* South Africa. Fish fight goes to court — Fishermen in South Africa have begun a legal battle with the government over fishing rights in the waters of the South Atlantic. Members of the fishing community claim they’re getting a raw deal from a new quota system. But the authorities say the arrangements are now much fairer than they were under apartheid. Some say there are simply not enough fish to sustain a large industry and fishermen should look for alternative careers. In Hout Bay harbour, about 20 minutes drive from Cape Town, the days catch of fresh snook fish is being auctioned on the quayside. Seagulls and seals grab their lunch for free, everyone else has to pay 13 rand per fish. But many fisherman are far from happy with the price. One fisherman said the combination of the low price he receives for the fish and inflation means that he is not making a profit. The disappointing price for today’s catch isn’t the only thing worrying these fishermen. They are angry at a fishing quota law which they claim is  threatening their livelihoods. It is designed to preserve fish stocks in the Atlantic, but as with many other things in South Africa race plays a part. Under apartheid the fishing industry was controlled by whites. Now more than half the owners are from the black majority, many firms are managed by black and mixed race people. Yet, Hout Bay fishermen Eragfaan Davids complains the quotas are not being distributed fairly. «It’s the people who’ve got money and who are more involved with the politicians, those are the people who get the quotas,» he said. (BBC News, UK, 8 November 2002)

* Afrique du Sud. Retour de l’extrême droite — Le 11 novembre, un groupe d’extrémistes de droite, inconnu jusqu’à présent et se présentant comme les “Combattants de la nation boer”, a revendiqué les attentats à la bombe qui ont fait un mort et un blessé à Soweto, près de Johannesburg, dans la nuit du 29 au 30 octobre. “Nous déclarons que ces attaques sont le commencement de la fin du gouvernement du Congrès national africain (ANC, au pouvoir) et nous acceptons l’entière responsabilité de nos actes”, déclare ce groupe dans la presse. Les Combattants de la nation boer avertissent dans leur lettre qu’ils préparent une campagne “pour la saison de Noël”. Le message demande aussi la libération de 35 détenus d’extrême droite. (Libération, France, 12 novembre 2002)

* South Africa. Apartheid accused to be named — A list of international banks and companies that will face legal action for allegedly supporting South Africa’s apartheid regime is to be disclosed today in Johannesburg, amid new concern about the negative impact of such lawsuits on foreign investment in Africa. The class action is being brought on behalf of 85 victims of apartheid by a team of lawyers headed by Michael Hausfeld, an American, and Charles Abrahams, a South African. It targets companies and banks accused of profiting from the white minority regime. Mr Abrahams confirmed on 11 November that the Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS were being sued, as well as banks and companies in the US, Germany, England, France and the Netherlands. «The firms which we are suing allowed the main culprit — the apartheid state — to commit crimes against humanity,» he said. The new lawsuit is separate from another multi-billion-dollar case which had its first hearing in August in New York. The decision to pursue two parallel lawsuits was taken by South African non-governmental organisations and human rights groups which felt uneasy about the tactics employed by Edward Fagan, the US lawyer heading the team. (Financial Times, UK, 12 November 2002)

* Afrique du Sud. “Complices de l’apartheid” — Jubilee 2000, une coalition sud-africaine qui regroupe 4.000 ONG, a déposé une plainte à New York contre vingt banques et entreprises occidentales, accusées d’avoir coopéré avec le régime de l’apartheid. Les  entreprises visées sont américaines, suisses, allemandes, britanniques, françaises et néerlandaises. Elles ont, par leurs prêts et investissements, financé le régime d’apartheid, lui permettant de survivre malgré les sanctions de l’Onu, selon les ONG, qui réclament des dédommagements. (Le Soir, Belgique, 13 novembre 2002)

* Swaziland. Official faces sedition charge — 9 November: Swaziland’s attorney general has been charged with sedition after ordering the dismissal of three judges hearing a case about a girl allegedly abducted to marry the king. The director of public prosecutions said the action by Phesheya Dlamini had caused the Swazi Government to be viewed with contempt at home and abroad. The attorney general said he was acting on instructions. Legal observers believe he was following orders from the palace and has been made a scapegoat because of the bad publicity surrounding the case. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 10 November 2002)

* Swaziland. Le jet privé du roi — Des bailleurs de fonds qui avaient offert de l’aide pour l’acquisition de moyens de production agricole, ont suspendu cette aide en raison de l’entêtement du gouvernement swazi à acheter un jet privé de luxe, de 450 millions de rands, au roi Mswati III. Ainsi, les pays de l’Union européenne veulent cesser leur aide au Swaziland, estimant que le pays a suffisament d’argent pour nourrir une population mourant de faim. L’ambassadeur de la Grande-Bretagne a critiqué l’acharnement du gouvernement dans l’achat de cet appareil au moment où des milliers de gens meurent de faim. Le gouvernement italien a déclaré qu’il “agirait en conséquence”. Mais le 11 novembre, Magwagwa Mdluli, le ministre de l’Energie, a soutenu que ce jet était indispensable pour la sécurité du roi durant ses voyages pour attirer les investisseurs tout en lançant un appel à l’aide alimentaire aux pays donateurs. (D’après PANA, Sénégal, 12 novembre 2002)

* Swaziland. Buying a royal jet — 12 November: The King of Swaziland is to take delivery of a $45 million royal jet, despite the country’s parliament voting to cancel the order. Senior government minister Magwagwa Mdluli said the cabinet had now approved delivery of the plane because it would allow King Mswati III to fly safely when seeking foreign aid and investment. Last August, the United Nations reported that a quarter of Swaziland’s one million population faced severe food shortages due to drought unless millions of dollars of food aid was granted. (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 12 November 2002)

* Sudan. Catholic missionary gets award from Government — A Comboni missionary nun has received an awarded from one of the most fundamentalist Islamist regimes in Africa. The high recognition of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Beshir has been given to Sister Callista  Cozzi, 81, who in 1946 decided to dedicate her life to Sudan. At the end of October, the Sudanese authorities conferred a honourary doctorate on Sister Callista for her tireless obstetrical work in the maternity section of Omdurman, a town near Khartoum, the capital. Sister Callista herself founded the 200-bed hospital, one of the major health centres in Sudan. «This recognition honours me, yet not only me but all the Comboni community to which I belong,» she said. It is not the first time that al-Beshir’s Muslim government recognized the merits of this woman religious. Last January, the head of state conferred on Sister Callista «in the name of the merciful Allah,» Sudan’s most important honour, the Order of Merit of the first degree. That award was in recompense «for the excellency of her work in the long and tireless service to mothers and children.» In 1995, the National Health Department also honoured her work. Sister Callista does not know how many children she has helped to bring into the world. «I have never counted them. An average of 40 to 45 children are born every day in our hospital,» she said. (Zenit, Italy, 8 November 2002)

* Sudan. Sudanese hit by fly-borne disease — A severe outbreak of the fly-borne parasitic disease Kala Azar is devastating some southern Sudanese communities exhausted by malnutrition and war, medical charity Medécins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on 8 November. Kala Azar, or Visceral Leishmaniasis, is transmitted by the tiny sand fly and attacks people weakened by hunger and fatigue. Fatal if untreated, the disease disrupts the liver and spleen, causing fever and severe weight loss and an enlarged spleen. «It is an overwhelming scene, with so many of the people coming to the clinic every day more dead than alive,» an MSF statement quoted MSF Operational Director Jose-Antonio Bastos as saying. «The state of these patients is appalling. They are being carried on stretchers for days to make it to the clinic. They look pale and thin and are extremely anaemic.» The disease is endemic in parts of the Eastern African nations of Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia and usually peaks at this time of year. But the strength of the current outbreak is exceptional and shows a dramatic increase compared to the same seasons in recent years, MSF said. «While peace talks go on, large parts of southern Sudan are still inaccessible to aid organizations and diseases like Kala Azar continue to claim thousands of lives,» MSF said. Sudan’s government and southern rebels are holding peace talks in Kenya to try to end a war that has killed an estimated two million people since it began in 1983. (CNN, USA, 9 November 2001)

* Chad. HRW honours African justice leader — 7 November: On 13 November, Human Rights Watch (HRW) will give its highest recognition to Souletmane Guengueng, a torture victim who leads the campaign to bring the former dictator of Chad, Hissène Habré to justice. Guengueng’s pioneering effort seeks to break the  cycle of impunity on the war-torn African continent. Founder of the Chadian Association of Victims of Political Repression and Crime (AVCRP), Souleymane Guengueng has worked to record and publicize the atrocities of Habré’s regime (1982-1990). Habré now lives in exile in senegal, where he was indicted two years ago on charges of torture and crimes against humanity, after a complaint filed by the AVCRP with the support of a coalition led by HRW. Habré’s victims are now seeking his extradition from Senegal to stand trial in Belgium. (HRW, 7 November 2002)

* Togo. Manifestation à Lomé — Le 9 novembre, l’opposition togolaise a organisé une marche de protestation contre ce qu’elle appelle “la mascarade d’élections législatives” le 27 octobre dernier. Quand elle a été bloquée par la police, la manifestation a dégénéré en affrontements et s’est terminée en scènes de panique occasionnant plusieurs blessés par piétinement. Selon des sources officielles, deux éléments des forces de l’ordre et un nombre indéterminé d’autres personnes ont été blessés. Un communiqué du ministère de l’Intérieur indique qu’aucune interpellation n’a été opérée et rappelle aux organisateurs de manifestations publiques de veiller à garantir le caractère pacifique de celles-ci. (D’après PANA, Sénégal, 10 novembre 2002)

* Togo. Démission du gouvernement — Le 13 novembre, le Premier ministre togolais, M. Koffi Sama, a présenté la démission de son gouvernement au président de la République, M. Eyadéma, qui l’a acceptée et a chargé les membres de l’équipe sortante d’expédier les affaires courantes. Le chef de l’Etat a ensuite nommé de nouveau M. Sama au poste de Premier ministre, qui devra former un nouveau gouvernement. M. Sama avait été nommé Premier ministre le 27 juin dernier et avait présenté son gouvernement le 5 juillet. (PANA, Sénégal, 13 novembre 2002)

* Tunisie. Opposants libérés — Six opposants tunisiens, deux communistes et quatre islamistes, ont été libérés à l’occasion de la célébration, le 7 novembre, du 15e anniversaire de l’accession du président Ben Ali. Il s’agit de Abdeljabbar Maddouri et Ammar Amroussia, membres du Parti communiste ouvrier tunisien (POCT) condamnés en février dernier respectivement à 3 ans et 9 mois et 2 ans et 4 mois de prison pour divers délits liés à leur appartenance à cette formation d’extrême gauche interdite. Ces deux militants communistes avaient entamé vers la mi-octobre une grève de la faim pour demander leur libération. Les quatre autres opposants libérés sont des islamistes, dont le journaliste Abdallah Zouari. Membres du mouvement islamiste tunisien “Ennahdha”, formation interdite, ils avaient été condamnés au début des années 90 à de lourdes peines. (La Libre Belgique, 9 novembre 2002)

* Uganda. Take-off for Uganda’s own helicopter — One particular exhibit has been drawing by far the  most attention at an East African trade exhibition in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. Large crowds have been gathering around a red and white object, three metres long and less than two metres high made of scrap metal. It is Uganda’s first home-built helicopter — designed by boys from the Katwe Youth Development Project. One of them, Joseph Kantinti Mbazira, said they came up with the idea after watching helicopters flying overhead. «We wanted to do this for ourselves so we went to Entebbe [airport] to see how the helicopters worked,» he said. With its engine adapted from a water pump, the helicopter can fly about four feet off the ground or three feet off the ground if it is carrying a pilot. After a great deal of discussion at the exhibition, there was a call for a collection of money to put some petrol into the helicopter. Rather dangerously, the rotor blades began whirring at roughly an average person’s neck height. With the blades rotating, the crowd tried to persuade the pilot to get the helicopter off the ground. In fact, due to safety reasons the organizers of the trade fair banned the helicopter from taking off so two people wearing crash helmets held the helicopter down. But however crudely made it may be, the crowd seemed pleased. (BBC News, UK, 5 November 2002)

* Zambia. Company accused of given money to president’s campaign — President Levy Mwanawasa’s election campaign used money from the state-owned electric company to print campaign posters, and regional chiefs were wooed with gifts of cash and vehicles, two former ruling party leaders testified on 13 November at a hearing into last year’s election. Vernon Mwaanga, former secretary of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, told the Supreme Court that the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation paid more than 123 million kwacha (US $26,000) to print the posters. Earlier, Michael Sata, who had preceded Mwaanga as ruling party secretary, told the court he had used an air force helicopter to deliver money to regional chiefs’ palaces. Sata, who is now leader of the opposition Patriotic Front, said chiefs were also invited to the capital, Lusaka, and given between 15 and 30 million kwacha (US $3,200 and US $6,500). Some chiefs were given vehicles, he said. Mwanawasa, the handpicked successor of former President Frederick Chiluba, won the December elections with 29 percent of the vote in a crowded field in this impoverished southern African country. European Union election observers said the vote and its counting was seriously flawed. They also noted pro-government bias from both the electoral commission and the state-run media. (CNN, USA, 13 November 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Food aid diverted — 7 November: The European Union has condemned the government of President Robert Mugabe for diverting food aid to its own supporters and ignoring opposition activists. A Danish minister said «that is not acceptable». Last weekend, a United States official warned  that the US may have to take «intrusive» measures to ensure that food aid was properly distributed. Bertel Haarder, European Affairs Minister of Denmark, which holds the EU presidency, was sparking at a meeting of EU and Southern African officials in the Mozambique capital, Maputo. The meeting was due to be held in Denmark but was switched to Mozambique because Zimbabwe’s leaders are banned from entering Europe under EU sanctions. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 7 November 2002)

* Zimbabwe. 13 mineurs coincés sous terre — Le 7 novembre, le gouvernement zimbabwéen a annoncé qu’il abandonnait la mission de secours pour 13 mineurs clandestins qui se sont retrouvés bloqués sous terre, près de la ville de Kadoma (centre), quand leur puits de mine s’est effondré. Les secours ont été abandonnés pour des raisons de sécurité. Les corps se trouvent à environ 50 mètres de la surface du sol. Pour les atteindre, les sauveteurs devraient ramper dans des conditions extrêmement dangereuses, car le sol de la mine est instable. L’exploitation minière illégale est en augmentation au Zimbabwe malgré les avertissements répétés du gouvernement et les mesures de répression de la police. De nombreux mineurs clandestins ont déjà trouvé la mort dans cette entreprise. (PANA, Sénégal, 7 novembre 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Restrictions aux citoyens britanniques — Le 7 novembre, les autorités zimbabwéennes, évoquant des raisons de sécurité, ont imposé, avec effet immédiat, une restriction de déplacement aux responsables gouvernementaux et politiques britanniques, et une obligation de visa pour tous les ressortissants de ce pays. Le gouvernement a indiqué que cette interdiction de se rendre au Zimbabwe concernait 119 officiels et leaders politiques britanniques identifiés, dont le Premier ministre Tony Blair et l’ensemble des membres de son gouvernement. Cette mesure est considérée comme une réaction directe à des sanctions similaires imposées au Zimbabwe par l’Union européenne à la demande de la Grande-Bretagne. Le communiqué a révélé que le gouvernement allait aussi geler les avoirs des organisations britanniques et d’autres organisations internationales considérées comme une menace pour le Zimbabwe. Le Zimbabwe a, à plusieurs reprises, accusé la Grande-Bretagne de comploter pour renverser le président Mugabe. (PANA, Sénégal, 8 novembre 2002)

* Zimbabwe. UK inquiry into jet parts for Mugabe — The British government has launched a formal investigation into allegations that a white Zimbabwean businessman — one of the richest men in Britain — has broken UK and European sanctions by supplying aircraft parts to the Zimbabwean air force. The allegations against the international financier John Bredenkamp have been made in a United Nations report into the «illegal exploitation of natural resources» in the Democratic Republic of Congo,  published last month. In the past few days both the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, have confirmed in parliamentary answers that an investigation has been launched. (The Guardian, UK, 8 November 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Renvoi du procès de Tsvangirai — Le procès pour trahison de trois leaders de l’opposition, qui devait débuter le 11 novembre, a été renvoyé au mois de février 2003. La Haute Cour de Harare a justifié le renvoi par la plainte des prévenus de n’être pas entrés en possession de certains éléments nécessaires à la préparation de leur défense. Le leader du Mouvement pour le changement démocratique (MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai, le secrétaire général et le porte-parole de ce parti, Welshman Ncube et Renson Gasela, sont accusés d’avoir comploté d’assassiner le président Mugabe juste avant l’élection présidentielle de mars dernier. (PANA, Sénégal, 11 novembre 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Economic crisis — 8 November: Zimbabwe’s economic crisis has created crippling shortages, and now even bank notes are proving hard to come by. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has said it will step up monitoring of all but the smallest cash transactions, in the hope of stopping bank notes disappearing from circulation. Growing demand for large volumes of cash — used, officials say, for untraceable money-laundering operations - has reportedly left big bank notes in short supply. The Bank has set up a Financial Intelligence Unit to track suspicious cash transactions, and may push forward plans to introduce a new 1,000-Zimbabwe-dollar note, twice the size of its current biggest denomination. The Bank’s taskforce will look at all transactions in excess of 500,000 Zimbabwe dollars. At official exchange rates, that is over US $9,000, but on the black market, the Zimbabwe dollar is trading at around 1,800 in the US currency — and falling fast. 12 November: Long queues have formed outside petrol stations. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 12 November 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Tortured journalist dies — 13 November: Mark Chavunduka, 37, a journalist who was tortured by Zimbabwe’s army for writing about an alleged coup plot, has died in Harare. The cause of death has not been made public but it is not thought to have been caused by the torture. Mr Chavunduka and his colleague, Ray Choto, were both held captive by the army for several days in 1999 despite court orders for their release. Mr Chavunduka was editor of the Zimbabwe Standard newspaper, which published a story written by Mr Choto, that sections of the army had plotted to oust President Robert Mugabe. Following his release, he received treatment for post traumatic stress disorder in both Britain and the United States. He often complained of nightmares following the beatings and electric shocks he received during his detention by the military. Trevor Ncube, publisher of the Standard, praised Mr Chavunduka as a champion of press freedom against Mr Mugabe’s government. «He will be remembered for standing up to this regime,» he said. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 13 November 2002)

* Zimbabwe. Archbishop Ncube speaks out — Giving the Archbishop Denis Hurley Lecture, November 2002, Archbishop Pius Ncube, Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, said: «I come to you today to appeal to you for prayers to ease out most serious situation in Zimbabwe and to appeal to you to lobby by all means possible for a peaceful solution to the Zimbabwean crisis. We face an absolutely desperate situation in Zimbabwe and the government is lying to the world about it. Our government continues to engage in lies, propaganda, the twisting of facts, half truths, downright untruth and gross misinformation, because they are fascists. My understanding of Christ and of the Church makes me believe that Christ is a prophet, a priest and a shepherd. (King). As a prophet He is a teacher to all nations and a carrier of God’s word. He stands against sin, falsehood and injustice; and we are tasked to do the same. As priest he is self-sacrificing and offering his life for others. He is prayerful, holy and God-centred. The Church is called to the same posture. As shepherd he defends the poor, the marginalised and the minorities. Jesus calls the Church to do the same, to uproot sin and oppression. As Christians and as Church we are not called to go along with society, rather we are called to preach the values of the Kingdom of God, namely love, holiness, humility, respect for others, and their property, peace non-violence; to feel for others, to be gentle, compassionate, understanding, to be sincere, to be truthful, to be human, to be integrated, to be whole. To put people first before things, to be God-centred, to forgive, to be self controlled, to be prayerful, to heal, to sacrifice ourselves for others; not to take advantage of others, to suffer for the truth; to judge ourselves before we judge others, to be joyful to be the salt and the light of the world; to respect the poor, to be renewed with God’s vision, to be motivated by the Holy Spirit to be free and to free others and to be full of hope.» The Archbishop then goes on to describe the present political situation, the country’s economic and social situation, and appeals for prayers to change the situation. (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 14 November 2002)