Weekly anb11155.txt #6

[anb-bia <anb-bia@village.uunet.be>]

_____________________________________________________________
WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 15-11-2001      PART #5/6

* South Africa. Police raid on platinum smugglers  -  South African 
detectives have smashed five syndicates believed to represent the world's 
biggest platinum-smuggling ring and charged 46 people, including two police 
officers, with theft and illicit trading. The country is the world's 
principal producer of platinum, which is more valuable than gold and is 
used in catalytic converters for cars and for toughening steel. Jewellery 
platinum is $425 an ounce. Captain Ronnie Naidoo, a police spokesman, said 
150 officers were involved in the two-year, top-secret investigation, 
Operation Gold. Nearly 44,000kg of unrefined platinum (platina), had been 
seized.   (The Independent, UK, 8 November 2001)

* Afrique du Sud. Opposition éclatée  -  Le 7 novembre, l'alliance de 
l'opposition sud-africaine a éclaté. Le Nouveau parti national (NNP, 
l'avatar du parti au pouvoir pendant l'apartheid) a rompu avec le Parti 
démocratique (DP) après une réunion de ses instances dirigeantes. La 
scission du bloc de l'opposition, seize mois seulement après sa formation, 
ouvre la voie à des coalitions entre le NNP et l'ANC, le parti du président 
Mbeki, notamment dans la province du Cap occidental.   (Le Monde, France, 9 
novembre 2001)

* South Africa. Telephone lines reduced because of fraud  -  About 500,000 
fixed telephone lines were disconnected in South Africa last year as a 
result of fraud or non-payment, according to a report by the Geneva-based 
International Telecommunications Union (ITU). In the early 1990s South 
Africa had one of the highest ratios of telephone subscribers in Africa, 
after the island states of the Seychelles and Reunion. Telkom, which is 
part owned by the US-based SBC, was required to meet ambitious targets to 
roll out services to previously unserviced black communities in rural 
areas. Since 1998 Telkom has installed about 2m new lines. It had a total 
of 5m customers. But the contraction in its fixed-line network has pushed 
South Africa back to fifth place in the continental ranking, according to 
the ITU's African Telecommunication Indicators 2001, released this week. In 
the meantime the country has witnessed an explosive growth in mobile 
telephone use over the past six years. Although calls are more expensive, 
consumers have favoured the pre-paid payment system and quicker connection. 
Vodacom and the Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) have about 8m subscribers 
between them among South Africa's 40m population. Cell C, a third network, 
is launched this week. "The decline in the fixed-line user base casts a 
shadow over the future expansion of the internet, where South Africa had a 
lead among developing countries," the report said. "Hopefully the launch of 
the third mobile operator and the eventual introduction of competition in 
the fixed-line market will restore some of South Africa's 
lustre."   (Financial Times, UK, 13 November 2001)

* South Africa. New bill could change politics  -  The ruling party in 
South Africa, the African National Congress, has proposed draft legislation 
which would allow members of parliament and the provincial assemblies, to 
switch party affiliation without losing their seats. The bill comes at a 
time of upheaval in opposition politics in South Africa - and it could 
allow the governing ANC to gain control of the Western Cape, the only 
province where it has no role in government. The party that ruled South 
Africa during the apartheid era, the New National Party, has decided to 
break from the opposition Democratic Alliance to seek a coalition with the 
ANC. A new acting Premier -- Cecil Herandien -- has been chosen in the 
Western Cape from within the New National Party to replace Gerald Morkel, 
who opposed the break from the Democratic Alliance.   (BBC News, UK, 12 
November 2001)

* South Africa. To expand nuclear capacity  -  South Africa committed 
itself on 13 November to an ambitious expansion of its nuclear capacity at 
a time when the world is gripped by the threat of possible nuclear 
terrorism after the attacks on the US on September 11. At a conference 
hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Phumzile 
Mlambo-Ngcuka, South African minister of minerals and energy, said the 
country was striving to expand its role in nuclear technology by developing 
mini nuclear reactors. Eskom, the state-owned electricity utility, is 
developing 110-megawatt (MW) pebble bed modular nuclear reactors in 
partnership with British Nuclear Fuels and Exelon, the US electricity 
utility. The government believes the reactors have considerable export 
potential, particularly to the US, and could earn the country more than 
R18bn ($1.9bn) a year. Countries interested in buying pebble bed reactors 
include the UK, China, Indonesia, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia. "It is 
recognised worldwide as the leading innovation in nuclear technology," Ms 
Mlambo-Ngcuka said. The construction of the first pebble bed reactor is 
expected to begin next year in South Africa at a cost of about $120m. South 
Africa developed its nuclear capacity in the apartheid era.   (Financial 
Times, UK, 14 November 2001)

* Sudan. Talisman faces law-suit  -  On 8 November, a US anti-slavery group 
filed a $1 billion law-suit against Talisman, the Canadian oil company, 
alleging that its operations in Sudan have contributed to an ethnic 
cleansing campaign against civilians in the south. The action suit, lead by 
a southern Sudanese church leader, also seeks an injunction to prevent 
Talisman from continuing its cooperation with the Sudanese government. A 
Talisman spokesman says: "We have been actively promoting respect for human 
rights in Sudan, and an end to the war. We are therefore disappointed in 
this move".   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 9 November 2001)

* Soudan. Médiation des Etats-Unis  -  Le gouvernement américain est décidé 
à trouver des points de convergence entre le gouvernement soudanais et les 
rebelles sudistes du SPLA, avant l'ouverture de véritables négociations, a 
annoncé le 14 novembre l'envoyé spécial du président Bush au Soudan. Nommé 
récemment, M. John Danforth a été chargé de jouer le rôle de médiateur afin 
de ramener la paix au Soudan. Le 13 novembre, lors d'un entretien avec le 
président El Béchir, il a fait quelques propositions, notamment l'accès 
sans restriction de l'aide humanitaire à la région des Monts Nouba et la 
création de "zones de tranquillité" dans le sud pour faciliter l'assistance 
humanitaire. M. Danforth a affirmé que les Etats-Unis n'avaient aucun plan 
de paix précis et qu'ils cherchaient pour l'instant à collecter des 
informations sur le conflit afin d'être en mesure ensuite de proposer des 
solutions.   (PANA, Sénégal, 14 novembre 2001)

* Sudan. US peace envoy starts mission  -  The new United States peace 
envoy to Sudan, John Danforth, has met the Sudanese President, Omar 
al-Beshir, at the start of his mission to try and broker a peace settlement 
in the country's 18-year civil war. Sudan's presidential peace advisor, 
Ghazi Salaheddin, told the French news agency AFP that, during the meeting, 
the president had stressed his commitment to current peace initiatives. The 
US envoy is in Khartoum on a four-day visit, his first since being 
appointed to the post by President George W. Bush in September. Sudan's 
official news agency reported that Mr Danforth is also expected to meet 
leaders of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army and human rights 
groups.   (BBC News, UK, 14 November 2001)

* Tanzania. "Compete or perish"  -  Tanzania has opted to make a major 
effort to improve her national, regional and international competitiveness, 
but to do this, the country must undertake to examine both its internal and 
external commercial conditions. The government has called on a number of 
international institutions to help it in this exercise. A survey conducted 
in 1999 discovered that corruption, among other problems, is still a major 
hinderance to encouraging investors. Also, conflicting policies and 
regulations were singled out as reasons for uncertainty and loss of 
investment. Despite these hurdles, economists and international financial 
institutions acknowledge the fact that Tanzania has managed successfully to 
undertake macro-economic reforms, resulting in low inflation and economic 
stability. But there are other remaining areas which need further attention 
to bring about improved economic performance. Transport systems, 
communications, the lowering of the cost of doing business in Tanzania, 
cutting down on red tape, controlling unhelpful bureaucracy, are all 
mentioned as areas needing attention.   (Perege Gumbo, ANB-BIA, Tanzania, 
29 October 2001)

* Tanzanie. Rapatrier les réfugiés burundais  -  La Tanzanie a lancé un 
appel à l'assemblée générale des Nations unies pour l'amener à considérer 
comme une question prioritaire le rapatriement de plus de 800.000 réfugiés 
burundais qui vivent sur son territoire. Le ministre tanzanien des Affaires 
étrangères, M. Kikwete, a déclaré le 13 novembre à New York que le retour 
des réfugiés dans leur pays permettrait d'accélérer le processus de paix. A 
l'heure actuelle, la Tanzanie abrite, dans les régions de Kigoma et de 
Kigera, un demi million de réfugiés qui ont réussi à échapper aux troubles 
politiques au Burundi. 300.000 autres demandeurs d'asile burundais sont 
toujours installés dans des camps dans l'est de la Tanzanie. M. Kikwete a 
demandé à la communauté internationale de s'attaquer aux causes profondes 
de la crise des réfugiés dans la région des Grands Lacs, afin de soulager 
la Tanzanie de la charge que constitue l'afflux ininterrompu de ces 
personnes.   (PANA, Sénégal, 14 novembre 2001)

* Western Sahara. Oil find, strains Western Sahara peace deal  -  An 
upsurge of interest in oil exploration off the Atlantic coast of North 
Africa threatens to further complicate a peace settlement in the Western 
Sahara. In the past year, Morocco has signed a dozen exploration or 
reconnaissance licences. Almost 40 licences are in operation off Morocco's 
Atlantic seaboard as oil companies seek to disprove the adage that "the 
Ottomans stopped at Algeria and so did the oil". In May, a consortium led 
by Woodside of Australia struck oil offshore Mauritania, leading a junior 
partner to declare: "This could be like finding a new Gulf of Mexico." A 
second well was disappointing but more drilling is scheduled. Between 
Morocco and Mauritania lies the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which 
is potentially rich in oil reserves.   (Financial Times, UK, 14 November 2001)

* Togo. Législatives en mars 2002  -  Le premier tour des élections 
législatives anticipées aura lieu de 10 mars 2002, a annoncé le président 
de la Commission électorale nationale indépendante. Il a précisé avoir 
obtenu du gouvernement la garantie que les décaissements et les ressources 
humaines seront disponibles au moment opportun. Les opérations de révision 
des listes électorales débuteront le 7 décembre. D'autre part, le président 
Eyadéma a déclaré qu'il ne pouvait intervenir dans la libération de Me 
Agboyibo, le président du Comité d'action pour le renouveau, puisque 
l'affaire était pendante devant les tribunaux. Mais il s'est dit disposé à 
lui accorder la grâce présidentielle s'il en faisait la demande.   (PANA, 
Sénégal, 13-14 novembre 2001)

Weekly anb115.txt - End of #5/6