Donor Aid Tied to Good Governance

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 7, 2003
Posted to the web January 7, 2003

Mallick Mnela
Lilongwe

Political and Economic analysts have warned that unless the United
Democratic Front (UDF) proved to the donor community and civil society
that government was serious about improving on it's ills, the hope of
normalising relations between the development community and the state
will continue to remain an unattainable dream.

The warning comes amid calls from human rights and civil society
advocates urging the government to bring the financial hiccups to
normal
by increasing or at least attracting donor funding inflows, This, they
said
can only be done by apologising to the nation and to our partners for
the
poor accountability, especially Denmark who pulled out of Malawi in
July
last year. The intransigence of the Malawi government to reform has led
to
other key donors withholding funding.

More than 2/3rds of political analysts interviewed agreed that the
UDF's
desire to retain power at all costs was another position of contention.
They
feared that if passed, the third term bid for President Muluzi is
likely to
inflict grave damage on the country's fragile economy saying it will
only
mirror and highlight the governments' continued abuse of parliament
and
democracy in particular.

Executive Director of Civil Liberties Committee (CILIC) Emmie Chanika
took a swipe at the government, quizzing if it has addressed the
shortfalls
identified by the donor community.

'I am sure Denmark will wait until the third term issue is resolved
before
reacting because they know the UDF will continue breaching the
principles
of democracy,' said Chanika.

She advised politicians to avoid making what she described as
*obscene,
un-intellectual vibes'.

Constitutional lawyer and law lecturer at Chancellor College (CHANCO)
Fidelis Edge Kanyongolo in an interview with The Chronicle said should
the
UDF force the third term bill through, the donors will not be easily
convinced.

'The Bill will reflect badly on our commitment to democracy and we
should
not expect to be assisted because we will have betrayed the ideals of
democracy,' said Kanyongolo, adding, 'nobody can be cheated that
people
have been consulted to allow such a major amendment of the
constitution.'
Another political analyst based in Lilongwe said: 'The UDF should
change
it's mode of running the affairs of the country, righting the wrongs
that have
been pointed out by those who assist Malawi financially. Otherwise it
will
be an exercise akin to squeezing water from a stone to convince them
to
resume assisting us.

'I personally feel that when donors say the ruling party should
exercise
fiscal discipline, stamp out corruption and uphold democratic
principles
they are doing Malawi a favour rather than whipping her to submission
to
their *ulterior motives' as some politicians have made us believe.' He
pointed out that the donor community is now focusing on the third term
issue since, he said, it was a *litmus test' that will determine if the
ruling
party has changed for the better on upholding democratic principles.

He said that should the third term bill be tabled and passed, Malawi's
already ravaged economy will undoubtedly be plunged into further
turmoil
with donors pulling out as was the case in the past when various key
donors bemoaned the way the United Democratic Front (UDF) led
government was running the country.

'We are desperately in need of donor aid taking into consideration the
hunger situation currently being faced by many helpless Malawians. We
want to get out of the economic hardships strait jacket,' further said
another observer opting for anonymity.

He added that the defeat of the open term bill was not meant to oust
the
incumbent President Bakili Muluzi from office but to maintain a
semblance
of democracy.

The donor community has accused the ruling UDF of wholesale corruption
and the diverting funds to unintended projects, especially by those in
positions of public trust.

Some instrumental donors like Britain and Denmark have already made
their stance clear on the issue . Britain, who makes vast financial
grants
and other technical assistance towards the safeguarding of Malawi's
democracy, last year withheld US$19 million intended for budgetary
support while the Danes took US$87 million earmarked for Malawi back
to
their Central Bank in Copenhagen citing the numerous ills of the
ruling
UDF administration. The Nordic country contributed a staggering
US$60million (K5.2 billion) into both budgetary and development aid
support every year.

The European Union (EU), currently whose presidency is headed by the
Denmark, also withheld US$13 million and is still demanding a refund
of
US$6 million already disbursed because of irregularities in the
tendering
process.

Finance Minister Friday Jumbe has admitted that since Denmark cutoff
her
ties with the country, economic hardships have been steadily
worsening.
He said that the government was ready to negotiate with the Nordic
country to ensure a huge financial gap is bridged.

Some Non-governmental Organisations have demanded an explanation
and an apology from the State President before trying to mend the
fences.

President Muluzi continues to remain *mum' on the third term issue
saying that it was not yet the time to bring it up again. He said
rather, it was
prudent for him and other UDF gurus to concentrate on issues of
paramount importance such as HIV/AIDS, poverty reduction and hunger,
among others.

The president's silence has seen the emergence of two factions within
the
party; the pro-third-term and the anti-third term.

The former, according to analysts, have enjoyed economic gain from the
party president while the latter have fallen victim to the systematic
purging
from within the UDF camp. The latest victims being Jaap Sonke, a
former
cabinet minister who was stripped of his position and Joe Manduwa, also
a
one-time minister who was, at the time he declared his opposition to
the
third term the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee looking into
the
abuse of office and fraud and corruption linked to the food security in
the
country.

Manduwa was removed from the committee after it was felt he was
getting
too close to resolving the matter that brought hunger and distress to
the
nations rural poor. It was seen that he was willing to put the blame
firmly
on his own party colleagues.

Muluzi, at public rallies has since practically declared their
constituency
seats vacant, further throwing the issue of participatory choice by
the
electorate in doubt.

However, analysts argue that the odds are heavily tipped on the
incumbent
president coming out in the open to reveal his intention not to stand
and to
propose his choice of successor within the next few months.
Presidential,
Parliamentary and Council elections are expected to be held within the
next 15 months.

Political pundits indicate that Muluzi's delays could reflect badly on
his
party and the successor with a potential for a repeat of the Kenya
scenario
where the opposition fielded a single presidential candidate to remove
what
was perceive as a reluctant, oppressive and ineffective party from
government.

*****

Government Never Submits Human Rights Reports

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 7, 2003
Posted to the web January 7, 2003

Joseph Ganthu
Lilongwe

The Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) has expressed
concern that the Malawi Government has never submitted any reports on
human rights to the African Commission and described the attitude as
lack
of respect for human rights.

Speaking at a press conference on the commemoration of International
Human Rights Day which falls on December 10, Robson Chitengo of
Blantyre CCAP Synod said the reluctance by the Malawi Government in
submitting its report to the Commission was a clear testimony that
human
rights are not fully observed. HRCC is composed of churches and human
rights organisations.

'It is a clear proof that we are really mocking people when we talk of
democracy,' said Chitengo observing that the State President Bakili
Muluzi
should not have gone abroad at the time when the world is celebrating
the
human rights day.

'We hear stories of our head of state as being the champion of
democracy
and yet on his priority list has instead of commemorating this day with
us
decided to go out,' said Chitengo.

The Executive Director for Centre for Research and Rehabilitation
Ollen
Mwalubunju in his comment on the president's trip abroad said it
showed
no wisdom for the head of state to be outside the country when
Parliament
was holding an important emegency meeting to save millions of starving
Malawians .

The loan authorisation of bill after being passed required the head of
state
to assent to it.

This means since the president is still outside no further steps can
be
taken in the processing of the acquistion of the loan.

The Excutive Director of Civil Liberties, Emmie Chanika also speaking
at
the same press conference said Malawi was one of the countries with
little
interest in human rights or constitutional issues.

She recalled the incident in which churches, NGOs and the civil
society
were barred by armed police officers from marching against the
extension
of the state president's office.

She said surprisingly the ruling UDF followers were allowed to march
and
were even protected by the police 'I think in Malawi the constitution
is not a
priority but a clique and inner circle,' said Chanika adding that if
Malawi
was serious about the constitution, the police should not have
disrupted
their march.

*****

MCP Followers Attack UDF 3rd Term Crusaders in
Dedza

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 7, 2003
Posted to the web January 7, 2003

Christopher Jimu
Lilongwe

Two United Democratic Front Third Term Crusaders were recently
assaulted in Dedza by opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP)
supporters on allegations that they were campaigning to unseat John
Tembo from his post as member of parliament.

According to Chairman of the Third Term Crusade Gerald Johnston the
two boys, Richard Banda and John Phiri were beaten last Monday in T/A
Kasumbu's area after some MCP supporters were angered by their
activities of undermining the MCP and promoting the ruling party.

'The boys went to Dedza to survey the situation and campaign for the
UDF
because there are by elections looming in Dedza. To our surprise they
were severely beaten and they could have been killed. Despite being
outnumbered the boys did their best to protect themselves otherwise it
could have been a lot worse,' Johnston said.

Johnston also revealed that his car, a Toyota Condor registration
number
BM 158 had one of it's rear tyres torn to pieces with panga knives the
following day when he had gone to find out more on the matter.

'They are bragging that no party should go to Dedza to campaign and
survey the political situation. My car had one of it's tyres torn by
the same
MCP supporters. Fortunately I was not present at the time and I know
it
could have been bad for me if I was around,' Johnston declared.

Asked if he had reported the matter to Police Johnstone said that
himself
being a crusader could not take the matter to Police.

'I did not report to Police out of respect and not fear. If these MCP
supporters start giving us boundaries of where to go and not to go then
it is
very unfortunate. They should not resort to beating us as if we are the
ones
who were responsible for Tembo's removal as MP,' observed Jonstone.

Commenting on the issue MCP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said that it
is unfortunate that some UDF officials have decided to go and started
campaigning in Tembo and Kainja's constituency even before the matter
is
resolved in the courts.

'It is very premature for any political party to go to Dedza and start
campaigning when the case of the two honourable MPs has not been
resolved in the courts of law. Even though we MCP as a party always
condemn violence we feel that it is not proper to provoke each other.

'Time for campaigning in Tembo's or Kainja's constituency has not yet
arrived. It is the Electoral Commission which will announce that
political
parties can start campaigning,' Dausi said adding, ' So until the time
when
the EC makes that declaration there is no need for people to start
campaigning.' MCP Vice President John Tembo expressed surprise when
contacted on the issue.

'I don't know that UDF supporters were beaten in Dedza. I am hearing
it
from you,' Tembo said.

Asked if he felt it was proper for people to start campaigning in his
constituency before the matter was resolved in court Tembo refused to
comment saying it was sub judice as the matter was still before the
courts.

This is not the first time the UDF and MCP supporters have fought in
Dedza during campaign time.

Three years ago leader of Young Democrats late Marshall Dukes was
assaulted in Dedza by the MCP supporters almost in the same area where
the two young democrats were assaulted.

In another related incident, an MCP parliamentary candidate in 1999
was
badly beaten by a band of UDF Young Democrats.

*****

Mpinganjira Angers Muluzi

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 7, 2003
Posted to the web January 7, 2003

Lilongwe

- Withdraws monies from their joint account - Sells their
London Flat from under him

President Bakili Muluzi is reported to be angry with the leader of the
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Brown Mpinganjira, especially with
the
success of his movement's Convention and well attended rally at Njamba
Park in Blantyre after learning that the former colleague and
strongman
cashed cheques worth millions of kwachas from their joint account at
one
of the leading banks in UK, The Chronicle has learnt.

According to sources, before Mpinganjira and Muluzi crossed swords
over
the third term issue, they used to have one account with the two as
joint
signatories. The account, which was opened in 1998 to cater for the
funding of the 199 UDF Election campaign was held at a Standard
Charted
Bank branch in West London. Additionally, some of the funds were used
to
purchased an executive flat near Heathrow Airport. Mpinganjira is
alleged
to have also sold the flat, which was in his name on one of his recent
trips
abroad.

'Muluzi has been angered by Mpinganjira's actions. Mpinganjira had
many
cheques already signed by Muluzi and he has withdrawn millions of
kwachas using those cheques. He has also sold the flat which was
purchased by the two without consent from the President,' said the
source
adding, 'Muluzi and Mpinganjira are real enemies now, much more now
than when Mpinganjira challenged Muluzi on the third term bid.' He
also
added that Mpinganjira's recent persecution at the hands of the UDF
are
not because of the increasing popularity of the NDA but because Muluzi
feels that Mpinganjira has undermined him by withdrawing large chunks
of
money which was meant to assist the UDF to remain in power.

Just last week the national broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting
Corporation
announced that Mpinganjira was arrested in Zambia on allegations that
he
was travelling using false documentation.

When contacted on the issue Mpinganjira while admitting that he felt
his life
was in danger from the ruling UDF disputed reports that he sold off a
flat in
UK and syphoned a lot of money from their joint bank account.

'I have never held a joint partnership with President Muluzi. He has
his
businesses interests and I have got mine. That is total rubbish there
is no
grain of truth in that story,' Mpinganjira asserted.

Asked to comment on reports that he was arrested in Zambia two weeks
ago, Mpinganjira revealed that he had information that some people he
did
not mention wanted to assassinate him and lie to the nation that he
was
running away from the Zambian Police.

'I never went anywhere. I was here in Blantyre at my house but I was
told
that some people were planning to abduct me and take me to Zambia. I
know my life is in danger but God is always on my side and will always
protect me.

'Right now I still cannot understand why MBC decided to announce such
falsehoods to the nation,' said Mpinganjira, adding, 'Right now the
matter is
with my lawyers and we are taking MBC to court.' Presidential
spokesperson Willie Zingani declined to comment on the phone and asked
this reporter to send him a questionnaire.

'I can not comment on that story on the phone. I have been misquoted
before and if you send me a questionnaire so much the better,' Zingani
said.

However a questionnaire sent on Friday was not replied to until we went
to
bed.

Mpinganjira and Muluzi have been at loggerheads since the former UDF
strongman opposed Muluzi's bid for a third term.

*****

WFP Moves GM Food to Malawi

The Post (Lusaka)
January 7, 2003
Posted to the web January 8, 2003

Bivan Saluseki
Lusaka

THE World Food Programme (WFP) is moving the Genetically Modified
food from Zambia to Malawi, the Southern Africa complex food security
crisis situation report by the USAID has revealed.

The report dated January 3, 2003 states that the WFP continues to move
biotech food commodities from Zambia to Malawi following government's
rejection of the biotech food assistance.

"Mozambique and Malawi have expressed concerns over the
environmental effects of biotech food, but are accepting such food
assistance as long as it is milled before distribution," the United
States
Agency for International Development (USAID) stated. "However, the
government of Malawi has publicly stated its intention not to disrupt
the
distribution of humanitarian corn if milling is not possible."

The report stated that December maize prices in Zambia averaged
between US $240 and US $260 per metric tonne, three times more than
the highest recorded maize prices in 2000 and 2001. "Prices are likely
to
continue to increase as a result of the limited prospects for
commercial
imports in early 2003. However, WFP expects the pipeline for January
and
February to be relatively strong.

WFP estimates that 79,676 metric tonnes of cereals will arrive during
these two months," the report said. The report stated that from the
beginning of 2002 to date, the US government has provided or pledged
more than US $278 million in emergency humanitarian assistance in
response to the food security crisis. The report stated that in the
fiscal year
2002, USAID and Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)
provided more than US $10 million in non-food programs that were
currently underway in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, and Lesotho. On the
latest shipment of US food assistance to the region, the report stated
that
to date, the US government has delivered over 400,000 metric tonnes of
food to the region.

"The balance of approximately 100,000 metric tonnes will arrive in the
region by the end of February. The Magna Energy, with 15,000 metric
tonnes of bulk sorghum, recently arrived in Dar es Salaam. WFP will
receive 5,000 metric tonnes of this cargo," the USAID stated.

"The remaining 10,000 metric tonnes will be given to the NGO
consortium,
C-SAFE.

The entire tonnage has been allocated for Zambia." The report stated
that
this year, however, regional stocks were exceptionally low, as they
were
drawn down to fill the previous year's food shortages, and surplus
commodities within the region were limited. USAID is also sponsoring a
SADC regional workshop on biotech and food insecurity in Gaborone,
Botswana, in February 2003.

Participants would include technical experts from around the world and
policy makers from the affected countries. The meeting will address
the
technical and policy issues related to biotech food assistance.

*****

Friend Testifies in Mozambique Trial

                    By Emmanuel Camillo
                    Associated Press Writer
                    Wednesday, January 8, 2003; 3:35 AM

                    MAPUTO, Mozambique –– A
                    journalist who was slain while investigating
Mozambique's largest banking
                    scandal was "horrified" that the wealthy family
involved seemed to be above
                    the law, the reporter's friend testified in his
murder trial.

                    Carlos Cardoso was gunned down in November 2000 and
two brothers of
                    the Abdul Satar family, key players in the banking
scandal, have been charged
                    with his murder.

                    Cardoso had been one of the strongest voices
demanding those involved in
                    the theft of $14 million from the Commercial Bank of
Mozambique in 1996
                    be brought to justice.

                    "(Cardoso) was horrified by the impunity enjoyed by
the Abdul Satar family,"
                    his friend, Albano Silva, told the Maputo City Court
on Tuesday.

                    Silva, an attorney who worked for the bank, said he
told Cardoso that
                    prominent lawyers had cooperated with the Abdul
Satars and others to hide
                    the evidence.

                    "Cardoso then wrote demanding that the case come to
trial and that the
                    attorney general's office take its role seriously,"
Silva said.

                    Before Cardoso began investigating the case, media
coverage had mostly
                    been favorable to the Abdul Satars.

                    Cardoso stepped up his work on the case after the
bank's chairman, Eneas
                    Comiche, denounced the fraud and the complicity of
the attorney general's
                    office in parliament in March 2000.

                    Silva said that Cardoso was "the person who painted
the true picture of the
                    Satars and (bank manager) Vincente Ramaya, and who
ruined their schemes."

                    Ayob Abdul Satar and bank manager Ramaya were both
charged with
                    ordering Cardoso's killing. Abdul Satar's brother,
Momade Assife Abdul
                    Satar, Anibal Antonio dos Santos Junior, Manuel
Fernandes, and Carlitos
                    Rachid Cassamo were charged with carrying it out.

                    In 1996, members of the Abdul Satar family opened
accounts in Ramaya's
                    branch of the Commercial Bank of Mozambique which
was about to be
                    privatized.

                    Over several months, the Abdul Satar family
deposited dozens of worthless
                    checks in these accounts and withdrew $14 million of
cash.

Heavy rains hamper famine relief in Malawi
                     Blantyre

                                                               09
January 2003 14:43

                     Floods and heavy rains caused by a tropical cyclone
that hit Malawi last
                     week have hampered relief food distribution in the
famine-stricken south of
                     the country, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on
Thursday.

                     "Some 20 trucks carrying relief food are stuck in
the south due to poor road
                     conditions, leaving many beneficiaries without
food," said WFP
                     representative Abdelgadir Musallam.

                     Musallam said relief operations, mainly in the
southern districts of
                     Chikwawa and Nsanje, which have been hard-hit by
drought, have ground to
                     a halt due to heavy rains.

                     Some three million out of 11-million Malawians are
threatened by famine.
                     Floods caused by torrential rains have hit several
districts of the southern
                     African nation and killed eight people and made
over 15 000 homeless.

                     Some areas are still inaccessible. Musallam said
WFP was expected to
                     reach 2,8-million Malawians with relief food this
month, and 3,3-million
                     people next month and in March.

                     The floods have also destroyed roads, railways and
powerlines. Floods and
                     drought last year were partly responsible for
causing the current food
                     shortages. Malawi needs 600 000 tons of maize, its
national staple, to stave
                     off widespread famine. -Sapa-AFP

*****

Prominent Zambians arrested for
                     corruption
                     Lusaka

                                                               09
January 2003 14:42

                     Police in Zambia have arrested seven prominent
figures linked to former
                     president Frederick Chiluba on corruption charges,
police said on Thursday.

                     The seven, who include one senior official still
serving in the government,
                     have been arrested and jointly charged with 59
counts of corruption, police
                     said.

                     David Diangamo, a secretary in the country's
treasury, was arrested late on
                     Wednesday for abuse of office and theft of public
funds during the time he
                     served under Chiluba's government, said police
representative Brenda
                     Muntemba.

                     A taskforce formed by President Levy Mwanawasa to
investigate the plunder
                     of national resources during Chiluba's time in
power, which ended in 2001,
                     has also arrested the managing director of the
Zambia National Commercial
                     Bank (ZNCB) Samuel Musonda for the same offence.

                     "They are detained in custody and are likely to
appear in court today,"
                     Muntemba said.

                     The taskforce has slapped further charges on former
intelligence chief,
                     Xavier Chungu who has been in jail for several
months on similar charges,
                     Muntemba said.

                     Others arrested on Wednesday include former deputy
director of
                     intelligence, Yotham Zulu; former deputy managing
director of ZNCB,
                     George Mwambazi; ex-secretary to the treasury James
Mtonga and
                     ex-government chief economist, Bede Mphande.

                     The arrests came days after Mwanawasa expressed his
concern that the
                     taskforce was taking its time in arresting and
prosecuting those accused of
                     plundering national resources.

                     Mwanawasa has made the fight against corruption a
cornerstone of his
                     government's policy. - Sapa-AFP

*****

Opposition march broken
                up in Harare

                Four opposition supporters in Zimbabwe have
                been arrested after demonstrating in support
                of the Harare mayor, Elias Mudzuri.

                The opposition Movement for Democratic
                Change (MDC) said it hoped to have 2,000
                people at the demonstration, but the police
                banned the protest, and arrested those who
                turned up.

                Earlier this week the
                government
                announced it was
                introducing a new post
                of governor to run
                Zimbabwe's two main
                cities - Harare and
                Bulawayo - both of
                which are at present
                controlled by MDC
                mayors.

                The opposition has
                condemned the
                government for the
                arrests, and what it says are police assaults
                on passers by.

                Under tough new security laws, the police
                must approve all planned demonstrations.

                Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said the
                MDC activists had been arrested for carrying
                placards, reports the French news agency,
                AFP.

                'Laughable'

                The arrests were a "violation of residents'
                constitutional right to express themselves,"
                said the MDC's Local Government spokesman
                Gabriel Chaibva.

                Zimbabwe's eight
                largely rural provinces
                already have
                governors, who also
                sit in parliament and
                have wide powers.

                Local Government
                Minister Ignatius
                Chombo denied that
                the new governors
                would make the
                opposition mayors
                redundant and said
                they would coordinate
                development.

                But MDC spokesman Paul Themba Nyati told
                the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that it
                was "laughable" for the government, which had
                presided over a 22-year decline in services, to
                say it would now turn things around.

                The new governors would usurp the powers of
                the elected mayors, he said.

Vampire fever sweeps Malawi
                     Raphael Tenthani | Blantyre

                                                               10
January 2003 09:12

                     A senior ruling party official was recovering in a
hospital on Thursday after
                     being stoned by an angry mob who believed rumours
he was harbouring
                     vampires.

                     Malawi's government has been campaigning to quell
vampire rumours that
                     have spread throughout the impoverished southern
African country, saying
                     opposition elements were using the rumours to
discredit the ruling party.

                     Eric Chiwaya, a senior official with the United
Democratic Front party was
                     badly beaten in the attack on Wednesday night.

                     Hundreds of people from a township south of
Blantyre stoned his house and
                     when he tried to escape by car, they stoned him
inside the vehicle, he said.

                     Police had to fire shots to disperse the crowd.
Rumours had spread through
                     the township that Chiwaya was harbouring vampires
and had approached
                     community leaders asking them to let them into the
area.

                     Police said three people had been arrested for
inciting violence in the
                     incident. Horrifying stories of vampires attacking
villagers in the dead of night
                     and sucking their blood began circulating last
month in Malawi.

                     Frightened villagers have beaten to death a man
suspected of being a
                     vampire, attacked and nearly lynched three visiting
priests and destroyed an
                     aid group's encampment they feared was the
vampires' headquarters.

                     President Bakili Muluzi called the rumours
unfounded and malicious, and
                     accused unnamed opposition groups of trying to
undermine him by saying
                     his government gave aid agencies human blood in
exchange for food aid. -
                     Sapa-AP

*****

White Farmer: Judge Seized Zimbabwe Farm

                    By Angus Shaw
                    Associated Press Writer
                    Friday, January 10, 2003; 9:10 AM

                    HARARE, Zimbabwe – A High Court judge ignored an
                    order by his own court barring him from moving onto
a farm
                    confiscated from a white family, the owner of the
disputed
                    land said Friday.

                    According to the white farmer, Vernon Nicolle, Judge
Ben
                    Hlatshwayo told him he was allocated the land by
the
                    government under its land reform program
encouraging
                    commercial farming by blacks.

                    The controversial land reform program, which the
                    government says is a tool to correct colonial era
injustices by
                    giving farms to poor, landless blacks, has come
under fire for
                    giving many of the prime farms instead to
confidantes of
                    longtime President Robert Mugabe.

                    Nicolle obtained a High Court order in September
freezing a government eviction notice on his property
                    in Banket, 60 miles northwest of Harare on grounds
there were errors in the notice.

                    That order suspended Nicolle's eviction until the
government revised the notice. It has not been
                    reissued.

                    Accompanied by a police escort, Hlatshwayo moved
onto the 900-acre farm last month. He also
                    moved equipment and workers there, according to
correspondence to the judge by Nicolle's lawyers.

                    Nicolle, one of the biggest grain producers in the
district, is living in his farmhouse on an adjacent 192
                    acres.

                    "This has seriously affected my operations. The
eviction was declared invalid and as a judge he should
                    know how the legal system in Zimbabwe works,"
Nicolle said Friday.

                    "I'm going to take him to the High Court. We won't
stop until we reach the end," he said.

                    Hlatshwayo was not immediately available for
comment. Nicolle said when he confronted Hlatshwayo,
                    the judge said he had been allocated the land by the
state.

                    The government has confiscated more than 90 percent
of land owned by about 4,000 white farmers
                    under a plans to redistribute it to blacks to farm.

                    At least 6.7 million people, more than half the
population, face starvation blamed on erratic rainfall and
                    agricultural disruptions caused by the chaotic land
confiscations.

                    Zimbabwe has been wracked by political and economic
turmoil for nearly three years that began with
                    violent farm seizures by ruling party militants.

                    The country is suffering its worst ever economic
crisis. Hard currency shortages have caused gas
                    stations to run dry. Corn meal, the staple food,
bread, milk, sugar and other commodities are scarce
                    and long lines have become commonplace.

                    Justice for Agriculture reported violent incidents
and intimidation have continued against white farmers
                    still on their land or visiting abandoned properties
to collect belongings and equipment.

                    It said a woman and her two children were assaulted
in northwestern Zimbabwe on Thursday at their
                    farm.

                    Her husband, Alan Parsons, reported to police the
identity of the assailant as Themba Mliswa, a ruling
                    party activist and prominent soccer coach who
apparently took over the family's farmhouse after they
                    left last year, fearing for their safety.

                    The farm, in the troubled Karoi district 120 miles
northwest of Harare, had not been targeted for
                    confiscation.

                    "When I arrived at the farm, I was approached by
Mliswa, who had changed the locks to the house. ...
                    He asked what I was doing on the farm," Parsons
said.

*****

China donates 4 500 tons of maize to
                     Zimbabwe
                     Harare

                                                               10
January 2003 10:58

                     China has donated 4 500 tons of maize to famine-hit
Zimbabwe, the
                     state-controlled Herald newspaper reported on
Friday.

                     The donation of the southern African country's
staple food, which was
                     handed over on Thursday, comes at a time the
country face a shortfall of
                     well over 300 000 tons of maize between now and
March, when the next
                     harvest is due.

                     Around eight-million out of Zimbabwe's 11,6-million
people are threatened
                     with famine.

                     It is the hardest-hit out of six southern African
countries affected by food
                     shortages caused by drought and unsound government
policies. - Sapa-AFP

I can't believe the USA, out of one side of their mouth they talk about
sustainable development, empowering the people, healing the environment and
improving nutrition - then out of the other side they support complete
dependency.

Until there is action on the sustainable development side we'll have
problems for years and years to come.

USAID supporting GM Maize in Malawi is a step further into dependency.

Stacia Nordin

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 4:20 PM
Subject: [ujeni] news
>
> WFP Moves GM Food to Malawi
>
> THE World Food Programme (WFP) is moving the Genetically Modified
> food from Zambia to Malawi, the Southern Africa complex food security
> crisis situation report by the USAID has revealed.
>
> The report dated January 3, 2003 states that the WFP continues to move
> biotech food commodities from Zambia to Malawi following government's
> rejection of the biotech food assistance.

> "Mozambique and Malawi have expressed concerns over the
> environmental effects of biotech food, but are accepting such food
> assistance as long as it is milled before distribution," the United
> States
> Agency for International Development (USAID) stated. "However, the
> government of Malawi has publicly stated its intention not to disrupt
> the
> distribution of humanitarian corn if milling is not possible."

USAID is also sponsoring a
> SADC regional workshop on biotech and food insecurity in Gaborone,
> Botswana, in February 2003.
>
> Participants would include technical experts from around the world and
> policy makers from the affected countries. The meeting will address
> the
> technical and policy issues related to biotech food assistance.

Malawi floods spread

                The heavy rains in Malawi have spread to a
                new district, destroying homes and crops.

                At least 3,000 families in the mountainous
                region of Rumphi in the north of Malawi have
                been left homeless following weekend floods -
                and more than 3,000 hectares of crop
                destroyed.

                On Saturday, President Bakili Muluzi declared a
                state of national disaster in the affected areas
                and appealed for international help to cope
                with the flooding.

                The rains, caused by a cyclone two weeks
                ago, have created havoc for relief workers
                who've been trying to send in emergency
                supplies.

                More than 15,000 people are reported to have
                been made homeless, and at least nine deaths
                from cholera have raised fears of a major
                outbreak of the water-borne disease.

                Fears

                Our reporter in Malawi, says Rumphi is known
                for the growing of cash crops such as tobacco
                and coffee, as well as Malawi's staple crop,
                maize.

                The destruction of
                these crops by rain,
                now raises fears of
                further food
                shortages.

                The United Nations
                estimated last year
                that three million
                Malawians are at risk
                from famine.

                Neighbouring
                Mozambique was also
                affected by floods this week.

                Officials in the provinces of Nampula and
                Zambezia say 5,000 people have been made
                homeless.

*****

Political Parties Agree On Tembo's Expulsin

Malawi Standard
January 10, 2003
Posted to the web January 10, 2003

Tusekele Mwanyongo
Blantyre

All the three major political parties represented in Parliament have
hailed the High Court for upholding Speaker of Parliament's decision
to declare vacant seats of MCP Vice President John Tembo and
Secretary General Kate Kainja following their conviction on contempt
of court charges.

The two MPs were expelled from Parliament during a recent
extraordinary session. They, however, sought a High Court injunction
restraining Speaker Sam Mpasu from gazetting and effecting the
expulsion, which was granted in the chambers of Justice Dial
Kumange in Lilongwe.

But Justice Kumange later quashed the injunction following a petition
by the State to challenge the injunction. The judge dismissed the two
MPs' petition as having no legal basis and ordered that they pay to
Parliament K150, 000 in costs for taking Parliament to court on flimsy
grounds.

The expelled duo is undertaking final attempts to save their
decades-long political careers from an imminent end. They were at the
Blantyre High Court last week where they petitioned it to stay a court
injunction to restrain the Speaker from declaring their seats vacant.

Justice Leonard Unyolo threw out the application, advising that their
petition should go back to the Lilongwe High Court where the whole
issue started.

Reacting to the Tembo and Kainja's issue, United Democratic Front
(UDF) Deputy Publicity Secretary Ken Lipenga said the party hails the
court's decision to quash the earlier injunction because it upholds
the
rule of law.

He said UDF was happy with the court ruling because it was a UDF
MP who moved the motion to have the two seats declared vacant.

Blantyre North MP Paul Maulidi (UDF) who is also UDF Deputy
Secretary General moved the motion.

"We, in the UDF, believe that we are a civilized society where we have
laws to govern our general conduct. Surely, we are not in a jungle
where anyone will behave in the manner he so wishes; a jungle where
there is no civilization and no good order," Lipenga, who is also
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs said.

He said laws in this country are one of the major tenets of democracy.

"Surely, you wouldn't pity such an irresponsible citizen, let alone a
leader who is supposed to uphold a high level of integrity," he said.

MCP Publicity Secretary, Nicholas Dausi, said it is sad that the two
"honourable MPs" have finally lost their seats. He said there is
nothing
the party can do now to save them.

"It all went wrong at the beginning. If there was a little restraint,
things
could have continued to be rosy for them," Dausi said.

Alliance for Democracy Publicity Secretary Norman Nyirenda said his
party has no sympathy for leaders who have no respect for the law of
the land. He said it is unfortunate that Tembo wanted to continue
practicing his one-party draconian politics after the dawn of
democracy where the law of the land ought to prevail.

Chitipa Wenya MP Manifesto Bulawayo Kayira (Aford) said as
legislators, MPs are supposed to make, observe and obey laws.

He said it is "very" unfortunate that the two MPs failed to live to
the
expectation of people by failing to uphold the law.

Kayira, who is also former AFORD Publicity Secretary said it is
unfortunate that the two MPs and their faction conducted a party
convention in contravention of their own party's constitution, which,
he
said is a binding legal document.

"In further contravention of the law, the MPs went ahead to conduct
the
convention despite being served with a court injunction restraining
them from going ahead with the convention. This was total
recklessness," Kayira said.

It is inappropriate, he said, for MPs to break laws, which they,
themselves, make in Parliament.

"It's really difficult for me and surely for others in AFORD to feel
sympathetic, however painful their fate seems to be. This is a matter
of
morality. This should serve as an example to every Malawian who
intends to be a public figure to avoid making similar mistakes.

"Everyone ought to remember that ignorance has no defence at law,"
Kayira said.

A second-hand shoes vendor in Limbe, Never Kanyowa, said that
Tembo is a clear example of conservative politicians who resist
change.

"It is good riddance for MCP and the new political dispensation," he
said.

A cell phone technician, Austin Ussi, said that he had hitherto great
respect for Kainja, saying it was sad that Tembo has misled the
innocent lady.

"I wonder what it feels like to be expelled from Parliament when you
aspired to be the country's President?" further quizzed Ussi.

Other people interviewed at random by our reporters in Lilongwe did
salute the action by the High Court in upholding the decision by
Parliament to expel John Tembo and however expressed reservations
on Kattie Kainja who they felt was a victim of circumstances. Most
felt
that Tembo has outlived his useful shelf-life and that he was now
living
in borrowed time. They felt that Tembo should not have been a
Member of Parliament given his poor past record. They felt time was
ripe for new leaders to emerge from the MCP camp.

*****

Mpinganjira's Alliance Plans a Pipedream

Malawi Standard
January 10, 2003
Posted to the web January 10, 2003

By Paul Kang'ombe
Blantyre, Malawi

A Political Scientist at Chancellor College in Zomba has said National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader Brown Mpinganjira's plans to have
an opposition alliance to unseat the United Democratic Front (UDF)
from government are impracticable because most opposition party
leaders do not have a common ground to form a coalition. They also
mobilize along different attractions and are all motivated by the wish
and will to have money.

Mpinganjira told the first convention of NDA at the Chichiri
Conference
Centre in Blantyre last week that opposition parties should form a
coalition similar to Kenya's National Rainbow Alliance Coalition
(NARC), which has won the Kenyan polls of last December.

Nixon Khembo, a Political Scientist, said in an interview that
opposition coalition could not survive if its sole aim would be to
dislodge UDF from government because the opposition leaders have
no common ground and lack credible leadership credentials.

"The coalition is not possible because opposition leaders have no
common ground for the coalition and it will only create leadership
wrangle should it come to pass," he said.

Khembo said the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP),
which is split into two groups needs to put its house in order before
the
alliance issue can be discussed meaningfully.

He also said the MCP, the only opposition party with political
structures across the country would insist on having the leader of the
coalition from the party, not from the minority opposition parties.

"MCP has political structures while other [opposition] political
parties
haven't and that would be a bone of contention. Even if the coalition
convention elects a leader who is not MCP that particular leader would
not be accepted and the coalition would be short lived before the
polls
in 2004," he explained.

He said opposition leaders should know that people would only vote
for a leader whose credentials are not questionable, saying they would
look at a politician's background, how he has been behaving morally in
the recent past.

"Malawians would vote for a politician who is conversant with party
affairs, a politician who is stable and articulates issues of national
interest, among many other useful credentials.

MCP Publicity Secretary, Nicholas Dausi, said it is too early for his
party to start negotiating for alliances because it has internal
squabbles to resolve.

"We have to sought out internal problems first and other issues later.
Other political parties should also know that MCP has structures
throughout the country and other things, so any party wishing to form
an alliance with us would be expected to abide by the conditions that
we would set before the alliance is formed," he said.

A source in the NDA said Mpinganjira dreams of becoming the leader
of such a political coalition.

"Mpinganjira has been saying on several occasions that he would
automatically become the leader of the alliance should other political
parties buy the idea of the coaliation," he said.

"I was not surprised that Mpinganjira was proposing the idea of party
coalition during the opening of the NDA convention last week. He
knows the weaknesses of NDA but at the same time he would like to
manipulate other opposition parties for support and ride on their
backs for him to gain political power," said another NDA source close
to Mpinganjira.s po

However, another political observer commented that Mpinganjira
ought to be reminded that even in the United States of America a
presidential candidate's character matters at the polls. "On May 3,
1987, Gary Hart was the leading candidate seeking the 1988
Democratic nomination for president. Five days later, he announced
his withdrawal from the race because of his infidelity with an
attractive
woman Donna Rice."

"On May 3, the late Sunday edition of The Miami Herald printed a
front-page story, under the headline, "Miami woman is linked to Hart."
The newspaper article indicated that Hart and Rice were seen
entering his house alone late Friday evening and did not emerge until
Sunday evening. That immoral act destroyed Gary Hart's political
dream of becoming America's president. What more with Mpinganjira
whom the Malawi nation knows that he used his political position to
take away Lizzie from her husband Michael Lossa?" quizzed the
observer.

Besides Lizzie will dash the presidential dreams of Mpinganjira to
nothing at the polls more than he thinks. Some women in Blantyre who
know the character of Lizzie very well and oberserved her atire
including the shoes she wore at the COMESA convention, equate her
to Mrs Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines who owned
three thousand pairs of very expensive shoes. They say that she likes
an expensive life style and they fear that she would squander
taxpayers' money on her personal lifestyle. Hence they would not risk
entrusting Mpinganjira with the responsibility of governing Malawi

"As far as we know, the First Lady, Madame Patricia Shannil Muluzi is
not extravagant and most times her atire is simple, just a traditional
Chilundu and a head gear. And because of that she has won the
hearts of many women in Malawi. We even are happy that she has
been voted Woman of the Year for the third time," commented one
business woman.

*****

Government Officials Uproot GM Maize Plants

Malawi Standard
January 10, 2003
Posted to the web January 10, 2003

Paul Kang'ombe
Blantyre

Ministry of Agriculture officials and local communities last week
uprooted genetically modified maize (GMO) planted by some
subsistence farmers in Blantyre.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Hendrina Mchiela
confirmed the incident.

She said communities notified the Ministry's monitoring field officers
on some farmers who planted the GMO maize seeds.

"We received reports that some farmers had planted GMO in
Lirangwe, Mdeka and another area in Blantyre. I have forgotten its
name. Our field officers went around to interview the people there
about the farmers who planted GMO. The communities themselves
assisted in uprooting the maize seedling and the Ministry distributed
free farm inputs to the farmers as an alternative," she explained.

Mchiela however, could not say how many hectares of GMO maize
fields were uprooted.

Some farmers have planted GMO maize contrary to government's
advice not to plant the maize to avoid environmental pollution the
maize variety could cause to local maize varieties.

According to reports, some farmers planted GMO maize seeds
because they did not receive government's Extended Target Inputs
Programme (ETIP) free farm inputs known as 'starter pack' in time
while some had no maize seeds to plant at the beginning of the rainy
season.

The Ministry of Agriculture has warned that it would uproot all GMO
maize plants using its monitoring field officers across the country.

Nonetheless, this has not gone well with some farmers who planted
the seeds.

But the Ministry of Agriculture PS says: "The problem with us
Malawians is that we expect government to do everything for us. The
people can plant winter crops as an alternative."

Robert Malizani, a resident in Lilongwe said in an interview some
farmers in the Central Region have planted the GMO maize.

But the Ministry of Agriculture says it has not received any report
from
the Central and Northern Regions apart from Blantyre.

"Farmers were forced to plant the seeds because they had no seeds
when planting rains started," he said.

He advised the Ministry to use agricultural advisors to identify those
farmers who planted the maize if the operation is to be successful.

A farmer in Blantyre who asked for anonymity said he is not aware of
the dangers of planting GMO.

"Government knows the dangers of planting GMO maize while me, I
don't. I just know that when one plants any maize variety, he will
harvest
at the end of the growing season," he urged.

Lester Luwanda from Phalombe said some farmers have planted the
GMO maize because they did not have maize seeds to plant as they
depleted their stock because of hunger; and they did not receive free
maize seeds as it was not universally done.

"Long time ago farmers used to stock some seeds from their harvest
but because of hunger, the practice has now become history," he
recalled.

*****

Malawian Boys At Greater Risk of Dying Than Girls

Malawi Standard
January 10, 2002
Posted to the web January 10, 2003

Alan Mozes
Blantyre, Malawi

Boys here in Malawi have twice the risk of dying in their first few
years
as do girls-an observation researchers describe as both surprising
and unexplainable.

"Basically, it is well known that a bit more boys than girls are born
in all
populations," said Dr. P. Ashorn of the University of Tampere Medical
School in Finland.

"Normally, boys have slightly higher mortality in childhood, so that
the
sex ratio is close...at puberty and early adulthood," says Ashorn

"But in rural Malawi," said Ashorn, "we found that between 9 and 36
months of age, males had twice as high mortality than females-a
surprise!"

For a three-year period, Ashorn and colleagues looked at the death
rate among boys and girls in a rural district where many people
survive
on subsistence farming.

The researchers followed 767 infants from birth up to age three. All
immunizations against major diseases, such as polio, tetanus, and
measles, were recorded. About 66 percent to 98 percent of children
were vaccinated, depending on the shot, and vaccination rates were
similar among boys and girls.

In the current issue of The Archives of Disease in Childhood, the
authors report that 100 babies and 47 boys and girls between the
ages of one and two died during the study period.

The researchers found that death rates were higher among boys than
girls immediately after birth, but were more or less similar during
the
next 8 months.

However, they found that between the ages of 9 months and 3 years,
the boys were twice as likely to die as the girls.

Although 18 percent of the mothers had been infected with HIV prior to
giving birth, there was no association between HIV status and the
higher death rate among boys.

The researchers did find that wasting, stunted growth and abnormally
low weights were more common among the boys than the girls.

Causes of death included malnutrition, malaria, anemia, respiratory
infections, diarrhea, and in one case, an accident.

The authors suggest that the increased risk for mortality among boys
may be related to a local social bias.try

In Malawi, daughters tend to remain at home to care for parents after
sons marry and move away. This might drive parents to more quickly
seek health care for their daughters than their sons, the authors
speculate, though immunization rates were nearly identical among
boys and girls. "At the moment, we have no good explanation to the
finding," Ashorn told Reuters Health.

"Part of the difference is likely to be related to the fact that boys
are
more often malnourished than girls. Also, it is known that some
infectious diseases affect boys and girls in different ways, and this
may be one explanation for our finding.

"There is no evidence that parents...would be caring for girls and
boys
in a different way," Ashorn added, noting that the research will
continue to try to find an explanation for the higher death rate among
boys.

*****

Writers Union Donates Books to Zomba Prison

Malawi Standard
January 10, 2002
Posted to the web January 10, 2003

By Brian Ligomeka
Blantyre, Malawi

The Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) last Thursday donated assorted
items to Zomba Maximum Security Prison. The items included books,
Sugar, medicine, soap, religious tracts, papers and ballpens.

After making the donation Mawu president, Tsambalikagwa Mvona,
said that his organization thought of assisting the prison, which
needs
food, medicine and other necessities for its inmates.

Mvona said the donation of the books would help to reduce illiteracy
rate among the inmates.

"There are both educated and uneducated prisoners who will benefit
from the donation. The books we have donated today are on history,
culture, anthropology, physical science and some other things, that we
experience in our everyday life," he said.

Mvona said Mawu's wish is to see to it that prisoners are exposed to
high quality reading material.

He further said Mawu believes that by donating the books, they are
cultivating future leaders who would in turn contribute to the
development of this country.

"The prisoners would be reading the books during their spare time.
One day we will not be surprised to hear that among these prisoners
one or two has published a book. Good and renowned history book
writers originate from prisons throughout the world," said Mvona
citing
academician Jack Mapanje, former South African President, Nelson
Mandela, and poet late Edson Mpina, among others.

The Mawu president assured prisoners that his organization would do
everything possible to promote a culture of writing among them.

Senior Assistant Commissioner responsible for the Eastern Division,
Defastin Nthara said he was grateful for the donation, which he
described as timely.

Nthara said, "The donation will be used for the intended purpose. We
will make sure that nobody steals the things," said Nthara.

The prison boss pointed out that inmates have to be well looked after
by giving them good food, medicine, clothes, religious and education
materials, among other things.

Zomba Maximum Security Prison is currently holding 1,795 inmates.

The books donated included those written by Malawian and foreign
authors.

This was the first time for Mawu to make such a donation to Zomba
Prison since its establishment three years ago.

*****

K1, 500 Fine for Cellphone Drivers

Malawi Standard
January 10, 2002
Posted to the web January 10, 2003

By Paul Kang'ombe
Blantyre, Malawi

The Road Traffic Directorate (RTD) has introduced a stiffer penalty
for
motorists who drive while speaking on a cell phone.

Under the Malawian law already enforce, a fine of K1,500-00 shall be
slapped on any driver contravening the law.

RTD director Jomo Mkandawire told The Malawi Standard that the
rate of road carnage has increased due to recklessness by drivers
who talk on cell phones while on the road.

Under Section 108 of the Malawi Road Traffic Act drivers are barred
from using a cell phone while they are driving.

However, the RTD efforts to apprehend culprits of this crime are
hampered by lack of adequate human resources and equipment.

The RTD is therefore appealing to all drivers to adhere to this law.

*****

MDC denies plan to oust Mugabe
                     Harare

                                                               13
January 2003 07:15

                     Zimbabwe's main opposition party on Monday denied
reports in the British
                     press that it was involved in a plot to exile
President Robert Mugabe and
                     allow for a government of national unity to be
formed.

                     The Times of London reported on Monday that a
scheme was being
                     hatched by senior officials in Mugabe's ruling
Zimbabwe African National
                     Union (Zanu-PF) party which would guarantee Mugabe
immunity from
                     prosecution in return for leaving the country for
refuge abroad.

                     "That story is not true, it's mere speculation,"
Paul Temba Nyathi,
                     representative for the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC)
                     told AFP.

                     The paper cited MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as
saying his party was
                     ready to allow Mugabe to receive immunity if the
long-time leader of
                     Zimbabwe -- re-elected to another six-year term in
March last year after 22
                     years in power -- stands down. But both Nyathi and
Tsvangirai's
                     representative, William Bango, said the British
daily was probably referring
                     to a claim made last month by Tsvangirai that there
were diplomatic efforts
                     afoot to get him to meet with Mugabe.

                     He claimed then that Britain, South Africa and the
ruling party were working
                     behind the scenes to get him to the negotiating
table with Mugabe to
                     discuss the country's many crises.

                     Zimbabwe's economy has nosedived, with severe
shortages of foreign
                     currency and triple-digit inflation. The country is
also in the grips of crippling
                     food shortages which threaten more than two-thirds
of the population of
                     more than 11 million with famine.

                     The shortages are mainly attributed to a drought
which has ravaged
                     southern Africa, but critics also blame Mugabe's
controversial land reforms,
                     which have seen white-owned commercial farms seized
for redistribution to
                     landless blacks, for worsening the food crisis.

                     Nyathi said there has been no easing of relations
between his party and
                     Zanu-PF.

                     "We as a party are exactly where we were when the
talks between MDC
                     and Zanu-PF broke down" in May last year, he said.
Those talks were
                     scuppered after the opposition launched a legal
challenge to Mugabe's
                     re-election.

                     Last year's talks, brokered by Nigeria and South
Africa, were aimed at
                     finding a way out of the post-election political
impasse between the two
                     parties.

                     Tsvangirai, who lost to Mugabe in the March
election, has rejected the
                     outcome of that vote, alleging fraud and
malpractice, and called for fresh
                     polls.

                     On Monday Zanu-PF promised to issue a statement in
reaction to the
                     alleged plot to exile Mugabe. - Sapa-AFP

*****

Harare mayor released
                from jail

                The opposition mayor of Zimbabwe's capital,
                Harare, has been released after being detained
                since Saturday by police who accused him of
                holding a political rally without permission.

                The release of mayor, Elias Mudzuri, and 20
                supporters came about after an order obtained
                from a High Court judge.

                Under Zimbabwe's
                Public Order and
                Security Act, police
                clearance must be
                obtained for all
                political gatherings.

                Police said he had not
                obtained this, but the
                judge "was very clear
                in his order that it was
                not a political meeting,
                it was a civic
                meeting," according to
                the mayor's lawyer,
                Beatrice Mtetwa, who spoke to AFP news
                agency.

                Mr Mudzuri may still be charged with assault -
                police say he bit an officer's finger during his
                arrest.

                Opposition leaders, however, contend Mr
                Mudzuri was "manhandled" by police.

                The main opposition party, the Movement for
                Democratic Change (MDC), said that
                Saturday's gathering was not political but was
                called to discuss civic matters like waste
                collection problems.

                Power struggle

                Mr Mudzuri was elected mayor last March. He
                has been involved in a power struggle with
                President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF
                government ever since.

                The government has accused the mayor of
                incompetence, corruption and insubordination.

                On Wednesday, four opposition supporters
                were arrested for demonstrating against moves
                by President Mugabe's administration to
                appoint governors to run the opposition-held
                cities of Harare and Bulawayo.

                The government says the new governors will
                not interfere with the mayors, but the MDC
                sees the move as a drive against its growing
                power.

*****

Zim govt freezes prices of school fees
                     Harare

                                                               12
January 2003 13:35

                     The Zimbabwe government has frozen all school fees
including those of
                     private institutions, the latest in wide-ranging
price controls aimed at easing
                     economic hardship, a newspaper said on Saturday.

                     The state-controlled Herald newspaper reported that
fees in all the country's
                     schools should remain at levels of the last school
term in 2002.

                     The new regulations were published in a government
gazette on Friday, the
                     Herald said.

                     The government has also imposed sweeping price
controls on all basic
                     commodities and on a wide range of luxury goods,
from televisions to
                     newspapers.

                     "The freeze (of school fees) would cushion parents
already suffering from the
                     effects of economic hardships," said The Herald.

                     The paper said some schools had announced their
intention to raise school
                     fees by more than 100 percent this year. Many
businesses here are
                     struggling to stay afloat amid the country's worst
economic crisis ever.

                     Some government boarding schools have complained
that if they do not
                     increase school fees they would not be able to feed
pupils, the Herald said.

                     Schools with genuine reasons for hiking their fees
would need to receive
                     permission from the Ministry of Education,
according to the new rules. -
                     Sapa-AFP

Maize Committee Useless - MCP

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 13, 2003
Posted to the web January 13, 2003

Wezie Nyirongo
Lilongwe

Malawi Congress party (MCP) Publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi has
condemned the formation of an overseer committee to monitor on the
distribution of maize and other food items saying its just a useless
committee and a waste of government funds, resources and energy.

President Bakili Muluzi recently announced the formation of an
overseer
committee on the distribution of maize and other food items chaired by
UDF member of parliament for Chiradzulu east Henry Mussa.

Dausi said the committee is just useless since so far UDF has formed
so
many committees but didn't work out and flopped on the way.

He cited an example of an inquiry which was formed in 1996 to
investigate
on the prisoners which were suffocated to death but the report is not
yet
out.

'There was also a vision 2020 committee led by Anthony Mawaya and just
ended up in vain, also a certain committee to control the financial
status in
the country didn't work out as a result our currency is still going
down,' said
Dausi.

He further challenged that the whole vision 2020 committee was a
failure
and the recent maize committee is also useless and will achieve
nothing
at the end of the day.

'This maize was fraudulently sold and the established committee is
just
creating some problems since there will be more expenditures for
travelling around and that means using government money,' he said.

However, some members of parliament have questioned the inclusion of
some MCP and Aford MP's in the maize distribution overseeing committee
questioning the criteria used to appoint them into the committee by
the
state president.

The MCP members of parliament are Lilongwe north, Kashon
Chakhwantha and Lilongwe Msodzi south, Dzoole Mwale while from Aford
are Khwauli Msiska MP for Karonga Nyungwe and Wallace Chiume MP for
Nkhatabay north.

It is alleged that the mentioned MP's have been appointed into the
committee following their good gesture in voting for 'yes' during the
open
term bill which flopped in parliament last year.

'We know why these four MP's have been included in the committee and
the truth about it is that its an appreciation for the good gesture for
voting in
favour of the open term bill. Khwauli deserves the honour since he is
the
one who introduced the bill in parliament and other followed suit in
voting in
favour,' said a member of parliament on condition of anonymity.

Dausi when asked to comment on the move he said he sees no problem
in the MCP MP's who are in the committee.

'We have no problem in the inclusion of the MCP MP's in the committee,
however the fact is that committee is useless and a waste of money,'
he
said.

On the other hand Aford publicity secretary Norman Nyirenda said Aford
also welcomes the idea of the formation of the committee as well as
the
inclusion of the two MP's who in his words say they are bearing high
ranks
in the party.

'We welcome the idea of the committee since its 100 percent clear and
that we have been included because Aford supports every good move
government makes of national interest. Hunger is a matter of national
interest that's why we are interested,' said Nyirenda.

'If government decided to let Aford be part of the committee that's
good
since we are there to support and help the government and we have
nothing to hide,' he said.

Nyirenda further said Aford has nothing to hide since they are doing
these
things for the good will of the country. And said they see no problem
in their
selection of Khwauli Msiska for he holds a high rank in Aford as the
Chairperson of the presidential council and Wallace Chiume as the
acting
secretary general.

*****

Muluzi Funding Fake 'NDA' - BJ

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 13, 2003
Posted to the web January 13, 2003

Christopher Jimu
Lilongwe

Leader of the genuine National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Brown
Mpinganjira has revealed that President Bakili Muluzi is personally
funding
the NDA copycats to de-stabilise his pressure group after noticing the
political gains his group has made over the past two years.

He told The Chronicle in an interview last Thursday that Muluzi is now
scared that NDA might form the next government.

He alleged that Muluzi has committed a lot of atrocities and fears that
he
might be probed and prosecuted if the UDF is voted out of power.

'We know what Muluzi is up to. He has managed to de-stabilise the MCP,
he has managed to confuse the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) and
now he wants to confound the NDA. But he will not succeed, since we
are
aware of his underhand dealings,' Mpinganjira said.

The former UDF strongman said Muluzi is funding the copycats through
Minister of Water Development, Dumbo Lemani, who was also funding
The Sun newspaper, published by the three.

'It is not a secret, Muluzi is the one who was funding The Sun
newspapers
because he has the financial muscle and he is the one funding the same
individuals of the bogus NDA through his closest allies,' Mpinganjira
declared.

But Lemani, in response told The Chronicle that he is in no way
associated
with the bogus NDA which Chiumia and his friends have formed.

'I have better things to do other than supporting an opposition party
which
is challenging President Muluzi,' he said.

Asked to comment on allegations that he is often seen in the company
of
the three, including having lunch together at Superior Hotel two weeks
ago,
Lemani refused to confirm or deny but asked this reporter if it is
wrong to
be in the company of journalists.

'Is it wrong to be in the same group with reporters? I talk to every
reporter
including yourself, so if I had lunch with the three there is no
problem,' said
Lemani.

The deputy publicity secretary of UDF, Ken Lipenga said the UDF
deplore
the move by the three copycats and described their act as cheap
politics.

Lipenga also said it is wrong to say that Dumbo Lemani was the one who
funded the three copycats.

'It is unfair to say that Dumbo Lemani is the one who funded the
three,
without giving concrete evidence. We know that this is the work of
some
politicians in the opposition and that their aim is to bring divisions
in the
UDF. I would like to assure them, that it will not work,' said
Lipenga.
*NDA' President Thom Chiumia said his party is not being funded by
anybody.

'The funds we are using came from the newspaper we have been
producing. We had so many adverts and our sales were very impressive,'
Chiumia said.

However, investigations disclosed that the three former journalists owe
a
few individuals huge sums of money which they are failing to settle.

'Those three are gangsters and are capable of doing anything to you in
retaliation if they discovered that I granted an interview to The
Chronicle, so
I better not have my name quoted. They owe me and others I know a lot
of
money,' said the source.

Meanwhile the High Court in Blantyre has stopped the three copycats
from
using the name until an application to the Registrar of Political
Parties ist since they are doing t
heard.

Political observers say the three are lying to the nation in their
declaration
that they intend to contest in the forthcoming elections.

'Thom Chiumia and his two colleagues are minors. There is no one among
the three, who can contest for the post of president, because they are
below the age limit of 35 as required by the country's Constitution,'
said a
political scientist.

Chapter VIII of the Constitution, section 80, subsection 6 states,
'Notwithstanding any provision of this Constitution to the contrary, a
person
shall only be qualified for nomination for election as President or
First Vice
President, or for appointment as First Vice President or Second Vice
President if that person- (a) is a citizen of Malawi by birth or
descent; and
(b) has attained the age of thirty five years.' 'These boys do not meet
the
criteria (b) and will not meet it come next year.

'This only shows that the registration of fake *NDA' is a plot
contrived,
hatched and funded by the UDF from the highest level,' said our
source.

*****

Tip the Police

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 13, 2003
Posted to the web January 13, 2003

Joseph Ganthu
Lilongwe

Members of the Lilongwe Community Police Have Observed That to
Combat Crime in the Area It is a Responsibility of Every Resident to
Tip
the Police About Criminals Living in Their Respective Communities.

The idea transpired at a recent meeting held in the district. However
the
local community pointed out that while people are willing to give
information
to the police there was a need for confidentiality within the police
service.

Members were also requested to be soft handed with their resources
like
transport whenever there is a need. They were advised to make
follow-ups
on any reports submitted to the police.

Police officers were asked to be professional and transparent in their
operation to build confidence in the community. It was noted that
police
officers should play a role in educating the general public on crime
prevention.

Elections for the district's executive committee were held at the same
meeting. Reverend Emmanuel Chimkwita was elected to the position of
chairman, Mrs. Kwapata vice chairman, Mrs. Patridge secretary, Miss
Mtawali vice secretary, H. Raza Treasurer and Salima vice treasurer.

In an interview with the Coordinator for Lilongwe Community Policing,
Sub
Inspector Alex Simenti said the committee which is composed of the
business community, NGOs, politicians, police officers, religious
leaders
and the press will be monitoring all activities in the district.

The committee which is split into sub committees like Conflict
Resolution,
Victory Support Unit, Youth and Schools Outreach and others will be
submitting monthly reports to the regional office.

Since the Malawi Police Service adopted Community Based Policing as a
way of policing, considerable progress has been made in the police
service in meeting the needs and expectations of diverse communities
such as improvement of roadblock service delivery.

Among other standards police officers are requested to avoid
corruption,
allow road users to open their own luggage in order to avoid
allegations,
strike a balance between their duties and human rights, exercise
courtesy
when approaching road users.

*****

Chakuamba: The Next Target .... After Finishing
John Tembo Off!!

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 13, 2003
Posted to the web January 13, 2003

Joseph Ganthu
Lilongwe

President Bakili Muluzi in his ambitions to completely destroy the
main
opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) through court cases after
finishing MCP Vice President John Tembo is now targeting the party
President Gwanda Chakuamba, say political analysts.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) wants to use a case in which
Chakuamba and two other opposition leaders have been ordered to pay
K2.6 million in costs for losing a case in which they were challenging
the
1999 presidential elections. The other leaders are Malawi Democratic
Party President Kamlepo Kalua and Congress for National Unity
President
Bishop Daniel Mnkhumbwe After having dealt with MCP vice president
Tembo political analysts observe that the UDF wants Chakuamba to be
declared bankrupt so that he cannot take part in the 2004 presidential
race.

In an interview with The Chronicle the Attorney General Henry Phoya
said
the Constitution is quite clear that someone declared bankrupt cannot
stand as a presidential candidate.

He pointed out that this can only be done if the sheriffs fail to
recover the
required amount through assets seized. He said right now the issue has
not yet reached that stage. Phoya said Chakuamba and two other
opposition leaders risk being declared bankrupt if they fail to settle
the
costs.

Unfortunately for Muluzi Chakuamba remains solvent. In an interview he
told The Chronicle that he will not be declared bankrupt because he
has
the means to settle the costs and assured MCP followers that they
should
not be shaken by Muluzi's political propaganda.

'No one can declare me bankrupt and even Muluzi is not supposed to
comment on matters that are in court,' said Chakuamba adding that the
state president must not use the case as a campaign tool.

Commenting on such moves by the ruling party, the Treasurer General of
MCP Hetherwick Ntaba said the party's president has assured them that
they should not be worried about the developments.

The MCP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said the MCP is fully aware that
UDF is baying for Chakuamba's blood saying they are using the case as
a
political weapon.

He said it takes a long process for one to be declared bankrupt and
that
after all, payment can be negotiated with the courts through
instalments.

*****

In your dreams, says Mugabe
                     Harare

                                                               14
January 2003 16:01

                     Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday made
his first public
                     reaction to British press reports of alleged plans
to force him out of office,
                     under a scheme involving his close political
aides.

                     "I am not used to answering questions about
nightmares which are dreamt
                     in Britain at Number 10 Downing Street. I only
heard about that in the paper,
                     there is no truth in it," Mugabe said in response
to a question at a news
                     conference here.

                     Britain's Times newspaper reported on Monday that a
scheme had been
                     hatched by senior officials in Mugabe's ruling
Zimbabwe African National
                     Union (Zanu-PF) to guarantee him immunity from
prosecution for alleged
                     human rights abuses in return for his resignation
and exile abroad.

                     "Only a few months ago, the people elected me to
serve them and it will be
                     absolutely counter-revolutionary and foolhardy for
me to step down," said
                     Mugabe who is visiting for a ceremony to honour the
founding president of
                     Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda for his role in the
liberation struggle against British
                     rule.

                     The Times said under the plan, a government of
national unity would be
                     created after Mugabe's departure and organise
elections at the end of a
                     two-year transition period.

                     Both Mugabe's party and the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change
                     (MDC), which was also reportedly part of the plot,
distanced themselves
                     from the scheme.

                     Zanu-PF described the alleged plan as "wishful
thinking and mischief" on
                     the part of Britain, the former colonial power in
Zimbabwe. - Sapa-AFP

*****

Albinos hit by
                Zimbabwe's race divide

                By Lewis Machipisa
                BBC, Harare

                At a time when race
                relations are strained
                in Zimbabwe, one
                group of people is
                finding itself shunned
                by both whites and
                blacks.

                These are the more
                than 15,000 blacks
                with albinism, a
                hereditary condition
                that causes lack of
                pigmentation and
                leaves their skin white.

                But now, besides being
                treated like lepers, albino women have
                increasingly been the victims of rape - a
                practice fuelled by myths that if an HIV
                infected man sleeps with an albino woman, he
                will be cured.

                Outcasts

                Treated like outcasts from birth, albinos are
                shunned by society and unable to find jobs,
                according to Felicity Mwamuka, the welfare
                officer of the Zimbabwe Albino Association.

                Albino women have great difficulty finding
                husbands because people believe that an
                albino women will have albino children, she
                says.

                "Most albino women are single parents."

                "There is this traditional belief that if you sleep
                with an albino woman, you are cured of HIV,''
                she says.

                For Albino women who drop out of school at a
                young age selling vegetables at a street corner
                appears an easy option.

                But even that is not easy, as people will not
                buy from albinos.

                Children

                Albino children also have trouble fitting in at
                school.

                Gertrude Sumairi and
                her husband are both
                black, but 10 years
                ago, they had an
                albino child. "At first
                people laughed and I
                was shy to walk with
                my son. I had to stay
                in the house," she
                says. While Gertrude's
                husband accepted
                their son, many
                fathers of children
                with albinism suspect
                their partners of being
                unfaithful, resulting in divorce.

                In the worst cases, people with albinism are
                regarded as a curse from God or a sign that
                ancestors are unhappy.

                Appeal

                To erase the stigma associated with albinism,
                the Zimbabwe Albino Association (Zimas) is
                trying to educate people about the condition.  The

                Members of Zimbabwe's Albino community say
                they have received little support for their
                trust, set up in 1996.

                When a donor sends aid, the association has
                difficulty obtaining it because of the high
                customs duties charged on imports into
                Zimbabwe.

                To start with, the association wants the
                government to declare albinism a disability.

                Albinos have problems with their eyes and
                many albino children drop out of school since
                their parents cannot afford to buy spectacles
                for them.

                According to Zimas, life expectancy for albinos
                is 43 years compared to 57 years for darker
                Zimbabweans.

                This is largely because of the high rates of skin
                cancer among albinos because of their
                sensitive skins.

                Zimas also urges the government to cut duty
                on sun screen, so more albinos can afford it.

IMF Team to Assess Economic Progress

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
January 14, 2003
Posted to the web January 14, 2003

Johannesburg

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team arrived in Malawi on Monday
to
assess whether to unfreeze US $47 million in vital aid to the country,
news
reports said.

In May the IMF said it would withhold the US $47 million earmarked for
Malawi under its Poverty Reduction Growth Facility due to government
overspending beyond targets set by the Fund.

The IMF board was due to have met in December to review Malawi's
economic performance before authorising the release of the money. But,
according to the news agency AFP, the meeting was postponed with the
IMF telling the government to rectify "pressure points" in its current
budget
before lending could resume.

Other key donors, including Britain, had reportedly linked the release
of
bilateral aid to a green light from the Fund.

Finance Minister Friday Jumbe said the timing of the IMF's visit was
"critical" because it would enable the Fund's team to review his
latest
budget. "We are confident the Fund will see major improvements made on
our side," he told AFP.

An estimated US $8 million was illegally siphoned off from the state
budget
to pay for non-existent workers, a report released this week by the
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said. "This has caused the fiscal
deficit
to increase and the government has thus failed to fulfil the
conditionalities
imposed by the IMF. Therefore, the government will have to rein in its
spending in early 2003 if the IMF is to resume funding under Malawi's
poverty reduction and growth facility," it noted.

The EIU forecast that Malawi's total debt stock would increase to US
$3
billion in 2003 and then fall to US $2.8 billion in 2004, if it met the
criteria for
debt relief under the IMF-World Bank's heavily indebted poor countries
(HIPC) initiative. Malawi would only be offered HIPC relief when it
successfully fulfilled the IMF's conditionalities under the poverty
reduction
and growth facility for at least a year, the EIU said.

*****

UK issues Zanzibar
                terror warning

                British citizens in Tanzania are being warned
                that they may be the target of "an
                international terrorist group".

                The UK Foreign Office issued the warning after
                receiving information that terrorists were
                planning an attack.

                Tourists staying on the
                island of Zanzibar, off
                the East African coast,
                were warned to take
                particular care in public
                places.

                Western interests in Africa have been the
                target of such attacks in the past.

                Eight people were killed when terrorists
                attacked the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam in
                August 1998.

                In neighbouring Kenya, 15 people died in a
                bomb attack on a hotel near Mombasa on 28
                November last year.

                'Be vigilant'

                An unsuccessful attempt was also made to
                shoot down an Israeli charter plane on the
                same day.

                The updated Foreign Office advice says: "We
                believe that Tanzania, including Zanzibar and
                Pemba Islands, is one of a number of countries
                in East Africa and the Horn of Africa where
                there may be an increased terrorist threat.

                "We have received information that an
                international terrorist group may be planning an
                attack on the island of Zanzibar.

                "British nationals in Tanzania, and especially in
                Zanzibar, should be vigilant, particularly in
                public places frequented by foreigners such as
                hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, markets,
                bars and nightclubs."

                The Foreign Office guidance does not go so far
                as advising Britons to leave the country.

                  US issues Zanzibar terror warning


                The British warning follows a similar message
                from the United States last week warning its
                citizens to be on alert in public places such as
                markets, bars and nightclubs in Zanzibar.

*****

Zimbabwe Rumors Persist Despite Denials

                    By Angus Shaw
                    Associated Press Writer
                    Tuesday, January 14, 2003; 11:45 PM

                    HARARE, Zimbabwe –– Reports of a deal to end
                    Zimbabwe's political crisis by having President
Robert
                    Mugabe retire have struck a chord in this
beleaguered nation.

                    But Mugabe, who is on a visit to neighboring Zambia
at the
                    end of a two-week vacation in Asia on Tuesday,
denied
                    again he agreed to step down.

                    "Only a few months ago, the people of Zimbabwe
elected me
                    to serve them and it would be absolutely
                    counterrevolutionary for me to step down," he said
in
                    Lusaka, Zambia. He was elected to a new six-year
term in
                    March.

                    Though both the government and the opposition have
                    strenuously denied the reports, many Zimbabweans
were
                    unwilling Tuesday to dismiss them so easily.

                    "It has caused a glimmer of hope," said Brian
Raftopoulos, a
                    political scientist at Harare University.

                    Mugabe, 78, led the nation to independence from
Britain in
                    1980. But after 23 years of his authoritarian rule,
many of his
                    compatriots say they would not be sorry to see him
step
                    down.

                    "If it's true, the old crocodile must go. Now," said
Moses Bangure, a store clerk in Harare told
                    shoppers at his checkout counter.

                    The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, has confirmed
                    what he called a "clandestine" plan by independent
mediators in which Mugabe would step down to
                    clear the way for a caretaker government followed by
presidential elections within two years.

                    The mediators were representing two of the most
powerful figures in the ruling party, Parliament
                    Speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa and Gen. Vitalis
Zvinavashe, chief of staff and commander of the
                    armed forces.

                    According to Tsvangirai, mediators said they had
promised to deliver Mugabe's resignation.

                    "My own view is the offer could not have been made
without Mugabe's knowledge and it is the
                    beginning of a process," Raftopoulos said.

                    Whatever the case, the idea won't go away easily.

                    "There's a political stalemate in Zimbabwe, creating
an ideal ground for a new initiative," Raftopoulos
                    said.

                    That was clearly the case Tuesday for a group of
young doctors at a state hospital in Harare where
                    basic drugs, surgical gloves and other supplies are
in short supply.

                    "Times are hard and it would be wonderful to see
some changes," said one of several doctors gathered
                    around a single copy of the state Herald newspaper.
He said he did not want his name used.

                    Businessmen and factory owners also reported an
atmosphere of anticipation and excitement. Hopes
                    ran high that Mugabe's departure could lead to
economic reforms that would end the now
                    commonplace long lines for food and gasoline.

                    Mugabe won a new six-year term in March elections.
Independent observers said the elections were
                    deeply flawed and the opposition, along with
Britain, the European Union and the United States, said
                    the voting was rigged and influenced by violence and
intimidation.

                    The political chaos and the government's isolation
internationally has caused shortages of hard currency
                    and essential imports. Disruptions in the
agriculture-based economy and a severe drought have caused
                    acute shortages of food.

                    During the past three years, Mugabe's government has
seized most of Zimbabwe's thousands of
                    white-owned commercial farms, calling it a justified
struggle by landless blacks to correct colonial-era
                    injustices that left 4,000 whites with one-third of
the farm land.

                    Mugabe's ruling party, Zanu-PF, has become almost
dysfunctional but the opposition lacks the muscle
                    and experience to confront it.

                    Tsvangirai has said the opposition would not insist
on Mugabe going into exile if he steps down.

                    Malaysia was said to have offered Mugabe sanctuary.

                    But in Lusaka, Zambia, Mugage denied he would go
into exile. "I was born in Zimbabwe and I won't go
                    anywhere in exile.

                    "I will remain in Zimbabwe and I will be buried on
Zimbabwean soil,." Mugabe said during a ceremony
                    honoring former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda for
his work to liberate southern Africa from
                    colonial rule.

                    However, U.N. officials have confirmed that World
Food Program chief James Morris is scheduled to
                    visit Zimbabwe next week and has been told he cannot
see Mugabe – who would still be on vacation.
                    Earlier, the government had said Mugabe was due back
this week.

I received the email below as if this were in fact a "war" opinion line but
it is a general opinion line for the White House about any issue.  I found
that out when I called.  I didn't have to wait long to get a very nice, real
voice operator.  It was a good experience and I will use it again for other
issues.  Thought others of you who might not know this opinion line exists
would have a use for it at some time.     Cathy
______________________

>Subject: Fwd: White House "war" line - PLEASE CALL THIS WEEK!
>
>White House Opinion Line: (202) 456-1111
>
>The Bush White House has an "opinion" line for you to call about
>whether you oppose or approve of the proposed war in Iraq.  The line
>only accepts calls from 9 - 5 EST., Monday through Friday.  Just call
>the White House at 202-456-1111.  A machine will detain you for only a
>moment and then a pleasant live operator will thank you for saying "I
>oppose" or "I approve". It will only take minutes.  They ask you what
>state you are from and then ask for your comment.
>
>Note that the weekends are closed for calls.  The president has said
>that he wants to know what the American people are thinking.  Let him
>know. Time is running out.  Then please forward this e-mail to anyone
>who might want to make a difference.
>
>Tell them what you think: 1 PHONE CALL EQUALS 10-20 PEOPLE WHO
>DIDN'T CALL, PLEASE PASS ON TO FRIENDS.
>
>
>---------------------------------
>Do you Yahoo!?
>Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now
>
>--0-1813858015-1042471120=:68642
>Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
>
><FONT face="Times New Roman">We've called before -- Now is the time to call
again, because the tide is turning!  Forward to as many people as
possible!!<BR><BR>---------- Forwarded Message ----------<BR><BR>Subject:
Fwd: White House "war" line - PLEASE CALL THIS WEEK!<BR><BR>White House
Opinion Line: (202) 456-1111<BR><BR>The Bush White House has an "opinion"
line for you to call about<BR>whether you oppose or approve of the proposed
war in Iraq.  The line<BR>only accepts calls from 9 - 5 EST., Monday
through Friday.  Just call<BR>the White House at 202-456-1111.  A
machine will detain you for only a<BR>moment and then a pleasant live
operator will thank you for saying "I<BR>oppose" or "I approve". It will
only take minutes.  They ask you what<BR>state you are from and then
ask for your comment.<BR><BR>Note that the weekends are closed for
calls.  The president has said<BR>that he wants to know what the
American people are thinking.  Let him<BR>know. Time is running
out.  Then please forward this e-mail to anyone<BR>who might want to
make a difference.<BR><BR>Tell them what you think: 1 PHONE CALL EQUALS
10-20 PEOPLE WHO<BR>DIDN'T CALL, PLEASE PASS ON TO FRIENDS.</FONT><p><br><hr
size=1>Do you Yahoo!?<br>
><a
href="http://rd.yahoo.com/mail/mailsig/*http://mailplus.yahoo.com">Yahoo!
Mail Plus</a> - Powerful. Affordable. <a
href="http://rd.yahoo.com/mail/mailsig/*http://mailplus.yahoo.com">Sign up
now</a>
>
>--0-1813858015-1042471120=:68642--
>

Muluzi Declares State of Disaster

The Malawi Standard
January 16, 2003
Posted to the web January 16, 2003

Paul Kang'ombe
Blantyre

Malawi President Bakili Muluzi has declared Salima, Nyungwe Wovwe in
Karonga, Lisungwi Extension Planning Area (EPA), Bwanje valley in
Ntcheu, Dowa and Balaka South as disaster areas following loss of
lives
and property due to heavy floods.

In his special address to the nation last Friday, President Muluzi said
the
floods have increased Malawi's urgent need for food and non-food
assistance.

"Towards last weekend, especially from Thursday, 2nd January to
Monday,
6th January 2003, there were unexpectedly heavy rains that have caused
serious damage in some parts of Malawi.

According to weather experts, those were effects of a tropical cyclone
known as Delfina that had originated in the Mozambique Channel," said
President Muluzi.

"Apart from the reported loss of four people in Salima district, two in
Dowa
district, and one in Karonga district and three people missing in
Rivirivi,
there has been extensive damage to infrastructure and crops," he
noted.

Asking Malawians to pray to God for good rains that would not harm
crops
and damage infrastructure, President Muluzi said, "As you know,
sunshine
and floods are heaven sent. Let me therefore ask each one of you to
pray
everyday and ask God to give us the right amount of rain for our crops
and
livelihood," Muluzi.

Muluzi appealed to both local and foreign donors to assist Malawi with
both
food and non-food items to alleviate the suffering of the flood
victims.

He told the nation that the floods caused extensive damage to
infrastructure such as bridges, railway line structures, electricity
power
lines, maize fields and houses. It is however not possible at the
meantime
to assess the cost of the damage because most areas are not
accessible.
It is nonetheless, a known fact that the repair for damages and civil
protection would cost millions of kwacha.

"I now declare the following parts of Malawi as disaster areas: Salima
district; Nyungwe Wovwe in Karonga district; Lisungwi Extension
Planning
Area (EPA); Ntcheu South and Bwanje Valley; and Balaka South," he
declared.

Salima District Assembly has estimated that about 15000 people are
homeless due to floods.

Muluzi assured the flood victims of government's support.

"Government will on its part ensure that the flood victims are assisted
as
much as is possible", Muluzi said.

The Malawi leader expressed gratitude to all donors who favourably
responded to his appeal for food assistance when he declared Malawi a
State of Disaster on February 27 last year following the food shortage
the
country and some Southern African countries are going through due to
floods and drought.

*****

International Assistance Needed

The Malawi Standard
January 16, 2003
Posted to the web January 16, 2003

Brian Ligomeka
Blantyre

Malawi needs international assistance urgently to cope with the
aftermath
of floods that have killed at least seven people since the beginning of
this
year.

Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness and Relief told The Malawi
Standard in a telephone interview that the country's resources are not
adequate to support people whose property, houses and other needs have
been destroyed by the floods.

"There is no way we can cope with our own resources," said Lucius
Chikuni. He urged the international community to take heed to the
appeal
for humanitarian aid made by President Bakili Muluzi when he declared
some parts of Malawi as disaster areas in his Special Message to the
nation."

According to Chikuni, early assessments indicated that up to 15,000
families - with an average of five members each - have been affected
with
at least a quarter losing their homes. He said the actual number of
families
affected by the floods is expected to increase when comprehensive
assessment is done and if the weather worsens.

"Weather forecasters say we should expect worse conditions over the
next few days," said Chikuni.

Some of the areas, which have been worst hit by the ravaging floods
are
Karonga, Mwanza, Ntcheu, Balaka and Salima districts.

The government has already started helping the flood victims with food
items, plastic sheeting, basic household items like pails, plates,
cups, pots
and blankets and have supplied a few family-size tents.

This has really helped many people most of whom, were taking shelter
in
churches and schools following the collapse of their houses.

Chikuni said that about 14 small bridges were washed away and a number
of railway bridges have been closed.

One of the most important bridges, which was damaged by the floods is
the Rivirivi Bridge on the Zalewa M1 Road near Manjawira. The bridge
was
extensively damaged by flashfloods, which local residents believe is
Napolo, a mythic and spiritual snake that breaks out of its
underground
habit with marauding floods during rainy seasons.

The government hurriedly carried out the temporary rehabilitation of
the
bridge and it is now in usable condition. Both motorists and
pedestrians
are using it without problem.

Besides damaging various infrastructures, the floods may also have
contributed to the increased number of cholera cases especially in
Salima.
Health officials in the district are working around the clock
addressing the
threat of a cholera outbreak.

Meanwhile the World Food Programme (WFP), which is overseeing food
distribution to those affected by food shortage said that the heavy
rains
have affected their distribution exercise. A statement from WFP points
out
that up to 10 percent of its beneficiaries are failing to receive
relief items
due to transportation problems. WFP officials say they are saddened
that
the floods have damaged a lot of crops.

"We have been told that 4,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed in
Salima alone and that 906 houses were destroyed at Dzaleka Refugee
Camp in Dowa," WFP spokeswoman Jennifer Abrahamson told The
Malawi Standard in a telephone interview.

She said that it was sad to learn that the Lilongwe-Nacala Rail Link, a
route
used to transport food aid from the Mozambican port, was cut when a
locomotive and 11 carriages derailed, she said.

"This is a great concern to us because it poses a problem with food
delivery (from the port to Malawi) at this crucial time," Abrahamson
said.

WFP plans to supply relief food to 2.8 million people throughout the
country
in January 2003.

*****

MCP Vice President Snubs His Secretary General

The Malawi Standard
January 16, 2003
Posted to the web January 16, 2003

Tusekele Mwanyongo
Blantyre

Malawi Congress Party Second Vice President Peter Chiwona has
snubbed the party's Secretary General, Kate Kainja, over her assertion
that Chiwona is the acting Leader of Opposition in Parliament following
the
expulsion of John Tembo from Parliament.

Kainja issued a statement recently that there is no vacuum in the
office of
Leader of Opposition in Parliament following the expulsion of Tembo
because Chiwona as Deputy Leader of Opposition was acting as Leader
of Opposition.

Kainja said Chiwona would hold the post in an acting capacity until
fresh
elections are held during the next meeting of Parliament.

But Chiwona, who is also MP for Chitipa East, said he is not aware of
his
new role as acting Leader of Opposition, blaming Kainja of making the
claim without consultation.

"I am not aware of such an arrangement. I cannot therefore comment on
such an issue," Chiwona said.

Kainja's claims are in contrast with the party's unanimous stand to
rally
behind Treasurer General Hetherwick Ntaba as new Leader of Opposition.
MCP President Gwanda Chakuamba has endorsed Ntaba's candidature, a
move that many political commentators described as surprising.
Chakuamba has long aspired for the same post, which he lost following
his suspension from Parliament in 2000.

MCP Lilongwe Mpenu Member of Parliament, Watson Ngozo, described
Kainja's claims as unfortunate and lacking sense. He said the Leader
of
Opposition is voted by a majority of MPs and not imposed by party
officials.

"Who told her that we voted for a Deputy Leader of Opposition? She
must
be living in the world of fantasy," Ngozo said.

Kasungu West MCP Member of Parliament, Sailes Gulule, also wondered
why Kainja continues to act in a dictatorial manner.

Gulule described Ntaba as a young, sound and competent politician who
should take over as Leader of Opposition.

Kainja and Tembo's political careers are on the verge of extinction
following their expulsion from Parliament after the High Court
convicted
them of contempt of court. The High Court in Lilongwe effected
Parliament's decision.

Kainja's choice of Chiwona is therefore seen as a desperate step to
have
a sympathiser as leader in Parliament who could manipulate others for
personal political aspirations.

*****

Mourners Dig Grave At Office

African Eye News Service (Nelspruit)
January 16, 2003
Posted to the web January 16, 2003

Lameck Bwanali
Blantyre

Irate Malawian mourners dug a grave in a security company's yard this
week after the company refused to make provision for a former
employees
funeral.

The mourners had already dug half the grave in the Cobra Knight
Security
Company's yard in the country's commercial city of Blantyre when
police
arrived to intervene on Monday.

Francis Phiri was employed as a security guard at the company for
years
before he fell ill in October, last year and resigned from his job.

When he died his relatives asked the company to provide a coffin and
pay
for transport to the burial site.

According to an eyewitness, Frank Gama, the company refused and the
relatives and other mourners from Chemusa township outside Blantyre
grabbed hoes and descended on the security company's offices.

"The people just came to the office and started digging," said Gama.
"They
said they were going to bury Phiri right in the office yard to teach
the
management a lesson."

Police mediated between the mourners and the management until the
company finally agreed to pay for a coffin and transport.

Cobra Knight's guard sergeant, Frank Chingwalo, confirmed the incident
but said Phiri's relatives were in the wrong.

"He was given all his benefits [when he resigned] and his family had
no
right to make demands," said Chingwalo.

Phiri was buried in his home district of Mwanza in southern Malawi.

Meanwhile, Malawi's principal secretary in the ministry of labour
Martin
Mononga has condemned the incident saying that people shouldn't
threaten companies but should discuss funeral arrangements amicably.

"People should know that in Malawi different companies have different
working conditions. Even employees within a company enjoy different
privileges according to their positions and grades," said Mononga.

*****

Blood Suckers Rumour, Smear Political
Propaganda?

The Malawi Standard
January 16, 2003
Posted to the web January 16, 2003

Staff Reporter
Blantyre

Rumours that there are vampires in some districts who break into
people's
houses at night to suck human blood have been described by some
analysts as a political strategy by the opposition to create a state
of
insecurity in the country.

The opposition is further using the strategy to demonise some officials
of
the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) by alleging that they harbour
bloodsuckers or allow bloodsuckers to do their sinister operations.

Contrary to rumours of blood sucking vampires spread by the
disgruntled
opposition politicians, police and health authorities in the country
have said
no single victim of bloodsuckers has reported his or her ordeal to a
hospital or police authorities. Health officials are condemning the
rumour
mongers for creating confusion, which in some cases has disrupted some
services which are offered in hospital.

Thyolo District Hospital, for instance, has suspended its ambulance
services to its health centres at night following reports that
villagers were
intending to damage the vehicles, which they accuse of ferrying
bloodsuckers.

Speaking in an interview with The Malawi Standard, Thyolo District
Hospital
administrator, Hastings Dowe, said most villagers in the district
associate
the hospital personnel with the alleged bloodsuckers therefore it was
risky
to send ambulances to health centres.

"We decided to suspend ambulance services to health centres under
Thyolo District Hospital during the night because it is risky.
Villagers might
damage the ambulances, they claim that hospital authorities know
something about the bloodsuckers, you know it is very difficult to
convince
villagers on anything they conceive," he explained.

He said ambulance services are only rendered to health centres during
the
day.

Dowe described vampire news as 'mere rumours'.

In Chiradzulu, a woman who claimed bloodsuckers pumped blood out of
her body was driven to the district hospital by a National Initiative
for Civic
Education (NICE) officer to establish if indeed she was the victim of
the
bloodsuckers.

Fred Zayinga, Chiradzulu deputy district health officer confirmed that
three
weeks ago a NICE official brought a woman to the hospital on
allegation
that bloodsuckers attacked her.

"A Mr. Jedigwa of NICE offered her a lift to here. We diagnosed that
the
woman was pregnant, had bilhazia and was anaemic but this had nothing
to do with the bloodsuckers," he explained.

Mulanje District Hospital acting administrator, Madison Semba
described
the rumours as baseless, saying the rumours started spreading from
remote areas of the district.

"Mulanje District Hospital has not registered any victim of
bloodsuckers,
these are just rumours," he said.

Meanwhile police have said rumours of bloodsuckers are just propaganda
aimed at instilling fear among people.

"Anyone spreading the rumours will be prosecuted of conduct likely to
cause breach of peace," reads a police statement in part.

The police however, are requesting people with information on
bloodsuckers to report to any nearest police station.

A political Scientist at the Chancellor in Zomba said he suspects that
there
is a political element to the bloodsucker's rumours.

"I suspect that some opposition politicians are behind the rumours with
the
aim of making the United Democratic Front (UDF) government unpopular.
Why are the rumours of blood suckers only coming from UDF strong
holds?" he queried.

Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mulanje and Blantyre districts are UDF strong
holds
and it is in these districts where blood sucking rumours are on the
rise with
the latest incident in Manase where UDF Blantyre district governor,
Eric
Chiwaya was beaten for allegedly being associated with bloodsuckers.

Chiwaya accused National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of Brown
Mpinganjira for masterminding the beating.

"I suspect that NDA masterminded my beating because one of the boys
pointed out that he was beating me for insulting Brown Mpinganjira
during
public meetings," Chiwaya said.

Other commentators say that if there were indeed bloodsuckers people
would have arrested some of them already.

Alfred Phiri of Chilobwe Township said the rumour mongering campaign
is
just a strategy aimed at creating confusion.

"Why are the bloodsuckers hitting only in Mulanje, Thyolo, Chiradzulu
and
Blantyre where there are some pockets of members of a certain
unregistered political grouping? Why aren't we hearing of blood suckers
in
Mzimba, Chitipa, Dowa and Ntchisi?" quizzed Phiri.

He explained that he has heard of some of them are cheating that devil
worshippers are the ones who are sending people to suck blood from
innocent people.

Phiri told The Malawi Standard that the rumuor mongers are
deliberately
telling lies that the bloodsuckers usually arrive at a particular house
at
night. They climb to the top of the roof of the house from which they
pump
some gas, which stimulate heavy sleeping.

When all the occupants of the house are in deep slumber the suckers
use
their sophisticated equipment to extract blood.

"But ask how many people in Blantyre have had their blood sucked by
the
vampires? Nobody! This is why I say this is just a political smear
propaganda," said Phiri.

*****

[I worked with Charles at Michiru, and am quite happy to see that he is
continuing with his writing.]

Plans to Jumpstart Economy With Ecotourism

The Malawi Standard
January 16, 2003
Posted to the web January 16, 2003

Charles Mkoka
Blantyre

Natural wonders of lake and mountain and wildlife are attractive to
tourists,
and the government is moving to enhance the country's tourist drawing
power.

The Malawi Director of Tourism Services Tressa Namathanga says a
strategic plan of action has been created within the Ministry of
Tourism,
Parks and Wildlife with funding from the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). After a feasibility study was conducted, officials
decided on an up market tourism development.

"The plan is now ready and is likely to be implemented for the next
five to
ten years," Namathanga says. "The plan focuses on tourism marketing,
regularizing the industry, and human resource development."

Five places are identified as ripe for ecotourism development. First,
the
Nkhota-kota Wildlife Reserve in central Malawi is the country's
largest
game reserve. This rich area of Brachystegia woodlands unique to
tropical
Africa is inhabited by hundreds of elephants.

Second, Mount Mulanje in the heart of the Southern Region tea district
is
central Africa's highest mountain, and the third tallest on the
continent.
Often misty, the 3,000 metre (peaks rise from the clouds, offering some
of
the finest hiking and trekking trails in Malawi, with well maintained
paths
and huts, easy access and beautiful scenery, the Tourism Department
says.

Third, watching the birds at Kapichira Falls on the Shire River in
southern
Malawi is a draw for tourists as are the antelopes, buffaloes and
hippos at
the Majete Wildlife Reserve. Much of the area's vegetation consists of
miombo woodland with some riverine forest. It supports a small
elephant
population, as well as hippopotamus, kudu, sable, bushbuck, waterbuck,
Sharpe's grysbok, zebra and warthog.

Fourth, the lakeshore district of Mangochi between Lake Malawi and
Lake
Malombe, straddling the Shire River was selected because of a chain of
popular lake resorts and the opportunity to eat delicious fresh caught
chambo fish, a species of the tilapia family. Chambo and chips is one
of
Malawi's most popular dishes. But all three species of chambo have
been
depleted by overfishing, so the fisheries department has attempted to
control mesh sizes and night fishing.

Finally, Cape Maclear on the Nankumba Peninsula jutting out into Lake
Malawi is a good place for visitors to see the hundreds of fish
species
known as cichlids that are endemic to this lake.

Lake Malawi with over 750 fish species is used by two other Southern
African countries: Tanzania and Mozambique. Environmentalists are
worried about the destruction of the lake's catchment area, its
biodiversity
and many other forms of environmental degradation. In September 2001,
authorities from the three countries met in Lilongwe, Malawi, to
harmonize
and strengthen rules guiding the use and conservation of the
environment
and natural resources provided by the lake.

Namathanga said the government's tourism development plan will see
hotels and lodges of 25 to 50 rooms being constructed to cater to
visitors
who can be enticed to feel that they are in the warm heart of Africa,
as the
"Land of Flames" is known to the outside world. "We would like to reach
to
that level," she said, "in order to boost the industry and attract more
visitors
to come to Malawi."

The Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Wildlife have identified other
potential
tourist sites for development such as the Maleri Islands that are part
of the
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Lake Malawi National Park. The Maleri
Islands are ideal for camping, especially for those who want to escape
the
industrial noise from the city and listen to the comorants.

The Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary in the heart of Malawi's capital,
Lilongwe,
keeps caged wild animals like pythons, hyenas and a leopard, and a
network of nature trails in the sanctuary is ideal for nature
exploration. This
site is on the tourism development list.

Also earmarked for promotion and development is Liwonde National Park,
a haven for wildlife species such as the endangered black rhino, which
has
been reintroduced into the park. Roan antelope, buffalo, zebra and
hartebeasts also have been placed in the park. Boat rides along the
Shire
River that are offered by a safari company are ideal for bird watching,
and
visitors can see an enormous variety of the Terminalia species of
trees
and shrubs. Besides yielding high value timber, many Terminalia
species
are the source of various non-wood forest products.

The development list also includes the rolling, flowered hills of the
Nyika
Plateau in northern Malawi. This montane highland area lies on the
Malawian border at the eastern most tip of Zambia. The weather on the
Nyika Plateau resembles that of Europe because of its altitude, so
most
tourists from Europe and North America prefer the area.

As a means of attracting investors invest in the necessary
infrastructure
and equipment to take the industry to international level, the tourism
ministry intends to offer incentives by creating an enabling
environment for
outside tour operators. The operators will be encouraged to put up
structures and equipment, and duties will be waived for a specific
period
such as 10 years.

The Tourism Department hopes that the Finance Ministry will endorse
these incentives because they are intended to create competitiveness
and
growth to showcase Malawi as a tourist destination to the rest of the
world.

Namathanga admits there is stiff competition amongst destinations that
wish to attract visitors from Europe.

"The tourists out there study information about the destinations and
countries they intend to visit," she says. "Every visitor prefers
spending his
or her cash where the services are cost effective."

To promote high standards of excellence for the industry, the Tourism
Department intends to launch a campaign that will help all unofficial
tour
guides follow standardized procedures in the course of their duties.

Local leaders in their areas will select eligible guides with good
manners
for this training. "All those selected will undergo a formal training
to be
administered by the Department of Tourism," she says.

"Once that is done, they shall all be licensed and shall bear proper
identification systems. This will enhance effectiveness at local level
thereby creating an enabling environment in Malawi as a tourist
friendly
destination."

Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries programme of the World Bank
and the International Monetary Fund, local people will learn enhanced
techniques for creating crafts, curios and souvenirs in order to
improve
their products and add value to them. "The department intends to build
selected sites where kiosks will be constructed with restrooms,"
Namathanga says. "The local people can then gather their handcrafts,
curios and souvenirs. This will, in the long run, uplift the average
person in
the village."

At a ceremony held late last year at the Le Meriden Mount Soche Hotel
in
Blantyre, the Malawi Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Wildlife unveiled a
new
tourism logo featuring the warm heart of Africa in the design.

"The new logo coupled with a proper and well focused market strategy
will
create increased awareness of tourism products, position Malawi as an
ecotourism destination and re-affirm Malawi as a welcoming, adventure,
stop-over destination," Tourism Minister Bernard Chisale said.

"The new strategy aims to generate increased tourism and foreign
currency earnings, create long term employment opportunities, raise
the
standard of living of the poor people, and support conservation
through
sustainable development tourism in Malawi's national parks and areas
of
outstanding national beauty," said Chisale.

A new website at: http://tourismmalawi.com is intended to provide the
base
for tourism marketing at home and abroad as part of the tourism
publicity
and marketing strategy upon which the ministry has embarked. Public
relations units have been opened in Europe and South Africa, said
Assistant Director of Tourism, Patricia Liabuba.

Still, Namathanga admits the tourism in Malawi is facing a lot of
challenges. "The industry is currently facing problems on the ground
due to
poor road networks that have limited access to most tourist
destinations
sites as the roads became impassable, especially in rainy season," she
says.

Namathanga notes that airfields are not strategically located so as to
reduce inconveniences created by the problem of flight connections
from
one place to another.

There has been minimal infrastructure to support the industry so that
it can
comfortably compete at an international standard. Ecotourism has not
been a priority because roads to natural wonders are not in good
repair.

Figures obtained from the Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Wildlife
indicate
that in 1998 tourists numbering 219,600 visited Malawi, a growth of
5.9
percent from the previous year.

Another good year for tourism occurred in 1999 when 254,300 visitors
entered the country for a growth of 15.8 percent over the previous
year.

But in the year 2001 a decline in numbers to 227,600 showed a 10.5
percent decrease in tourists visiting Malawi.

Andrew Watson, who heads Community Partnership for Sustainable
Resource Management in Malawi, estimates that tourism and related
industries will generate US$27 billion per year by 2010 and over 30
percent
of GDP in the Southern African Development Community region.

In his report entitled "Opportunities for Sustainable Financing of
Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Malawi," Watson
says the country has a good opportunity to develop a strong tourism
industry.

"Malawi with its cultural, ecological and biological diversity, and
scenic
beauty should be poised to make the most of the opportunity," says
Watson. "At the present however, economic instability and lack of
investment incentives severely constrain growth."

Army acknowledges
                Zimbabwe crisis

                The head of Zimbabwe's armed forces, General
                Vitalis Zvinavashe, has admitted that the
                country is in an economic crisis.

                He has called for a task force to be established
                to deal with the situation.

                General Zvinavashe
                was quoted in the
                privately-owned
                Business Tribune
                weekly as saying: "We
                must admit there is a
                crisis - it is not right
                to keep quiet and let
                nature take its
                course".

                Zimbabwe officials had
                until recently insisted
                that the drought was
                the only problem to be
                confronted, but inflation is rising by 1% a day
                and fuel scarcities have hit all.

                General Zvinavashe was last week reported to
                be attempting to persuade President Robert
                Mugabe to step down.

                The general denies being involved in any such
                plan.

*****

Zimbabwe's new farmers not getting their
                     hands dirty
                     Harare

                                                               17
January 2003 12:24

                     Less than half the land the Zimbabwe government has
seized from white
                     farmers to redistribute to landless blacks has been
taken up by its new
                     owners in at least one prime farming region,
reports said on Friday.

                     "Vast tracks of land acquired by government for the
fast-track resettlement
                     programme and allocated to new farmers under the
commercial farming
                     model ... in Mashonaland West (province) are lying
idle," the privately-owned
                     Daily Mirror newspaper said.

                     Beneficiaries of the land reform programme were
given until August last year
                     to take up their land, but a commercial farming
scheme in the province had
                     a low uptake rate of between 35% and 50% of
allocated land.

                     But all the land allocated to small-scale communal
farmers under the
                     programme has been taken up, the paper said. The
government has
                     threatened to repossess all unoccupied land
allocated to black farmers
                     under the commercial farm resettlement scheme.

                     The government-run Herald newspaper cited Lands
Minister Joseph Made as
                     saying the state will repossess all land not taken
up and use it for food
                     production.

                     Two-thirds of Zimbabwe's population is currently
threatened by famine. The
                     main reason given for prospective farmers failing
to take up their land was
                     that most of it was undeveloped and required lots
of work.

                     "Some were expecting to be given plots on good
soils, others didn't want to
                     clear the land and expected already cleared ones,"
Mashonaland West
                     Provincial Governor Peter Chanetsa said in a report
to a parliamentary
                     committee probing the land uptake throughout the
country.

                     Zimbabwe embarked on a controversial and sometimes
violent land reform
                     programme in early 2000. The exercise saw white
landowners being
                     dispossessed of their land to make way for landless
blacks. To date, the
                     government claims to have re-settled 374 000
small-scale black farmers on
                     14-million hectares of formerly white-owned land.
Aid agencies say land
                     reform is partly responsible for the hunger
threatening close to eight million
                     Zimbabweans, along with a drought that has hit five
other southern African
                     countries. - Sapa-AFP

*****

Cricket protests planned
                in Zimbabwe

                Civil society groups in Zimbabwe will hold a
                series of demonstrations to coincide with the
                staging of World Cup Cricket matches in the
                country next month, they say.

                Opposition groups are unhappy that Zimbabwe
                is being allowed to host the matches because
                of the human rights record of President Robert
                Mugabe's government.

                Meanwhile, a judge has
                overturned the victory
                of two candidates from
                Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF
                party in June 2000
                parliamentary elections
                because of violence and
                intimidation.

                South Africa is hosting the Cricket World Cup
                but some matches will also be played in both
                Zimbabwe and Kenya.

                The government has accused the opposition of
                planning to disrupt the World Cup Cricket
                matches.

                On Wednesday, opposition MP Job Sikhala was
                arrested in connection with an arson attack on
                a bus earlier this week.

                The opposition Movement for Democratic
                Change (MDC) also says that another of its
                MPs, Paul Madzore, was beaten up by
                policemen after being arrested in connection
                with riots in his Harare constituency.

                Dispersed

                Lovemore Madhuku from the National
                Constitutional Assembly (NCA) said the protest
                marches were not aimed at cricket, "but the
                focus is to expose to the international
                community the excesses of the Zimbabwean
                regime".

                "You cannot treat Zimbabwe
                as a venue for international
                gatherings because
                Zimbabwe cannot be
                classified as part of the
                civilised international community," he said.

                The NCA has organised several protests
                against government policy in recent years but
                they are generally easily dispersed by riot
                police.

                Earlier this week, the England and Wales
                Cricket Board confirmed that England would
                travel to Zimbabwe despite pressure from the
                UK Government to boycott the fixture.

                However, if the security situation worsens, the
                England team might still pull out.

                'Corrupt practices'

                Overturning the election results in the
                constituencies of Gokwe North and Gokwe
                South, judge Rita Makarau said:

                "Properties were destroyed and burnt as part
                of the intimidation. In my view, the evidence
                before me can only lead to the conclusion that
                free franchise was affected in the
                constituency and therefore corrupt practices
                were committed in the election of the
                respondent."

                Following the
                elections, the MDC
                filed legal challenges in
                37 constituencies
                because of violence
                and intimidation their
                members allegedly
                suffered.

                The courts have ruled
                on 10 cases,
                overturning seven
                Zanu-PF victories and
                dismissing three MDC
                challenges.

                The MDC has also asked the courts to overturn
                Mr Mugabe's controversial victory in
                presidential elections in March 2002.

*****

UN scrambles to feed Zimbabwe's hungry
                     millions
                     Johannesburg


                                                               16
January 2003 10:38

                     The food security situation in Zimbabwe has
deteriorated in all parts of the
                     country, according to the latest multi-agency
vulnerability assessment
                     conducted in December.

                     Numbers in need of food aid through March 2003 have
increased from
                     6,7-million to 7,2-million (850 000 urban, 929 000
current and former
                     commercial farm workers, and 5,4-million rural
people), and the national food
                     deficit could be expected to reach 222 068 tons,
the UN Humanitarian
                     Coordinator's Humanitarian Situation Report said
this week.

                     The vulnerability assessment established that
distribution of Grain Marketing
                     Board (GMB) imports at the community level "is
inconsistent with imports
                     reported at the national level. It was noted that
at sub-national level,
                     availability of a wide range of basic commodities
continues to be limited,"
                     the report said. Forty percent of communities
visited reported that cereals
                     were "not or rarely" available from the GMB and/or
market.

                     The government officially reported the purchase of
1,18-million tons of maize
                     during February to December 2002. Of this total,
700 000 tons was said to
                     have been imported and 480 000 tons was still to
come.

                     The World Food Programme (WFP) plans to reach more
than four million
                     people in 49 districts during January 2003.
Reaching this target would
                     depend "very largely on the timely arrival of food
shipments", the
                     humanitarian report said. It added that WFP
indicated that the "current
                     importation process of relief food is cumbersome
and time-consuming.
                     There is a significant need to streamline the
process for the issuance of
                     import permits for relief food." - Irin

*****

Zim press under siege
                     Iden Wetherell | Harare

                                                               14
January 2003 15:41

                     Zimbabwe's independent press, the target of a
sustained government
                     offensive last year, has entered 2003 in disarray.


                     The country's largest circulating daily has seen
the removal of its editor in
                     acrimonious circumstances, a respected financial
weekly appears to have
                     fallen into the hands of a bank executive with
close ties to President Robert
                     Mugabe's regime, while papers owned by prominent
supporters of Mugabe's
                     party have moved into the market alongside a bevy
of state-owned
                     publications.

                     The Daily News last week announced the departure of
veteran editor Geoff
                     Nyarota who was accused by management of paying
striking reporters
                     without its approval. The Daily News, which
survived bomb attacks on its
                     premises in 2000 and 2001, serial arrests of staff
last year and repeated
                     threats by government spokesmen, was closed over
the recent holiday
                     period following the pay dispute.

                     Nyarota has claimed that majority shareholder
Strive Masiyiwa, based in
                     Johannesburg, was determined to close the popular,
but heavily indebted
                     paper, a thorn in the government's side since its
launch nearly four years
                     ago.

                     Masiyiwa, who has built a reputation as a fearless
businessman, denies the
                     claim, pointing out that he recently poured in
fresh funds.

                     The Daily News drew fire from the government last
month after it published a
                     report erroneously claiming Mugabe had arrived in
South Africa to attend the
                     African National Congress's Stellenbosch
conference. Information Minister
                     Jonathan Moyo, who appeared irked by a reference in
the report to Mugabe
                     as an "ageing dictator", warned that "the public
should take action" against
                     the paper when it published "falsehoods". A new
editorial team is now at the
                     helm.

                     Meanwhile, the Financial Gazette business weekly is
now the property of
                     Harare banker Gideon Gono, according to reports,
following a botched
                     attempt by a consortium headed by its former
editor, Francis Mdlongwa, to
                     acquire a controlling stake.

                     Gono, who negotiates Libyan fuel deals for the
government, has remained
                     silent on the reports that claim he has wider media
ambitions. Harare's
                     Mighty Movies production house, the country's
largest, was recently
                     acquired by a company owned by former Zimbabwe
Broadcasting
                     Corporation presenter Supa Mandiwanzira, reportedly
with Gono's help.

                     Foreign news teams use Mighty Movies facilities and
the new owners
                     appear keen to get the SABC on board.

                     In addition to owning an array of newspapers and
enjoying a monopoly on
                     broadcasting, the government receives support from
two papers claiming to
                     be independent: the Business Tribune and the Daily
Mirror. The Tribune is
                     thought to be backed by pro-Zanu-PF business
magnate Mutumwa Mawere,
                     while the Mirror is published by former government
apparatchik Ibbo
                     Mandaza.

                     Meanwhile, the Media and Information Commission,
headed by a
                     ruling-party ideologue who makes no secret of his
hostility towards the
                     independent press, was this week issuing one-year
permits to those media
                     houses and journalists it has deigned to licence
while determining whether
                     sample stories submitted by foreign correspondents
are "fair" to the regime.

                     The commission is Moyo's chosen instrument in his
crusade against papers
                     he claims are allies of the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change and
                     agents of British imperialism. His fulminations and
threats have more
                     recently given way to what some observers see as a
more subtle approach.
                     Nyarota is convinced the Daily News' problems stem
from "infiltration at the
                     highest level".

                     Where arrests and prosecutions have failed, other
tactics may succeed. In
                     the meantime, although battered and bruised, the
independent media is
                     squaring up for another round with a regime
determined to land further
                     disabling blows. Just how remains to be seen.

                     Iden Wetherell is editor of the Zimbabwe
Independent. His media licence
                     number is 2612JE27702

*****

Old soldier sent to discuss Mugabe exit
                     plan: MDC
                     Harare

                                                               16
January 2003 09:44

                     Aides to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe last
month sent a retired white
                     army officer to discuss plans with the head of the
country's Movement for
                     Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party to edge
the long-time leader
                     from power, the MDC leader said in a statement on
Wednesday.

                     But Morgan Tsvangirai reiterated that reports in
the British press that he had
                     entered into a deal to push Mugabe out of office
and into exile while a
                     transition government was set up were false.

                     Colonel Lionel Dyck, who served in both the
colonial Rhodesian army and in
                     the Zimbabwean army before retiring some 10 years
ago, approached
                     Tsvangirai to discuss a succession plan for Mugabe,
in power for nearly 23
                     years, the statement said.

                     Dyck told Tsvangirai that he had been sent by the
speaker of parliament
                     Emmerson Mnangagwa and army commander General
Vitalis Zvinavashe,
                     the statement by Tsvangirai, who heads the
opposition Movement for
                     Democratic Change, the statement said.

                     "Dyck came to see me at my home purporting to be
carrying a message
                     from Emmerson Mnangagwa and General Zvinavashe," it
said, denying,
                     however, that the MDC was party to any pact to oust
Mugabe.

                     Britain's Times newspaper reported on Monday that a
scheme had been
                     hatched by senior officials in Mugabe's ruling
Zimbabwe African National
                     Union (Zanu-PF) to guarantee him immunity from
prosecution for alleged
                     human rights abuses in return for his resignation
and exile abroad.

                     "This is not true, no deal was struck. I have never
met Mnangagwa and
                     Zvinavashe. I met Dyck who claimed to be their
messenger. I did not look for
                     him. He came to me," Tsvangirai said in the
statement.

                     He said he had told Dyck that the MDC was prepared
to assist with setting
                     up a transitional government, but not if it
involved "some underhand pact with
                     Zanu-PF".

                     Tsvangirai -- who has refused to recognise Mugabe
as Zimbabwe's
                     legitimate leader, saying the March 2002 election
that returned him to power
                     were seriously flawed and marred by violence --
said his party would not be
                     involved in mapping out succession strategies for
an "illegitimate regime".

                     "We will not be party to any political arrangement
that seeks to sanitise
                     Mugabe's violent legitimacy, and that includes
Mugabe's retirement plans
                     and the so-called government of national unity," he
said.

                     The government has dismissed the reports of a plot
to oust Mugabe as
                     attention-seeking by the MDC, and "wishful thinking
and mischief" on the
                     part of former colonial power, Britain.

                     Mugabe vowed on Tuesday that he will not leave
office until he has wholly
                     implemented controversial land reforms, under which
land belonging to white
                     commercial farmers has been seized and
redistributed to landless blacks.

                     Dyck became a businessman after he left the army,
and runs a demining
                     firm, Minetech, which has cleared landmines both in
Zimbabwe and abroad.
                     - Sapa-AFP

Congratulations Tana and Kamel on your new baby Malik!!
"May the child enjoy the comfort of many oasis and the joy of many
more sunrises."  ---P. Bowles

Sincerely,
Rey and Robin Sampaga
--- In ujeni@yahoogroups.com, "Tana Beverwyk-Abouda"
<petitbeurre10@h...> wrote:
>

Reporter arrested for interview with a
                     vampire

                                                               21
January 2003 09:33

                     Police in Malawi arrested a radio journalist
yesterday for broadcasting an
                     interview with a man who claimed to have been
attacked by a vampire.

                     Southern Malawi has been rife with rumours of
blood-sucking vampires,
                     fuelled by the popular belief that the government
is colluding with vampires
                     to collect blood for international aid agencies.

                     A judge later dismissed charges against Maganizo
Mazeze of broadcasting
                     false information likely to cause public alarm,
after an interview on a local
                     radio station with a tea-planter from the southern
province of Thyolo.

                     "I am not bitter with anyone," Mazeze said after
his court appearance. "In
                     fact, my sojourn in jail has reinforced my resolve
to unearth issues
                     authorities would otherwise prefer buried."

                     The police said there was no evidence to support
the interviewee's claims.

                     A man was recently stoned to death by villagers in
Thyolo after being
                     suspected of working with vampires. - Guardian
Unlimited

*****

Mugabe party office
                firebombed

                Attackers have thrown petrol bombs at a ruling
                party office in a suburb of the Zimbabwean
                capital, Harare.

                One person died and seven people were hurt,
                several seriously, say police.

                Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said
                about 50 young men drove into Harare's
                western Kuwadzana township on Monday
                night, smashing property and assaulting
                pedestrians before throwing petrol bombs at
                the offices.

                "It's a political attack.
                We suspect that it is
                related to the
                by-election to be held
                in the suburb," Mr
                Bvudzijena said.

                A parliamentary
                by-election is
                expected to take
                place soon, following
                the death in police
                custody last year of
                an opposition
                Movement for
                Democratic Change (MDC) MP, Learnmore
                Jongwe.

                Blame

                Police are blaming the attack on opposition
                supporters and have made 16 arrests.

                Mr Bvudzijena said the
                attack appeared aimed
                at "provoking political
                violence on a wider
                scale".

                MDC officials say it is
                the work of militant
                supporters of
                President Robert
                Mugabe.

                They say Zanu-PF is
                waging a violent
                campaign to win the
                seat in the Kuwadzana constituency by trying
                to intimidate voters. The MDC won almost all
                urban seats in parliamentary elections in June
                2000.

                Widespread political intimidation and
                persecution of opposition supporters has been
                reported in recent months.

                Torture

                Last week, MDC MP Job Sikhala and human
                rights lawyer Gabriel Shumba said they were
                tortured by police while being held in police
                custody.

                Both appeared in court over the weekend and
                were then released on bail.

                At a news conference in Harare, Mr Sikhala
                said he was severely tortured all over his body
                "for a solid eight hours" including having
                electrodes attached to his genitals.

                "They also used planks to beat under my feet
                and over the entirity of my body... I am still in
                pain."

                He said he was then forced to drink poison
                which they said was urine.

                Zimbabwe is in the grip of a major food crisis
                affecting more than half of the country's
                population.

                President Mugabe's government is accused of
                withholding food aid from opposition
                supporters.

*****

Zimbabwe distances itself from Moyo's
                     comments
                     Richard Thompson

                                                               20
January 2003 12:40

                     The South African government has "noted and
accepted" the Zimbabwean
                     government's explanation of remarks by its
information minister -- who
                     described South Africans as "filthy, recklessly
uncouth and barbaric".

                     Foreign Affairs representative Ronnie Mamoepa said
on Sunday the South
                     African government had requested an explanation
from Zimbabwean
                     authorities regarding Jonathan Moyo's remarks.

                     Moyo's outburst followed a story in the Sunday
Times of January 12 about
                     his shopping trip to South Africa, when he spent
large sums on luxury items
                     while millions of his compatriots face starvation.

                     In his response to that story, Moyo criticised the
South African media and
                     South Africans in general, and clearly implied that
President Thabo Mbeki
                     was not fit to lead the African Renaissance.

                     "If these people believe they can lead an African
renaissance, then God help
                     them," Moyo said.

                     Pretoria's request -- on Tuesday -- for an
explanation from Harare can be
                     seen as a demarche, in diplomatic terms an extreme
form of criticism.

                     Harare's reply to that demarche criticises the
Sunday Times for its
                     "invasion" of Moyo's privacy and "disregard" for
his status as a cabinet
                     minister.

                     However, it goes on to distance itself from
"inferences" that "cast
                     aspersions on President Thabo Mbeki's impeccable
credentials as a Pan
                     Africanist.

                     "Nothing could be further from the truth," the
Zimbabwean government says
                     in the statement.

                     "The Zimbabwe government respects and supports the
role and efforts of His
                     Excellency President Thabo Mbeki to bring about the
dawn of a new
                     Africa..."

                     Mamoepa said the South African government accepted
the reassurance "in
                     as far as it pertains to the government and people
of South Africa."

                     Zimbabwe was suspended from the councils of the
Commonwealth -- a
                     lesser penalty than outright suspension -- after
President Robert Mugabe
                     was returned to office in 2002 in elections marred
by violence and widely
                     regarded as rigged.

                     Mbeki is a member of the "troika" delegated by the
Commonwealth heads of
                     Government Meeting to consider whether that
suspension should be
                     continued is to meet again in March.

                     Mbeki's representative Bheki Khumalo said on
Sunday Moyo's remarks
                     "would have no bearing on that meeting."

                     He emphasised that Mbeki would approach the
question with an open mind.

                     Meanwhile, Moyo blamed the opposition and
disgruntled civil servants on
                     Sunday for spreading reports of a retirement plan
for Mugabe, accusing
                     them of treason and agitating for a coup.

                     "If there is anyone who has hatched a plot to
force the president to step
                     down they should face the full wrath of the law,"
Moyo told the state Sunday
                     Mail newspaper.

                     Moyo said the debate on Mugabe's future was,
"tantamount to plotting a
                     coup in the glare of the media."

                     He blamed the economic crisis gripping the southern
African country
                     marked by massive shortages of food, fuel and hard
currency, on
                     government bureaucrats fumbling what he termed
"technical" economic
                     factors, and not ruling party policies.

                     "There is a lot of inefficiency, let alone
corruption," he said.

                     "Our greatest challenge at the moment is that we
have a civil service that is
                     not performing."

                     Moyo suggested some members of the civil service
may be serving "hostile
                     political interests."

                     The economic disruptions in the country --
partially blamed on the
                     government's often violent seizure of thousands of
white-owned commercial
                     farms -- and erratic rains have caused the
unprecedented shortages and
                     spurred record inflation and unemployment.

                     An estimated 6,7-million people face starvation in
coming months. Analysts
                     say the unravelling of the economy is likely to
intensify demands for
                     Mugabe's departure.

                     In his comments, Moyo made no mention of two of the
most powerful figures
                     in the ruling party, Parliament speaker Emmerson
Mnangagwa and military
                     commander General Vitalis Zvinavashe, who have been
cited in reports as
                     favouring Mugabe's retirement.

                     Moyo also denied any rifts in the ruling party.

                     "You will not find in the party any significant
elements that want to act
                     unconstitutionally and undemocratically in favour
of coup plotters and
                     electoral cowards," said Moyo.

                     The South African government, meanwhile, faced
criticism on its Zimbabwe
                     policy from another quarter on Sunday. Zimbabwe's
main opposition the
                     Movement for Democratic Change accused Mbeki of
"hypocrisy" and
                     "dishonesty" in his approach to the situation in
Zimbabwe.

                     "The South African government frankly, is
dishonest," MDC
                     secretary-general Welshman Ncube was reported as
saying, in the Sunday
                     Times.

                     "It is not surprising, really, because it is the
same SA government which is
                     saying to the rest of the world: 'Don't do anything
about Zimbabwe. Let
                     (Mugabe) go on with his torture and abuse. Let
bygones be bygones'," he
                     said. - Sapa

Third Term Dominates Agenda

UN Integrated Regional Information
Networks
January 21, 2003
Posted to the web January 21, 2003

This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the
United Nations

President Bakili Muluzi may have considered himself a sure bet to
become Malawi's second president for life, but for an increasingly
vocal campaign against his proposed third-term of office.

Like his predecessor, former dictator Kamuzu Banda - who declared
himself president for life until a referendum in 1993 and later
elections
in 1994 proved he was less popular than he believed - Muluzi has
allegedly built a culture of cronyism around himself.

Banda had ruled for about three decades before his departure, and
critics claim Muluzi is keen to repeat that feat.

He enjoys similar praise singing by poor villagers donning the ruling
party's yellow colours at political rallies popularly known as "pay
centres" - because Muluzi dishes out cash to participants.

"You should see the difference between the ruling party [rallies] and
the oppositions [rallies]. I don't just come, I always bring
something,"
Muluzi said at a rally recently in Blantyre, the country's commercial
city.

On that occassion he had brought 4,000 school notebooks, 2,000
ballpoint pens, one set of football uniforms, two soccer balls and two
bicycles to donate to a run-down over-crowded urban primary school
which serves 6,000 pupils.

The gathering in Blantyre's Kabula area was just one of many he held
in 2002 around the country to boost his chances of winning a third
term. At such gatherings he describes his cash awards as "a token of
appreciation" to "veterans" for strengthening the ruling United
Democratic Front (UDF).

"All I'm asking for, is just another 23 years," Muluzi said at one of
his
campaign rallies, noting that he had only ruled for eight years and
needed 23 years more to match his predecessor.

For much of last year Muluzi had kept an official silence on whether
or
not he wanted to stay on in power. But he has recently openly declared
his intentions.

He has said: "Who wants to rule a country for only eight years? You
don't just change governments the way you change clothes. No, No,
No!"

Since January 2002, the ruling party has lobbied members of
parliament to amend the constitution to allow Muluzi to prolong his
stay
in power - the constitution limits the number of five-year terms a
president may serve to two.

The third-term debate is set against the background of food shortages
that threaten 3.3 million people, low standards of education and a
devastating HIV/AIDS pandemic that kills 70,000 people annually. The
country's economy in 2001 contracted by 2 percent. About 900,000
pupils out of 1.2 million have dropped out of primary school due to
poverty.

At Malawi's biggest referral hospital, the Queen Elizabeth in
Blantyre,
there has been a significant increase in admissions.

Hospital Director Dr Ibrahim Idana said the hospital, which has 1,050
beds, experienced an admissions increase of up to 50 percent in
some wards due to the rising number of malnutrition cases.

"Malnutrition in Malawi is not new. It's a problem that everyone knows
about. If you go to any hospital now, there is an increase in child
admissions. If you assess the cause of the disease, you find that it
is
malnutrition," he said.

Many patients returned after having been treated, as "after discharge,
there is no food at home", Idana added.

Muluzi's bid for the third term suffered its first set back in early
July
2002 when a bill proposing an amendment to the constitution was
narrowly defeated.

But Muluzi intensified his campaign, in the face of mounting
opposition
from the donor community, churches and human rights organisations
to his quest for a third term.

He issued a decree banning all demonstrations against or in favour of
his bid for a third term.

A university student was shot dead by police during a fracas in
Zomba, some 68 km northeast of Blantyre. Two others were killed in
Mulanje and 13 members of a pressure group, the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA), were arrested as political violence
heightened late last year.

A second attempt at tabling the bill in October 2002 - after Minister
of
Justice Henry Phoya proclaimed the government's intention to amend
the constitution in a government gazette - failed again due to
opposition pressure.

The Human Rights Commission, a government appointed
independent body, has reported rising political tensions, increased
intimidation and violence orchestrated by the ruling party's militant
"Young Democrats".

The International Bar Association (IBA), a United Kingdom-based
international lawyers association, also said in a report that there
was
"damning evidence of corruption and abuse".

"The scale of the poverty, the food shortages, and the AIDS epidemic
in Malawi would challenge any society and any government.
International support is going to be absolutely critical to get the
people
of Malawi through this crisis. But to secure this, the government and
executive are going to have to take urgent and convincing steps to
restore international confidence in the country, attack corruption and
uphold the rule of law. Right now, they seem to be heading in the
wrong direction," said Linda Dobbs QC of the IBA delegation that
visited Malawi last year.

Indeed, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is still withholding US
$47 million intended for the country's Poverty Reduction Growth
Strategy (PRGS) under the IMF and World Bank Highly Indebted Poor
Countries (HIPC) programme. Eighty percent of Malawi's
development funding is donor-dependent.

Malawi recently experienced floods which killed 10 people and left
thousands homeless. Crops and cattle were also destroyed,
increasing vulnerability levels in the country.

The country is among the world's 10 poorest, with 65 percent of its
people living on less than US $1 per day.

*****

Casino Woes Taifa Sisters

Malawi Standard (Blantyre)
January 22, 2003
Posted to the web January 22, 2003

Paul Kang'ombe
Blantyre

Malawi Development Corporation (MDC), the government investment
arm has applied for resident and work permits for some Tanzanian
women popularly known as Taifas to work at a newly opened Casino
in Blantyre.

A senior MDC official, Nathan Mpinganjira confirmed there were
Tanzanian women who entertain customers at the Casino but could
not divulge more information.

Chief Immigration Officer, David Kambilonje, disclosed in an interview
that MDC applied for work permits for some young women from
Tanzania who would be working at the Casino.

"We received an application from MDC for work and residence permit
for some Tanzanian women who would be working in their Casino," he
said.

He could, however not disclose the number of those who are on the
application list.

"I don't have the file with me, so I cannot give you the exact
figures,"
said Kambilonje.

Asked what criteria the Immigration Department uses before issuing
residence or work permits to immigrants, Kambilonje described it as
an 'administrative issue'.

A senior official at Ministry of Home Affairs who asked for anonymity
disclosed that there is a technical panel that is charged with the duty
of
issuing permits to foreigners.

"There is a special technical committee that issues the permits but I
cannot disclose who is in the committee," he explained.

The young women, popularly known as Taifa Sisters taken after the
Biblical daughters of Zion for their good hospitality are enticing
male
patrons at the Casino.

Some of the Taifas are plying their trade at Kamba joints in Blantyre.
According to information gathered by The Malawi Standard, some of
these Taifa put up at Chemusa, Mbayani, Chirimba and around
Chatha locations in Blantyre.

One of the Taifas who identified herself as Mable, said, she came to
Malawi last year with a friend when a truck driver offered them a
lift.

"We are renting a small house at Chemusa Township. We go to social
centres like Lunzu and Kamba among others places to entertain men
who give us money and beers in turn that's how we survive," she
explained.

The immigration Department said it is not aware of these illegal
immigrants and that it will investigate the matter further.

*****

Insurance Firms Threaten to Stop Covering Cars

Malawi Standard (Blantyre)
January 22, 2003
Posted to the web January 22, 2003

Standard Reporter
Blantyre

Insurance Association of Malawi has said it feels that the
proliferation
of guns in the country has sparked a rise in motor vehicle thefts.

A senior member of security sub-committee under the association,
Eric Chapola, said in an interview that there have been cases of
thieves breaking into cars and stealing batteries and car radios in
the
past four years.

Chapola said crime has now changed its face as thieves have
become so desperate and would like to get away with anything they
lay hands on.

"If the current spate of motor vehicle thefts continues, the
association
will be forced to suspend the policy cover or even scrape it off.
Motor
vehicle thefts have led to loss of millions of Kwacha by insurance
companies," he said.

Chapola said they paid about K50 million on motor vehicle theft claims
in the year 2001, and K100 million between January and August in
2002.

He said the increase means that the insurance companies are losing
a lot of money.

Chapola, who is also the General Manager of Commercial General
Insurance company said unlike in the past where insurance
companies used to bear all the costs of refunds, claimants are now
subject to contribute 25 percent of the total theft claim.

He said the association wants to make people more careful by
protecting their vehicles.

Chapola said concerted efforts between government, companies and
other stakeholders including the general public are vital to deal with
the problem of car thefts.

On the other hand, motor vehicle owners have accused the insurance
firms of charging exorbitant premiums claiming that these companies
have made a lot of money from these premiums. "Insurance
companies are unfair even in South Africa where there are more thefts
of motor vehicles, this kind of action has never been taken. These
companies continue to make easy money every year and they should
tell us what 60 cars represent against the total population of
vehicles
on Malawi roads," said Joseph Banda a resident of Ndirande
township with three comprehensively insured vehicles.

Another respondent who talked to our reporter is a transport manager
of a company that owns over 120 vehicles who claimed that over ten
years his company has not experienced a car theft. "Yes theft of motor
vehicles is worrying but the payment of 25% contribution should only
apply to those companies or organizations that have regularly
experienced car thefts and not just anyone. Our company has not
experience car thefts but we have insured our vehicles
comprehensively all these years.

Why should we be penalized when we next claim if we also experience
a car theft? Why do insurance companies want to victimize companies
that insure vehicles? We do not have police authority to track down
car
thieves," mused the transport manager.

About 80 percent of vehicles in Malawi are owned by government.
Over 60 comprehensively insured motor vehicles were stolen last year.
Toyota Hilux is the most commonly stolen vehicle.

*****

Floods Spread to Lower Shire

Malawi Standard (Blantyre)
January 22, 2003
Posted to the web January 22, 2003

Standard Reporter
Blantyre

Massive flooding caused by Cyclone Delfina ravaged parts of Malawi
and Mozambique last Friday, washing away homes and crops,
submerging roads and bridges, and cutting off electricity in the two
countries.

In Mozambique, one person died and 10 others were injured seriously
when a vehicle plunged into a river after a bridge collapsed, state
radio reported.

The flooding, caused by weeks of heavy rains, comes as the Southern
Africa region struggles to cope with a food crisis that threatens
about
14 million people with starvation. Thousands of people have been left
homeless.

Two more Southern Malawi districts, Nsanje and Chikwawa, were hit
by flooding, submerging roads and bridges, officials said. The number
of people needing food assistance has increased from 15, 000 to
about 20,000 people and almost 60,000 farming families have lost
their crops.

At least seven people have died because of the flooding.

Malawi's agriculture ministry sent teams to assess the damage and
the government has already started disbursing relief items to the
victims.

President Bakili Muluzi, who surveyed some of the damage caused by
the flooding has declared a state of disaster and asked the
international community for assistance.

In Mozambique, the government sent a helicopter to the flooded,
northern region of Nampula to rescue trapped people and deliver
food.

Nearly 30,000 people in Nampula have been affected. Fifteen people
in Mozambique have been killed in the flooding.

The fishing port of Angoche was cut off from the rest of the country
after its bridges and roads were destroyed or flooded.

There was no electricity in the town, delivering a major blow to the
fishing industry, which no longer can refrigerate fresh catches.

Much of the local industry's catch has rotted.

Still, fishing boats sail. A small vessel capsized and its four
fishermen
remain missing.

Heavy rains fell last Friday in the central province of Zambezia and
in
the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where the fatal accident
occurred.

Several villages were underwater.

*****

Speaker Quashes Congress Party Resolutions

Malawi Standard (Blantyre)
January 22, 2003
Posted to the web January 22, 2003

Paul Kang'ombe
Blantyre

Speaker of the National Assembly Sam Mpasu who has just returned
from Germany says he does not recognize the resolutions passed at
Malawi Congress Party National Executive Committee meeting held
at Lilongwe Hotel on Sunday.

Mpasu says that he does not recognize Chakuamba as Leader of the
Opposition as was declared at the MCP NEC meeting.

Mpasu explained that the position of Leader of Opposition is an office
of Parliament, therefore Leader of Opposition is an officer of
Parliament, and therefore not be elected outside Parliament by party
officials who are not elected members of parliament.

He described the resolutions passed by the 24 member MCP
National Executive Committee member as "an entirely MCP affair just
aimed at solving their own internal problems."

"The Leader of Opposition is the leader of members of parliament and
is chosen by members of parliament themselves (and not a party
National Executive Committee or outside Parliament," Mpasu said.

Mpasu's statement simply means that Ntaba has a chance of
becoming Leader of Opposition if the MCP caucus meeting when
Parliament convenes will support his candidature.

"When MCP's caucus meeting (held prior to a session of parliament)
elects their Leader of Opposition, they will communicate to me about
their leader of opposition," said Mpasu.

Mpasu was commenting on the resolutions passed by the MCP NEC
meeting most important of which were:

1. That Gwanda Chakuamba should be the Leader of Opposition in
Parliament.

2. That they should vote against the Third Term if the Bill is brought
before parliament.

3. That all cases against John Tembo should be withdrawn

4. Jodder Kanjere and Kate Kainja should be the spokespersons to
the media on behalf of the party

5. And that there is no room for new blood in the party. If new blood
wants positions they must contest in elections to be held in April
this
year.

The proceedings at the MCP National Executive Committee (NEC)
which was held on Sunday at Lilongwe clearly demonstrated that the
party is still autocratic as it was in the past when personalities of
the
likes of the Chakuamba used to beat traditional chiefs at their
convention.

According to our reporter who was at Lilongwe Hotel during the MCP
NEC meeting, there was nothing like cordial discussions that
democratic principles call for.

Twenty four members of the MCP NEC, the majority of whom were
from John Tembo's camp entered Maula Room of Lilongwe Hotel like
military leaders without handshakes or smiles at 10 o'clock in the
morning.

To the surprise of many people, youthful politicians who have been
defending MCP President Gwanda Chakuamba like Nicholas Dausi
were roughed up when they attempted to enter Maula Hall by Tembo
loyalists.

"I was pushed like a nobody. I didn't like it. Tembo loyalists said
that I
was not elected during the 1997 convention, yet people like Binton
Kutsaira and Bester Majoni, who were also not elected in 1997, were
allowed to attend the NEC meeting," complained Dausi in an interview
with The Malawi Standard.

Typical of dictators, the NEC members asked Ntaba to confess that
he would stop gunning for the position of leader of the opposition.
The
NEC members especially those from Tembo camp also pressurized
Ntaba to disclose his stand on the issue of the proposed Third Term
Bill.

Ntaba just told them that he will just abide by what the party agrees.
The ordeal reminded some people the way MCP conventions were
conducted during one party rule. (Zonse zomwe mukambirane
kumeneko tigwirizana nazo syndrome.)

As the 24 members of MCP NEC were locked up in their meeting,
members of parliament who were also invited but were barred from
attending began grumbling. Their patience ran out when time struck
4.00 pm.

The members of parliament angered by the discriminatory nature of
the negotiations told an MCP official Potiphar Chidaya to tell the NEC
Members to stop their meeting. The NEC members stopped their
meeting in order to address the irate MPs. At the meeting between
NEC and MPs, parliamentarian for Kasungu South East Kizito
Ngwembe was asked to apologize to the party for presenting a
petition to Speaker of Parliament Sam Mpasu asking him to declare
Ntaba Leader of the Opposition, but Ngwembe blatantly refused to
apologize saying that he was simply exercising his freedom of choice.

The Lilongwe meetings were not a success considering that eighteen
MCP members of parliament defied the call by Chakuamba and
Tembo to attend a caucus meeting in Lilongwe.

Many people still wonder as to why the parliamentarians decided to
boycott the meeting. The public are of the opinion that the eighteen
legislators are the ones who are solidly behind Ntaba.

MCP Political Affairs director Jodder Kanjere confirmed in an
interview that 18 members of Parliament did not show up at the
meeting.

"I was surprised with their absence and wondered how they could
miss such an important meeting. Most of them just sent verbal excuses
that they are sick while others said they are attending funeral
ceremonies in their constituencies," said Kanjere.

He declined to mention names of the 18 members of parliament who
boycotted the convention.

Meanwhile MCP vice president John Tembo, is hard-pressed by his
president Gwanda Chakuamba to account for K7 million, the money
from parliament that he collected on behalf of the party. He (Tembo)
has shifted the blame to deputy treasurer general Stanley Masauli
whom he has accused of embezzling rental fees he collected from the
party's Southern Region headquarters at Chichiri and Clock Tower
offices in Blantyre.

The country's first open-university, Share World Institute of
Management and Chichiri Integrated Schools are occupying MCP
head offices at Chichiri while Blantyre Business College and Plastic
Signs occupy Clock Tower offices, among others.

According to a source in MCP, Chakuamba dropped all cases
against Tembo at a meeting held three weeks ago but Chakuamba is
reported to have taken his vice by surprise when he reminded him to
account for the party's quarterly allocations from parliament.

Tembo was collecting the money in his capacity as Leader of
Opposition before he was expelled from Parliament on contempt of
court charges.


Tembo retaliated by ordering that Chakuamba's faction, through
Masauli account for rental fees collected since the two leaders parted
ways.

"I will account for the funds I obtained from parliament on condition
that
you [Chakuamba faction] account for rentals collected from our offices
at Chichiri and Clock Tower," Tembo is reported to have challenged.

The source said this issue might split the party further.

"Hon. Chakuamba is a very cunning person, he asked Tembo to sign
a treaty that would see the two factions unite by promising to drop
all
cases against him. Now Chakuamba is breaking the promise by
pressing Tembo to account for the parliamentary fund allocation to
MCP. This would be the bone of contention and would divide the party
again," he warned.

Masauli said in an interview that he has not yet been approached
officially on the issue.

He however, challenged Tembo that he is the one to produce a
financial report.

"I will produce the report, that is not a problem. It's my job, if
they
thought that I was not doing my job, I can challenge them," said
Masauli.

MCP publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi told The Malawi Standard in
an earlier interview that Tembo would be given a chance to explain in
details on how he used the funds.

"MCP gets K1.4 million after every three months from Parliament
buteting
since Tembo was elected Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, in
June 2001, he has never been transparent nor accountable to the
party.

Neither the president nor the treasurer general know how Tembo used
the money," Dausi said.

Dausi explained that the party president, Gwanda Chakuamba,
expects Tembo to give back the money or face justice.

"Party funds are public funds and therefore anybody who embezzles
them should face the long arm of the law. Tembo is not above the law
and would not be spared should he fail to account for the money, he
would be treated just like any other person who misappropriate public
funds," Dausi explained.

Dausi said there are other measures that would be taken against
Tembo and the party president would announce them at the
convention.

"I cannot speculate some of the measures now because the
information is classified at the mean time," he said.

Cash strapped and highly indebted MCP has been relying on funds
from Parliament to meet administrative costs like payment of staff
salaries.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Sam Mpasu, said he is waiting for
a report from the Auditor General's office.

"The procedure is that the Auditor General should present a report on
how parties utilize their quarterly funding and if an individual or a
party
misappropriated the funds they will be held responsible," he said.

But the party's deputy secretary general, Steve Ching'ang'a, disclosed
in an interview that the two factions of Chakuamba and Tembo agreed
to account for the money according to a clause in the party's
constitution.

He however said it might take time for the two sides to produce
accounts reports, saying it is not that easy.

On Tembo, Ching'ang'a said: "I believe that Tembo used the money in
good faith and that he would be able to account for it,"

Ching'ang'a said he is hopeful that Tembo will come up with a report
before Parliament requests for it.

And commenting on the issue, Member of Parliament for Nsanje
South West Maclean Ndafakale says Tembo should indeed explain
how he used the funding that government through Parliament was
allocating to the Malawi Congress Party.

"The money from Parliament was not his personal income so he must
account for it," said Ndafakale.

He also snubbed what he described as the "so called unity with hidden
agenda" between Chakuamba and Tembo saying that both of them
are cheating each other.

"Why are they forming an alliance after Tembo has been convicted?
Why did Chakuamba press the courts to jail Tembo if he really likes
Tembo. There is a very big sinister plot which will be uncovered
soon,"
said Ndafakale in an interview with The Malawi Standard.

He said time is ripe now that Chakuamba and Tembo should start
respecting the wishes of the people. He said that now that the
majority
of Members of Parliament and members of the party would like Ntaba
to be leader of the opposition Chakuamba and Tembo should respect
that.

"People should respect people's choice of Ntaba as their leader of the
opposition and if the same people are saying that I should deputize
Ntaba, our leaders should respect that," said Ndafakale.

He observed that MCP needs new leadership with new vision which
should overhaul the party as it prepares for the 2004 general
elections.

But MCP Vice President John Tembo told The Malawi Standard soon
after the party's National Executive Committee meeting at Lilongwe
Hotel that he does not have time to answer questions on financial
issues.

"I have no time to answer questions about MCP's financial issues. I
was here (Lilongwe Hotel) for unity talks,"

Asked if the party will take Tembo to task during their forthcoming
convention slated for April for the money he is alleged to have
misappropriated when he was leader of the opposition, Kanjere said
the NEC meeting has agreed to burry the past.

But Ndafakale said for sake of transparency and accountability the
issue will be raised at their convention, which he said will be
attended
by many people not just 24 members of the National Executive
Committee.

*****

Government Restricts Bulk Maize Sale

Malawi Standard (Blantyre)
January 22, 2003
Posted to the web January 22, 2003

Standard Reporter
Blantyre

The Malawi Government has restricted the sales of commercial maize
in bulk at a subsidised price of K17 per kilogramme to public
institutions only according to Secretary for Agriculture and
Irrigation
Hendrina Mchiela.

Mchiela says that the maize would only be sold to public schools,
public hospitals and health centres and prisons.

" Public schools, public hospitals and health centres and prisons have
been given concession to purchase maize in bulk at a subsidized
price of K17.00/kg. The government wishes to remind those public
institutions wishing to purchase the commercial maize in bulk to
forward their requests through their parent ministries who will obtain
clearance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation," she says.

The government will spend K3 billion subsidising maize, which will
sell
at K17 per kilogramme instead of the market price of K30 per
kilogramme.

President Bakili Muluzi told Parliament when he opened the 36th
session of the House in October, 2002 that he wanted to ensure that
maize was accessible to people who needed it most.

Besides the 28,000 metric tonnes of carry-over maize, there is also
250,000 metric tonnes of commercial maize being imported through
the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) with European Union
assistance.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation
(ADMARC) has said more maize selling points will be opened in a bid
to contain the famine.

ADMARC general manager, Evans Chipala, said more selling points
will be established once demand for the staple grain picks up.

Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Food
Programme (WFP) team, which recently toured the whole country,
collecting information, estimated that by March this year, about 3.2
million people would require food aid.

It has been estimated that approximately 208,124 metric tonnes of
maize will be required for the 3.2 million poor people needing
assistance while the shortfall in food production this year is
estimated
at 600,000 metric tonnes.

The World Bank is to provide K4.4 billion (US $50 million) as
emergency food aid funds. Out of the total, K2.5 billion (US $29
million) is a loan.

Drought drives on
                Malawi's killer lions

                A pride of lions terrorising people in central
                Malawi have killed four people, bringing to nine
                the total number they have killed since
                Christmas.

                They are said to be seeking alternative food
                sources because of the toll the drought in the
                region is having on wildlife.

                Efforts to contain the lions since they escaped
                from a game park are proving futile.

                Police spokesman George Chikowi said the hunt
                for the lions was still on, when he confirmed
                the death of the latest victims.

                "Game rangers, armed with guns, have been
                deployed to the area," he said.

                Fear

                A senior government official in the district,
                Charles Kaliwo, said when game rangers were
                alerted to news of the latest victims on
                Thursday night they could only find the leg of
                one of the victims and four pools of blood.

                A trail of blood led into
                the bushes.

                Local resident John
                Banda told me the
                lions attacks had been
                taking place both
                during the day and at
                night.

                He said people were so
                afraid that agricultural
                activities were
                becoming seriously disrupted.

                He added that advice not to wander about
                alone did not seem to be working.

                "It is not helping any more to move in groups
                since the lions do not seem to fear groups," he
                said.

                Wildlife officials believe the lions went astray
                from Kasungu National Park and Nkhota Kota
                Game Reserve following the theft of protective
                wire fences by local residents.

                They also believe the beasts had run out of
                food in both the park and the game reserve
                since the current drought has made grazing
                grass scarce, forcing small animals like deers
                and gazelles - the lions' natural prey - to
                migrate further afield.

                The lions' alternative is to hunt humans and
                their docile livestock.

*****

Mugabe accepts French
                invite

                Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has
                accepted an invitation from France to take
                part in a summit of African heads of state in
                Paris in February.

                "We were invited and we accepted," Foreign
                Affairs Senior Secretary Willard Chiwewe told
                the state-run Herald daily.

                Mr Mugabe is currently banned from entering
                the European Union because of doubts about
                the legitimacy of his re-election last year.

                Zimbabwe's opposition
                has called the invitation
                to the long-standing
                ruler a tragedy.

                But French President
                Jacques Chirac was
                convinced that the
                Zimbabwean leader's presence at the summit
                would help promote justice, human rights and
                democracy in his country, French Foreign
                Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau told
                journalists.

                The EU travel ban, along with a freeze on Mr
                Mugabe's assets, was imposed last February.
                The UK Government will seek to renew it at a
                meeting of EU foreign ministers next week.

                If the sanctions are not extended, Mr Mugabe
                will be able to attend the summit on 19
                February - the day after they expire.

                Correspondents say that France sees itself as
                Africa's best friend on the international stage.

                It recently extended a $3m grant to help some
                eight million people in need of food aid in
                Zimbabwe.

                Correspondents say that as relations between
                the UK and Zimbabwe have deteriorated,
                France has been moving closer to Mr Mugabe's
                government.

                Mr Rivasseau said France understood the
                "emotion and indignation" of the British over
                the visit but added that no sanctions would be
                broken.

                'Affront'

                Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for
                Democratic Change (MDC) has condemned the
                French offer.

                "Any avenue granted to Mugabe to attend
                international meetings at which he is treated
                as a statesman and an equal is an affront to
                the feelings of the people of Zimbabwe," said
                MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

                "It amounts to a
                recognition and
                support of Mugabe's
                gruesome record at
                home."

                UK Government
                minister Peter Hain
                said: "As far as we are
                concerned he is not
                welcome in Europe.

                "Our views on his
                odious regime and the
                way he is devastating
                his country are well known.

                "I am sure the French share that view."

                But British Member of the European Parliament
                Glenys Kinnock said the UK was considering
                doing a deal to let Mr Mugabe attend the
                Franco-African summit.

                London might allow the Paris visit to happen in
                return for an assurance that Mr Mugabe will
                not be invited to the EU-Africa summit in
                Portugal in May, she said.

*****

Zimbabwe's French
                connection

  By Henri Astier
                BBC News Online

                The decision by French President Jacques
                Chirac to invite Robert Mugabe to a
                Franco-African summit in Paris in February has
                angered those across Europe who want
                Zimbabwe's president to remain an
                international pariah.

                Last year the EU banned Mr
                Mugabe from travelling to
                Europe, after a Zimbabwean
                presidential election marred
                by violence and fraud.

                The sanctions formally
                expire the day before
                the Paris conference.

                Critics - mainly in Britain - suspect Mr Chirac's
                invitation is motivated by France's
                long-standing tradition of wielding influence in
                Africa by supporting the continent's tyrants.

                French officials, for their part, insist they are
                consulting their European partners and only
                seek to promote democracy in Zimbabwe.

                Neither the French nor their critics have it
                entirely right.

                Changing tack

                France has moved on since the bad old days of
                the post-colonial networks - when Paris
                considered French-speaking Africa as its
                backyard.

                The French backed
                single-party
                dictatorships and
                helped local elites
                plunder the resources
                of client states.

                Such policies were discredited by the
                Rwandan genocide of 1994, planned and
                committed by French proteges.

                Both politically and financially - spheres of
                influence are expensive - France could not
                afford to continue.

                In recent years its African policy has
                focused on finding new friends outside the
                cosy world of French-speaking allies.

                The country's main trading partners in
                Africa are now Nigeria, Angola and South
                Africa.

                French-speaking countries account for
                less than 1% of total French trade,
                according to Pascal Chaigneau, director of
                the Centre for Diplomatic and Strategic
                Studies in Paris.

                And France is keen
                to expand trading
                relations.

                In recent years Paris
                has made a point of
                welcoming all of the
                continent's leaders
                to French-African
                summits.

                The overture to Mr
                Mugabe must be
                understood in this
                context.

                French officials point out that invitation
                cards had gone out to every single African
                leader, and it would have been wrong to
                single Mr Mugabe out.

                Another point to bear in mind is that the
                main momentum for removing - or at
                least softening - the sanctions against Mr
                Mugabe comes from Africa itself.

                "About 15 African states have been
                aggressively lobbying the French to make
                sure Mugabe is invited," Mr Chaigneau told
                BBC News Online.

                Wishful thinking

                It seems then that flattery may have
                played a significant part in the invitation.

                France will be being told by Mr Mugabe's
                African allies that it could be the honest
                broker needed to resolve Zimbabwe's
                crisis.

                The French government seems genuinely
                to believe that Mr Chirac can succeed
                where the UK Government and the
                Commonwealth have failed.

                "We are having a political dialogue which
                has the purpose of promoting democracy,
                human rights and law in Zimbabwe,"
                French foreign ministry spokesman
                Francois Rivasseau said.

                Of course, this may be wishful thinking.

                The last time Mr Mugabe officially came to
                Europe he met President Chirac.

                That was in March 2001, and the impact
                of any advice Mr Mugabe received from
                his French host then about democracy
                and the rule of law appears to have been
                negligible.

                France may not be up to its old
                post-colonial tricks in Zimbabwe - but the
                fresh invitation to Mr Mugabe can hardly
                be called a foreign policy triumph.

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

From: Weber

To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com

Cc: Alan de Brauw ; mike nolan ; Debbie Yin ; Judy Kenefick ; Sally Magneson ; Lenora Young ; Mark Morrison ; Frank & Joan Granata

Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 2:45 AM

Subject: [ujeni] $500mil for AIDS

Does anyone else wonder if, after spending $500million to prevent AIDS in newborns without committing money for treatment of the parents, whether we've thought about what money the U.S. should commit to orphanages?  

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

Many of you may be interested in the following press briefing on HIV/AIDS in Malawi, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Zambia. 

Stacia and Kristoph - What is your take on the Global Fund in Malawi?  On my side of the world it is becoming a bit of a (sad) joke as they are not getting the money out even to the countries who have the infrastructure in place to use it.

Cheers

-- Sara
________________________________
Sara Hersey
Technical Officer, Surveillance and Research
Family Health International
Asia Regional Office
Mobile: 855-12-905-600 (Cambodia)
E-mail:  sara@...
            sara@...

-----Original Message-----
From: Kristof & Stacia Nordin
To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Alan de Brauw; mike nolan; Debbie Yin; Judy Kenefick; Sally Magneson; Lenora Young; Mark Morrison; Frank & Joan Granata

Sent: 1/26/03 2:29 AM
Subject: Re: [ujeni] $500mil for AIDS

 
Definitely, you are correct in my opionion.  And it is one reason that
the aid community is not only doing prevention of mother to child
transmission PMTCT, they are now doing PMTCT-plus, where they treat the
mother (not parents as far as I know) and treat the baby.  I continually
advocate for each dollar spent on PMTCT (or -plus), at least equal if
not 10 times that needs to go into child care to see the 'saved' child
through to secondary school or so.  people are so caught up on 'saving'
a life that they don't consider beyond that stage.
 
I know this was sent last year, but I was busy at that time!
 
Stacia
 

----- Original Message -----
From: Weber <mailto:weber@...> 
To: ujeni@yahoogroups.com <mailto:ujeni@yahoogroups.com> 
Cc: Alan de Brauw <mailto:Alan.D.Debrauw@...>  ; mike nolan
<mailto:mc_nolan@...>  ; Debbie Yin
<mailto:lomay@...>  ; Judy Kenefick
<mailto:judymk@...>  ; Sally  <mailto:csmagneson@...>
Magneson ; Lenora  <mailto:leeyo1@...> Young ; Mark Morrison
<mailto:aycaramba@...>  ; Frank  <mailto:jofra@...> &
Joan Granata
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 2:45 AM
Subject: [ujeni] $500mil for AIDS

Does anyone else wonder if, after spending $500million to prevent AIDS
in newborns without committing money for treatment of the parents,
whether we've thought about what money the U.S. should commit to
orphanages?  

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Service.

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor   

ADVERTISEMENT
 
<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=241773.2861420.4212388.2848452/D=egroupweb/S=1705
201064:HM/A=1394044/R=0/*http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt/text/0,,HGTV_
3936_5802,FF.html> HGTV Dream Home Giveaway     
 
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=241773.2861420.4212388.2848452/D=egrou
pmail/S=:HM/A=1394044/rand=970839377>  

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .

'Third-term' protests
                broken up in Malawi

                Police in Malawi have fired tear gas to disperse
                demonstrators angry at proposals to let
                President Bakili Muluzi run for a third term in
                office.

                Some 2,000 people marched in the commercial
                capital, Blantyre, before the protest was
                broken up, according to Reuters news agency.

                In Lilongwe, parliament
                has started an
                emergency debate over
                a proposed change to
                the constitution to let
                Mr Muluzi contest
                elections scheduled for
                2004.

                The current constitution only allows presidents
                to serve two terms.

                A similar bill was narrowly defeated by
                parliament last year.

                Knives and stones

                Some 15 people were arrested by the police
                and two people were taken to hospital,
                Reuters reports.

                Some of the protesters carried placards
                reading "Muluzi leave Malawi in peace".

                Monday's protests
                were organised by a
                coalition of Christian
                groups, civic
                organisations and
                political parties.

                Some Muslim groups
                have backed the
                proposals to let Mr
                Muluzi stand again.

                Supporters of Mr
                Muluzi armed with
                knives and stones
                were also planning to march, reports the
                French news agency, AFP.

                Police said they fired tear gas to prevent
                clashes between the rival groups.

                'No threat'

                Following a wave of anti third-term protests
                last year, Mr Muluzi banned public
                demonstrations on the issue.

                Justice Minister Henry
                Phoya denied that the
                new bill threatened
                democracy, as he
                introduced it.

                "It does not mean the
                incumbent president
                will be the next
                president because
                there will be free and
                fair elections and the
                majority of people can
                vote him out."

                Mr Muluzi's United Democratic Front has 95
                MPs and needs an extra 28 votes from the
                opposition for the two-thirds majority needed
                to change the constitution.

*****

Scuffles Delay Decision On Muluzi Third Term

UN Integrated Regional Information
Networks
January 28, 2003
Posted to the web January 28, 2003

Johannesburg

Debate on a proposed constitutional amendment which would allow
President Bakili Muluzi to run for a third term has been deferred
indefinitely
following scuffles outside and inside parliament on Tuesday.

Sources in the capital told IRIN there was a heavy police presence
around
parliament, where police had to fire teargas at protestors on Monday.

Debate on the proposed amendment had to be postponed for the first
time
on Monday following clashes in Lilongwe and Blantyre between police,
pro-third term protestors and anti-third term protestors.

Muluzi had earlier banned all protests around the issue.

When debate resumed in parliament on Tuesday, an eyewitness in the
chamber told IRIN the atmosphere was charged. So much so that scuffles
broke out on the steps of parliament, a clergyman was apparently
beaten,
and inside parliamentary chambers. A ruling party MP was reportedly
injured inside chambers.

He said: "It was clear the ruling party was going to lose again. Soon
after
[the scuffle inside parliament] the minister of justice announced that
they
had decided to refer the debate to a special legal affairs committee
of
parliament, to look at comments that had come from the opposition and
the ruling party.

"Later on the attorney-general was briefing reporters outside [saying]
that
there was no time-frame when it [the amendment bill] would come back
to
parliament."

It was uncertain in what guise, if at all, the bill would return to
parliament as
the legal affairs committee was chaired by an anti-third term
opposition
MP.

Donors, on whose development aid Malawi depends heavily, have warned
Muluzi against amending the constitution and trying to hold on to
power.

Muluzi's bid for a third term suffered its first setback in early July
2002
when a bill proposing an amendment to the constitution was narrowly
defeated.

A second attempt at tabling the bill in October 2002 - after Minister
of
Justice Henry Phoya proclaimed the government's intention to amend the
constitution in a government gazette - failed again due to opposition
pressure.

Civic organisations and church groups have rallied in opposition to
the
proposed third term amendment, said Nicholas Mkwabata of Public
Affairs
Committee, a lobby group constituted by churches.

He told IRIN there was widespread opposition to another term for
Muluzi.
The group had organised protests and was lobbying heavily against the
amendment bill.

The ruling United Democratic Front had caught opposition and civil
society
off-guard with the surprise tabling for the bill for debate in an
emergency
session of parliament.

"We did not know this bill was going to be tabled, so yesterday
[Monday]
most of the opposition members of parliament were hoping they could
get
to vote [against it]. But the vote was delayed," Mkwabata told IRIN.

*****

Spectre of Famine Still Looms for Fragile Malawi, UN
Envoy Warns

United Nations (New York)
January 27, 2003
Posted to the web January 28, 2003

New York

The United Nations top humanitarian envoy for southern Africa has
warned
that the food security situation in Malawi remains fragile and slight
gains
made to avert famine could be easily eroded by a combination of
HIV/AIDS,
late rains and floods.

Continuing his week-long, five-nation mission in southern Africa,
James
Morris, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy for Humanitarian
Needs in the region, said yesterday that despite rapid response from
the
international community, the crisis is "far from over and the
situation
remains so fragile that gains could be easily eroded." HIV/AIDS, late
rains
and floods are threatening this year's upcoming harvest, placing
millions of
people at risk of starvation.

The envoy, who travelled to one of the worst flood-affected districts
during
his visit to Malawi, said that along with the converging HIV/AIDS and
hunger
crises, floods earlier this month caused by Cyclone Delfina wreaked
havoc
throughout the country, destroying hundreds of acres of desperately
needed maize, the staple food. More than 30,000 people were displaced
by
the floods, which also caused significant damage to roads, bridges and
railway lines.

Mr. Morris said that at the root of the humanitarian crisis in Malawi,
along
with erratic weather and chronic poverty, "is the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
which
is threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people." About
14 per
cent of the country's population is infected with HIV, the virus that
causes
AIDS. The virus worsens the effects that famine has on people due to
their
weakened immune systems.

*****

Accusations Against Malawian Truckers

Agencia de Informacao de
Mocambique (Maputo)
January 21, 2002
Posted to the web January 24, 2003

Maputo

Tete (Mozambique), 24 Jan (AIM) - The Mozambican police have
accused Malawian truck drivers of illegally selling fuel along the
main
road from Zimbabwe to Malawi, which runs through the middle of the
western Mozambican province of Tete.

The Tete police say that at night the truckers remove fuel from the
tanks of their own vehicles and sell it. There is a market for the
fuel
along the Tete corridor, since the Malawians sell it at cheaper prices
than motorists can buy fuel from authorised distributors.

Thus the Malawian drivers are accused of swindling their own
companies, and of unfair competition with legal fuel distributors.

The police have cracked down on this activity. According to the Tete
provincial police commander, Jose Mapilele, a police operation along
the corridor resulted in the seizure of 2,525 litres of diesel, and
279
litres of petrol.

He promised that this year the police will step up the battle against
illegal sales of fuel. The objective, he said, was "to put an end to
this
evil once and for all, in defence of the Mozambican economy".

*****

Terror warnings cripple Zanzibar
                     Alex Ortolani | Zanzibar

                                                               27
January 2003 10:20

                     A terrorist warning issued by the United States,
British and
                     Australian governments has hampered the tourism
trade in
                     the popular beach resort of Zanzibar, comprising
Unguja
                     (Zanzibar Island) and Pemba Island.

                     Zanzibar's economy, which once relied heavily on
clove
                     exports, is now bolstered by a foreign tourism
trade that
                     brings in thousands of travellers every year.

                     On January 11 the US State Department cautioned
visitors
                     about an attack on an unspecified location
frequented by tourists in
                     Zanzibar, citing markets, bars and nightclubs as
areas to avoid. The
                     message followed a general warning for travellers
in East Africa about
                     "continuing potential for terrorist actions,
including kidnapping", issued more
                     than one month after a car bomb killed 14 in the
coastal city of Mombasa,
                     Kenya.

                     The British government followed the US by
cautioning tourists that an
                     "international terrorist group" might be
planning an attack on Zanzibar. The
                     Australian government likewise recommended
"extreme caution" to travellers
                     just months after the Bali blasts took numerous
Australian lives.

                     No country has directly ordered tourists or foreign
nationals to evacuate the
                     islands.

                     The warnings have left many restaurant tables, tour
bus seats and hotel
                     rooms empty on the islands during a peak tourist
season that runs from
                     November through February, said Issa Mlingoti,
director for tourism, planning
                     and development at Zanzibar's Commission for
Tourism.

                     "There have been numerous cancellations in all
sectors of the tourism
                     industry," Mlingoti said. "It's a big
challenge for us. For the time being we
                     can only increase security and wait it out."

                     The commission sent a letter to tour operators in
the area giving details of
                     how to increase security and make patrons feel
secure, said Mlingoti. It
                     includes putting guards at entrances to check bags,
making sure all guests
                     sign in with appropriate documentation and
preventing cars from parking
                     near public places.

                     "We do not have the power to tell tourists
'Stay, do not go back home'," he
                     said. "We cannot override the decision of their
governments, though we feel
                     Zanzibar is as safe as ever."

                     Khamis Ayub, of Links Tours & Travel in Zanzibar
Town, said the warning
                     had hit particularly hard because of its timing.

                     "It came during the first [month] of the year,
right when we have a number of
                     expenses to be met," Ayub said. "We need to pay
insurance, taxes and our
                     tour guide operators at this time, and now there is
very little money coming
                     in."

                     Ayub said his company would usually be catering for
between 20 and 25
                     tourists a day. Two days after the warnings those
numbers had dropped
                     from about six to zero. "At this rate we might
have to close up the office
                     early in the season," Ayub said.

                     The fear of terrorist attacks has also hit the
hotel industry. Some are
                     resorting to bringing prices down to low-season
rates, though that is doing
                     little to bring in new customers.

                     Hotel Marine Zanzibar manager HR Kijiba sifted
through a stack of printed
                     e-mails from travel agents cancelling tour groups
from Britain and Australia.

                     "We should have a hotel with 20 full rooms,"
Kijiba said. "Instead, right now,
                     we only have two. What can we do? No amount of
advertising will take away
                     people's fear."

                     Some well-tanned backpackers could still be seen
wandering about Stone
                     Town's winding streets and colourful shops.

                     British traveller Emma Richardson did not let the
warnings spoil her overland
                     trip through Africa. She said her tour group was
told about the warnings a
                     few days before reaching Dar es Salaam.

                     "They gave us the choice to stay on in Dar if we
did not want to risk going to
                     Zanzibar," Richardson said. "I did not even
think of not coming. In fact, it
                     made me more adamant to come and enjoy the
island."

                     Abraham Mussa, a taxi driver on the island, spoke
from the hood of his
                     vehicle while eyeing the pristine blue of the
ocean. "Where is Osama [bin
                     Laden]?" Mussa asked. "I don't know. You
don't. No one does. I wish he
                     were in Zanzibar. Then I would find him, hand him
over to [US President
                     George W] Bush and get back to driving my taxi."


*****

Abuse spreads HIV
                among Zambian girls

                Girls in Zambia are five times more likely to be
                infected with the HIV virus than their male
                counterparts due to widespread sexual abuse,
                a human rights organisation has reported.

                New York-based Human
                Rights Watch described
                in its report - entitled
                Suffering in Silence -
                how young girls who
                suffer abuse often
                experience it whilst in
                the hands of an elder or
                a guardian who is
                supposed to protect
                them.

                It says girls are also often raped on long walks
                to school, or abused by teachers.

                Others, orphaned as a result of Zambia's high
                rate of HIV infection, are forced to become
                prostitutes or to form sexual relationships with
                much older men.

                Authorities condemned

                The organisation condemned Zambian police
                and authorities for often being insensitive and
                ineffective in enforcing anti-sexual abuse laws
                in Zambia, leading to girls being reluctant to
                report any such abuse.

                "Young girls are preyed upon by older men,
                including those who dare call themselves
                guardians or caretakers of these girls, and the
                government fails to protect them," Washington
                director for HRW Africa Division Janet
                Fleischman said.

                The organisation warns that attacks on girls -
                some as young as eight-years-old - are now
                so common that unless the Zambian
                Government begins to address the issue little
                will be achieved in the fight against HIV and
                Aids.

                It called for better training for police and court
                officials regarding the issue of sexual abuse
                and said those who commit such offences
                should be vigorously prosecuted.

                And the organisation also said that money the
                Zambian Government will soon receive from the
                Global Health Fund should be spent on
                strengthening support networks for victims.

                An estimated 21.5% of Zambia's adult
                population is infected with HIV, the virus which
                causes Aids, and about 120,000 children are
                also thought to be infected.

*****

Hungry Zambians loot rejected GM food
                     Lusaka

                                                               28
January 2003 15:55

                     An estimated 6 000 Zambian villagers overpowered an
armed policeman and
                     looted food aid consisting largely of maize
rejected by the government
                     because it was genetically modified, police said on
Tuesday.

                     Southern Province Minister George Mpombo said 4 600
50-kilogramme bags
                     of GM and non-GM staple maize were stolen at the
weekend in
                     Sizanongwe, 300 kilometres from the capital.

                     He said starving villagers overpowered the lone
policeman after word went
                     round that the maize was to be returned to Lusaka.

                     Despite the threat of starvation that faces more
than two million Zambians,
                     Zambia has imposed an outright ban on GM food aid.

                     Southern Province is the region hardest hit by
famine in Zambia. The
                     villagers also got away with beans, seed maize and
scales donated by an
                     international relief agency World Vision.

                     Some traditional chiefs in the area supported the
villagers' action, accusing
                     the government of neglecting the people in the
worst famine-stricken areas
                     where people were surviving on wild fruits and
plants. - Sapa-AFP

*****

US tells its citizens to consider leaving
                     Zimbabwe
                     Washington
                                                               28
January 2003 10:10

                     The United States on Monday warned US citizens of
the risk of travelling to
                     Zimbabwe amid ongoing political, economic and
humanitarian crises and
                     said Americans in the country now should consider
leaving.

                     "Zimbabwe is in the midst of political, economic
and humanitarian crises
                     with serious implications for the security
situation in the country," the State
                     Department said.

                     "All US citizens in Zimbabwe are urged to take
those measures they deem
                     appropriate to ensure their well-being, including
consideration of departure
                     from the country," it said in a statement.

                     The statement noted increased crime and lawlessness
due to a "precipitous
                     decline" in Zimbabwe's economy that has sent the
unemployment and
                     inflation rates soaring.

                     In addition, it said existing food shortages could
result in famine which
                     would, in turn, lead to general unrest and a
further deterioration of the
                     security situation. - Sapa-AFP

*****

Zimbabwe police probe 'church reporters'
                     Harare

                                                               27
January 2003 11:23

                     Five foreigners suspected of being undercover
journalists reporting on
                     Zimbabwe's hunger crisis have been picked up for
questioning by police,
                     representative Wayne Bvudzijena said on Sunday.

                     He said the five were picked up in Zvishavane, a
mining town in the
                     drought-hit south of the country, along with a
journalist from a local daily
                     newspaper. Under Zimbabwe's strict press laws it is
illegal for journalists to
                     work without accreditation from a government
commission. The government
                     accuses a hostile international media of trying to
undermine it.

                     Bvudzijena said the five, whose passports indicated
they were journalists,
                     had been allowed to return to their hotel while
investigations continued.
                     "We're convinced that they're not aid workers,"
Bvudzijena said.

                     One of those arrested, Kathleen Kastilahn, told AFP
via telephone from
                     Zvishavane that she was merely reporting for a
church magazine.

                     Their group was picked up on Friday evening and
questioned by police,
                     Kastilahn said. "They think we're here to do
clandestine journalism," she
                     said. "We're here to tell the story for our
churches."

                     Kastilahn said she and her five colleagues had been
invited by the Lutheran
                     World Federation Development Services to tour
projects in the area and hold
                     meetings with churches.

                     Among those arrested is Zimbabwean journalist
Fanuel Jongwe of the
                     privately owned Daily News newspaper. The others
include two Germans --
                     one a freelance photographer -- a representative of
Finnish Church Aid and a
                     Kenyan coordinator for the Lutheran Development
Services.

                     Jongwe said they had been told they were being
arrested under the Public
                     Order and Security Act and were due to have
statements recorded by police
                     on Monday.

                     "We have been told not to leave the hotel," he
added. In an earlier report the
                     state-controlled Sunday Mail claimed that five
suspected journalists and a
                     Zimbabwean reporter from a local daily had been
arrested and were in police
                     custody. The five were posing as aid workers but
had been "sent into the
                     country to secretly write stories aimed at
tarnishing the image of the
                     government," the paper claimed.

                     The Zimbabwe government and aid agencies are
currently distributing
                     emergency food aid to some of the estimated
eight-million of Zimbabwe's
                     11,6-million people threatened by famine.

                     Since a tough new press law came into effect last
year, at least 12
                     journalists have been arrested and two foreign
correspondents told to leave
                     the country.

                     Foreign journalists are allowed into Zimbabwe for
short periods of time, but
                     must apply for accreditation before they arrive. -
Sapa-AFP

*****

EU to decide on Mugabe
                trip

                European Union foreign ministers are deciding
                whether to renew sanctions against the
                government of Zimbabwe's President Robert
                Mugabe at a meeting in Brussels on Monday.

                The measures include a travel ban on senior
                government figures, but France has invited Mr
                Mugabe to a Franco-African summit in Paris
                next month, angering several countries.

                France argues that EU sanctions against
                Zimbabwe allow officials to attend meetings in
                Europe if the focus is on human rights and
                democracy.

                Britain and a number of other countries -
                including Sweden and the Netherlands - want
                to keep Mr Mugabe out.

                Concern has also been growing about England's
                World Cup cricket match due to be played in
                Zimbabwe, after players received letters
                threatening violence at the game.

                At a press conference on Monday, the England
                team asked for the 13 February match against
                Zimbabwe to be moved to South Africa.

                It is the first time the players have said they
                do not want to play in Zimbabwe. s

                The EU travel ban, along with a freeze on Mr
                Mugabe's assets, was imposed last February as
                violence flared in the run-up to a presidential
                election which was later widely condemned as
                unfair.

                Compromise?

                Supporters of sanctions fear that if the
                Zimbabwean leader is prevented from travelling
                to Paris, France will allow the entire sanctions
                regime to lapse.

                Sanctions are due to
                expire on 18 February,
                just one day before
                the Franco-African
                summit begins.

                France argues other
                African nations would
                boycott the summit if
                Mr Mugabe is not
                invited.

                There were already
                concerns about Mr
                Mugabe attending an
                EU-Africa summit in April before the latest
                dilemma arose.

                This had led to some EU members seeking a
                compromise that would have seen Zimbabwe's
                Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge attend the
                summit in Lisbon in his place - although the
                minister would also need a travel waiver.

Robert Westra, where are you?

Anyone have any recent contact information for Robert Westra.  I
appear to have lost him.

Ken
--

Malawi's 'third-term' bill
                shelved

                The Malawi Government has backed down in its
                attempts to allow President Bakili Muluzi to
                stand for a third term in office.

                A bill to change the constitution has been
                withdrawn from parliament in the face of fierce
                opposition.

                The surprise
                announcement was
                made by Justice Minister
                Henry Dama Phoya at
                the end of an
                extraordinary
                parliamentary session to
                discuss the bill.

                Police also had to intervene in parliament to
                prevent fights breaking out between rival MPs
                after the bill was withdrawn.

                Opposition lawmakers demanded an immediate
                vote, confident that the government would fail
                to get the necessary two-thirds majority.

                'Be honest'

                A similar bill was narrowly defeated in July last
                year.

                The issue has divided Malawians and when the
                debate started on Monday, police had to fire
                tear gas to disperse some 4,000 people
                protesting against the bill.

                On Tuesday, Mr Muluzi
                sacked Commerce and
                Industry Minister Peter
                Kaleso because of his
                opposition to the 'third
                term' bill.

                Mr Phoya said he did
                not known whether
                the government would
                attempt to reintroduce
                the bill.

                "The legal committee
                of parliament will
                advise my office on what to do and I will have
                to make a decision," he said.

                But Mr Kaleso believes the bill will not be
                passed.

                "We should not lie here. The main reason the
                bill was not put to a vote is because the
                (ruling party) has realized it is not going to get
                the necessary support it needs to muster," he
                said.

                Unless the constitution is changed, Mr Muluzi is
                due to step down in 2004.

*****

ADF Funding for Better Use of Fisheries Resources

UN Integrated Regional Information
Networks
January 29, 2003
Posted to the web January 29, 2003

Johannesburg

The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved the release of funding
totalling US $10.5 million to increase utilisation of fisheries
resources in
five Lake Malawi districts.

Malawi is one of six countries in Southern Africa experiencing a
severe
food shortage brought on by drought, failed government policy and the
impact of HIV/AIDS.

The ADF funding consists of a US $9 million loan and a US $1.1 million
grant, the organisation said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The project objective is to improve household income by enhancing the
management and utilisation of fisheries resources in five Lake Malawi
littoral districts [situated along the shore] - Likoma, Nkhata Bay,
Nkhotakota, Salima, and Mangochi," an ADF statement said.

The funding would finance the development of fish production and
marketing.

"[This would] also help establish a credit fund for the rehabilitation
of old
wooden plank boats and procurement of new fisheries equipment.
Moreover, the project will help strengthen individual and
institutional
capacities of fishers, fish processors and marketers, and the
Fisheries
Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental
Affairs," the ADF noted.

It is hoped that the project would contribute to poverty alleviation
and
improve food security in Malawi through the development of artisanal
fisheries.

Aid agencies say about 3.3 million Malawians require food aid until the
next
harvest. Household vulnerability has increased as HIV/AIDS impacts on
household incomes and people's ability to sustain themselves through
crop production.

The ADF says its funding of the fisheries project would "help improve
the
standards of living of 7,640 households by providing them with
employment and income opportunities".

*****

Nacala-Malawi Railway Reopens

Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique
(Maputo)
January 28, 2003
Posted to the web January 28, 2003

Maputo

The railway from the northern Mozambican port of Nacala to landlocked
Malawi has reopened after a serious derailment closed it to traffic for
three
weeks.

A press release issued by the Mozambican ports and rail company, CFM,
announced that work on repairing the line was concluded on Monday, and
it was declared open to traffic again at about 17.00.

However the derailed locomotives are still lying by the side of the
tracks.
Operations to remove them will be resumed immediately, the CFM release
said.

The derailment, involving a goods train with two locomotives, occurred
at
Mutivaze, about 30 kilometres west of Nampula city, during torrential
rains
brought by tropical depression "Delfina" on 5 January.

Heavy rains are continuing to fall in Nampula province, and CFM says
that
its crews will drive their trains carefully to avoid any further
interruptions to
traffic. The company promises to keep its clients informed on a daily
basis.

The most serious impact of the line closure was to emergency
operations
in Malawi. Food aid for Malawians at risk of famine could not be
transported along the railway, and so shiploads of grain had to be
diverted
away from Nacala to Dar es Salaam.

*****

Crisis Averted in So. Africa, U.N. Says

                    By Ravi Nessman
                    Associated Press Writer
                    Wednesday, January 29, 2003; 7:17 AM

                    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa –– A serious
humanitarian
                    crisis in southern Africa appears to have been
averted with
                    the delivery of hundreds of thousands of tons of
food aid to
                    hungry people, a top U.N. relief official said
Wednesday.

                    The World Food Program had estimated that more than
15
                    million people in six southern African countries
were in
                    danger of starvation because of poor harvests last
year.

                    Fast reaction by humanitarian workers and aid
agencies and
                    generous aid from donor countries has averted a
serious
                    famine in the region, said James Morris, the head of
the WFP
                    and the U.N. special envoy to the southern Africa
hunger
                    crisis.

                    "Food has been put in place over the last several
months in
                    such a way that starvation, death has not occurred,
and that's
                    something to celebrate," he told journalists in
South Africa
                    following a trip to affected nations.

                    Morris, however, expressed concern about the
ongoing
                    AIDS pandemic ravaging the region.

                    The WFP estimated it will have delivered more than
1.4
                    million tons of food aid by March to needy people in
Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Swaziland
                    and Mozambique.

                    The agency will do a new study in February to see
what aid is required over the next year, but Morris
                    predicted that a comparable amount of food would be
needed over the next 12 months.

                    Following their recent visit of the region, U.N. aid
officials were cautiously optimistic of a good harvest
                    in April in Zambia and Malawi.

                    "We don't have that same optimism for Zimbabwe,"
Morris said.

                    The hunger crisis in that nation, once the bread
basket of the region, has been blamed on erratic rains
                    and agricultural chaos caused by the redistribution
of white-owned commercial farms to blacks.

                    The nation's commercial farming sector has been
nearly destroyed, he said. Though more acres were
                    farmed this year, they were planted by communal
farmers, who are only a fraction as productive as
                    large-scale farmers, he said.

                    "The loss of the commercial farm industry ... the
loss of that production is enormous," Morris said.

                    Even with good weather, officials estimate
Zimbabwe's harvest will fall 1.1 million tons short of the
                    nation's need.

                    Zimbabwe's economic crisis has decimated the
government's hard currency reserves, making it hard for
                    it to buy grain abroad. And the government has
refused, despite pressure from aid officials, to relax its
                    monopoly on importing grain, which has made it
illegal for private grain brokers to bring in food to sell,
                    Morris said.

                    Morris also appealed for a massive global effort to
fight the AIDS pandemic that is killing thousands of
                    productive people, wrecking the livelihoods of
millions more and laying the groundwork for future
                    famines.

                    He was especially concerned about the future of the
2.5 million AIDS orphans in the region.

                    "We're in the midst of a crisis that has the
potential to consume us," he said.

                    The WFP estimated Zimbabwe had 7.2 million people in
danger of going hungry; Malawi had 3.6
                    million; Zambia had 2.6 million; Lesotho had
758,000; Mozambique had 655,000; and Swaziland had
                    297,000, according to the WFP.

*****

'Grotesque unawareness' of Mozambique
                     famine
                     Johannesburg

                                                               29
January 2003 11:36

                     An international relief agency this week said the
effects of food shortages in
                     Mozambique were a lot worse than what had been
reported.

                     Following a visit to the southern African country,
World Relief President
                     Clive Calver said there was "a grotesque
unawareness" about the impact of
                     the food crisis, especially in remote areas.

                     Calver travelled to Chicualacuala, an isolated area
in southern Mozambique.

                     "There were people lying beneath trees dying, while
others were eating
                     worms and vegetation that normally elephants would
have," Calver said in a
                     statement.

                     Mozambique's National Disaster Management Institute
has claimed that the
                     number of people who would need food aid would rise
to 1,4-million from the
                     previous figure of about 600 000. This was mainly
due to poor rains over the
                     planting season in late 2002.

                     Calver called on churches to play a more active
role in the response to the
                     crisis "because they [churches] are some of the
only institutions that exist
                     in remote areas like Chicualacuala".

                     In a related development, an outbreak of cholera in
northern Mozambique
                     has killed 12 people and infected hundreds more,
Reuters reported on
                     Tuesday.

                     Cholera is the latest in a string of disasters to
hit the impoverished country,
                     which last week reported nine hunger related deaths
amid widespread food
                     shortages.

                     Authorities in Mozambique said that there were
fears that the number of
                     victims could increase in the Sofala province as
rains continue to fall and
                     create conditions for the spread of the disease. -
Irin

*****

2 U.S. Journalists Detained in Zimbabwe

                    By Angus Shaw
                    Associated Press Writer
                    Tuesday, January 28, 2003; 6:16 PM

                    HARARE, Zimbabwe –– Two American
                    reporters and a local news photographer
                    covering Zimbabwe's food shortages were
                    detained by police for seven hours Tuesday
                    and denied access to a lawyer and telephones.

                    Dina Kraft of The Associated Press, Jason
                    Beaubien, Africa correspondent for National
                    Public Radio, and Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, a
                    Zimbabwean freelance photographer on
                    assignment for AP, were taken into custody
                    after visiting the state Grain Marketing Board
                    depot in the western city of Bulawayo.

                    A Bulawayo city councilman from the main
                    opposition party, Charles Mpofu, and his
                    assistant who were showing the journalists
                    around town also were detained.

                    Police said the three journalists were accused
                    of unauthorized entry and taking photographs at
                    the depot, which they said is a restricted
                    security area. No formal charges were filed.

                    The journalists said they were not aware it was
                    restricted and that they were allowed in by depot
security officials. They also said they were seeking to
                    interview officials at the marketing board.

                    The depot was the scene of rioting last month when
ruling party militants reportedly interfered with a
                    food line. About 30 people were arrested after
clashes involving the militants, people lined up to buy
                    corn meal and police.

                    The journalists were leaving the depot when they
were stopped by police officers and board officials.

                    While the three were being questioned there, the
reporters were able to unobtrusively make brief cell
                    phone calls to AP's office in Johannesburg, South
Africa, and the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe's capital,
                    Harare.

                    They were then taken to the nearby Western Commonage
police station for further questioning. While
                    there, they were not allowed to call the U.S.
Embassy, lawyers or colleagues.

                    Nkoluleku Fuzwayo, a lawyer contacted by AP, said he
was refused permission to enter the police
                    station and talk to the journalists until they were
released.

                    Police inspected the reporters' notebooks and
photocopied some pages. The journalists said they had
                    not taken notes at the depot after being told
officials were not allowed to speak with reporters.

                    The government recently has cracked down on
journalists. Fourteen local journalists have been arrested
                    in the past year on charges of violating strict new
media laws. Only one has been tried and was
                    acquitted.

                    Foreign journalists must have government
accreditation before entering Zimbabwe, although such
                    credentials are routinely denied. Many journalists,
though, have entered on tourist visas, evaded
                    detection and reported on the country's deepening
economic and political crisis.

                    But Kraft and Beaubien, who are both based in
Johannesburg, had been given Zimbabwe government
                    press accreditation for their visit.

                    They arrived in Zimbabwe on Thursday in a press
group accompanying a fact-finding mission by James
                    Morris, head of the World Food Program. The U.N.
agency is providing emergency food for some of
                    the 6.7 million Zimbabweans, at least half the
population, facing famine.

                    Aid groups have blamed the crisis on erratic rains
and chaos in the agriculture sector caused by the
                    government's seizure of white-owned commercial farms
for redistribution to blacks.

                    Though Morris left Saturday, Kraft and Beaubien were
granted a week's government license to report
                    on Zimbabwe.

                    Also on Tuesday, five foreign Lutheran church
workers who were detained over the weekend on
                    suspicion of violating media laws were handed over
to immigration authorities for likely deportation,
                    their lawyer said.

                    The group, including an American, a Finn, a Kenyan
and two Germans, had been under house arrest at
                    their hotel in the mining village of Zvishavane, 250
miles south of Harare. They did not appear in court
                    and were not charged, lawyer Romualdo Mavedzenge
said.

                    The church workers arrived in Zimbabwe on Friday and
had planned to write reports on church
                    assistance to AIDS and hunger victims and
development work in western Zimbabwe.

                    State radio said police accused them of being
foreign journalists working in Zimbabwe without
                    government accreditation, an offense punishable by
up to two years in jail.

                    The radio said the group entered Zimbabwe on tourist
visas, which the group denied. One of them,
                    Kathleen Kastilahn, 56, of Chicago, said they showed
business visas when they arrived in Harare.

*****

Diplomat says Zimbabwe will abide by peer
                     review
                     Donwald Pressly | Cape Town

                                                               29
January 2003 14:02

                     The Zimbabwean Consul General in South Africa,
Godfrey Dvairo, told South
                     African Members of Parliament here today that his
country had no problem
                     with the peer review mechanism of the African
Union.

                     In a briefing to members of the foreign affairs
portfolio committee of the
                     national assembly on the "internal situation" in
Zimbabwe, Dvairo defended
                     his country's record, which he said had five years
ago been touted as an
                     example of a stable and prosperous country -- but
since the land reform
                     program attempts had been made to present it as a
pariah of the world.

                     Asked by Democratic Alliance MP Colin Eglin -- the
longest serving South
                     African parliamentarian -- whether Zimbabwe would
abide by the peer review
                     mechanism, Dvairo said the mechanism was an
instrument of the New
                     Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), which
in turn was associated
                     with the African Union.

                     "We are a member of the AU, Nepad is an initiative
of this union. We
                     subscribe to everything that is contained in that
initiative in a way that has
                     been agreed to by the rest of the continent. The
short answer is we are
                     willing to subject ourselves to that peer review
exercise," he said.

                     Amid an avalanche of international criticism of
Zimbabwe, the diplomat said
                     that the government was legitimate, there was a
multi-party system and the
                     courts were "open".

                     "A lot of lies, disinformation and rumour mongering
have muddied the picture
                     of that situation in Zimbabwe. Very often it is
difficult for people to tell
                     exactly what the situation is like. It is not an
exaggeration; we have a
                     constitutionally elected government in Zimbabwe,
its legitimacy has been
                     certified by this very parliament and other
responsible members of the
                     international community. We are a sovereign state;
we are not a rogue state
                     as is often presented by the media and Zimbabwe's
detractors".

                     "The situation we find ourselves in is one which
basically illustrates the
                     double standards that are applied to states who
have the power and those
                     who wish to interpret international law and its
principles in accordance with
                     the furtherance of their own narrow interests," he
said, in apparent reference
                     to Britain and the United States.

                     Referring to the land reform program -- which the
opposition argue has seen
                     thousands of commercial farmers and farm workers
displaced -- he said:
                     "Because of the bold step that we took in Zimbabwe
in bringing the fight
                     against colonialism to its logical conclusion, the
government and leadership
                     of Zimbabwe have been demonised and vilified. Our
land reform program has
                     elicited the wrath of the United Kingdom, our
erstwhile coloniser, and its
                     allies.

                     Zimbabwe's economy has been battered by sabotage to
punish the
                     government for embarking on that program."

                     Eglin thanked him for his "spirited defence" of
Zimbabwe, but noted that
                     South African parliamentarians were able to access
other information about
                     the country from among others business interests,
opposition
                     parliamentarians in Zimbabwe and other interest
groups and a contrasting
                     view of the country had been the outcome.

                     But Dvairo said that "apart from petrol and food
queues everything else
                     seems to be ticking over in Zimbabwe".

                     At the insistence of Britain and the United States
the Bretton Woods
                     institutions had cut off financial support to
Zimbabwe but he believed that the
                     economy would return to normal "with balance of
payments support".

                     Asked by the Freedom Front's Corne Mulder, if he
would welcome an
                     international media group to the country to see the
situation for themselves.
                     Dvairo said: "They would be very welcome."

                     He defended registration of journalists, saying
that the government merely
                     wished to know who they were and that they did not
have some hidden
                     agenda. - I-Net Bridge

*****

Finally, the children's BBC has a short interview with an AIDS orphan
in Malawi that is fairly profound in its straightforwardness.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_2693000/2693643.stm

He was close to me once, he even claimed that he was driving through Seattle on his way to Portland, Oregon (not Maine you silly East Coast People).  Somehow we missed that chance.  Then he went East to the Pullman/Moscow area of Washington/Idaho for school.  Last I heard he was there.  I just tryed the only number I have for him and left a message on an automated machine, we will see what happens.........confidence is low.  Anyway Ken, if I find out anything I will let you know.

Matt

Authorities Take Stock Of Damage Caused By
Floods

African Church Information Service
January 27, 2003
Posted to the web January 29, 2003

Reported By Hamilton Vokhiwa
Blantyre

Authorities in Malawi are taking stock of damage caused by floods,
following heavy rains that pounded the country recently.

The extraordinarily heavy rains occasioned by a cyclone named Defina,
caused widespread damage to infrastructure and agricultural land. A
number of roads, bridges and railway lines were damaged. Large areas
of
crop fields were washed away, killing at least 10 people and
displacing
tens of thousands of people, now in need of relief aid.

A wash-away of a bridge along Zalewa highway caused a major disruption
of traffic between Blantyre and Lilongwe, but has since been partly
repaired to allow traffic to pass.

Road traffic authorities said three people went missing when the
bridge
across Rivi-rivi river was swept away, following two days of incessant
rains.

More bridges were washed away throughout the country, rendering a
number of areas inaccessible to motor vehicles.

This caused President Bakili Muluzi to declare a state of emergency.
It
was the second time the president was making such a declaration in a
span of less than one year.

In February last year, President Muluzi declared a state of emergency
following widespread food shortages that led to deaths of hundreds of
people, especially children.

The Commission for Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Rehabilitation,
said in total, up to 15, 000 people have been displaced by the current
floods.

Lucius Chikuni is the head of the Commission. He said work had started
to
bring food and tents to the displaced people, who had sought refuge in
schools and churches in affected regions.

The most affected areas include Karonga and Rumphi in the northern
region, Lilongwe, Salima and Ntcheu in central part of the country,
and
Machinga and Balaka in the south.

In Ntcheu district, the Malawi Television featured a cemetery where
the
raging flood waters washed away coffins, leaving the graves open. Some
bodies were recovered several kilometers away.

Western aid agencies have promised to step up relief assistance,
following the declaration of a state of emergency by President Muluzi.

A representative of a western diplomatic mission based in Lilongwe,
said
that the declaration would pave way for a suitable response by western
aid
agencies.

World Food Programme (WFP) information officer, Abbelgadir Musallam,
said his organisation was at pains to try to reach some areas in the
districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje in lower Shire Valley. He said they
were
forced to divert relief food items to other accessible sites more than
20
kilometers away from the strategic distribution centres.

"We have no money to airlift the relief items. Our movements have been
delayed and we don't know what is happening to those people."

When making the declaration, President Muluzi said the costs of
repairs
could be expected to run into millions of Kwachas.

District officials and representatives of non-governmental
organisations
have issued urgent appeals for food, medicines, blankets, tents and
sheets for the displaced people.

Over the past few weeks, teams of field workers from non-governmental
organisations, the department of disaster preparedness and relief
rehabilitation, as well as the international organisation of doctors
without
borders have been forcing their way across washed out roads to reach
the
displaced people.

District Commissioner for Salima, Gift Rapozo, said about 2,300 people
in
18 villages were isolated and that government officials including those
from
his office were failing to reach the displaced people.

"We have come up with the number after estimating the village
population,
but we don't really know how many more people are isolated. It might
be
possible that others left the areas when they sensed the dangerous
situation," he said.

Shadrick Matsimbe, who is the chairman of the Road Users Association,
said his organisation had difficulties to reach an isolated area
because a
bridge had been swept away.

"People are starving in the villages as we are failing to supply them
with
relief items because of the poor condition of the roads and bridges
leading
to those areas," he pointed out.

Religious organisations were mobilising relief aid to the affected
areas.
One of them, the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), donated
maize
flour and cow peas to 1000 households displaced by floods in Salima.

Ironically, the floods have come after governments in the southern
Africa
region were advised to plan for another season of little rainfall, and
possibly, a terrible drought.

*****

Harare police break up
                mayor's meeting

                Zimbabwean police have fired tear gas at
                hundreds of residents of the capital, Harare, as
                they entered the office of the mayor.

                Mayor Elias Mudzuri, who is from the opposition
                Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), says
                he was trying to inform his constituents about
                water shortages.

                He told the BBC's Focus
                on Africa programme
                that this was the only
                way he could
                communicate with
                rate-payers because state-owned media
                refuse to interview him or even carry his
                adverts.

                Mr Mudzuri was arrested two weeks ago for
                holding an illegal meeting.

                Earlier this month, the government announced
                that it would introduce governors to run Harare
                and the second city of Bulawayo, which both
                have MDC mayors.

                'Police state'

                Under tough new security laws, the police
                have wide powers to break up meetings of
                more than five people.

                But Mr Mudzuri said the meeting was going to
                be held in his office and so he did not need
                police authorisation.

                "I hold meetings every five minutes with more
                than five people," he said.

                "It's becoming a police
                state."

                He also said that the
                police were invited to
                the meeting and had
                originally given their
                permission.

Malawi students riot
                over 'third term'

                Students in Malawi have set fire to the ruling
                party offices over President Bakili Muluzi's
                attempt to alter the constitution to stay in
                power.

                The students took to
                the streets after
                thousands of Mr Muluzi's
                supporters marched in
                the commercial capital,
                Blantyre, to back the
                president's move.

                Police dispersed the students after firing tear
                gas.

                Mr Muluzi's attempt to run for a third term has
                divided Malawians, and a parliamentary bill to
                this effect was shelved earlier this week.

                But this has angered members of his United
                Democratic Front (UDF) who have intimidated
                opposition MPs.

                Library attacked

                Hundreds of students hurled stones at Mr
                Muluzi's sympathisers, who themselves carried
                stones, machetes and knives.

                "We got furious about
                this because the
                police were protecting
                the UDF supporters
                and we rushed to
                torch their regional
                office," a student
                leader said.

                UDF supporters waving
                banners reading "He
                will stand again" had
                broken all the windows
                of the university
                library.

                After the students were dispersed by police,
                the Muluzi supporters marched back through
                the city under police escort.

                There were no reports of injuries or arrests.

                Controversial

                Feelings have been running high in Malawi over
                the third term issue, and when a parliamentary
                started on Monday, police had to fire tear gas
                to disperse some 4,000 people protesting
                against the bill.

                Police also had to intervene in parliament to
                prevent fights breaking out between rival MPs
                after the bill was withdrawn.

                On Tuesday, Mr Muluzi sacked Commerce and
                Industry Minister Peter Kaleso because of his
                opposition to the 'third term' bill.

                A similar bill was narrowly defeated in July last
                year.

                Unless the constitution is changed, Mr Muluzi is
                due to step down in 2004, when he is due to
                finish his second term in office.

*****

Malawi MPs flee over
                third term row

  By Raphael Tenthani
                BBC, Blantyre

                Two opposition Members of Parliament from the
                central tobacco heartland of Kasungu are in
                hiding after angry militant youths of the ruling
                United Democratic Front (UDF) terrorised their
                homes.

                Gwanda Chakuamba, leader of the opposition
                Malawi Congress Party (MCP), told BBC News
                Online that Sailes Gulule and Carrington Jimu
                had fled their homes after the youths invaded
                their compounds Wednesday night, threatening
                to kill them.

                The youths were angered by
                the government's failure to
                change the constitution to
                enable President Bakili
                Muluzi to stand for a third
                term in office.

                A parliamentary bill to this effect was shelved
                earlier this week after widespread opposition.

                The issue has divided Malawians and when the
                debate started on Monday, police had to fire
                tear gas to disperse some 4,000 people
                protesting against the bill.

                Unless the constitution is changed, Mr Muluzi is
                due to step down in 2004.

                Knives and stones

                "It's shameful that the ruling party wants to
                take us back to the dark days," Mr Chakuamba
                said.

                Mr Gulule said he was
                trying to plead with
                Inspector General of
                Police Joseph Aironi to
                provide protection for
                the MPs.

                Speaking from his
                undisclosed hiding
                place, Mr Gulule said
                the militant youths
                came to the MPs'
                houses in an open van
                in the dead of night.

                He said sympathisers warned him to flee his
                house because the vehicle was full of people
                armed with machetes and stones.

                "I was really scared," he said. "I am in hiding
                but I am worried about my family."

                Both Mr Gulule and Mr Jimu were reported in
                the local media as having rejected UDF
                attempts to persuade them to vote for the bill.

                Food shortages

                The two are the latest victims of the fall-out
                following the shelving of the controversial third
                term bid.

                Sacked Commerce and Industry Minister Peter
                Kaleso and outspoken MP Green Lulilo
                Mwamondwe, from the opposition Alliance for
                Democracy (Aford) had to seek refuge at the
                British High Commission after being roughed up
                by UDF activists.

                Two other dissident ruling UDF MPs, Joe
                Manduwa and Jan Jaap Sonke, had to be
                rescued by police after openly saying they
                would thwart the bill.

                Meanwhile, the British High Commission has
                expressed disquiet over the holding of the
                extraordinary parliament session.

                In a press release, the UK said it was sad that
                at a time Malawi was reeling from severe food
                shortages and the impact of HIV/Aids,
                government saw it wise to spend 7 million
                Malawi kwacha ($80, 000) to hold the special
                debate.

*****

Zim admits to "admin errors" in land reform
                     process
                     Johannesburg
                                                               31
January 2003 07:58

                     The Zimbabwean government has admitted that some
"administrative errors"
                     had occurred during its land reform process, South
African Agriculture and
                     Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza said on
Thursday.

                     These included that some commercial farmers whose
land was seized for
                     redistribution, were left without any land, despite
the government's policy
                     that they should be allowed to keep one farm, she
told reporters at the
                     Johannesburg International Airport after returning
from a two-day visit to
                     Zimbabwe.

                     "There are some instances where a person who had
two farms were left with
                     none at all."

                     Other examples of administrative errors included
that two prospective new
                     land owners were allocated the same farm, and that
applicants for land were
                     allowed to settle on that land, only to find out
later that the farm had been
                     allocated to someone else.

                     "The government and the commercial farmers have
started discussions to
                     correct the administrative irregularities."

                     Although the uptake of land among small-scale
farmers was between 80 and
                     90%, that of commercial farmers was only about 30%,
Didiza said.

                     "That indicates to you that there are indeed
challenges."

                     She said the price of seed, fertiliser and farming
implements was too
                     expensive because due to the foreign exchange
rate.

                     "Indications are that all is not hunky-dory. There
are successes, but there
                     are also challenges."

                     The Zimbabwean government estimated that the maize
that had been
                     planted, would yield a crop of 1,1-million tons, if
the season went well, the
                     minister said.

                     "The challenges are there, but you are beginning to
see some process of
                     mitigation."

                     Foot-and-mouth disease broke out in Zimbabwe two
years ago and has still
                     not been brought under control.

                     Didiza said the South African Cabinet would discuss
the possibility of
                     helping its neighbour with the vaccine it needed to
fight the disease. - Sapa

*****

Official Seeks Closure of Zimbabwe Paper

                    By Angus Shaw
                    Associated Press Writer
                    Thursday, January 30, 2003; 11:01 PM

                    HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The information
                    minister told Zimbabwe's Supreme Court that
                    the country's only independent daily newspaper
                    is illegal and should be punished for flouting
                    stringent media laws, court officials said
                    Thursday.

                    The Daily News has refused to register with the
                    government as required by the laws, the
                    minister, Jonathan Moyo, said in a sworn
                    statement to the court, the officials said.

                    Moyo is the architect of the media laws, which
                    critics say are aimed at stifling criticism of the
                    government.

                    The Daily News admits refusing to register and
                    has asked the court to strike down the law,
                    saying it violates rights to free expression and
                    association. The court has not scheduled a
                    hearing.

                    Moyo said until courts or Parliament repealed
                    the media act it should be obeyed. He asked
                    the Supreme Court to dismiss the newspaper's
                    application and force it to comply or shut down, the
officials said.

                    Authorities have cracked down on independent
journalists in recent months.

                    Police have arrested 14 local independent
journalists, including several from The Daily News, mainly on
                    charges of publishing "falsehoods" that carry a
penalty of up to two years in jail. The only journalist to
                    be tried so far was acquitted.

                    The new laws also require foreign journalists to
apply for government approval before coming to
                    Zimbabwe. The government routinely denies the
requests.

                    No action has been taken against journalists working
for state-controlled media.

                    On Monday, Japanese Ambassador Tsuneshige Iiyama
said he had not made remarks attributed to him
                    in the state Herald newspaper criticizing the leader
of the opposition Movement for Democratic
                    Change. The paper is closely controlled by Moyo.

                    Parts of the article were "totally fabricated," the
ambassador said in a letter to Herald editor Pikirayi
                    Deketeke. Iiyama also said Moyo had raised
"Zimbabwe's bad image."

                    And last week James Morris, the U.N. special envoy
to the southern African hunger crisis, complained
                    the Herald fabricated a remark attributed to him
praising Zimbabwe's often-violent seizures of
                    white-owned commercial farms.

                    Morris protested a second time after claiming his
first protest letter was published in the paper with key
                    words edited out to change the meaning.

                    Three journalists, two of them Americans with
government press accreditation, were detained by police
                    for seven hours Tuesday and denied telephone calls
and access to a lawyer.

                    On Wednesday, five foreign Lutheran church workers
were deported after being accused of being
                    undercover journalists trying to gather information
on aid projects to help the Lutheran World
                    Federation raise funds.

*****

Heavy jail terms for
                Mozambique murder

                Six men found guilty of killing an investigative
                journalist in Mozambique have been given jail
                sentences of up to 29 years.

                The mastermind of the
                plot to kill Carlos
                Cardoso in November
                2000, Anibal dos Santos,
                was tried in his absence
                after escaping from
                prison in September.

                Mr dos Santos, known as Anibalzinho was
                arrested in South Africa on Thursday, and
                police there say he will be extradited to
                Mozambique.

                Some of the other five defendants have
                implicated the son of President Joaquim
                Chissano in what the judge called
                Mozambique's "worst-ever crime".

                The murder and subsequent trial gripped
                Mozambique and the streets of the capital,
                Maputo, were deserted as the sentences were
                handed down.

                Mr Cardoso was investigating a prominent
                family's role in the nation's largest banking
                scandal

                Voluntary return

                Anibalzinho, 31, was sentenced to 28 years
                and six months in jail by a Maputo court for
                murder, illegal possession of firearms and
                making false statements to state authorities.

                His five accomplices received jail terms of 23
                years and six months each after changing their
                pleas to guilty.

                They were also
                orderered to pay
                restitution of 4 billion
                meticais (US$175,000)
                to Mr Cardoso's family.

                "The six committed a
                serious crime," said
                Judge Augusto Paulino.

                "I think the
                punishments were
                correct. I am happy,"
                said Mr Cardoso's
                widow, Nina Berg.

                Anibalzinho told a Pretoria court on Friday he
                would return to Mozambique voluntarily.

                "I just want to finish this matter," he said.

                Mysterious cheques

                The court proceedings - described by some as
                the trial of the century - have been broadcast
                live on national television.

                Last month, attention in the trial shifted to the
                president's son, Nyimpine Chissano.

                The suspects showed
                a cheque signed by Mr
                Chissano to the court,
                saying he had used it
                to pay for Mr
                Cardoso's killing.

                Nyimpine Chissano has
                denied this, saying the
                cheque may have
                come from a business
                contact to whom he
                had given signed
                cheques as a
                guarantee.

                He has not been charged with any crime.

                Correspondents say that a court decision to
                launch a formal investigation into the
                allegations against Mr Chissano will prove
                crucial in persuading the people of Mozambique
                whether their judiciary is above political
                interference.