Weekly anb02277.txt #7

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

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 27-02-2003      PART #7/7

* South Africa. Pensioner freed after FBI bungle  -  26 February: A British 
pensioner freed from a South African police cell after a case of mistaken 
identity has said he is glad his ordeal is over and now just wants to 
return home. Derek Bond, 72, was held at Durban police station under FBI 
orders for nearly three weeks after being arrested at gunpoint while on 
holiday with his wife. Today, the FBI concedes the Bristol grandfather and 
Rotarian is not the man they had been seeking, wanted fugitive and fraud 
suspect Derek Sykes. A man believed to be the real Derek Sykes, also known 
as Derek Bond, was arrested in Las Vegas on the previous evening and 
officials say it is a case of identity theft. Speaking after his release, 
Mr Bond says: "It's an enormous relief to be freed and under such 
circumstances. It came right out of the blue and was against the way things 
seemed to be going. Though I protested my innocence from the beginning this 
seems to have had little impact on the FBI. I was really getting very 
despondent." Earlier, today, John Lewis from the US Attorney's office in 
Texas, says: "We got the wrong man, Mr Bond is owed an 
apology."   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 February 2003)

* South Africa. Spending increased in budget  -  26 February: South Africa 
has cut its growth forecast because of the threat of war on Iraq, but is 
still offering tax cuts and higher spending on health and crime-fighting in 
the budget for the coming year. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel unveiled the 
334bn rand ($41.3bn) budget in Cape Town, today. He revised growth 
forecasts for 2003 to 3.3% from the 3.5% set in October, after the economy 
grew by a robust 3% in 2002. "Despite a bleak global environment our 
economy registered improved growth last year," he said. "Our projections 
indicate that over the next three years we will continue to experience 
growth and see progress with employment creation," he added. Mr Manuel 
announced a 13.3bn rand tax break for middle to low income earners, thanks 
to higher tax receipts last year, and lowered the tax on pensioners' 
retirement funds from 25% to 18%. More than 3.3bn rand will be spent on 
AIDS prevention and care for the estimated 4.7 million South Africans -- 
about 11% of the population -- who are infected with HIV.   (ANB-BIA, 
Belgium, 26 February 2003)

* Sudan. Urgent humanitarian needs in Southern Blue Nile  -  Humanitarian 
agencies in Sudan have identified pressing humanitarian needs in the 
Southern Blue Nile region of southern Sudan, where thousands of people are 
threatened by a combination of insecurity, water and food shortages. The 
agencies, which operate under the "Operation Lifeline Sudan" (OLS) 
umbrella, said insecurity had displaced 30,000 people who now resided in 
camps. In a report released on 20 February, OLS said a recent UN assessment 
revealed that the displaced camps were insecure and the priority was to 
move the population to safer areas. The assessment also found high rates of 
malnutrition and acute water shortages in the camps."The shortage of water 
became critical following lower than normal rainfall last year," the report 
noted.   (IRIN, Kenya, 21 February 2003)

* Swaziland. I>>AIDS ravages Swazi society  -  BBC News has harrowing new 
evidence of the extent of the AIDS catastrophe in southern Africa. 
According to the United Nations, several countries could be near collapse. 
They all face one major obstacle: a shortage of affordable drug treatment. 
The AIDS epidemic is sweeping across large parts of the African continent. 
Around 30 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are now living with HIV. Two 
and a half million people lost their lives in 2001 and it's getting worse. 
Swaziland is one of the countries most severely affected. Four in every 10 
people are HIV positive and life A decade ago life expectancy was 61. Now 
it is just 37. Soon it will be 30. By the end of next year it is thought a 
third of all children will be without parents. A generation is going to its 
grave long before its time, leaving its children orphans and carrying the 
seeds of their own destruction. Over half of the patients in the country's 
hospitals now have AIDS. They're wasting away from the disease and dozens 
of other cruel infections they can't resist. 50,000 have died already and 
the wave of deaths has barely begun.   (BBC News, UK, 20 February 2003)

* Tanzania. Forgers beat Tanzania's banks  -  Just weeks after the launch 
of Tanzania's new bank notes, forgeries have started to appear, despite 
assurances the bills could not be copied. When the new shilling notes were 
introduced at the beginning of this month, the governor of the Tanzania 
Central Bank confidently announced they couldn't be forged. The bank said 
even the most sophisticated new technology would be unable to copy the 
notes. But, with the ink barely dry on the new bills, fake banknotes are 
circulating in the country's largest city, Dar-es-salaam. New shilling 
notes were launched at the beginning of February in a blitz of publicity. 
As part of an awareness campaign, the central bank ran a series of 
television programmes showing the bank notes going through the minting 
process. New intricate notes were needed to beat fraudsters. But apparently 
some criminals have caught on. Bank officials will not comment as to why 
they spent huge sums of money to change bank bills, only to be beaten so 
easily by fraudsters. The notes, made of stronger paper so as to withstand 
the heat and sweat longer, have replaced ragged old notes. Old notes can be 
exchanged at any bank before May. After that, anyone with old notes will 
have to go to the central bank to change them. This could be a long journey 
for some. A large amount of Tanzanian currency is circulating in 
neighbouring countries, especially Kenya, where it is easy to exchange it 
for local currency. Tanzania also has a large number of refugees from 
Central Africa who frequently cross borders, carrying their belongings and 
money with them. All those tempted to exchange old notes for new should 
take care, just in case the new crisp one is a fake.   (BBC News, UK, 21 
February 2003)

* Uganda. Guns and drought in Karamoja  -  There are two immediate signs 
that all is not well in Karamoja. The landscape is dry, dusty and cropless 
after a lack of rain last year. And all vehicles travel on the dirt roads 
at hair-raising speeds. I caught a ride in a Land Rover -- but with an 
Italian priest behind the wheel it soon took on the characteristics of a 
Ferrari. In Karamoja speed is a major tactic to avoid being shot. These 
days the word "akoro" is heard everywhere -- "akoro" means hunger. Near the 
town of Kabong in Kotido district a young Dodoth herder, Lotuk Longole, 
showed me the skull and bones of a young woman in her 20s. Dressed in a 
bright red sheet known as an asuka, he told me the woman had collapsed and 
died through hunger after returning from town in search of food. In much of 
Karamoja if someone dies outside the home they are simply left there -- it 
is believed that by carrying the corpse home you are bringing further 
problems on the family. Kabong is built among giant rocky outcrops and, 
gathered under a tree near the market, 50 elderly women pleaded with the 
chair of the town council for assistance. They held out the food they have 
been forced to survive on; leaves, berries and the residue from the locally 
made sorghum beer. Even collecting the leaves is no easy task.   (BBC News, 
UK, 18 February 2003)

* Uganda. Set for political change?  -  21 February: President Yoweri 
Museveni has said he is in favour of returning the country to a multi-party 
political system, according to press reports. Since coming to power in 
1986, President Museveni has refused to allow parties to operate, ruling 
through a non-party political system, known as the "Movement". But pressure 
has been growing both from within and outside the country for a return to 
multi-party politics, despite fears that this could reopen divisions along 
tribal and religious lines. A committee of the Movement was given 
responsibility for considering what political system Uganda should adopt in 
December last year. Ugandan newspapers say President Yoweri Museveni has 
been pushing it to recommend the opening up of multi-party politics. A 
senior Movement official, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, is quoted as saying President 
Museveni will address a meeting of the Movement before the end of February, 
to discuss the issue.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 21 February 2003)

* Zambia. Chiluba arrested  -  21 February: Frederick Chiluba has been 
released after a day of interrogation by Zambian anti-corruption police. 
The former president was questioned in relation to alleged corruption 
during his time in office and may soon be arrested. He was given a warned 
and cautioned statement, which is the next step to being charged. Mr 
Chiluba was stripped of his immunity after being accused by his successor, 
President Levy Mwanawasa, of misusing millions of dollars of government 
money. Mr Chiluba, 59, denies all the allegations. He was summoned to 
Lusaka's central police station just a day after the Supreme Court 
confirmed that his immunity could be lifted. A crowd of some 200 people 
gathered outside as news of his detention spread. "We suspect they may 
arrest him tomorrow (21 February," said one of Mr Chiluba's lawyers, 
Shifumu Banda. "Chiluba has been picked up for interrogation and we are 
going to lay charges against him once we complete this interrogation," said 
Betty Mumba, a spokeswoman for the police Anti-Corruption Task Force. He 
was questioned in relation to allegations made by Mr Mwanawasa about a deal 
to buy $20m worth of weapons, which never arrived. 24 February: Zambia's 
former President Frederick Chiluba has been arrested by police and is being 
formally charged. At the end of last week, the former leader was questioned 
in relation to alleged corruption during his time in office. Mr Chiluba was 
stripped of his immunity after being accused by his successor, President 
Levy Mwanawasa, of misusing millions of dollars of government money. Mr 
Chiluba, 59, denies all the allegations.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 24 February 2003)

* Zambie. Chiluba interpellé  -  20 février. Accusé de corruption, 
l'ex-président zambien Fréderick Chiluba a été interrogé pendant environ 
huit heures par la police à Lusaka, en présence de deux de ses avocats. Il 
a pu ensuite renter chez lui. Le nouveau président, Levy Mwanawasa, 
l'accuse d'avoir pillé les ressources nationales pour plusieurs millions de 
dollars pendant ses dix ans de pouvoir (1991-2001). Chiluba avait été 
débouté, la veille, de sa plainte en appel devant la Cour suprême du pays, 
celle-ci ayant confirmé la levée de son immunité parlementaire. -- Le 24 
février, M. Chiluba a été à nouveau arrêté et inculpé "d'abus de pouvoir". 
Il a été ensuite remis en liberté moyennant une caution de 300.000 euros. 
Une soixantaine de chefs d'inculpation lui ont été signifiés, dont certains 
sont également reprochés à son ancien chef des services de renseignement, 
en prison depuis six mois.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 25 février 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Officials abused farm policy  -  A member of President Robert 
Mugabe's family, several high-ranking Zimbabwean officials and a senior 
company executive have grabbed farms and forcibly evicted peasants under a 
controversial land reform programme, according to a report ordered by the 
Zimbabwean president. The "land reform and resettlement programme national 
audit interim report", which was completed this month, was obtained by 
Africa Confidential, the London-based newsletter. The report, prepared by 
the office of Joseph Msika, the vice-president, names a close relative of 
Mr Mugabe's, two cabinet ministers and a leading businessman -- all close 
associates of Mr Mugabe -- as breaking the "one man, one farm" principle on 
which the land reform process has been based. This principle prohibits any 
one individual owning more than one farm. The report also says that a 
senior military officer was allocated a farm "at the expense of 96 
families" who had already settled on the land. Another minister had hired 
thugs to drive off youths who had been allocated a farm as part of an 
agricultural skills training programme, the report says. Their farms are 
also much larger than stipulated under the policy, which was designed to 
break up white-owned commercial farms into smaller holdings. Some of those 
accused of irregularities told Africa Confidential the allegations are 
false and politically motivated by rivals within the ruling party. Attempts 
by the Financial Times to contact those named were unsuccessful. In 
December, Mr Mugabe announced he would act on the findings of the report, 
which he commissioned six months ago after grassroots protests at the way 
in which land policy was being managed. The report concludes: "It is very 
important to take urgent corrective measures particularly where the 
leadership is the perpetrator of anomalies as the general public is restive 
where such cases exist and a multitude of people are still on the waiting 
list."   (Financial Times, UK, 21 February 2003)

* Zimbabwe/France. Plainte contre Mugabe classée  -  Le jeudi 20 février, 
le parquet de Paris a classé sans suite une plainte pour "torture" déposée 
le mercredi par des défenseurs des droits de l'homme conte le président 
Mugabe. La plainte n'a pas été examinée sur le fond, le procureur ayant 
seulement invoqué le principe selon lequel tout chef d'Etat en exercice 
bénéficie d'une immunité. Robert Mugabe a participé jeudi et vendredi au 
22e sommet franco-africain. La plainte avait été déposée par le militant 
britannique des droits de l'homme Peter Tatcheil et deux victimes présumées 
de la torture par des hommes du régime Mugabe.   (AP, 21 février 2003)

* Zimbabwe. Opposition despair  -  21 February: Zimbabweans are today a 
people paralysed by fear of their own regime. In the cities people are 
scared of openly criticising President Robert Mugabe, because it might mean 
instant arrest. In the rural areas they stay silent and do whatever it 
takes to access the food they need to keep their families alive. Three 
years of overt violence, suppression of dissent, and the arrest and torture 
of opposition political supporters under draconian security legislation has 
left the president's Zanu- -PF party in a stronger position, claims 
political analyst and chairman of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Committee, Brian 
Raftopolous. He believes that Zimbabwe's worsening economic crisis is not 
sufficient to spur a popular uprising. "I think people are angry. But 
they're also despondent, they're scared. For an action to come, there'd 
have to be a lot more organisation on the part of civic groups. Given the 
increased impoverishment, there's been a disempowerment of most people," he 
said. 24 February: The Anglican Bishop of Manicaland Diocese, Dr. Sebastian 
Bakare, has expressed sadness over repressive laws, such as the draconian 
Public Order and Security Act that is hindering communities from gathering 
together and discussing development issues.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 24 
February 2003)

* Zimbabwe. UN blames Mugabe for crisis  -  The United Nations Food Agency 
has said that the Zimbabwe Government is largely responsible for the 
humanitarian crisis there. The Zimbabwe crisis was "almost beyond 
comprehension" and could easily have been avoided, said James Morris, head 
of the World Food Programme (WFP). He pointed to President Mugabe's land 
distribution programme, which has left thousands of normally productive 
farms lying idle. My Morris says he has had six meeting with the President 
in the past six months, but has failed to persuade him to alter his 
economic policies or remove bureaucratic obstacles to food production or 
aid distribution.   (ANB-BIA, Belgium, 26 February 2003)

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