Prominent human rights lawyer refused bail in Zimbabwe

Beatrice Mtetwa, a prominent human rights lawyer, has been refused bail by a Zimbabwean court that claimed she was a flight risk. Four aides to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who were arrested with Ms Mtetwa, were also denied bail. The group were arrested last week, following the referendum on a new constitution that strengthens civil liberties. Ms Mtetwa was charged with obstructing justice after she intervened during Sunday’s police raid on the offices of Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change Party. Ms Mtetwa, appearing in the dock in leg irons, raised her fist in defiance as the court ruled that she should remain in jail until after the Easter break. The four aides have been charged with impersonating police officers; they all deny the charges. The arrests were condemned by legal groups, including the International Commission of Jurists and the Pan African Lawyers Union: “without a clear and unambiguous departure from a past characterised by harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and of impunity for Zimbabwe’s police and security sector, the promise of the new constitution will be laid to waste,” the groups said in a statement.

Original article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21864596

Mining giants in Mozambique accused of mismanaging the resettlement of residents

Mining giants in Mozambique’s north-western province of Tete are being accused of mismanaging the resettlement of residents who are being forced to relocate to make way for new mining areas. The Brazilian mining conglomerate Vale has been accused of resettling communities in inadequate areas with poorly constructed homes, while Indian steel company Jindal is still in the process of moving communities from its mining area. In their current location, residents in the village of Kassoka in Changara District, a few miles from Jindal’s new mining area, are able to pan for gold to supplement their farming income. However, since Jindal’s move into the area in 2008, the people of Kassoka have not been able to open up new fields for farming or build new houses. Some families have already lost fields to the mine, and although they were compensated according to the size of their fields, the compensation amount did not take into account the presence of gold in the area. Similarly, Vale resettled around 5,000 people between 2006 and 2011, although the process was marred by conflict. Members of the resettled community complained that their new village lacked transportation and jobs, that the soil was poor and that their houses were badly constructed.

Original Article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201303210987.html

Mtetwa Update

Global human rights group Amnesty International has demanded that Ms Mtetwa be immediately and unconditionally released, after she was denied bail. “Beatrice Mtetwa is the unfortunate victim of arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention and must be released immediately,” said Noel Kutuwa, Amnesty International’s southern Africa director. “It’s staggering that while Zimbabwe is in the process of adopting a new constitution which provides a stronger bill of human rights, lawyers in the course of their lawful duty are being so blatantly harassed and intimidated,” he added. Ms Mtetwa responded to a call from a client, Thabani Mpofu, who is a staff member in Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s office, whose home was being searched by the police. When she arrived, she asked to be shown an arrest warrant and when the police failed to produce one, she told the police that they were acting unlawfully and undemocratically. She was subsequently arrested. This week she applied for bail, where Ms Mtetwa’s lawyers reported that she was ill-treated while in police custody, denied access to her family and denied a bath. She was refused bail and has been remanded in custody until 3^rd April.

Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201303210798.html

ANCYL to disband

The ANC’s National Executive Committee came to the decision earlier this week to disband the troublesome ANC Youth League. The ANCYL has expressed shock at the reports despite provincial secretaries from Limpopo and Gauteng confirming that they were informed of the disbandment. Provincial secretary Dikgang Stock said: “This is news to me, I only heard about it in the news. I am in Johannesburg now and we will be having an NEC meeting this evening. Maybe it is then when I will be briefed about the outcome.” He went on to say that if the ANCYL NEC is shown the door, they will accept the resolution.

Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201303180470.html

Police use water cannon to disperse demobilised

The Mozambican police again this week used water cannon to disperse a group of demobilised soldiers who were attempting to march on the of office of Prime Minister Alberto Vaquina to demand that all demobilised troops receive a pension of 20,000 meticais (664 USD) a month. It was the second time the police have used water cannon against the crowds protesting for the Forum of Demobilised Soldiers. On the first occasion, in February this year, the police also used tear gas and baton charges. Reports reveal that the police, armed with anti-riot shields, firearms and tear gas, were prepared and waiting for the demonstrators as they neared Vaquina’s office. An apparent standoff with between the two groups was short lived as a riot police vehicle armed with water cannon arrived and successfully dispersed the protestors. Members of the riot police then waded into the dispersing crowd, clashing violently with the scattering demonstrators, and made four arrests. The Forum later stated that it will continue to demonstrate despite the actions of the police.

Original article http://allafrica.com/stories/201303121345.html

Resentment as South Africa speaks business for continent

Researchers and experts have warned that there is growing resentment among African nations about the way in which South Africa has set itself up as the mouthpiece for the rest of the continent in its role as a member of key developing nation blocs. South Africa is currently a member of the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) developing nations grouping, as well as the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) group.

It seems a number of experts think that South Africa is walking a political tightrope, and warn that the country should be wary about overplaying its role as the leading nation of Africa. John Maré, an international relations and trade consultant, argues that many African leaders, both in politics and business, are resentful of South Africa having too great a role in the leadership of Africa. “The manner in which South Africa acts in the BRICS context becomes especially relevant and, given perceptions [outside Africa] that Africa wants South Africa to be its leaders, it will not go down well,” he said.

Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201303111843.html?viewall=1

AU Court Orders Zim to Allow the Diaspora to Vote

The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights has ordered the Zimbabwe government to make provisions to allow Zimbabweans abroad to vote in this weekend’s referendum. The decision came after lawyers acting for Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights filed a case before the Commission on behalf of a number of exiled Zimbabweans. The Commission instructed the government to provide all eligible voters the same voting rights and facilities that are afforded to Zimbabweans working abroad who represent the government. 

However, it is unlikely that provisions will be in place for a postal vote this weekend, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has already stated that postal votes for people in government service will not be provided due to time constraints. Gabriel Shumba, an exiled human rights lawyer who led the application, said that the government might not honour the Commission’s rulings: “It would not be the first time”, he warned.

Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201303130233.html

Zambia: Government agents abduct opposition leader's wife

Saturday 9 March saw state agents abduct the wife of the opposition party spokesperson, the United PArty for National Development's Charles Kakoma, who was not at his house at the time of the incident. While UPND officials say those that abducted Mrs Kakoma were unknown and the matter had been reported to police, Zambia Reports has been informed that State agents were involved in the operation that seeks to cripple the leadership of the opposition. So far, UPND campaign manager Garry Nkombo and his counterpart Ackson Sejani are locked up on false murder charges in the Livingstone Remand Prison while there are manouvres from President Michael Sata to implicate others opposition leaders in criminal related cases.

Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201303111823.html

Zambian ruling party accused of promoting violence

The Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR) has released a video documenting how leaders of the ruling Patriotic Front promote violence. The CDDR has now urged President Micahel Sata to "stop its reckless manipulation of violence and show greater responsibility to uphold unity in the country". The video contains recordings of President Sata's orders to military and ministers urging them to engage in violence, as well as an assault against a former party member. The CDDR also denounced the government's arbitrary detainment of 13 prisoners, who continue to be held under politically motivated charges - some even with a death sentence hanging over them.

Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201303111822.html

Taxi driver's death shows extent of SA police brutality

A Mozambican taxi driver who was recently handcuffed to the back of a moving police vehicle and dragged to a police station in South Africa has died. The driver had allegedly been hassled by the police after parking his vehicle illegally. 27 year old Mido Macia's fate has provoked widespread revulsion at the brutality of South African police forces who continue to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons. On Friday 8 March, nine police officers were charged with murder over his death. Thousands gathered for his funeral near Maputo in Mozambique, and the incident has inspired civilians from all over southern Africa to unite against such barbarism.

Original article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21730394

Violence mars build up to Guinean elections

Despite a suspicious track record in a number of dodgy African elections, it has emerged that the Republic of Guinea has again opted to contract the South African firm Waymark Infotech to draw up the country’s list of registered voters ahead of the May elections. Not only is the company suspected of past irregular behaviour in Guinea, its poor track record reportedly extends to Zanzibar, Congo and Cameroon, according to the company’s Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waymark_Infotech - worth a look for any interested readers). Additionally, it is documented that President Alpha Condé’s son used to work for the firm.

This decision to contract Waymark has contributed hugely to the pre-election violence we have seen marring the West African republic this last week; earlier last week, the Guinean opposition coalition announced that it would withdraw from the election process due, primarily due to concerns that Waymark was again being used for voter registration purposes. A member of the Executive Committee of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea revealed to the press recently that the opposition had asked experts from a Francophone organisation to assess Waymark’s transparency, who promptly concluded that Waymark was “not ready” to organise the voter list.

Original article: http://www.voanews.com/content/guinea-election-opposition-boycott/1610067.html