ZIMBABWE: ZANU-PF wins by-election
President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF
party won a parliamentary by-election marred by violence in the town of
Marondera, news reports said on Tuesday. ZANU-PF scooped 7,376 votes to
the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC's) 4,366 in the Marondera
West rural district southwest of the capital, Harare, the state Election
Commission announced.
Officials said voter turnout was just 33 percent of about 36,000 registered voters. The election was called after a ruling party lawmaker who held the seat died in a car accident in August. According to the Associated Press (AP) there were reports of minor incidents of violence and intimidation in the district, about 50 km southwest of Harare, police and state officials said. However, independent monitors reported "an underlying sense of intimidation" left by Mugabe supporters in the run-up to voting.
Although Monday's tally gave Mugabe's party the win, its support had dropped considerably since June's parliamentary elections, AP said. Then, about 15,700 voters cast ballots in the Marondera West district, with the ruling party winning about 11,000.
ZAMBIA-DRC: Kabila disowns fleeing DRC soldiers
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Laurent-Desire Kabila has disowned the more than 500 soldiers fleeing into Zambia, 'The Times of Zambia' reported on Monday. Kaputa District Council Secretary Elias Sampa was quoted as saying that Kabila's refusal to accept the soldiers had brought about difficulties in repatriating them. Sampa said the soldiers had run away because they were too young to fight. "They are all young boys aged between 16 and 18. What can they do in a war?", he asked. Meanwhile, Sampa said that food supplies the government dispatched to the area last week had arrived. "Hunger has reduced for the soldiers and the refugees but the residents are still starving and we are still waiting for relief food supplies to feed the people," he said.
ZAMBIA: Copper mines launch anti-Malaria drive
Two of Zambia's largest copper mining companies have launched a massive anti-malaria programme in the mineral rich Copperbelt region, news reports said on Tuesday. The companies, Konkola Copper Mines Plc and Mopani Copper Mines Plc are targeting residential areas, inhabited by more than two million people, by spraying houses and known breeding grounds like sewer and natural ponds. The exercise by Konkola Copper Mines will cost an estimated US $220,000 under its health and environment policy and it will cover 25,688 houses in the two mining towns of Chingola and Chililabombwe.
Speaking at the launch recently, Konkola Copper Mines chief executive officer Tim Wadeson said that apart from spraying houses, the company would also use the programme to destroy all known mosquito breeding grounds. In addition, the programme will also focus on effective treatment of proven malaria cases in hospitals and clinics through the use of drugs.
Mopani Copper Mines is spending over US $500,000 this year to eliminate breeding grounds. Company special project manager Penny Dickson said: "We believe that we lose two man-months a year as a result of malaria. The cost of a shift loss is approximately US $20 and the cost of hospitalisation an additional US $30 a day." In the Copperbelt region, for example, the malaria incidence rate is 360 people out of every 1,000 healthy adults.
ZAMBIA: UNIP split looms
Suspended UNIP president Francis Nkoma said he may consider rejoining the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) if his efforts to get back his post fail, 'The Times of Zambia' said on Tuesday. Speaking in Lusaka on Monday, Nkoma said he could lead a mass defection of UNIP members from Eastern Province. Nkoma noted there was already a lot of pressure from his supporters in Eastern Province to split. "I am still consulting my lawyers to fight this suspension but the Eastern Province is likely to break away because of the mounting pressure," Nkoma said. He said they would look at some parties including the MMD before deciding which one to join. "We will join the party that has substance and the party that believes in power sharing for the interest of Zambia."
NAMIBIA-ANGOLA: SWAPO warns Angolan refugees
Ruling SWAPO secretary-general, Hifikepunye Pohamba, has warned Angolan refugees living in the Namibian Kavango region to refrain from cooperating with UNITA rebels. "Any Angolan national found to be promoting UNITA activities in Namibia will be regarded as an enemy of the citizens of this country," Pohamba said on Saturday. He was addressing SWAPO supporters at the start of the party's election campaign for the upcoming Rundu Urban constituency by-election. "The Namibian government will not tolerate such practices to be carried out by foreigners without taking action," he warned.
SOUTH AFRICA: 1,500 women die of cervical cancer annually
About 1,500 women die of cervical cancer in South Africa each year, because many are diagnosed too late when it is not treatable, South African news reports said on Tuesday. "Cervical cancer is the commonest cancer, and the commonest cause of death from cancer among women in South Africa," said Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang speaking at the launch of the report by the National Committee on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths on Monday.
The minister said the government proposed three free pap smears per lifetime with a 10 year interval between each smear, commencing not later than the age of 30 years. "This policy reflects the best attempt to reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer within the current resource constraints," she said.
MALAWI: University students boycott classes
Malawi University students boycotted classes on Tuesday a day after clashes with police in Zomba, 60 km from Blantyre, during a protest over tuition fees, AFP reported. "There were no classes today. The students were in their hostels while university authorities were meeting over the issue," Wiseman Chirwa, a senior lecturer at the Chancellor college, said. Chirwa said three students were arrested after police chased them to a nearby village during three hours of clashes on Monday. The three were freed on bail and will appear in court on December 6 to answer charges of rowdy behaviour.
The students have been protesting against annual fees amounting to US $600, saying they cannot afford it since they come from poor families. The authorities on Saturday announced that fees had been halved, leading the students to petition the government to reduce further the fees. Chirwa said the students, who previously paid US $20 per year, were prepared to pay between US $40 and US $70.
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