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/ 3 June 2008

Southern African nations ponder scrapping visas

Top government officials in Southern Africa began meeting on Monday to find ways of addressing trade barriers, such as scrapping visa requirements, which are said to hinder regional integration. Experts from finance ministries in the region are expected to find solutions to problems affecting the free movement of people and goods.

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/ 29 May 2008

Smokers face jail threat in Zambia

Zambia has introduced new legislation banning smoking in public places which could see offenders face up to two years in jail. Local Government Minister Sylvia Masebo said the new statutory instrument, which has been gazetted, bans smoking in public places with immediate effect.

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/ 27 April 2008

US: MDC should lead any Zim unity govt

The United States’ top diplomat for Africa said on Sunday any national unity government in Zimbabwe should be headed by opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who Washington believes won a March 29 election. Election officials said they hoped to compile statistics from the presidential election by Monday for verification by the candidates.

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/ 27 April 2008

US: Put pressure on Zim for poll results

A top United States official urged African leaders on Sunday to put pressure on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to release the results of the presidential election, insisting the opposition had won. The Southern Africa Development Community ”should ensure that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission releases the results of the elections,” said US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer.

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/ 24 April 2008

‘Mosquitoes don’t stop at borders’

In advance of World Malaria Day on Friday, several African countries have called for a joint international initiative to combat the disease that kills more than one million people each year, mostly young children in Africa. Malaria is still a major public health problem in about 90 countries. Every 30 seconds it kills a child in Africa.

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/ 13 April 2008

SADC urges rapid Zim poll result

Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders called on Sunday for the rapid release of results from Zimbabwe’s election after a two-week delay that has raised fears of violence. A 13-hour summit in Lusaka also called on President Robert Mugabe to ensure that a possible run-off presidential vote be held ”in a secure environment”.

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/ 12 April 2008

Doing nothing in Zim ‘not an option’

An emergency summit of Southern African leaders on Zimbabwe’s post-election crisis opened on Saturday with a plea from its chairperson not to turn a blind eye, but President Robert Mugabe stayed away. Zambia’s Levy Mwanawasa told Southern African Development Community leaders that doing nothing was not an option.

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/ 18 February 2008

DRC releases Zambian fishermen

The Zambian government announced on Monday that 30 fishermen arrested by authorities from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on cross-border Lake Mweru had been released, but fishermen nabbed in earlier raids were reportedly still being held.

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/ 12 February 2008

Zambia, Zim place military on flood alert

Zambia and neighbour Zimbabwe said on Monday they had placed military forces on flood alert after opening a floodgate at a key dam that is expected to force Mozambique to evacuate 100 000 people. Munyaradzi Munodawafa, a senior Zimbabwe Energy Ministry official, said military forces would watch for heavy flooding on the Zambezi River.