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SOUTHERN AFRICA: IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 200 for 9-15 October 2004 - OCHA IRIN

Wednesday 17 November 2004


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IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 200 for 9-15 October 2004

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

CONTENTS:

ZIMBABWE: Tsvangirai's acquittal "defuses tension"
LESOTHO: Special report - Food crisis deepens
MOZAMBIQUE: Religious leaders tackle AIDS
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zimbabwe complains about UN report
ZAMBIA: Repatriation flights to Angola increased
SWAZILAND: Central bank issues gloomy report
MALAWI: Drive to eliminate corruption brings division
NAMIBIA: New hope for Caprivi with launch of AIDS treatment

ZIMBABWE: Tsvangirai's acquittal "defuses tension"

The acquittal on Friday of Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has helped to "defuse tension" but should not be read as a sign that the country's judiciary has become "independent", analysts told IRIN.

Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had been accused of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe in December 2001. The subsequent trial, which lasted 12 months, ended in February this year. A guilty verdict would have resulted in a death sentence.

Speaking to IRIN, Tsvangirai said, "I am very happy with the judgment. I am obviously relieved, but I feel vindicated because I have always maintained that I was innocent. But this does not mean we should relax; we need to move ahead and fight for democracy and ensure that Zimbabweans enjoy political freedoms that are enjoyed by other nations."

Full Report

Race to distribute maize seeds

Zimbabwe's government on Thursday said it would make every effort to ensure that farmers received maize seed in time for the October/November planting season.

According to a senior official, so far the demand for maize seed has outstripped the supply, with an expected deficit of more than 40,000 mt in the 2004/05 agricultural season. Zimbabwe requires more than 100,000 mt of seed for the 2004/05 planting.

Government spokesperson Steyn Berejena said the increased demand was mainly due to the agrarian reform undertaken since 2000.

"Since the start of the land reform programme there has been a phenomenal demand for maize seed, because there has been more crop cultivation going on. In the past we had one farmer on, for example, a 1,000 ha piece of land. But now we have on average about six new farmers on a piece of land and they are all interested in growing crops, which means more seed is needed," Berejena explained.

Full Report

Global Fund rejects appeal, denies political bias

Zimbabwe's request for funding from the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria has again been rejected.

Last week Zimbabwe appealed the Fund's earlier rejection of its HIV/AIDS and TB grant proposals. Fund spokesman Tim Clark told IRIN on Tuesday that, "sadly, neither of the Zimbabwe appeals was successful".

In July the Fund turned down proposals from Zimbabwe for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, "for technical reasons". David Parirenyatwa, Zimbabwe's Minister of Health and Child Welfare, accused the Fund of political bias, something the Global Fund has strongly denied.

Had its proposals been approved, Zimbabwe would have benefited from a US $218 million five-year commitment by the Fund. Clark pointed out that Zimbabwe was not the only country to have proposals rejected in July: 36 proposals had been unsuccessful.

Full Report

NGOs draw up a code of ethics

Zimbabwean NGOs have adopted a code of ethics ahead of a controversial new law threatening them with closure for maladministration and political activism.

The code, which deals with accountability, transparency and good governance, was adopted at a three-day exhibition last week in the capital, Harare, which showcased the work of the NGO sector in health and social service delivery.

The government's controversial bill, tabled last week, seeks to register and vet NGOs, while outlawing foreign-funded organisations involved in governance and human rights issues. According to the news agency Agence France-Presse, the bill has been amended to include a ban on agencies "furthering and facilitating the interests or activities of a political party."

Full Report

ZANU-PF wins second by-election by default

Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has claimed victory in a weekend by-election after the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) failed to field candidates for the local poll.

ZANU-PF retained the Masvingo district parliamentary seat in southern Zimbabwe, which fell vacant after the death last month of 69-year-old Eddison Zvobgo, a founding member of ZANU-PF. The ruling party now holds 98 of the 150 seats in parliament, two short of the two-thirds majority that would allow it to amend the constitution.

Full Report

Teachers strike over broken promises and low pay

Zimbabwean teachers this week went on a nationwide strike to press for better pay and allowances following a breakdown in negotiations with the government to increase salaries by 100 percent.

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has been threatening since June this year to pursue industrial action over low salaries, after giving the government a 15 September deadline.

Full Report

High court throws settlers a life-line

Hundreds of families evicted last month from a farm outside the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, occupied under the land reform programme in 2000, have been granted a reprieve, IRIN reported on Monday.

High Court Judge Rita Makarau ruled in favour of Percy Masendu and 429 other settlers who had filed an urgent court application to have their eviction nullified. Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi and police commissioner Augustine Chihuri were cited as the first and second respondents.

In a similar case, Justice Ben Hlatshwayo also ruled in favour of 370 farmers facing eviction in Mashonaland West province.

Full Report

San struggling to survive

Zimbabwe's tiny San community has laid the blame for their ongoing economic hardships squarely on the government, which they accuse of discrimination and neglect.

Mgodimasili village, a sprawling mix of dilapidated thatch and mud huts in western Zimbabwe, is home to about 200 of the 1,200 San people in the country. In contrast, just a few kilometres east of the parched soils of Mgodimasili, lies the neighbouring village of Tjitatjawa, which boasts neat houses with corrugated iron roofs.

The juxtaposition throws the unequal living conditions of the two communities into sharp relief - the existence of the San remains precarious, battling chronic poverty and hunger.

Full Report

Hair salons come to rescue of female condom

Besides styling hair, Zimbabwean hairdressers are now making waves by promoting the female condom as a protective device against HIV/AIDS.

After struggling for six years to sell the contraceptive sheath, partly because it required interacting with women to allow them to ask questions about its use, condom manufacturer PSI-Zimbabwe has settled on engaging hairdressers to popularise the product by using their natural interpersonal skills.

Like the male condom, the female sheath was originally dispensed through conventional outlets: supermarkets, clinics and pharmacies. However, PSI-Zimbabwe had to change its distribution strategy after recognising that there were difficulties involved in the use of the product.

Full Report

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LESOTHO: Special report - Food crisis deepens

Crop production in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho has steadily declined over the past three years, mainly due to drought and the impact of HIV/AIDS, IRIN reported on Monday.

Factors such as a shortage of arable land and rising unemployment have also aggravated the situation, with an estimated 68 percent of the population living in poverty.

Earlier this year, following another poor harvest, the government of Lesotho made an appeal for food aid to feed some 600,000 people. It is now predicted that up to 948,000 people will experience food shortages - nearly half the population, according to unofficial estimates.

Full Report

Coping in the midst of crisis

The impoverished mountain kingdom of Lesotho has experienced three consecutive years of drought-induced food shortages. IRIN spoke to three people about how their lives have been affected by the crisis.

Full Report

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MOZAMBIQUE: Religious leaders tackle AIDS

In an unprecedented show of solidarity, 16 faith-based organisations in Mozambique have united to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic, coming up with a national action plan.

"Faith-based Organisations (FBOs) can make a big difference if they are involved and given the tools," said Mohamad Yassine, coordinator of the World Conference of Religion for Peace (WCRP) in Mozambique.

Full Report

Observers excluded from final vote count

Mozambique's National Elections Commission (CNE) on Tuesday said a decision to exclude election observers from the final vote tallies would not cast doubt over December's poll results.

The CNE announced on Monday that international observer missions would be excluded from the final provincial and national poll count, sparking concern that the move could compromise the legitimacy of the general elections.

However, CNE spokesman Filipe Mandlate told IRIN that the decision not to allow observers at the final ballot count was "in line with the electoral laws".

Full Report

Knowledge can prevent infant and child mortality

Mozambican mothers have been encouraged to familiarise themselves with a book outlining measures to reduce health risks for their children, but the challenges of a life of poverty make it difficult for many to adhere to the most basic guidelines.

Some 50,000 copies are being distributed through various government ministries and the National AIDS Council to health workers, teachers, school health and community workers, community-based organisations and journalists.

Full Report

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SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zimbabwe complains about UN report

The Zimbabwean government has complained about a UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) report criticising its electoral system.

The official daily newspaper, The Herald, reported minister of state for information and publicity, Jonathan Moyo, as saying that the Zimbabwean government had not been afforded the opportunity to respond to some of the issues raised in the report prior to its release.

The report, 'Striving for Good Governance in Africa', compiled by the ECA and released this week, assesses shortcomings in institutions and human capacity in 28 countries covering 72 percent of the continent's population. The report also contains public opinion on governance in their countries.

Full Report

Countries urged to adopt disaster legislation

Southern African countries, hard-hit by recent droughts and floods, have been urged to adopt disaster management legislation to improve their response to emergencies.

An agricultural economist, Andries Jordaan, told IRIN on Tuesday that the legislation should provide for setting up an early warning system and proactive prevention policies.

Full Report

Coping with climate change

Given the impact of natural disasters on Southern Africa in recent years, and the risk that global climate change will bring more of the same, two major aid agencies have called for greater investment in preparedness and risk reduction.

A new study by the United Kingdom's Department For International Development (DFID) has warned that there could be an increase in the frequency of natural disasters, such as floods and drought, due to global warming.

In a statement marking the International Day for Disaster Reduction on Wednesday, the International Federation of the Red Cross/Crescent (IFRC) noted that lives and livelihoods could be saved by investing more resources in disaster prepardness.

Full Report

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ZAMBIA: Repatriation flights to Angola increased

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has increased its flights taking Angolan refugees home from Zambia to three times a day, an official told IRIN on Monday.

"For the past two weeks we have been operating 18 flights a week to achieve our target of repatriating more than 32,000 Angolans by the end of this year," said UNHCR spokesperson Kelvin Shimo. The agency was initially operating three flights a week to Angola.

The airlifts fly from Mongu in western Zambia to Lumbala N'Guimbo in Angola's eastern Moxico province and Huambo in the centre of the country. Most of the Angolans flown home are from Mayukwayukwa and Nangweshi camps, both in Zambia's Western province.

Full Report

New initiatives to reduce unemployment

Zambia's labour ministry on Wednesday said greater efforts would be made to create jobs for millions of unemployed youth, as the country grapples with widespread joblessness.

With around 65 percent of Zambians without formal employment, job creation remains a key challenge to President Levy Mwanawasa's government.

Mwanawasa promised this week to tackle youth unemployment by providing training opportunities to graduates and school dropouts. He said the lack of programmes for placement, self-employment schemes and start-up capital for young people wishing to enter the business sector had further contributed to spiralling unemployment.

Full Report

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SWAZILAND: Central bank issues gloomy report

Swaziland's failure to resolve a "rule of law" crisis has undermined economic growth over the past year, according to an annual report by the country's Central Bank.

The report noted a downturn in gross domestic product (GDP) from 3.6 percent in 2002 to 2.5 in 2003. "Given the estimated population growth rate of 2.9 percent, this implies a stagnation of the standard of living as measured by per capita income," the bank said.

With two-thirds of its 900,000 people living in chronic poverty, the country's sluggish performance comes as bleak news. Virtually every sector showed signs of trouble, while government deficits rose and revenues plunged.

Full Report

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MALAWI: Drive to eliminate corruption brings division

President Bingu wa Mutharika's drive to rid Malawi of high-level corruption has opened up deep divisions within the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) party, according to political observers.

Since assuming power in May this year, Mutharika has made good on his election promise to tackle graft, earning praise from donors and opposition parties for his efforts.

"There is no way I can rule the same way my predecessor was ruling - I have a different style from his," Mutharika said in response to reports that some top UDF members were irked by their exclusion from key posts in the newly formed government.

Full Report

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NAMIBIA: New hope for Caprivi with launch of AIDS treatment

Stigma keeps people in denial over HIV and AIDS. They are silent about their fears, too afraid to change, and wait far too long before seeking medical help.

Where there is no treatment option, especially in conservative societies where the stigma surrounding AIDS seems so hard to challenge, there can appear to be little to gain from coming forward to be tested, and an awful lot to lose if the result is positive: ostracism, ridicule and discrimination are powerful disincentives.

The HIV prevalence rate in Namibia's northeastern Caprivi region is testimony to the impact of denial. In 2002 an estimated 43 percent of the region's 92,000 people were HIV-positive - 10 points higher than the last survey in 2000. Analysts fear that new figures, due out in the next few months, will show a further rise.

Full Report

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[ENDS]

Other recent SOUTHERN AFRICA reports:

IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 204 for 6-12 November 2004, 12/Nov/04

Infant and child mortality rates rising, 5/Nov/04

IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 203 for 30 October- 5 November 2004, 5/Nov/04

Five countries need urgent assistance, WFP, 4/Nov/04

Studies highlight aid efforts in context of HIV/AIDS, 4/Nov/04

Other recent reports:

SOUTH AFRICA: Frank dialogue about gender is key to tackling HIV/AIDS, 16/Nov/04

ZAMBIA: Government bans civic group, 16/Nov/04

ANGOLA: Lack of aid hampers reintegration of returnees, 16/Nov/04

NIGERIA: Unions call off strike after 11th-hour govt offer, 15/Nov/04

IRAQ: IRAQ CRISIS: Weekly round-up Number 87 for 7-12 November, 12/Nov/04

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