Hi all- got back from Malawi yesterday. I feel extremely lucky to have
had the opportunity to go back again, and even luckier to have lived in
a small town where I can re-connect with so many old friends. I'll start
with the small details that perhaps only a few of us might appreciate:

I exchanged at 78 MK to the $US.

Minimum market price for minerals: MK 16.

Fanta has 2 new flavors: grape & pineapple!

Diet Coke is now available across the country.

I hadn't had a Coca-pina or a Cherry-plum in a while.

Mzuzu:
Police road blocks on all the main roads in and out of town.
Peace Corps now has a volunteer house in Mzuzu.
CCAP Guest House rates: now "remodeled" into 3 options. Self
contained-MK 750. 2 bed rooms-450. Dorm style/hostel-250.
The Portuguese guy who owned the Tropicana is dead.
Almost all the dogs we saw in Mzuzu were on leashes.
Mzuzu University & Mzuzu Central Hospital both up and running. Located
on the road past the airport heading towards Kaka Hotel.
Due to decentralization, most "regional" government offices are defunct
(no more RHO!).
The hamburgers at Burger King are great, in my opinion.
Road from Chiweta to Karonga almost fully tarred and completed-nice, but
about 5 years too late.

Lilongwe:
It has been a while now since pc has had it's own volunteer house in
Lilongwe. But to many of us, the Ivy was our place in Lilongwe.
It is greatly expanded now, and even has a pool and bar. It is now
called ''Korean Garden Lodge." Check out their website at www.kglodge.net
All the Protea hotels seem to have been sold to Le Meridean.
I'm told they still have Wednesday night burgers and volleyball at the
Shack-but apparently now dominated by expat teens.

Regarding the hunger situation:
I can only really speak of what I saw in Northern Malawi, particularly
the Chitipa/Karonga region. For the most part, it seems that people
still have maize, even in the outer villages... although I saw no
roasted/boiled maize or eggs on the roadside... still plenty of
potatoes, vegetables, and fish for sale though. Mice season is over, but
they're selling those tiny birds. Maize is still available in the market
at about MK200 per tin in Chitipa.
It was difficult to tell how much worse it is than the "normal"
August/Septembers we all know when people began to run low on their
maize stocks. It could run out soon, but I just can't tell... one way to
tell if food security is getting worse is if people are selling their
items of value such as radios bicycles, etc., but I didn't hear too much
of this.

At the district hospital, they are already distributing maize, based on
low weight-age. They were weighing babies all day, and the amamas were
taking about a tin of maize each. I'm no food security expert, but I was
wondering why they are doing this now when the maize situation in the
North seems not to be as serious, and there is still maize on the
market--not to mention all the other foods that seem somewhat plentiful.
I hope they have some left in a few months when the need is more acute.

I do hear some horror stories from the Southern Region, and it would be
nice to hear someone's perspective from this area. I don't want to give
the impression that things are not as bad as they say in the news.  An
often told tale says that some PCVs down south have had a tough time
coping- mothers trying to give them babies so they could be fed, and so on.

Anyway, this is what I saw, and I'm glad that it wasn't as bad up North
as I expected. Would be nice to hear what's going on down South, though.
This would be consistent with what people told me in Zambia recently,
that the situation is more serious below the Lilongwe-Lusaka line.

Scott

It was fun for me to hear the impressions from someone who left and came
back!  I totally forget that things have changed a bit here and there over
the years.  It was interesting to see what you reported back to the
others.

A few little comments - the reason you didn't see roasted maize is because
they said it can't be sold any more.  The story goes that people were
stealing green maize from fields and selling it on the street.  There was
also some restrictions at selling food on the street because of sanitation /
cholera.  They wouldn't let people in Chitedze sell bananas during the rainy
season because people were throwning the skins in a pile and attracting
flies.  This was frustrating because bananas are a great source of energy
and micronutrients at a time when food supplies are low.  Ugh!!!  Why not
just teach composting, which if done well can be very sanitary.

How did you like the report about a month ago which the ex British MP
reported that things were so bad in Malawi that we resorted to eating mice?!
Obviously he didn't get to know much about the culture of eating here!  What
you found in the North was a reasonable assessment within the knowledge that
I have (my work takes me from Chitipa to Nsanje at all times of the year).
People could have all sorts of food options and not be at such a high risk
of no food, and some do, although many will still say they have no food just
because there is no maize despite the fact there are many other foods.  We
are working on that attitude and slowly it is catching on to diversify.

Things are worse in pockets of Malawi where they have destroyed every other
food option in order to clear areas to devote to maize.  I would agree with
Scott that it is worse in South / Central where the population pressure is
higher, the environmental pressure is worse, along with other reasons such
as HIV rates, sanitation, education, etc.

It is always hard for Volunteers in their first year to adjust to a
different way of living, when in the US we are used to excesses of
everything.  After being here for a while you are able to sort out better
what is really serious and what is not.

Where are you now Scott, are you still here or have you moved on?  If you
are still in Malawi feel free to come out to Chitedze!

Stacia

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott" <sgeibel@...>
To: <ujeni@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 8:23 PM
Subject: [ujeni] Malawi visit


> Hi all- got back from Malawi yesterday. I feel extremely lucky to have
> had the opportunity to go back again, and even luckier to have lived in
> a small town where I can re-connect with so many old friends. I'll start
> with the small details that perhaps only a few of us might appreciate:
>
> I exchanged at 78 MK to the $US.
>
> Minimum market price for minerals: MK 16.
>
> Fanta has 2 new flavors: grape & pineapple!
>
> Diet Coke is now available across the country.
>
> I hadn't had a Coca-pina or a Cherry-plum in a while.
>
> Mzuzu:
> Police road blocks on all the main roads in and out of town.
> Peace Corps now has a volunteer house in Mzuzu.
> CCAP Guest House rates: now "remodeled" into 3 options. Self
> contained-MK 750. 2 bed rooms-450. Dorm style/hostel-250.
> The Portuguese guy who owned the Tropicana is dead.
> Almost all the dogs we saw in Mzuzu were on leashes.
> Mzuzu University & Mzuzu Central Hospital both up and running. Located
> on the road past the airport heading towards Kaka Hotel.
> Due to decentralization, most "regional" government offices are defunct
> (no more RHO!).
> The hamburgers at Burger King are great, in my opinion.
> Road from Chiweta to Karonga almost fully tarred and completed-nice, but
> about 5 years too late.
>
> Lilongwe:
> It has been a while now since pc has had it's own volunteer house in
> Lilongwe. But to many of us, the Ivy was our place in Lilongwe.
> It is greatly expanded now, and even has a pool and bar. It is now
> called ''Korean Garden Lodge." Check out their website at www.kglodge.net
> All the Protea hotels seem to have been sold to Le Meridean.
> I'm told they still have Wednesday night burgers and volleyball at the
> Shack-but apparently now dominated by expat teens.
>
> Regarding the hunger situation:
> I can only really speak of what I saw in Northern Malawi, particularly
> the Chitipa/Karonga region. For the most part, it seems that people
> still have maize, even in the outer villages... although I saw no
> roasted/boiled maize or eggs on the roadside... still plenty of
> potatoes, vegetables, and fish for sale though. Mice season is over, but
> they're selling those tiny birds. Maize is still available in the market
> at about MK200 per tin in Chitipa.
> It was difficult to tell how much worse it is than the "normal"
> August/Septembers we all know when people began to run low on their
> maize stocks. It could run out soon, but I just can't tell... one way to
> tell if food security is getting worse is if people are selling their
> items of value such as radios bicycles, etc., but I didn't hear too much
> of this.
>
> At the district hospital, they are already distributing maize, based on
> low weight-age. They were weighing babies all day, and the amamas were
> taking about a tin of maize each. I'm no food security expert, but I was
> wondering why they are doing this now when the maize situation in the
> North seems not to be as serious, and there is still maize on the
> market--not to mention all the other foods that seem somewhat plentiful.
> I hope they have some left in a few months when the need is more acute.
>
> I do hear some horror stories from the Southern Region, and it would be
> nice to hear someone's perspective from this area. I don't want to give
> the impression that things are not as bad as they say in the news.  An
> often told tale says that some PCVs down south have had a tough time
> coping- mothers trying to give them babies so they could be fed, and so
on.
>
> Anyway, this is what I saw, and I'm glad that it wasn't as bad up North
> as I expected. Would be nice to hear what's going on down South, though.
> This would be consistent with what people told me in Zambia recently,
> that the situation is more serious below the Lilongwe-Lusaka line.
>
> Scott
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Third Term Non Starter!

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
September 2, 2002
Posted to the web September 3, 2002

Martines Namingha
Lilongwe

Leaders of opposition parties in the country have categorically
declared
that the ruling party should desist from taking the newly reworked
Open
Term Bill to amend section 83 (3) of the Constitution back to
Parliament.

Malawi Congress Party president, Gwanda Chakuamba said Muluzi had
accepted defeat and promised to abide by the outcome of the
deliberations
of Parliament when the Bill was first debated in Parliament on July 4
this
year. At that time he had even appealed to all Malawians to accept the
decision of parliament.

When the Bill was first defeated in Parliament, Muluzi conceded the
defeat
and said he would abide by the decision of Parliament.

Why is he forcing the Bill back to Parliament. Is he afraid of the
Petroleum
Control Commission (PCC) scam, or the recent maize scam? He must be
principled if he wants people of this country to take him seriously,'
said
Chakuamba.

AFORD vice president, Du Mhango said Muluzi could not retract his
statement now, He accepted the outcome of the deliberations last time
the
Bill was defeated in Parliament. He can not retract his statement now.
We
ask government not to put this Bill back into Parliament,' he said.

The secretary general for the newly registered MAFUNDE Party, Anthony
Mukumbwa said it is disastrous for the nation to have the Bill back in
Parliament.

In 1994 and 1999, Muluzi vowed to protect the constitution, it is
disastrous
for him to be pushing for a Bill that was defeated in an earlier
session of
Parliament,' he said.

AFORD Member of parliament for Karonga North West, Greene
Mwamondwe declared that there will be no Third Term Bill when
Parliament sits mid October.

The Third Term Bill will not be there. If the UDF introduce it in
Parliament,
they are asking for civil war in the country,' said Mwamondwe.

The draft of the Bill, sourced by The Chronicle reads: 'This Bill
proposes to
amend section 83 (3) of the Constitution in order to provide that any
president of Malawi may serve a maximum of three terms. This Bills
also
proposes to amend the Schedule to the Constitution by adding to it
section
83 (3) of the Constitution. The effect of this amendment is to
restrict, in
terms of section 196 (1) of the Constitution, the amendment in future
of
section 83 (3)of the Constitution so as to ensure that section 83 (3)
of the
Constitution may, in future, be amended only after it has been
approved
bya majority vote of the people of Malawi in a referendum,' reads the
draft
Bill. (See the whole draft Bill on page 6) .

When the Bill was first debated on in Parliament, some Members of
Parliament from the opposition Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) and
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) were alleged to have been given K100,000
and K350,000 respectively to entice them to submit a *Yes' vote on the
Bill. The Bill failed to obtain the required two thirds majority that
is needed
to amend a constitution provision by only three votes.

Rumours abound that the UDF will be doubling the amounts for the MPs
to
have the Bill passed this time.

However, AFORD vice president, Du Mhango said no amount of money
will change the status quo in Parliament.

If Muluzi has a lot of money he should buy drugs for people with AIDS;
he
must give to the striking support staff of the judiciary; he must use
it to
build more schools; he must develop water resources in the country;
improve the poor road infrustructure and improve the life of the people
of
this country,' said Mhango adding, 'he must not try to twist the hearts
and
minds of people using their poverty as their weakness. This is
destroying
our democracy.' The MCP president said although the State President
may have a lot of money at his disposal, the wishes of the local
majority
cannot be silenced by doling out large amounts of money.

Money or no money, the Bill will not pass. Money can sway people for a
short time, but there is a limit as to how far people will accept to
go. You
must know that some Members of Parliament who received money from
the government still voted against the Bill,' he said. Chakuamba
charged
that his party has information to the effect that the leader of Libya,
Muammar Gaddafi when he last visited Malawi left behind a considerable
amount of money for Muluzi, to help him remain in power.

The Secretary General of the MAFUNDE Party said no amount of money
would buy all the Members of Parliament. 'A lot of our Members of
Parliament are of high intergrity and as such will not be influenced
by
money. Ofcourse there are some greedy MPs who can vote against the
wishes of their constituents because of money.

We know of MPs in the north who are failing to go back to their
constituencies, because they did not vote in the interest of their
people,' he
said, adding, 'it is a betrayal of the nation to vote for the Third
Term Bill.'
When the Bill was first introduced in Parliament, Muluzi refused to
comment publicly about his stand on the Open Terms Bill.

However, the MCP president, Gwanda Chakuamba said Muluzi must set
an example by declaring his stand on the issue. The President had
spoken
openly on the issue on BBC on July 5, saying he was happy with the
decision of Parliament.

He then specifically appealed to all Malawians to accept the verdict
because he, himself was satisfied that the people had spoken finally on
the
issue.

Chakuamba dismissed reports that the Third Term Bill is being pushed
by
Muluzi's stooges. 'Bakili Muluzi is not being pushed by anyone. He
wants
the Third Term himself. It is not the views of the majority of this
country to
have our constitution changed, it is the personal desire of Bakili
Muluzi.

The Bill was drafted by Muluzi himself, that is why it is classified
as
*Strictly Confidential',' said Chakuamba querying: 'Why should a
public
document be considered *Strictly Confidential'?' Chakuamba said 11
million Malawians can not be forced to go by the wishes of one person,
'This world is nasty, there is no way one person can sacrifice the
wishes
of 11 million people, just to serve his own interests,' he said.

MAFUNDE warned that by trying to change the Constitution in order to
allow Muluzi to continue staying in power, Muluzi is preaching war and
inciting civil unrest. He said the wars in Angola and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo erupted, because leaders wanted to remain in
power forever.

Muluzi is not running this country, that is why he is allowing Davis
Kapito to
embarass him. What is happening now is just the same as what
happened with the former head of state, Dr. (Hastings) Banda. The
Kapito's are the Kamphulusa's of the Dr. Banda regime,' he said.

MAFUNDE said it will mobilise the people in the country to revolt
against
taking the Bill back to Parliament. 'We are going to mobilise people in
the
country to protest against taking this Bill back to Parliament,' he
said.

According to information sourced from the Ministry of Justice, the Bill
was
first drafted as early as July 24, less than three weaks after it's
defeat but
immediately after the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddaffi left Malawi soon
after a state visit, fuelling speculation that the visit was tied in
with the new
bid for President Muluzi to retain power. Ghaddafi has ruled his
country
since 1969, over 33 years, and he has not brooked any opposition,
ruthlessly puting down any who would challenge his dictatorial rule. He
has
also supported President Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF in Zimbabwe and
former President Frederick Chiluba's MMD in Zambia to retain power in
their country's elections The new Bill which has very little difference
to the
initial defeated bill was revised on August18.

The MCP vice president John Tembo, who heads a fragmented faction
that voted for the Open Term Bill refused to talk to The Chronicle
newspaper on the issue.

*****

Mafunde National Convention December

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
September 2, 2002
Posted to the web September 3, 2002

Levison Mwase
Lilongwe

MAFUNDE Party has announced that it will hold its first National
Convention towards the end of this year to give its supporters the
right to elect appropriate persons of their choice into the party's
leadership positions.

The party's interim committee says all positions of the party,
including that of President will be up for grabs and that delegates
to the convention will be drawn from all the 28 districts of the
country.

The party's organising chairman for the North, Danga Mughogho said
the party is in the process of registering all members of the general
public who have shown interest in the party and would like to become
full members.

He said the party, which was registered this year is also setting up
district committees. Members from these district committees are the
ones who will go to the convention slated for December.
What we are doing now is giving out forms to people who have shown
interest in the party to sign up as members. MAFUNDE will be the only
party in the country to have a data base on its members,' he said.

The Organising Chairman said the party is receiving very good
response from the public, including people in the north who are
normally regarded as being staunch supporters of the Alliance for
Democracy (AFORD).

He said the current split in AFORD has left a political vacuum which
has made some of its former supporters to join MAFUNDE.
It is true that most of the people in the north are AFORD supporters.
But the recent behaviour of their party President Chakufwa Chihana
has left many AFORD supporters wondering where the party is heading.

Some of these supporters are now looking to MAFUNDE as a party that
can develop a culture of politics that most Northerners, who have
enjoyed a higher standard of learning than those in the Central and
Southern region, would like to see being practised in the country,'
Mughogho said.

However, AFORD Publicity Secretary Dan Msowoya dismissed
MAFUNDE's
claims that AFORD is losing its grip in the North.

It is possible that some members of AFORD do not accept some
decisions made by their leaders. These members have expressed their
reservations openly.

In the case of our party, these differences might be there, but that
does not necessarily mean that those who hold views different from
President Chihana are leaving the party. People in the north love and
support AFORD," Msowoya said.

Some AFORD top brass have openly criticized Chihana saying he
practices jungle politics and is dictating matters in the party, a
situation that has led to the split of the party into two factions,
one loyal to Chihana and another loyal to the party's Vice President
Geoffrey Du Mhango.

MAFUNDE Interim Chairman George Nnensa recently called the young
generation in the country to take up leadership positions in order to
help shape the future of the country.
Nnensa said this at Chancellor College in Zomba when the party's
officials met students and staff of the constituent college of the
University of Malawi.

*****

MRA Boosts Revenue Collection

Insider Publications
August 31, 2002
Posted to the web September 3, 2002

By Kennie Mtonga
Blantyre, Malawi

In an effort to improve the government's revenue collection, which fell
short
of the projected target last year, a new system of gathering trade data
and
statistics has been devised and commissioned to supplement the efforts
of the Malawi Revenue Authority.

The commissioning of the Automated Systems for Customs Data
(ASYCUDA) at Malawi's biggest imports passage Mwanza border station -
comes at a time when the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is struggling
to
meet its K22.3 billion (US$294 million) revenue collection target for
the
2002/2003 financial year.

MRA, which was set up in 1995 to collect revenue on behalf of the
government, has recorded low figures since last year, a development
that
has forced the government to downsize government's revenue base from
the original target of K22.3 billion ($294 million), to K21.2 billion
($279
million).

The treasury department attributes the poor collection to several
factors
that include: the appreciation of the local currency against the US
dollar,
the decline in petrol prices, and the temporary ban imposed by
government
on selected items.

The Kwacha had gained 24 percent against the US dollar between
October and November 2001. This appreciation has adversely affected
customs revenue collections with importers declaring lower Kwacha
value
on imported commodities.

Reduced revenue from fuel

The government says the decline in petrol prices over the past months
has
also reduced revenue since the government relies on various levies
charged on fuel for part of its revenue.

"There has been a temporary ban on the importation of key items such
as
cement, sugar, cooking oil, eggs, chicken and milk, due to the
perceived
dumping of Zimbabwean goods.

In effect, this has resulted in the loss of revenue", says the
Quarterly Tax
Bulletin that is published by the Treasury.

The bulletin notes that the slow down in the flow of duty-bound
imports
during the year has also contributed to low revenue levels. Malawi,
currently facing an acute food shortage, is importing 150,000 metric
tonnes of maize from South Africa and Uganda. However, the staple food
does not attract customs duty.

Acting MRA Commissioner General, Ernest Mtingwi, says his Authority
was also losing K100 million ($1.3 million) every month through fake
invoices, which unscrupulous importers produce on their imported
goods.

"MRA is concerned about the fake invoices presented by some importers
in order to pay less duty, and accordingly, warns that the authority
will
impose stiff measures against the practice ", says Mtingwi.

He adds: "Whenever you see people complaining of harassment it is
largely because they undervalue their goods by producing made-up
invoices, which our officers reject.

"This practice deprives the government of its rightful income and we,
as
MRA, will see to it that the trend stops".

Reports indicate that many fake invoices were being kept at the
country's
border posts. In response, the MRA has sent its investors to Zimbabwe
to
investigate the malpractice.

Mtingwi has since threatened to file a lawsuit in court against all
culprits.
Meanwhile, most of the country's public corporations are holding
millions of
Kwacha in unpaid Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) taxes they deduct from their
employees.

Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Friday Jumbe, says that the
parastatals have not remitted to government about K500 million ($6.58
million) in PAYE taxes.

But MRA, which is yet to meet its K28.8 bn ($371 million) contribution
towards the 2002/2003 national budget, says it will institute strong
measures to recover the losses.

MRA's strong measures

In the meantime, the government says that MRA will continue to focus
on
improving its enforcement measures to boost its revenue by recovering
the arrears accrued in tax payments from parastatals, among other
strategies. A recent statement from the Treasury notes that the
government has also extended the 20 percent surtax provision imposed
on
the manufacturing sector, to cover wholesalers and retailers.

The extended tax, which came into effect on July 1, is expected to
yield
about K1bn (about US$13 million) per year. The commissioning of
ASYCUDA, which falls under the British-funded Customs Reform
Programme, is one of the major interventions MRA has undertaken to
improve its revenue collection.

The automated system, which has been developed locally, is a modern
Customs Computer Management System that was originally developed by
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Malawi has adopted the system to catch-up with the modern technology
of
effective collection and assesment of tax in foreign trade.

System to harmonise procedures

"The programme does not only suit Malawi's national interests, but
also
incorporates internationally applicable features such as the codes and
documentation recommended by the UN, as well as the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) ", says Mtingwi. Malawi is
signatory to both the UN and COMESA recommendations.

Mtingwi believes the introduction of ASYCUDA is in line with the
COMESA
objectives of harmonising customs procedures and documentation
systems used in Malawi and in its regional neighbours, such as
Zimbabwe,
Tanzania, and Zambia.

To this end, Mtingwi adds: "The introduction of ASYCUDA at Mwanza will
improve efficiency and control of the revenue collection processes and
also enhance the quality and speed of producing trade data and
statistics".

The Mwanza border station, which lies along the country's southern
border
with Mozambique, processes about 80 percent of all goods imported into
the country.

Other border stations are Mchinji, in the central region, and Karonga,
in the
northern region. Insider Publications

*****

Muluzi Shields Jumbe .. Despite ACB
Recommendations for Prosecution

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
September 2, 2002
Posted to the web September 3, 2002

Levison Mwase
Lilongwe

It has been learnt that President Bakili Muluzi, who dropped Poverty
Alleviation Minister Leonard Mangulama immediately after it was
alleged
that he was implicated in a scam that sold off maize from the
country's
strategic reserves and helped create a shortage of the staple food
item, is
shielding Finance Minister, Friday Jumbe.

Muluzi has so far resisted any action against his appointee despite a
damning report produced after investigations by the Anti-Corruption
Bureau
[ACB] revealed gross mismanagement at the Agricultural Development &
Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) where Jumbe was General Manager.
The ACB have recommended to the Director for Public Prosecution [DPP]
Fahad Assani to institute prosecution against him and others.

The ACB report on the maize scam indicates that decisions by five
ADMARC bosses, including the then General Manager Jumbe led to the
depletion of over 69,000 metric tonnes of maize valued at K332 million
from the country's maize silos at Kanengo without the authority of the
National Food Reserve Agency [NRFC], creating the hunger crisis that
cost many lives of Malawians. Hunger still prevails in the country.

The ACB recommended to the DPP to consider ordering the prosecution
of Friday Jumbe, Deputy General Manager [Finance] Peter Mulemba,
Assistant General Manager [Marketing] Kuthemba Mwale, Assistant
General Manager [Finance] and Assistant General Manager [Development]
for criminal negligence and criminal recklessness.

The ACB also recommends the prosecution of two NFRA bosses
Nasinuku Saukila and Bina Kakusa. Surprisingly, the NFRA Board has
since suspended the General Manager of the agency, Henry Gaga after
they accused him of failing to report on outstanding monies owed to
the
agency by the sacked minister Mangulama amounting to K1.6 million as
well as a sum of K700 million due from ADMARC.

President Bakili Muluzi dropped Mangulama from his cabinet after his
company, Southern Multi Trading Investments bought 300 metric tonnes
of
maize worth K1.9 million without paying for it as stipulated in the
NFRA
policies

Four weeks have elapsed since the ACB report was released yet the
President has not acted on Jumbe though it is clear that it was his
decisions and that of four other ADMARC bosses, among some reasons
that led to the depletion of the Strategic Grain Reserve causing the
prevailing hunger crisis.

The report indicates that between December 2000 and February 2001, the
five ADMARC managers made decisions that led to the withdrawal of
69,964.57 metric tonnes of reserve maize from the NFRA.

The ACB report says ADMARC sold the maize after NFRA had made it
clear a month earlier that ADMARC should ensure that any movement of
maize stocks from the silos should not be undertaken without the
authority
of the NFRA.

ADMARC further sold 11,000 metric tonnes of maize belonging to the
European Union [EU] meant for vulnerable people in times of food
crisis.

At the time of the donation the EU had made it clear that ADMARC
should
not move the maize without the EU's authority but ADMARC, whose head
was Friday Jumbe ignored this and went on to sell the maize. *'ADMARC
withdrew EU donated maize and converted it as part of its stock then
sold
it without authorization from EU and NFRA. As a result, NFRA has been
told to give back the donated maize. This has harmed the government in
that NFRA is currently buying the maize to repay EU using government
funds," reads the ACB report.

The ACB report says acts or omissions on the part of those involved in
ADMARC and NFRA management and their degree of incompetence cost
government in excess of K2.9 billion.

Friday Jumbe, who said he can not resign from the cabinet though he is
mentioned in the report, recently is quoted as saying that ADMARC had
sold the maize on the specific instructions of government without
mentioning just who, in government gave the instructions to ADMARC to
sell the maize.

The DPP last week said he will not prosecute those implicated in the
scam
until the ACB interview them to hear their side of the story.
Ironically,
President Muluzi fired Mangulama despite protestations from the former
minister which were similar to those expressed by Jumbe that he had
not
been heard by the ACB on the matter.

*****

Life-Saving Initiative for Newborn Babies

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
August 30, 2002
Posted to the web August 30, 2002

Struggling with one of the highest child-mortality
rates in the world, Malawi has launched an unconventional care
programme aimed at saving the lives of newborn babies.

Malawi has a childhood mortality rate of 104 deaths for every 1,000
live
births. The Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) programme intends to halve that
rate.

"Ideally we would love to have a below-20 percent level. The
acceptable
standard is that children should not die," said Henry Chavura, the
project
coordinator for Save New Lives (SNL), which supervises the KMC
programme.

KMC, based on skin-to-skin contact, is an alternative method for caring
for
pre-term and/or low birth-weight newborn babies after initial
stabilisation.
The idea is to emulate the way a kangaroo cares for its "joey" in her
pouch.

Rosemary Nyirenda, a KMC supervisor and trainer, told IRIN that the
project started in earnest in April at the Zomba government hospital,
near
the southern city of Blantyre. Zomba District has one of the country's
highest child-mortality rates, with 171 deaths for every 1,000 live
births.

"We put the baby between the mother's breasts so that there is
skin-to-skin contact, because we want the mother to transfer the body
heat
to the baby," Nyirenda explained. She said a newborn baby cannot
maintain its own temperature, but research has shown that it can be
regulated by its mother's temperature.

The KMC method was first adopted in Columbia in 1979, and has since
spread in the developing world. KMC was introduced in Mozambique in
1984, and was launched in neighbouring Zimbabwe a decade later. In
Malawi, it is being pioneered by Save the Children Fund-United States,
and
will initially run for two years.

Under KMC, three basic needs are met. These include thermal protection
of the baby through the mother's warmth, nutrition provided
exclusively
through breast-feeding, and love, facilitated by the bonding between
the
mother and child.

Breast-feeding is insisted on, because mothers' milk is not only
nutritious
but also contains natural antibiotics. Mothers or guardians are trained
to sit
or lie in a specific position, making the baby comfortable, while it
enjoys the
body heat.

The average weight for a newborn baby is around 2.5 kg, and anything
below that is considered underweight. Among the advantages of KMC are
that undersized babies gain weight at a rate faster than that achieved
with
conventional incubators.

"They gain 10 mg per day. First and foremost, we look at the warmth,"
said
Isabella wa Msolomba, a programme officer for SNL. "The aim is to keep
the baby warm so that they don't lose weight."

"Since the babies are small, they fail to suck, so we encourage the
mother
to breast-feed," Msolomba added.

Under KMC, infections such as coughs and diarrhoea are reduced,
because sometimes three babies from different mothers can be placed
under one incubator. No expensive technology is required for KMC.

"On average, KMC reduces the length of the stay [in hospital] to nine
days," Nyirenda said. "It's less costly on the family and the
institution,
because there is a faster family reunion. The death rate is reduced,
because babies have less [clinical] complications. Research has shown
that KMC never hurt a baby or mother."

"When they are in the ward, we're preparing them for home. Anybody can
do it - mother, grandmother, father or aunt can participate in that
type of
care," she said.

But Nyirenda said some challenges remained. If babies are discharged
at
1.8 kg, mothers are required to return to the clinic for check-ups,
but
sometimes those visits are missed. "We are conducting a dropout study
to
establish why some mothers don't come back for clinical visits," she
said.

KMC is also tiring for the mother, as the baby has to be strapped
between
the breasts continuously. In some cases, cultural barriers have been a
stumbling block, as babies are sometimes traditionally separated from
their mothers for the first days after delivery.

However, Nyirenda said the main focus of the project was to ensure
that
KMC spread to other hospitals by way of training personnel in
antenatal
care, preparations for a "kangaroo" ward, and counselling of mothers in
the
labour wards.

Mzimba hospital in northern Malawi, Mangochi and Mulanje in the south,
and Lilongwe in the centre, have all been earmarked for KMC.

Mugabe rewards loyalty over ability
                    Chido Makunike
                                                              30 August
2002 07:00

                    Zimbabwe's embattled President Robert Mugabe this
week swore in a new
                    team of ministers who he referred to as an "economic
and political war
                    Cabinet".

                    Observers have been surprised by how few changes he
made.

                    Mugabe had been expected to use a reshuffle to get
rid of a number of
                    controversial and unpopular ministers. He was also
thought likely to give at
                    least the impression of a rejuvenated government in
the face of economic
                    problems, famine and diplomatic isolation.

                    The only notable -- though widely anticipated --
change was the dropping of
                    his Finance Minister, Simba Makoni, often touted as
his potential
                    successor. Minister of Health Timothy Stamps, the
only white in the
                    Cabinet, was replaced by his deputy, David
Parirenyatwa. But Stamps had
                    been ill for some time -- like the country's health
services -- and
                    Parirenyatwa had been the de facto minister.

                    Makoni, although respected and free of scandal,
failed to convince Mugabe
                    to adopt any of his suggestions, which included
currency devaluation.

                    Recently, Mugabe referred to those advocating
devaluation of the Zimbabwe
                    dollar as "saboteurs". This was clearly a dig at
Makoni -- an indication that
                    his position was becoming untenable.

                    The sacking of Makoni was accompanied by the
re-engagement of former
                    minister Witness Mangwende -- as Transport Minister.
Unlike Makoni,
                    Mangwende is known for his taste for the good life
and for being a Mugabe
                    loyalist.

                    Yet Zanu-PF has brilliant people to call on. That
Mugabe has not given
                    these people ministries indicates that, for him,
loyalty is more important
                    than problem-solving ability.

                    Mugabe's circle has grown paranoid about who might
be sympathetic to the
                    opposition Movement for Democratic Change. He has
instituted purges in
                    his party and the civil service to try to get rid of
them. He wants within his
                    circle only those willing to say that a Western
conspiracy explains
                    Zimbabwe's travails.

                    Jonathan Moyo, Mugabe's propaganda chief and one of
his closest
                    confidants, is an unlikely ally. He was once one of
Mugabe's sharpest
                    critics. When recruited by Mugabe he was dogged by
allegations of financial
                    impropriety by the Ford Foundation, for which he had
worked in Kenya, and
                    by the University of the Witwatersrand, where he
also did a stint.

                    These charges have not been resolved. For as long as
Moyo is a minister in
                    Mugabe's government he can expect to remain beyond
the reach of his
                    accusers.

                    Mugabe's Cabinet also excludes any individuals with
political power bases
                    of their own. Legal Affairs Minister Patrick
Chinamasa and Land Minister
                    Joseph Made, who have rammed through land reforms,
and the equally
                    unpopular Moyo, are all appointed MPs with no power
base. They owe their
                    prominence solely to Mugabe.

                    A new land-tenure pattern -- different from the
colonial one and better
                    reflecting the country's demographics -- is
supported by all black
                    Zimbabweans and many whites. A well thought-out and
fully funded
                    programme, however, could not have satisfied
Mugabe's need for something
                    quick and dramatic to save him at the last election.


                    Mugabe's forcible farm seizures now guarantee
serious economic hardship.
                    Prospective farmers allocated previously white-owned
land do not have the
                    resources even to make a start. Government attempts
to provide free tilling
                    services, seed and other support will make little
difference.

                    Zimbabwe's northern neighbours appear unimpressed by
Mugabe's
                    destruction of his country's economy in the name of
correcting colonial
                    imbalances. Though these countries coyly avoid
suggestions that they are
                    welcoming white former Zimbabwean farmers, they are
quietly
                    accommodating them. The official stance of some
neighbouring states may
                    be resistance to Western imperialism and
neo-colonialsm, but they need
                    Western support more than Mugabe's posturing.
Privately, they are dealing
                    with the West. Under pressure, they will drop
Mugabe.

                    Mugabe is feeling the chill of isolation, even from
his African brothers, and
                    recently lamented it.

                    Many black South Africans support Mugabe's rhetoric
and actions because
                    of the vicarious satisfaction they derive from it.
But this will not last, as they
                    realise that blacks cannot catch up with whites
economically simply by
                    decree.

                    South Africans will also become less enamoured of
Mugabe as the number
                    of makwerekweres (foreigners) seeking economic
refuge rises. Moreover,
                    Mbeki's dream of a Western-funded African recovery
will also likely expire
                    because of events in Zimbabwe and his inadequate
response to them.

                    In that sense Mugabe's Cabinet reshuffle, though a
non-event, will
                    accelerate Zimbabwe' s implosion with far-reaching
implications for the
                    region.

                    Chido Makunike is a freelance Zimbabwean journalist

*****

'Mugabe's defiance a facade'
                    Padraig O'Malley

                                                              30 August
2002 07:00

                    "Don't compare me with Mugabe -- I will give
Zimbabweans
                    the opportunity to get rid of me," says Zimbabwe
opposition
                    leader Morgan Tsvangirai in conversation in Harare
with
                    Padraig O'Malley

                    Where is the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
                    after the election and how do you move forward?

                    President Robert Mugabe was spoiling for a fight. If
we
                    engaged in mass protests, the democratic movement
would
                    have been crushed. We decided to build confidence.

                    Mugabe's dictatorship must be confronted by the
people and
                    until they are motivated by a clear goal, we will
not do
                    anything. The regime is unsustainable because of
mass
                    poverty and starvation in rural areas, companies
closing, no forex, basic
                    commodities almost exhausted.

                    Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo and President
Thabo Mbeki tried to
                    intervene to legitimise Mugabe, without confronting
his [il]legitimacy in the
                    elections. They chose diplomacy rather than
democracy and gave him
                    space to consolidate. The whole attempt was destined
to fail from the
                    beginning.

                    There is only one way out. Mugabe and his cronies
are trapped nationally
                    and internationally. We must find a back door for
him.

                    [More than] 80% of Zimbabweans want change. But we
have to choose
                    between violent and non-violent paths, the challenge
being a young
                    generation who believe it is time to think about
armed struggle. We must be
                    conscious that beyond this chaos, we'll have to pick
up the pieces.

                    Do you think in Zanu-PF there's mounting
opposition?

                    Oh yes. It has dawned that Mugabe is more a
liability than an asset.

                    Does he realise the extent of the opposition?

                    To some extent. He is accusing everyone of sabotage,
including his
                    ministers. The gulf between reformers and
hard-liners who think only about
                    power is widening.

                    Africa mobilised against apartheid, but not against
Mugabe. Why?

                    Until apartheid was defeated, the anti-colonial
struggle was not finished in
                    Africa. There was guilt on the part of the West.

                    Now it's more of a national issue, it does not raise
international emotions. It
                    is a dictatorship and so what? One more dictator is
not going to make a
                    difference in Africa. The opinion is: Zimbabwe is
independent. If they mess
                    up, that's their problem.

                    Why do you think South Africa has not openly...

                    The African National Congress is divided, but I
think Thabo Mbeki's position
                    is that Mugabe is a stabilising force. He has the
instruments of power. If
                    there is a change of government, there may be
conflict. His preference is for
                    a reformed Zanu-PF government.

                    That's like asking for a reformed National Party
government!

                    Exactly. In all nationalist movements, a small
ruling elite acquires power
                    and wealth, while the nation is neglected. Zanu-PF
justifies its existence by
                    saying, "We fought for liberation and no one should
challenge our
                    hegemony."

                    That's what's going to happen in South Africa down
the line. In another five
                    years or so the racial divide will be used as a
scapegoat for Mbeki's failure,
                    for the ANC's failure in government.

                    Mbeki is in a predicament. [Minister of Finance]
Trevor Manuel will privatise.
                    It's exactly the same ideological contradictions
that are going to confront
                    him. Already they are there. Cosatu [The Congress of
South African Trade
                    Unions] is complaining about privatisation. The
government say it's the only
                    thing.

                    Here we had to implement a structural adjustment
programme. There was
                    no alternative to it and yet we knew that the causes
of structural adjustment
                    were nothing but corruption and maladministration,
otherwise we wouldn't
                    have needed it.

                    Then down the line the government tries to say there
is no alternative, but
                    down the line when people complain about the effects
of that programme --
                    the government starts using the racial divide. It's
a very good scapegoat. I
                    have no doubt in my mind that in South Africa it
will emerge, but give it
                    another five years or so, and the racial divide will
be used as a political
                    scapegoat for Mbeki's failure, for the ANC's failure
in government.

                    Have you met Mbeki?

                    Unfortunately not. I have met most of his senior
ministers.

                    Have you requested a meeting with him?

                    At one point yes, I did request a meeting. I was
told that I would have to see
                    the minister of security first before I could meet
him. It never took place. I
                    don't know whether there is anything personal -- the
first time we met person
                    to person was when he was with the ambassador so it
was not a person to
                    person meeting at all.

                    Have you met Nelson Mandela?

                    Oh yes. I have a very high regard for him. Within
three hours of asking him
                    for a meeting, I met him.

                    When Mugabe said, "Our former colonial masters are
interfering in
                    our affairs again", did he touch a nerve in Africa?

                    That's what he wanted to touch. In Africa there is
solidarity of leaders, not
                    solidarity with the people. The attack on Mugabe is
one every African leader
                    fears most: democratic participation.

                    But Mugabe is not only to blame, we have a land
question here. It's not as if
                    Britain is fighting for democracy in Zimbabwe; it
has its own national interest
                    in the land question. The robust British
participation has not been good for
                    us. There are many African crises, why this special
interest in Zimbabwe?
                    Those who distinguish between the forest and the
trees are labelled puppets
                    of whites and the British.

                    So other African countries would not condemn Mugabe
because that
                    would see them being collaborators with the former
colonial
                    masters?

                    That's what has stopped Mbeki in his tracks. There
were stories in The
                    Herald saying, "Mbeki's supporting the West." That's
why dictators are
                    attacking Nepad [the New Partnership for Africa's
Development] and why the
                    [African Union's] agenda is blurred.

                    The reformers [in Africa] are saying: "We've had 30
years' experience of
                    nationhood, it's time we owned up to our mistakes."
But others hide behind
                    the colonial past. The colonial agenda is
manipulated, not for the good of the
                    African people, but for the good of leaders.

                    Zanu-PF took the land reform agenda from the MDC and
made it their own,
                    but to raise emotions, bring back the liberation
struggle. Whites had to be
                    put off the land, invasions and violence had to take
place.

                    What have the beatings to do with land reform? The
people realise it is not
                    just about land. They are not convinced that for 22
years Zanu-PF had no
                    capacity to implement land reform, but that six
months before elections, it
                    became necessary to implement it.

                    What can Mbeki and Obasanjo do to legitimise the AU
and Nepad
                    approach -- Africans taking responsibility for
resolving conflicts and
                    guaranteeing democratic governance?

                    They say: "Zimbabwe is so crucial we don't want to
push it so that it
                    becomes a conflict area." We have so many conflict
areas; it's difficult to
                    establish African credibility. So let's solve the
others: Angola, [Democratic
                    Republic of Congo], Sudan, Sierra Leone.

                    Eventually they will have to come back to the
Zimbabwean crisis. Their
                    agenda will be: the only solution is a government of
national unity. We've
                    gone through this before, with Joshua Nkomo [the
late Zimbabwean
                    nationalist leader]. The people won't hear of it
because they [have] got a
                    government of leaders, not of the people.

                    Have you seen a change in Mugabe? One can see him
now as a
                    megalomaniac.

                    He is a megalomaniac. He's totally irrational, even
for his own interest. The
                    defiance is a fa?ade; deep down he's afraid of
change that will hold him
                    accountable. He's done so much harm to people. A
frightened, trapped
                    animal is more dangerous -- hence the need for a
back door. But that can
                    only be guaranteed by [those] outside. He can't
believe people inside
                    [Zimbabwe] will forgive him.

                    We hoped South Africa would guarantee his exit, but
I don't think that is
                    happening.

                    What effort is the government making to manage
HIV/Aids?

                    HIV/Aids programmes were more of a private
initiative, rather than one of
                    government leadership. We still have denial: "He
didn't die of Aids, he died
                    of malaria." There has been no national focus and
the pandemic has been
                    devastating. [More than] 25% of adults are
HIV-positive. What is important
                    is political leadership, no ambiguity.

                    Where is Aids among the MDC's priorities?

                    Number three, after poverty and law and order.

                    Does the Mugabe government allow anti-retrovirals?

                    There isn't the debate that we saw in South Africa.
Anti-retrovirals are
                    allowed, but it's a question of availability and
cost.

                    How do you compare the government's position here on
Aids with
                    the government's position in South Africa?

                    Mbeki made it a personal issue, making arguments on
academic lines. He's
                    not a scientist, so has no authority. It does not
solve the problem. South
                    Africa was at an initial stage of infection and he
could have done much to
                    prevent the disease.

                    When the first Aids case was detected here
[Zimbabwe], there was
                    bombast by the health minister that there is no Aids
in Zimbabwe. Total
                    denial for the next three, four years.

                    What compels governments to deny the existence of
Aids?

                    Dictatorial governments prescribe what is good for
the people rather than
                    allowing the people to define what is good for them.


                    You have a population that appears ... fairly
apathetic about the
                    lengths they will go to ensure change.

                    I don't think Zimbabweans are that docile -- why did
they fight for liberation?
                    A dictatorship has instilled fear on a massive scale
and would do everything
                    to retain power, including killing people. We are
almost in a [Augusto]
                    Pinochet situation.

                    Our biggest challenge is when change comes, let's
not make it a change of
                    power, but involve the people in a new political
culture. Restore confidence
                    slowly, bring people on board to feel that national
institutions, the police,
                    your army, the [Central Intelligence Organisation],
whoever, are there to
                    serve them.

                    Are there two components in the MDC, held together
because you all
                    want to get rid of Mugabe?

                    I don't think we are united by our hate of Mugabe.
The social democratic
                    platform has been good for uniting people. You need
to recognise the
                    elements of production and redistribution.

                    I told the Cosatu executive, who are still crazy
about Marxism-Leninism:
                    "The biggest lesson we have learned in Zimbabwe is
cut the rhetoric."

                    Our experience has been rhetoric about socialism;
for 10 years we were on
                    a campaign of redistribution without considering
production. What
                    happened? We had nothing to distribute and a
structural adjustment
                    programme.

                    The ANC said pre-1994: "We must bring the people on
the board."
                    The public protector's last report to Parliament
said service delivery
                    has not improved since 1996; that there's increasing
alienation
                    between the government and the people...

                    Judge me as an individual; don't judge me with
Mugabe. I tell Zimbabweans:
                    at least I will give you the opportunity to get rid
of me.

                    Padraig O'Malley is a senior fellow at the John W
MCCormack Institute at
                    the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He has
monitored the transition in
                    South Africa since 1989. His work is now being
archived by the Robben
                    Island Museum

*****

Zambia refuses GM
                'poison'

                Zambia's president has refused to overturn his
                ban on genetically modified (GM) food aid
                despite the food crisis which is threatening up
                to 2.4 million people.

                Levy Mwanawasa said he would not allow
                Zambians to eat "poison".

                Up to 13 million people face
                famine across southern
                Africa, aid agencies have
                warned.

                But much of the food aid
                delivered so far has
                been GM maize from the
                United States.

                Zimbabwe has also banned GM aid in case it
                contaminates local crops.

                A deal was done with Zimbabwe, whereby GM
                food was milled before being distributed, so
                that it could not be planted.

                Similar arrangements have placated fears over
                GM food aid in Malawi and Mozambique.

                Lost markets

                "Simply because my people are hungry, that is
                no justification to give them poison, to give
                them food that is intrinsically dangerous to
                their health," Mr Mwanawasa told journalists at
                the World Summit on Sustainable Development
                in Johannesburg.

                Just last weekend,
                hungry villagers
                stormed a chief's
                palace in rural Zambia
                and made off with
                2,000 bags of maize.

                They complained that
                they were dying of
                starvation while food
                was lying idle.

                The World Food
                Programme has warned
                Zambia to accept GM
                food aid due to the food crisis.

                United States aid officials deny that the food
                is unsafe, pointing out that Americans eat GM
                maize every day.

                The World Health Organisation has certified the
                grain for human consumption and says it does
                not constitute a danger to people's health.

                But there are fears that southern African
                nations could lose lucrative export markets in
                Europe if they cannot certify that their crops
                are GM-free.

DIET COKE!!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott [mailto:sgeibel@...]
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 2:23 PM
To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [ujeni] Malawi visit

Hi all- got back from Malawi yesterday. I feel extremely lucky to have
had the opportunity to go back again, and even luckier to have lived in
a small town where I can re-connect with so many old friends. I'll start
with the small details that perhaps only a few of us might appreciate:

I exchanged at 78 MK to the $US.

Minimum market price for minerals: MK 16.

Fanta has 2 new flavors: grape & pineapple!

Diet Coke is now available across the country.

I hadn't had a Coca-pina or a Cherry-plum in a while.

Mzuzu:
Police road blocks on all the main roads in and out of town.
Peace Corps now has a volunteer house in Mzuzu.
CCAP Guest House rates: now "remodeled" into 3 options. Self
contained-MK 750. 2 bed rooms-450. Dorm style/hostel-250.
The Portuguese guy who owned the Tropicana is dead.
Almost all the dogs we saw in Mzuzu were on leashes.
Mzuzu University & Mzuzu Central Hospital both up and running. Located
on the road past the airport heading towards Kaka Hotel.
Due to decentralization, most "regional" government offices are defunct
(no more RHO!).
The hamburgers at Burger King are great, in my opinion.
Road from Chiweta to Karonga almost fully tarred and completed-nice, but
about 5 years too late.

Lilongwe:
It has been a while now since pc has had it's own volunteer house in
Lilongwe. But to many of us, the Ivy was our place in Lilongwe.
It is greatly expanded now, and even has a pool and bar. It is now
called ''Korean Garden Lodge." Check out their website at www.kglodge.net
All the Protea hotels seem to have been sold to Le Meridean.
I'm told they still have Wednesday night burgers and volleyball at the
Shack-but apparently now dominated by expat teens.

Regarding the hunger situation:
I can only really speak of what I saw in Northern Malawi, particularly
the Chitipa/Karonga region. For the most part, it seems that people
still have maize, even in the outer villages... although I saw no
roasted/boiled maize or eggs on the roadside... still plenty of
potatoes, vegetables, and fish for sale though. Mice season is over, but
they're selling those tiny birds. Maize is still available in the market
at about MK200 per tin in Chitipa.
It was difficult to tell how much worse it is than the "normal"
August/Septembers we all know when people began to run low on their
maize stocks. It could run out soon, but I just can't tell... one way to
tell if food security is getting worse is if people are selling their
items of value such as radios bicycles, etc., but I didn't hear too much
of this.

At the district hospital, they are already distributing maize, based on
low weight-age. They were weighing babies all day, and the amamas were
taking about a tin of maize each. I'm no food security expert, but I was
wondering why they are doing this now when the maize situation in the
North seems not to be as serious, and there is still maize on the
market--not to mention all the other foods that seem somewhat plentiful.
I hope they have some left in a few months when the need is more acute.

I do hear some horror stories from the Southern Region, and it would be
nice to hear someone's perspective from this area. I don't want to give
the impression that things are not as bad as they say in the news.  An
often told tale says that some PCVs down south have had a tough time
coping- mothers trying to give them babies so they could be fed, and so on.

Anyway, this is what I saw, and I'm glad that it wasn't as bad up North
as I expected. Would be nice to hear what's going on down South, though.
This would be consistent with what people told me in Zambia recently,
that the situation is more serious below the Lilongwe-Lusaka line.

Scott






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IMF emergency aid for
                Malawi

                The International Monetary Fund has approved
                an emergency loan of $23m to Malawi to help
                it buy food imports in anticipation of serious
                shortages later this year.

                The IMF said starvation and malnutrition were
                already widespread in Malawi because of crop
                failures earlier this year, and decisive action
                was required.

                Some 3.2 million people are faced with the
                threat of starvation in Malawi - one of seven
                southern African countries hit this year by
                famine resulting from drought and poor
                management of food stocks and agriculture.

                International relief
                agencies estimate that
                13 million people in
                Malawi, Angola,
                Lesotho, Mozambique,
                Swaziland, Zambia and
                Zimbabwe are facing
                starvation.

                In Malawi, the effects
                of the drought were
                made worse by the
                selling of a grain
                surplus in 2001, which
                reduced the stocks
                available to cope with shortages this year.

                The government sale of the grain was said to
                have been advised by the IMF.

                The Fund rejects this explanation and says it
                simply agreed with the recommendations of a
                Malawian Government study on food stocks,
                according to the Associated Press news
                agency.

                People have not recovered

                The IMF loan to Malawi will be used to import
                grain and other foodstuffs "to prevent large
                shortages expected later this year".

                Malawi will need to import 350,000 tons of
                maize this year and aid agencies are expected
                to supply a further 210,000 tons of grain.

                It went on to say that Malawi is suffering
                widespread malnutrition and starvation.

                "Many households still have not recovered,
                and, with another bad harvest this year,
                decisive action is required," the Fund said.

                The IMF Managing Director, Horst Kohler, has
                called on donor countries to come forward with
                more aid for Malawi and other drought-stricken
                countries in the region.

                Aids and cholera

                Malawi's famine crisis has been compounded by
                the continuing HIV/Aids problem there.

                One fifth of Malawians are HIV positive and life
                expectancy has fallen from 60 to under 40
                years.

                In August, a serious cholera outbreak brought
                more misery.

                Cholera is endemic in Malawi, with an average
                of 2,000 cases a year.

                But this year, malnutrition rendered people
                more vulnerable and 33,000 cases and 1,000
                deaths were reported by the Malawian Ministry
                of Health.

                The lack of access to clean water, particularly
                in rural areas, is a major factor in the annual
                cholera outbreaks.

*****

Mozambique escape a
                'national disgrace'

                The escape from prison of a man charged with
                murdering Mozambique's leading journalist was
                "a body blow to our judicial system", according
                to the country's attorney general.

                Joaquim Madeira said that it was "a national
                disgrace" and he disclosed that a commission
                of inquiry had been set up, the Mozambican
                Information Agency AIM reported.

                Anibal Antonio dos
                Santos Junior, known as
                Anibalzinho, escaped
                from prison on Sunday,
                despite warnings from
                the police of a possible
                bid for freedom.

                He was one of six men
                held in prison and accused of murdering Carlos
                Cardoso, the editor of the Metical newspaper,
                in November 2000 while he was investigating a
                major corruption case at the Commercial Bank
                of Mozambique.

                The newspaper editor was killed outside his
                newspaper office in Maputo by a group of
                gunmen, who blocked his escape with two cars
                and then shot him repeatedly.

                In the last year, the attorney general and the
                Mozambican president have criticised the
                judicial and police authorities repeatedly for
                corruption and incompetence.

                Impunity leads to crime

                Just before the escape, a former officer of the
                Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) warned
                Interior Minister Almerino Manhenje that
                Anibalzinho and another of the accused would
                attempt to escape in the near future,
                according to AIM.

                One member of the PIC was cited by AIM as
                saying: "Everything was done at the highest
                level to facilitate the escape and make a trial
                in the Carlos Cardoso case impossible."

                The attorney general said the escape showed
                that "the system is really sick".

                "Impunity is the worst
                ill that can exist.
                Impunity for any crime
                leads to other crimes.

                "This is serious. Very,
                very serious," he said
                on Tuesday.

                After news of the
                escape was made
                public, dozens of
                people were said to
                have gathered at the
                site of the murder and
                placed flowers there.

                Fighting corruption

                Attorney General Joaquim Madeira has been
                fiercely critical of the police and judicial
                authorities for corruption.

                In March he said that the entire Mozambican
                legal system was plagued by incompetence,
                corruption and the abuse of power.

                Three months earlier, President Joaquim
                Chissano sacked two police chiefs over their
                failure to stem a growth in violent crime.

                The president said that citizens had lost
                confidence in the police.

                The murdered journalist, Carlos Cardoso, had
                gained a reputation as an opponent of
                corruption.

                At the time of his death he was investigating a
                case of fraud in which $14m disappeared from
                the Central Bank of Mozambique.

                Six men were charged
                with his murder in May
                2001 but have not
                been brought to court.

                Among those charged
                are a prominent
                businessman, Ayob
                Abdul Satar, and a
                former bank manager,
                Vicente Ramaya.

                They are accused of
                taking out a contract
                to have Mr Cardoso
                killed.

                Anibalzinho was one of the four men charged
                with carrying out the killing.

*****

Mozambican murder
                suspect 'killed'

                Carlos Cardoso was investigating corruption cases
                Mozambican murder suspect Anibalzinho might
                have been killed in jail, according to his lawyer.

                Simeao Cuamba told Radio Mozambique that he
                did not believe he had escaped from prison and
                said the only other possibility was that he had
                been killed.

                The lawyer said there
                were reports of
                bloodstains in his client's
                cell. Rumours of the
                bloodstains have spread
                quickly in Maputo,
                according to the BBC's
                Jose Tembo in Mozambique.

                The Mozambican authorities had said that
                Anibalzinho, accused of murdering prominent
                journalist Carlos Cardoso in November 2000,
                had escaped from prison on Sunday.

                Three senior Mozambican police commanders
                have been detained in connection with the
                escape and a commission of inquiry set up.

                The escape was "a body blow to our judicial
                system", said attorney general, Joaquim
                Madeira.

                Anibal Antonio dos Santos Junior, known as
                Anibalzinho, was one of six men held in prison
                and accused of murdering Mr Cardoso, editor
                of the Metical newspaper, while he was
                investigating a major corruption case at the
                Commercial Bank of Mozambique.

                No information

                The murder suspect was being held in a prison
                cell locked with three separate padlocks. The
                key to each lock was held by a separate police
                unit, according to Jose Tembe.

                The three police commanders who were
                arrested on the orders of Mozambique's general
                police command were responsible for guarding
                the prison from which the suspect is said to
                have escaped.

                Radio Mozambique
                asked a police
                spokesman, Nataniel
                Macamo, whether
                Anibalzinho had been
                killed. He answered
                that he had "no
                information about
                that", but the
                newly-appointed
                commission of inquiry
                would "give all the
                details".

                But the suspect's
                lawyer said he had not been officially informed
                that he had escaped from the BO (Operations
                Brigade) prison.

                He told Radio Mozambique: "He has either
                escaped or died. It will be up to those in
                charge of the BO jail to clarify the situation
                and prove that he has in fact escaped."

                Five other men accused of involvement in Mr
                Cardoso's murder are awaiting trial in the case,
                which is expected to start within the next few
                weeks.

                President Joaquim Chissano has ordered the
                police to take all measure to recapture
                Anibalzinho alive.

*****

Farmer wants to prosecute Mugabe in SA
                    Angela Quintal  | Cape Town

                                                            04 September
2002 14:56

                    A Robertson farmer with property interests in
Zimbabwe wants Zimbabwean
                    president Robert Mugabe prosecuted in South Africa
for alleged crimes
                    against humanity.

                    Richard Barry on Wednesday called for Mugabe's
arrest and prosecution in
                    terms of an international statute which South Africa
adopted as law last
                    month.

                    It allows perpetrators of crimes against humanity,
war crimes and genocide
                    to face prosecution in South Africa under certain
circumstances.

                    The announcement was made at a press conference in
the
                    Democratic Alliance's offices in Parliament.

                    Mugabe's representative, George Charamba, was not
available for comment.

                    DA justice representative Dr Tertius Delport said
Barry's affidavit would be
                    faxed to National Director of Public Prosecutions
Bulelani Ngcuka and the
                    original would be lodged with the provincial
                    director in Cape Town.

                    Delport said he believed that Mugabe's actions
against white farmers in
                    Zimbabwe constituted a crime against humanity in
terms of the definition
                    section of the Rome Statute.

                    The Implementation of the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court
                    Bill was adopted by the South African Parliament
this year and came into
                    force on August 16.

                    "The Act stipulates if any of those crimes are
committed against any South
                    African citizen anywhere in the world, that
perpetrator is subject to the
                    South African courts to be heard here and tried
                    here in South Africa by our own courts," Delport
said.

                    Mugabe had committed a crime against humanity
against a South African
                    citizen, Delport charged.

                    "I contend that this complaint is a valid one, that
our courts have jurisdiction
                    over Mr Mugabe and that the proper course of action
would be to arrest
                    him."

                    In terms of the law, Mugabe would not be able to use
the fact that he was a
                    head of state as a defence.

                    The definition of a crime against humanity made it
quite clear that any
                    "persistent persecution of a collectivity by a state
or by a person constitutes
                    such a crime, if inhumane means of achieving a
                    certain goal was used", Delport said, adding Mugabe
had targeted the white
                    farming community.

                    Delport, who on at least two occasions referred to
Zimbabwe as Rhodesia,
                    said he had no doubt in his mind that the methods
used by the Zimbabwean
                    government was "inhumane".

                    The trauma, injuries and death caused constituted a
crime against
                    humanity.

                    Delport denied the charge against Mugabe was
trivialising crimes against
                    humanity as experienced in Bosnia and Rwanda.

                    "You get degrees in all of these crimes.

                    "Must we go to the extent of what we saw in Bosnia,
before we take any
                    steps? Surely not. How do we know how this is going
to end? What is the
                    next step? We do not know. That is why I have no
doubt in my mind that
                    this is a crime against humanity."

                    Delport acknowledged that there had been worse cases
of crimes against
                    humanity in terms of number of people and
atrocities, "but what we are
                    experiencing now, whether you were in a death camp
in Nazi Germany, or
                    whether you were forced off land and maybe even
killed on your own farm,
                    makes no difference to the victim".

                    "It's part of an orchestrated effort to achieve
illegal objectives by abusing the
                    state's power."

                    Foreign Affairs representative Ronnie Mamoepa told
Sapa that any head of
                    state attending the earth summit had diplomatic
immunity.

                    He would not comment further, but did say that
Mugabe had already left
                    South Africa.

                    NDPP spokesman Sipho Ngwema was not in an immediate
position to
                    comment. - Sapa

Malawi Impose Heavy Fines for Pollution

Malawi Insider (Blantyre)
September 5, 2002
Posted to the web September 5, 2002

Paul Kang'ombe
Blantyre

Malawi government through city, town and district assembly has
threatened to punish all companies that are polluting rivers and other
natural resorces through careless disposal of wasres. The government
has already taken a number of companies to task.

Chirimba Garments, an export processing zone (EPZ) company might
face a penalty of up to one million Kwacha for dumping poisonous
chemicals in Chirimba River, Blantyre City Assembly has disclosed.

Chirimba Garments

Blantyre City Assembly head of health department, Dr. Lycester
Bandawe,
said in an interview with The Malawi Standard that a team of people
that
comprised of pollution control engineers, environmental health
officers
among others visited Chirimba industrial area last Tuesday on a fact
finding mission on how industries dispose their waste.

"We discovered that Chirimba Garments dumps dangerous chemicals,
which we believe might have poisonous acids that can be hazardous to
both human beings and the environment," he said.

He explained that although the Assembly has not yet tasted the
blue/black
chemicals that are released by the company into a small stream that
directly flows into Chirimba river, the environmental experts believe
that the
chemical might contain acids that can cause skin reaction or burns and
it
imbues the soil.

"There might be even more to that than what we see, so if we taste the
chemicals and find that they are indeed dangerous then the company
could be slapped with a penalty of up to K1 million," said Bandawe.

Chirimba Garments Area Manager Joe Lee speaking through his Secretary
a Ms Citas said he could not talk to the Malawi Standard because he is
always busy.

"The boss says he can not talk to you. He doesn't even find time to
talk to
people, he is ever busy," said Citas.

The City Assembly also discovered that some manufacturing industries,
which I can not disclose now dump industrial waste at night both
within
and out side the City of Blantyre.

Currently the Assembly is working with the District Health Officers
(DHOs)
to track down those companies that dump waste outside Blantyre.

"We are working with the DHOs because our mandate is within the
Blantyre City," he said.

Capital Oil Refining Industries (CORI)

Last year the Assembly slapped Capital Oil Refining Industries (CORI)
with
a K40 000 fine for dumping fats in Chirimba river.

According to Bandawe the fats blocked the stream that carries
industial
waste and it made the whole area to stink.

"The fats were deposited where the stream crosses the road to join
Chirimba River, the whole area was stinking badly," he said.

The Assembly advised CORI to neutralize the fats in a process called
hydrolysis so that they only dispose pure water.

"We are happy that CORI treats the fats and discharges treated water
only
which is not harmful to people," he said.

CORI's Managing Director a Mr. Karim confirmed having paid a fine of
K40000. He however denied that his company used to dump fats in
Chirimba river.

"The City Assembly discovered later that it was the broken sewer line
that
blocked the stream and not fats as it was previously alleged," said
Karim.

Harry Khoriyo, a refinery manager disclosed that CORI has been writing
the City Assembly to rehabilitate the sewer line but nothing has been
done.

CORI and Chirimba residents' relationship "Some residents who had
gardens before Chirimba was declared an industrial area in the late
80s
have a negative attitude towards CORI because it was the first industry
to
settle in the area. It is very sad that people rush to blame CORI on
issues
concerning water pollution yet what we discharge into the stream is
just
pure treated coloured water and its non-acidic," explained Khoriyo.

Vandalism Brickmoulders started digging the land around the industrial
area and they came across sewer lines in the process.

The brick moulders took the sewer line for a water board line and they
started digging the pipes with the aim of tapping water for their job,
little did
they know it was a sewerline.

Some people stole steel manholes and after the rainy season the
manholes were filled up with bricks, sand and stones weakening the
sewer
system further.

The T-joint where the whole industrial sewer system meet burst and the
sewer started flowing into Chirimba river untreated and polluting the
river
further.

The sewer system is not mechanical, it flows by gravitation and it
follows
the gradient up to Michiru treatment plant.

Solution A feasibility study conducted by the City assembly indicates
that
the only solution to the problem is to overhaul the whole sewer
system.

Putting a new sewer system for the industrial area alone would cost
the
City Assembly about K50 million.

Residents concern Village head Mwachande expressed concern over
water pollution by the industries in her area and urged the City
Assembly to
do something about it.

She said water borne diseases are becoming common in the area
because of the water pollution.

"People use water from Chirimba river for domestic purposes since we
don't have boreholes in my area. Masaf has promised to sink boreholes
in
its third phase," she said.

Residents sunk wells along the heavily polluted river.

However health statistics are not indicating any cholera or waterborne
record in the area for the past two years as claimed by the Village
head.

"It is wonderful that Chirimba area has not registered any cholera out
break
for the past two years," said Dr. Bandawe.

Some environmental experts suspect that some industries discharge
diluted caustic soda in the Chirimba river.

Caustic soda can kill both human beings and livestock if released
untreated.

Adam Saidi who works at a Mr. Mponda's dairy farm in the area said
that
they cut elephant grass in and along the river to feed their dairy
cattle
despite the pollution.

"You could see blue/black chemicals in the river and even sewage but
since we have no where to get elephant grass we have no choice."

The Earth Summit in South Africa agreed to provide portable water to
all
citizens from poor countries by the year 2015.-0- Insider Publications

*****

NDA Plots to Raze UDF National Office

Malawi Insider (Blantyre)
September 5, 2002
Posted to the web September 5, 2002

Blantyre

In what can be described as mother of all revenges and the height of
all
political tension that this country has never experienced, the
National
Democratic Alliance is planning to raze down and set ablaze the
National
Offices for the ruling United Democratic Front situated in Limbe. The
Malawi Standard has uncovered a plot after interviewing ten of the
pressure group's Young Democrats who are part of this plot and also
took
part in the recent political violence in Mulanje which led the death
of
Makina.

The leader of the NDA Young Democrats assigned this assignment is
Arubi Changa (code name adopted for media ethics and security
purposes).
pnd Chirimba residents' relationship "S
Arubi and his colleagues say that the NDA is actively working on this
plot in
which they would want to destroy data and documents in the office of
the
UDF's Secretary General Hon. Katenga Kaunda and further destroy
computers in the newsroom which are used for the publication of the
UDF
News.

"We have been instructed by our bosses that this is the mother of all
revenges that we are going to take against UDF," said the Young
Democrats.

He explained that there are some major incidents that the NDA would
like
to retaliate against.

"We in NDA still remember vividly how our leaders were greatly
embarrassed when we were teargassed in Ndirande Township when the
NDA was just a few weeks old. We also remember how a Mercedez Benz
was burnt to ashes and our leaders harassed at Parliament Building in
Lilongwe. And just recently our leader Brown Mpinganjira was also
harassed at a roadblock in Lilongwe," explained Arubi adding that the
destruction of an NDA office in Mulanje has also been one of their
serious
concerns.

He said, the NDA security wing the Lebanese would revenge all these in
one mission, which is attacking and burning the UDF National Offices
and
a few other key targets and officials.

"In the attack, we will use our usual weapons which include axes,
machetes, pangas, knives and clubs. Apart from these weapons, our job
will be made easier by simply using petrol to set ablaze important
rooms of
the building," he said.

In the highly confidential interview, Arubi in the company of nine of
his
colleagues said that the 30 strong selected attackers will break into
the
building from the back, and their first target will be the office of
the
Secretary General. The group would go there in the evening using a
road
coming in from Kanjedza on pick-ups that will have number plates
removed. One of the pick-ups belongs to one NDA official formerly an
employee of Telekom Networks. After that mission, they would drive
away.

He revealed that the NDA Young Democrats are planning to invade the
UDF National Headquarters at the time when President Bakili Muluzi will
be
in the central region.

"We know that when the President is in the Central Region, many police
officers, police vehicles and our archrivals, UDF Young Democrats are
where the President is. So we expect that after the attack, we will
successfully escape without being caught by the law enforcers," he
said.

He disclosed that soon after the attack the NDA media propaganda
machinery would go flat out spreading news that UDF Young Democrats
have set ablaze their party headquarters after being unpaid for the
work
they have done in the past.

"We have been assured that two radio stations, newspapers and foreign
media will quickly tell the world that disgruntled UDF Young Democrats
have set their own office ablaze due to wage squabbles," Arubi said.

He said that they have been assured by senior NDA officials that after
the
successful completion of their mission each one of them would receive
K5,000 and they would be offered safe custody by the officials of the
pressure group.

The plot to attack and torch down part of UDF national headquarters,
according to Arubi, was discussed at two meetings one at the NDA
chairman's house in Mapanga and another at Mpinganjira's house in
Chigumula. During those two meetings the NDA executive agreed to
revenge Mpinganjira's humiliation by razing down UDF office and
attacking
to kill five other UDF loyalists Nembo, two Mvulas, Kapito and Moyo.
The
killing of the officials was to be done by a group led by a certain
pure of
Lilongwe in the company of a Mwalamboza and Juma who are going to
pose as car hijackers.

These sinister plans are being coordinated by Mezalumo and a Mr
Fungula. The ones masterminding the detailed movements of the
attackers are Brown Mpinganjira's senior bodyguard, a Mr Chelewani who
once worked for the Malawi Army and also played for Red Lions Football
Club and a Mr Mwachande, who once worked for Malawi. Mr Mwachande
now stays in Chilobwe but has been seen at Mpinganjira's rallies with
Fungula.

Meanwhile there are also reports that the NDA has also hired another
Special Hit Squad which is led by a Mr. Makata formerly of the UDF
party.
The NDA is reported to have organised this group after discovering
that
some of the members of their usual hit squad, the Lebanese, are failing
to
execute major assignments.

While ten members of the NDA Young Democrats interviewed insist that
the whole aim behind attacking the UDF offices and killing officials
will be
to avenge for what they call "past defeats of NDA security men, the
Lebanese at the hands of UDF Young Democrats, a senior official who
confided in The Malawi Standard said the whole aim of the plot is aimed
at
embarrassing the UDF and its leadership. He said that they have
managed
to do so on several occasions and the most successful one involved the
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace big walk when an NDA Young
Democrat posing as a UDF Young Democrat attacked the big walk. This
incident greatly embarrassed UDF the official said.

"In the same way as Bin Laden's attack embarrassed the United States
government, the attack on UDF National Headquarters will be a
humiliating
embarrassment to President Bakili Muluzi and his UDF government," he
said.

The NDA official added: "Such an attack will also be looked upon as
total
breakdown of security in the country. People including investors and
donors would say if people can raze down UDF offices what can prevent
them from attacking any office or any organisation."

He revealed the attack would be part of NDA's campaign strategy aimed
at
creating an impression that the UDF is failing to run the country
smoothly.

The Malawi Standard reporter visited two camps housing the notorious
NDA Young Democrats, one in Bvumbwe and another near Blantyre
Teachers College close to Mpinganjira sister's house.-0- Insider
Publications

*****

Desperation Setting in

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
September 5, 2002
Posted to the web September 5, 2002

Johannesburg

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has warned that "quiet desperation" was
setting in in parts of Malawi, where villagers have resorted to eating
grass
in a bid to stave off hunger.

The lowland area of Zomba was one of the worst-affected regions,
mainly
because cyclical floods have wiped out crops traditionally used as
reserves during times of drought, CRS said in its latest statement on
the
food security situation in the country.

"We are seeing signs in the villages of quiet desperation," Debra
Lynne
Edwards, CRS country representative in Malawi, was quoted as a saying.

People who have depleted what little they had in the way of food
reserves,
have resorted to eating unripened maize or grass. "Both of these
coping
mechanisms can cause diarrhoea and other health problems, and can
lead to malnutrition, especially for children, the elderly and those
who are
weak from HIV/AIDS," Edwards said.

In response, CRS has stepped up its emergency food aid in Malawi.
Beginning on Tuesday this week, CRS conducted a general distribution
of
maize, corn soya blend and beans to 510 households (about 2,500
people)
in about 20 villages in the district of Zomba.

"The amount of food aid to be distributed this month has increased to
1,624 mt, from 673 mt in August, based on the increased need," CRS
said.

About three million Malawians are in need of food aid due to several
years
of poor harvests as a result of a cycle of drought, erratic rainfall
and floods.

"Coupled with a high rate of population growth (3.3 percent),
deforestation
and soil degradation, this leaves Malawi currently facing its worst
hunger
crisis in 50 years," CRS said.

In addition to the general food distributions to targeted villages, CRS
was
conducting nutritional surveys to identify villages with severely
malnourished children, and was providing them with supplementary
feeding.

"CRS is also addressing the underlying factors that have contributed
to
this crisis through an agricultural rehabilitation project that will
focus on
crop diversification, strengthening seed systems, and drought
mitigation.
These emergency response programmes are being carried out in
harmony with existing development and HIV/AIDS programming in the
country," the agency noted.

Malawi is one of six countries in Southern Africa currently facing a
food
security crisis, along with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and
Swaziland. About 1.2 million mt of food aid is required throughout the
region until March 2003 to avert famine.

*****

Batty Bob rattles his sabre
                    Harare

                                                            05 September
2002 13:56

                    President Robert Mugabe vowed to crack down on
whites in Zimbabwe who
                    oppose his policies and have defied eviction orders
to abandon their farms,
                    state media reported on Thursday.

                    Mugabe said half the 2 900 white farmers served
eviction notices disobeyed
                    a recent deadline to leave their properties under a
government program that
                    seizes land from whites and redistributes it to
landless blacks.

                    "Time is not on their side," Mugabe was quoted by
state radio as saying.
                    The increasingly authoritarian leader said his
government would take action
                    against those who defied its orders.

                    Despite a looming famine in southern Africa, Mugabe
has continued with the
                    seizure of 95% of the white-owned farmland in the
country, bringing to a
                    standstill an industry that once helped feed
southern Africa.

                    About six million Zimbabweans are threatened with
starvation.

                    Mugabe also lashed out against two prominent white
lawmakers from the
                    opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

                    "Your place is in prison and nowhere else. Otherwise
your home is outside
                    the country," Mugabe said of the two politicians
upon his return to
                    Zimbabwe from neighboring South Africa.

                    Mugabe was greeted at the Harare airport on
Wednesday by thousands of
                    bussed in supporters. He had been attending the
World Summit on
                    Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

                    Mugabe used his address there on Monday to blame
Britain, Zimbabwe's
                    former colonial ruler, and other Western countries
for the poverty and
                    despair in his country.

                    He also defended his seizure of white-owned farms,
saying the program
                    pitted the majority against the white minority he
described as obdurate and
                    backed by the British.

                    Zimbabwe was singled out for criticism by US
Secretary of State Colin
                    Powell during his speech at the summit, saying the
government was leading
                    its people to the brink of starvation through its
land policies.

                    About 300 white farmers had been arrested since an
August 8 eviction
                    deadline, police said earlier this week. Most were
freed on bail but have
                    been forbidden to return to their farms before their
trials begin.

                    Scores of others fled their farms fearing arrest.

                    The state Herald newspaper said Mugabe told the
crowd of several thousand
                    supporters at the Harare airport that the government
was also planning to
                    seize stakes in foreign owned companies and mines
that he said were
                    "scooping out our wealth."

                    "They can't continue like that, using our wealth,"
Mugabe was quoted as
                    saying. Since March 2000, the government has begun
targeting white-owned
                    land for allocation to landless blacks. Most of the
country's commercial
                    farmland had been in the hands of the white
minority.

                    The land conflict has added to political unrest in
the country and critics say
                    many prime farms have gone to politicians, military
and police officers, and
                    government cronies instead of the poor. - Sapa-AP

*****

Zimbabwe: The brave turn to mining to
                    survive
                    IRIN

                                                            06 September
2002 08:56

                    Men, women and even children in Zimbabwe are turning
to small-scale gold
                    mining, some of it illegal, as a last resort in the
face of parched and empty
                    maize fields.

                    In spite of the dangers, illustrated by two serious
mine collapses this year,
                    people have continued to arrive at riverbeds and
disused mines hoping to
                    extract enough of the precious metal to cover their
basic food needs.

                    With no training or sophisticated equipment, miners
pan or dig for long
                    hours, for small returns.

                    A recent report by the feature service AfricaNews,
said that up to 30% of the
                    new miners were women, who saw their labour as a
form of financial
                    empowerment. They used the money for fertiliser,
seeds, school uniforms or
                    travel expenses. Worryingly, many of the miners were
children.

                    The current rise in the number of small-scale miners
reflects a similar trend
                    seen during the severe drought of 1992.

                    Up to half of Zimbabwe's 12 million people face food
shortages in the coming
                    months. This time the reasons go beyond drought, and
include economic
                    and political upheaval.

                    Zimbabwe's controversial land-reform programme has
also left hundreds of
                    thousands of farmworkers and their families with an
insecure future, and few
                    alternative job opportunities.

                    "There has been an increase in small-scale miners,
although government is
                    trying to clamp down due to accidents and
environmental degradation," said
                    Tinago Ruzive, president of the Associated
Mineworkers Union of Zimbabwe.

                    The new miners come primarily from rural areas and
tend to work either for
                    licenced small mines, or move illegally through
disused mines in search of
                    traces of gold previous miners missed.

                    A study by the International Labour Organisation
found that miners were
                    paid poorly and lived in bad conditions. Some were
paid on a "gwaza" basis,
                    where they were remunerated according to how much
rock they brought to
                    the surface.

                    The study, by mining consultant John Hollaway, said
small scale-mining
                    had a "well established reputation for a
disproportionately high number of
                    fatalities".

                    "This has arisen principally from the deaths caused
by such miners
                    re-entering closed mines illegally to win gold from
the pillars, and from
                    alluvial miners burrowing into uncompacted river
banks," he said.

                    In August, it was reported that between 20 and 30
people died when a mine
                    shaft caved in in Mhondoro, southwest of the
capital, Harare.

                    "We have seen a lot of small-scale panning primarily
due to the serious
                    collapse of the economy," Munyaradzi Bidi, director
of the human rights
                    group ZimRights, told IRIN.

                    "Rural households are finding it difficult to cope,
and the unemployment rate
                    is very high. School leavers can't find jobs, so
illegal gold panning is seen as
                    a way of finding a quick buck," he said.

                    "They hope to sell the gold they find for basic
commodities like oil and grain.
                    They sell to buyers from as far afield as Botswana
and South Africa, and to
                    the elite in Zimbabwe."

                    Bidi said the panners formed camps, and moved to new
sites when they
                    stopped finding gold, as they had no machinery to
dig or blast.

                    However, ZimRights was concerned about the number of
children panning.

                    "They have to fend for themselves and to subsidise
the family budget for
                    food and rations," Bidi said. "We want them to go to
school."

                    He said that during the current food crisis, people
were looking for any way
                    to survive, and this included commercial sex work by
some women at the
                    camps.

                    He urged the government to formalise small-scale
mining, and to introduce a
                    welfare grant to help needy people.

                    Ruzive said the government was currently instituting
training programmes for
                    small-scale miners.

                    A spokesman for the Ministry of Mines was not
immediately available for
                    comment.

*****

Land offer to
                Zimbabwe's whites

                White Zimbabwean farmers suffering from
                President Mugabe's policy of land seizure have
                been offered a lifeline by a fellow African
                country, the Central African Republic.

                Not only would the farmers be given a safe
                haven but their presence would help the
                Central African Republic develop and improve
                its agriculture, the government says.

                Prime Minister Martin Ziguele told Anita
                McNaught on BBC's HARDtalk: "We will offer
                them land."

                "My country has no problem with land.

                "We are a country with 3.5 million inhabitants
                on 624,000 square kilometres. It's a very big
                country.

                "For each kilometre of land we have less than
                one inhabitant. So we have land."

                Agricultural potential

                The Central African Republic is rich in natural
                resources including unspoilt rainforest and
                enjoys high levels of rainfall.

                But it remains one of the
                least developed countries on
                the continent.

                Mr Ziguele said that
                exploiting the rainfall to
                achieve clean drinking
                water and good
                irrigation, along with managing sustainable
                development of the forests, were the two
                most important issues to be addressed in the
                country.

                He stressed that he and President Ange-Felix
                Patasse recognised that agriculture was key to
                improving the situation.

                He said: "My President phoned me here
                yesterday and told me to tell everyone I meet
                that we are ready to host people... white
                people coming from Zimbabwe because we
                want to improve agriculture.

                Zimbabwean turmoil

                White Zimbabwean
                farmers are gradually
                being stripped of their
                homes and livelihoods,
                and some have even been
                killed, as part of President
                Mugabe's plan to
                redistribute land to the
                blacks.

                Although Mugabe has
                been widely
                condemned by the
                international
                community he has
                shown no sign of
                relaxing his campaign.

                Prime Minister Ziguele said: "What is happening
                in Zimbabwe is not a very good example of
                what can be done in the sense of harmony
                between communities in a country."

                He condemned the
                situation, adding: "I don't
                agree with the way the
                problem is explained or
                solved."

                He also said that the
                problem seemed "more emotional than
                rational".

                "I think what is important is to help all
                components of Zimbabwean society to
                find a solution around problems of land."

*****

Zimbabwe eases GM
                stance

                Harvests have failed across southern Africa
                Zimbabwe has agreed to a deal, under which
                genetically modified (GM) grain can be
                distributed as urgently-needed food aid, says
                the UN food agency.

                The executive director of the World Food
                Programme (WFP), James Morris, said
                Zimbabwe's decision would send an important
                message to other countries in the region which
                have refused food aid because it might contain
                GM grain.

                Zimbabwe and WFP have
                agreed that the maize will
                be milled before being
                distributed, so that the food
                aid cannot be planted.

                Zimbabwe and some of its neighbours are
                worried that GM seeds could contaminate
                locally-grown crops, threatening lucrative
                exports to Europe, which insists that food
                must be GM-free.

                A Zimbabwean minister says the government
                has now set up a system of checks to ensure
                the grain will not enter the eco-system.

                Aid

                Mr Morris made the announcement after talks
                in Harare with Zimbabwean President Robert
                Mugabe.

                "The fact that they
                have now concluded
                that they are
                comfortable in
                accepting GM crops or
                commodities will be an
                important signal to
                other countries in the
                region," Mr Morris told
                journalists.

                "It will enable us to do
                our job," he said.

                Aid workers say up to
                13 million people in
                seven countries in Southern Africa face
                famine. In Zimbabwe which was once the
                bread basket of the region, some six million
                people are estimated to need food aid.

                The WFP says it already has aid pledges for
                about half of the 600,000 tonnes of food it
                intends to bring into Zimbabwe in the next few
                months.

                Most of this comes from the United States and
                is not certified as being GM-free.

                The government blames the shortages solely
                on drought, but the government's campaign to
                transfer land from large scale commercial white
                farmers has worsened the situation, say many
                donors.

                Lost markets

                The GM row has complicated relief efforts
                across the region.

                Zambia's president is
                refusing to overturn his
                ban on GM food aid,
                labelling it as 'poison' .

                Deals to mill GM food
                before being
                distributed, so that it
                could not be planted,
                have also placated
                fears in Malawi and
                Mozambique.

                US aid officials deny
                that the food is
                unsafe, pointing out that Americans eat GM
                maize every day.

                The World Health Organisation has certified the
                grain for human consumption and says it does
                not constitute a danger to people's health.

First about today's ujeni news...

Re Blantyre pollution:  Does anyone else remember the stream you crossed
just before you got to Limbe.  It looked like a kids dream, nothing but
mountains of foam!  I was pretty sure it must flow, if in fact it flowed,
into the reservoir near us...water supply that was also covered by water
hyacinth!

Re the NDA plot to raze UDF headquarters:  Hey, just when I thought there
might be a nationwide party to challenge the 3 regional factions!  But, do I
believe all that is printed in the papers?  Why does it seem not likely that
all these people were so open and above board in telling their plans?  Did
the paper have someone infiltrate?  Or...did the UDF plant the story?

Second about a letter I got recently...

Now this sounds like a good food distribution program...low overhead.  If
you can find a truck, that's about it. ....

Quoted from a letter from my counterpart physiotherapist (who now outranks
me having gone to Cape Town and gotten her masters) Margaret Wazakili at
QECH.  I learned lots from Margaret.   She's plucky.  She's one of those
neat people who sees any problem, no matter how big, and instead of feeling
helpless or overwhelmed just gets creative and does something about it...  I
worked with lots of people like that in Malawi.

"You may have heard from the news that the hunger situation in Malawi is the
worst in the region.  It has been a pleasure to lead a group of women (her
Anglican church women's group) called to help in the situation.  We put
money together and bought maize meal, salt and groundnuts that we went to
distribute to members of our Parish and later to my home District in
Nkhota-kota,  We spent Good Friday on the road, stopping whenever we came
across a senior citizen who looked weak and hungry to give them a share of
what we had.  We distributed to some members of two Anglican Churches and
two Moslem villages.  While the smiles from the recipients were good to see,
the desperation of those who were hungry but did not receive anything was
heart breaking.  We drove away feeling rather helpless because we were not
able to meet the needs of everyone in the areas that we visited.  We hope
that other Relief Organizations will reach those that we did not help
because we did not have enough.

"One month later some friends gave us more money and we bought more food
items that we took to the paediatric wards at QECH.  There are many
malnourished children because of the general scarcity of food, but HIV/AIDS
related symptoms make the situation worse."

Cathy


______________________________________
>Malawi Impose Heavy Fines for Pollution
>
>Malawi Insider (Blantyre)
>September 5, 2002
>Posted to the web September 5, 2002
>
>Paul Kang'ombe
>Blantyre
>
>Malawi government through city, town and district assembly has
>threatened to punish all companies that are polluting rivers and other
>natural resorces through careless disposal of wasres. The government
>has already taken a number of companies to task.
>
>Chirimba Garments, an export processing zone (EPZ) company might
>face a penalty of up to one million Kwacha for dumping poisonous
>chemicals in Chirimba River, Blantyre City Assembly has disclosed.
>
>Chirimba Garments
>
>Blantyre City Assembly head of health department, Dr. Lycester
>Bandawe,
>said in an interview with The Malawi Standard that a team of people
>that
>comprised of pollution control engineers, environmental health
>officers
>among others visited Chirimba industrial area last Tuesday on a fact
>finding mission on how industries dispose their waste.
>
>"We discovered that Chirimba Garments dumps dangerous chemicals,
>which we believe might have poisonous acids that can be hazardous to
>both human beings and the environment," he said.
>
>He explained that although the Assembly has not yet tasted the
>blue/black
>chemicals that are released by the company into a small stream that
>directly flows into Chirimba river, the environmental experts believe
>that the
>chemical might contain acids that can cause skin reaction or burns and
>it
>imbues the soil.
>
>"There might be even more to that than what we see, so if we taste the
>chemicals and find that they are indeed dangerous then the company
>could be slapped with a penalty of up to K1 million," said Bandawe.
>
>Chirimba Garments Area Manager Joe Lee speaking through his Secretary
>a Ms Citas said he could not talk to the Malawi Standard because he is
>always busy.
>
>"The boss says he can not talk to you. He doesn't even find time to
>talk to
>people, he is ever busy," said Citas.
>
>The City Assembly also discovered that some manufacturing industries,
>which I can not disclose now dump industrial waste at night both
>within
>and out side the City of Blantyre.
>
>Currently the Assembly is working with the District Health Officers
>(DHOs)
>to track down those companies that dump waste outside Blantyre.
>
>"We are working with the DHOs because our mandate is within the
>Blantyre City," he said.
>
>Capital Oil Refining Industries (CORI)
>
>Last year the Assembly slapped Capital Oil Refining Industries (CORI)
>with
>a K40 000 fine for dumping fats in Chirimba river.
>
>According to Bandawe the fats blocked the stream that carries
>industial
>waste and it made the whole area to stink.
>
>"The fats were deposited where the stream crosses the road to join
>Chirimba River, the whole area was stinking badly," he said.
>
>The Assembly advised CORI to neutralize the fats in a process called
>hydrolysis so that they only dispose pure water.
>
>"We are happy that CORI treats the fats and discharges treated water
>only
>which is not harmful to people," he said.
>
>CORI's Managing Director a Mr. Karim confirmed having paid a fine of
>K40000. He however denied that his company used to dump fats in
>Chirimba river.
>
>"The City Assembly discovered later that it was the broken sewer line
>that
>blocked the stream and not fats as it was previously alleged," said
>Karim.
>
>Harry Khoriyo, a refinery manager disclosed that CORI has been writing
>the City Assembly to rehabilitate the sewer line but nothing has been
>done.
>
>CORI and Chirimba residents' relationship "Some residents who had
>gardens before Chirimba was declared an industrial area in the late
>80s
>have a negative attitude towards CORI because it was the first industry
>to
>settle in the area. It is very sad that people rush to blame CORI on
>issues
>concerning water pollution yet what we discharge into the stream is
>just
>pure treated coloured water and its non-acidic," explained Khoriyo.
>
>Vandalism Brickmoulders started digging the land around the industrial
>area and they came across sewer lines in the process.
>
>The brick moulders took the sewer line for a water board line and they
>started digging the pipes with the aim of tapping water for their job,
>little did
>they know it was a sewerline.
>
>Some people stole steel manholes and after the rainy season the
>manholes were filled up with bricks, sand and stones weakening the
>sewer
>system further.
>
>The T-joint where the whole industrial sewer system meet burst and the
>sewer started flowing into Chirimba river untreated and polluting the
>river
>further.
>
>The sewer system is not mechanical, it flows by gravitation and it
>follows
>the gradient up to Michiru treatment plant.
>
>Solution A feasibility study conducted by the City assembly indicates
>that
>the only solution to the problem is to overhaul the whole sewer
>system.
>
>Putting a new sewer system for the industrial area alone would cost
>the
>City Assembly about K50 million.
>
>Residents concern Village head Mwachande expressed concern over
>water pollution by the industries in her area and urged the City
>Assembly to
>do something about it.
>
>She said water borne diseases are becoming common in the area
>because of the water pollution.
>
>"People use water from Chirimba river for domestic purposes since we
>don't have boreholes in my area. Masaf has promised to sink boreholes
>in
>its third phase," she said.
>
>Residents sunk wells along the heavily polluted river.
>
>However health statistics are not indicating any cholera or waterborne
>record in the area for the past two years as claimed by the Village
>head.
>
>"It is wonderful that Chirimba area has not registered any cholera out
>break
>for the past two years," said Dr. Bandawe.
>
>Some environmental experts suspect that some industries discharge
>diluted caustic soda in the Chirimba river.
>
>Caustic soda can kill both human beings and livestock if released
>untreated.
>
>Adam Saidi who works at a Mr. Mponda's dairy farm in the area said
>that
>they cut elephant grass in and along the river to feed their dairy
>cattle
>despite the pollution.
>
>"You could see blue/black chemicals in the river and even sewage but
>since we have no where to get elephant grass we have no choice."
>
>The Earth Summit in South Africa agreed to provide portable water to
>all
>citizens from poor countries by the year 2015.-0- Insider Publications
>
>*****
>
>NDA Plots to Raze UDF National Office
>
>Malawi Insider (Blantyre)
>September 5, 2002
>Posted to the web September 5, 2002
>
>Blantyre
>
>In what can be described as mother of all revenges and the height of
>all
>political tension that this country has never experienced, the
>National
>Democratic Alliance is planning to raze down and set ablaze the
>National
>Offices for the ruling United Democratic Front situated in Limbe. The
>Malawi Standard has uncovered a plot after interviewing ten of the
>pressure group's Young Democrats who are part of this plot and also
>took
>part in the recent political violence in Mulanje which led the death
>of
>Makina.
>
>The leader of the NDA Young Democrats assigned this assignment is
>Arubi Changa (code name adopted for media ethics and security
>purposes).
>pnd Chirimba residents' relationship "S
>Arubi and his colleagues say that the NDA is actively working on this
>plot in
>which they would want to destroy data and documents in the office of
>the
>UDF's Secretary General Hon. Katenga Kaunda and further destroy
>computers in the newsroom which are used for the publication of the
>UDF
>News.
>
>"We have been instructed by our bosses that this is the mother of all
>revenges that we are going to take against UDF," said the Young
>Democrats.
>
>He explained that there are some major incidents that the NDA would
>like
>to retaliate against.
>
>"We in NDA still remember vividly how our leaders were greatly
>embarrassed when we were teargassed in Ndirande Township when the
>NDA was just a few weeks old. We also remember how a Mercedez Benz
>was burnt to ashes and our leaders harassed at Parliament Building in
>Lilongwe. And just recently our leader Brown Mpinganjira was also
>harassed at a roadblock in Lilongwe," explained Arubi adding that the
>destruction of an NDA office in Mulanje has also been one of their
>serious
>concerns.
>
>He said, the NDA security wing the Lebanese would revenge all these in
>one mission, which is attacking and burning the UDF National Offices
>and
>a few other key targets and officials.
>
>"In the attack, we will use our usual weapons which include axes,
>machetes, pangas, knives and clubs. Apart from these weapons, our job
>will be made easier by simply using petrol to set ablaze important
>rooms of
>the building," he said.
>
>In the highly confidential interview, Arubi in the company of nine of
>his
>colleagues said that the 30 strong selected attackers will break into
>the
>building from the back, and their first target will be the office of
>the
>Secretary General. The group would go there in the evening using a
>road
>coming in from Kanjedza on pick-ups that will have number plates
>removed. One of the pick-ups belongs to one NDA official formerly an
>employee of Telekom Networks. After that mission, they would drive
>away.
>
>He revealed that the NDA Young Democrats are planning to invade the
>UDF National Headquarters at the time when President Bakili Muluzi will
>be
>in the central region.
>
>"We know that when the President is in the Central Region, many police
>officers, police vehicles and our archrivals, UDF Young Democrats are
>where the President is. So we expect that after the attack, we will
>successfully escape without being caught by the law enforcers," he
>said.
>
>He disclosed that soon after the attack the NDA media propaganda
>machinery would go flat out spreading news that UDF Young Democrats
>have set ablaze their party headquarters after being unpaid for the
>work
>they have done in the past.
>
>"We have been assured that two radio stations, newspapers and foreign
>media will quickly tell the world that disgruntled UDF Young Democrats
>have set their own office ablaze due to wage squabbles," Arubi said.
>
>He said that they have been assured by senior NDA officials that after
>the
>successful completion of their mission each one of them would receive
>K5,000 and they would be offered safe custody by the officials of the
>pressure group.
>
>The plot to attack and torch down part of UDF national headquarters,
>according to Arubi, was discussed at two meetings one at the NDA
>chairman's house in Mapanga and another at Mpinganjira's house in
>Chigumula. During those two meetings the NDA executive agreed to
>revenge Mpinganjira's humiliation by razing down UDF office and
>attacking
>to kill five other UDF loyalists Nembo, two Mvulas, Kapito and Moyo.
>The
>killing of the officials was to be done by a group led by a certain
>pure of
>Lilongwe in the company of a Mwalamboza and Juma who are going to
>pose as car hijackers.
>
>These sinister plans are being coordinated by Mezalumo and a Mr
>Fungula. The ones masterminding the detailed movements of the
>attackers are Brown Mpinganjira's senior bodyguard, a Mr Chelewani who
>once worked for the Malawi Army and also played for Red Lions Football
>Club and a Mr Mwachande, who once worked for Malawi. Mr Mwachande
>now stays in Chilobwe but has been seen at Mpinganjira's rallies with
>Fungula.
>
>Meanwhile there are also reports that the NDA has also hired another
>Special Hit Squad which is led by a Mr. Makata formerly of the UDF
>party.
>The NDA is reported to have organised this group after discovering
>that
>some of the members of their usual hit squad, the Lebanese, are failing
>to
>execute major assignments.
>
>While ten members of the NDA Young Democrats interviewed insist that
>the whole aim behind attacking the UDF offices and killing officials
>will be
>to avenge for what they call "past defeats of NDA security men, the
>Lebanese at the hands of UDF Young Democrats, a senior official who
>confided in The Malawi Standard said the whole aim of the plot is aimed
>at
>embarrassing the UDF and its leadership. He said that they have
>managed
>to do so on several occasions and the most successful one involved the
>Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace big walk when an NDA Young
>Democrat posing as a UDF Young Democrat attacked the big walk. This
>incident greatly embarrassed UDF the official said.
>
>"In the same way as Bin Laden's attack embarrassed the United States
>government, the attack on UDF National Headquarters will be a
>humiliating
>embarrassment to President Bakili Muluzi and his UDF government," he
>said.
>
>The NDA official added: "Such an attack will also be looked upon as
>total
>breakdown of security in the country. People including investors and
>donors would say if people can raze down UDF offices what can prevent
>them from attacking any office or any organisation."
>
>He revealed the attack would be part of NDA's campaign strategy aimed
>at
>creating an impression that the UDF is failing to run the country
>smoothly.
>
>The Malawi Standard reporter visited two camps housing the notorious
>NDA Young Democrats, one in Bvumbwe and another near Blantyre
>Teachers College close to Mpinganjira sister's house.-0- Insider
>Publications
>

Scroll down to see lots of listings for development jobs, in the US and
abroad.

KC

>
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with us by simply emailing them to us at jobs@...
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>www.DevNetJobs.org
>Email: jobs@...
>-----------------------------------------------------------
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>A. INTERNATIONAL JOBS
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>
>
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>Management Adviser (new!)
>Centre for Sustainable Development
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>
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>ACORD
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>
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>ACORD
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>
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>International Crisis Group
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>JOKO SA
>Location: Dakar, Senegal
>Last Date: September 15, 2002
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>
>
>Scope of Work for Sesame Marketing Consultant (new!)
>CRS/The Gambia and CRS/Senegal
>Location: Gambia and Senegal
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/smc.html
>
>
>Environmental Planning and Monitoring Adviser (new!)
>Centre for Sustainable Development
>Location: Mozambique
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/csdc1.html
>
>
>Project Management Assistant in International Development (new!)
>MSI
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/pmaid-msi.html
>
>
>Volunteers (new!)
>The Akha Heritage Foundation
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/akha.html
>
>
>Programme Manager for Child Protection (new!)
>Save the Children
>Location: Sierra Leone
>Last Date: September 26, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/cppm-sl.html
>
>
>Director Human Resources (new!)
>IUCN Asia
>Location: Thailand
>Last Date: September 15, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/iucn-dhr.html
>
>
>Co-ordinator (new!)
>Global Movement for Children
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/gmfc.html
>
>
>Communications Associate (new!)
>Women's Learning Partnership
>Location: US
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/wlp-ca.html
>
>
>Regional HR Officer (new!)
>Mercy Corps
>Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/mc-rho.html
>
>
>Director of Community-based Ministries (new!)
>American Leprosy Missions
>Last Date: October 1, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/alm.html
>
>
>Lectureship in Development Policy and Practice (new!)
>Open University
>Location: UK
>Last Date: September 17, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/ldp.html
>
>
>Water Resource Management Specialist (new!)
>The Mitchell Group, Inc.
>Location: Jordan
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/jordanm-wrms.html
>
>
>Microfinance Advisor (new!)
>Mercy Corps
>Location: Tajikistan
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/mc-mat.html
>
>
>Team Leader / Business Development Services
>and Training Specialist (new!)
>Trust Fund for East Timor/World Bank
>Location: East Timor
>Last Date: September 12, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/tf-et.html
>
>
>Nurse- Nutritionist
>Action Against Hunger USA
>Location: Southern Africa
>Last Date: September 15, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/aah-horn.html
>
>
>Programme Officer (new!)
>(Natural Resources Management Planning)
>Conservation Development Centre
>Location: Nairobi
>Last Date: September 15, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/nrmpo-nai.html
>
>
>Two Long Term Medical Officers (new!)
>NEDWORC Foundation/Geoplan International
>Location: Zambia
>Last Date: September 16, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/mo-zam.html
>
>
>Researcher (new!)
>non-US welcome
>HRW Women's Rights Division
>Location: New York
>Last Date: September 16, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-hrw.html
>
>
>Senior Programme Manager and Policy Officer (new!)
>Oxfam GB
>Location: Israel and the Palestinian Territories
>Last Date: September 13, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/oxfam-israel.html
>
>
>Budget Advisor (new!)
>DevTech Systems, Inc.
>Location: Ukraine
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/bau.html
>
>
>Resident Advisor (new!)
>The Urban Institute
>Location: Croatia
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/raui.html
>
>
>Assistant Directeur du Projet
>Expert en administration du travail
>GET German Education and Training GmbH (ICON-INSTITUTE)
>Location: Liban, Beyrouth
>Last Date: September 13, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/get4.html
>
>
>Community Development Expert (International)
>UNIFEM
>Location: Kabul (Afghanistan)
>Last Date: September 7, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-unifem.html
>
>
>Experts à court terme avec expérience locale
>GET German Education and Training GmbH (ICON-INSTITUE)
>Location: Liban, Beyrouth
>Last Date: September 13 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/get3.html
>
>
>Chief of Party
>Mercy Corps
>Location: San Salvador, El Salvador
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/mc-sans.html
>
>
>Experts à court terme avec expérience internationale
>GET German Education and Training GmbH (ICON-INSTITUE)
>Location: Liban, Beyrouth
>Last Date: September 13, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/get2.html
>
>
>Experts à court terme avec expérience internationale
>GET German Education and Training GmbH (ICON-INSTITUE)
>Location: Liban, Beyrouth
>Last Date: September 13, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/get1.html
>
>
>Social Workers
>non-UK welcome
>Ark Angel Solutions
>Location: UK
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-aas.html
>
>
>Associate Peace Corps Director
>Peace Corps
>Location: Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia
>Last Date: September 9, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/pcorps.html
>
>
>Regional Director, Central & Eastern Europe
>Project HOPE
>Location: Central Europe
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/r-hopedir.html
>
>
>HIV/AIDS- Youth Worker
>CIIR
>Location: Burao, Somaliland
>Date: September 19, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-ciirhiv.html
>
>
>HIV/AIDS Programme Advisor
>CIIR
>Location: Sana'a, REPUBLIC OF YEMEN
>Last Date: September 19, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-ciirsana.html
>
>
>Renewable Energy Professionals
>Green Energy Jobs
>Location: International
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-gej.html
>
>
>Consultant/Sr. Consultant- Health Care
>Deloitte Emerging Markets
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-dem1.html
>
>
>Programme Manager, South Afghanistan
>Save the Children UK
>Location: Kabul
>Last Date: September 9, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/r-stcpm.html
>
>
>Chief Technical Adviser on Participatory Governance
>UNDP
>Location: Bratislava
>Last Date: September 30, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/brastundp.html
>
>
>ICT Manager
>Deloitte Emerging Markets
>Location: Washington, DC
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/r-delict.html
>
>
>Consultant/Senior Consultant- Financial Services
>Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-dtt.html
>
>
>Staff Officer Projects (Network)
>NATO/ KFOR
>Location: Kosovo
>Last Date: September 27, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/kfor2.html
>
>
>VHF, VTC & Communications Controller
>NATO/ KFOR
>Location: Kosovo
>Last Date: September 27, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/kfor3.html
>
>
>Web master/ Knowledge Manager
>NATO/ KFOR
>Location: Kosovo
>Last Date: September 27, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/kfor4.html
>
>
>Senior System Administrator
>NATO/ KFOR
>Location: Kosovo
>Last Date: September 27, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/kfor1.html
>
>
>
>South-west China Programme Manager
>OXFAM Hong Kong
>Location: Kunming, China
>Last Date: September 5, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/pmswc.html
>
>
>2 Short-term Consultancy
>Hub Consulting
>Location: Burundi
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/hub2-bur.html
>
>
>Applicants
>Investing in Women in Development Program
>Last Date: October 11, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/iwid.html
>
>
>Environmental Specialist
>Southern California Edison
>Location: US
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-sce.html
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>
>B. ICTNet JOBS
>
>Jobs in Information and Communication Technology for Development
>
>
>ICT Manager (new!)
>Deloitte Emerging Markets
>Location: Washington, DC
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/r-delict.html
>
>
>VHF, VTC & Communications Controller (new!)
>NATO/ KFOR
>Location: Kosovo
>Last Date: September 27, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/kfor3.html
>
>
>Web master/ Knowledge Manager (new!)
>NATO/ KFOR
>Location: Kosovo
>Last Date: September 27, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/kfor4.html
>
>
>Senior System Administrator (new!)
>NATO/ KFOR
>Location: Kosovo
>Last Date: September 27, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/kfor1.html
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>
>C. INDIAN JOBS
>
>
>Several Vacancies (new!)
>AKRSP India
>Location: Gujarat
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference:
>DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/akrspi-several.html
>
>
>World Congress Coordinator (new!)
>The Global March Against Child Labour
>Location: New Delhi, India
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference:
>DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/gmacl.html
>
>
>Several Vacancies (new!)
>Arogyam
>Location: Bihar
>Last Date: September 20, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference:
>DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/arogyam-many.html
>
>
>Programme Officer (new!)
>Disaster Mitigation Resource Institute
>Location: Andhra Pradesh
>Last Date: October 5, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/dmri.html
>
>
>Head
>Human Development Resource Centre
>UNDP
>Location: Delhi
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-head.html
>
>
>Programme Associate
>Sir Ratan Tata Trust
>Location: Mumbai
>Last Date: September 30, 2002
>Email: given inside the Link (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)
>URL: http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/t-srtt.html
>
>
>Take up DevNetJobs.org Value Membership to receive even more job
opportunities. For more information, go to
http://devnetjobs.tripod.com/valueservices.html or write to
valuemembership@...
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
Kristen Cheney
Doctoral Candidate in Anthropology
University of California at Santa Cruz
Social Sciences I Faculty Services
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064

I have a friend from work who has another friend in the US currently
researching violence in US schools.

Could any teachers who want to/can help out drop her a line at:

dolphin888@...

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

I have a friend from work who has another friend in the US currently
researching violence in US schools.

Could any teachers who want to/can help out drop her a line at:

dolphin888@...

_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com

I would like to be the first to give my congratulations.

Dennis Prom and Toni Townsend were married on the 31st of August, 2002.

Mike Doroquez

_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com

Malawi Changes Food Aid Policy

                    The Associated Press
                    Friday, September 6, 2002; 8:39 PM

                    BLANTYRE, Malawi –– Malawi
                    said any genetically modified food
                    aid sent to the country must be processed before
it's distributed.

                    The announcement thos week echoed concerns by other
southern African
                    countries threatened by looming famine about
accepting food that has been
                    genetically modified.

                    President Bakili Muluzi said he was concerned that
if the grain wasn't milled
                    first it might cross-pollinate with native crops,
causing "genetic pollution."

                    A severe food shortage is threatening more than 3
million people in Malawi.
                    About 10 million others in the region also face
starvation.

                    Citing potential health risks, Zambia has rejected
any food aid that may have
                    been genetically modified. Mozambique and Zimbabwe
have policies dictating
                    that any genetically modified grain has to be milled
first.

                    Researchers splice bacteria genes that produce
natural insecticides, drought
                    resistance and other commercial properties into
crops like corn and soy.

                    Farmers in the United States, the main food
assistance donor, grow
                    genetically modified crops extensively.

*****

Malawi to shut biggest
                textile factory

                Malawi has said it will shut down the country's
                largest textile factory, putting more than 2,000
                people out of work, after plans for privatisation
                failed.

                The government has decided to stop
                subsidising the factory because of heavy
                financial losses, the Commerce and Industry
                Minister Peter Kaleso said.

                Only last month Mr Kaleso said that the
                government was looking for a strategic partner
                for the state-owned David Whitehead and
                Sons (DWS) factory and he was predicting a
                "booming" future.

                The closure comes even though Malawi has
                seen textile exports surge since it signed the
                African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa)
                treaty with the US in September 2001.

                In the last year the industry's yearly growth
                rate was reported to be 120%.

                Failed privatisation

                DWS is the main source of cotton yarn, fabrics
                and African prints exported from Malawi
                according to the local Confederation of
                Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

                The company hit financial difficulties in the
                early 1990s when the government ended its
                monopoly status - in-line with International
                Monetary Fund and World Bank policies - and
                liberalised the textile market.

                The resulting imports of second-hand clothes
                from the Far East virtually destroyed domestic
                production in Malawi, as in many other African
                countries.

                DWS was one of the companies that launched
                Malawi's privatisation programme but like many
                others has now been shut down after failing to
                find a buyer.

                In a letter of intent to secure poverty
                reduction funding, Malawi promised to liquidate
                DWS in July 2002.

                DWS is 51% owned by the Malawi Government
                and 49% by the state owned Admarc
                Investments Holding Company.

                The government has set aside about 140m
                kwacha ($2m; *1.3m) to compensate workers.

*****

Zambia allows GM aid
                for refugees

                Zambia has allowed the World Food Programme
                to start distributing genetically modified (GM)
                food aid to refugees.

                James Morris, the UN agency's executive
                director, told the BBC that GM foods were
                being used to feed about 130,000 refugees
                from Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo.

                But the Zambian
                Government is continuing to
                resist the UN agency's calls
                to distribute GM aid to
                nearly 2.5 million of its own
                people on the grounds that it
                is "poison".

                Mr Morris, who is touring
                the famine-stricken region, confirmed that
                neighbouring Zimbabwe had, in contrast,
                approved GM aid for its people.

                "Zimbabwe has said that they have taken a
                cabinet decision to accept commodities which
                have a GM component," he said.

                Saying he believed that the US-produced GM
                corn would probably be milled before being
                allowed to enter the country, he added that
                he had had a "good conversation" about
                bringing in non-GM wheat.

                Fact-finding team

                Mr Morris said Zambian President Levy
                Mwanawasa - who recently described GM grain
                as "poison" - had decided to send a team of
                scientists to the US and the EU on a GM
                fact-finding mission.

                The WFP executive director said famine could
                be averted in southern Africa if GM grain was
                accepted and warned of the daunting
                prospects for Zambia if it continued to refuse
                it.

                "Without being able to use
                biotech GM commodities,
                it will be nearly impossible
                for us to meet the needs
                of the people of Zambia,"
                he said.

                Zambia's minister for
                agriculture has
                explained his country's
                continuing doubts in
                an interview for the
                BBC.

                "Several countries,
                including Europe, are
                still reluctant, cautious, about the acceptance
                of GM organisms," said Mundia Sikatana.

                Zambian producers could find their exports to
                Europe blocked if their crops were found to be
                growing alongside GM grains, he argued.

*****

Spectre of famine haunts Zimbabwe
                    Ravi Nessman | Nhwali, Zimbabwe

                                                            09 September
2002 10:45

                    The girls giggle nervously as they talk about their
hunger. Their grades have
                    plummeted. They fall asleep in class from
exhaustion. Often, when they
                    have nothing at all to eat, they don't even bother
coming to school.

                    "Sometimes it's better to stay home than to come and
collapse here,"
                    Litsoanelo Moyo, a 19-year-old student at Nhwali
secondary school, said on
                    Saturday.

                    Zimbabwe's worst food crisis in a decade has begun
to take its toll on the
                    village of Nhwali, 700 kilometres southwest of
Harare.

                    Many now eat only one small meal a day. The poorest
are forced to beg for
                    a handful of corn meal from their neighbors. Child
malnutrition has more than
                    doubled to eight percent.

                    And teachers and students at the local schools worry
about the damage
                    this is doing to the education system.


                    At the beginning of the year, the school enrolled
450 students. More than 50
                    have dropped out because their families have stolen
across the border to
                    South Africa, they were forced to help scavenge for
food or their parents no
                    longer could afford the 1 280 Zimbabwean dollars
(about $2) in school fees,
                    said Soneni Dube, the deputy headmaster.

                    Of the remaining students, about 50 are absent on
any given day, up from
                    one or two in normal times. Those that come are
often too hungry to study.

                    One girl fainted in the middle of a class. Teachers
gave her some food, but
                    she dropped out a few days later.

                    The schoolgirls talk of their dreams - of being
nurses, a journalist, a
                    stewardess.

                    But they are more fixated on their hunger.

                    "I used to be fat," laughs Itumeleng Mdlongwa, a
petite 17-year-old girl.

                    It is noon on a weekend day and they have walked
between two and 10
                    kilometres to school to hold a study group on the
history of Europe's
                    colonisation of Africa. Not one of them has anything
more in her stomach
                    than black tea.

                    The girls used to eat two hearty meals a day of
meat, corn mash and
                    vegetables and a small lunch. Now, when they are
lucky, they get two small
                    meals of corn mash and the rabe or spinach they grow
in small gardens in
                    their yards. When the government trucks selling corn
don't come for a while
                    - and they haven't been to Nhwali for months - they
get only one meal,
                    sometimes just vegetables.

                    Their grades have plunged.

                    Nontokoza Moyo (16) passed six subjects last term.
Now she is
                    only passing three. "When I'm reading, I sleep," she
said. "We don't
                    normally concentrate much these days."

                    Dube is worried that his teachers are at risk of
falling through the cracks in
                    the shaky food delivery system. They are too wealthy
to get food aid and are
                    not official residents of any of the cluster of
nearby villages, so never make it
                    onto the lists to buy scarce government grain.

                    "Even if we have the money, we don't have the grain
to buy," he said.
                    "Morale is very low. Very, very low."

                    An estimated six million of Zimbabwe's 12,5-million
people are threatened
                    by a hunger crisis caused by a terrible drought and
the government's chaotic
                    land reform program, which has badly wounded its
agriculture-based
                    economy, according to the World Food Program.

                    Nearly seven million people in five other countries
in southern Africa are also
                    at risk of starvation. There are no accurate figures
for hunger-related deaths.

                    WFP head James Morris, who is touring the region to
inspect the crisis,
                    appealed on Friday for donor nations to increase
their contributions to help
                    head off a potential disaster in the region.

                    The agency, which is currently delivering 10 000
metric tons a month to
                    Zimbabweans, hopes to increase that to 55 000 tons.
They predict the
                    situation will get much worse in the coming months.

                    Meanwhile, human rights groups accuse the
government, which sells corn
                    at the fixed price of 555 Zimbabwean dollars (less
than $1) for a 50 kilogram
                    bag, of refusing to sell grain to opposition
supporters and making only
                    sporadic deliveries to opposition strongholds.

                    The government denies its land reform policies are
to blame for food
                    shortages, saying drought is the sole cause. It also
denies allegations that
                    it is denying the opposition food.

                    When Morris arrived in Nhwali to inspect the
distribution of WFP corn, an
                    unprecedented seven government trucks filled with
bags of corn for sale
                    rolled up, the first time since July that even one
truck has arrived to feed the
                    9 000 people in the area, deep in opposition
territory.

                    Janet Siziba, a 73-year-old widow, waits in line
with money she has
                    borrowed from a kind neighbor to buy corn to feed
herself, her grandson, his
                    wife and their two children.

                    She and her grandson used to feed the family off the
harvest from their tiny
                    field and the earnings they made by making bricks
for neighbors. But their
                    field produced nothing this year, and no one has
money to pay them for
                    piecework.

                    So she begs door to door for small handfuls of grain
and watches fearfully as
                    her one and four-year-old great grandchildren grow
weaker.

                    Siziba says she has not even bothered to plow her
tiny field for the
                    upcoming planting season, which frightens aid
workers who hope the crisis
                    will end with the next harvest.

                    "Where will I get the money to get the seed," she
said. - Sapa-AP

*****

Zimbabwe farmers flee
                ultimatum

                Dozens of white farmers in Zimbabwe have
                been leaving their properties after receiving a
                new government ultimatum to get off their
                land.

                One eyewitness counted more than 100
                farmers' lorries piled high with furniture and
                household goods leaving the fertile area
                north-west of the capital, Harare.

                Justice for Agriculture
                (JAG), a farmers' lobby
                group, says the authorities
                told scores of farmers to
                leave on Sunday or face
                arrest for resisting the land
                redistribution programme.

                JAG is advising them to stay put and take the
                eviction orders to court, saying the deadline
                has been imposed by local administrators not
                the central government.

                But a BBC correspondent in neighbouring South
                Africa says it seems many white farmers are
                taking these latest threats seriously and are
                leaving with whatever they can take.

                Farming officials in
                Zimbabwe say most of the
                farmers facing the
                deadline have decided to
                leave.

                One official in the
                town of Banket told
                the BBC that about 50
                farmers in his area had
                been told to leave and
                warned that their
                possessions would be
                seized if they stayed.

                A Zimbabwean police spokesman has told the
                BBC that any farmer who stays on his land in
                violation of the law will be punished.

                'Stay your ground'

                JAG's chairman, David Connelly, told the BBC
                that at least two farmers were being "held
                hostage" in their homes on Sunday.

                In one case, an army major accompanied by
                other men dressed in civilian clothes was
                insisting he had been issued the farm by the
                government.

                But the farmer was
                "completely within the
                laws of Zimbabwe",
                said Mr Connelly.

                "The government is
                trying to intimidate
                farmers off their land
                because they
                obviously realise that
                in the courts they are
                not going to have too
                much success," Mr
                Connelly said.

                Most farmers affected
                by the new deadline
                are believed to have
                had previous eviction
                orders overturned in
                court last month.

                'Undeserving
                farmers'

                Last week,
                Zimbabwe's President
                Robert Mugabe said
                time was running out
                for white farmers
                resisting land redistribution.

                "Those do not deserve to be in Zimbabwe
                and we shall take steps to ensure that
                they are not entitled to our land," he told
                supporters after returning from the world
                summit in Johannesburg.

                The United Nations says the turbulent land
                reform programme has worsened food
                shortages in Zimbabwe, where six million
                people are threatened with starvation.

                But Mr Mugabe denies this, saying that
                most white farmers concentrate on
                commercial crops for export.

9 Sep 2002

Dear ujeni folks,

This came from a close friend.  I do not personally know about it but
thought it might be worthy of passing along.

Sorry if it is a hoax or something similar.

Vyrle

I don't know how much of this it true, but better safe than sorry.

FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, "WTC" STANDS FOR THE
WORLD TRADE CENTER......WHICH MAKES THIS VIRUS REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE
PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT RIGHT AWAY.....THINKING ITS A STORY RELATING TO 9/11
...PLEASE BE CAREFUL....... BIGGGG TROUBLE !!!! DO NOT OPEN "WTC
Survivor" It is a virus that will erase your whole "C" drive. It will
come to you in the form of an E-mail from a familiar person. I repeat a
friend sent it to me, but called and warned me before I opened it. He
was not so lucky and now he can't even start his computer! Forward this
to everyone in your address book. would rather receive his 25 times than
not at all. If you receive an email called "WTC Survivor" do not open
it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all dynamic link libraries
(.dll files) from your computer. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO OTHERS
!!!

It's easy to find out whether these things are true or not.  Go to
www.google.com and search for the name of the virus.  This particular message is
a hoax:  http://vil.mcafee.com/dispVirus.asp?virus_k=99245

Mark

-----Original Message-----

FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, "WTC" STANDS FOR THE
WORLD TRADE CENTER......WHICH MAKES THIS VIRUS REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE

Sorry, a hoax according to McAffee.com



--- Vyrle Owens <vyrle@...> wrote:
> 9 Sep 2002
>
> Dear ujeni folks,
>
> This came from a close friend.  I do not personally
> know about it but
> thought it might be worthy of passing along.
>
> Sorry if it is a hoax or something similar.
>
> Vyrle
>
> I don't know how much of this it true, but better
> safe than sorry.
>
> FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, "WTC" STANDS FOR THE
> WORLD TRADE CENTER......WHICH MAKES THIS VIRUS
> REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE
> PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT RIGHT AWAY.....THINKING ITS A
> STORY RELATING TO 9/11
> ...PLEASE BE CAREFUL....... BIGGGG TROUBLE !!!! DO
> NOT OPEN "WTC
> Survivor" It is a virus that will erase your whole
> "C" drive. It will
> come to you in the form of an E-mail from a familiar
> person. I repeat a
> friend sent it to me, but called and warned me
> before I opened it. He
> was not so lucky and now he can't even start his
> computer! Forward this
> to everyone in your address book. would rather
> receive his 25 times than
> not at all. If you receive an email called "WTC
> Survivor" do not open
> it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all
> dynamic link libraries
> (.dll files) from your computer. PLEASE FORWARD THIS
> MESSAGE TO OTHERS
> !!!
>
>
>
>


__________________________________________________
Yahoo! - We Remember
9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost
http://dir.remember.yahoo.com/tribute

Poverty Responsible for Alarming School Dropouts

African Church Information Service
September 9, 2002
Posted to the web September 9, 2002

By Hobbs Gama

With pupils limping to school on empty stomachs and dressed in
tatters, Malawi may not realise her ambition to increase the number of
citizens who are able to read and write. Experts have always pointed
at poverty as the main reason for escalating rate of school drop outs.
Many of the children are absorbed in the child labour market to help
their poor families earn additional incomes finance basic
requirements.

The situation is a desperate reality of poverty. There are many pupils
going to school on empty stomachs and dressed in tatters.
Considering such widespread helplessness, the future may not be
bright for Malawi's literacy programmes.

The admnistration of President Bakili Muluzi launched the donor
funded free primary school education programme but hunger and
poverty are frustrating the war against illiteracy.

The southern African country which is one of the hardest hunger hit in
the region alongside Zambia, Mozambique and Swaziland, has up to
70 percent of its population suffering acute hunger due to poor
harvest
the past few years.

Malawi, which is importing maize from neighbouring countries, has a
600,000 metric tonnes food shortfall at a time when aid agencies
estimate that 65 percent of the 12 million population live below the
poverty line. Life expectancy has since dropped to 43 years.

Out of a total 1.2 million pupils who registered for grade one at the
onset of the free primary education, only 300,000 have made it to
grade eight, the last class at primary (elementary) school while the
rest
have dropped out.

This was the sad revelation made recently by the Ministry of Education
to UNICEF executive director, Carol Bellamy who visited Malawi.

The director for basic education in the Ministry of Education, Joseph
Matola told the global child welfare body that government attributed
the
alarming dropout rate to, to among other things, lack of classrooms,
desks, poor quality of teachers, the HIV/AIDS scourge and the onset
of the hunger crisis.

"Most of the children come to school without food, they have no
clothes
and most of them have ended up selling commodities on the streets
and some may even have commercial sex workers," complained
Matola.

He said this at Ndirande township, in the highly-populated country's
commercial city of Blantyre. Ndirande Hill Primary School has only 20
classrooms while a 100 classes take place in the open. The school
has 2,600 orphans.

Bellamy, while assuring her organisation's support in such areas as
providing of learning materials, maintenance of school structures and
teacher training, said UNICEF is already undertaking supplementary
and therapeutic feeding for the most under nourished children. The
initiatives seeks to keep children in school.

"It would be a shame for Malawi to fall back in terms of the work
already done where more children were going to school. We think if
you lose a generation from school you won't have the kind of future
leaders you need in the country," said Bellamy.

Experts have always pointed at poverty as the main reason for
escalating rate of drop outs. Many of the children are forced into
child
labour to help their poor families earn supplementary incomes for
food.

Orphans, children from women-headed homes and destitutes fall easy
pray to child labour. The government of Malawi has since embarked
moves to enact favourable legislation to eliminate the exploitation of
children in homes, tea and tobacco estates and all other work places.

Tobacco growing countries are up in arms to fight the lobby which they
deem threatens the future of their tobacco dependent economies. As
for Malawi, 75 percent of foreign exchange earnings come from
tobacco exports. Lately, there have been mounting collaboration to
check the evil which retards children's development.

There are, of course, additional efforts. Four tobacco exporting
companies in the country - African Leaf, Limbe Leaf, Dimon and
Stancom Tobacco - have teamed up to eliminate child labour in the
tobacco growing districts through a programme called Tobacco
Exporters Children Service TECS introduced last July.

Funded by the Geneva-based organisation, the Elimination of Child
Labour in Tobacco ECLT, the project will run for four years covering
60 villages in two target districts of Kasungu and Dowa, central
Malawi. A survey by the four organisations revealed the problem of
child exploitation was serious in the districts.

TECS project manager Limbani Kakhome says they intend to combat
child labour through four interventions - the provision of quality
education, food security, safe water and health to children.

The four components are to be implemented by four non-governmental
organisations. Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (Crecom)
will be responsible for education, Livingstonia and Nkhoma Synods of
the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) church will carry out
the safe water component while Total Care will take care of food
security.

"Once children have adequate food, travel short distances to school,
have access to safe water source and hospital, child labour will be
combated," enthused Kakhome adding that a recent survey carried by
organisations involved showed that child labour was mainly caused
directly or indirectly by by the four components covered in the
project.

Child labour is rampant because most children drop out of school due
to shortage of food, because they are assigned to draw water from
distant sources or because of inadequate health facilities.

Western countries, especially the Nordic region, have been lobbying
their governments to ban Malawi's tobacco exports to Western
markets unless the problem of child labour was tackled.

This stand was supported by the International Labour Organisation ILO
to impose sanctions on products of countries that exploit child labour
to produce them.

There is more action. The World Health Organisation WHO is also
pushing for a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control FCTC
which seeks to ban tobacco growing and advertising.

Tobacco growing countries are up in arms to fight the lobby which they
deem threatens the future of their tobacco dependent economies. As
for Malawi, 75 percent of foreign exchange earnings come from
tobacco exports.

Lately, there have been mounting collaboration to check the evil which
retards children's development. Observers say although it is a tough
undertaking, Africa and the developing world is reminded, despite
widespread poverty to consider the future of the defenceless children.

*****

Food Crisis Could Worsen

UN Integrated Regional Information
Networks
September 9, 2002
Posted to the web September 9, 2002

Malawi's food shortages could worsen as it is likely that the winter
harvest will fall short of expectations, humanitarian agencies have
warned.

In its latest report, the United States' Office of Foreign Disaster
Assistance (OFDA) warned that "since agricultural inputs were
distributed late in the planting season, the winter harvest will not
yield
the expected 140,000 mt".

The World Food Programme (WFP) says about 3.2 million people will
require food aid to survive until March next year.

A shortfall in the winter harvest of smallholder or subsistence
farmers,
would mean more people in need, WFP's spokeswoman,
Chigomezgo Mtegha, told IRIN.

"What would have been harvested would have carried many
households until April next year. A poor harvest, or [for some] no
harvest at all means households will have no food," Mtegha said.

The WFP had yet to see definitive figures on what the winter harvest
shortfall would be.

"[The government] was giving out a major starter pack to about three
million people, under the targeted inputs programme [TIP]. This
included a packet of seeds, of maize and legumes, and fertiliser given
to needy smallholder farmers.

"What is very evident is that the [cereal production] target has not
been
met, this has serious implications on how people are going to cope
over the coming months," Mtegha noted.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative in Malawi
Louise Setshwaelo, said the main reason the winter crop was likely to
fall short was the lack of residual moisture in the soil.

"In the first place there was very little rainfall [during the rainy
season
which ended in April] and the moisture that was available was not as
much as you would have had during a normal cropping season. I was
in the field last week and some of the crops were actually wilting.
There are farmers who are irrigating using watering cans, buckets and
treadle pumps, and their crops are doing very well because they are
being irrigated," Setshwaelo said.

The winter TIP was an emergency intervention in the face of the
current
crisis.

"Normally the inputs are not distributed for winter cropping, it's
only
because of the current crisis that government decided to have a winter
TIP which was supported by the EU, DFID [UK Department For
International Development] and FAO," she noted.

FAO distributed to 50,000 households.

"Our distribution started in July and we estimate that 60 percent of
our
beneficiaries did plant crops. Of the remaining 40 percent, we know
that some of the farmers have actually retained the seed to use it
during the main cropping season which is October, November,
December. So it has not been a waste," Setshwaelo said.

*****

Beware the 'people's storm' says
                    Tsvangirai
                    Harare

                                                            10 September
2002 09:38

                    Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai
warned on Monday of a
                    gathering "people's storm" that would battle what he
called President Robert
                    Mugabe's
                    "civil-military junta".

                    In a speech to about 1 000 cheering supporters in a
Harare hotel, Tsvangirai
                    called for an alliance of pro-democracy forces to
launch a campaign of
                    non-violent activism against Mugabe's government.

                    "This alliance will constitute the people's storm in
this final confrontation
                    with the autocracy," Tsvangirai said.

                    "What confronts us in Zimbabwe is a dictator who
presides over a
                    civil-military junta," he said.

                    "We must all synchronise and coordinate an activism
in the final showdown
                    against this dictator."

                    Tsvangirai called Mugabe's victory in the March
presidential election a "coup
                    d'etat," and urged the international community to
increase their pressure on
                    the president for a re-run of the poll under
international supervision.

                    The speech came at a public discussion organized by
the Public Opinion
                    Institute, a think-tank that conducts independent
surveys in Zimbabwe.

                    Tsvangirai, who leads the three-year-old Movement
for Democratic Change
                    (MDC), did not say what kind of activism he
envisioned, and urged his
                    supporters against "adventurism" that could provoke
a violent response from
                    government.

                    Instead, he called for "non-violent modes of
political combat," saying
                    "casualties among Zimbabwean citizens must be
avoided or minimised."

                    "We have acted as a restraining force on people,"
Tsvangirai said, referring
                    to his party's policy of non-violence.

                    "But now we have reached a stage where it may no
longer be possible to
                    keep the lid on," he said. "The people cannot take
it any longer."

                    "Your bullets cannot stop the tide of change," he
said.

                    "The path to our freedom is still littered with
skeletons and the blood of our
                    people. Let us soldier on in courage," Tsvangirai
said.

                    The MDC has never accepted Mugabe's victory in the
March poll, saying
                    widespread vote fraud and state-sponsored violence
had compromised the
                    returns.

                    After the elections, most western nations imposed
sanctions on Mugabe
                    and his inner circle, while the Commonwealth
suspended Zimbabwe from its
                    meetings.

                    At home, Mugabe is presiding over the nation's
worst-ever economic crisis,
                    with inflation soaring to a record high of 123.5%
and an estimated 80% of
                    the population living in poverty.

                    He has staked his political fortunes on a
controversial scheme to resettle
                    white-owned farms with blacks, a program plagued by
violence and one in
                    which his critics claim has mainly benefited
Mugabe's inner circle.

                    The resettlement scheme also threatens to worsen an
already devastating
                    food shortage, which has left at least six million
people -- about half the
                    population -- threatened by famine, according to UN
estimates. - Sapa-AFP

*****

Shoot-out at Zimbabwe
                farm

                A white farmer and a group of government
                supporters exchanged gunfire on Tuesday
                morning at a farm in the Karoi area of northern
                Zimbabwe.

                Ian Cochrane was trapped on his farm with his
                mother, sister and two children by about 100
                people armed with sticks, stones and several
                guns who were apparently trying to seize the
                farm.

                But tensions eased after
                police arrived, reports the
                French agency, AFP.

                Last week, President
                Robert Mugabe warned
                white farmers to
                co-operate with his land
                reform programme, leave the country or face
                jail.

                Farmers in parts of northern Zimbabwe were
                again warned to leave their farms by Sunday,t," an
                prompting about 100 to flee to the capital,
                Harare.

                'Disappeared'

                A crowd of government supporters broke
                through the security fence at the farm and
                converged on Ian Cochrane's farmhouse early
                on Tuesday morning.


                The farmer's mother
                was trapped in
                another house on the
                farm. Fearing for her
                life, Mr Cochrane went
                to her aid, firing a
                warning shot as he
                went.

                He said a violent
                scene followed.

                "These guys started
                firing shots at me and
                I fired shots back
                because I was outside
                with this huge mob of
                people, possibly over
                100, all around me.

                "This is absolutely a
                terrible situation and
                we can't carry on like
                this now."

                "When the police got
                there, the three armed
                men had disappeared,"
                said Jenni Williams of
                farmers' lobby group,
                Justice for Agriculture
                (JAG).

                Two of the men were armed with
                semi-automatic shotguns, while a third had a
                rifle, she said.

                The government supporters later left the farm
                with the Cochrane family still there, Reuters
                news agency reports.

                Defiance

                Under a law passed earlier this year, some
                2,900 white farmers had to leave their land by
                9 August.

                Some complied but
                others are fighting the
                eviction orders in the
                courts.

                They argue that they
                are not legally obliged
                to leave their farms
                until their court
                appeals have been
                heard.

                But some 300 have
                been arrested for their defiance, according to
                Reuters.

*****

[And on a lighter note, a musical review]

A musical greeting from Malawi
Wambali Mkandawire: Zani Muwone

By Drew Forrest


  Malawian singer-songwriter-guitarist Wambali's album, assembled in
Johannesburg with a range of expert South African instrumentalists, has
some nice surprises.

Raising it above standard world music offerings are two collaborations
with Tony Cox, a well-organised brass section (by Rhino Horns) and a
tour de force in an Afro-Celtic vein involving Julian and Melissa
Wiggins on the tin whistle and the Irish fiddle. Step forward, the
mysterious Wigginses. They can play, and I think we should hear more of
them.

This is an album for guitar-fanciers. Apart from Wambali's moody,
classically influenced arpeggios and Cox's understated acoustic lead,
the album showcases the veteran Malawian electric guitar-picker George
Phiri. Malawi is a nation of guitarists whose style has been coloured by
South African idioms imported by migrant workers. Phiri, known for his
part in the regional ensemble Mahube, ranges widely and inventively,
from blues and rock to mbaqanga.

On the downside, Wambali's baritone voice, lacking both variety and
intensity, palls over 12 tracks.

In addition, Zani Muwone makes extensive use of the soprano saxophone,
an instrument that drowns everything it touches in treacle and instantly
evokes schmaltzmeister Kenny G. Like the Romanian pan pipes and the
autoharp, there is no place for this instrument in the civilised world.

Malawi revives third
                term debate

                The government plans to try once more to
                change the constitution to allow President
                Bakili Muluzi to remain in office, the attorney
                general has said.

                In July, parliament narrowly defeated a bill
                ending a limit on the presidential term of office.

                The controversial proposals
                earlier led to political
                violence, strains between
                the government and the
                judiciary and caused
                divisions among religious
                leaders.

                Christian leaders came out against a third
                term, while some Muslim groups supported it.

                Mr Muluzi is a Muslim. Over 75% of Malawians
                are Christian.

                The next presidential elections are due in
                2004.

                National referendum

                Attorney General Henry Dama Phoya said that
                despite the uproar, many Malawians wanted
                the president to remain in office.

                "We can't escape the fact that people still
                want Dr Muluzi," he said.

                The new bill, to be introduced next month,
                would allow presidents three terms of office,
                which could be extended following a national
                referendum, he said.

                Currently they can only serve two terms.

                Constitutional amendments require a
                two-thirds majority in parliament. Mr Muluzi's
                United Democratic Front (UDF) has 101 out of
                193 seats.

                In July, the bill failed by just three votes,
                despite being introduced by the opposition
                Aford party.

                Observers say that one reason for the
                opposition to allowing a third presidential term
                was Malawi's history of dictatorship under
                Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

                Dr Banda had himself declared Life President
                and was in office as prime minister and then
                president for 30 years.

                Mr Muluzi defeated Mr Banda in the 1994
                elections.

                The BBC's Raphael Tenthani in Malawi says
                that the president has already said that, under
                pressure from his family and especially his
                children, he is going to retire after 2004.

*****

Political Tensions Rise

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
September 10, 2002
Posted to the web September 10, 2002

Blantyre

Two people have been killed and leading members of a lobby group
opposed to a third term for President Bakili Muluzi have either been
arrested, or face arrest, as political tensions rise in Malawi.

Behind the crisis is a failed attempt in July to change the
constitution to
allow Muluzi to run for a third term of office. The lobby group the
National
Democratic Alliance (NDA), and human rights NGOs and churches,
oppose a third term for Muluzi.

Police Inspector-General Joseph Aironi said the NDA's leader, Brown
Mpinganjira, faced arrest in connection with the murder of a ruling
United
Democratic Front (UDF) member after clashes between supporters of the
NDA and UDF two weeks ago in Mulanje, 60-km east of Blantyre.

Mpinganjira allegedly fled Malawi after being implicated, Aironi said.

"Out of the investigations we are carrying out, some members of the
NDA
have mentioned the honourable [Brown] Mpinganjira. It is reported that
it
was the very same day we started our inquiries he left the country.
And
this has been confirmed by the airport at Chileka [Blantyre]," Aironi
said in
an interview with local radio.

"In this case, Mpinganjira's behaviour shows that he had foresight into
what
was going to happen," said Aironi, and added that the police, assisted
by
Interpol, would track him down and arrest him as an accomplice to
murder.

Mpinganjira, a former senior minister in the UDF government, has been
in
and out of prison on charges of corruption and treason, which the
courts
have dismissed.

Viva Nyimba, a lawyer for the NDA, alleged that there was a
state-sponsored campaign aimed at discrediting the organisation.

Nyimba said the NDA had written to the Malawi Human Rights
Commission (MHRC), asking it to investigate allegations of violence
against its supporters, one of whom was allegedly killed by shots fired
by
police.

Mpinganjira recently escaped an attack on his motorcade. Several
opposition members of parliament and chiefs, who have opposed the
third
term bid, have allegedly been assaulted by militant ruling party
youths.

MHRC executive secretary Emiliana Tembo told IRIN that the commission
had received the NDA's complaint, and would investigate the
allegations.

A report would be made public once investigations were completed.

Two weeks ago Muluzi warned the NDA to register as a political party
within 14 days, or face a ban for inciting violence in the country.

"[The] NDA was formed on the premise that we are going to fight
against
the third term bid. Until and unless that matter is finished, we'll not
register
because it means we have not finished our business," an NDA
spokesman, Ian Kanyuka, told reporters in the southern city of
Blantyre.

Police plans to arrest Mpinganjira, Kanyuka said, were an attempt to
shift
the focus from the third term issue.

Two weeks ago, Minister of Justice Henry Phoya said the government
would table a bill again proposing to amend the constitution to allow
Muluzi
to run for a third and final term of five years, when parliament sits
in
October.

A similar private member's bill failed by three votes in July this
year.

To amend the constitution the ruling UDF, with 96 seats in the
193-seat
parliament, needs the support of members of the opposition to attain a
two-thirds majority.

Robson Chitengo of the Church of Central Africa Presbytery, said the
church was totally against the idea of re-tabling the constitutional
amendment bill.

Muluzi has so far maintained an official silence on the third term
issue. But
his party leaders have used every public platform to announce that the
people of Malawi wanted him to continue ruling the country.

"It is sad that the head of state has not commented on such an
important
issue that is pivotal to the democratic future of this country,"
Chitengo said.

*****

AIDS Awareness Focuses On Men At Work

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
September 10, 2002
Posted to the web September 10, 2002

Blantyre

10 September (IRIN) - AIDS activists in Malawi have launched a new
awareness programme that targets men at their workplaces.

"We have been targeting women in a society where men make decisions.
If you want to reach more men, you have to go to their workplaces,"
Jenni
Mueller, the programme manager for development Aid from People to
People, told IRIN.

The workplace programme is intended to build institutional capacity for
an
effective response to the epidemic.

"We're looking at developing policies that prevent managers from
discriminating against employees who are infected with HIV. It
protects
both the employer and employee. You can already see people changing
their behaviour if their managers support them because they have
policies
that support them," Mueller said.

A new HIV/AIDS assessment study conducted by the government and the
World Bank showed that the most affected sectors were education and
health.

Malawi's Vice President Justin Malewezi told IRIN: "We cannot lose any
more time in responding to the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS. Probably
one of the most important lessons to be learnt by all sectors is the
consequence of inaction or complacency. There is need for all
companies
to take action now."

More than one million Malawians are living with HIV/AIDS, with an
estimated infection rate of 30 percent of the urban population between
the
ages of 14 and 45.

Joseph Chaima, the coordinator for HIV/AIDS workplace education and
policy for the NGO Project Hope, said one of the ways of getting the
message across was by forming drama groups within companies.

"The purpose is to provide HIV/AIDS information through plays," Chaima
said, adding that the actors were expected to also spread the word
within
their communities.

The high mobility of workers and migrant labour, both within Malawi
and
across its borders, was another causal factor in the spread of AIDS.

"Many men have jobs where they have to travel. It's a big problem
because
they meet casual partners," Mueller said.

A recent UN Development Programme report said that unprotected sex
with multiple partners was fuelling the spread of the virus.

"However, societal acceptance of multiple sex partners as an
expression
of male sexuality and masculinity limits behaviour change. In addition,
sex
with multiple partners is often unprotected due to the lack of access
to
condoms," the report said.

Mueller said one of the priorities of the workplace programme was
teaching people how to use condoms correctly.

"We give them the skills to be able to use the condoms correctly until
they
feel comfortable even using it [condom] with one hand. If we can get
them
to use condoms not with their wives but with their girlfriends, that's
a big
achievement," she said.

*****

Zambia denies GM aid
                for refugees

                Zimbabwe and Zambia are hit by a region-wide crisis
                Zambia has denied reports from the World Food
                Programme (WFP) that it was allowing
                genetically modified food aid into the country
                for refugees.

                On Sunday, the head of the
                WFP, James Morris, told
                the BBC that GM foods
                were being used to feed
                about 130,000 refugees from
                Angola and Democratic
                Republic of Congo.

                Home Affairs Minister
                Lackson Mapushi told
                state television nearly
                7,000 tons of GM maize
                would be withdrawn from refugee camps and
                substituted with a non-GM variant.

                Around 2.5 million Zambians are facing famine
                after failed harvests but President Levy
                Mwanawasa has blocked GM food aid to feed
                them, calling it "poison".

                Exports threatened

                "The position of government rejecting GMF's
                was a national one which applies to all
                categories of persons living in Zambia," Mr
                Mapushi said.

                "This applies to all refugees, including those
                living in camps and receiving food aid from the
                WFP," the minister added.

                Neighbouring
                Zimbabwe, Malawi and
                Mozambique also have
                deep concerns that
                GM food aid could be
                used to grow new
                crops and so enter the
                local food chain.

                This could jeopardise
                exports to Europe,
                where GM food is less
                common than in the
                United States.

                But it is the US which
                has supplied most food aid for the WFP's
                appeal for southern Africa, where around 13
                million people risk starvation.

                And most US aid contains GM food.

                US officials deny that there is any risk involved
                with GM food and point out that it is eaten
                every day by millions of Americans.

                Food raid

                The other countries have now decided to
                accept GM aid provided it is first milled, so that
                it cannot be planted.

                And Mr Morris has urged Zambia to follow suit.

                "Without being able to use biotech GM
                commodities, it will be nearly impossible for us
                to meet the needs of the people of Zambia,"
                he said.

                Some Zambians disagree with the
                government's position.

                Hungry villagers recently raided a chief's
                palace and stole GM food, which the
                authorities were refusing to distribute.

----- Original Message -----

From: Weber

To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com

Cc: Debbie Yin

Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 11:49 PM

Subject: [ujeni] Economic fallout again!

I thought David Whitehead cloth was one of the shiny lights of quality that Malawi produced with good export potential, even here.   Drat!!!  How does this keep happening?       Cathy

 

 

 

Malawi to shut biggest
               textile factory
                                                    
               Malawi has said it will shut down the country's
               largest textile factory, putting more than 2,000
               people out of work, after plans for privatization
               failed.

               The government has decided to stop
               subsidising the factory because of heavy
               financial losses, the Commerce and Industry
               Minister Peter Kaleso said.

               Only last month Mr Kaleso said that the
               government was looking for a strategic partner
               for the state-owned David Whitehead and
               Sons (DWS) factory and he was predicting a
               "booming" future.

               The closure comes even though Malawi has
               seen textile exports surge since it signed the
               African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa)
               treaty with the US in September 2001.

               In the last year the industry's yearly growth
               rate was reported to be 120%.

               Failed privatisation

               DWS is the main source of cotton yarn, fabrics
               and African prints exported from Malawi
               according to the local Confederation of
               Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

               The company hit financial difficulties in the
               early 1990s when the government ended its
               monopoly status - in-line with International
               Monetary Fund and World Bank policies - and
               liberalised the textile market.

               The resulting imports of second-hand clothes
               from the Far East virtually destroyed domestic
               production in Malawi, as in many other African
               countries.

               DWS was one of the companies that launched
               Malawi's privatisation programme but like many
               others has now been shut down after failing to
               find a buyer.

               In a letter of intent to secure poverty
               reduction funding, Malawi promised to liquidate
               DWS in July 2002.

               DWS is 51% owned by the Malawi Government
               and 49% by the state owned Admarc
               Investments Holding Company.

               The government has set aside about 140m
               kwacha ($2m; *1.3m) to compensate workers.

*****

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

I have been accepted to teach math in Malawi and I'm leaving at the
end of this month! I'm super excited, especially reading all of this
group's messages. I'm a little confused about what to take for
clothing, especially considering the conservative nature of the
country. I was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers for
what is acceptable or not acceptable for a teacher. Basically, I've
been told that I need to wear pants and a button down shirt if I'm
around town, short sleeves are acceptable. In the classroom I need to
wear a long sleeved button down, and maybe a tie? Any pointers you
could give would be great.

Also, do you have any general suggestions for items you should have
taken but didn't know about? Any suggestions are helpful, as I
obviously don't really know what to expect :) Thanks!

-Tighe Herren

I wasn't a teacher but I did work in the government.  In the office I wore
slacks, a short sleeve shirt or a long-sleeve one rolled up, and a tie most days
(man did I ever get sick of that blue shirt).  I would often cycle in wearing
shorts & a t-shirt and then change in the office.

Outside of the office my only rule for myself was to be neat, since I found my
interactions with people went much more smoothly that way.  My sense of the
place is that Malawians dress formally if they can possibly afford it, and find
it slightly odd when someone who can afford to does not.  That said, in any very
casual or expatriate situation I had no problem wearing shorts and sandals.

There used to be this great list that circulated called "things I'm really glad
I brought and things I wish I had left behind".  First for me in the former
category was a tent, sleeping bag, and hiking boots.  That opened up some great
vacation opportunities.  Bike tools also.  I had a kit of box wrenches,
screwdrivers, pliers and a few specialized bike tools (freewheel puller, spoke
wrench) which saved my butt on more than one occasion.  It wasn't huge: the
whole thing fit in a zip-lock bag.  Shoes were always expensive and a hassle to
find, so I'm glad I brought both dress shoes and casual shoes.  I never
regretted bringing a guitar.  It was a hassle to lug around sometimes but it
broke the ice with my homestay families wonderfully.  Everyone loved their
shortwave radios.   PC will provide you with mosquito netting and a first-aid
kit, or at least they did when I was there.

Have a great time, I'm more than a little jealous.

Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: Tighe1 [mailto:junk9191@...]
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 6:12 PM
To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?



I have been accepted to teach math in Malawi and I'm leaving at the
end of this month! I'm super excited, especially reading all of this
group's messages. I'm a little confused about what to take for
clothing, especially considering the conservative nature of the
country. I was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers for
what is acceptable or not acceptable for a teacher. Basically, I've
been told that I need to wear pants and a button down shirt if I'm
around town, short sleeves are acceptable. In the classroom I need to
wear a long sleeved button down, and maybe a tie? Any pointers you
could give would be great.

Also, do you have any general suggestions for items you should have
taken but didn't know about? Any suggestions are helpful, as I
obviously don't really know what to expect :) Thanks!

-Tighe Herren






Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Tighe,

I think a lot of people balked at the suggestion that they bring things
like a toenail brush or a flyswatter, but then they really wished they had!
I second Mark's suggestion that you bring good, durable shoes, and I would
add underwear. Don't fill your luggage with too many clothes, as the
secondhand clothes markets offer a vast selection. Teachers do tend to wear
ties. Don't worry about it matching your shirt, though ;-) And Malawi
boasts great tailors. Buy most of your clothes there and save your precious
luggage space for the fun stuff.

If you end up with a lot of vermin in your abode, you'll be glad you
brought a few Rubbermaid containers or others with tight-fitting lids.
Other stuff on my Africa list: Swiss Army knife, daypack, water bottle,
lots of reading material, good sandals, all your favorite CDs (might wanna
bring copies -- I got all mine stolen in Uganda last year), and -- unless
you can count on regular care packages from Mom -- a small stash of your
favorite nonperishable foods that might be hard to find (worry not --
chocolate is plentiful).

Optional: I also always bring stuff for young kids when I go to Africa,
like pens, stickers, small toys, etc. Dollar stores offer a wealth of cheap
choices that kids there will appreciate. When I have a chance, I also bring
used books and shoes for them. Frisbees also make great gifts for host
family children.

Have fun!

Kristen
Kristen Cheney
Doctoral Candidate in Anthropology
University of California at Santa Cruz
Social Sciences I Faculty Services
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Opposition Party to Lose Its Headquarters

Malawi Insider (Blantyre)
September 12, 2002
Posted to the web September 12, 2002

Tusekele Mwanyongo
Blantyre, Malawi

THE embattled and cash-strapped Malawi Congress Party will soon lose
its
Southern Region headquarters located at Chichiri in Blantyre as the
rightful
owners of the land and buildings, ADMARC have hired legal experts to
help
them in reclaiming their land, buildings and property.

Lands Minister Thengo Maloya and Statutory Corporations Minister Bob
Khamisa have said that the government is doing all it can to help
ADMARC
have its land, which was confisticated by the once mighty MCP during
the
one party regime.

Documents The Malawi Standard sourced from the Ministry of Lands
indicate
that ADMARC holds the title deed (Chichiri 3, "absolutely freehold")
for the
approximately 1.924-hectares. The documents further show that the
latest
land certificate for the area was issued on December 29, 1992, and its
deed
plan number is 193/63.

ADMARC on its part says it is leaving no stone unturned in a bid to
acquire
its land back. The Corporation's Senior Public Relations Officer,
Agness
Chikoko said in an interview that she could not shed more light on the
issue;
but only said that the battle to get its former headquarters rages on.

"We don't want to reveal our strategies, neither do we want to discuss
the
matter in the media but all that people should know is that one day and
very
soon we will get back our land," said Chikoko, emphasizing : "Surely,
they
are our premises, its our property and we want it back."

The Malawi Standard investigations show that the MCP used its
political
muscle to forcefully and illegally seize the land and buildings from
ADMARC
when it was in power. After being booted out of power the MCP still
clings to
the land and buildings, which according to our investigations are still
in
ADMARC's name. Official documents at the Ministry of Land clearly
indicate
that the premises, which lie on Plot No: CC 4 and Survey Drawing No:
4382,
are a freehold property belonging to ADMARC.

MCP's controversial spokesman Nicholas Dausi who once admitted
publicly
that the MCP was killing its political opponents when it was in power
by
among other things throwing them to crocodiles, admitted that the
premises
were indeed confisticated from ADMARC.

"We will fight to the end to have those premises as our Southern
Region
Headquarters. That is one of the main sources of our revenue," said
Dausi.

He said that once ADMARC successfully gets back its premises, the MCP
will
have a big blow financially. Dausi revealed that MCP nets over K150,
000
per month through rentals of this place.

Dausi, a former member of the Malawi Young Pioneers and State House
(Dr
Kamuzu Banda's) photo-journalist said it was a big blunder by the top
MCP
officials just to rush into seizing the property without changing the
ownership.

"Besides depending on party funding from Parliament which sometimes
land
in Tembo's hands and from few donations made by some wealthy business
people, our faction (Chakuamba's) is mainly funded by those rentals, "
said
Dausi.

MCP is renting out over 70 percent of the space at its Southern Region
headquarters. The Share World Open University and Chichiri
(Integrated)
Private Schools are some of the big tenants, whose rentals are used to
finance MCP activities.

Dausi observed that the MCP's original idea was to completely take
over
ownership of the Chichiri premises. However, due to power obsession,
the
then ruling party somehow overlooked the importance of making sure the
title deed changed hands.

"We may claim it is our property, but at the end of the day a lack of
proper
legal documents will betray us," he observed, adding that the issue of
an
eminent loss of the headquarters has always featured highly among the
top
echelons of the party and has recently overshadowed the leadership
saga.

Meanwhile the Minister of Lands, Physical Planning and Surveys, Thengo
Maloya and his ministry officials held a meeting in Blantyre recently
where
they discusssed how they can help ADMARC have its land back. The
meeting is reported to have agreed not to intervene in the matter at
the
moment as it is before legal experts. It however resolved to offer
support
should it be needed in resolving the matter.

One official who attended the meeting said that although the matter is
in the
hands of legal experts, the Ministry will help ADMARC regain absolute
ownership of its premises.

"We think it is illegal for the Malawi Congress Party to be earning
money
through rentals on a premise, which it acquired through unorthodox
means.
That is unacceptable. He said that the Ministry officials have noted
with deep
concern that MCP is renting out most space at its "headquarters" when
the
premises are under dispute," he said.

He added that ADMARC or any other interested stakeholder is free to
seek a
court injuction to challenge MCP's decision to use the property (land
and
buildings) it seized for business purposes.

ADMARC officials however say the corporation has been struggling to
get
back its premises. Officials say at first they wanted to get back their
land by
simply having discussions with MCP officials but this failed.

"When MCP became uncooperative, we had no choice but to engage
lawyers to help us claim our land," said one official.

And Minister responsible for Statutory Corporations Bob Khamisa told
The
Malawi Standard that he is aware of the predicament in which ADMARC
were, but said he could not divulge much into the issue as it is being
handled
by lawyers.

"There is an on-going legal pursuit by ADMARC to reclaim their place.
We
will just help ADMARC achieve its objective of getting its land back
when time
is due," he said.

Khamisa explained that as a political head of a ministry which looks
after the
affairs of statutory corporations in the country, he can not just sit
back and
witness the property of a statutory body being abused.

"In real sense, the MCP continues to exploit ADMARC even after the
country
has achieved multiparty democracy. I mean how can the MCP be receiving
rents from premises which its party officials know they belong to
ADMARC. If
lawyers dilly-dally on this issue, we will seek other avenues," he
said.

He observed that " it is unfortunate that during the MCP rule,
government
could wake up any day and decide anything without proper consideration
of
legal implications a particular directive could have. For instance, in
this
scenario, there was no documentation, whatsoever when the MCP were
walking into the former ADMARC headquarters.

Khamisa said that the government is deliberately following every right
procedure in this matter to avoid being accused of masterminding a
political
sabotage against the MCP.

"Although legal battles take a long time, they are good because they
prevent
people from some quarters from crying foul when justice is being
executed.
We don't want to be accused of politicising the matter when the truth
in black
and white shows that the premises belong to ADMARC," he said.

Analysts say that the issue of MCP's Southern Region Headquarters is
just a
case in point of how the party is clinging to premises which do not
rightfully
belong to them. One analyst described the wrangle over MCP's Southern
Regional Headquarters as a genesis of the party's new problems.

Most other citizens interviewed at random express surprise that this
piece of
land belongs to ADMARC and that MCP is collecting rental from the
same.
Some of those interviewed expressed that they hoped that the rental
collected so far would be paid back to ADMARC.

Most of the buildings which the party used as its district headquarters
legally
do not belong to them.

"I know of one district office which used to belong to the Jehova
Witnesses
Sect. After the banning and expulsion of the Sect in the 1970s, the
MCP
seized the building and turned it into a district headquarters," said
the
analyst. The present district office in Blantyre also belonged to
another
popular lawyer who fled the country and his relatives are in the
country.

Meanwhile The Malawi Standard has also established that MCP owes City
of
Blantyre about MK 4 million in city rates for the same ADMARC plot and
have
given notice to sell the plot to recover city rates.

*****

Numbers in Need Increase

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
September 13, 2002
Posted to the web September 13, 2002

JOHANNESBURG, 13 September (IRIN) - The
number of people at risk in Malawi's food shortage crisis has soared
this
month from 500,000 to 2.1 million, the World Food Programme (WFP) has
warned.

In a statement after his tour of Malawi, the UN Secretary-General's
Special
Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa, and WFP Executive
Director, James Morris, said he was "greatly heartened by the clear
commitment and relentless efforts of relief workers and Malawian
communities".

However, he warned that the "the magnitude of this crisis demands an
even
greater response over the coming months ... we have no time to lose -
people have almost exhausted their coping mechanisms and the rainy
season is upon us".

Humanitarian efforts were only 57 percent funded, with US $62 million
of the
US $144 million requested still needed for food and non-food
assistance.

Aid agencies estimate that the number of people in need will jump again
to
3.2 people million in December, when the crisis starts to peak.

"While the food assistance programme has been stepped up and food is
reaching more and more vulnerable people, the challenge now is to
raise
nutrition levels through a range of humanitarian responses, including
agriculture, health, sanitation and education projects," he said.

Morris arrived in Malawi on Tuesday - accompanied by Carolyn McAskie,
Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator for the Office for the Coordination
of
Humanitarian Affairs and technical experts from the World Health
Organisation, UN Children's Fund, Food and Agricultural Organisation,
WFP,
and a representative from the Southern African Development Community -
as part of a six nation tour to assess humanitarian needs and
response.

On Thursday, Morris said two significant developments would improve
the
logistical infrastructure in the region, bringing short-term and
long-term
benefits to Malawi and the region as a whole.

The first was a newly approved special operation by WFP to repair the
Nacala railway line, the only direct rail link between Mozambique and
land-locked Malawi. Built in 1970, sections of the track have fallen
into
disrepair which worsens during the rainy season, forcing the trains to
move
at "a 10km/hour crawl" and creating a two-month backlog of freight.

"I'm very pleased to announce that repairs can start very soon, as we
have
strong indications that donors will fully fund the US $5.6 million
required,"igh
Morris said.

The Canadian government had already pledged US $256,410 and there
were promising signs that the Britain would come forward soon with a
significant contribution.

"The investment will quickly repay itself by providing US $1 million
per month
in transport savings. And more importantly, thousands of people will
get
badly-needed food aid even faster," Morris added.

This follows an announcement on Tuesday of a US $7 million contribution
to
the Southern Africa crisis of 200 trucks and other equipment by the
Norwegian Red Cross (of which 60 will be for Malawi), finalised on
Tuesday
by Morris and Jan England, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Red
Cross.

During his three-day trip to Malawi, Morris and mission members visited
a
number of projects in Dedza and Salima districts, which demonstrated
the
depth of the crisis and the complex responses needed to meet both the
relief
and recovery requirements of the country.

The mission also saw numerous examples of the direct association
between
HIV/AIDS, the onset of communicable diseases, and poor nutrition.

*****

Zimbabwe to speed up
                farmer evictions

                The Zimbabwe Government plans to change
                the law, making it easier and quicker to evict
                white farmers, state media has reported.

                The new legislation would be introduced soon,
                according to the Herald newspaper, widely
                seen as a government mouthpiece.


                This follows the refusal
                of many white farmers
                to comply with a
                government deadline
                to leave their farms by
                9 August.

                Many have filed legal
                challenges and the
                High Court has ruled
                that many eviction
                orders were invalid
                because the
                government had failed
                to notify banks, to
                which many farms are
                mortgaged.

                Fines for not
                complying with
                eviction orders will be
                increased from 20,000
                Zimbabwe dollars to
                10,000 Z$ ($1,800),
                the Herald says.

                The paper also quoted
                Justice Minister Patrick
                Chinamasa as saying
                that he will be trying
                to reduce the time
                farmers have to leave
                their farms from 90 to five days after they are
                served with an eviction order.

                Some 2,900 of Zimbabwe's 4,000 white farmers
                were told to leave their land last month.

                But lobby group Justice for Agriculture (Jag)
                says that 2,500 have remained.

                Some 300 of them have been arrested by the
                police, according to Reuters news agency.

                Frustrated

                Correspondents say the government is
                frustrated by its inability to legally take
                possession of white-owned farms.

                President Robert Mugabe has promised his
                supporters that his "land revolution" would be
                completed by the end of last month.

                When speaking to
                international
                audiences, Mr Mugabe
                says that white
                farmers will be allowed
                to keep one farm
                each.

                But many farmers say
                they only own one
                property and this has
                been earmarked for
                seizure.

                When addressing his
                supporters, Mr Mugabe says that 95% of
                white-owned land will be taken and given to
                blacks.

                The United States and Britain say that some of
                the land which has been seized has been given
                to Mr Mugabe's political associates and military
                leaders, instead of the landless blacks he has
                promised to help.

                Zimbabwe is currently facing a severe food
                crisis, with up to six million people - half the
                population needing aid.

                Aid agencies and Mr Mugabe critics say this
                has been worsened by the disruption to
                agriculture caused by his land reform
                programme.

                He denies this, saying that 70% of food crops
                are grown by black farmers and that poor rains
                caused the failed harvests.

*****

Zimbabwe cops arrest retired judge
                    Harare
                                                            13 September
2002 14:32

                    Police in Zimbabwe have arrested a 65-year-old
retired white judge who
                    ordered the detention of a radical Zimbabwean
cabinet minister earlier this
                    year and had him arrested.

                    Adrienne Blackie, the wife of former high court
judge Fergus Blackie,
                    confirmed on Friday that her husband had been
arrested earlier in the day.
                    She said she did not know where he was being held.

                    Friends of the Blackie family said police picked up
the former judge in his
                    home in central Harare at 4am on Friday morning.

                    No comment was immediately available from the
Zimbabwean police.

                    In July this year, Zimbabwe's Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa threatened
                    Blackie with legal action after he ordered the
minister's arrest.

                    On Friday, pro-government Chief Justice Godfrey
Chidyausiku also issued
                    instructions to commence further criminal
investigations against Blackie, the
                    daily, state-run Herald reported.

                    Chidyausiku allegedly ordered police commissioner
Augustine Chihuriover to
                    investigate his conduct in a recent case involving a
white woman convicted
                    of stealing from her employer.

                    Chidyausiku reportedly accused Blackie of quashing
the white woman's
                    conviction and of failing to consult with the black
judge who sat with him on
                    the case.

                    Although Blackie has been a frequent target of state
controlled media, it is
                    the first time in Zimbabwean history that a judge
has been arrested.

                    Blackie took early retirement in July, five years
before he was due to step
                    down, shortly after he ordered the arrest of Justice
Minister Patrick
                    Chinamasa for contempt of court.

                    The charges against Chinamasa were brought forward
by the country's
                    judiciary after he denounced a ruling by a high
court judge of Asian descent.

                    Chinamasa, who did not appear in court to answer the
charges, said
                    Blackie's ruling was "a hostile parting shot against
the executive which
                    should not be tolerated".

                    Chinamasa was not arrested.

                    Blackie is the seventh judge in 15 months to step
down from the bench after
                    issuing rulings that have embarrassed Zimbabwean
President Robert
                    Mugabe's regime.

                    Judge George Smith is the last white judge left.

                    The first to go was internationally respected Former
Chief Justice Anthony
                    Gubbay, forced to resign by the regime and
threatened with violence by
                    Mugabe's ruling party militiamen. The government
accused Gubbay of being
                    "anti-government" because his court had declared
Mugabe's seizures of
                    white-owned farms illegal. The orders were ignored.

                    Since then, Mugabe has appointed other
pro-government judges to the
                    supreme court and left only one independent justice
on the bench of five.

                    The International Bar Association, made up of former
chief justices and
                    leading advocates, has accused Mugabe of "packing
the court" with
                    sympathisers to ensure favourable decisions.

                    Blackie served as a lawyer in the attorney-general's
department of the
                    white-minority Rhodesian government. In 1974 he was
elected as an MP for
                    the then ruling Rhodesian Front of former prime
minister Ian Smith.

                    In 1995 a government minister was accused him of
running a "kangaroo
                    court" after he held a night sitting in a police
station to demand the release
                    of white farmers held for alleged illegal possession
of weapons.

                    The government had an international court of inquiry
convened into
                    allegations of misconduct and he was cleared. -
Sapa

*****

Foreign army leaves
                Congo diamond town
By Mark Dummett
                BBC, Mbuji Mayi

                Zimbabwean troops defending Democratic
                Republic of Congo's diamond capital, Mbuji
                Mayi, are due to return home on Friday.

                A ceremony was held at the airport in the
                town to mark the imminent departure of the
                soldiers, which was delayed by a shortage of
                aircraft.

                . This is part of the withdrawal of the
                Zimbabwean forces from DR Congo, where they
                have been supporting the Kinshasa government
                for the last four years.

                Zimbabwe sent an
                estimated 12,000 men
                to fight alongside the
                Congolese army in its
                four year struggle
                against rebels and
                their Rwandan and
                Ugandan backers.

                Following recent
                agreements between
                the DR Congo
                Government and both
                Rwanda and Uganda,
                Zimbabwe decided
                that it could withdraw its troops without
                threatening the government's security.

                Since mid-August, Zimbabwe says it has
                already pulled men out of other key towns and
                that all the rest will follow soon.

                Held the diamonds

                The Zimbabwean army has been the Congolese
                Government's most loyal and important ally.

                It was near here four years ago in the diamond
                fields surrounding Mbuji Mayi that it showed
                just how important it was.

                Without much help from their disorganised
                Congolese allies, the Zimbabweans stopped
                and then held back the rapid advance of the
                rebel and Rwandan armies which were then
                threatening to march unhindered all the way
                across Congo.

                Mbuji Mayi was the prize - the Congo's
                diamond capital and the government's biggest
                source of export earnings.

                If it had fallen, the
                fear was the
                government would
                have collapsed, too.

                Troops out

                Zimbabwe made sure
                this did not happen,
                but since then has
                been accused of
                profiting from its role
                in the war, not least
                from the lucrative
                industrial diamond
                mines in this part of
                the country.

                The first contingent of Zimbabwean army
                soldiers is due to leave on Friday.

                Troops have already left several other key
                towns in recent weeks, with the rest - which
                Zimbabwe numbers at 3,000 - to follow soon.

                Zimbabwe says it can do this since Congo
                signed a peace deal with Rwanda at the end of
                July which should lead to the withdrawal of all
                Rwandan soldiers from Congo as well.

*****

[This story is outside of our region, but I thought it was pretty
significant.]

US looks to Africa for
                'secure oil'
By Keith Somerville
                BBC News Online

                When President George W Bush met West and
                Central African states on Friday, as well as
                Iraq, oil is likely to have made its way onto the
                agenda.

                Most of the states involved are either current
                oil producers or are involved in the expansion
                of oil exploration in the region.

                The meeting comes as
                the United States
                seeks alternative oil
                supplies from
                non-Middle Eastern
                sources, now that
                tension is growing
                there over US policy
                towards Iraq.

                The US has become
                increasingly dependent
                on foreign oil over the
                last decade, importing
                around two-thirds of
                its requirements.

                With much of the oil
                originating in the Gulf
                region or the Middle East, America fears its
                supplies would be susceptible to a negative
                Arab reaction to any US military action against
                Iraq.

                In recent years, the country has imported
                more and more oil from sub-Saharan Africa -
                notably Nigeria and Angola.

                Non-Opec sources

                The US imports more than 8.5 billion barrels of
                oil every day.

                Nearly two-thirds of the imports come from
                Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico and Canada,
                with Nigeria, Kuwait, Algeria Norway and Britain
                supplying significant quantities.

                War with Iraq could
                endanger supplies from
                Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
                in the Gulf region and
                also from Algeria.

                The Economist
                Intelligence Unit has
                warned that in the
                event of an attack on
                Iraq it is likely that
                Middle Eastern
                producers would "team
                up to cut oil production"
                thereby reducing
                supplies globally and
                pushing up prices.

                Members of the oil
                producers organisation
                Opec could also be affected - disrupting Saudi,
                Algerian, Venezuelan and Nigerian supplies.

                So the US is looking to other parts of the world
                for sources of supply.

                Most of Africa's oil producers are not Opec
                members - notably Angola, Gabon, Equatorial
                Guinea, Congo-Brazzaville and Cameroon.

                Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the fastest
                growing oil sectors in the world.

                Nigeria, Angola,
                Gabon, Equatorial
                Guinea and Congo
                Brazzaville are all
                expanding their output
                and Chad, Cameroon
                and Sudan are in the
                race to catch up.

                A US Government
                think-tank, the
                National Intelligence
                Council, has estimated
                that in just over a
                decade, West African
                oil exports to the US will constitute about 25%
                of US oil import requirements from the current
                level of 16%.

                Sights on Africa

                Angola is at the centre of the oil boom. Its
                output has increased from 722,000 barrels a
                day in 2001 to 930,000 this year and by 2020
                it is expected to reach 3,28 million barrels a
                day.

                Nigeria's out will double to 4.4 million barrels a
                day by 2020.

                And minor oil producers now - like Equatorial
                Guinea, Chad and Sudan - could more than
                treble their output.

                On Wednesday, it was
                confirmed that the
                Chad-Cameroon oil
                pipeline project would
                go ahead with World
                Bank support. US
                companies Exxon and
                Chevron are major
                partners in the scheme
                to pump Chadian oil to
                Cameroonian ports on
                the Atlantic.

                The leaders of Chad,
                Congo-Brazzaville,
                Cameroon and Gabon were among those seeing
                President Bush on Friday.

                Following the Johannesburg summit on
                sustainable development, US Secretary of
                State Colin Powell stopped in both Angola and
                Gabon, where oil was at the top of the
                agenda.

                Oil security

                But the US is not just interested in finding oil
                suppliers. It wants to ensure that those
                supplies are secure - not just from political
                decisions but also from the threat of military
                attack.

                Washington has been discussing with Sao
                Tome e Principe, the island state off the west
                coast of Africa, the possibility of establishing a
                naval base there.

                President de Menezes
                of Sao Tome is to
                meet George Bush on
                Friday.

                Ahead of talks with Mr
                Bush, President
                Fradique de Menezes
                of Sao Tome confirmed
                they would be
                discussing
                strengthening security
                in West Africa.

                President Denis
                Sassou-Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville also said
                US companies were delighted with their
                growing involvement in the West African oil
                industry. However, he declined to say whether
                the US saw Africa's Gulf of Guinea as an
                alternative to the Persian Gulf.

                But some American politicians have been more
                forthcoming.

                Ed Royce, the Republican who chairs the
                House of Representatives Africa
                Subcommittee, is enthusiastic about African
                oil.

                "West African oil doesn't have the strategic
                bottlenecks that other nations have. We
                generally have good political relations with
                African oil producers.

                "And if it lessens our dependence on a
                particular section of the world, that's good,"
                Mr Royce said.

Mark may have never regretted bringing a guitar, but being his flatmate I'm
not sure I could say the same!  Mark, did you ever master that poor thing?

Cheers,

Karl K.

>From: holland@...
>Reply-To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: RE: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?
>Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 18:33:06 -0400
>
>I wasn't a teacher but I did work in the government.  In the office I wore
>slacks, a short sleeve shirt or a long-sleeve one rolled up, and a tie most
>days (man did I ever get sick of that blue shirt).  I would often cycle in
>wearing shorts & a t-shirt and then change in the office.
>
>Outside of the office my only rule for myself was to be neat, since I found
>my interactions with people went much more smoothly that way.  My sense of
>the place is that Malawians dress formally if they can possibly afford it,
>and find it slightly odd when someone who can afford to does not.  That
>said, in any very casual or expatriate situation I had no problem wearing
>shorts and sandals.
>
>There used to be this great list that circulated called "things I'm really
>glad I brought and things I wish I had left behind".  First for me in the
>former category was a tent, sleeping bag, and hiking boots.  That opened up
>some great vacation opportunities.  Bike tools also.  I had a kit of box
>wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and a few specialized bike tools (freewheel
>puller, spoke wrench) which saved my butt on more than one occasion.  It
>wasn't huge: the whole thing fit in a zip-lock bag.  Shoes were always
>expensive and a hassle to find, so I'm glad I brought both dress shoes and
>casual shoes.  I never regretted bringing a guitar.  It was a hassle to lug
>around sometimes but it broke the ice with my homestay families
>wonderfully.  Everyone loved their shortwave radios.   PC will provide you
>with mosquito netting and a first-aid kit, or at least they did when I was
>there.
>
>Have a great time, I'm more than a little jealous.
>
>Mark
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tighe1 [mailto:junk9191@...]
>Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 6:12 PM
>To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?
>
>
>
>I have been accepted to teach math in Malawi and I'm leaving at the
>end of this month! I'm super excited, especially reading all of this
>group's messages. I'm a little confused about what to take for
>clothing, especially considering the conservative nature of the
>country. I was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers for
>what is acceptable or not acceptable for a teacher. Basically, I've
>been told that I need to wear pants and a button down shirt if I'm
>around town, short sleeves are acceptable. In the classroom I need to
>wear a long sleeved button down, and maybe a tie? Any pointers you
>could give would be great.
>
>Also, do you have any general suggestions for items you should have
>taken but didn't know about? Any suggestions are helpful, as I
>obviously don't really know what to expect :) Thanks!
>
>-Tighe Herren
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>




Life is too important to take seriously.
- Corky Siegel


_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com

I was a teacher in the the valley in Salima. I was too bloody hot to wear a
tie, let alone a long sleeve shirt.  However I also taught in the norther
region and in Lilongwe and from about April to about the end of July, it can
get pretty chilly.  Also I brought along several nice clothes for some
special occasions. My advise in hind site would have to brought less clothes
and more leisure things.  I love golf, I wish that I had brought a club and
a bunch of shag balls to hit and pay little kids to pick them up. My game
went to pot in my 5 years in Malawi.

You would be surprised at the used clothes that you can buy.  A good pair of
shoe or three is very important, a good watch, during my time I was pretty
infamous for wearing flip-flops everywhere that I went, I hated how hard my
socks got after washing them.

My wife went back last summer, and she said that things have changed a lot
especially in the capital.  So it is hard for me to tell what you can or
can't buy any more but my guess is that it is more than while I was there.

Have fun, I love that little country and I know that they are having a tough
time with the drought.

If you have email while you are there, let us know where they send you, it
would be nice to hear about old friends.

Dan Dudley

>From: "Tighe1" <junk9191@...>
>Reply-To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?
>Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 22:11:35 -0000
>
>
>I have been accepted to teach math in Malawi and I'm leaving at the
>end of this month! I'm super excited, especially reading all of this
>group's messages. I'm a little confused about what to take for
>clothing, especially considering the conservative nature of the
>country. I was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers for
>what is acceptable or not acceptable for a teacher. Basically, I've
>been told that I need to wear pants and a button down shirt if I'm
>around town, short sleeves are acceptable. In the classroom I need to
>wear a long sleeved button down, and maybe a tie? Any pointers you
>could give would be great.
>
>Also, do you have any general suggestions for items you should have
>taken but didn't know about? Any suggestions are helpful, as I
>obviously don't really know what to expect :) Thanks!
>
>-Tighe Herren
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/




_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

Hey, Karl, no I never got any better.  But you sure were happy I brought those
bike tools!

M

-----Original Message-----
From: Karl Klemmick [mailto:kleco_ksk@...]
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2002 12:12 PM
To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?



Mark may have never regretted bringing a guitar, but being his flatmate I'm
not sure I could say the same!  Mark, did you ever master that poor thing?

Cheers,

Karl K.

>From: holland@...
>Reply-To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: RE: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?
>Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 18:33:06 -0400
>
>I wasn't a teacher but I did work in the government.  In the office I wore
>slacks, a short sleeve shirt or a long-sleeve one rolled up, and a tie most
>days (man did I ever get sick of that blue shirt).  I would often cycle in
>wearing shorts & a t-shirt and then change in the office.
>
>Outside of the office my only rule for myself was to be neat, since I found
>my interactions with people went much more smoothly that way.  My sense of
>the place is that Malawians dress formally if they can possibly afford it,
>and find it slightly odd when someone who can afford to does not.  That
>said, in any very casual or expatriate situation I had no problem wearing
>shorts and sandals.
>
>There used to be this great list that circulated called "things I'm really
>glad I brought and things I wish I had left behind".  First for me in the
>former category was a tent, sleeping bag, and hiking boots.  That opened up
>some great vacation opportunities.  Bike tools also.  I had a kit of box
>wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and a few specialized bike tools (freewheel
>puller, spoke wrench) which saved my butt on more than one occasion.  It
>wasn't huge: the whole thing fit in a zip-lock bag.  Shoes were always
>expensive and a hassle to find, so I'm glad I brought both dress shoes and
>casual shoes.  I never regretted bringing a guitar.  It was a hassle to lug
>around sometimes but it broke the ice with my homestay families
>wonderfully.  Everyone loved their shortwave radios.   PC will provide you
>with mosquito netting and a first-aid kit, or at least they did when I was
>there.
>
>Have a great time, I'm more than a little jealous.
>
>Mark
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tighe1 [mailto:junk9191@...]
>Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 6:12 PM
>To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?
>
>
>
>I have been accepted to teach math in Malawi and I'm leaving at the
>end of this month! I'm super excited, especially reading all of this
>group's messages. I'm a little confused about what to take for
>clothing, especially considering the conservative nature of the
>country. I was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers for
>what is acceptable or not acceptable for a teacher. Basically, I've
>been told that I need to wear pants and a button down shirt if I'm
>around town, short sleeves are acceptable. In the classroom I need to
>wear a long sleeved button down, and maybe a tie? Any pointers you
>could give would be great.
>
>Also, do you have any general suggestions for items you should have
>taken but didn't know about? Any suggestions are helpful, as I
>obviously don't really know what to expect :) Thanks!
>
>-Tighe Herren
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>




Life is too important to take seriously.
- Corky Siegel


_________________________________________________________________
Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com





Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

This reminded me of another standard piece of advice I give.  Take
*lots* of pictures when you get there of all the things that strike you
as a little goofy, or just different from the states.  It doesn't take
long for you to get used to these little things, and once you get back
you'll really wish you had a picture of, say, the Covo billboards "Even
mothers and daughters agree!"

I second (third, fourth?) the advice about not bringing many clothes.
And in addition to the little toys for kids, put a couple bottles of
bubbles in those tupperwares you'll be taking.  My housemate Deb brought
a bottle and the bubbles were what broke the ice with the neighbor kids
who otherwise ran screaming from us.


>>> petitbeurre10@... 9/13/02 2:01 PM >>>

Tighe-
Some of my favorite clothes are ones I bought in the markets in Malawi!
  Yes, I still wear them (time to update?).  As Mark suggested, I did
love my shortwave radio.  Also, nice lotions and smelly-stuff (perhaps a
gendered item) was always nice to update the daily sponge bath.
Batteries were expensive and crummy in Malawi so bringing a stash for
walkmans and radios is a good idea.  Don't underestimate the importance
of a good camera- even if you're not into photography now, the beauty of
Malawi will no doubt inspire you.  Sunscreen, film, chapstick, GOOD
BOOKS!, favorite music, gifts for homestays and new friends, pictures of
your family and home, dried spices.  I did have to explain the
difference between my dried basil and marajuana one time at a military
check-point, but after explaining how to make tomatoe sauce in my broken
Tumbuka, I was fine.  If you have electricity it is great to have a
laptop or wordprocessor.  I lived in the boonies with no electricity but
kept an old word-processor at a friend's house in Mzuzu (the closest big
city) and loved being able to get some work done when I was in town.  Oh
the jealousy!  I feel it too!  Get ready for the trip of your life-
Tana


Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that
we are powerful beyond measure... It is our light, not our darkness that
frightens us.  We ask ourselves: Who am I to be brillant, gorgeous,
talented, or fabulous?  Well, actually, who are you not to be?"
-Nelson Mandela



>From: "Tighe1"
>Reply-To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [ujeni] Help! Suggestions for to-be trainee?
>Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 22:11:35 -0000
>
>
>I have been accepted to teach math in Malawi and I'm leaving at the
>end of this month! I'm super excited, especially reading all of this
>group's messages. I'm a little confused about what to take for
>clothing, especially considering the conservative nature of the
>country. I was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers for
>what is acceptable or not acceptable for a teacher. Basically, I've
>been told that I need to wear pants and a button down shirt if I'm
>around town, short sleeves are acceptable. In the classroom I need to

>wear a long sleeved button down, and maybe a tie? Any pointers you
>could give would be great.
>
>Also, do you have any general suggestions for items you should have
>taken but didn't know about? Any suggestions are helpful, as I
>obviously don't really know what to expect :) Thanks!
>
>-Tighe Herren
>
>

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