Editorial
In this issue, we focus on the environment in tandem with this year s theme of World Environment Day. We have, however, welcomed a few more stories from outside of the theme.
The Southern African region is endowed with some of the continent s largest lakes and rivers. Paradoxically, the region faces a serious water shortage as James Hall and Charles Banda report.
In Nairobi, Kenya, residents recently went without water for days following clogging of pipes at the dams, which supply the precious commodity. Although the problem was finally fixed, the supply is not yet back to normal. But as Africanews Associate Editor Zachary Ochieng found out, the problem is bound to persist unless the City Council moves fast to curb illegal connections and misuse.
As the banking sector all over the world embraces modern technology, commercial banks in Ghana are still lagging behind, a factor that has called for intervention by the country s Central Bank. Sam Sarpong has the details.
From Kenya, Zachary Ochieng reports that Lake Victoria, Africa s largest fresh water lake, is under a severe threat following the invasion by the water hyacinth. The deadly weed has hampered fishing and navigational activities in the lake, besides causing perennial water shortages in the lakeside city of Kisumu.
The land reform programme in Zimbabwe, reports Kholwani Nyathi, has led to conflicts between miners and farmers as they both scramble for the limited space.
We have also reprinted a special feature on child soldiers in Liberia. The story was originally done by the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN). The views expressed in the story do not necessarily reflect those of the UN.
Our Zimbabwe correspondent Rodrick Mukumbira reports that communities now want back their land, which was hived off for conservation purposes in pre-independence days.
The dwindling population of Malawi s rare species of fish the chomba has spurred the government to embark on a ten-year strategic plan to save the fish, writes Charles Banda.
In our Action and Contacts section, Rodrique Mukumbira reviews Brenda Cooper s Stories Fly . The book is a collection of short stories written by various African authors in the Diaspora.