Human Rights Watch said this week that the secrecy bill adopted by South Africa’s National Assembly on April 25, lacked essential protections for whistle-blowers. The Protection of State of Information Act aims to regulate the classification of state information. Earlier drafts were widely condemned by the media, civil society, and opposition parties because of provisions that undermined the right to access information of public interest. HRW said the “improved” current version still remained unclear on the key question of whether whistle-blowers and journalists seeking to expose certain sensitive issues like corruption would be protected under the law.
15 drunken deaths
Lesotho police reported that at least 15 people died of alcohol-related causes over the past weekend. Police head of media relations, Chief Inspector Pretunilla Kauna Shikwambi, urged people to drink responsibly saying “alcohol is destroying us”. The deaths were mostly fatal attacks on one another after people had gone out drinking with friends and lovers. Alcohol-related deaths are rife in Lesotho, but police say the weekend death toll could be the worst in years.
Banda trial
The trial of former Zambian President Rupiah Banda saw his former Chief of Staff, Austin Sichinga, testify this week. He gave his opinion on a copy of a letter that police said was found in the home of the Former Minister of Energy, Kenneth Konga, alleged to be a draft signed by Banda concerning the acquisition of oil from Nigeria. Sichinga said he never personally saw the letter, dated November 25, 2008. At no time did he deal with anything to do with oil, except when one day he was asked to edit a letter.
Sedition charges
A Swazi youth leader was recently charged with three counts of sedition, after he allegedly tried to organise a meeting meant to discuss forthcoming elections in the country. Maxwell Dlamini, secretary general of the Swaziland Youth Congress and former student leader, presently studies at the University of Swaziland. He is alleged to have been one of the organisers of a rally in Msunduza Township, Mbabane, while birthday celebrations were taking place for King Mswati III elsewhere in the kingdom. Political parties are banned from taking part in the election and the rally was to bring attention to this.
Mandela millions
The children and grandchildren of South Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandela, are active in more than 110 companies, according to company information released on Monday. Their wealth is held in a network of at least 24 trusts established by Ismail Ayob, the family’s former lawyer, according to the Beeld newspaper. Some of the trusts own several expensive properties in Johannesburg’s upmarket neighbourhoods. Makaziwe Mandela’s 3575m2 house in Hyde Park, owned by the Makaziwe M Trust, is valued at R13.6m. It is difficult to determine the full extent of the family’s wealth and interests, because of the network of trusts in which the assets were held and the lack of public documentation.
King’s birthday
A Swazi government official claimed recently that King Mswati III’s $3.6 million birthday party was privately sponsored and did not cost the Swazi people anything. Last year Mswati was embroiled in controversy after he received a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 twin-engine private jet that cost an estimated $46 million. Government said it came from private sponsors, but refused to name them, raising speculation it could have been bought with public funds.
Post published in: Africa News