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Tuesday 21 February 2006


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IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 255 for 29 October-4 November 2005

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

CONTENTS:

SOUTH AFRICA: A handful of Zimbabweans granted asylum
MOZAMBIQUE: People in need of food aid doubles
ZIMBABWE: Annan "concerned" with government refusal of aid
ZAMBIA: Protestors demand constituent assembly to vet draft constitution
SWAZILAND: Welcome rain falls, but not enough to break the four-year drought
NAMIBIA: Pohamba's anti-graft campaign gets fresh impetus
ANGOLA: Growing unease over lack of readiness for elections

SOUTH AFRICA: A handful of Zimbabweans granted asylum

Just 86 of the thousands of Zimbabweans who have sought asylum in South Africa have been successful in their applications, according to immigration officials.

Zimbabwe has experienced six years of bitter economic recession that has seen fuel, food, electricity, essential medical drugs and other basic commodities become scarce due to a shortage of foreign currency needed to pay external suppliers.

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Focus on global warming

Every month, a few dozen people gather in Johannesburg's gritty inner city to learn how to make a solar-powered stove - a parabolic cooker that looks something like a home-made satellite dish yet can direct enough of the sun's energy to boil a pot of water in about 10 minutes.

The workshop run by the GreenHouse People's Environmental Centre Project is just one of its programmes to educate South Africans on energy efficiency and using renewable sources. GreenHouse regularly runs identical projects in the townships and informal settlements on the outskirts of Johannesburg, where many residents still rely on cheaper resources, like paraffin, for cooking, while others go without electricity when they can't pay the bills.

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Formal sector creating 1,000 jobs a day, says study

Contrary to fears of deepening unemployment, South Africa's formal sector is creating 30,000 jobs a month, according to a new study commissioned by the United Association of South Africa (UASA) labour union.

"The findings show that jobs are being created - more than what was previously thought," said economist Mike Schussler, author of 'The South African Employment Report'. The study, released this week, was based on Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) records and tax collection figures, which are not usually used by official statistical surveys.

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MOZAMBIQUE: People in need of food aid doubles

A combination of factors including escalating maize prices has almost doubled the number of people in need of food aid to more than 800,000 in Mozambique in the past six months, a food security official told IRIN this week.

"The findings of our survey indicate that maize prices in some of the drought-affected districts have risen by more than 100 percent," said Marcela Libombo, coordinator of Mozambique's Technical Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition (SETSAN).

Full report

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ZIMBABWE: Annan "concerned" with government refusal of aid

Although victims of Zimbabwe's recent urban clean-up campaign remain in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, the government has rejected offers of help from the United Nations (UN).

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's spokesman said in a statement that Annan was "deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe" and disturbed by the continued suffering.

Full report

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ZAMBIA: Protestors demand constituent assembly to vet draft constitution

Thousands of Zambian demonstrators, many wearing green ribbons and carrying fresh-cut branches as a sign of protest, marched to parliament on Tuesday to insist that a constituent assembly be convened to pass a new constitution for the country.

The demonstrators, ranging from university students to the clergy and opposition party leaders, braved soaring temperatures to hand out petitions to MPs demanding a bill be passed creating a constituent assembly.

Full report

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SWAZILAND: Welcome rain falls, but not enough to break the four-year drought

Rain fall across the country from Friday through Monday, the first widespread soaking Swaziland has seen in months, has given farmers hope that the planting season can be salvaged.

"October has ended and farmers are still waiting for dependable rains, but the first rains have made us optimistic," said principal secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Noah Nkambule.

Full report

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NAMIBIA: Pohamba's anti-graft campaign gets fresh impetus

Namibian president Hifikepunye Pohamba's anti-corruption campaign scored a significant victory this week with the resignation from parliament of a scandal-tainted former minister, analysts said.

Paulus Kapia was forced to resign from his position as deputy minister of works, transport and communication in late August, after a high court liquidation inquiry into a US $5.7 million investment in his company, Avid Investment Corporation, went missing.

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ANGOLA: Growing unease over lack of readiness for elections

With less than a year to go before Angola's first post-war elections, there are growing concerns over whether the country is moving quickly enough to be ready in time.

The ballot is expected to take place in September 2006, although no exact date has been set, and the president can leave it until 90 days prior to the vote before making the date public.

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[ENDS]

Theme(s)	Other

Other recent SOUTHERN AFRICA reports:

Policy revised to shed light on urban refugee blind-spot, 17/Feb/06

IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 270 for 11-17 February 2006, 17/Feb/06

Too white to be black - the challenge of albinism, 16/Feb/06

Remittances - curse or blessing?, 16/Feb/06

Conflict, development and natural disasters fuel internal displacement, 14/Feb/06

Other recent reports:

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Donors pledge support for humanitarian crisis, 21/Feb/06

ANGOLA: Ready to play larger security role in Africa, 21/Feb/06

CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap, 17/Feb/06

SOUTHERN AFRICA: IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 270 for 11-17 February 2006, 17/Feb/06

WEST AFRICA: IRIN-WA Weekly Round-up 317 covering 11-17 February 2006, 17/Feb/06

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