January
January
January
Editorial
Africanews staff- Malawi
Malawi losing shine on media
Journalist Brian Ligomeka has been filing stories for Africanews since 1998. As we were going to press, Malawian police were holding and interrogating Ligomeka for articles he had written in Malawian and international media. Here, he tells his story and describes what he and his colleagues are up against as they struggle to practice one of the most fundamental human rights: freedom of the Press. In the second half of his article, Ligomeka describes who owns the media in Malawi.Brian Ligomeka - Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe attempts clampdown on the press
A draconian media bill that will, among other things, allow the Zimbabwe government to solely decide who can work as a journalist and which newspapers are allowed to publish is sure to pass in Parliament. Observers warn that this will effectively silence the media as the country prepares for elections widely expected to be violent and riggedRodrick Mukumbira - Swaziland/Botswana
New press laws not welcome
In Botswana and Swaziland, proposed laws to control the press has not gone down well with media people. Journalists and media owners who fail to observe the laws will face stiff monetary fines and jail terms.James Hall - Kenya
Government attempts to curb media freedom
Last October, The Miscellaneous Amendment Bill (2001), introduced by the Attorney General, Amos Wako, was met with criticism from media practitioners, civil society and politicians. It was seen as an attempt to gag the Press ahead of the elections expected late this yearBrian Adeba - Ghana
Obscenity, poor quality besiege Ghanaian media
Now that the Rawlings government has been replaced by a more media-friendly administration, attention has shifted to the quality of Ghana’s public and private media. Efforts are being made to address these problems, which include obscenity, corruption, and unsubstantiated reporting.Sam Sarpong and Amos Safo - Zambia
Passions, Isidingo crowd Zambia’s television waves
Pay TV stations, which offer such pickings as the American and South African soap operas Passions, the Bold and the Beautiful, and Isidingo are a big hit in Zambia. As a result, viewers choose to watch foreign programming over local ones, to the detriment of the local film and even sports industryBenedict Tembo - Zambia
Unique campaign to end child labour
As cases of child labour continue to rise, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has this year identified soccer as the best vehicle to sensitise the masses about the evil effects of child labourBenedict Tembo - Sudan
Dam could provoke water wars
The construction of the Merowe Dam in northern Sudan later this year is bringing to the surface the discontentment of Nile River countries over the unequal use of the Nile waters, a situation caused in part by an outdated treaty.Matthias Muindi - Sudan
Unity at last, or just a smokescreen?
The Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan Peoples' Democratic Front (SPDF) have recently signed a declaration of unity aimed at mending a decades-old conflict between the two and presenting a unified front for the south. But observers say that many factors - including the desire to control more oilfields and an attempt to shore up reputations - were really behind the push for the partnership.Matthias Muindi - Ghana
Christmas with a new government
Last year's elections brought a new government, and with it came high aspirations from the public, particularly those who voted for change. But the much-anticipated improvement in the economy has been slow due to the weak economic structures the government inherited. This was evident during last year's Christmas.Amos Safo - Action and contacts - Kenya
Women's struggle to alleviate poverty
A self help women group has embarked on a unique fish farming project that is bound to change the lives of some residents in a rural town in Kenya.Zachary Ochieng