A new report challenges the IMF and World Bank's assertion that they are unable to cancel 100% of the debts owed by the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs.) Using rigorous financial analysis, the paper shows that both the IMF and World Bank have ample resources to cancel all HIPC debt, and that this could be done without in any way jeopardising their normal operations, or threatening their credit ratings, says the report by Jubilee Research.

Unless and until Nigerians institute an abiding faith in their country, dumping short term ethnic interests for the larger, long-term goal of national engagement and development, the road to true nationhood would continue to be a mirage, argues the author of this seven part serial published in Nigeria's The Vanguard newspaper, which takes a very hard look at the Nigerian nation.

Shoprite/Checkers claims to be Africa’s largest food retailer. The South African company operates 641 corporate outlets, with 14 retail outlets across the continent (Africa) and according to the company’s website (www.shoprite.co.za), towards the end of 2003 Shoprite/Checkers will for the first time enjoy representation beyond the African continent when it opens its first supermarket in Mumbai in India. What the website won’t tell you is that the company pays some of its employees R6.17 (US $1 trading at R7) an hour, while it reported revenue of R25 billion for the 12 months ended 30 June 2003.

National Development Agency CEO Delani Mthembu has been suspended from his position pending an investigation into allegations of mismanagement and corruption, Social Development Minister Dr Zola Skweyiya announced on Monday.

Ninety six per cent of the country's 228,000 teachers have declared their wealth, it was revealed this week. Section 32 of the Public Officer Ethics Act, warns that people who fail to submit a declaration or clarification as required under the law, or who submit false or misleading information, are guilty of an offence.

Government schools in Guinea-Bissau reopened on Wednesday after the World Bank agreed to provide an exceptional US $2.5 million loan to pay teachers 10 months of salary arrears. The school system of this former Portuguese colony in West Africa has been paralysed for most of the past two years by a series of teachers' strikes.

The IMF recently published an Implementation Evaluation Report (IER) on the Mozambican Action Plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty (PARPA). The report emphasises that even though, broadly generalized, aggregate statistics indicate progress, the poor are inadequately served. William Butt, of the Mozambican Christian Council (CCM) contrasts the IER's findings with those of the CCM in areas such as; Good Governance, Education, Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Infrastructure, and his broad conclusion is that since the PARPA is heavily influenced by the IMF's policy of free-market-inspired development, so far the results seem to indicate not even a "trickle down" outcome but a "trickle around" one.

It cost the Namibian government N$120 million in public funds to set up the infrastructure needed to chase foreign direct investment from an international company. Given this expense, the financial support that the company received was the equivalent of its salaries to its 7000 workers for almost three years. This is according to a study from the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI), which casts doubts on the benefits of foreign direct investment. Low wages, poor working conditions, everyday work accidents and verbal abuse were all par for the course at textile company Ramatex's plant in Windhoek. Rametex produces for Nike, Adidas, Puma, Otto Versand, Target, Wal-Mart and Sears Woolworth. "The experiences in Namibia are in line with international trends of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) spreading their operations globally in search for increased profits. The fact that Ramatex managed to play out three Southern African countries against each other shows how TNCs utilise their bargaining position to gain increasing concessions from host countries, which are desperate to attract investors."

From 7th to the 11th of June 2004, the Association for Rhetoric and Communication in Southern Africa will host its Sixth Biennial Symposium in Cape Town, South Africa. The Association invites papers and paper proposals that reflect the themes of Debate in Africa and/or the public controversies which appear at the intersection of Democracy and Science. Deadline for Proposals: 31 November 2003.

Today, corruption in Zambia is a disease of endemic socio-economic and political dimensions. It is a disease that threatens the fabric of sustainable livelihoods in the country and a disease that is sustained by inappropriate and maladaptive democratic linkages between the State and its citizenry, and narrow perceptions of corruption by individuals tasked with the management of the citizenry's common good.

Pambazuka News cuts across a wide range of issues that are vital in my career objectives as a prospective development planner. I find it very resourceful and enriching.

I am concerned that some if not most of the free condoms supplied to our clinics are imported from The People's Republic of China. The new name for the repackaged brand-named condoms distributed freely by South Africa's Department of Health, Choice, is a contradiction in terms. Most of these condoms are imported from the PRC, a country whose citizenry - and that of Tibet, which has been illegally occupied by the PRC for more than 40 years - have no choice at all over their access to fundamental human rights. It is time South Africans knew how many hundreds of our own people have lost jobs because of our government's decision to import these condoms - did they have any "choice" in the matter? If our leaders claim that unemployment, poverty and the resultant limited access to good nutrition are all the underlying factors in the spread of HIV/AIDS, then why import the condoms? Why not give our own citizens the chance to work and earn enough to live a healthier life by giving them the choice of saying "no" to imported condoms and "yes" to condoms manufactured in South Africa? It is time that the Unions, NGOs and Civil Society bring this issue to the attention of our government and claim the right to manufacture all the condoms in this country. We should not be importing condoms from a country that is still to recognise the effect HIV/AIDS will have on their own people let alone the Tibetans.

I am concerned that some if not most of the free condoms supplied to our clinics are imported from The People's Republic of China. The new name for the repackaged brand-named condoms distributed freely by South Africa's Department of Health, Choice, is a contradiction in terms. Most of these condoms are imported from the PRC, a country whose citizenry - and that of Tibet, which has been illegally occupied by the PRC for more than 40 years - have no choice at all over their access to fundamental human rights. It is time South Africans knew how many hundreds of our own people have lost jobs because of our government's decision to import these condoms - did they have any "choice" in the matter? If our leaders claim that unemployment, poverty and the resultant limited access to good nutrition are all the underlying factors in the spread of HIV/AIDS, then why import the condoms. Why not give our own citizens the chance to work and earn enough to live a healthier life by giving them the choice of saying "no" to imported condoms and "yes" to condoms manufactured in South Africa. It is time that the Unions, NGOs and Civil Society bring this issue to the attention of our government and claim the right to manufacture all the condoms in this country. We should not be importing condoms from a country that is still to recognise the effect HIV/AIDS will have on their own people let alone the Tibetans.

Simon's Hinds letter (Pambazuka News 129: Issues in Human Rights and Democracy in Kenya) magnifies Richard Carver's earlier assertions about the West's hypocrisy in the treatment of Robert Mugabe's leadership record. However, the bulk of his message appears to be a repeat of the many assertions that Zimbabweans can never be independent of the West or Rhodesians - which is a serious misconception of the reality of the Zimbabwean situation.

For the record: Police assaulted human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa after she had called them to report the attempted hi-jacking of her motor vehicle. Last week, three MDC personnel were shot by a local businessman - they are in hospital under police custody as the accused. Over 200 National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) members are in police custody after demonstrating for a new Constitution. Settlers in Mashonaland West held the South African High Commissioner, Jeremiah Ndou, hostage. Ndou was later summoned to Zimbabwe's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "where it was discovered that he had not been given clearance to visit the area" (State television). Fifty-three members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) were arrested before they could start protests over taxation. The unionists were released from custody after being cautioned and told that the police might press charges later. All the above events occurred in the first three weeks of October!

There is clear state collusion in all the above. The target is clear - to suppress individual and collective rights - or anything considered a threat to Mugabe's rule - yes - even elections!. To claim that the 2002 presidential elections were a true reflection of the will of the people of Zimbabwe by merely repeating the conclusions of foreign observer missions is incorrect. Simon and others may take a cue from the observations of the South African observer mission and the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) whose conclusions are quite the opposite of what they observed. The SADC parliamentary forum felt that the "electoral process could not be said to adequately comply with the Norms and Standards for Elections in the SADC region". The international community, mainly the West, has been feeding millions of starving Zimbabweans. We are only grateful. Those that have listened to the oppressed voices have only echoed them to distances far and wide. We salute them.

Simon's Hinds letter magnifies Richard Carver's earlier assertions about the West's hypocrisy in the treatment of Robert Mugabe's leadership record. However, the bulk of his message appears to be a repeat of the many assertions that Zimbabweans can never be independent of the West or Rhodesians - which is a serious misconception of the reality of the Zimbabwean situation.

For the record: Police assaulted human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa after she had called them to report the attempted hi-jacking of her motor vehicle. Last week, three MDC personnel were shot by a local businessman - they are in hospital under police custody as the accused. Over 200 National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) members are in police custody after demonstrating for a new Constitution. Settlers in Mashonaland West held the South African High Commissioner, Jeremiah Ndou, hostage. Ndou was later summoned to Zimbabwe's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "where it was discovered that he had not been given clearance to visit the area" (State television). Fifty-three members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) were arrested before they could start protests over taxation. The unionists were released from custody after being cautioned and told that the police might press charges later. All the above events occurred in the first three weeks of October!

There is clear state collusion in all the above. The target is clear - to suppress individual and collective rights - or anything considered a threat to Mugabe's rule - yes - even elections!. To claim that the 2002 presidential elections were a true reflection of the will of the people of Zimbabwe by merely repeating the conclusions of foreign observer missions is incorrect. Simon and others may take a cue from the observations of the South African observer mission and the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) whose conclusions are quite the opposite of what they observed. The SADC parliamentary forum felt that the "electoral process could not be said to adequately comply with the Norms and Standards for Elections in the SADC region".
The international community, mainly the West, has been feeding millions of starving Zimbabweans. We are only grateful.
Those that have listened to the oppressed voices have only echoed them to distances far and wide. We salute them.

More than 800 forestry officers in Kenya have been suspended while the government investigates alleged links with illegal loggers. They were given compulsory leave in an attempt to reverse a "worrisome trend in forest destruction", said Kenya's Environment Minister Newton Kulundu.

Deputy President Jacob Zuma took a swipe at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) late last week, saying three years was a long time for it to fail to find any evidence of wrongdoing or corruption against him. The deputy president was referring to the three-year probe into allegations he was involved in corruption related to South Africa's multibillion-rand arms deal.

The sports experience, which ought to teach respect and egalitarianism among people, has been badly marked by racism, while the caste system, deeply rooted in certain value systems, continued to victimize communities on many continents, a senior official from the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (UNHCHR) says.

Yet again this week the columns of local newspapers have reported more incidences of theft and misappropriation of monies. But the increasing frequency of these occurrences unfortunately only seems to inspire silent resignation in many people.

Government is considering banning community fundraising parties, or harambees, a cornerstone of life in Kenya. Officials say they became a tool for corruption and graft under former president Daniel arap Moi, as government workers routinely began demanding donations for funerals, school fees and weddings, or for the dispensation of birth certificates, licenses or yellow fever cards.