Haru Mutasa

Now in its 10th year, Working for Water is a successful public works programme. Launched in 1995 to control invading species, it is a multidepartmental initiative led by the departments of water affairs and forestry, environmental affairs and tourism and agriculture. It has 300 projects nationwide.

Human rights organisations at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva unanimously condemned “the undemocratic actions of the Swiss authorities and Summit organisers” for silencing alternative minority voices.

The African-driven Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) received a boost yesterday after the city of Lyon in France injected 300 000 Euros for the development of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in developing countries.

A Chinese human rights organisation has claimed that the Chinese government used its influence to ensure that it did not participate in the World Summit on the Information Society, but could not prevent the organisation from attending.

In a confused world where defence is a priority and governments spend billions on arms deals and weapons, one developing country has dared to be different and pumped its resources into its most valuable asset -– its people. Costa Rica recently disbanded its army and decided to channel funds earmarked for the military to its people by spending it on researching ICTs.

Watching Seputla Sebogodi is like watching a beautiful sunset over the horizon. The
stage suits him. His authoritative presence is alluring, almost mesmerising, in his play <i>Tailormade</i>.

For the Masithandane Women’s Group who sit under Drostdy Arch, the recently enforced plastic bag legislation has meant fewer products to sell and less money to take home.