Amnesty International has released images showing the destruction caused in Zimbabwe by the government's policy of forceful house demolitions in 2005.
The satellite images show the destruction of one settlement near Harare, which had contained some 850 structures before last May.
The human rights group says the photos are irrefutable evidence how entire communities were obliterated.
The UN says some 700,000 people were directly affected by the demolitions.
These images... are a graphic indictment of the Zimbabwean government's policies
Kolawole Olaniyan
Amnesty International
The Zimbabwean government launched Operation Murambatsvina (Restore Order), saying that informal settlements around the capital were not desirable and their residents should return to the rural areas.
'Horrifying transition'
Amnesty commissioned the satellite images to demonstrate the complete destruction of one particular area, Porta Farm, a large informal settlement some 20km (12 miles) west of the capital, Harare.
It also showed detailed video footage showing the forced evictions and destruction in June.
Porta Farm was established 16 years ago and contained about 850 structures, including schools, a children's centre and a mosque.
Amnesty says that last June, in the middle of winter, armed police arrived with bulldozers.
Porta Farm - that had been home to up to 20,000 people - was destroyed and the residents evicted.
Amnesty says that the images - taken last month - show the horrifying transition of an area from a vibrant community to rubble and shrubs in the space of less than a year.
"These satellite images are irrefutable evidence... that the Zimbabwean government has obliterated entire communities, completely erased them from the map, as if they never existed," Amnesty's Africa Programme director Kolawole Olaniyan said.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/5032156.stm
Published: 2006/05/31 03:13:04 GMT
© BBC MMVI
Original Source
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
'Big Brother' Bills on agenda
Published in: Legalbrief Africa
Date: Mon 29 May 2006
Category: African Focus
Issue No: 182
South Africa and Zimbabwe are both coming under fire over proposed legislation that will allow the government to monitor private e-mail and telephone communications, writes E-Brief News.
The laws are aimed at fighting crime, say both governments. South Africa's biggest cellphone operator, Vodacom, has been vociferous in its criticism of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Bill which requires cellphone operators to monitor and intercept communications. It warns the Bill is impractical and places an onerous and expensive burden on the industry and clients. The Bill requires cellphone operators Vodacom, MTN and Cell C to put in place systems for the interception of cellphone communications, and to keep detailed information of all their clients, as well as phones and SIM cards, says a report on The Citizen site. Companies could face fines of R100 000 a day for non-compliance. But Vodacom CE Alan Knott-Craig said although Vodacom was willing to bear this cost if the law required it, it was practically impossible to obtain the names, addresses and ID numbers of all prepaid customers and to verify this information. There were about 20 million South Africans using pre-paid cellphones, most of whom worked in the informal sector and lived in far-flung rural areas, said Knott-Craig.
Full report on The Citizen site
The Bill
The outcome might be that 20 million prepaid users are barred from networks, noted Knott-Craig in a Business Day report. "Most of those don't have the luxury of living in homes with addresses that made any sense, or they're employed in the informal sector," he is quoted as saying. "Getting that information is a task that would be difficult for a government, never mind a company," he said.
Full Business Day report
The Bill will impose fines of R100 000 for each day cellphone service providers fail to obtain and keep information on their clients, according to State law adviser Ina Botha. In turn, says a report on the News24 site, customers who sold or gave away their cellphones or SIM cards could be imprisoned for up to 12 months for failing to obtain and relay the recipient's personal information to a service provider. The information obtained in this fashion would be stored on a central electronic database, making it easier for law enforcement agencies to trace all previous owners of a phone or SIM card.
Full report on News24 site
Zimbabwe has also unveiled its proposed law to give it the authority to monitor phone calls and mail – including e-mail – to protect national security and fight crime. Rights groups said the Bill, proposed in a Government Gazette on Saturday, was part of a crackdown to stifle criticism over a severe economic crisis many blame on the policies of President Robert Mugabe. The Interception of Communications Bill would give the Communications Minister authority to monitor the phone calls and mail of anyone suspected of threatening national security or involvement in criminal activities in the country, says a report on the News24 site. The government said the proposed Bill is similar to laws in other countries and will be put in place to fight international crime and terrorism.
Full report on the News24 site
*Original source
Date: Mon 29 May 2006
Category: African Focus
Issue No: 182
South Africa and Zimbabwe are both coming under fire over proposed legislation that will allow the government to monitor private e-mail and telephone communications, writes E-Brief News.
The laws are aimed at fighting crime, say both governments. South Africa's biggest cellphone operator, Vodacom, has been vociferous in its criticism of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Bill which requires cellphone operators to monitor and intercept communications. It warns the Bill is impractical and places an onerous and expensive burden on the industry and clients. The Bill requires cellphone operators Vodacom, MTN and Cell C to put in place systems for the interception of cellphone communications, and to keep detailed information of all their clients, as well as phones and SIM cards, says a report on The Citizen site. Companies could face fines of R100 000 a day for non-compliance. But Vodacom CE Alan Knott-Craig said although Vodacom was willing to bear this cost if the law required it, it was practically impossible to obtain the names, addresses and ID numbers of all prepaid customers and to verify this information. There were about 20 million South Africans using pre-paid cellphones, most of whom worked in the informal sector and lived in far-flung rural areas, said Knott-Craig.
Full report on The Citizen site
The Bill
The outcome might be that 20 million prepaid users are barred from networks, noted Knott-Craig in a Business Day report. "Most of those don't have the luxury of living in homes with addresses that made any sense, or they're employed in the informal sector," he is quoted as saying. "Getting that information is a task that would be difficult for a government, never mind a company," he said.
Full Business Day report
The Bill will impose fines of R100 000 for each day cellphone service providers fail to obtain and keep information on their clients, according to State law adviser Ina Botha. In turn, says a report on the News24 site, customers who sold or gave away their cellphones or SIM cards could be imprisoned for up to 12 months for failing to obtain and relay the recipient's personal information to a service provider. The information obtained in this fashion would be stored on a central electronic database, making it easier for law enforcement agencies to trace all previous owners of a phone or SIM card.
Full report on News24 site
Zimbabwe has also unveiled its proposed law to give it the authority to monitor phone calls and mail – including e-mail – to protect national security and fight crime. Rights groups said the Bill, proposed in a Government Gazette on Saturday, was part of a crackdown to stifle criticism over a severe economic crisis many blame on the policies of President Robert Mugabe. The Interception of Communications Bill would give the Communications Minister authority to monitor the phone calls and mail of anyone suspected of threatening national security or involvement in criminal activities in the country, says a report on the News24 site. The government said the proposed Bill is similar to laws in other countries and will be put in place to fight international crime and terrorism.
Full report on the News24 site
*Original source
Sunday, May 28, 2006
SA running out of options over Zimbabwe crisis
Carole Landry | Johannesburg, South Africa
28 May 2006 08:04
South Africa is running out of ideas on how to pull Zimbabwe out of its crisis, turning to the United Nations to take the lead after a series of failures in tackling its biggest foreign policy headache.
President Thabo Mbeki is now pinning his hopes on outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to resolve the Zimbabwean imbroglio, although Harare has rejected UN intervention.
"This reflects the growing frustration of President Mbeki in trying to address the crisis in Zimbabwe," said analyst Chris Maroleng of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies.
"It is a very opportune time for President Mbeki to try to hand over the reins to somebody else, given that there has been little progress with South African-led initiatives."
Mbeki seized upon his visit last week to London to disclose in a Financial Times interview that Annan would be visiting Harare in July or August to inject new impetus into efforts to help Zimbabwe.
"We all await the outcome of the intervention of the secretary general of the UN with regard to Zimbabwe," Mbeki said.
But President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba flatly declared that "Zimbabwe is not a UN issue" and that an invitation to Annan to visit following last year's slum demolitions campaign was no longer valid.
A similar attempt last year by the African Union to enlist former Mozambican leader Joaquim Chissano as an outside mediator was also rejected out-of-hand by Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain 26 years ago.
South African attempts to mediate talks between Mugabe and the opposition have broken down, partly due to squabbling within the Movement for Democratic Change party which split into two factions earlier this year.
Mbeki's government late last year offered a $500-million loan to Zimbabwe on condition that Mugabe take steps to ensure economic recovery and political stability.
Harare refused to take the money and Mugabe instead announced plans to take a majority ownership stake in mines, including platinum ones partly owned by South African giant Implats, the world's second-largest producer.
Overall, South Africa has watched helplessly as Zimbabwe has descended into political and economic disarray.
Three elections since 2000 have been deemed undemocratic by Western governments which have slapped a travel ban on Mugabe and his inner circle and branded the regime as a pariah.
A seven-year economic recession has sent living standards in a freefall, with about 70% of Zimbabweans unemployed as inflation crossed the 1 000% threshold earlier this month.
About two million Zimbabweans, according to unofficial estimates, have crossed the border into South Africa in search of means to survive.
South Africa's failure to halt Zimbabwe's descent into hardship should serve as a message to Zimbabweans that they must seek their own home-grown solutions to the country's problems, said Sehlare Makgetlaneng, of the Africa Institute of South Africa.
"The resolution of Zimbabwe's problems is the task of the people of Zimbabwe. The opposition and civil society should not expect much from outside players," said Makgetlaneng.
The opposition has called for mass protests in June or July, blaming Mugabe for the country's economic meltdown that has resulted in severe shortages of basic goods such as maize, sugar and fuel.
Pretoria-based analysts see mounting pressure within the ruling Zanu-PF party for a leadership change that would pave the way for Zimbabwe to break out of isolation.
"There is a need for Mugabe to be replaced. There is no doubt about this," said Makgetlaneng.
"There is no quick fix," said Maroleng about prospects for a solution.
"This is going to be a long drawn-out process that will go into the next term of the South African presidency." - Sapa-AFP
Original source
28 May 2006 08:04
South Africa is running out of ideas on how to pull Zimbabwe out of its crisis, turning to the United Nations to take the lead after a series of failures in tackling its biggest foreign policy headache.
President Thabo Mbeki is now pinning his hopes on outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to resolve the Zimbabwean imbroglio, although Harare has rejected UN intervention.
"This reflects the growing frustration of President Mbeki in trying to address the crisis in Zimbabwe," said analyst Chris Maroleng of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies.
"It is a very opportune time for President Mbeki to try to hand over the reins to somebody else, given that there has been little progress with South African-led initiatives."
Mbeki seized upon his visit last week to London to disclose in a Financial Times interview that Annan would be visiting Harare in July or August to inject new impetus into efforts to help Zimbabwe.
"We all await the outcome of the intervention of the secretary general of the UN with regard to Zimbabwe," Mbeki said.
But President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba flatly declared that "Zimbabwe is not a UN issue" and that an invitation to Annan to visit following last year's slum demolitions campaign was no longer valid.
A similar attempt last year by the African Union to enlist former Mozambican leader Joaquim Chissano as an outside mediator was also rejected out-of-hand by Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain 26 years ago.
South African attempts to mediate talks between Mugabe and the opposition have broken down, partly due to squabbling within the Movement for Democratic Change party which split into two factions earlier this year.
Mbeki's government late last year offered a $500-million loan to Zimbabwe on condition that Mugabe take steps to ensure economic recovery and political stability.
Harare refused to take the money and Mugabe instead announced plans to take a majority ownership stake in mines, including platinum ones partly owned by South African giant Implats, the world's second-largest producer.
Overall, South Africa has watched helplessly as Zimbabwe has descended into political and economic disarray.
Three elections since 2000 have been deemed undemocratic by Western governments which have slapped a travel ban on Mugabe and his inner circle and branded the regime as a pariah.
A seven-year economic recession has sent living standards in a freefall, with about 70% of Zimbabweans unemployed as inflation crossed the 1 000% threshold earlier this month.
About two million Zimbabweans, according to unofficial estimates, have crossed the border into South Africa in search of means to survive.
South Africa's failure to halt Zimbabwe's descent into hardship should serve as a message to Zimbabweans that they must seek their own home-grown solutions to the country's problems, said Sehlare Makgetlaneng, of the Africa Institute of South Africa.
"The resolution of Zimbabwe's problems is the task of the people of Zimbabwe. The opposition and civil society should not expect much from outside players," said Makgetlaneng.
The opposition has called for mass protests in June or July, blaming Mugabe for the country's economic meltdown that has resulted in severe shortages of basic goods such as maize, sugar and fuel.
Pretoria-based analysts see mounting pressure within the ruling Zanu-PF party for a leadership change that would pave the way for Zimbabwe to break out of isolation.
"There is a need for Mugabe to be replaced. There is no doubt about this," said Makgetlaneng.
"There is no quick fix," said Maroleng about prospects for a solution.
"This is going to be a long drawn-out process that will go into the next term of the South African presidency." - Sapa-AFP
Original source
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Sky news on Farm murders
You might have noticed a bit of a hiatus in our blogging activities. That's because we have been monitoring recent developments and are awaiting further developments before we deliver our comments on those. Meanwhile, a bit of good news for our regular readers:
Sky news recently reported on the Farm Murders ("Plaasmoorde") in South Africa. It seems that the world media are at long last opening their eyes to what is already "old news" to readers of this blog. A video-clip can be found here.
Sky news recently reported on the Farm Murders ("Plaasmoorde") in South Africa. It seems that the world media are at long last opening their eyes to what is already "old news" to readers of this blog. A video-clip can be found here.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The gory regime of the ANC
South Africa again made the headlines these past few days. Once again, a spate of brutal murders plagued the country. Areas that were previously considered to be "safer-spots" in South Africa suffered the most horrendous acts of vile barbarism.
Once again, people had to identify the mutilated bodies of friends and family. Again, people had to stand beside an open grave. Again, they had to return home to the photo's, smells and memories of a murdered loved one... crying themselves to sleep and waking up to the recurring nightmare that is called "the New South Africa".
White South Africans are especially despondent about the situation. Unfortunately, there is little or no evidence to support any hope that the violence might subside.
The ANC, that controls the country with an almighty two-thirds majority vote, is either too incompetent to deal with the problem or they are intentionally ignoring it, thus allowing it to continue.
One third of the South African voters-roll did not vote for the ANC and another portion did not bother to cast their vote (mostly because they believed that it would prove to be futile). The Afrikaners, a minority group who falls mostly under the latter category, are claiming a nation state where they can enjoy the freedom of an autonomous government and their own judicial system.
Why is it that the ANC ignores these people's claims, despite the fact that they are legitimate under both UN regulations and the South African constitution? Why is the ANC forcing these people to live under their rule, under such horrific conditions?
By doing this, they are undeniably oppressing the Afrikaners. Furthermore, they are effectively executing a gradual and systematic genocide by forcing Afrikaners to immigrate or to accept the ANC's rule and stay in South Africa, in which case they stand a good chance of being murdered.
Once again, people had to identify the mutilated bodies of friends and family. Again, people had to stand beside an open grave. Again, they had to return home to the photo's, smells and memories of a murdered loved one... crying themselves to sleep and waking up to the recurring nightmare that is called "the New South Africa".
White South Africans are especially despondent about the situation. Unfortunately, there is little or no evidence to support any hope that the violence might subside.
The ANC, that controls the country with an almighty two-thirds majority vote, is either too incompetent to deal with the problem or they are intentionally ignoring it, thus allowing it to continue.
One third of the South African voters-roll did not vote for the ANC and another portion did not bother to cast their vote (mostly because they believed that it would prove to be futile). The Afrikaners, a minority group who falls mostly under the latter category, are claiming a nation state where they can enjoy the freedom of an autonomous government and their own judicial system.
Why is it that the ANC ignores these people's claims, despite the fact that they are legitimate under both UN regulations and the South African constitution? Why is the ANC forcing these people to live under their rule, under such horrific conditions?
By doing this, they are undeniably oppressing the Afrikaners. Furthermore, they are effectively executing a gradual and systematic genocide by forcing Afrikaners to immigrate or to accept the ANC's rule and stay in South Africa, in which case they stand a good chance of being murdered.
Friday, April 21, 2006
'Does any grievance now justify any violence?'
Cape Town, South Africa
21 April 2006 01:30
Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon has castigated the government for refusing to acknowledge the reality of crime and not doing enough to address the issue.
President Thabo Mbeki and senior leaders of the African National Congress do not understand because they are almost completely insulated from crime, he said in his weekly newsletter on the DA website on Friday.
Leon cited a litany of recent murders, including that of actor Brett Goldin and his friend Richard Bloom in Cape Town last weekend. "This terrible crime has sent a shudder throughout South Africa and around the world.
"The awful reality is that Brett and Richard are not alone among the recent victims of South Africa's crime wave," he said.
Other incidents include several people murdered in recent days in a gang war in Cape Town, last month's murder of the four-year-old granddaughter of Transvaal Judge President Bernard Ngoepe, the murder of renowned South African Broadcasting Corporation producer Ken Kirsten, and three workers at a laundry in Vereeniging who were murdered in January and their bodies stuffed into a washing machine.
"Last week in KwaZulu-Natal, an elderly couple was attacked on their farm by a group of armed thugs who burnt the 82-year-old farmer's feet so badly with scalding water that his soles came off.
"What kind of society has ours become? Does any grievance now justify any violence?
"And where is the outrage and the concern of the government at this moment of crisis for our communities and our people?" Leon asked.
He accused Mbeki of attacking those who speak openly about crime.
Instead of railing against racists -- real and imagined -- Mbeki and the rest of Cabinet should spend less time roaming the world and a little more time tending the fences at home, which have been breached by the army of violent criminals performing acts of gratuitous violence almost at will.
"There is no doubt that global issues such as peace in Israel/Palestine and the reform of the United Nations are important.
"But ask the average South African whether he would prefer the president to concentrate his time on those issues, or to secure his neighbourhood or township from the scourge of criminality, and for his wife and daughter to be free from the fear of rape -- and the answer is, as they say, a no-brainer.
"But the president and the senior leaders of the ANC do not understand, because they are almost completely insulated from crime. They surround themselves with bodyguards and VIP protection officers.
"President Mbeki himself has more protection officers, and travels with more security vehicles, than any president in our country's history.
"The big men and women of government live in a safe and luxurious bubble and have no idea what ordinary South Africans go through every day," Leon said.
Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad even dismissed crime as nothing more than "an ever-handy swart gevaar tactic".
"Perhaps he should visit victims of crime -- white and black -- and repeat that comment to them."
The reality is that crime haunts black communities just as much as, if not more than, other communities.
The ANC boasts of statistics that indicate a steady decline in murder and some other categories of crimes.
"But government refuses to acknowledge the reality beyond the numbers, the fear that stalks our streets and homes, the danger that those of us who must live without VIP protection must face."
Leon said even reinstating the death penalty for particularly heinous crimes would not be enough. "It is almost useless to talk about sentencing when less than 10% of violent crimes result in a conviction.
"More than the death penalty, what South Africa desperately needs is bold leadership in the fight against crime.
"But the president and the ANC have responded with evasion and indifference. How many more must die before they take notice, and act?" he said. -- Sapa
21 April 2006 01:30
Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon has castigated the government for refusing to acknowledge the reality of crime and not doing enough to address the issue.
President Thabo Mbeki and senior leaders of the African National Congress do not understand because they are almost completely insulated from crime, he said in his weekly newsletter on the DA website on Friday.
Leon cited a litany of recent murders, including that of actor Brett Goldin and his friend Richard Bloom in Cape Town last weekend. "This terrible crime has sent a shudder throughout South Africa and around the world.
"The awful reality is that Brett and Richard are not alone among the recent victims of South Africa's crime wave," he said.
Other incidents include several people murdered in recent days in a gang war in Cape Town, last month's murder of the four-year-old granddaughter of Transvaal Judge President Bernard Ngoepe, the murder of renowned South African Broadcasting Corporation producer Ken Kirsten, and three workers at a laundry in Vereeniging who were murdered in January and their bodies stuffed into a washing machine.
"Last week in KwaZulu-Natal, an elderly couple was attacked on their farm by a group of armed thugs who burnt the 82-year-old farmer's feet so badly with scalding water that his soles came off.
"What kind of society has ours become? Does any grievance now justify any violence?
"And where is the outrage and the concern of the government at this moment of crisis for our communities and our people?" Leon asked.
He accused Mbeki of attacking those who speak openly about crime.
Instead of railing against racists -- real and imagined -- Mbeki and the rest of Cabinet should spend less time roaming the world and a little more time tending the fences at home, which have been breached by the army of violent criminals performing acts of gratuitous violence almost at will.
"There is no doubt that global issues such as peace in Israel/Palestine and the reform of the United Nations are important.
"But ask the average South African whether he would prefer the president to concentrate his time on those issues, or to secure his neighbourhood or township from the scourge of criminality, and for his wife and daughter to be free from the fear of rape -- and the answer is, as they say, a no-brainer.
"But the president and the senior leaders of the ANC do not understand, because they are almost completely insulated from crime. They surround themselves with bodyguards and VIP protection officers.
"President Mbeki himself has more protection officers, and travels with more security vehicles, than any president in our country's history.
"The big men and women of government live in a safe and luxurious bubble and have no idea what ordinary South Africans go through every day," Leon said.
Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad even dismissed crime as nothing more than "an ever-handy swart gevaar tactic".
"Perhaps he should visit victims of crime -- white and black -- and repeat that comment to them."
The reality is that crime haunts black communities just as much as, if not more than, other communities.
The ANC boasts of statistics that indicate a steady decline in murder and some other categories of crimes.
"But government refuses to acknowledge the reality beyond the numbers, the fear that stalks our streets and homes, the danger that those of us who must live without VIP protection must face."
Leon said even reinstating the death penalty for particularly heinous crimes would not be enough. "It is almost useless to talk about sentencing when less than 10% of violent crimes result in a conviction.
"More than the death penalty, what South Africa desperately needs is bold leadership in the fight against crime.
"But the president and the ANC have responded with evasion and indifference. How many more must die before they take notice, and act?" he said. -- Sapa
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
New discussion forum
We have once again created a discussion forum. Air your views here! Feel free to e-mail us with your comments or criticism.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Zimbabweans have 'shortest lives'
Life in Zimbabwe is shorter than anywhere else in the world, with neither men nor women expected to live until 40, a new UN report says.
Zimbabwe's women have an average life expectancy of 34 years and men on average do not live past 37, it said.
The World Health Organisation report said women's life expectancy had fallen by two years in the last 12 months.
Correspondents say poverty because of the crumbling economy and deaths from Aids are responsible for the decline.
Zimbabwean women have the lowest life expectancy of women anywhere in the world, according to the report.
Women in the country are also more likely than men to be infected by the HIV virus.
'Economic meltdown'
According to the report, all 10 countries with the world's lowest life expectancy were in Africa.
People in Swaziland and Sierra Leone are also expected to die before they reach the age of 40, the report said.
Japan was said to have the highest life expectancy in the world, with people there living on average until 82.
According to the BBC's Africa editor, David Bamford, the latest figures are extraordinary for a country like Zimbabwe, which until 20 years ago, had a relatively high standard of living for Africa.
The HIV/Aids epidemic sweeping across southern Africa cannot alone be blamed for this - especially as recent figures show a slight drop in HIV infection rates in Zimbabwe.
Our correspondent says the key reason behind the drop in Zimbabwe's average life expectancy is the fall in the standard of living, triggered by an economic crisis.
Zimbabwe's economy has shrunk by an estimated 40% in the last seven years under President Robert Mugabe. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4890508.stm Published: 2006/04/08 10:35:56 GMT © BBC MMVI
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Africa's Killing Fields
The British magazine, "The Sunday Times", shocked the British public this Sunday when it published an excellent article entitled "Farms of Fear". The magazine's frontpage featured a full-sized photo of an Afrikaner family of farmers, along with their personal security guard. The photo is accompanied by a big, bold heading which reads: "AFRICA'S KILLING FIELDS".
The article will significantly contribute towards raising awareness among the British population of the Farm-murder dilemma. The author, Brian Moynahan, definately did an outstanding job. We look forward to any follow-up articles that his pen might produce, since there is a lot more that needs to be told.
Read the article here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-2100080,00.html
The article will significantly contribute towards raising awareness among the British population of the Farm-murder dilemma. The author, Brian Moynahan, definately did an outstanding job. We look forward to any follow-up articles that his pen might produce, since there is a lot more that needs to be told.
Read the article here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-2100080,00.html
Monday, April 03, 2006
SA bars Aids group from UN talks
South African HIV campaign group Treatment Action Campaign says the health minister has excluded it from a United Nations discussion on HIV/Aids.
The UN's envoy on Aids in Africa has expressed support for the TAC.
South Africa is thought to have between 5m and 6m of people living with HIV - the highest in the world - representing over 12% of the population.
The TAC has often clashed with Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang over her approach to Aids.
Health ministry spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.
"TAC and the Aids Law Project [at the University of the Witwatersrand] have learnt that we have been excluded from accreditation by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Aids (UNGASS)," a TAC statement said.
TAC enjoys credibility with everyone - apart from the South African government
Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy
"We suspect that this occurred because the South African government objected to our participation."
The statement said TAC and ALP had been on a list of organisations submitted by UNAids - the UN agency dealing with HIV/Aids - for participation in the general assembly session.
National governments have a right of veto over this list.
"We suspect that TAC and the ALP were excluded by the South African government," the TAC said.
TAC spokesman Mark Heywood later told the South African Press Association the minister herself was responsible for the ban, since other senior officials he had spoken to had no knowledge of the decision.
'Outrageous'
UN special envoy on HIV/Aids in Africa Stephen Lewis said it was "absolutely outrageous" that the TAC had been excluded from the global gathering.
"The TAC is the single most credible non-governmental Aids organisation in the world," he said.
"It carries enormous credibility with NGOs and governments and enjoys credibility with everyone - apart from the South African government."
The TAC has led the campaign for South African government clinics to provide free anti-retroviral drugs, which help people with HIV to live healthy lives.
Under such pressure, the government began supplying ARV drugs at some clinics in 2004, but deep differences remain between the TAC and the government, principally over the health ministry's support for vitamin supplements as a means of treating HIV.
Mrs Tshabalala-Msimang has suggested that those with HIV should eat more beetroot and garlic.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4872296.stm
Published: 2006/04/03 11:35:49 GMT
© BBC MMVI
The UN's envoy on Aids in Africa has expressed support for the TAC.
South Africa is thought to have between 5m and 6m of people living with HIV - the highest in the world - representing over 12% of the population.
The TAC has often clashed with Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang over her approach to Aids.
Health ministry spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.
"TAC and the Aids Law Project [at the University of the Witwatersrand] have learnt that we have been excluded from accreditation by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Aids (UNGASS)," a TAC statement said.
TAC enjoys credibility with everyone - apart from the South African government
Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy
"We suspect that this occurred because the South African government objected to our participation."
The statement said TAC and ALP had been on a list of organisations submitted by UNAids - the UN agency dealing with HIV/Aids - for participation in the general assembly session.
National governments have a right of veto over this list.
"We suspect that TAC and the ALP were excluded by the South African government," the TAC said.
TAC spokesman Mark Heywood later told the South African Press Association the minister herself was responsible for the ban, since other senior officials he had spoken to had no knowledge of the decision.
'Outrageous'
UN special envoy on HIV/Aids in Africa Stephen Lewis said it was "absolutely outrageous" that the TAC had been excluded from the global gathering.
"The TAC is the single most credible non-governmental Aids organisation in the world," he said.
"It carries enormous credibility with NGOs and governments and enjoys credibility with everyone - apart from the South African government."
The TAC has led the campaign for South African government clinics to provide free anti-retroviral drugs, which help people with HIV to live healthy lives.
Under such pressure, the government began supplying ARV drugs at some clinics in 2004, but deep differences remain between the TAC and the government, principally over the health ministry's support for vitamin supplements as a means of treating HIV.
Mrs Tshabalala-Msimang has suggested that those with HIV should eat more beetroot and garlic.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4872296.stm
Published: 2006/04/03 11:35:49 GMT
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