Sumayya Ismail
Guest Author
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/ 27 July 2007

Women activists victimised in Zim

While the government of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is taking steps to protect women from domestic violence, its security forces are raining down baton blows on women activists, one female victim said this week. Grace Kwinjeh was one of four women in a group of opposition supporters who were badly beaten by Zimbabwean police on March 11.

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/ 26 July 2007

Blind survival on the streets of Johannesburg

Jennifer Khumalo stands meekly at an intersection on Jan Smuts Avenue in Rosebank, Johannesburg. Dumisani Moyo, her 21-year-old brother, holds her hand, being the eyes that guide her through the swerving traffic. Many Zimbabwean nationals such as Khumalo and Moyo have found a place on corners and intersections throughout the city. ”We have nothing at home,” Khumalo says,

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/ 18 July 2007

Nine from SA in line for top journalism award

The 26 finalists for the 2007 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year award were announced this week, with nine of them from South Africa, representing the print media, television and radio broadcasting spectrum. The South African finalists include five producers working with M-Net’s news and actuality show Carte Blanche.

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/ 9 July 2007

First-aid for aid

While the developed world has not yet lived up to its commitment to give 1% of its GDP to the developing South, aid flows have increased since 2000, when the pledge was renewed at the <i>United Nations Millennium Summit. A Southern Africa Trust policy brief, Aid Effectiveness: Trends and Impacts of Shifting Financial Flows to Civil Society Organisations in Southern Africa</i>.

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/ 9 July 2007

Reign of ‘inflation police’

Even amid Zimbabwe’s increasing instability, life in suburban Harare has remained more or less predictable. Which is why Sunday morning shoppers at a suburban shopping mall, popular with young professionals and the well-heeled, stood stunned as they watched the store manager of a branch of one of the country’s largest retail chains being dragged out of his store by the back of his collar.

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/ 26 June 2007

Lesotho journalist charged with treason

A regional chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), Thabo Thakalekola, was on Monday night released from jail in Maseru on R1 000 bail, following his arrest last Friday by the Lesotho mounted police on charges of treason. Thakalekola is a freelance journalist and radio presenter.

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/ 22 June 2007

Zanu-PF rift sidelines talks

Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders returned to their supporters eager to report some progress after their first direct talks with the ruling Zanu-PF recently, but found fresh evidence of widespread concern that infighting in the ruling party poses a threat to dialogue. The first round of formal talks has been overshadowed by the story of how four travel agents planned a military coup to overthrow President Robert Mugabe.

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/ 21 June 2007

Report of Proudly SA crisis ‘half wrong’

Dalene du Preez, spokesperson for the Proudly South African brand, on Thursday said <i>Business Day</i> newspaper had got it "half wrong" when it reported that the brand was disowned by its chief sponsor, the Department of Trade and Industry. She said there has been a recent turnaround in the strategy around the brand.