Women Still On Receiving End of Discrimination, Violence: Genderlinks.
African women are still on the receiving end of discrimination, violence and lack of access to essential health services. Gender activists this week gave governments in southern Africa a 54 percent rating in promoting women’s rights, only one percentage point higher than in 2009 and called for the strengthening of efforts to promote equality.
Trading Democracy for Stability, Rwanda’s Election Compromise
Rwanda’s economic liberalization stands in stark contrast to the lack of political liberalization.
Rwanda’s Sham Election Spells Doom for Peace, Democracy
Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame gets 7 more years after flawed elections. Though Kagame can claim credit for impressive economic growth and development under his leadership, the current system of governance seems unlikely to yield long-term peace and stability in Rwanda. Part 1.
Activists Demand Justice for Slain Congolese Campaigner at SADC Summit
Patience Nyangove: WINDHOEK, Namibia — Civil rights activists said Monday that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s official investigation into the death of a human rights campaigner looks like a cover-up.
Reporters Without Borders Blasts Wikileaks Over Afghan War Cables
Press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders has written a scathing letter to the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange following the publication of 92,000 classified documents with the names of Afghans who collaborated with U.S. and other allied forces in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has vowed to hunt down all locals named in the files as informants, using files posted by Wikileaks as a virtual hit list. Wikileaks has since approached the U.S. government for help screening the files and removing the names of collaborators before publication, something a newspaper would never do.
As journalists grapple with ethical questions surrounding the leaks, the question most people are asking is, Is what Wikileaks is doing journalism or unethical activism and who does it benefit?
Zim Ambassador Clashes With Mugabe Critic John Makumbe
A Few days before the Southern African Development Community heads of State and Government summit kicks off in Windhoek, a bitter feud has erupted between the Zimbabwean Ambassador to Namibia, Chipo Zindoga and Zimbabwean political scientist John Makumbe.
US$150 million Jets For Nigerian President, No Cash for 2011 Polls
Presidential luxury trumps democracy in Nigeria. The Nigerian government this week approved plans to buy two new generation Falcon 7X jets and one Gulfstream G550 for the presidential fleet at a cost of US$150 million amid efforts by the government to raise funding for elections.
German Bank Tightens Grip on Zimbabwe Govt. Properties in South Africa
A South African court yesterday dismissed an attempt by the Zimbabwe government to prevent the seizure and possible sell in execution of its properties in South Africa by the German banking group KFW Bank Gruppe.
Naomi Campbell’s ‘Blood Diamonds’ Found
Prosecutors at Taylor’s war crimes trial claim that the former Liberian president was in South Africa in 1997 to trade uncut ‘blood diamonds’ for weapons that he then gave to Sierra Leonean rebels. Taylor is being tried on charges of fueling the long and bloody civil war in Sierra Leone.
African Women Not Alone In Fight For Maternity Rights
Very early into South African chain store worker Anna Chitsuwi’s pregnancy, she was forced to take a polygraph test along with other employees as part of an internal investigation. When her employer found out that she was pregnant and could not take the test due to possible interference from her baby’s heartbeat, he accused her of getting pregnant to avoid the polygraph test and all went downhill afterwards.
Southern Africa In Bid To Unscramble Economic Jigsaw Puzzle
SOUTHERN African Development Community Heads of State and Government will carry the region’s elusive dream of financial integration when they convene in Windhoek, Namibia, in two weeks’ time.