Zimbabwe is on a path of renewal. On March 29 the baby was conceived. The birth pains and the labour might be arduous, but we are absolutely certain that the baby will be delivered. To anticipate the future we need to understand our past. The Zimbabwe crisis is inextricably linked to the nature of the post-colonial state.
As we assess this most devastating week for the beloved country, it’s vital to first drop the language of "us" South Africans versus "them" foreigners. A history born of migration and raised on migrant labour, the struggle against apartheid and a commitment to pan-Africanism — all these demand a more inclusive definition of who is a South African, of who belongs and who doesn’t.
South Africa’s laws protect the rights of gays and lesbians, but what about other countries on the continent? This is an extract from a book called To Have and to Hold: The Making of Same-Sex Marriage in South Africa. The International Lesbian and Gay Association reports that 38 African countries still criminalise consensual same-sex sexual activity between adults.
A rampaging mob in western Kenya burnt 15 women accused of witchcraft to death, a local official and villagers said on Wednesday. ”This is unacceptable. People must not take the law into their own hands simply because they suspect someone,” said Mwangi Ngunyi, the head of Nyamaiya district. ”We will hunt the suspects down,” he added.
Twenty percent of South Africans are planning to emigrate or are seriously considering it, according to the results of a survey released on Wednesday by global market-research company Synovate. Spokesperson Jake Orpen said 600 respondents were interviewed in all nine provinces of South Africa, using face-to-face interviews.
As violent xenophobic clashes that have claimed at least 42 lives spread from Gauteng to Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the "involvement" of the military. More than 16Â 000 people have been displaced in Gauteng.
Argentina will play South Africa in Johannesburg on August 9 in the first move to include the World Cup semifinalists in southern hemisphere competition, SA Rugby said in a statement on Wednesday. A full-strength Pumas side will travel for the World Cup semifinal rematch against the champions in between the away and home legs of the Springboks’ Tri-Nations campaign.
China on Wednesday denied that a Chinese ship carrying arms to Zimbabwe had managed to get its cargo to the landlocked African nation, saying the ship and the weapons were on their way back to China. Zimbabwe would not comment at the weekend on reports that his government had finally taken delivery of a consignment of arms.
A statement by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board that it would challenge a court ruling against the suspension of CEO Dali Mpofu was ”misleading”, Mpofu’s lawyers said on Wednesday. ”The judgement … has not yet been signed by the judge and is therefore not yet available to either of the parties,” Mpofu’s lawyer, Sandile July, said.
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang may be guilty of contempt of court for criticising a ruling that allowed the Sunday Times to comment on her health records, the Public Protector said on Wednesday. The Public Protector made this finding while investigating a complaint of misappropriation of funds against the Health Ministry.