Hypocrisy over Fiji while East Timor atrocities are ignored

From the Inbox - EPA delays all 78 mountain top mining permits for further review

We have great news! The Obama Administration has heard you! Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed all 79 mountaintop removal permits they were reviewing on temporary reprieve. This represents the biggest step ever taken toward reining in the destruction of the Appalachian Mountains by mountaintop removal coal mining. The release of a list of 79 permits begins a 14-day countdown in which the EPA regional offices must respond to the EPA headquarters’ recommendations. While we applaud the current decision by the EPA, these permits could still be approved. The EPA’s announcement is part of a coordination procedure outlined in a “memorandum of understanding” between the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Interior to deal with a backlog of permits held up by litigation over the past few years. The EPA has promised a more stringent and transparent review of all mountaintop removal valley fill permit applications, and as of today they have delivered. The EPA is requesting public comment during these 14 days and we need to send them the message loud and clear to stand firm. No more mountains or communities should be blasted off the map. However, the EPA is not currently set up to receive these comments, so we will be sending you an alert early next week, providing the tools you need to thank the EPA and to make sure the regional offices keep these mountains and communities safe from mountaintop removal coal mining. In the mean time, we have set up a new page on iLoveMountains.org where you can see the location and track of the status of the permits pending before the EPA. You can view the permit map and see videos of nearby communities threatened by mountaintop removal at: http://ilovemountains.org/epa-permit-list/ Just wanted to share the good news - we’ll be back in touch next week. Have a great weekend! Matt Wasson iLoveMountains.org P.S.–Please help us spread the word on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

African Union Considers Madagascar Sanctions

African Union considers Madagascar sanctions

By: Reuters
Published: 11 Sep 09

The African Union (AU) on Thursday condemned Madagascar’s Andry Rajoelina’s decision to appoint a new government and said it may impose sanctions on the authorities and their supporters.

The Indian Ocean island, rich in oil and minerals, has been rocked by turmoil since Rajoelina toppled former President Marc Ravalomanana from power in a March coup, scaring tourists, alarming investors and hurting the economy.

Under the terms of a deal agreed last month in Mozambique, the country’s power-brokers were supposed to share out the top posts of president, vice president and prime minister to see the world’s fourth largest island through to presidential polls.

But with the rivals still deadlocked, Rajoelina’s prime minister pressed ahead and made 31 appointments on Tuesday, keeping himself and Rajoelina in their posts.

The AU’s Peace and Security Council met in Ethiopia on Thursday and was briefed by the AU envoy to Madagascar.

“Council expressed its deep concern at the sudden rise of tension in Madagascar following the unilateral decision made by the de facto authorities to establish what was termed a Government of National Unity without the participation of other political movements,” the AU said in a statement.

The opposition and Southern African leaders have already refused to recognise the new administration, which Rajoelina says will work towards establishing a fourth republic ahead of presidential elections.

“Council decided to meet later to assess the evolution of the situation in Madagascar with a view to taking appropriate measures, including targeted sanctions against the de facto authorities and their supporters,” the AU said.

It did not detail what sanctions it was considering, nor when the meeting would take place.

When a military junta seized power in Mauritania, the AU imposed measures including the denial of visas, travel restrictions and the freezing of assets belonging to individuals blamed for the power grab.

Libyan Leader of the Revolution, African Union Chairman, HostsDelegation of South African Kings

Leader of the Revolution, AU Chairman, delegation of South Africa Kings

Tripoli, 11.09.2009 (JANA) Leader of the Revolution, Chairman of the African Union, King of African kings, Doyen of African Leader and Presidents, on Friday received the delegation of South African kings, who participated in the first conference of the assembly of African Kings, Sultans, Princes, Sheikhs and Chiefs, which was held in Tripoli on Wednesday, and came specifically to reiterate their allegiance to the leader as the king of kings of Africa.

The kings of South Africa reiterated their congratulations to the leader on the 40th anniversary of Al-Fateh Revolution and the 10th anniversary of the historic Sirte declaration, the declaration of the African Union. The kings of South Africa expressed their readiness to work with the leader to realize the dignity and resistance of the African continent and promote the march of the African Union towards the establishment of the United States of Africa.

During the meeting, they discussed the programs and activities of the assembly of African Kings, Sultans, Princes, Sheikhs and Chiefs as well as the activation of the role of the African social traditional force to serve the African individual in unity, development and progress.

Present in the meeting was the Executive Secretary of the General Assembly of the National, Arab and African Organizations.

Gardens of 2050: January cherry blossom and winter buttercup blooms

Spring will arrive a month earlier in 40 years’ time thanks to the warming oceans around British Isles, new study predicts. It is a discovery which should delight Britain’s gardeners: by 2050, spring will start before Valentine’s day. Cherry and pear trees (left) will blossom in late January, while flower beds will be crowded with blooming buttercups, iris and geraniums long before winter has officially ended.

A new study on the impact of our warming climate has found that across most low-lying, coastal areas of the globe, spring will begin for many plants at least a month earlier than it does now and will end several weeks later in 40 years time. (Right: saxifrage ‘peach melba’)

The predictions are based on a detailed study of plant records from the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh (RGBE) from 1850 and weather records for Edinburgh dating back to 1775, by two scientists, Malcolm Clark of Monash university in Australia and Roy Thompson, at the University of Edinburgh.

They have confirmed that the “botanical calendar” has changed for scores of plants in the RBGE collection, which for more than 150 years has gathered plants from across the globe, are now flowering earlier as average air temperatures slowly but steadily rise. The most affected are plants such as ornamental cherry, peach and pear trees, anemones, saxifrage, irises (left) and perennials such as three-leaved bittercress.

But Clark and Thompson warn that an ever-earlier spring is likely to create significant problems for the plants affected, for farmers and for many of the bird and insect species which rely on them.

As flowering plants move out of step, or “desynchronise”, with normal seasons, serious problems may emerge with the pollination of the plants involved. They may flower before the birds and insects that feed on them, or the mammals that carry their pollen, are at large. Most animal behavior is guided by the length of the day rather than temperature.

They believe the worst-affected places will be low-lying coastal regions of the world and places with maritime climates like the British Isles and western Europe, the Atlantic coast of north America as far south as Florida, New Zealand, Chile and north Africa.

The true start of spring is already a controversial subject. Traditionally, spring starts with the vernal equinox on about 20 or 21 March and ends with the summer solstice on 21 June, but for statistical and record-keeping purposes, the Met Office officially records spring as starting on 1 March and ending on 31 May.

But with continued global warming , these dates are likely to become even less meaningful.

In maritime areas, for every 1C of warming, flowers will bloom as if spring had begun 16 days earlier and ended 11 days later.

Using widely accepted predictions that the world’s climate will warm by at least 2C by 2050, leading to warmer winters, this would mean that spring in the British Isles will no longer start on 1 March, but in late January, and end in late June.

In continental regions, further from the warming effects of the oceans, the impact will be lessened but still significant, with the flowering starting seven days sooner and ending 11 days later for every degree of warming.

“Already there is a great deal of observational evidence of regional changes in climate associated with global warming,” said Clark. “We have not only seen an earlier break up of ice on rivers and melting glaciers, but also the early emergence of insects, egg laying by birds and the flowering of plants. This new model allows us to refine predictions of the future impact of warming on plant and animal life across much of the world.

“Although the study is based on plant life in Scotland, our models apply across regions spanning hundreds of thousands of square kilometres,” said Clark.

But the full impact this will have on the environment is still very difficult to predict. Some plants are more sensitive to temperature changes than others; in some regions, there will be plants and trees that are not heavily affected growing alongside other plants flowering weeks earlier than normal.

Thompson also fears that the pace of climate warming is faster than the ability of plants – particularly long-lived trees - to adapt and evolve, leaving some at risk of dying out in many areas. “We’re predicting very fast rates of change. In the past, plants have kept pace with the climate and after the last ice age thawed had lots of time to migrate. In the future, that’s most unlikely to happen,” he said. “It seems to me inevitable that they’re going to be many extinctions.”

He is also highly pessimistic about how much warming the world faces, which could see temperatures rising by as much as 5C by 2100 . By then, some plants will be flowering shortly after Christmas.

“I’m a geophysicist, and I’ve trained my students to find oil. I think they’re going to find every last drop of it, and that the Chinese and Indians will extract all the world’s oil and that the world’s population will increase. If you believe that, the world will continue warming.”

Source:
The Guardian, “Gardens of 2050: January cherry blossom and winter buttercup blooms“, accessed September 10, 2009

Zimbabwe Businesswomen Can Do It!

Zim businesswomen can do it!

ZIMBABWEAN women, largely confined to peripheral areas in the economy, should seize opportunities presented by the current economic regeneration thrust.

The formation of the inclusive Government and the attendant softening in the economy witnessed since the beginning of the year, presents probably the best opportunity in years for women to participate in the rebuilding of the economy.

Although the last few years have seen significant strides by women professionals and those in business, the womenfolk are generally still to make their mark.

That they have a role to play in Zimbabwe’s economic processes has never been in doubt, but it is time the potential resident in the fairer sex is turned into reality for the good of this country.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said the economy is expected to grow by about 4 percent this year, a fact women should take up as a challenge.

Globally, women have resigned themselves to small projects except for a few more daring ones. The script needs to change — women who outnumber men in population terms — should claim their fair share of the cake.

Opportunities present themselves in such areas as infrastructure development, power generation, mining, manufacturing and tourism, just to name a few.

Investors are hunting for joint venture partners and there is great scope in them partnering with local women to help reshape the economy.

Vice President Joice Mujuru last week challenged women attending a trade and investment conference in Harare to take up their rightful position in the economy.

She emphasised that the inclusive Government has created a platform from which women can participate more actively in all sectors of the economy.

Over the years women have bemoaned such challenges as lack of information, poor funding and unequal opportunities but VP Mujuru was bold when she said any disparities would be overcome if women themselves become more proactive.

We couldn’t agree with her more. Women need to shrug off petty issues to advance their cause and take advantage of the growing investor interest in this economy.

If women in other countries such as South Africa can own dually-listed firms and run some of the biggest mining and construction firms in the face of challenges, surely our local women can do the same and achieve even better results.

The general mindset of moaning this or that challenge has resulted in the womenfolk missing the bus many a time.

Achievements demonstrated by SA businesswomen during last week’s trade and investment conference indicate that women can always find ways and means of circumventing any constraints once they put their mind to it.

Of course, support from Government and other stakeholders will always come in handy in this quest.

Government policies over the years have largely been in small and medium enterprises but women now want to be more daring and go for large projects such as power generation and infrastructure development.

Women need to be more involved even in policy-making to ensure a more level playing field and equal opportunities that are not gender- biased.

On their part, women should not expend energy on pulling each other down but should, instead take advantage of their numbers to network as advised by VP Mujuru.

The numerous women’s organisations in this country should not compete but complement each other in advancing their cause. More will be achieved if this were to happen, for the benefit of the economy at large.

Indeed, the greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising each time we fall — it is about time that the Zimbabwean women consciously decide to make a difference not only in their homes or communities but in the country’s economic well-being.

Zimbabwe needs an empowered woman.

Zimbabwe News Update: Protect Land, Youth Urged by President Mugabe; EUTold to Lift Sanctions

Protect land, youths urged

By Sydney Kawadza
Zimbabwe Herald

ZIMBABWEAN youths should protect land, a heritage bequeathed to them after a protracted liberation struggle that claimed lives of many gallant sons and daughters of the soil, President Mugabe has said.

Officially opening the Fifth conference of the Zanu-PF Youth League in Harare yesterday, President Mugabe, who is the party’s President and First Secretary, said land was the only resource given to Zimbabwe as its fortune.

He said youths should be wary of pretenders who promise them lots of things so that they go against the ideology and principles of defending the country’s sovereignty.

President Mugabe said youths should emulate the same faithfulness to the party, which made people such as the late national hero Vice President Joseph Msika a “colossus, giant of the liberation struggle”.

“This should motivate all of us here today and put an end to the era of double-forked or double-tongued blood-thirsty beasts that pretend to like our people, by day, seeking every avenue through which to cheat the people.

“Beware of them. They will talk nicely, pretend that they are for the people and with the people when, in fact, they cheat and damage their life.

“They are seeking every avenue to get to power by cheating the people,” he said.

President Mugabe — who is the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces — said youths should be motivated by giants of the struggle among them the late national heroes Cdes Joshua Nkomo, Herbert Chitepo and others buried at the National Heroes Acre and other shrines in and outside Zimbabwe.

“We have to remember that this is our country. The land we stand on and that which feeds what comes out of the soil, the one which bears down below, generations and generations of our ancestors.

“This is the soil that will never die because God gave it to us. That it could be our fortune, ndiyo ngoda yedu, ilifa lethu,” he said to a thunderous applause from the delegates.

President Mugabe said the soil had been taken by the settlers for more than 100 years and it needed heroes who sacrificed a lot for it to return to its rightful owners.

“There are some people, young boys and girls, who sacrificed their lives in order to redeem it (land).

“This is the kind of sacrifice we had to make to get ngoda yedu. You should always remember that imperialists cannot be friends and imperialism is not friendly and they still need our country — our land.

“That is why they maintain sanctions against us. Our people were killed — imprisoned for this land and there are voices across the world against us because they want our heritage.

“You (the youths) are the inheritors of this heritage. Vakaifira vari kuti heyo nhaka mumaoko enyu. Yodonha here? Do you want it to drop from your grip.

“Your children will condemn you, even the heroes lying in the provinces and some outside the country lying in mass graves will condemn you from their graves,” he said.

President Mugabe hoped the theme of the conference, “Youth in Defence of National Sovereignty and Promotion of Economic

Empowerment for a Bright Future”, would guide and unite youths to defend the country.

“You are here to consolidate views, principles, unity and oneness in defending the country’s natural resources.

“We will be nothing without our natural resources. We also need to remember that we are one. The provinces we come from are just geographical dimensions.

“Firstly, you are Zimbabwean — sons of the soil by virtue of Chimurenga. Before the war we were not sons and daughters of the soil because we had lost the land.

“Now the land can breathe life into us. We are free from the grip of imperialists. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans, not the British.

“Vamwe havazvidi izvozvo asi isu tinoti ndiwo madhisinyongoro. Nyika ndeyedu, pose pawatsika unofanira kuita manyemwe kuti wakatsika panyika pako kunyangwe paruware,” he said.

The youth, President Mugabe said, should be strong enough and prepared to make sacrifices and have a national consensus they believe in.

“Your heart should say, truly — this is my country. I am a Zimbabwean. It does not matter where I travel to, I remain a Zimbabwean, I am proud to be a Zimbabwean. This is the spirit impelled by Cde Msika and the other departed heroes,” he said.

President Mugabe said Zimbabwe still has some challenges that needed to be overcome.

“Indeed, we still have to correct the distortions created by imperialists with sanctions. We should stand firm — sanctions or no sanctions — because Zimbabwe remains our country.

“Zimbabweans must be organised and managed in a manner that will benefit the people through agriculture — we need food. There has got to be an industry to process what we produce from the land and this would mean employment for our youths.

“As long as Zimbabwe remains in our control, we remain here as the masters of our destiny, we will come up with economic programmes that will benefit our people.”

He said Zimbabweans should have a culture of discipline and values that were recognised as fundamentals that shaped their lives.

“We must recognise that all are entitled to education of discipline of mind and body character so that we are in a position to make choices between values that are constructive,” he said.

He said Zimbabweans should fight hard to destroy crime and all vices that affected people’s characters and that of the country.

Zimbabweans had taken their land, President Mugabe said, adding the challenge remained that of making sure that it is used for national development.

“Do not forget the triumph of the liberation struggle and land is available. We should not play with it.

“Asi pane vamwe vanoti tinofanira kumira kupa vanhu minda nekuti zvinotsamwisa vachena tonyimwa mari yezvikwereti. We say down with them,” he said to cheers.

He said land was the bedrock of the struggle and talks at the Lancaster House Conference.

“We agreed that we will not tax our people to pay for compensation because their people did not pay for the land when they took it.

“It is the duty of the British to pay the compensation. We will only pay for improvements made at the farms,” he said.

President Mugabe also took a swipe at Zimbabweans who decided to work with the British.

“There are people among us who have taken the side of the British. We wonder where is the national consensus of some people to say we are wrong and the British are right.

“Tinozviziva kuti kune vamwe vedu vanoda mari, vanotengesa nhaka yedu. Hatizvidi izvozvi. Panyaya dzenhaka yedu, it’s a sacred, sacred, sacred heritage. The land has always been sacred,” he said.

President Mugabe condemned some non-governmental organisations working for illegal regime change in Zimbabwe.

“These creatures called NGOs, zvimhuka zvinovhiringidza vanhu to vote against their party, a revolutionary party. People who vote against the revolutionary party are counter-revolutionaries.

“This is what happened last year — where the results were balanced and we now have this creature called inclusive Government. We, however, need to maintain the party within the inclusive Government,” he said.

Cde Mugabe said Zanu-PF should also keep its fundamental principles of defending the country’s sovereignty so that it is not compromised and the land reform reversed.

He said the inclusive Government will last for up to 24 months and if the parties agree, then the country would go for elections.

“We must be ready for the elections. What happened last year with people selling out should not happen again. We rely on the Youth League, as the vanguard of the party.

“You are full of blood and vigour. We recruited people of your age during the war. Your role is to fight to defend our independence.

“Yours is a political fight to stand together kwete kana mumwe akupa $500 yema USA wotarisa kumwe. Ndizvo zvatinoramba zvemadhisinyongoro.

“We do not want youths who are without ideological principles and fundamentals. This is a matter of principle to defend the country,” he said.

President Mugabe castigated the British and Americans for meddling in other countries’ affairs.

“We do not want to be controlled, we can monitor ourselves through Sadc, Comesa and the African Union. We control each other, we did not invite whites to control us,” he said.

President Mugabe urged Zanu-PF members to be united especially when the country goes for elections.

He said the people should be given a chance to choose their own leaders within the party structures.

“Dzimwe nguva vakuru tisu tinokanganisa asiwo dzimwe nguva kana nemiwo munokanganisa. The losers must accept defeat.

“Accepting defeat unites the party. Mukaramba maresults ndipopanozobuda tunyaya twakawanda.

“Unofanira kuramba kuitwa munhu wevamwe vanhu. Follow the ideology of the party and those elected to lead it.”

He said the youth should lead party programmes and listen to what the people want in the communities and report back to the leadership.

“If you are not in the frontline of the party, it is dead. We want you to be reliable and loyal to the party and not to be just spectators. You are a source of strength for us to say we are a people’s party,” he said.

On elections to choose a new national executive, President Mugabe urged the youth to be objective.

On the constitution-making process, President Mugabe said Zimbabwe would be guided by the Kariba Draft signed by all the parties in the inclusive Government.

“We have the Kariba Draft compiled by the three parties and signed on every page by representatives of the parties.

“Vamwe vavakuda kusvotoka, ndizvo zvatinoramba. ZvavanaMadhuku, ngavanosunga madhuku avo varikure ikoko, his organisation is a source of a living.

“How many people does he represent? He wants to provoke us so that he is arrested and he cries foul to his sponsors. We will not follow that, we stand by the Kariba Draft and we will not accept anything else.

“If they do not accept, we will continue with the current Constitution, which is also good for us,” the President said.

He urged the white former commercial farmers to embrace the land reform programme.

“Once people have offer letters and they are valid, that’s it. The farm is not yours any more. Please don’t resist. I am saying please, please but that will stop.

“If we hear about any resistance, we will stop pleading. I will just send the police to drive them away. If they thought they would be saved by the inclusive Government, kunyeperwa ikoko!”

The youth conference will choose a new national executive in a historic election that should usher in a leadership of cadres aged between 15 and 30 years.

Over 3 000 attend Zanu-PF youth conference

Herald Reporters

More than 3 000 delegates thronged the City Sports Centre in Harare yesterday for the 5th conference of the Zanu-PF Youth League ahead of the party’s main national congress later this year.

Clad in national and party colours, the youth sang revolutionary songs and danced as they acknowledged the presence of their First Secretary and President Cde Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe.

Also among the delegates were Vice President and Zanu-PF Second Secretary Cde Joice Mujuru, national chairman Cde John Nkomo, Politburo members and senior party officials who came to Harare to show solidarity with one of the pillars of the revolutionary party.

According to Zanu-PF’s constitution, the Youth League shall be led by members aged between 15 and 30.

Youths from the party’s 10 administrative provinces arrived at the venue chanting “Mugabe, Mugabe, Mugabe”, in anticipation of the arrival of their revered leader.

The mood was spiced up by songs from the late national hero and party commissar, Cde Elliot Manyika.

President Mugabe’s arrival brought the house down with delegates jumping up and down.

The youths pledged to defend the ideology and principles of the party and to seek total involvement in the country’s economic affairs.

There were, however, problems with representation from Harare Province that only joined the proceedings in the afternoon following a dispute over who was supposed to attend the conference.

The differences were resolved with the provincial youth representatives joining the conference when President Mugabe was midway through his opening address.

Outgoing Zanu-PF deputy secretary for the Youth League Cde Savior Kasukuwere said elections would be held to chose a new leadership and urged prospective office-holders to remain vigilant in defence of the party.

“My colleagues and friends who tomorrow (today) will be passing on the baton, would like to thank you Cde President and the leaders of the party in general who allowed us to serve this revolutionary party in its most trying and extraordinary times,” he said.

He said the gallant leaders of the party such as Cde Mugabe, the late Father Zimbabwe Cde Joshua Nkomo, the late Vice Presidents Simon Muzenda and Joseph Msika, among others, had laid good ground for participation of the youth in national development.

“As a youth, I urge you to go out there and strengthen the party’s unity and cohesion, grow party membership and defend the country’s democracy.

“I challenge tribalists, corrupt characters who devour the souls and strength of our party. Tell those who abuse the sacred institution of the Youth League that the league is not for sale,” he said.

Party secretary for finance Cde David Karimanzira said the conference was important in that it was bringing a new leadership of cadres aged 30 and below.

“This policy change is a critical factor in that the conference is going to correct the Youth League age structure, which was mostly above 30, and replacing it with a crop of younger men and women who may not have had previous experience at national level,” he said.

The conference heard solidarity messages from Chama Chamapinduzi of Tanzania, the World Federation of Democratic Youths, the Democratic People’s Party of Malawi, the Namibian Youth Council and the Pan African Youth Union, among others.

WFDY vice president, Cde Justice Chiusaru, called on Britain and its allies to remove the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, saying they were hurting the people.

He paid tribute to Sadc and the African Union for resolutely standing behind Zimbabwe in its battle against neo-colonialism.

“To the youth, I say stand guard of the revolution and the ideals of the party and the country’s democracy,” he said.

PAYU representative Cde Tendai Wenyika said her organisation recognised the role played by Zanu-PF in the liberation of Zimbabwe and Africa and would continue to support the country’s struggle for the total emancipation of its people and the continent.

DPP Youth League representative Cde Louis Ngalande called for the strengthening of ties between Zimbabwe and Malawi.

“The ushering in of young people to leadership positions shows that Zanu-PF is serious about the role of the youth in the development of Zimbabwe,” he said.

The conference is also expected to tackle issues of indigenisation, establishment of businesses by youths and programmes to curtail the spread of HIV and Aids.

Sadc NGO Forum to tell true Zim story

Herald Reporter

The newly formed Sadc NGO Forum will soon send a team around the region to conscientise Southern African nations on the true situation in Zimbabwe and has hailed President Mugabe’s “heroic stance” on the land issue.

The forum, which was formed on the sidelines of the recent Sadc Summit in DRC earlier this week, also said African leaders should remain resolute in opposing all forms of neo-colonialism.

The communiqué, released following the launch of the forum reads: “The citizens of Zimbabwe must resist any constitution-making process in an environment besieged by economic sanctions.

“In other words, the removal of sanctions must precede the constitution-making process.

“The heroic stance by President Robert Mugabe against imperialism remains exemplary for all Heads of State and the meeting hailed him as a true son of Africa.

“It was also resolved to send a delegation to visit all Sadc States to explain the true Zimbabwe story of a people whose land was stolen and has been reclaimed.”

The communiqué said MDC-T had campaigned for the economic embargo and the onus was on Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s party to also campaign for their removal “so that the people of Zimbabwe can enjoy free political activity not influenced by Western sanctions”.

The NGOs said: “The imposition of illegal sanctions against any African State should remain condemned as it undermines the very core values of public international law.”

On the issue of the Sadc Tribunal, the Forum said regional nations must not “abrogate the sovereignty of their States”.

The Forum drew participation from NGOs from 14 Sadc members and elected Mr Tedius Banda of Zambia as its president and Zimbabwean lawyer Mr Chris Mutangadura as its secretary-general. The body commended the people of DRC for establishing peace, while saying the Sudanese government deserved the support of the entire continent to counter efforts by the West to indict President Omar al-Bashir on racist grounds.

SA pushes EU to lift Zim sanctions

Herald Reporter

SOUTH Africa has reiterated its call for the European Union to drop illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe ahead of a landmark trip by a delegation from Brussels to Harare today.

President Mugabe will meet the three-man high-level EU delegation as part of continued efforts to thaw relations between Zimbabwe and the EU.

The visit of the troika is the first at such level since the EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in a bid to influence the outcome of the 2002 presidential election.

South African President Jacob Zuma yesterday met Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the EU presidency.

Reports from South Africa yesterday indicated that differences over Zimbabwe overshadowed the meeting with South Africa determined to push for an end to sanctions although the Swedish premier insisted the bloc was not ready to lift the embargo.

President Zuma and other Sadc leaders called, during a summit in Kinshasa, for an end to the sanctions and he made it clear that he would push the same demand with Prime Minister Reinfeldt.

“We are saying both of us understand where Sadc comes from and where the EU comes from. But we are saying precisely because of that we need to engage so we can try and persuade the EU to lift sanctions,” President Zuma said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Reinfeldt yesterday said the meeting with President Zuma would afford him an opportunity to learn more about the situation in Zimbabwe.

He said the visit was not in preparation for the lifting of sanctions against Harare.

“I want to be clear: the EU is not prepared (for) lifting the restrictions we have on Zimbabwe,” he said at a public address in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Britain and other EU countries imposed the sanctions after President Mugabe won overwhelmingly in the 2002 presidential election claiming human rights abuses.

African nations, however, insist progress has been made with the signing of the Global Political Agreement negotiated by former South African president Thabo Mbeki under the auspices of Sadc and the AU.

President Zuma has also argued that an end to the sanctions would help stabilise things in Harare.

“Once you have got sanctions there are things you cannot do in Zimbabwe, but if the sanctions are not there you give more scope for that agreement to be implemented. That is the point we are making.”

The EU delegation — led by aid commissioner Karel de Gucht — will meet President Mugabe today and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai tomorrow.

Government, however, said nothing much should be expected from the meetings, as the two sides should cover a lot of ground to normalise ties.

Nzimande: I’m Still a Communist

Nzimande: I’m still a communist

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Sep 11 2009 15:38

South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade Nzimande, recently involved in a furore over his R1,1-million luxury official vehicle, is still a communist and committed to the working class, he said on Friday.

“I have not abandoned my values. I don’t think I’ve abandoned my moral leadership. I am still a communist, I am still committed to the working class,” he said.

“I am still committed to taking up the issues relating to the poor and we did explain what happened in relation to that vehicle,” Nzimande, who is also Higher Education Minister, said on the sidelines of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) national general council in Benoni.

The government said recently that it had appointed a task team to see how officials could cut unnecessary spending.

“Government at the moment is undertaking a process through Cabinet of looking at a whole range of austerity measures that must be taken and once those are done they must be announced so that they are able to guide all government institutions and government departments,” Nzimande said.

“Its very necessary, I support that to the hilt,” he added, just minutes before leaving for the airport in his silver-grey BMW 750i.

SACP alliance partner, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called on government ministers who have bought flashy cars to return them and opt for “the kind of modest cars” bought by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

The SACP said the party’s concerns for the safety of its office-bearers prompted the choice of car, adding that it has often imposed security measures on a reluctant Nzimande.

On Thursday, African National Congress (ANC) deputy secretary general Thandi Modise said ministers who had bought flashy cars should have been more sensitive to the fact that the country was in the midst of a recession.

MPs who have opted for luxury BMWs include Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has bought a Range Rover Sport TDV8 as her official vehicle in Pretoria, together with a BMW 730D for use in Cape Town.

On Friday it emerged that Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is in the process of buying two Mercedes-Benzes for R1,2-million.

He was acquiring a Mercedes-Benz E200 for use in Cape Town, at a cost of R451 134, and a Mercedes-Benz E500 for Pretoria, for R757 545, according a response in Parliament to a question by the Democratic Alliance. — Sapa

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-09-11-nzimande-im-still-a-communist

Africa Must Develop Own Research Methods

Africa must develop own research methods

By Dr Sindiso Ngwenya
Courtesy of the Zimbabwe Herald

AS long as Africans do not collect their own data to tell the African story, we will not be able to benchmark ourselves against development targets. Most importantly, we will plan using wrong data.

We should not only look at researchers in universities as the traditional research community; let us look at tools that will document the evidence sitting in anecdotal information.

Africa has a strong oral culture and it is important we use it, preserve it and link it to modern research tools. We have undermined that oral culture through paper-based research evidence, which many of us rarely read.

Let us go back to African oral culture which is laden with specific messages that will boost the research evidence we need to shape policies.

I would like to commend Mozambique for its commitment to promoting research in a number of spheres. President Armando Guebuza’s government has set itself an ambitious task to grow its research personnel to support the research evidence that is so critical in policy development and implementation.

The Mozambican government currently has about 660 scientists working in about 17 research institutions and a further 2 000 in educational institutions.

Mozambique is targeting to have at least 6 500 scientists in laboratory-based research by 2025. The government is also promoting research, which solves daily problems and makes a positive impact on the people’s lives than research merely for academic purposes.

Africa faces the greatest challenge of establishing and making use of its research for effective decision-making in development programmes and policy crafting.

Our budgets for research and development should be increased on so that we generate our own data to back up what we are saying about our situation in agriculture, the environment and economic development.

For too long, we have relied on external researchers, on externally-generated data and externally-driven research agenda that does not effectively address our issues.

If we do not own the research, how could it best address our felt needs? It is time we invested in homegrown research capacity and research solution that will meet the specific needs of Africa.

We are not excluding international partnerships, but we should drive the research agenda.

Mozambique’s “green revolution” focuses on increasing production through improved use of land and water resources as well as improved seed varieties, input support and through the Limpopo River basin. The food crisis is a wake-up call for policymakers, researchers, processors and food producers.

Homegrown research evidence should guide us in finding lasting solutions to the food crisis.

The devastating floods of 2000, 2001, 2007 and 2008 and recurrent droughts in 2002/2003, 2004/2005, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 have collectively impacted negatively on food security in Mozambique.

Reduced productivity has meant that we in Africa spend millions of dollars importing food when we should be producing it, adding value to it and exporting it.

The 19 Comesa member states alone spend approximately US$19 billion on food imports money that would otherwise have developed agriculture.

This writer is making a clarion call for Africa to lobby for the Africa climate solution at the December 2009 Copenhagen post-Kyoto climate negotiations and the agriculture, forests and sustainable land use (AFOLU) deal. We should lobby for increased and more accessible global funding for climate adaptation and clean development mechanisms. This can be done by ensuring that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through AFOLU are included in the post-2012 climate change regime.

Africa can provide a solution to the global climate challenges if all African countries and the entire world endorse the African climate solution.

If AFOLU is incorporated into the post-Kyoto Protocol, Africa could generate up to US$3 billion per year in carbon trade.

Southern Africa and the continent as a whole are at development crossroads, having barely survived the global crises.

But Africa and its people are known for their resilience to beat the odds. This is a strength on which to build on to ensure that smallholder farmers have better market access, better extension services and benefit from agricultural research.

Our dependence on rain-fed agriculture has left us vulnerable to changing climatic conditions that call for us to adapt and mitigate.

Climate change mitigation is a sure way of survival for our farmers.

As we head to Copenhagen, Africa must speak with one voice in having agriculture — the basis of our development — included in the final text of the Copenhagen deal. There should be no deal without agriculture.

Our farmers must be helped to better respond to climate change without depriving them of their livelihoods.

Our brother from Sierra Leone, rice scientist Dr Monty Jones, who made history as the first African to win the coveted World Food Prize in 2004, told a meeting between universities and agricultural institutions in Ghana in July this year that Africa needs US$4,4 billion annually for agricultural research and development.

Africa’s entire research and development budget is US$2,2 billion annually and nearly US$500 million is provided by regional bodies such as Nepad, the African Union and FARA while the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research provides US$250 million to 16 research centres.

We cannot modernise African agriculture without paying attention to the CAADP commitments, especially pillar 4 on improving agricultural research and systems to disseminate appropriate new technologies and supporting farmers adopt them.

Research should spur the use of technology in improving crop varieties, creating better farming infrastructure and ensuring farmers have better access to markets. Stories are abundant of farmers leaving produce to rot by the roadside because they do not have transport to take it to the market on time.

Africa’s budget priorities should move from defence and administration costs to agriculture and research. Research alone is not enough.

Without access to resources, agriculture will not take off. Hence it is critical that our smallholder farmers have access to financial resources to up-scale agricultural development.

Africa cannot develop agriculture without modernising it. We cannot develop agriculture without adding value to the basic commodities that we create.

We cannot create wealth without creating markets, both input and outputs. FANRPAN cannot do it alone. They need the partnerships, as I believe their comparative advantage is in providing a platform for dialogue.

I invite all the development partners and technical partners to use this platform so that we can learn and share experiences, use those who have succeeded as models, and help those in need of policy leadership.

There is need for accountable partnerships, partnerships which are equal. Africa needs and supports North and South partnerships that are accountable to each other and to their constituencies, but are equal as defined by the term “partnership”.

This writer has alluded to the need to use research in agriculture for better gains on the food front because agriculture is key to poverty alleviation.

We should put our money where our mouths are. The game is the transition from poverty reduction to wealth creation at every level.

We need to create a working model where smallholder farmers can produce, process and sell their produce, but with support services at their doorstep.

They do not necessarily access these services for free, but can access them through the wealth they have generated.

Let me share with you lessons from my grandmother and from my mother who was a farmer and knew which crops to plant and how to keep the harvest, when and what to sell and what to keep for the family.

We were food-secure then. So it puzzles me now that with all the expertise that we have in Africa, we continue to grapple not with wealth, but with the challenge of feeding ourselves.

If we can have more countries that can demonstrate that they can feed themselves, then we can be proud Africans. The time to make agriculture the engine to drive economic development is now.

-The writer, Dr Sindiso Ngwenya, is FANRPAN chairman and Comesa secretary-general. This article is reproduced from African Executive.