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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 26-04-2001

PART #4/4 - From SOUTH AFRICA to ZIMBABWE

* South Africa. ANC whip defiant on «car bribe» — The chief whip of the ruling African National Congress, Tony Yengeni, has failed for a second time to explain adequately to a parliamentary ethics committee how he acquired a luxury car from a European arms manufacturer which won a lucrative weapons contract from the South African government. Mr Yengeni is at the centre of an inquiry by three government agencies and the ethics committee to discover if a £32,000 Mercedes four-wheel drive vehicle was a bribe by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. When the car was delivered three years ago, Mr Yengeni was chairman of the parliamentary defence committee. He only took steps to start paying for the car seven months later, after rumours about its origin began circulating. While Mr Yengeni is evasive about the origins of his Mercedes, he is frank about his taste for such cars and the good life. The former guerrilla and communist said just a few months ago that he did not fight for South Africa’s liberation to be poor. «There’s nothing wrong with the good things in life,» he said. And Mr Yengeni so loved his chrome-enhanced Mercedes that he told a reporter last year: «It’s very fast and very stable. One feels as though you’re flying in a jet.» That proved to be an unfortunate comparison. Many of those who wonder how Mr Yengeni got his car also question why South Africa needs £4bn worth of jets, warships, tanks and submarines when its hospitals, schools and police force are in much greater need of the cash. (The Guardian, UK, 23 April 2001)

* South Africa. Nkosi J. victim of armed robbery — A 12-year-old South African who has become an icon in Africa’s struggle against AIDS was a victim of the country’s crime scourge on 23 April when armed robbers broke into his home. Nkosi Johnson, who is bed-ridden and brain damaged by AIDS, had a gun pointed at him while three men made off with televisions, a mobile telephone and other household goods, his mother Gail Johnson said. «The gun was pointed at him and he was forced to close his eyes,» Johnson, his foster mother, told Reuters. A nurse attending Nkosi was traumatised after the intruders covered her with a duvet and threatened to shoot her if she was not quiet, Johnson said. Nkosi made headlines at the world’s biggest AIDS conference in Durban last year when he called on South African President Thabo Mbeki to do more to combat the disease that affects 4.9 million, or one in nine, South Africans. Mbeki has courted controversy by questioning the link between HIV and AIDS and limiting the use of key AIDS drugs in the public health system because of cost and efficacy concerns. Nkosi, who lost his natural mother to HIV/AIDS, has been praised by former President Nelson Mandela for speaking out about the disease. The schoolboy became a leading figure in the fight against HIV and AIDS in 1997 after a group of parents opposed his admission to a school in a well-to-do Johannesburg suburb because he was HIV positive. (CNN, USA, 23 April 2001)

* South Africa. Mandela And Clinton hail civic engagement — Two former presidents, the elder from South Africa, the younger from the United States, stood together on the same platform in Johannesburg on 24 April, to launch a two-day conference on the role of civil society and national cooperation in Johannesburg, and were greeted with warm and enthusiastic applause. Former presidents Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton, addressing more than 800 delegates, both urged South Africans to continue rebuilding a country which was devastated by apartheid and division. Clinton, the keynote speaker at the conference organized by the Civil Society Initiative, appealed to the people of South Africa to use their civic organizations, churches, community groups — and their youth — to come together and move forward. He said South Africans should reach across racial barriers to help their government build a brighter future. «No country needs a vibrant and, strong civil society more than South Africa,» said Clinton, «and few countries have the resources to build one that you have —a civil society that works not in opposition to the state, but in partnership with it, one that applies its talents and energies to the next steps of liberation, the liberation of potential, intellect, initiative and spirit.» (all Africa.com. 24 April 2001)

* Afrique du Sud. Complot contre le président? — La police sud-africaine a ouvert une enquête concernant un éventuel complot pour chasser le président Mbeki du pouvoir, a confirmé le ministre de la Sécurité, Steve Tshwete, le 25 avril. Selon Tshwete, l’enquête se concentre sur trois anciens membres éminents de l’ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa, Mathews Phosa et Tokyo Sexwale. Ces trois personnalités ont toutes un jour eu l’ambition de devenir président; actuellement ils se sont investis dans le monde des affaires. Phosa a déclaré à la radio que toute cette affaire est une insulte à l’intelligence des Sud-Africains. (D’après De Standaard, Belgique, 26 avril 2001)

* South Africa. ANC veterans accused of plot to harm Mbeki — The South African government has ordered the investigation of three leading anti-apartheid politicians, including the former secretary general of the African National Congress Cyril Ramaphosa, who is a now a monitor of the IRA‘s weapons dumps, for allegedly plotting to physically harm and oust President Thabo Mbeki. The investigation was immediately denounced as an attempt to use the police to suppress legitimate political challenges to Mr Mbeki’s leadership of the ANC. The president added to speculation about a conspiracy by issuing a call for those with information about the alleged plot to come forward. The surprise announcement came from the security minister, Steve Tshwete. He said that, among other things, Mr Ramaphosa and two former provincial premiers, Tokyo Sexwale and Mathews Phosa, were being investigated for spreading «disinformation» that could endanger Mr Mbeki’s safety. He implied that the men were responsible for rumours circulating in the ANC that Mr Mbeki had a hand in the murder of the highly popular Communist party leader Chris Hani in 1993. «This rumour can set the president up to be harmed, because Hani was loved by the people,» he said. «It can put the president in danger, not only as the president of the ANC but as the head of state. We need to investigate, because when something happens, people will say “We told them about this”.» Mr Tshwete said some of the allegations had been made by a former ANC youth leader, James Nkambule. They were being taken seriously because Mr Nkambule «was pretty close» to some of the people allegedly behind the plot. (The Guardian, UK, 26 April 2001)

* Sudan. Christians treated harshly — The Catholic Information Service reports that more than 50 Christians who were flogged and locked up on the Wednesday during Holy Week, were later released. They had been arrested and sentenced after taking part in a demonstration against a Sudanese government order to move Easter services out of a public square to the suburbs. 52 Christian men were each sentenced to 15 lashes and 20 days in prison, while four young women and two 12-year-old boys were each given 15 lashes. It appears the trial was summary with no lawyers present to defend the young Christians. All of the convicted were immediately flogged. On 23 April, the Archbishop of Canterbury expressed concern in a letter to Sudan’s Minister for External relations. Points he raised included: The bombing and destruction of the Episcopal Cathedral at Lui; Government planes bombing civilian centres, schools, hospitals, churches; whipping, harassment, arrests, tear gas; unjustifiable obstruction against prayer and celebration of Easter. (CISA, Kenya, 24 April 2001)

* Soudan. L’Onu condamne — La Commission des droits de l’homme de l’Onu a accepté par 25 voix pour et 28 abstentions un texte jugé trop faible, notamment par les Etats-Unis. La Commission a adopté un texte de l’Union européenne exprimant une profonde préoccupation face aux exactions commises au Soudan, notamment à l’enlèvement de femmes et d’enfants contraints au travail forcé par des milices alliées au gouvernement. Pour certaines ONG et pour les Etats-Unis, il s’agit purement et simplement d’esclavage. Selon l’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis à Genève, George Moose, “le gouvernement du Soudan ne reconnaît pas le problème de l’esclavage et il n’a pas agi activement pour faire cesser cette pratique. La résolution aurait dû énoncer clairement ces faits”. (La Libre Belgique, 21 avril 2001)

* Swaziland. Swazis pray for «poisoned» King — Scores of Swazis gathered at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Manzini on 19 April to pray for the ailing Swazi King Mswati III, who is suspected to have been poisoned by one of his eight wives. Libyan President Muamar Gadhaffi has sent a team of ten specialist doctors to treat the King, who was originally reported to have been poisoned at Hlane Royal residence in eastern Swaziland during the annual marula drinking ceremony almost a fortnight ago. But sources in the royal family say that the King did not drink the marula fruit brew. «He started complaining of a stomach-ache soon after taking his breakfast, which was prepared by one of his wives. The King is not supposed to have his meals prepared by any of his wives as per the tradition, and we don’t know what happened on this day,» a senior royal prince said. Three cooks and an aide have been fired, and are being held for questioning. The King was admitted to a Pretoria clinic for a week, but when he got home the sickness started again so the Libyan president sent the doctors to examine what exactly caused the sickness, the royal source said. By 19 April his condition was reported to be stable but serious. Yet he was unable to attend his 33rd birthday party on 19 April because of his illness. (Independent, UK, 20 April 2001)

* Tanzanie. Aide humanitaire — L’Union européenne a accordé à la Tanzanie une aide humanitaire de 32 millions d’euros destinée à venir en aide aux réfugiés burundais, congolais et rwandais vivant dans ce pays, annonce un communiqué du 20 avril à Bruxelles. Avec 14 camps abritant plus de 500.000 réfugiés, la Tanzanie est considérée par les ONG comme le plus important théâtre humanitaire en Afrique, et en raison de l’instabilité permanente dans la région des Grands Lacs, le nombre de réfugiés dans ce pays ne va cesser d’augmenter, selon le communiqué de l’UE. En 2000, la population de réfugiés dans ce pays s’est accrue de 90.000 personnes et depuis janvier 2001 ils continuent d’affluer en territoire tanzanien en provenance des trois pays voisins. (PANA, Sénégal, 20 avril 2001)

* Tanzanie. Chute du shilling — Le shilling tanzanien poursuit sa chute par rapport au dollar américain et aux autres monnaies fortes, entamée au cours de ces huit dernières semaines, a indiqué la Banque centrale. Au 2 mars, le taux de change commercial était de 825,57 pour 1$ et de 1.201 pour 1£. Au 28 mars, il était tombé respectivement à 856,13 et 1.230,30. Le 18 avril, la monnaie locale s’échangeait au taux commercial moyen de 887,93 contre 1$ et de 1.276,17 pour 1£. Certains économistes attribuent cette chute à des facteurs allant de la faiblesse des recettes d’exportation à une récession économique globale. (PANA, Sénégal, 21 avril 2001)

* Tchad. Canal pour sauver le lac Tchad — Un canal long de 120 km, relié aux deux bassins du fleuve Congo, sera construit sous peu afin de prévenir un assèchement complet du lac Tchad, a informé l’AFP qui citait le secrétaire exécutif de la Commission pour le bassin du lac Tchad, M. Ahmed Sani Adamou. Le lac a rétréci de 20 km au cours des dernières années, ce qui a provoqué un mouvement de la population, détruit la majeure partie de la végétation et de la faune, et a fait que la région autour du lac est devenue l’une des plus pauvres du Tchad. La Commission comprend le Niger, le Tchad, le Nigeria et le Cameroun. (IRIN, Abidjan, 20 avril 2001)

* Chad. Canal to be built to save Lake Chad — A 120-km canal connected to the two basins of the River Congo is to be built soon to prevent Lake Chad from completely drying up. The Lake has receded by 20 km in the past few years and this has brought about population movement, destroyed much of the vegetation and fauna, and turned the surrounding area into one of Chad’s poorest. (IRIN, West Africa, 20 April 2001)

* Tchad. Campagne électorale ouverte — La campagne électorale pour le premier tour des élections présidentielles est ouverte. Malgré la demande de l’opposition de reporter la présidentielle, à cause des irrégularités dans le recensement électoral et la poursuite des combats entre gouvernementaux et rebelles au Tibesti, l’ouverture des bureaux de vote a été confirmée pour le 20 mai. Sept candidats sont en lice, dont le président sortant Idriss Déby et son principal adversaire aux élections de 1996, Abdelkader Kamougué, président de l’Assemblée nationale et chef de l’Union pour le renouveau et la démocratie. Le 17 avril, le Haut conseil de la communication (HCC) a adopté la décision n. 002/HCC/P/SG/2001 “portant réglementation de la campagne médiatique pour l’élection présidentielle de 2001". L’article 23 de ce texte stipule que ”pendant toute la période de la campagne pour l’élection présidentielle de 2001, tout débat politique ou à caractère politique est interdit sur les ondes des radios privées, associatives ou communautaires". L’article suivant précise que les bulletins d’informations “ne doivent pas être étayés de commentaires”. Enfin, l’article 35 indique que les radios “qui ne se seront pas conformées à la présente décision seront suspendues pendant toute la durée de la campagne électorale”. Dans une lettre adressée à Emmanuel Touade, président HCC, Reporters sans frontières (RSF -www.rsf.fr) proteste contre cette décision. (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 24 avril 2001)

* Tunisie. Militante agressée — Pour la seconde fois en l’espace d’une semaine, Mme Souhayre Belhassen, vice-présidente de la Ligue tunisienne des droits de l’homme, a été rouée de coups à Tunis par des policiers. La scène s’est produite en pleine rue, le vendredi 20 avril, devant les locaux du Conseil national pour les libertés en Tunisie. Khédija Chérif, autre militante et personnalité connue de la société civile, a reconnu, dans l’agresseur de Mme Belhassen, le policier qui l’avait elle-même battue en public, début mars. (Le Monde, France, 22 avril 2001)

* Uganda. Parliamentary polls may be postponed — Uganda polls set for June are likely to be postponed for between one to two months to allow the Electoral Commission time to complete preparation. Sources said that the Commission would request the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs to ask parliament to amend the Constitution to delay the poll. According to the Constitution, the poll must be held in June. (The East African, Kenya, 9-15 April 2001)

* Ouganda. Demande de nouvelle enquête de l’Onu — L’Ouganda a demandé à l’Onu de conduire une nouvelle enquête sur l’exploitation illégale des ressources naturelles en RD-Congo, a rapporté le 19 avril le journal semi-officiel New Vision. Dans une réponse officielle à un rapport de l’Onu sur cette affaire, le gouvernement ougandais a fait part de “son désaccord fondamental à l’égard de cette enquête qui, sans aucune preuve crédible, vise à jeter le discrédit sur la personne et la famille du président de la République ougandaise”. Cette déclaration, signée par le ministre à la présidence, intime au Conseil de sécurité de l’Onu de nommer un nouveau groupe d’enquêteurs qui seraient “plus représentatifs”. Le document ajoute que l’Ouganda mènera sa propre enquête en vue de punir les coupables. (IRIN, Nairobi, 19 avril 2001)

* Uganda. Officials accused of plundering Congo RDC‘s resources — Polemics continue in Uganda over the illegal looting and plundering of Congo RDC‘s natural resources (coltan, diamonds, copper, cobalt and gold), denounced earlier this week by a UN inquiry commission. The report was drawn-up by a panel of experts. The list of accused includes Salim Saleh, former army general and brother of president Yoweri Museveni, and his wife Jovia. Among the firms dealing in mineral exploitation is Victoria Group, officially chaired by a Lebanese, but owned by Jovia and Muhoozi Kainerugaba, one of Museveni’s sons. Jovia is accused of «fomenting the Congolese conflict in order to control diamonds in Kisangani». The report also named Uganda’s acting chief of staff in Congo, Brig. James Kazini as «the master in the field, orchestrator, organiser and manager of most illegal activities». Kampala’s reaction was immediate, calling the UN report as «shallow and biased». The Minister for the Presidency, Ruhakana Rugunda, stated that the Ugandan government will expose the flaws in the report, assuring however that appropriate investigations will b made and measures taken against individuals proved to be involved in plunder. He concluded stating that «Uganda and Congo have been trading normally», adding «why is it that when Congolese buy goods here and transport them to Congo, it is not looting». (MISNA, Italy, 19 April 2001)

* Zambia. The President’s threat to freedom — It had the look of a typical opposition gathering: the stifling room, the angry rhetoric against a president who would not leave power and the foreign diplomat quietly collating material for his next report back to Europe. Gathered in a Lusaka hotel this week, however, these were no haunted freedom fighters opposing despotism. Instead, the speakers were members of the ruling party’s national executive, angered by what they fear to be an impending death blow to political freedoms in a country that paved the way for African democratic reform. «The two-term limit is so important — it is the only thing we have against dictatorship in this country,» proclaims Vincent Malambo, Zambia’s legal affairs minister. The electrified crowd responds with «No third term!» and «Impeach him!» It is a remarkable occasion, reflecting the growing vociferousness of a coalition of churchmen, lawyers, trade unionists, opposition politicians and even senior members of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) who have united against a campaign to change Zambia’s constitution and to allow President Frederick Chiluba to stand for a third term. Only six months before elections, the issue has stifled all others and split the MMD. Taking place in the first southern African country to embrace multi-party democracy, in the early 1990s, the debate has profound resonance across a continent struggling to stay on the path of democratic reform. Hopes have been raised by the recent decision of leaders in Ghana, South Africa and Senegal to stand aside, suggesting changes are truly taking hold. But such examples are rare, and the behaviour of leaders in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya and elsewhere suggest that the promise of post-cold war liberalisation hangs in precarious balance. (Financial Times, UK, 21 April 2001)

* Zambie. Le 3e mandat de Chiluba — Neuf députés du Mouvement pour la démocratie multipartite (MMD, au pouvoir) ont été suspendus pour s’être prononcés contre une résolution votée par la conférence de la province nord, visant à permettre au président Fréderick Chiluba de se présenter pour un troisième mandat. Parmi eux, plusieurs vice-ministres. En février, des résolutions avaient été votées par le parti en vue de soutenir les appels en faveur d’un autre mandat de M. Chiluba. Les députés ont reçu un ultimatum de 10 jours pour s’excuser d’avoir violé l’article 7 des statuts disciplinaires et l’article 10 de la constitution du parti. - D’autre part, le 21 avril, le vice-président Christon Tembo a accusé son patron, le président Chiluba, de corrompre des partisans pour qu’ils l’aident dans sa tentative de briguer un troisième mandat. M. Tembo a indiqué que Chiluba était en train de remettre des “enveloppes marron” à certaines personnes pour qu’elles l’aident à faire campagne pour un 3e mandat. “L’homme d’honneur est celui qui quitte lorsque le moment est venu, ou même avant, comme Nelson Mandela”, a-t-il ajouté. - Par ailleurs, l’Eglise presbytérienne, la deuxième Eglise du pays, a mis le président Chiluba en garde contre toute velléité de briguer un 3e mandat. Dans une lettre pastorale lue dans toutes les paroisses le dimanche 22 avril, le Synode général déclare qu’amender en ce sens la Constitution pourrait créer un facheux précédent. (PANA, Sénégal, 20-24 avril 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Poised for devaluation — Zimbabwe is likely to devalue its currency and reintroduce exchange controls within days, bankers in Harare said on 19 April, following a hardline speech by President Robert Mugabe marking Independence Day earlier this week. With the annual tobacco sales opening on 24 April, economists fear that farmers will not deliver leaf to the auction floors unless the exchange rate is adjusted to at least Z$75 to the US dollar, from its current level of Z$55. Economists calculate that the real effective exchange rate of the Zimbabwe currency is now the same as it was last July, prior to the 24 per cent devaluation on August 1. On the parallel market the Zimbabwe dollar is currently trading at about Z$120 to the US dollar. Bankers expect any devaluation to be accompanied by tough currency curbs designed to close down the parallel market. That would require some mechanism to ration scarce foreign currency by way of exchange or import controls. Some bankers say that about three-quarters of transactions go through the parallel market at rates of between Z$100 and Z$120 to the US dollar. Devaluation would be welcomed by exporters at a time of growing apprehension in business quarters about the hardline stance adopted by Mr Mugabe in his speech. (Financial Times, UK, 20 April 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Harare attacks critics of judicial system — Zimbabwe has an «unwavering commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law,» Jonathan Moyo, information minister, said on 23 April, dismissing criticism from the International Bar Association (IBA) that the government had placed «the fabric of democracy at risk». Mr Moyo said it was «self-evident to any fair-minded person that the judicial system in Zimbabwe was functioning well» and without any interference, «save perhaps from teams such as the IBA whose report seeks to inflame an otherwise settled situation». The report was compiled by a seven-member IBA mission including high-ranking lawyers, judges and former chief justices from South Africa, Namibia, India, the Caribbean, the US and Britain. It traced present tensions to the government’s refusal to act against illegal land occupation by so-called veterans of Zimbabwe’s armed struggle for independence, selective application of the law and intimidation of members of the judiciary, including a campaign to force Anthony Gubbay, the chief justice accused by government ministers of favouring the country’s white minority, to stand down. The IBA mission met President Robert Mugabe, senior government ministers and law officers. It received assurances over the independence of the judiciary and government’s commitment to promote the rule of law. It said such assurances should now be translated into concrete measures to guarantee the physical security of judges and urged the government to implement orders of the court that have been persistently flouted. (Financial Times, UK, 24 April 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Ouverture de la vente du tabac — La campagne de vente de tabac au Zimbabwe, le plus important produit d’exportation du pays, s’est ouverte le 24 avril sur une note mitigée, avec la menace des planteurs de retirer leur production du marché si le gouvernement ne dévalue pas la monnaie locale, le dollar zimbabwéen. Les planteurs ont évoqué la flambée des prix causée par la hausse du taux d’inflation pour justifier leur exigence, que le gouvernement a repoussée. Au cours de la première journée des enchères, les ventes ont été en demi-teinte, la plupart de la production sur le marché provenant de petits exploitants qui éprouvent un besoin pressant d’obtenir des fonds. (PANA, Sénégal, 25 avril 2001)

* Zimbabwe. Veterans target foes of Mugabe campaign — Zimbabwe’s war veterans on 25 April stepped up their attacks on businesses in their efforts to thwart urban political opposition to President Robert Mugabe’s campaign to win re-election next year. Claiming to champion the rights of workers laid off or dismissed, invariably legally, the veterans forced the closure of one of Harare’s oldest department stores, Barbours, for a day. The closure follows the targeting of a private hospital, two of the country’s prestige hotels and dozens of manufacturing companies that have been «invaded» over the past week. More than 200 Zimbabwe businesses have been invaded by war veterans in the past 10 days as Mr Mugabe’s 2002 re-election campaign moves to the towns and cities. The veterans are accused of taking over the roles of the both the Ministry of Labour and of the trade unions, which support the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Analysts say the campaign is designed to intimidate management, thereby ensuring no financial support for the MDC at next year’s elections. From the number of reports of managers who have paid out millions of Zimbabwe dollars to the veterans, this strategy would seem to be working. On 24 April a group of 20 war veterans burst into Harare’s Avenues Clinic, the country’s main private hospital, demanding the reinstatement of 35 workers dismissed following an illegal strike in 1995. They demanded back pay with interest. Management agreed to pay an amount «running into millions of dollars», the hospital stated. (Financial Times, UK, 26 April 2001)