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MISA Criticises SADC Over Inequality
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has noted that women are still not being considered as news makers in most countries in the Southern Africa Community Development (SADC) region.
MISA Lesotho national director, Tsebo Mats’asa, says statistics show that women were not still not news makers in the region as such there is need to continue putting interventions that will ensure that women’s voices are heard.
Mats’asa says it is for this reason that MISA is carrying out activities such as capacity-building and sensitisation of media practitioners and women to ensure women’s views were heard.
To read the article titled, “MISA bemoans gender inequality,” click here.Source:Times of ZambiaNGO Urges Zambia to Act on KCM
Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) says the government must keep an eye on Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and act decisively to protect Zambians' interests in the mine.
Commenting on the protests by scores of people in London against Vedanta Resources, the majority shareholder in Konkola Copper Mines, SARW country coordinator, Edward Lange, says the mineral resources in Zambia are being literally looted because the mining communities and the country at large are not seeing tangible benefits.
Lange says that KCM is expected to show remorse and take a re-look at its past record in relation to the revelations and make amends with the people not only in Zambia, but across the globe.
To read the article titled, “ARW urges govt to keep an eye on KCM,” click here .Source:The PostPolice: AIDS Project Pays Men to be Gay
According to a newspaper report, Ugandan police are accusing a United States-funded AIDS project for paying young men to become homosexuals.
The Daily Monitor quotes police as saying that the Walter Reed Project, which provides treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, had been ‘infiltrated’ by officers and was found to be recruiting gays.
The statement further states that, “Police deployed crime intelligence officers to verify the claims, by infiltrating the project. Two officers undertook the assignment and were registered for training by the non-governmental organisation and found out that the trainees were being shown videos of men engaging in homosexual activity.”
To read the article titled, “Uganda police accuse HIV/AIDS project of gay ‘recruitment’,” click here.Source:The CitizenChild Labour Remains Rampant in Malawi
Ministry of labour expresses concern over continued child labour practices in the country despite government's and development partners' efforts to stamp out the malpractice.
Chief labour officer in the ministry, Paul Gondwe, states that the elimination of child labour remains a challenge in Malawi due to several factors such as poverty, social and cultural practices.
Gondwe warns that, “The vicious circle of poverty which has been worsened by HIV and AIDS impacts negatively on child wellbeing and development as in some cases children have to fend for themselves.”
To read the article titled, “Child labour still rampant in Malawi despite several interventions,” click hereSource:All AfricaSwazi Police Abduct Pro-Democracy Leaders
Swaziland police officers have illegally abducted prodemocracy leaders over the weekend, drove them 30 kilometres away, and dumped them to prevent them from taking part in a meeting calling for freedom in the kingdom.
The police officers staged roadblocks on all major roads leading to Swaziland's main commercial city, Manzini, where protests were to be held.
The intended protests were part of the annual 12 April commemorations in that country, following King Sobhuza II Royal proclamation dissolving parliament, banning political parties and placing all power in the kingdom in the hands of the monarchy on 12 April 1973.
To read the article titled, “Police abduct democracy leaders,” click here.Source:All AfricaCall to Exempt Hospitals From Pre-Paid Meters
Minister of Copperbelt - copper mining area of Central Africa which runs in Zambia - Mwenya Musenge, has appealed to Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) to consider exempting health institutions from its prepaid meters installation project.
Musenge believes that in as much as ZESCO is supplying power to the public, it needs to revisit the issue of pre-paid meters in health institutions.
He further states that government is committed to ensuring that the majority of the population gained access to electricity and energy country wide.
To read the article titled, “Exempt hospitals from prepaid meters,” click here.Source:All AfricaGays Divided Over HIV Prevention Drug
A drug hailed as a lifesaver for many people infected by HIV is at the heart of a rancorous debate among gay men, AIDS activists and health professionals over its potential for protecting uninfected men who engage in gay sex without using condoms.
Many doctors and activists see immense promise for such preventive use of Truvada, and are campaigning to raise awareness of it as a crucial step toward reducing new HIV infections, which now total about 50 000 a year in the United States.
Despite mounting evidence of Truvada's effectiveness, other argue that such efforts are reckless, tempting some condom users to abandon that layer of protection and exposing them to an array of other sexually transmitted infections aside from HIV.
To read the article titled, “Gay men divided over use of HIV prevention drug,” click here.Source:Sowetan LiveSwaziland Releases Detained Editor, Lawyer
A Swaziland editor and a rights lawyer who were arrested over an article said to be in contempt of court were freed on Sunday after a judge nullified their arrest.
Judge Mumcy Dlamini rejected a warrant of arrest for Bheki Makhubu, the editor of the Nation magazine, and lawyer Thulani Maseko, who is a columnist at the magazine, saying it is not in line with the law.
Makhubu and Maseko were arrested on 18 March 2014, after the independent magazine published a report questioning the detention of a government vehicle inspector who was detained for a week without being charged.
To read the article the article titled, “Swaziland editor, lawyer released from prison,” click here.Source:Mail and GuardianUganda’s Anti-Gay Law Challenged
Gay rights activists in Uganda filed a legal petition against the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act, which calls for tougher penalties against gay persons.
The new law strengthens existing punishments for anyone caught having gay sex, imposing jail terms of up to life for ‘aggravated homosexuality’ - including sex with a minor or while HIV-positive.
The legislation criminalises lesbianism for the first time and makes it a crime to help individuals engage in homosexual acts.
In the same vein, gay rights activist and lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo, says the new law contravenes Uganda's constitution.
To read the article titled, “Activists determined to overturn Uganda anti-gay law,” click here.Source:SABC NewsNGOs Decry SA’s Child Abuse 'Epidemic'
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with women and children say child abuse has become an epidemic in the country, with one in four children becoming victims of abuse.
Saartjie Baartman spokesperson, Shaheema McLeod, states that one of the problems that they have picked up in their areas is that there are little resources available for parents to take their kids for assistance.
McLeod explains that, “…a lack of a political will to make resources available. There seems to be more violent acts committed against children, and parents need to keep in mind to put preventative measures in place.”
To read the article titled, “NGOs decry child abuse 'epidemic',” click here.Source:SABC News
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