A child died while his mother held as a pre-trial detainee in Namibia

A 4 year old child named Fortuna Tetene died in prison while his mother was held as a per-trial detainee.  The child died after he was alleged savaged by an inmate who was involving in quarrel  with his mother who at the time was in custody after failing to pay N500 bail for alleged shoplifting.  Fortuna Tetene did not commit any crime and did not deserve to die in a prison cell.

Unfortunately there are no special holding cells for mother who unfortunately have to be detained together with their children.  These vulnerable children end up sharing cells with hard core criminals.

Madiba Named Newsmaker of the Year

The late former President Nelson Mandela has been named as the National Press Club's Newsmaker of the Year for 2013.

There was an unprecedented outpouring of emotion when Madiba passed away on 5 December at the age of 95. President Jacob Zuma declared 10 days of mourning.

Press Club chairperson Jos Charle said on Wednesday night that both in terms of impact and media coverage, Nelson Mandela dominated the news in 2013. His death riveted the attention of the world for 10 days.

 It consumed South Africans - and much of the world - as the country pulled out all stops to bury the father of the South African nation with military precision and ancient Xhosa customs.

The world's news media - television, radio and print media - extensively reported on Nelson Mandela's life and his role in South Africa's liberation struggle for weeks following his death.

One hour after the announcement of his death, two million tweets were generated, with over six million tweets recorded on 5 December.

The hash tags #RIPNelsonMandela, #Madiba and #RIPMandela were the top three topics on Facebook and Twitter that morning. At one stage, there were 95 000 tweets per minute and more than 13 million over a month.

"The Nelson Mandela Facebook page gathered over 2.2 million likes and several posts, including tributes from the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

"Within minutes of the announcement, broadcast internationally, crowds of all hues began flocking to the former president's home where they prayed, sang and laid flowers in front of the world's media," said Charle.

Ninety-one heads of state attended Madiba's funeral, with 4 500 journalists from all over the world covering the funeral. South African broadcast houses ran programmes about Madiba for more than 10 days.

"Add to this the fact that for 86 days last year, the world's media camped outside the Medi-Clinic Heart hospital in Pretoria where Mandela had been admitted for a recurring lung infection, and it becomes clear that he generated huge media interest - both nationally and internationally," said Charle.

On 11 February - the date on which he was released from Victor Verster Prison - Mandela will become the first non-Briton to be honoured with a memorial service at Westminster Abbey, the iconic venue that has been the coronation church for every British monarch since 1066 and the burial place of 17 royals.

Journalists working with Al-jazeera arrested in Egypt

Egyptian authorities detained a team of journalists working for the Al-Jazeera English news channel on Sunday.

They are Mohamed Fadel Fahmy (a Canadian), Peter Greste, (an Australian), producer Baher Mohamed and Egyptian cameraman Mohamed Fawzy, who is said to have been arrested at home.

The journalists were suspected of illegally broadcasting news harming "domestic security," the Interior Ministry said.

They were also accused of meeting with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, classified as a terrorist organisation last week.

Al-Jazeera confirmed the arrests and demanded their immediate release.

teen arrested for saying Mugabe is dead

A teenager in Zimbabwe was arrested for reportedly posting on Facebook that President Robert Mugabe had died and was being preserved in a freezer.

Zindzi Mandela's mansion has been taken over by squatters

It has been reported by the star newspaper that a vacant R2-million property owned by Zindzi,  has been invaded by squatters and overrun with rats.

The City of Johannesburg’s health inspectors had reportedly given Zindz, the daughter of the late Nelson Mandela and his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela Mandela, 21 days to clean up the property after an inspection in December, but it appears nothing has been done, despite the deadline having come and gone.

Widows in Tanzania Struggle With Property Grabbing By Relatives

Widows in Tanzania struggle with property grabbing by relatives, one of them is Elizabeth Paul (42) resident of majengo in Dodoma regionremembers the suffering she went through when her father-in- law kicked her out of her matrimonial home after her husband's death two years ago.
She was so helpless and couldn't resist and the anguish of losing her husband was so overwhelming, she recalled.
Elizabeth had been married for over a decade and said her father in-law accused her of being responsible for the death of his son.
"He was very angry with me. He did not even talk about the future of my children," she said.
Paul said her brothers-in-law had been embroiled in a family feud as they jostled to grab properties that had belonged to her deceased husband, including a farm, livestock and a house.
Paul, who has since moved to Dar es Salaam, received some hope last year after a friend advised her to take legal action with the help from Women Wake Up, a Tanzania-based nonprofit organisation.
"I am very poor. I cannot meet legal costs. I hope they will help me recover some of my assets," she said.
Among its projects, Women Wake Up strives to help women, particularly widows, understand property ownership rights.Its  aim is to help people find justice. It targets women and children because they are most vulnerable said Burton Mwidowe, a trainer at the organisation.

Killing gays bill has been passed in Uganda

Uganda has passed the bill of killing  the Gays. There are about two million Reported Gay Men and women in Uganda.This Law is to put gays  in prison  and kill them one by one. Anyone caught or reported gay will be put in prison for life or killed. Anyone who Harbors a gay will be given 14 years in prison . Anyone who helps a gay will receive 3 years in prison. Anyone who talks to a gays will be given One year in prison. People in Uganda are rejoicing in the passing of the law as they dance in the streets. Many Say as Christians they are looking to kill them to help there government and say it with Joy and Happiness. Many have been beaten in the street already.some killed.

Thousands leave South Sudan for Kenya

Between 400 to 600 refugees are crossing border from Sudan to Kenya.

Most of the refugees are crossing through the Nadapal border point where they are being screened by immigration officials, police and public health officials before being handed over to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Rwandan President's Widow Takes France to European Rights Court

The widow of former Rwandan president Juvénal Habyaramina is taking France to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for refusing to allow her residency papers. Agathe Habyarimana is wanted in Rwanda for genocide and crimes against humanity relating to the violence that followed her husband's killing in 1994.

In 2013 France's Council of State upheld the refusal of local officials to grant Agathe Habyarimana residency papers on the grounds that she was a "danger to public order".

Her lawyer Philippe Meilhac claims the refusal was political discrimination. Several of Agathe's children are  in France, some having French nationality. Her lawyer said an unfavourable treatment is being applied to Mme Habyarimana for political reasons because diplomatic relations must be maintained with Rwanda.

The 71-year-old woman has taken the case to the European court, claiming that the refusal is a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Agathe Habyarimana, a Hutu, is accused of being one of the planners of the 1994 mass murder of Tutsis and non-sectarian Hutus that followed the fatal shooting down of her husband's airplane.

A French court in 2011 refused to extradite her to Rwanda to face genocide and crimes against humanity charges but an inquiry into charges of complicity with genocide is ongoing in France.

The French military brought her to France shortly after her husband's death and she applied for political asylum after deciding to live here in 1998.

The application was unsuccessful so she applied for residency papers in 2009.

Blind Retired Teacher's Pension Cancelled Due to Lost Government Records

Catherine Uteka (43) is a formidable woman. She is a qualified teacher, a grassroots activist, a widow and a mother of one. She is also partially deaf, totally blind and living with HIV.

Catherine, a  former primary and secondary school was infected with HIV in the year 2000 and four years later she was heavily attacked by meningitis and eventually lost three senses: smell, sight and hearing. She was told by

"I was then told by [Malawi] government officials that I should resign from my job because the state does not employ people who are blind - only non-governmental organisations do," says Catherine.Catherine then took her story to the Ministry of Persons with Disabilities who listened and sympathised with her. "Officials from the Ministry of Persons with Disabilities said despite what I had experienced, including losing my sight, I could still work in government. The Ministry then sent me to Mulanje Vocational School, where I learnt Braille," explains Catherine.

The Ministry of Education also sent her to Domasi College of Higher Education in the old capital Zomba for further studies.

"But despite acquiring all these qualifications, calls for my resignation from my job by Malawi government officials continued," says Catherine. According to a file from Malawi civil service dated 30 August 2010, the extremely able Catherine was forcibly retired on medical grounds.

The termination letter, signed on behalf of secretary for education, science and technology, is written as if Catherine was glad to have her position terminated, stating: "I am pleased to inform you that the board has recommended that you should retire as you cannot discharge your duties effectively as a teacher... . May I take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for the services you have been rendering to this Ministry and the entire Malawi nation."

Catherine began receiving her pension in October 2010 after her forced resignation, but she was underpaid.

Cape town

Capetown is one of the best three cities in the world to visit according to travel publisher Lonely Planet.

At least 200 South Sudanese civilians including children have drowned in a ferry accident on the White Nile river which is wide, deep and has a strong current while fleeing fresh fighting in the northern city of Malakal.

Hundreds of South Sudanese boarded the ferry that could only accommodate some 80 passengers on Sunday. The boat was overloaded.

People grabbed the sides, but when the boat capsized, only two people and the boat driver managed to reach the banks alive

The civilians were reportedly fleeing fighting between government and rebel forces in the northern town of Malakal, the capital of the oil-producing Upper Nile state.

Since fighting broke out on December 15 between soldiers loyal to South Sudan's president Salva Kiir and those loyal to Machar, some 400,000 civilians have fled their homes over the past month, according to the United Nations.

TAZARA

Tanzania Zambia Railway (Tazara)

Nigeria Police force are engaged in drug trafficking

Police Inspector General of Nigeria Clarence Massaquoi said  the National Police force has been  heavily engaged in drug trafficking and  every institution has bad apples.

He, however, told journalists at a press briefing Sunday that authorities are bent on ensuring that professionalism is upheld among its ranks and file.

According to him, the bad action of some officers has nothing to do with salary or incentives. However, he promised to take drastic action against any police officer, including dismissal if they go contrary to the law.

He further said that no matter who that officer is; whether he is a ranking officer or not he will deal with him or her  accordingly.

The police chief spoke Sunday at the National Police Headquarters on Capitol Hill when a team of Highway Patrol 62 intercepted a black Nissan X-Terra, Plate NG 2143, operated by the patrolman Samwon Doe with a huge quantity of drugs.

Patrolman Samwon Doe, of the Police Support Unit, was arrested Sunday, 5 January along the Bomi highway with 145kilograms of marijuana worth about L$966,000.00. Two unidentified occupants of the vehicle are said to be on the run.

Inspector General Massaquoi said the two occupants, who were riding with Officer Doe, suddenly disembarked the vehicle after they recognized the Police mobile, thereby creating suspicion which led to the immediate search of the car.

At the same time the police authority has with immediate effect dismissed Officer Samwon Doe from the LNP and turned him over to the Drugs Enforcement Agency (DEA) for further investigation.

This brings to two the latest incident involving police officers directly caught smuggling cannabis. On 9 November, 2013 the government joint security forces arrested the commander of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's escort motorcade division Perry Dolo of the Liberia National Police, while smuggling marijuana from neighboring Sierra Leone to Liberia.

Jumbo killings in Tanzania

On Sunday, the government of Tanzania announced that at least 60 elephants were killed in less than two months, at the same time a resident of Dar es Salaam, Ali Juma was arrested by Tazara Commanding Police Force after being found illegal possessing illegally 14 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 29 kilogrammes  valued US Dollar 15,950 (25,520,000/-).     In the same bag with the ivory, the suspect had hidden a 900 gram hippopotamus tooth.

He was arrested on Friday after he boarded the Tazara train at Kisaki Station heading for Dar es Salaam. The suspect was arrested when the intelligence personnel were tipped off by a law abiding citizen as the suspect boarded the Tazara train with two bags.

While police  arresting the suspect for ferrying ivory, police officers seized two bags with 19 kilogrammes of marijuana abandoned by an unknown passenger on the train.

It is estimated that the population of elephants on the continent is estimated to be between 420,000 to 650,000 living in three countries  Botswana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. 

Dr. Mgimwa's body to arrive on Saturday

The body of the Finance Minister ( a banker and politician), Dr William Mgimwa, who died in a South African hospital on Wednesday, is expected to arrive in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. Dr Mgimwa died at the Mediclinic Kloof in Pretoria on Wednesday morning at the age of 64. He was admitted to the South African hospital for emergency treatment. He spent almost a month in the hospital in question for blood pressure treatment.

Mandela brought Cuba and USA together

US President Barack Obama shook the hand of Cuban president Raul Castro at a memorial to Nelson Mandela.  The two countries are not in good term for more than half a century. 

Cameraman hit by train in Soweto

The cameraman named Saunders was hit by a train in Soweto on Monday 28th December 2013 while filming the production word's most extreme for arrow media. The UK company which employed him is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.  He recently worked on special assignment for the SABC and Carte Blanche for M-net.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

Wishing my fans happy new year 2014