People of the South

Mining may contaminate Zambezi water

A coal-mining venture in western Zimbabwe, allowed by a special presidential grant, could cause trouble with the country’s neighbours.Zimbabwe faces a possible row with neighbours Botswana and Mozambique after it emerged that planned mining activities in the Matabeleland North region could disturb wildlife and contaminate the Zambezi River, according to a conservation group.

Zimbabwe, through a special presidential grant, has allowed China Africa Sunlight Energy to mine coal in the Gwayi valley.

But a conservation group is up in arms, saying the project may damage relations with regional partners, degrade the environment and affect the tourism sector adversely.

(Source: mg.co.za)

The South African Department of Health estimates the country’s gold mining industry has the highest number of new TB cases annually in the world. (Gallo)

In August 2012, heads of state from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) agreed to sign the SADC Declaration on TB in the Mining Sector, following endorsements by their national ministers for health, labour and justice. 

According to Swaziland’s Minister of Health, Benedict Xaba, he and South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, and Lesotho’s former Minister of Health, Mphu Ramatlapeng, began pushing for the declaration in 2010. Xaba, the son of a miner, admitted that he has lost members of his family to tubercolosis.

Gladys Mavusa has been persecuted by the her fellow politicians for the sole reason that she has declared her interest to run as an MDC-T councillor for Kugarisana Ward 25 Marange in the general election expected later this year.

Mavusa (52) said that she was being victimised by male political players, from within her party as well as outside, who were using her sex to work against her.

“My political opponents are all male and they have been using my gender as their campaigning tool. At their rallies they are asking people if they would want to have a prostitute for a councillor! It is clear that they will be talking about me as I am the only female candidate.

“Some of my opponents have even openly accused me of sleeping with various men in the village to buy votes. All this started when I declared my interest to become a councillor,” she said.

In an attempt to put a stop to this harassment, Mavusa said she approached the men concerned and warned them that she would take legal action if they continued to call her names and make false accusations that they could not validate.

The Zimbabwean police have been on the warpath against non-governmental organisations, conducting raids, random searches, seizing documents and banning shortwave radios. (AFP)

Alarms are being raised among Zimbabwe’s civil society groups as a wave of police crackdowns continue unabated while the country edges closer to holding polls this year.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has written to the  SADC, urging it to call for a summit on police intimidation.

The police have been on the warpath against non-governmental organisations (NGOs), conducting raids, random searches, seizing documents and banning shortwave radios. The radios, police say, advocate for regime change. Several stations, including Voice of America, Radio Netherlands and Studio 7, broadcast into Zimbabwe through shortwave radios.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe (centre) walks with his entourage at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. (AFP)

The ban applies to the EU but not to the sovereign Vatican City.

Mugabe arrived amid controversy in Zimbabwe where police on Sunday arrested four of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s aides and a prominent human rights lawyer following a referendum that would curtail Mugabe’s powers.

The 89-year-old Mugabe, who is a Catholic, visited the Vatican previously in 2011 for the beatification of late pope John Paul II.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reports that more than 6 million people in the southern African countries of Angola, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Malawi are facing severe food shortages.

People in Southern Africa are in the midst of the so-called lean season, which starts at the end of January and lasts until the end of March. It is a period, just before the next harvest in April, when food stocks are at their lowest.

Mugabe cast in gold

President Robert Mugabe will receive a set of gold and platinum coins valued at about $800 000 as a birthday gift from the Zanu-PF youth league.

President Mugabe turns 89 tomorrow and Zimbabwe is preparing for his big birthday bash. Anticipated party fund: US $600,000. Is the money being well spent?

Read all about it: http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/mugabe’s-birthday-bash-time-party-or-retire

Photo: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

The SADC Gender Ministers meeting registered one other significant gain - commitment to an addendum to the SADC Gender Protocol on Gender and Climate Change. The swirling floods in Mozambique that hit Mauritius at the time of the meeting leave little doubt that climate change is upon us. But there has been considerable bureaucratic inertia to reopening the SADC Gender Protocol now that two thirds of the signatories have ratified the instrument that is officially in force.

NGOs have again led the way, pressurising governments to acknowledge that no instrument on gender equality can ever be totally closed. Like Constitutions, regional protocols must constantly respond to the needs of the day. These reflect in our choice of words, and of emphasis. In the end, as I learned last week, no task is more important than continually pushing the boundaries of the gender discourse in our beloved region.

The Afropolitan Magazine

Our latest cover! Rush out and get your copy now. Available at CNA, Exclusive Books and Spar outlets.