Sudan to review law on southern secession vote

By Khaled Abdelaziz

KHARTOUM, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Sudan's two main parties on Wednesday said parliament will review a disputed law on a referendum on independence for the south, hoping to avert political crisis after harsh criticism from Washington.

Parliament passed the law even though the main southern party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), walked out of the assembly objecting to an amendment allowing southerners living in the north to vote in the January 2011 referendum.

SPLM officials insist the referendum must go ahead and analysts agree any scent of deceit hanging over the process could reignite the north-south civil war that raged for two decades and killed some 2 million people. A return to hostilities could destabilise much of east Africa.

The United States criticised the National Congress Party (NCP), which dominates the north, for passing the referendum bill on Tuesday, accusing it of undermining the 2005 peace deal that ended the civil war and brought the two rival parties into a fragile coalition.

China 'wants to set up factories in Africa'

The Chinese government has shown "strong interest" in setting up factories in Africa, helping the continent develop a manufacturing base and boost its economy, the president of the World Bank said today.

While most attention on China's investment in Africa has focused on its large-scale pursuit of natural resources, experts say a growing number of the country's entrepreneurs are experimenting with production there.

However, some questioned whether the workshop of the world was ready to outsource much of its industry.

"There is not only willingness but strong interest among some in China, and I've discussed with the minister of commerce, Chen Deming, that there may be possibilities of moving some of the lower-value manufacturing facilities to sub-Saharan Africa, toys or footwear," Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, told the Financial Times.

He suggested Chinese knowhow in production and marketing could boost Africa's declining share of international trade, but admitted infrastructure improvements were needed to attract companies.

It is thought the scheme might involve creating industrial parks -- possibly part-funded by the World Bank and China -- so companies could settle in quickly and operate more effectively.

The institution sees manufacturing as a missing element in the continent's development.

China is keen that its presence in Africa should be seen as more than a resources grab

Pirates of Somalia

Somali pirates continue their attacks against international ships in and around the Gulf of Aden, despite the deterrent of stepped-up international naval escorts and patrols - and the increased failure rate of their attacks. Under agreements with Somalia, the U.N, and each other, ships belonging to fifteen countries now patrol the area. Somali pirates - who have won themselves nearly $200 million in ransom since early 2008 - are being captured more frequently now, and handed over to authorities in Kenya, Yemen and Somalia for trial. Collected here are some recent photos of piracy off the coast of Somalia, and the international efforts to rein it in. (30 photos total)

Host proposal at Copenhagen calls for 50 per cent cuts by 2050

But mid-term target is lacking for developing countries, leading to India's rejection of proposal

Cath Everett, BusinessGreen, 30 Nov 2009


The world should cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2050 from 1990 levels, with most of the cuts coming from rich countries, according to a draft proposal from Denmark, which will host UN climate change talks next month.

A copy of the draft, which was seen by Reuters, could become the basis of a political agreement at the forthcoming summit in Copenhagen, which will take place between 7 and 18 December.

The text said that industrialised nations should generate a huge 80 per cent of the proposed global emissions cuts, and suggested that 2020 be endorsed as the year when such emissions should peak.

The draft also advocated that efforts should be made to keep average temperature rises across the world to within 2°C.

But no mid-term emissions target was specified for developed countries, even though this is a key demand of southern nations. As a result, India has already criticised it as a “dead end”.

Westinghouse to fuel Koeberg

FUEL for Eskom’s Koeberg nuclear power plant will be provided by Westinghouse Electric Company’s Swedish operations.

In a statement today, Westinghouse said it had been selected by Eskom Holdings to provide 3 reloads of fuel for the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, north of Cape Town, from end 2011 to 2015.

“Under terms of the $30 million (about R220 million) contract executed with Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB, Westinghouse will produce fuel at its fabrication facility in Västerås, Sweden,” the statement added.

“We are pleased to be able to continue to assist the Republic of South Africa in its ongoing and successful effort to generate the safe, clean and reliable electricity necessary to fuel continued economic growth,” said Rita Bowser, regional vice president for Westinghouse Electric SA.

Eskom can put SA solar power on the map

RALPH BEROLD

Published: 2009/10/07 06:37:15 AM in Business Day

LAST month, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the World Wildlife Fund and the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies of Stellenbosch University participated in and hosted a workshop on concentrated solar power (CSP), a form of renewable power generation proven in the US and Spain.

It has huge potential in sun-rich Africa. Desertec is one such project planned for north Africa to supply renewable power to the European Union. CSP could provide up to 25% of total global electricity needs. It is cost competitive and can provide a base- load alternative to new coal or nuclear generation without rising fuel costs, carbon emissions or nuclear waste.

Industry expert Louis van Heerden explained at the meeting how CSP uses the sun’s rays to heat a fluid (normally water or molten salt) driving a steam turbine to create electricity. One form is a parabolic trough, or Fresnel mirror arrangement, that focuses solar radiation on a pipe carrying the fluid, with or without a glass vacuum.

CSP is one of the technologies subsidised under the National Energy Regulator of SA’s new renewable feed- in tariff. A similar tariff worked well in Germany and Spain. At a generous R2,10 per kWh of solar power produced, the tariff makes the sector attractive to new developers and investors, including Spanish-based Abengoa Solar and Google-funded eSolar, as well as local banks and entrepreneurs.

A major injection of private investment into CSP would assist the government in meeting its target of procuring 10000 GWhs of renewable energy by 2013. It would go a long way to diversifying the energy mix away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels, so that we can meet our climate change commitments, as laid out in the Cabinet-approved long-term mitigation scenarios.

The fund’s Saliem Fakir argued that renewable energy offers the promise of much-needed job creation. CSP components such as low-iron glass, steel, cement and gearboxes can be bought locally, which would stimulate local businesses and create employment to counter job losses in the faltering textile and motor industries. CSP technology offers export opportunities to the continent and beyond, which could be assisted through relaxed tariffs, development loans, renewable grants and the UN’s clean development mechanism.

A competitive solar CSP (and photovoltaic) solar industry is feasible in the medium term, however, only if action is taken now. Higher allocations for research and development are necessary, as are a pipeline of appropriately skilled graduates and technology transfer and partnerships with world leaders in the field.

In the short term, it is essential to open the way for the renewable power industry. This means finalising a bankable power purchase agreement with independent power producers and starting to buy power from them that can be fed into the grid.

Eskom has a major role to play in facilitating these connections and adapting its architecture for distributed producers. The role of buyer would best be served by an independent system operator, freeing Eskom to be one of many sellers in an open and regulated market. A successful model for the region is the Nord power pool in Scandinavia.

With its own funding model clarified in a broader market environment, Eskom must play a strategic role in SA’s future energy mix. It needs to continue providing coal power to the grid while improving efficiencies and reducing emissions to support large industrial customers.

Due to its financial woes, Eskom has put its planned 100MW CSP plant for Upington on hold. To show SA is serious about climate change, and to signal a real shift to renewable sources, the estimated R2bn-R3bn of public finance for this project must be found. The flagship plant would stimulate local manufacturing, and break the ground for a necessarily ambitious renewable energy industrial policy, something like the Motor Industry Development Plan. A 100MW solar tower plant with storage capacity would be one of the largest of its kind in the world, and definitely put SA’s solar industry on the map.

n Berold is an independent energy analyst.

Hogan slams interference in Eskom's affairs

November 12, 2009


Cape Town - Eskom on Thursday confirmed the departure of chief executive officer Jacob Maroga as Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan lashed out at those who had launched a political campaign to keep him in the post.

"Mr Maroga's resignation was clear and unambiguous and was accepted," acting Eskom board chair Mpho Makwana told staff at Megawatt Park.

Hogan told the National Assembly that Makwana would also serve as Eskom's top executive until Maroga's replacement was found, hopefully within 90 days.

She had faced intense pressure to come to Maroga's rescue from groups who had turned the dispute between him and the board, under the leadership of chairman Bobby Godsell, into a "political crusade" and a "racial football", she said.

Maroga received massive public support from the ANC Youth League, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and the Black Management Forum (BMF), which charged that parastatals had become "slaughterhouses" for black chief executive officers.

"We tried to pursue options of facilitation, mediation and arbitration, even a negotiated settlement. During this period, a demand arose," the minister said.

"As we were to discover, the subtext of this demand was in actual fact a demand that I, as minister, override the board and confirm a person in his position against the wishes of the board and all principles of corporate governance."

Hogan paid tribute to Godsell, who quit on Monday after meeting with President Jacob Zuma at the weekend. He cited a lack of support for the board's decision to accept Maroga's resignation.

Nestlé announces R3,2bn capex to expand SA operations

Food manufacturer Nestlé South Africa would invest R3,2-billion in focused investment over the next five years to increase its competitiveness, outgoing chairperson and CEO Yves Manghardt announced on Wednesday.

The capital expenditure (capex) would be used to expand and upgrade its existing factories and distribution centres across South Africa, as well as on ensuring its environmental sustainability.

The company, which would now be led by former chairperson and CEO of Nestlé Malaysia, Sullivan O'Carroll, had already spent about R1,8-billion in capex projects in the past five years, said Manghardt.

Economic Development Deputy-Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde said that it was encouraging to see Nestlé's continued investment in South Africa, especially given the global economic crisis, which led to the risk that some multinationals might want to dismantle their capacity and move their investments elsewhere in the world.

Meanwhile, Manghardt noted that Nestlé South Africa had made great strides in improving its transformation in the past few years, having gone from non-compliance to a level five black economic-empowerment contributor.

This was achieved, despite it not having scored any points on the scorecard in terms of ownership.

However, the food manufacturer was working on the issue of BEE ownership. It had previously identified one potential BEE partner, as part of the sale of an asset, but the deal did not go ahead.

It was working on a couple of options, which could in the next two to three years help the local company in making some progress in terms of BEE ownership, said Manghardt.

Nestlé South Africa was expecting to achieve double digit growth in sales of close to 15% and an overall turnover of R8,5-billion in the current year, he added.

O'Carroll, who started his career at Nestlé in 1973, would take over as CEO on October 1, when Mangardt takes up his new role as chairperson and CEO of Nestlé Middle East.

O'Carroll would be the first South African to lead the local arm of the group, since 1994. He was formerly the CEO of Nestlé Malaysia.


Edited by: Mariaan Webb

Black economic empowerment limited to “cousins”

Friday, 25 September 2009 07:46

[McHenry Venaani, Secretary-General of the DTA of Namibia] Namibia Wildlife Resorts’ (NWR) decision to award Public Private Partnerships to companies with ties to the ruling party, has once again re-affirmed that only “black cousins” benefit from such deals, said McHenry Venaani, Secretary-General of the DTA of Namibia at a press conference this week.
He said black economic empowerment (BEE) only benefits a certain number of people. According to Venaani, there is serious inter-trading within government as office bearers who are related issue government tenders to each other. “A person who works in a certain ministry has a cousin in another one who starts a business. They then receive tenders from government, not because thery are good, but because they are related to someone. These tenders are moving around between certain people,” he said. He said civil servants should not be the ones to receive business from government as they are already part of government.
Venaani further said that this inter-trading is affecting other good businesses that need actual empowerment.
According to reports, Tungeni Africa, Prosperity Africa and Reho Spa received tourism concessions from NWR because of their association to SWAPO.
Johan de Waal also questioned Cabinet’s decision to increase Tobie Aupindi’s (CEO of NWR) salary to N$140 000 per month.
He said this situation is unwarranted as many people in the country have to live on N$200 or N$300.
“I do not know if Cabinet thinks or whether they think at all. Now if you travel this country you will see that people are really suffering so how can the same Cabinet who says it is pro-poor give one person a salary of N$140 000 per month when there are so many poor people? We do not agree with this. This shows that this government does not care for the poor, it is only the few elite in SWAPO who are getting richer every day,” de Waal said.

Kenyan president protests U.S. warning letters

NAIROBI, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has sent a protest note to U.S. leader Barack Obama over warning letters issued to 15 prominent Kenyans Washington says are blocking political reform, a statement said on Saturday.

The recipients include government ministers, members of parliament and top civil servants on both sides of Kenya's coalition government, the U.S. embassy in Nairobi said.

The letters, from U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson, warned the recipients their future relationship with Washington was directly linked to their support for reforms and opposition to violence.

"President Mwai Kibaki has written to President Barack Obama ... expressing displeasure and concern about letters written ... to some ministers, some members of parliament and some civil servants in their personal capacity on matters of Kenya's public policy," a statement from Kibaki's office said.

"The action by the U.S. government official is considered out of step with international protocols in the conduct of relations between friendly nations."

Kenyan authorities have yet to bring to justice top perpetrators of post-election violence in 2008 that killed some 1,300 people and displaced 300,000 Kenyans.

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo admitted this week that Kenya would not meet a Sept. 30 deadline to set up a special tribunal to try those behind the violence, raising the possibility of prosecutions by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Zimbabwe should seek HIPC debt relief, minister says

LONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe should aim to have its debt to international financial institutions cancelled by seeking access to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, a Zimbabwean minister said on Saturday.

Gorden Moyo, minister of state in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's office, said it would be immoral for Zimbabwe to pay off its debts to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and African Development Bank when it could not pay teachers.

"We should be having conversations with the international financial institutions to get them to either reschedule our debt or to cancel our debt," he said, speaking at a Zimbabwe investment conference in London.

Moyo noted that the IMF and World Bank had launched the HIPC initiative in 1996 to help countries unable to pay their debts.

Some people did not want Zimbabwe classified as a heavily indebted poor country, "but that's what we are, if you look at our debt ratios, if you look at our economy", he said.

"We just need to be reclassified and get our debt cancelled. Once we get our debt cancelled, the country will begin to have access to World Bank resources," he said.

Interesting facts about South Africa

Economy

1. The rand was the best performing currency against the US Dollar
between 2002 and 2005 (Bloomberg Currency Scoreboard)

2. South Africa has 55,000 high net-wealth individuals holding at least
US$1million in financial assets (World Wealth Report 2008)

3. South Africa has the 27th biggest economy in the world, with a Gross
Domestic Product of US$254 billion (World Bank)

4. South Africa accounts for almost 25% of the GDP of the entire African
continent, with an economy more than twice the size of the second biggest –
Algeria. (World Bank)

5. Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province but produces 34% of South
Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (Stats SA)

6. The JSE Securities Exchange is the 14th largest equities exchange in the
world, with a total market capitalisation of some R2.3 trillion (JSE)

7. More than 12,000 'Black Diamond' families (South Africa’s new black middle
class) - or 50,000 people - are moving from the townships into the
suburbs of South Africa's metro areas every month (UCT Unilever Institute)

8. The black middle class grew by 30% in 2005, adding another 421,000
black adults to SA's middle-income layer and ramping up the black
population's share of SA's total middle class to almost a third. Between 2001
and 2004, there were 300,000 new black entrants to the middle class
(Financial Mail)

Infrastructure

1. South Africa generates two-thirds of Africa’s electricity (Eskom)
2. South African power supplier provides the fourth cheapest electricity in
the world
3. Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto is the biggest hospital in the
world
4. Durban is the largest port in Africa and the ninth largest in the world.
5. There are 39 million cell phone users in South Africa (International
Telecommunication Union)

Tourism

1. The number of tourists visiting South Africa has grown by 200%
since 1994, from 3 million to over 9 million in 2007 (Dept of Environment
and Tourism)
2. The Singita game reserve was voted the best hotel in the world by the
readers of a leading travel magazine (Conde Nast Traveller)
3. The world's best land-based whale-watching spot is located in
Hermanus in the Western Cape.
4. In 2002, South Africa was the world’s fastest growing tourist
destination. In 2006, South Africa’s tourism grew at three times the global
average.

Sport

1. South Africa hosts the largest timed cycle race in the world (the Cape Argus
Cycle Tour), the world's oldest and largest ultra-marathon (the Comrades
Marathon) and the world's largest open water swimming event (the
Midmar Mile).
2. South Africa will become the first African country to host the Soccer World
Cup in 2010 … and only the second country in the world to have hosted
the Cricket, Rugby and Soccer World Cups.
3. Since the 1940s, South African golfers have won more golf majors than
any other nation, apart from the United States.
4. In 1994, we won 11 medals in the Commonwealth Games. In 2002, we
won 46.

SA Teaching the World

1. South Africa houses one of the three largest telescopes in the world at
Sutherland in the Karoo
2. South Africa is the first, and to date the only, country to build nuclear
weapons and the voluntarily dismantle its entire nuclear weapons
programme
3. South Africa Constitution is widely regarded as being one of the most
progressive in the world, drawing from the experiences of the world’s
most advanced democracies
4. The South African oil company Sasol has established the only commercially
viable oil-from-coal operations in the world.
5. Two of the world's most profoundly compassionate philosophies
originated in South Africa – Ubuntu (the belief in a universal bond of sharing
that connects all humanity) and Gandhi's notion of "passive resistance"
(Satyagraha), which he developed while living in South Africa.

Education

1. Almost a quarter of South Africa’s non-interest budget is spent on
education
2. The University of South Africa UNISA is a pioneer of tertiary distance
education and is the largest correspondence university in the world
with 250,000 students.
3. Our learner to teacher ratio has improved from 1:50 in 1994 to 1:34 in
2004
4. South Africa’s matric pass rate has improved from 49% in 1994 to 70% in
2004, but student’s receiving university exemptions has remained at 18%
5. The first MBA programme outside of the United States was started by
the University of Pretoria in 1949.

Social

1. Over thirteen million South Africans (a quarter of the population) have
access to social grants (Department of Social Development)
2. Since 1994, 500 houses have been built each day for the poor and 1,000
houses per day have received electricity
3. Seventy percent of South Africa’s population is urbanised

Environmental

1. The Kruger National Park supports the greatest variety of wildlife
species on the African continent
2. The Cango Caves near Oudsthoorn is the world’s longest underground
cave sequence
3. South Africa is the only country to house an entire floral kingdom
(fynbos), one of only 6 on the planet
4. In 1991, South Africa became the first country in the world to protect the
Great White shark.
5. South Africa has the oldest meteor scar in the world, at the Vredefort
Dome near Parys. The scar is 2 billion years old.
6. South Africa has the 3rd highest level of biodiversity (SA Tourism)
7. The Cape Hyrax’s (dassie) closest relative is the African elephant
8. South Africa has embraced the concept of trans-frontier ‘peace parks’,
linking ecological reserves across national borders

General

1. South Africa is the cradle of mankind
2. Afrikaans is the youngest official language in the world
3. The Western Deep Levels is the world’s deepest mine at 3777 metres
4. South Africa has the world’s largest deposits of gold, chromium, platinum
and manganese
5. The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace Prize winners is
in Soweto. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have houses
in Vilakazi Street, Orlando West.
6. South Africa has the world's second oldest air force, established 1920.
7. South African Breweries (SABMiller) ranks as the second largest brewing
company in the world. It supplies up to 50% of China's beer.
8. South Africa has the second oldest film industry in the world
9. In 2007 South African businessman Cyril Ramaphosa was included in the
Time 100, an annual list, assembled by Time magazine, of the 100 most
influential people in the world
10. Cape Town has the fifth-best blue sky in the world, according to the UK's
National Physical Laboratory

SA throwing away millions

The strike by municipal workers is costing the country in the region of R15-million a day, an economist said on Tuesday.

"The problem is, it's very difficult to work out [the cost]. I can't work out the damage of all the shops and the traders. It's a hassle factor.

"But the cost is around R15-million a day in workers' wages, I guess," economist Mike Schussler told Sapa.

He said the longer the strike continues, the more the cost escalates.

"By the second week it becomes a huge problem, because then a person pays out of his own pocket to remove his rubbish.

"All these factors have to be considered, so R15-million is a little simplistic but it's the best we can do at the moment," said Schussler.

Figures on the number of municipal workers arriving for work are also different.

Overwhelming, underwhelming

The unions claim "overwhelming" support, saying more than 150 000 out of a workforce of 190 000 did not show up work.

But the employer, the SA Local Government Association (Salga), says only 40 percent of workers participated in the stay away.

A strike by members of the SA Municipal Workers' Union and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union entered its second day on Tuesday.

Thousands of workers took to the streets on Monday to press for better wages, harassing hawkers and emptying rubbish bins.

Unions are demanding a 15 percent increase and Salga has tabled a new offer of 13 percent.

Sapa

Can Zuma walk his talk?

By Haru Mutasa, Al Jazeera's South Africa correspondent

South Africa has been rocked by violent protests in recent weeks, with last week being perhaps the most violent since the inauguration of Jacob Zuma, South Africa's president, in May.

Police fired rubber bullets and teargas at protestors in the poor township areas who hurled stones at them.

Violent riots and threats of a fresh wave of crippling labour strikes may force Zuma to deliver quickly on election promises which include job creation and houses for millions of the poor.

But these socialist interventions by the government could scare away investors in Africa's biggest economy who want the current economic policy in South Africa to stay the way it is.

On the other end of the scale, the trade unions who helped put Zuma in power want left leaning economic policies.

Worrying reminder

While politicians try to find a middle ground, the battle over policies is being played out in the overcrowded townships where there is often no running water, electricity or adequate accommodation.

The people want their lives to improve and want the government to look after their needs before those of big business.

The recent township violence is reminiscent of the unrest witnessed during the apartheid years and the threats against foreigners are a worrying reminder of last year's xenophobic attacks.

In 2008, protests erupted across South Africa. They began as demonstrations over the government's failure to improve the plight of the poorest of the poor, but soon foreigners were being attacked in their shack settlements.

An estimated 70 people were murdered by the time the violence ended several weeks later.

Mine deaths a disgrace - Vavi

Johannesburg - The number of deaths in South African mines was a national disgrace, Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said on Friday.

"Urgent action is needed to put an end to this carnage," Vavi told a memorial service for nine mineworkers who died on Monday at Impala Platinum's Rustenburg mine.

The company directors must be held "personally accountable" for the deaths, he said, adding that should an investigation find negligence or incompetence the directors should be prosecuted and punished if found guilty.

"Such fatalities are personal tragedies for bereaved families and friends, but they are also a national disgrace.

"The number of accidents in our mines is still far too high. Between 1997 and 2007, the South African mining industry had an appalling average of 244 work-related deaths per year reported."

He said safety was not prioritised and mining houses should do more to end the many fatalities.

The general secretary said Cosatu supported Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana's call for all health and safety laws to be rigidly enforced to protect workers from occupational hazards.

"Daily we risk our lives to dig the coal, gold and platinum out of the earth, but never see any of the fabulous profits that our employers make," Vavi said, which is why the union federation supported the call for nationalising the mines .

"We want an efficient industry that continues to create wealth for the nation but uses the profits to pay workers a living wage, pays taxes to improve the lives of the workers and the poor, in conditions that are safe, healthy and environmentally friendly."

- SAPA

DR-CONGO: Firms Fuelling ;Conflict Minerals; Violence, Report Says

By Marina Litvinsky

WASHINGTON, Jul 21 (IPS) - Several international companies are named as helping to prolong the more than 12-year conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a new report by the British-based group Global Witness, released Tuesday.

Titled "Faced with a gun, what can you do?", it details how many mining areas in eastern DRC are controlled by rebels and the national army, who violently exploit civilians to retain access to valuable minerals. It names international companies which buy from suppliers who trade in minerals from the warring parties.

European and Asian companies, including Bangkok-based THAISARCO, Britain-based Afrimex, and Belgium-based Trademet, have been buying minerals from the DRC that are funding armed groups and fuelling conflict, said Global Witness.

Informed by on-the-ground investigations and interviews in North and South Kivu, the report reveals that despite being on opposing sides, the national Congolese army, the Forces Arm?es de la R?publique D?mocratique du Congo (FARDC) and rebel groups, in particular the Forces Democratique de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), regularly cooperate with each other, carving up territory and occasionally sharing the spoils of illegal mining.

The FDLR use roads controlled by the FARDC, and vice versa, without difficulty. Minerals produced by the FDLR are sent out through local airports controlled by the FARDC in South Kivu.

"(The FARDC and the FDLR) don't attack each other. Where both are present, they share the spoils and both extort from the population," a human rights activist told Global Witness last year.

The unregulated nature of the mining sector in eastern DRC, combined with the breakdown of law and order and the devastation caused by the war, has meant that these groups have had unrestricted access to these minerals and have been able to establish lucrative trading networks.

"(The report) shows the extent to which the Congolese government is incapable not only of controlling the mineral-rich areas, but also of controlling its own army that is profiting from the mineral trade at expense of the state," David Sullivan, a research associate at the Enough Project, told IPS.

Paul Williams, associate professor of internaional affairs at George Washington University, agreed. "The FARDC is so poor that it cannot work as an effective military instrument," he told IPS. "Elites general condone the exploitation of the mine workers as long as they see some kickback along the route (from mines to Europe)."

Sullivan added that mine inspectors often cannot do their job because they have not been paid their salaries, or "do not have the resources to travel to mines". Once they do arrive, they are prevented from inspecting the mines with threats of violence.

"The Congolese government needs more assistance in order to be able to oversee the trade, but it is not the only actor," said Sullivan, adding that companies that continue to profit from the trade must be held accountable.

"As long as we don't change the way we go about purchasing these things economic incentives will override" the need for greater transparency, he added.

The profits armed groups make from their illegal control of the mines allow them to survive, as they pay for arms. To sustain this control, the main warring parties have carried out horrific human rights abuses, including widespread killings of unarmed civilians, rape, torture and looting, recruitment of child soldiers to fight in their ranks, and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, the report said.

"All the warring parties in the DRC are systematically using forced labour and violent extortion in mining areas," said Patrick Alley, director of Global Witness. "Despite recent political and military developments, including the apparent rapprochement between the DRC and Rwanda, violence against unarmed civilians is continuing and countless lives are lost each day."

Years of unrest have plagued the DRC. Following the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, hundreds of thousands of Hutus fled across the border into the DRC, as the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front conquered the country. The conflict has resulted in an estimated 5.4 million deaths over the past decade.

This link between armed groups and the illicit mineral trade was also documented by a United Nations panel of experts in December 2008.

The "conflict minerals" at the centre of the violence include cassiterite, coltan and wolframite, which are moved from the DRC, usually through Rwanda or Burundi, to East Asia where they are processed into valuable metals, like tin and tungsten, needed for electronics products.

One of the companies featured in the report is THAISARCO, the world's fifth-largest tin-producing company, owned by British metals giant, Amalgamated Metal Corporation (AMC). THAISARCO's main supplier, Congo-based Panju, sells cassiterite and coltan from mines controlled by the FDLR.

Another company is the British-based Afrimex, already found by the British government in 2008 to be in breach of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises for buying from suppliers who made payments to a rebel group. The British government has yet to take any concrete action on this information.

Global Witness wrote to 200 companies and found that most had no controls in place to stop conflict minerals entering their supply chain.

AMC denied any wrongdoing, saying that it operated under U.N. guidelines.

"Both AMC and Thaisarco have always sought to comply with the requirements and recommendations of the U.N. in respect of minerals originating in the DRC," the company said in a statement. "In accordance with this, Thaisarco purchases DRC minerals subject to a recently enhanced, formal and detailed due diligence programme which ultimately is aimed at providing transparency throughout the supply chain."

In a letter to Global Witness in January, F. Muylaert of the Belgian company Trademet said, "Your hypothesis according to which we should verify the exact origin of every kilo of exported material is inappropriate in the current context in Congo."

The report points out that comptoirs - trading houses based in Goma and Bukavu - which buy, sell and export minerals produced by or benefiting the warring parties are officially licensed and registred with the Congolese government. Foreign companies use the "legal" status of their suppliers as justification for continuing to trade with them, without verifying the exact origin of the minerals or the identity of intermediaries.

"It is not good enough for companies to say they buy only from licensed exporters, when they know full well that their middlemen buy from armed groups," argued Alley

The report said that foreign governments, including Britain and Belgium, are undermining their own development assistance and diplomatic efforts to end the 12-year conflict by failing to crack down on companies based within their borders.

Global Witness contends that the governments of Rwanda and Burundi have failed to acknowledge that these minerals are fueling conflict and have not held to account companies in their country which engage in this trade.

"The failure of governments to hold companies to account, of Burundi and Rwanda to restrict the trade across their borders, and of donors and diplomats to address explicitly the role of the mineral trade, have all contributed to the continuation of a conflict that has killed millions and displaced many more," said Alley.

SA improves border controls for World Cup

Written by defenceWeb Wednesday, 22 July 2009

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is implementing what is being promoted as the most advanced border management solution available today, the Advance Passenger Processing (APP) system, in partnership with aviation IT specialist, SITA, as part of a final preparation for next year’s FIFA Soccer World Cup.

The value of the deal was not disclosed. A similar deployment in Kuwait in 2006 cost $37 million.

The APP system will integrate into the DHA’s R4 billion “Who am I” identity management project currently underway under the leadership of Gijima AST and will facilitate the arrival and departure of up to 500 000 football fans next year while enhancing security and reducing both administration and turnaround costs for airlines.

SITA Middle East and Africa Vice President Khodr Akil says the APP border management solution has been tried and tested in other parts of the world as well as during major global events, notably the 2000 Olympic Games.

South Africa Economy to Shrink 1.5%, World Bank Says

By Nasreen Seria

June 22 (Bloomberg) -- South Africa’s economy will probably contract 1.5 percent this year, the first drop in output in 17 years, as commodity prices plunge and exports decline, the World Bank said.

Economic growth will probably rebound to 2.6 percent in 2010, the Washington-based World Bank said in its Global Development Finance report. In March, the lender forecast 1 percent growth this year and 3.1 percent in 2010.

Recessions in the U.S., Europe and Japan have slashed demand for commodities, undermining growth in countries such as South Africa, the world’s largest producer of platinum, and Zambia, the continent’s biggest copper producer. The World Bank also cut its 2009 growth forecast for sub-Saharan Africa to 1 percent from a previous estimate of 2.4 percent.

“Output and incomes in the region have been negatively affected by falling commodity prices, falling volume demand for metal and mineral exports, and declining remittances and tourism,” the World Bank said. “The risks for the sub-Saharan Africa region are heavily tilted to the downside.”

The World Bank’s forecasts are lower than those of the International Monetary Fund, which said on April 22 that South Africa’s economy will probably contract 0.3 percent this year, while economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa will slow to 1.7 percent.

UNHCR annual report shows 42 million people uprooted worldwide

The number of people forcibly uprooted by conflict and persecution worldwide stood at 42 million at the end of last year amid a sharp slowdown in repatriation and more prolonged conflicts resulting in protracted displacement. The total includes 16 million refugees and asylum seekers and 26 million internally displaced people uprooted within their own countries, according to UNHCR's annual "Global Trends" report released today.

The new report says 80 percent of the world's refugees are in developing nations, as are the vast majority of internally displaced people – a population with whom the UN refugee agency is increasingly involved. Many have been uprooted for years with no end in sight.

Although the overall total of 42 million uprooted people at year's end represents a drop of about 700,000 over the previous year, new displacement in 2009 – not reflected in the annual report – has already more than offset the decline.

"In 2009, we have already seen substantial new displacements, namely in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Somalia," UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said. "While some displacements may be short-lived, others can take years and even decades to resolve. We continue to face several longer-term internal displacement situations in places like Colombia, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. Each of these conflicts has also generated refugees who flee beyond their own borders."

The report counts 29 different groups of 25,000 or more refugees in 22 nations who have been in exile for five years or longer and for whom there are no immediate solutions in sight. This means at least 5.7 million refugees are living in limbo.

France, UN warn against Madagascar military option

France and the United Nations both warned on Tuesday against military intervention to resolve Madagascar's political crisis, a day after African economic bloc the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) said such a move should not be discounted.

The international community is urging the Indian Ocean island's feuding political parties to forge a negotiated settlement following the military-backed ouster of former leader Marc Ravalomanana in March.

Political turmoil has gripped the country since the beginning of the year, hurting economic growth and prompting several donors, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United States, to freeze non-emergency aid.

UN envoy Tiebile Drame said Comesa, a 19-member group of Eastern and Southern African nations, should focus its efforts on supporting the political process.

On Monday, the economic bloc called for a return to democracy in Madagascar and said military intervention to restore constitutional order could be an option.

Russia ventures back to Africa

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev embarks on a four-nation tour of Africa this week in a drive to reassert Moscow's clout in a former Soviet sphere of influence.

After a two-day visit to Egypt starting on Tuesday, Medvedev will make an ambitious foray into Nigeria, Namibia and Angola on Wednesday until Friday for talks to expand the country's economic footprint in Africa.

Medvedev's visit follows a 2006 trip to South Africa and Morocco by his mentor and predecessor Vladimir Putin, who became the first Kremlin chief to visit sub-Saharan Africa.

ZIMBABWE: EC funds bring welcome relief

JOHANNESBURG, 3 June 2009 (IRIN) - The European Commission (EC) has allocated US$11.3 million in humanitarian aid to help people in Zimbabwe affected by the breakdown of essential health and water services.

"The new unity government has to address numerous challenges to place Zimbabwe on the path to recovery. The country ... is facing an enduring humanitarian crisis, compounded by the collapse of basic social services," Olli Rehn, the EC's Acting Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said in a statement on 2 June.

The funds have been earmarked for medicines and medical supplies, water treatment equipment, and spare parts to upgrade water infrastructure; projects are to be implemented by non-governmental relief organizations, UN agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement.

Health system in crisis

As a result of Zimbabwe's protracted socioeconomic crisis, access to health services and safe water has sharply deteriorated, "as demonstrated by the largest cholera epidemic ever recorded in Africa," the statement noted.

Life expectancy has been dropping, maternal mortality has dramatically increased and high rates of HIV infection prevail. "It is our duty to bring timely and consistent support to assist ... at this critical juncture," Rehn said. The EU is the biggest donor to Zimbabwe's public health sector, providing at least 60 percent of essential drugs available.

Govt won't seize white farms, says minister

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Jun 16 2009 13:57

South Africa's new Agriculture Minister, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said on Tuesday the continent's biggest maize producer would not seize white farms to redistribute to black South Africans as this would harm its economy.

"With our willing-buyer, willing-seller policy there are times when the land becomes too expensive for the state to purchase, and if we face a programme of expropriation, it would further destabilise the economic industry of agriculture," she told an agribusiness conference in Cape Town.

After the fall of apartheid in 1994, the African National Congress set itself a target of handing 30% of all agricultural land to the black majority by 2014.

But progress towards the target has been slow, and only about 4% of land has been acquired from private owners amid funding problems that government officials say might hinder the government from meeting its goal.

Land reform is a sensitive issue in Africa's biggest economy, where critics say the programme has hurt investment in the commercial farming sector and drastically reduced the land that is available for commercial agriculture.

Eskom to tax the rich?

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:18

Wealthy consumers and companies may face an electricity price increase of more than 34 percent this year, Eskom spokesperson Fanie Zulu conceded on Wednesday.

Zulu said he "can't guarantee" that higher income groups would not be asked to pay more than the 34 percent hike Eskom was demanding to cover its operational costs, in the likely event that the increase was staggered to grant the poor relief.

"So the rich may pay more," he told Sapa after briefing Parliament's public enterprises portfolio committee.

"It happened last year when Nersa (National Energy Regulator of SA) said 14.5 percent and then the affluent paid more," Zulu added, referring to the cap the national regulator put on price hikes for low income consumers after granting a general tariff hike of 27 percent.

Zulu said industry might also have to pay more.

He added however that the decision was not up to Eskom but to Nersa, which was considering the tariff increase application.

Temporary legal status for Zimbabweans

Zimbabweans who have entered South Africa seeking political asylum and employment will be given a "special dispensation" permit, the Department of Home Affairs said today.

"The permit confers on them the right to stay in South Africa for a period of six months, it confers on them the right to schooling or education, it confers on them the right to work and access to basic health care," said Home Affairs director general of Immigration Services, Jackie MacKay.

"We have taken an important decision which acknowledges that migration patterns between South Africa and Zimbabwean have probably changed permanently," said Home Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba.  Zimbabweans will need to apply for the permit at Home Affairs and provide proof of their nationality. If they do not have official identification, they will go through testing.

Reforms spur Zimbabwe’s gold industry

By William MacNamara in London

Published: March 29 2009 20:39 | Last updated: March 29 2009 20:39

Zimbabwe’s gold trade could be reviving, making gold the first industrial sector to benefit from recent economic reforms in the country.

Mwana Africa, a mining group listed on London’s Aim market, plans to reopen the Freda Rebecca gold mine, one of Zimbabwe’s largest, by September.

It has been closed for the past three years, a period that was “impossible” for gold producers, one sector analyst said, as the central bank bought gold but failed to pay producers in either foreign currency or increasingly worthless Zimbabwean dollars.

Today’s buoyant gold price, above $900 an ounce, was an important factor in the decision to reopen the Freda Rebecca mine, said Kalaa Mpinga, Mwana chief executive.

More important, however, was a series of economic reforms starting with the “dollarisation” of the economy – or substitution of foreign currency as a medium of exchange – sanctioned by the central bank in January, he said.

• © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd. 

African leader hails G20 progress

By William Wallis, Africa Editor

Published: April 2 2009 23:26 | Last updated: April 2 2009 23:26

On paper at least, African leaders appear to have emerged from the G20 summit with most of what they wanted.

Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian prime minister, who is officially representing the continent, had urged the International Monetary Fund to sell part of its gold reserves to finance a $50bn (€37bn, £34bn) rescue package for low-income countries. The summit approved the plan.

Poor countries should also benefit from a $250bn increase in the IMF’s special drawing rights, the fund’s reserve currency, about 7 per cent of which could accrue to Africa.

“I think we made a very surprising level of progress,” Mr Meles told the Financial Times.

• © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.

WORLD REALISATION DAY

You were born with it!
For many thousand years the secret has been known only by a few! There is a force within and you, YOU were born with it! They call it K U N D A L I N I. And it is curled up in your Sacrum Bone at the base of your spine. When the Kundalini is awakened it raises through your spinal cord and up above your Fontanelle Bone area where you can feel it as a cool breeze. No other force is able to transform your conciousness.
Yeah! The Worldrealisationday is coming up!

The Mystical Pearl of Africa

Experience the Mighty Victoria Falls
The Mystical Pearl of Africa

Mosi oa tunya... The smoke that thunders...!!

Welcome to the Victoria Falls Travel Guide - our aim is to guide you with our local knowledge and experience on everything there is to know and do at this magnificent holiday destination...one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

South African court judgment bolsters expropriation charge over Black Economic Empowerment legislation in the mining sector

By Damon Vis-Dunbar
23 March 2009

A South African judicial ruling has opened the door for two plaintiffs to seek compensation for alleged expropriation of their mineral rights, in a case that echoes the complaints made by European investors in a pending international arbitration against South Africa under bilateral investment treaties.

The judgment* comes in response to claims lodged with the Pretoria High Court, in which the plaintiffs (Agri S.A. and AM van Rooyen) argue that their rights to coal and clay were expropriated without compensation in 2004 under the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRD).

The MPRD Act is intended to boost the black population’s participation in the mining sector, and forms part of a wider effort by the South African government to address the country’s racial inequalities rooted in a legacy of apartheid.

Under the Act, private ownership of mineral rights was replaced with a system of licenses offered by the government. Companies who held mineral rights under the old regime were given an opportunity to apply for licenses under new regime; however, mining companies complain that so-called new order rights are not equivalent in value to the rights they enjoyed previously.

The Ministry of Minerals and Energy sought to dismiss the lawsuits by Agri S.A. and AM van Rooyen on the ground that they fail to provide sufficient facts to support their claims.

In 6 March 2009 ruling, however, the High Court has rejected the Ministry's charge that the plaintiffs' claims are "vague", allowing the claims to proceed to the merits stage.

Trafficking cops postponed

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:02
The case against four top cops arrested on charges related to drug trafficking was postponed in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, police said.
Crime intelligence spokesperson Senior Superintendent Tummi Golding said the case was postponed to Wednesday for bail application.
Senior Superintendent Dumisane Jwara, 45, Captain Landro Mokgosani, 40, Captain Victor Julie, 38, and Captain Sakhepi Caiphus Shange, 43, were in the meantime detained in the Johannesburg Central High Risk Facility Unit.
"The reason they were detained at the high risk facility unit was because of the merit of the case," Golding said.

ANC amends tribunal views

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:45

The African National Congress said on Tuesday its view on establishing a media tribunal was "shifting".
Spokesperson Jessie Duarte said it was "not the time or place for a tribunal".
Duarte was speaking at a debate on political party's media strategies ahead of the upcoming national elections.
The ANC had proposed a media tribunal at its Polokwane conference in December 2007.
Duarte said the proposal was "still on the table" but that views about the setting up of a media tribunal were shifting.
The party was, however, still going ahead with earlier proposals to set up an ANC newspaper and had started the process with newsletters aimed at particular communities.
Duarte said the media in South Africa was historically hostile towards the ANC and still remained so.

India to build Cameroon power units in $250 mln deal

YAOUNDE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Indian engineering firm Angelique International will build two hydro power plants in Cameroon as part of a 125 billion CFA francs ($251.5 million) aid deal, the central African country said late on Tuesday.

State-owned Export-Import Bank of India will loan the money to Cameroon, the second such deal signed between the Gulf of Guinea nation and Angelique in the past two months.

As well as power plants, the money will finance drinking water and sanitation projects.

Most of Cameroon's electricity is generated by hydroelectric power stations, but droughts can leave the country facing electricity shortages.

Cameroon's Water and Energy Minister Jean Bernard Sindeu said the deal signed on Tuesday was "a welcome relief for the millions of people living in rural Cameroon who are in dire need of electricity, drinking water and sanitation facilities."

Angelique was due to start work on the projects in July, Sindeu said.

Details of the loan repayment schedule and interest rate have yet to be finalised.

Angola's double-digit growth record to end -analysts

By Henrique Almeida

LUANDA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Angola's economy could grow less than 6.3 percent in 2009, well below the double-digit growth that has sustained the oil-producing African nation since 2002, analysts said on Tuesday.

Angola, which rivals Nigeria as sub-Saharan Africa's biggest oil producer, has averaged 15 percent a year GDP growth since the end of a civil war in 2002, making it one of the world's fastest growing economies.

It has lured billions in foreign investment.

But Alves da Rocha, a leading Angolan economist, said weakness in the global economy and a sharp drop in oil prices should put the brakes on growth and hamper government plans to rebuild the country and improve the lives of ordinary Angolans.

RPT-FEATURE-China marches on in Africa despite downturn

By Alistair Thomson

DAKAR, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Chinese businessmen are taking a long-term view and pursuing strategic expansion in Africa even though China's multiplying investments on the continent have lost some lustre in the global downturn.

Beijing and Chinese companies have pledged tens of billions of dollars to Africa in loans and investments mostly to secure raw materials for the world's fastest-growing large economy.

That long-term interest remains intact, despite a worldwide economic slump that has hit China's exports to the rich world and a sharp decline in Africa's mineral shipments to China.

China-Africa trade has surged by an average 30 percent a year this decade, soaring to nearly $107 billion in 2008.

Sasol Discovers Antitrust Violations, Triggers Probes

By Carli Lourens

Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Sasol Ltd., South Africa’s largest fuel producer, triggered cartel probes into the country’s fuel and piped-gas industries after discovering violations of antitrust law during an internal review and notifying regulators.

“We hope there will be more competitive prices” after the probes, which will be “long and detailed,” said Simon Roberts, an economist at South Africa’s Competition Commission, in an interview today. Pricing of fuels such as diesel, not regulated by the government at retail level, will be scrutinized, he said.

All members of the South African Petroleum Industry Association, or Sapia, will be investigated, Roberts said. These members are BP Southern Africa Ltd., Shell South Africa Ltd., Chevron South Africa Ltd., Total South Africa Ltd., Engen Ltd. and state-owned PetroSA, according to the industry body’s executive director, Avhapfani Tshifularo.

“I’m not aware of any cartel,” Tshifularo said by phone today, adding that the issues raised by Sasol have yet to be fully studied. None of the oil refiners could comment immediately when contacted by Bloomberg News today.

Sasol, the world’s biggest producer of motor fuel made from coal, is cooperating with the Competition Commission, according to a statement from the Johannesburg-based company. Two violations were found at its gas unit, and findings of unlawful conduct at its Sasol Nitro division are now more likely, it said. Some activities at the Sasol Oil subsidiary may also be viewed as anticompetitive, the company said.

‘Sizeable’ Penalty?

The commission is in talks with Sasol over a settlement, and a “sizeable” administrative penalty may be levied in relation to the two Sasol Nitro issues, Roberts said.

The two complaints may now be considered valid after the review uncovered additional information, Sasol said. They concern a probe of trading in phosphoric acid and one of several complaints by a company called Nutri-Flo.

Sasol, which was fined 318 million euros ($412 million) in October by European Union regulators for allegedly participating in a wax cartel, unearthed the violations after the start in July of an internal review of compliance with competition laws. The company said today it was granted leniency for the violations at the gas unit after reporting the acts to the commission.

“The intense scrutiny of the review initiated last year is unfortunately indicating areas of concern,” Chief Executive Officer Pat Davies said in the statement. “Our values do not leave any room for unethical behavior.”

Shares Retreat

Sasol fell 13.01 rand, or 4.5 percent, to 276.99 rand in Johannesburg trading, rebounding from a drop of as much as 6.6 percent. The stock has slid 13 percent in the past year, cutting the company’s market value to 176 billion rand ($17 billion).

“Because Sasol is the whistleblower, there is a smaller chance that they’ll incur the maximum penalty,” Nedcor Securities analyst Mohamed Kharva said by phone today from Cape Town. “There may still be a fine, but it’s very early to say what will be the impact.”

Ray of sunlight

Article By: Raymond Ackerman

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:22

Like many of my contemporaries in the business world, I am frequently asked how I remain so bullish in the face of the many challenges that confront South Africa. Particularly, there is often a hint of incredulity that Pick n Pay should continue to invest so confidently in a commercial environment that is threatened by very worrying levels of crime and violence, political uncertainty and deteriorating services.

Unlike many of those who find little good to say about the state of our nation, I am, regrettably, old enough to remember graphically the sheer awfulness of South Africa in the seventies, eighties and early nineties. I recall the dawn raids on African families whose presence in urban areas was deemed to be illegal, the wickedness of the pass laws, the forced removals under the Group Areas Act and the economically suicidal application of race-based job reservation.

A far, far better place

And when I remember those things, I have no hesitation in saying that the South Africa of today is a far, far better place than it was before 1994. We live in a country that is governed not by the unchallengeable dictates of cabinet ministers or security chiefs, but by the entrenched principles of a progressive constitution which binds Parliament and citizen alike to a judicable bill of rights, a free press and an independent judiciary.

That is the kind of society towards which I strove for most of my adult life and in the expectation of which so much of my business career was directed. Along with many of my peers in the commercial world, I recognised many years ago that apartheid was not only inequitable and cruel, but an insurmountable obstacle to economic growth and national prosperity. It impacted negatively on the quality of life of our employees, crippled productivity, closed foreign markets and created an environment of community conflict in which corporate progress and planning was made all but impossible.

And now that it has gone, we are ethically obliged to bring to the building of a new nation precisely those energies and critical patriotism that we so successfully invoked to nudge society, government and opposition to change.

Dawning of democracy

The euphoria of the dawning of democracy was intoxicating and the birth of the rainbow nation seductive. But the exhilaration that accompanied the miracle our national liberation perhaps blinded us to the harsh realities of the transition that was to come. Few of us paused to reflect on the daunting task of reconstruction that awaited a country that had been torn apart and brutalised by decades of apartheid, deprivation, ethnic prejudice and a command economy.

It is only when one reflects on where we were in the darkest days of the last century, and on the poverty, lack of opportunity and political and economic paralysis that characterised our society, that we are able to appreciate the overwhelming magnitude of the difficulties that have faced us in building a new society from the tragedies of the old and recreating ourselves as a normally-functioning and thriving economy.

We can learn much from the experience of the United States’ Reconstruction after the Civil War. Like our own post-apartheid transformation, it was an era of unprecedented political conflict and of far-reaching changes in the nature of American government. It saw the passage of constitutional amendments that for the first time enshrined in American law the principle that the rights of citizens could not be denied because of race.

But it was not until the mid-twentieth century that America was able to come to terms with the political and social agenda of the Reconstruction and make a second attempt to erase the economic inequalities that originated in slavery and were reinforced by decades of segregation.

And then, earlier this month – in an extraordinary encounter with the Rubicon – millions of white Christians in the United States voted for a man with one Kenyan parent, that parent having been raised as a Muslim.

Zuma judgment delivered in SCA

12 January 2009, 14:05

The Supreme Court of Appeal today delivered judgment in the case of National Director of Public Prosecutions v Zuma (573/08) [2009] ZASCA 1 (12 Jan 2008).

It upheld an appeal by the NDPP against a judgment by Nicholson J in which he had set aside the indictment of Mr Zuma on 18 main counts of racketeering, corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and fraud. The effect of the judgment on appeal is that the prosecution may proceed.

The case concerned in the main the interpretation of section 179 of the Constitution. The SCA held that the section did not require that the NDPP had to invite Mr Zuma to make representations as to why he should not be prosecuted before indicting him and to provide him with a full explanation why a former decision not to prosecute was not adhered to.

The SCA also held that Mr Zuma had no legitimate expectation that he would have received such an invitation and explanation. It noted that Mr Zuma, knowing that he could make representations, chose not to make any.

Aware of the possible political implications of the judgment, the SCA emphasised that the judgment is not about the guilt of Mr Zuma; it is not about the question whether the decision to prosecute was justified; it is not about who should be the president of the ANC; it is not about whether the decision of the ANC to ask Mr Mbeki to resign was warranted; and it is not about who should be the ANC?s candidate for the presidency in 2009. More particularly, it is not about whether there was political meddling in the decision-making process.

The judgment, however, deals with the question whether the findings by Nicholson J relating to political meddling were appropriate or could be justified. It came in this regard to the conclusion that his findings were inappropriate and could not be justified on the papers before him. The SCA found that the learned judge had failed to have regard to some basic tenets concerning the judicial function and that he had failed to apply fundamental rules of procedure. This led to the erroneous findings.

DEVELOPMENT: Africa May Face 'Centuries' of Poverty

By David Cronin

BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (IPS) - Extreme poverty will continue to blight sub-Saharan Africa for another 200 years unless action to overcome it is intensified, a new report has suggested.

Social Watch, a network of campaigning groups, has devised a measure known as the "basic capabilities index" to assess the level of hardship throughout the world.

Its latest report finds that 80 countries -- home to half the world's population -- fare badly when three criteria are examined: the number of children who die before their fifth birthday, the proportion of children who complete primary education, and the proportion of births that are attended by trained midwives or other medical professionals.

Only 16 of these countries have registered considerable improvement since 2000. Although the countries making progress include India, home to 1.6 billion, regression has been recorded in others with a combined population of 150 million. The latter category includes Chad, Niger, Malawi, Benin and Yemen, while Bangladesh, Uganda, Nigeria, Madagascar and Ghana have been listed as stagnant.

While much of sub-Saharan Africa has recorded strong economic growth in recent years, this has not translated into a major drop in poverty levels. As things stand, the basic needs of millions of Africans will not be met until the 23rd century, with many governments struggling to fulfil pledges they have made. Zambia, for example, has undertaken to provide free basic health care for all citizens, yet continues to have one of the lowest rates of life expectancy on the planet.

Roberto Bissio, coordinator of Social Watch, predicted that the crisis which gripped international capitalism during 2008 will complicate matters further. "Poor countries are very likely going to suffer quite heavily from a crisis which they did not at all create," he said, indicating that crucial sources of money such as remittances from migrants overseas will probably decline.

Bissio argued that one of the most appropriate responses of governments would be to develop a more coherent response to the fulfilment of human rights, particularly those with an economic and social dimension.

SCA to rule in Zuma case

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Jan 08 2009 13:14

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) rules on Monday in the state's appeal against Judge Chris Nicholson's ruling in favour of presidential frontrunner Jacob Zuma, in a crucial credibility test for the National Prosecuting Authority.

Judgement will be handed down in a case that witnessed a face-off between Zuma, leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), and axed former president Thabo Mbeki.

Zuma will hear his fate two days after the ANC releases its 2009 election manifesto in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, which names him as its presidential candidate.

New US-led naval force to battle Somali pirates

By BRIAN MURPHY Associated Press Writer

Posted: 01/08/2009 05:46:07 AM MST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—A new international naval force under American command will soon begin patrols to confront escalating attacks by Somali pirates after more than 100 ships came under siege in the past year, the U.S. Navy said Thursday.

But the mission—expected to begin operations next week—appears more of an attempt to sharpen the military focus against piracy rather than a signal of expanded offensives across one of the world's most crucial shipping lanes.

The force will carry no wider authority to strike at pirate vessels at sea or specific mandates to move against havens on shore—which some maritime experts believe is necessary to weaken the pirate gangs that have taken control of dozens of cargo vessels and an oil tanker.

Pentagon officials described it as a first step to create a dedicated international structure—combining military force, intelligence sharing and coordinated patrols—to battle piracy from lawless Somalia.

Zimbabwe media: Mugabe set to form government

By ANGUS SHAW Associated Press Writer
Posted: 01/03/2009 04:25:07 AM PST

HARARE, Zimbabwe—Zimbabwe's main opposition leader has insisted that he will not become prime minister in a government of national unity until disagreements are settled. There were signs Saturday that President Robert Mugabe would press ahead regardless.

The official Herald newspaper said that Mugabe, who has held power since 1980, was moving toward the "early realization" of a new government to end a monthslong power vacuum.

"President Mugabe has already started preparing an administration," the paper quoted government spokesman George Charamba as saying.

A power-sharing accord reached last September designated Mugabe as president and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister. Tsvangirai narrowly won the first round of presidential elections but refused to take part in a runoff because of violence against his supporters.

The accord has not been implemented because of disagreement on Cabinet posts. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change is angry that Mugabe has earmarked all the key ministries for his party. It is holding out for control of the Home Affairs ministry—saying this is necessary to stop police violence against opposition supporters—and has rejected a proposal by mediators to split control of the ministry.

In a letter to Mugabe, Tsvangirai said it was "presumptuous" to conclude that his party accepted the allocation of ministers decided on by Mugabe.

Al Qaida 'kills 29 in Algeria over three months'

Dubai: Al Qaida's north Africa wing said it killed at least 29 members of Algeria's security forces in the past three months, a US-based firm which monitors militant
websites reported on Saturday.

In a statement posted on the internet, the group, which calls itself Al Qaida Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility for 21 attacks carried out in northern Algeria between September and December, the SITE Intelligence Group said.

The attacks included bombings and ambushes of police and military targets in areas including Bejaia, Constantine and Biskra.

Al Qaida's north Africa wing posted several statements on the Internet last year saying it would not stop its attacks until Algeria was free from French and US influence and what it called the "apostate" Algerian government was removed.

Since adopting the Al Qaida name early in 2007, the group, previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), has claimed several attacks, including twin suicide bombings of UN offices and a court building in Algiers in December 2007 which killed 41 people.

Mbeki 'to undergo spiritual rebirth'

By Thabiso Thakali

2009 is going to start with a battle for ANC president Jacob Zuma but end well, while former president Thabo Mbeki could undergo a spiritual rebirth - that's if predictions by two diviners are anything to go by.

Sharing their predictions for 2009 with the Saturday Star, an astrologer and a sangoma agreed that despite what could be a rough start in the new year, there will be better times for Zuma.

And perhaps personal transformation is on the cards for Mbeki in 2009, although, according to astrologer Richard Fidler, he is set to become more reclusive.

"Mbeki's chart shows that he is quietly going to go through a spiritual change. He might become active in social welfare projects or humanitarian work," said Fidler.

"Zuma's astrological chart shows that April [the mooted date for the general election] will be an important month in his life. It shows that he will be more active in this period"

Sweetness Tau, a Vosloorus-based sangoma, predicted that Mbeki would emigrate.

She said Mbeki and his ancestors were unhappy at the way the country was being run at the moment, and this could make him decide to leave.

"There is a high possibility that Jacob Zuma may ultimately become the president of SA, although his legal woes may continue to threaten to derail his plans," she said.

"But because he [Zuma] has been through this before and he has the support of his ancestors, he will survive with few scars."

Both seers were adamant in their predictions that while the Congress of the People would pose a serious threat to the ANC's dominance, the ANC would still comfortably win 2009's general election.

Opposition leader wins presidency in Ghana

By FRANCIS KOKUTSE
ACCRA, Ghana - Opposition leader John Atta Mills won Ghana's presidency, narrowly defeating his ruling party rival in a tense runoff, the election agency of this West African nation announced Saturday.

Mills won Sunday's runoff by capturing 50.23 percent of the vote _ or 4,521,032 ballots _ compared with 49.77 percent _ or 4,480,446 votes _ for ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, Electoral Commission chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan said.

A special revote Friday in a single western district secured Mills' victory. The region of Tain had been unable to vote in the second round because of a shortage of ballots, and the makeup vote _ which took place peacefully despite ruling party efforts to stop it _ became the deciding factor.

"I commend the two candidates for conducting themselves well," the election chief said.

Kenyan president signs controversial media bill

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY - Associated Press Writer


NAIROBI, Kenya -- Kenya's president has signed into law a media bill that opponents say threatens the country's hard-fought reputation for having one of Africa's most vigorous press.

Media watchdogs had petitioned against the bill, which gives a communications commission the power to regulate broadcasting under threat of fines or jail time.

In a statement Friday, President Mwai Kibaki said "while press freedom is a cardinal pillar of democracy, it is a right that carries with it special duties and responsibilities."

A controversial part of the bill, which parliament passed last month, allows the government to shut down media outlets by declaring a state of emergency. Several journalists were arrested recently while protesting the bill.

But Kibaki said late Friday that part was not included in the bill he signed.

Kenya is ranked among the world's most corrupt countries, and in the years following independence in 1963 reporters were regularly threatened and censored.

Life's no gas for Ukraine in the energy wars

Ukranian households will be greeting 2009 with a sharp sense of deja vu.

It's the third time in two years Russia has turned off the taps.

The dispute behind the old Iron Curtain is ostensibly about Russia collecting long-standing debts.

But it has the kind of intrigue you might find in a Cold War thriller: a power battle in Ukraine, sleaze allegations levelled at top gas executives plus a long-standing economic row over just how much Ukraine should pay to pipe gas from its old Soviet master and neighbour.

Although countries like Hungary lost up to 40 per cent of gas they receive via Ukraine during the brief switch-off in January 2006, it's unlikely this latest flare-up will have the same impact.

But it's re-opened the debate over how much customers across Europe should pay for gas and where we source it...

It means countries can turn to the vast gas fields around North and West Africa's coasts as alternatives.

Congo president makes a promise of peace

KINSHASA: Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila vowed to bring peace to his war-ravaged country before the end of 2009 in a rare televised address to the nation.
“Our objectives for 2009 will be and remain those given to the government when it was formed: first and foremost is the consolidation of peace and security, in particular in the east of the country,” Kabila said as the New Year was about to dawn.
“Our determination is undeniable and all options will be looked at to this effect,” the Congolese president said.

Ghana party bids to halt key vote

Ghana's ruling party is seeking to delay voting in a remote district that could decide the outcome of the knife-edge presidential run-off election.

Ruling party officials say a fair vote can not be held and they will boycott the poll in Tain if it goes ahead.

Tain constituency did not vote with the rest of the country on Sunday because of a problem distributing the ballots.

Opposition candidate John Atta Mills has a narrow lead over the ruling party's Nana Akufo-Addo.

"We are trying to stop the election because we think the security situation on the ground is not conducive for a free and fair election," Arthur Kennedy, a spokesman for the ruling New Patriotic Front (NPP), told AFP news agency.