STATE MUST PAY KAUNDA’S RENT
FORMER Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda, who faces eviction by his landlord for years of failing to pay his rent, is suing the Zambian government, which he says is responsible for the rent. Kaunda’s press secretary says that the President’s Retirement Benefits Act provides for payment of Kaunda’s living expenses. The Act entitles Kaunda to a house built or bought by the government, as well as cars, drivers, servants and a secretary. The staff has been provided, but he is still waiting for the house and the cars.
$1,3bn WORLD BANK PROJECTS
THE World Bank has announced that it will spend $1,3-billion on major educational projects in 37 African countries over the next two years. The bank has already spent $1,6-billion on 40 similar African projects. Less than 4% of African children have access to higher education.
FIRST ANIMALS IN EDEN
CONTROVERSIAL US billionaire James Blanchard began stocking his Maputo Elephant Reserve with animals on Wednesday, starting with 25 kudu bought for R1 800 each from a private game park in Mpumalanga. Twenty waterbuck arrive next week, with “the big five” of game to follow shortly. A fence is being erected around the area, and will be completed by the end of the month. Blanchard’s project envisages luxury hotels, golf courses, a new steam railway line down the southern Mozambican coast, andfloating off-shore casinos, aimed at wealthy US tourists.
Playground in a land of poverty May 2 1997
STUDENT AMNESTY
THE University of Zambia has granted an amnesty to students expelled or suspended during riots that closed the university in May, sparked by complaints over food and book allowances. The university’s vice chancellor and his deputy have been suspended pending a government inquiry into the riots.
SWAZI BLOCKADES PLANNED THE Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions on Thursday announced plans to hold two-day border blockades in the first week of every month to force the government to meet its demands for constitutional anmd democratic reforms. SFTU secretary-general Jan Sithole made the announcement in Manzini following an abortive attempt at a national strike on Tuesday. Sithole did not say when the first blockade action will begin. SA’s Congress of SA Trade Unions has previously stated it will support SFTU blockades.
STOLEN BRIEFCASE A CLUE? ISRAELI arms dealer Ben Tsuoi claimed on Thursday that he thinks a stolen briefcase containing secret documents about the shipment of 32 000 mortar bombs from Zimbabwe to Sri Lanka could hold the key to the hijacking of the shipment by Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger rebels. Tsuoi said the briefcase, which was stolen from the head of Zimbabwe’s Defence Industries, Colonel Tsinga Dube, before the shipment left Zimbabwe, might have fallen into the hijackers’ hands. Dube dismissed the claims as “a joke”.
HEART TRANSPLANT TODDLER OKAY The youngest South African to undergo a heart transplant is recovering successfully following a five-hour operation on Wednesday. Three-year-old Tamlyn Meyer of Marina da Gama in Muizenberg is in a stable condition in the intensive care unit at a private hospital in Cape Town.
EL NINO HAS ARRIVED LOOK out for scorching temperatures from November to March, said the Weather Bureau in Pretoria on Thursday, confirming that the El Nino weather phenomenon has hit South Africa. Weather forecasters said the phenomenon has a recognisable pattern of good rains in the spring, with hail and thunderstorms, followed by a three-month hot and dry spell.
SIAMESE TWIN ILL The condition of one of the Mokoena Siamese twins separated at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital on Monday is “very ill”, a hospital representative said on Thursday. She said doctors are worried about Nomonde, as her blood pressure is fluctuating
MINERS TRAPPED IN ROCKFALL A ROCKFALL flattened tunnels at Number Seven mine shaft at the President Steyn gold mine near Welkom on Wednesday, trapping seven miners about 1 400m below ground. Rescue operations are under way.
US ARMY ‘INCOMPETENT’ A MALAWIAN opposition parliamentarian caused embarrassment when he labelled as incompetent the 60 US military trainers currently in the country to train local army officers for peacekeeping duties. MP Sam Banda said in parliament on Thursday: “How can the government let the Americans train our army … the Americains fumbled in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.”
NAMIBIA BANS LANDMINES NAMIBIA on Thursday announced its support for the declaration by the Southern African Development Community against the use, production and storage of anti-personnel landmines. Namibian government officials said the country will sign the treaty next week and ban landmines.
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