A strong political initiative rather than an external military intervention is the solution to the Congo crisis, argues Mahmood Mamdani When Rwanda decided to provide foot soldiers to spearhead the anti-Mobutu rebellion in October 1996, the main objection came not from Mobutu Sese Seko’s erstwhile patrons, but from Rwanda’s own staunch ally, President Yoweri Museveni […]
Stuart Hess A British couple are attempting to declare a section of the South African Child Care Act unconstitutional because it prohibits them from adopting a South African child. Sarah and Benedict Fitzpatrick have been supported by the Child Welfare Society of South Africa in their challenge to Section 18 (f) of the Act. The […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Thursday 6.00PM. RICHMOND police station in KwaZulu-Natal is to be closed immediately and all its staff relocated. A national intervention unit will be deployed to take over police services in the community, National police Commissioner George Fivaz has announced. Fivaz said normal policing had become impossible in Richmond because of the […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 5.00pm. JUSTICE H. Squires of the Pietermarizburg Supreme Court has reserved judgment on the interdict brought by the Inkatha Freedom Party against the Mail & Guardian. The IFP sought to force the M&G to withdraw last Friday’s paper, which carried the article “How IFP milked KwaZulu-Natal of millions”, and withhold […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Goma | Wednesday 11.15PM. THE government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has cancelled the passports of up to 20 former members of President Laurent Kabila’s regime because they have gone over to the rebels, DRC state radio has reported. Former foreign minister Bizima Karaha and former army chief Deogratias Buguera were among […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Thursday 11.00PM. THE chief bodyguard of KwaZulu-Natal premier Ben Ngubane assisted the Inkatha Freedom Party’s secret Caprivi strike force in attacks on African National Congress strongholds, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission amnesty committe heard on Thursday. IFP member Phillip David Dhlamini, 31, told the hearing that he had operated in the […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Maseru | Thursday 3.00pm. RENEWED protests in Lesotho on Thursday developed into running gun battles in which nine people were injured. Early on Thursday anti-government protesters blocked the roads in the capital Maseru in order to prevent hundreds of people from going to work. The anti-govenrment protesters were confronted by government loyalists. Police […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Abuja | Thursday 10.00pm. MORE than 100 political leaders from southern Nigeria met in Lagos on Wednesday to reaffirm their commitment to the radical restructuring of the country’s federation. They are calling for a devolution of power to the south and the splitting of the army into regional units. The meeting was held […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Maputo | Thursday 9.00PM. MOZAMBICAN opposition parties’ calls for the cancellation of the country’s first-ever local elections were anulled on Thursday when the Mozambique Supreme Court proclaimed the elections to be valid. The court admitted in a statement that there were some irregularities on the June 30 polling day, but said they were […]
OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 11.00pm. THE Inkatha Freedom Party will apply for an urgent interdict against the Mail & Guardian on Thursday morning after objecting to an article published in the paper last Friday. The IFP contacted the M&G on Wednesday, demanding that last Friday’s issue, which carried the article “How IFP milked KwaZulu-Natal […]