whereabouts of Savimbi, who has used Bailundo as a residence and headquarters, she said he never remained in one place for a long time and that she did not know his present whereabouts. UNITA, she added, usually had a fallback alternative when it was facing pressure and had shown itself well able to use guerrilla tactics during more than 20 years of civil war in Angola.
Ties with South Africa on the mend
After a series of recent diplomatic exchanges, South Africa and Angola this week appeared to have mended ties in a relationship marred by Angolan accusations that Pretoria had for years turned a blind eye to support for UNITA dating back to links established with the rebels during the apartheid era.
According to African diplomats, the breakthrough came on Tuesday when President Thabo Mbeki received a special envoy from Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos. The envoy, Joao Lorenco, secretary-general of Angola's ruling MPLA party, and the South African government, declined all comment on the contents of that message.
But the diplomats said it had cleared the air since the most difficult period on 15 September when Luanda publicly called for sanctions against South Africa over its perceived assistance to UNITA. Reassurances were conveyed twice in the past month by South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Zuma at meetings with her Angolan counterpart in Tripoli, Libya, and New York.
Among the major concerns of the Angolans, according to sources contacted by IRIN, was the fact that after the country's first democratic election in 1994, arms, munitions, food and logistic support found its way to UNITA from bases in South Africa. This included, the sources said, some 44 airports from which cargo planes departed for UNITA strongholds in Angola. The authorities closed down 30 of them as they tightened the noose in a move which forced UNITA to look primarily to air shipments from Ukraine.
Uige attacked
Portuguese media reported this week that hundreds of people had fled Angola's northern city of Uige after UNITA rebels attacked airforce positions.
The reports, which were not independently verified, said UNITA forces using artillery weapons launched the attack in the early hours on Thursday.
Clearing the way for peace talks
Diplomats said the way was now paved for South Africa to explore with Angola the possibility of a new round of peace talks in a country where over 20 years of civil war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. UNITA, they said, had contacted a number of governments in the region in recent weeks seeking renewed talks - even though the rebel movement itself is widely held responsible for breaching last year the UN-brokered 1994 Lusaka Protocol peace accords to which both parties were a signatory.
Following South Africa's role in helping bring the protagonists in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the peace table, they said South Africa, and Mbeki in person, were widely viewed as critical mediators.
Peace activists meet
Also during the week, peace activists met in Luanda to launch a campaign for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to deliver humanitarian aid to various parts of the country.
According to news reports, the group included church figures, trade unionists, human rights activists, journalists, and academics. The coalition is headed by the Angolan Group to Reflect on Peace is led by theologian, Pastor Daniel Ntoni-Nzinga. "I know my people well and I see how exhausted they are with war," he said.
ZIMBABWE: The Netherlands cancels aid programme
The Netherlands this week cancelled a US $15 million aid programme to Zimbabwe citing concerns over governance and macroeconomic performance.
A statement from the Dutch embassy in the Zimbabwean capital Harare said the decision was part of a larger restructuring process that was taking place in The Netherlands concerning bilateral aid. It said that there had been "major policy changes in Dutch development cooperation." It added: "Dutch bilateral assistance of a structural and long-term nature will be concentrated on a limited number of countries."
The statement said that there had been growing international consensus that the effectiveness of aid was closely connected to the policy environments of the recipient countries. "As a consequence of these policy changes, the Dutch government will substantially alter its bilateral development cooperation with Zimbabwe. Although Zimbabwe meets the poverty criterion, concern was raised over the prevailing governance situation as well as its macroeconomic performance."
Stiking doctors reject government offer
Striking junior doctors in Zimbabwe this week rejected a government pay offer and vowed to continue with industrial action, partially closing major hospitals for the 10th day running.
Lincoln Shenje, secretary-general of the Hospital Doctors' Association, told IRIN that the government had "re-offered an old package" when it announced on Wednesday night a doubling of the on-call allowance to doctors in state hospitals.
"We have been negotiating for eight months for a total revamping of the health system," Shenje said. "In the central hospitals medical equipment needs to be refurbished - patients are dying because they can't afford medication. We want the working conditions of doctors improved, and will strike until these basic grievances are addressed."
He said the government has been communicating only through the state media and that "many" among the some 350 junior doctors were trying to leave Zimbabwe for jobs elsewhere: "Volunteers are willing to go to Kosovo, Taiwan, they are willing to work anywhere."
Junior doctors are the first line of defence in major hospitals, and are expected to work for two years as interns. The strike has forced state hospitals to turn away all but critically ill patients, with senior doctors and consultants left to cope with emergency cases.
DRC-Zimbabwe army business
A Zimbabwe defence analyst has criticised the recently revealed joint mining partnership between the Zimbabwean and DRC armies.
Editor of the Harare-based 'Africa Defence Journal', Michael Quintana, told IRIN this week that the venture, incorporated late last year as Osleg Private Limited to deal in the mining and sale of gold and diamonds in the DRC, "would be dreadful for military discipline." He said Defence Minister Moven Mahachi, in a bid to keep spending within budget, was determined to plough mining profits back into the military. But "everybody is going to be an entrepreneur first and do his job second."
The independent 'Zimbabwe Standard' newspaper reported that according to the registry for companies, among the directors of Osleg are a top military officer and government minerals and mining officials.
Constitutional controversy
Zimbabwe's ongoing constitutional reform exercise is mired in controversy. At the weekend, 14 opposition parties decided to boycott the government's reform process in favour of a parallel approach under the civil society-led National Constitutional Assembly (NCA). IRIN examines the issues through a series of questions and answers. For the full report, see the IRIN website on http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/sa/countrystories/zimbabwe/19990929.htm
NAMIBIA: ICRC visits NDF prisoners
Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have visited 11 Namibian Defence Force (NDF) soldiers held captive in Kigali, Rwanda by DRC rebels.
An NDF spokesman told IRIN this week the soldiers were captured about five months ago in skirmishes with the rebels in the Lusambo area, 120 km north-east of Mbuji-Mayi. "The visit by the ICRC is in terms of the ceasefire agreement signed in July in Lusaka, Zambia between all the countries involved in the DRC war," Vincent Mwange said.
Rwanda and Uganda are supporting the rebels who have been fighting for a year to oust the government of Laurent-Desire Kabila, while Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola are fighting on Kabila's side.
'The Namibian' on Thursday quoted Namibia's Defence secretary as saying ICRC delegates have been shuttling between the capitals of the six belligerent states for consultations on how to facilitate the release of prisoners.
A Zimbabwean-based ICRC official confirmed that his organisation is visiting prisoners of war.
Fishing controversy
Namibia's Fisheries ministry has denied reports that its white fish exports to Spain are under threat as a result of high levels of bacteria detected in a consignment headed for Madrid.
An official of the Fisheries Ministry told IRIN this week that the incident was an isolated one. "Namibia enforces one of the highest health standards for its fishery exports," the official said, adding that only one of the three consignments destined for Spain was found to contain high levels of bacteria. "Our European exports through Spain have not been affected by this once-off incident."
Namibia, said the official, which exports about 150,000 mt of hake to Europe per annum, also exports sizeable quantities of fish to other countries in the continent including Nigeria, South Africa as well as to Japan and Asia. "The fisheries is the third highest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) after diamonds and agriculture, and employs between 4,000 and 7,000 people," the official said.
SWAZILAND: Newspaper editor charged
Bheki Makhuba, the editor of Swaziland's independent 'Times Sunday', appeared in court this week on charges of defamation after writing an article about the King's new fiancee.
A spokeswoman for the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) told IRIN that Makhuba was not asked to plead. He was released on bail of about US $500. She said that the bail conditions were that he had to surrender his passport to the authorities, report once every fortnight to the police, and was prohibited from publishing anything related to King Mswati's bride-to-be. She said that the first hearing was scheduled to take place next week Monday.
Makhuba's arrest followed a story which appeared in his newspaper on 12 September, which said that the latest bride of King Mswati, who was chosen at a recent Reed Dance ceremony, was a high school dropout. Soon after the publication of the story, Makhuba was, according to the MISA spokeswoman, forced to resign from his post.
The media rights watchdog, Reporters sans frontiers (RSF), asked the French government to "broach" the subject of press freedom in Swaziland during an official visit by King Mswati III later in the week.
MOZAMBIQUE: Opposition parties form united front
The opposition RENAMO and 10 other smaller political parties have formed a united front to contest general elections in December, the 'Noticias' daily reported this week.
The newspaper said that a document formalising the establishment of an "electoral union" to challenge President Joaquim Chissano and his ruling FRELIMO party was signed by the 11 parties on Monday.
LESOTHO: Government launches food relief program
The Lesotho government will launch an emergency food relief program to help families hardest hit by the drought.
The South African Press Association (SAPA) this quoted a government spokesman as saying that 280,000 villagers would be provided with food relief. The government said that it had bought 20,000 mt of maize, which would be distributed under a food-for-work scheme.
MALAWI: Electoral commission urged to resolve differences
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems has urged Malawi's Electoral Commission to resolve differences among its members and restore the public trust.
In a report on the elections, the foundation noted that the commission's credibility was eroded because its members adopted clear political positions. "Unless action is taken, and is seen to be effective in dealing with this matter, the commission will be unable to discharge its duties for the remainder of its four-year term," the report said.
ZAMBIA: Contaminated wells
An estimated 54 percent of people in Zambia are consuming contaminated water taken from shallow wells, 'The Times of Zambia' reported this week.
In a report quoting Dr Gavin Silwamba, director general of the Central Board of Health (CBOH), it said only 46 percent of people drink safe water and that there was a need for more chlorine on the local market. He said that for every 1,000 live births in Zambia, 100 died from diarrhoea or diseases contracted from contaminated water.
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Regional donor assistance
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is to introduce a new vaccine to protect livestock from heartwater disease, an ailment transmitted by ticks. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has funded research on the new vaccine for the past six years, expects production of the vaccine to start in two to three years. Livestock diseases have had a devastating effect on cattle populations in Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia and Angola.
The US government and the SADC have signed a US $2 million cooperation agreement to promote American investment in the region, news reports said this week. SADC deputy executive secretary Prega Ramsamy was quoted as saying that the money would be used to fund efforts to increase investment in southern Africa, assess the impact of HIV/Aids and combat its further growth, and develop capacities to manage the environment in SADC member states.
A US-based insurer plans to invest US $495 million in transport, communications, water and power projects in Africa, the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) announced this week. The Africa Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was launched in Washington on Wednesday by American International Group (AIG) in partnership with the World Bank's International Financing Corporation (IFC). South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela will chair its advisory board.
AFRICA: Debt relief
Signalling a change in debt relief strategies, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) announced this week a poverty reduction initiative that could cancel up to US $27 billion in debt owed by the world's poorest countries, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
At an historic joint annual meeting in Washington, the two Bretton Woods institutions agreed to provide greater debt relief to a larger number of countries more quickly, but with the emphasis changing from mere debt relief to poverty reduction.
The full report can be seen on the IRIN website at: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/sa/safp.htm
Johannesburg, 1 October 1999, 11:15 GMT
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