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Authorities say the miners are able to come out and are refusing, but that has been disputed by rights groups and activists, who have fiercely criticized police tactics in cutting off the miners' food and water supplies from the surface last year in an attempt to get them to leave.
Nationwide protests have taken place since October 7 despite the disbanding of the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit.
The demonstrators have been accused of attacking police stations and personnel.
The rallies which are mostly attended by young people have become avenues to vent against corruption and unemployment.
Rights groups say at least 15 people have been killed the demonstrations began in early October.
The second annual Trunk or Treat Halloween event, which was held on Nov. 4 at The Mall of St. Croix on St. Croix and The West Indian Company Limited on St. Thomas, was a success, the V.I. Police Department announced on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe's investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was released from prison on Wednesday.
He was arrested six weeks ago for inciting public violence for tweeting his support for an anti-government protest.
He had reported on alleged COVID-19 procurement fraud- which led to the health minister being sacked and charged with corruption.
\"I was convinced that I was arrested for exposing corruption and the president's office ordered my arrest. When we go to trial we shall prove that,\" Chin’ono said.
He denounced the conditions in Chikuribi prison, saying that most prisoners don't have soap and water and that a cell meant for 16 people holds up to 45 prisoners.
He says his detention has made him all the more eager to continue his work.
\"I remain strong. In fact, it's amazing and I was talking to my friend here Jacob (Ngarivhume) some time that if these guys knew the mistake they made by taking us there, because we have seen things that we only used to hear about and we were not sure about, but now we know and we can write authoritatively about those things.\"
Opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume, an organiser of the foiled protest, was arrested, charged and released at the same time as Chin'ono.
He has also been barred from posting on his Twitter account until his case is decided.
Rights groups say he was arrested for exposing corruption.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa was elected in 2018, but despite his promises to reinforce democracy Reporters Without Borders says the page is not turned on his predecessor Robert Mugabe.
The group says extremely harsh media laws are still in effect and, when new laws have been adopted, their provisions are just as draconian as those they replaced.
Zimbabwe ranks 126 in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
After rescuing a puppy from a sewerage line, City of Cape Town firefighters have returned to the scene to fix the homeowner's damaged infrastructure.
All the while, President John Magufuli has led a crackdown on anyone who dares raise concerns about the virus's spread in his East African country or the Government's response to it.
The country's number of confirmed virus cases hasn't changed for three weeks, and the international community is openly worrying that Tanzania's Government is hiding the true scale of the pandemic.
While many African countries have been praised for their response to the coronavirus, Tanzania is the most dramatic exception, run by a president who questions — or fires — his own health experts and has refused to limit people's movements, saying the economy is the priority.
While health experts say recorded coronavirus cases and deaths the world over are undercounts, Opposition leaders accuse Magufuli's Government of hiding the outbreak's true toll.
Kenya closed its border with Tanzania this month except for cargo traffic and imposed stringent testing measures on Tanzanian truck drivers after more than 50 of them tested positive for the virus in a single day.
Authorities are trying to ensure a surge in deaths doesn't lead to unplanned mass burials that could contaminate water supplies
From building cemeteries away from human settlements to erecting fences around graves, South Africa is drawing up plans to protect the country's water supply from contamination if mass coronavirus burials become a necessity.
With researchers noting that little is known about how long the novel coronavirus survives in water, South Africa wants to avoid sudden, poorly planned burials that could result in the virus or other pathogens passing into water supplies.
\"If we choose burial sites that have potential to impact the environment, with no mitigation plans, there is high risk for groundwater contamination,\" Dass told the Thomson Reuters Foundation over the phone from Durban.
While finding enough physical space for a mass burial site is a priority, the depths and locations of graves and how bodies are buried are all critical to ensuring that water sources do not get contaminated, according to SACA.
\"Given the high infectivity of coronavirus, it would be best to select sites for the mass burial of COVID-19 victims far from any human settlement,\" Abia said.
The City Council, which on April 27 approved 14 applications from nonprofit groups to sell fireworks, set up conditions for such sales May 11, placing an emphasis on social distancing and the availability of hand sanitizers to sellers along with soap and water units for hand washing.
Similar protocols are planned for reduced summer programs, which have included free movies at the Town Center Plaza and live “Streetfest” concerts at Friendship Square, which the council also tentatively approved May 11.
Earlier events, planned in June, have been canceled, saving the city about $19,825, said P.J. Mellana, director of parks and recreation, in a report to council.
He said staff proposals for the summer program as well as those in the fall and winter include “obeying public health orders, social distancing, mass gathering restrictions, timing, scheduling and logistical considerations such as staffing, security and funding.”
Such restrictions would still allow from 144 to 432 people in the concert area at Friendship Square and on Bellflower Boulevard, Mellana said.
[VOA] Residents of Nairobi's Mathare slum marched Monday to protest police brutality in the enforcement of a curfew that is part of the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
I can only hope that this piece inspires us all to follow the lead of our esteemed ex-Excellency — Is that out of Òwu? I don’t know any equivalent in Ìbàdàn — and get on with the business not only of rethinking all the stuff that the evil Westerners have saddled us with but, more […]
The post Before we rethink western liberal democracy in Africa, By Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
A. Benjamin Spencer has been named the new dean of William Mary Law School, the institution reported.
Spencer—whose expertise is in federal courts and civil procedure—currently serves as a professor of law at the University of Virginia.
He’s spearheaded legal education programs at institutions that include the University of Richmond School of Law and Washington and Lee University.
Spencer has also been a driving force behind diversity and inclusion initiatives which included the Black Law Students Association at UVA.
In his new role at the nation’s oldest law school, Spencer will be responsible for evolving the college’s legal program while staying true to its mission of educating and empowering citizen lawyers to serve their communities.
BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE BINGA residents have gone for four months without running water despite paying $300 000 of the $1,5 million debt owed to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa). Water supply was cut on September 23 last year without prior warning. Zinwa last year refused to restore water supplies to Binga Rural District Council until the local authority paid at least $300 000 of its $1,5 million debt. In an interview, Binga Residence Association secretary Phineas Muyamba said they raised the agreed $300 000 but water has not yet been reconnected. “The situation is still at a standstill. In our last meeting, after the demonstration, people were urged to go and raise $300 000 so that water could be reconnected, which we did, but to our surprise, no water has been connected,” said Muyamba. “No water has been opened. When we went back to Zinwa, we were told that there was something that was supposed to be done between the council and Zinwa. From Zinwa we went to council only to be told that Zinwa was not responding to calls.” Muyamba said council appeared to be reluctant to make a follow up. “People are still fetching water from the river,” said Muyamba. Binga RDC chief executive officer Joshua Muzamba referred all questions to Zinwa. “You can talk to Zinwa and I am not aware of the outstanding balances that are required,” Muzamba said. Zinwa spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga confirmed that a payment of $300 000 was made around Christmas. “The payment was made around Christmas, however, they are yet to present their payment plan on the liquidation of the outstanding amount which will facilitate the reconnection,” she said. l Follow Praisemore on Twitter@TPraisemore
Burundi did not go through with its initial application in 2015 to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and is now keen to try again. The country has significant reserves of gold,
[New Zimbabwe] UNDER-SIEGE President Emmerson Mnangagwa will this Tuesday give his own response to a damning letter addressed to his administration by Catholic bishops over rights abuses and poor leadership under his rule.
[Nation] Kenyan Journalist Yassin Juma has refuted claims that he opted to stay in Ethiopia, where he was arrested and detained for 49 days on several charges.
In the federal courts, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery granted a preliminary injunction that said anyone in Texas who wants to vote by mail to avoid transmission of the virus could qualify for a mail-in ballot.
In multiple states that do not regularly allow all voters to vote by mail, state officials have recently expanded voting by mail due to the pandemic or allowed voters to use the coronavirus as a reason to vote by mail during the upcoming elections.
Voters who will not be in the county where they registered on the election day and during the entire early voting period can also request a ballot by mail.
In multiple lawsuits, individual voters, state Democrats and civic organizations are asking the courts to clarify whether a lack of immunity to the new coronavirus is a valid reason for people to request absentee ballots under the Texas election code’s disability qualification.
Under Texas’ election code, an absentee ballot can be delivered to the county clerk’s office by mail or dropped off in person on the day of the election with a valid form of ID.
Tanzania's main opposition party says attack on its chairman is politically-motivated.
[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has assured foreign investors of favorable policies in the country that will ease the constraints in the investment sector.
NOTICE TO ESTABLISHED VIRGIN ISLANDS BUSINESSES
Shortly after 15:00 on Thursday, a wildfire was reported in the Camps Bay suburb of Cape Town. Emergency services are now battling the blaze.
Since Magufuli was elected in 2015, Lissu has made it his job to fearlessly challenge the autocratic leader - and more than a dozen bullet wounds were not enough to shut him up.
Almost three years ago, Lissu, the former president of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), was en route to his home in Tanzania's capital Dodoma at around 11am for a lunch break during a parliamentary session.
The changes to Tanzanian society were \"immediate\" following Magufuli's election win almost five years ago, Lissu says.
According to Lissu, Magufuli, quite simply, needs the money to implement dozens of national megaprojects he has spearheaded, while Magufuli's fledgling attempts at revamping Air Tanzania, the country's flag carrier, have alone cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
What's unique under Magufuli, according to Lissu, is that the arrests are being made solely for criticising the president.
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has reportedly refused to restore water supplies to Binga Rural District Council until the local authority has paid at least $300 000 of its $1,5 million debt. BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE Zinwa cut off water supplies to Binga in September, forcing residents and business operators to turn to boreholes and other unsafe water sources. Binga Residents Association vice-chairperson Samson Sibanda said Zinwa recently met council officials and indicated that it would restore water supplies after the local authority has paid at least $300 000 towards settling the bill. “We met and agreed on the way forward for water to be reopened. Council is the one that owes Zinwa money and not the residents. For water to be reopened Zinwa said they require at least $300 000 from the council,” Sibanda said. “Residents of Masoja area who are affected by the water cut started to protest and demonstrate saying they had been paying council and the issue has to be resolved immediately.” Binga district development co-ordinator Farai Marinyame confirmed that stakeholders met on Wednesday to try to resolve the crisis. “I was not on the ground, but there was a meeting between Zinwa, residents and the council to solve the ongoing water crisis. For now there is still no water as council is still negotiating with Zinwa so that they take that project,” Marinyame said. “The main problem is that residents are not paying up.” Binga RDC chief executive officer Joshua Muzamba said he was still out of Binga. “I am still out of Binga, just look for those on the ground who can give you information,” he said. Zinwa spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga, who previously pleaded with residents to pay up, yesterday said she was out of office and was yet to be briefed on the latest developments.
Ahead of Uganda's January 14 election, President Yoweri Museveni's government continues to limit the opposition's voices by blocking campaigning, enabling an environment that cannot facilitate a fair and free vote, according to rights groups.
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) is disconnecting water supplies to government departments over outstanding bills running into several millions of dollars. By NQOBANI NDLOVU Recently, the local authority switched off water supplies at Tredgold Building which houses the magistrates court, Labour Court, Department of Surveyor General, Social Services, Registrar-General’s Office, Local Government ministry and Umguza district co-ordinator's office. As of October, the local authority was owed $477 million by residents, government departments, industry and commerce. In the past, residents would bear the brunt of water cuts over unpaid bills with council sparing government departments. A latest report of the finance and development committee showed that an arrangement that saw council sparing government departments the inconvenience of water cuts had since been revoked. “Councillor Rodney Jele enquired about water disconnections for non-payments. There was rumour that council had disconnected water supplies in most government institutions which include Tredgold Building,” the council report read in part. “In response, councillor Silas Chigora confirmed that council was disconnecting water supplies at government institutions with outstanding amounts. Previously, council had a set-off arrangement with the central government, but this arrangement had since been stopped. Each ministry was paying its council bills directly.” Council argues that failure by its debtors to clear their outstanding bills was affecting its ability to provide services and owner its obligations. At one time, council having been frustrated by failure of ratepayers to pay bills, opted to name and shame defaulters. The council compiled a list of 29 wards, detailing payment patterns by residents. The local authority is also planning to introduce flow-limiter devices restricting households who fail to pay rates to five kilolitres of water per day as opposed to water disconnection to avoid litigation. In February, council unveiled a credit control and debt collection policy that sought to maintain predictable cashflows and allow for improved management of debts, among others. The policy provides for procedures and mechanisms for credit control and debt collection. It does not spare even BCC staff and councillors as the policy insists on forced deductions on their salaries if they have outstanding bills. Follow Nqobani on Twitter @NqobaniNdlovu
A fire in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay destroyed approximately 200 structures, which will affect approximately 800 people, authorities say.
Guinea's main opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo arrived in the capital Conakry on Thursday ahead of this weekend's election, greeted by hordes of animated supporters.
The city had earlier resounded to the sound of car horns as supporters of President Alpha Conde, who is seeking a controversial third term on Sunday, whisked through the city in a motorcade.
After about a week of combative campaigning, the 82-year-old president himself returned to the capital on Wednesday amid heightened political tension in the West African state.
Conde's re-election bid comes after he pushed through a constitutional referendum in March, which he argued would modernise the country, but which allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents.
Opposition to this triggered mass protests from last October, sparking a massive crackdown by security forces and claiming dozens of lives.
Rights groups are increasingly critical of Conde, whom they say is veering towards authoritarianism.
Diallo's motorcade proceeded through streets thronged with supporters wearing the green and white colours of his party Thursday, while a swarm of motorbike riders driving ahead of the opposition leader slalomed between the supporters.
\"We're tired, we want change,\" said unemployed mechanic Balde Mamadou Oury, 35.
Twelve candidates are contesting Sunday's election in total. However most think only Conde and Diallo are serious contenders.
After decades as an opposition activist, Conde became Guinea's first democratically-elected president in 2010 and won re-election in 2015.
Diallo, 68, now Guinea's leading opposition politician, was formerly a prime minister under authoritarian leader Lansana Conte.
After months of tension between the pair, Guineans interviewed by AFP expressed fears of potential violence on election day and the period that follows.
Clashes between Conde and Diallo supporters have wounded several people in different parts of the country in recent days.
'Hate speech'
Kabinet Fofana, a Guinean political scientist, warned there was a danger one of the candidates would not accept the outcome of the election.
\"A major difficulty is the question of recognition, acceptance of the results of the ballot boxes,\" he said.
The outcome of Guinea's poll is likely to resonate further afield too, kicking off a string of elections this year across West Africa.
Activists are concerned that a win for Conde would bode ill for democratic norms in the region.
Aside from the third presidential term, Guinea's election campaign has been marked by fears of increased ethnic tensions in the diverse country.
For example, Conde - who normally speaks French when addressing the nation - last month told voters in the Malinke language that backing an opposition Malinke candidate amounted to voting for Diallo.
Politics in Guinea are mostly drawn along ethnic lines. President Conde's party is largely backed by Malinke people, and Diallo's UFDG by Fulani people, although both insist that they are pluralist.
Against a back
Burundi is kicking out the World Health Organization’s top official in the country just days before the presidential election and after the WHO raised concerns about crowded political rallies.
The WHO Africa regional chief, Matshidiso Moeti, described Mulombo as an “extremely competent person” and said the WHO was communicating with Burundi “to clarify and understand the reasoning for the decision they have taken.”
The day that election campaigning in Burundi began late last month, images circulated online of crowded political rallies with President Pierre Nkurunziza in attendance.
The Africa CDC chief, John Nkengasong, on Thursday called Burundi’s action “unfortunate” and said any differences should be addressed by dialogue instead of actions that affect the pandemic response,
\t“We don’t have the luxury of kicking out the WHO,” he told reporters.
Burundi is using virus restrictions to limit election observers, however, telling the East African regional bloc that any arriving foreigners would face a 14-day quarantine.
Burundi's longtime President Pierre Nkurunziza has congratulated the governing party's hand-picked successor on a \"large victory\" in the country's presidential election, though the main opposition has pledged to contest the result in court.
The election commission on Monday declared Evariste Ndayishimiye, a former army general chosen by the CNDD-FDD party as heir to Nkurunziza, the winner of the May 20 poll with 68.72 percent vote.
\"I warmly congratulate the President-elect General Major Evariste Ndayishimiye for his large victory which confirms that the great majority of Burundians adhere to the projects and the values he embodies,\" Nkurunziza, who chose not to run after 15 years in power, posted on Twitter.
On May 8, 12 days to the polls and before the scheduled arrival of an East African Community mission to the country, the government said the regional bloc's observers would have to be in quarantine for 14 days, effectively ruling them out of the election process.
Nkurunziza was this year elevated by Burundi's parliament to the rank of \"supreme guide for patriotism\" and he will continue to be chairman of the governing party's powerful council of elders.
By AYA BATRAWY Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi court issued final verdicts on Monday in the case of slain Washington Post columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi after his son, who still resides in the kingdom, announced pardons that spared five of the convicted individuals from execution. While the trial draws to its conclusion in Saudi Arabia, the case continues to cast a shadow over the reputation and international standing of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose associates have been sanctioned by the U.S. and the U.K. for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing, […]
The post Saudi court issues final verdicts in Khashoggi killing appeared first on Black News Channel.
A 19-year-old Bartica miner died on Tuesday, days after he allegedly sustained injuries during a football game at Armu Backdam, Cuyuni Backdam in Region Seven.
The article Bartica miner succumbs to spine fracture appeared first on Stabroek News.
Some parts of Kenya's capital have been without running water for weeks, after a landslide destroyed a water pipe, making frequent hand washing for coronavirus prevention a challenge.
A landslide in April destroyed a major water pipe in central Kenya, cutting off running water to entire Nairobi neighborhoods.
There are many people at the water point, and they are told to keep one-meter distance to limit the spread of coronavirus, Angaya said, questioning how that is possible when everyone is fighting to get the little water that is available.
The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company said they have reduced the water loss to about 10% and the new line being installed will resolve the shortage.
“There won’t be landslides where we are taking the line through,” said Nashashon Muguna, Managing Director at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company.
