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of
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OCTOBER 2007
free€1,00
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I MONTHLY NEWSPAPER FOR AFRICAN COMMUNITIES IN UK AND EUROPE I PRICE
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English made compulsory
for skilled migrants to UK
© AP/LAPRESSE PHOTO
BRITAIN'S Prime
Minister Gordon Brown
has announced tougher
immigration rules for
thousands of foreigners
seeking work in the
country. He said that all
skilled workers from
outside the European
Union will have to show
they can speak English
before going to the UK.
"For those who come
to Britain to do skilled
work we will first require you to learn English,
a requirement we are
prepared to extend to
lower skilled workers as
well," Mr. Brown said.
He warned all employers against underpaying their workers.
UK IMMIGRATION
NEWS
Lib Dems
back
“selective”
amnesty for
illegal
immigrants
P. 2
THE GUIDE
Health & wellbeing in the UK
P. 6
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Continued on Page 3
EU to
propose
“blue card”
for skilled
immigrants
this month
Ugandan beauty princess to sensitize & highlight on issues affecting the East African child
Maureen Nyakaira crowned
Miss East Africa UK 2007
EU Justice
Commissioner Franco
Frattini this month puts
forward a proposal for
creating the "Blue EU
Labour Card" to attract
highly skilled migrant
workers to come to
Europe. He has also called for “Vigorous integration strategy & zero tolerance on illegal employment."
P. 5
The Ugandan medical
physics student Maureen
Nyakaira has been voted
the most beautiful girl
from East Africa living
in the UK. Maureen won
the crown under a very
stiff competition from
contestants from
Tanzania, Malawi,
Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia
and Eritrea.
This year's much anticipated Miss East Africa
UK Beauty Pageant took
place on 1st September at
the prestigious Conway
Hall, London. In an
exclusive interview with
Africa News, Miss East
Africa UK 2007
Nyakaira expresses her
IN AFRICA
Brown to
boycott EUAfrica Summit
if Mugabe
is invited P. 12
love for the needy children and makes a passionate appeal to all be
generous and to spare a
thought for the orphaned
children. "I have experienced the pain and
struggle these children
go through during my
childhood in Uganda.
Having to live on barely
nothing to eat, fetching
water and firewood from
a very far well. It is a
real struggle and a hurting experience especially if added with the loneliness of having no
parents to love and care
for them unconditionally," she says.
From left: Miss Somalia - Cameron, Miss Uganda - Janet, Miss Eritrea -
P. 15
Saba and Maureen going for crowning
ENTERTAINMENT
The
flaws
in
Nigerian
movies
P. 20
COMMUNITY
African
organisations in
London receive
fund to fight
child abuse
P. 16
SPORTS
South Africans
mark 1000 Day
Countdown to
2010 FIFA
World Cup P. 23
2
UK IMMIGRATION NEWS
October 2007
REC: All migrant workers deserve a fair deal
Unscrupulous employers in the UK
have been warned against exploiting
migrant workers. The Trades Union
Congress (TUC) General Secretary
Brendan Barber said abuse of migrant
workers is tantamount to modern day
slavery and called for the use of full
force of the law against those profiting
from such appalling ill treatment.
Commenting on a new report that
revealed that thousands of Polish and
Lithuanian workers were being exploited at work in the UK, Mr. Barber said
"Everyone should be treated fairly and
with dignity and respect at work, wherever they come from. Unions are working hard to recruit migrant workers to
protect them from rogue employers
who seek to deny their workers a fair
day's work for a fair day's pay.
"It's clear migrant workers need help
to secure their rights. By working with
advice agencies and other similar organisations, unions can help ensure that
migrant workers get the support and
protection they are entitled to."
The report commissioned by the
TUC shows that a quarter of the workers in the study reported having no
written contract (a figure which rose to
nearly a third amongst agency workers)
and over a quarter had faced problems
with payment - including not being
paid for hours worked, discrepancies
between pay and payslips, unauthori-
report
that
sed deductions and errors in pay calcu- members
lation. Ten times as many migrants as migrant workers form a
indigenous workers were paid less than vital part of their talent
pool.
the minimum wage.
"The REC recommends
The study also uncovered that
migration has re-introduced the 'tied that migrant workers work
cottage' - where employers
provide accommodation (at a
cost) and use it to increase
their control over migrant "Everyone should be treated
workers. Nearly a third of the fairly and with dignity and
workers in the report were
respect at work, wherever
living in accommodation provided by their employer, and they come from. Unions are
as a result described excessive
working hard to recruit
hours (due to their employ- migrant workers to protect
ment being linked to where
they lived) and poor living them from rogue employers
who seek to deny their worconditions.
Commenting on TUC's kers a fair day's work for a
report, the Recruitment and
fair day's pay.”
Employment Confederation
(REC) Head of Public Policy
Mr. Brendan Barber,
Ms. Anne Fairweather said
Trades Union Congress
the abuse outlined in the
report is "completely unac(TUC) General Secretary
ceptable," rec.uk.com reported.
She said "Workers should receive through a quality recruitwritten contracts, prompt payments ment agency to ensure that
and any accommodation provided by they receive their rights,
employers and agencies should be part wherever they work," she
of a helpful service rather than a form said. Referring to a report that shows
of exploitation."
that candidate shortages continue to
Ms. Fairweather said many REC vex the recruitment industry in the UK,
Students applying for further
leave eligible for support
The Department for
Innovation Universities
and Skills (DIUS) has
confirmed that its guidance given to local
authorities denying student support to those
with applications for further leave to remain was
wrong. DIUS has stated
that students who are
waiting for a decision on
their application for further leave are eligible for
student support.
Guidance
initially
provided
by
the
Department to local
authorities excluded this
group of learners under
the new Education (Fees
and Awards) (England)
Regulations 2007. This
advice was challenged by
a number of Local
Authorities (LAs) and,
after reconsideration, has
been withdrawn. The
Department recognises
that applications for further leave to remain
should be considered as
satisfying the definition
of a person with leave to
enter or remain. The guidance states: "If a person
applies for a further
period of discretionary
leave before the first
period of discretionary
leave has expired, then
the applicant's discretionary leave may be extended by section 3C of the
Immigration
Act
1971...provided
the
application has not been
withdrawn, the period of
discretionary
leave
would be extended for
the period it takes the
Home Office to make a
decision on the application."
In response to the
change, Mr. James Lee,
the Refugee Council's
Policy Adviser
for
Employment
and
Training, said "This is
good news but should
never have arisen in the
first place. Because of
the mistake, people have
been denied the student
support they are entitled
to. The Department must
now make sure that local
authorities know the correct advice so students
can get on with their
lives."
© JESS HURD/REPORTDIGITAL.CO.UK PHOTO
Stop exploiting migrant
workers, bosses warned
Ms. Fairweather said "Migrant workers
should therefore be welcomed to the
UK as valuable workers."
Lib Dems back “selective”
amnesty for illegal immigrants
Secretary,
N i c k
Clegg MP
said that
the issue
of immigration
had become "the
dog pit of
British
politics - a
only
Liberal Democrat Shadow place
the politiHome Secretary, Nick
cal rottClegg MP
weilers
are happy
The Liberal Democrats
to enter," The Guardian reported.
have approved an immigration
Mr. Clegg said that he wanted
policy proposing a "selective" to "drag the debate back to where
amnesty for illegal immigrants it belongs; governed by facts, not
who have been in the UK for 10 prejudice; by fairness, not vitriol".
years or more, and can speak
The party said that the approEnglish and have no criminal con- ved proposals are designed to
victions. If approved by the create an efficient, fair and effectiGovernment, up to 600,000 illegal ve asylum system as well as planimmigrants would be eligible for ning for the effects of migration
the amnesty. The party's annual on public services and promoting
conference in Brighton on 18th integration. Some of the measures
September backed plans for what in the paper "Immigration in the
they termed "an immigration poli- 21st Century" include: improving
cy fit for 21st century Britain".
border controls with the introducIntroducing the motion, the tion of a National Border Force
Liberal Democrat Shadow Home and reintroducing exit checks at
"We cannot continue to
ignore the issue of the hundreds of thousands of people living illegally in this
country. To do so does
nothing to solve the problem and merely helps
those traffickers who currently exploit the system."
all ports, increasing the price of
work permits paid by businesses
to employ immigrant workers and
using the money to re-train British
workers in sectors affected by
immigration, and opening a
pathway of earned citizenship subject to a series of tests such as
English language and public interest - for people who have lived in
Britain unauthorised for at least
ten years.
Mr. Clegg said: "The time has
come to make the liberal case for a
successfully managed immigration system. This is a humane,
workable and principled approach
to immigration that is a million
miles removed from the shameless
populism and blinkered prejudice
that has dominated the debate for
too long.
"Government incompetence
has led to an immigration system
on the brink of meltdown, yet
ministers prefer to avoid debate
over the true scale of the problem.
We cannot continue to ignore the
issue of the hundreds of thousands
of people living illegally in this
country. To do so does nothing to
solve the problem and merely
helps those traffickers who currently exploit the system."
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UK IMMIGRATION NEWS
October 2007
3
Continues from Page 1
According to the UK government estimates, approximately 35,000 of the 95,000 skilled
migrants who entered the UK
last year would not have been
able to prove that they could
speak the English language.
Currently only workers in
the highly skilled category
need to demonstrate that they
can speak English before
being given permission to
work in the UK. The test will
now apply to the "skilled"
category - and ministers have
said they are looking to extend
the requirement to low-skilled
workers, who do not have the
right to apply for permanent
residency.
Skilled workers will now be
expected
to
understand
English to a standard equal to
GCSE grade A to C, it is
understood. Exemptions will
include international footballers signed by Premiership
clubs, BBC reported.
Home Secretary Jacqui
Smith told The Sunday
Telegraph that "Those who we
welcome into the UK to work
and settle here need to understand our traditions and feel
that they are part of our shared
national culture. They need to
integrate into our country,
learn English and use our language."
Director General David
Frost of the British Chambers
of Commerce stated that: "In
recent years, migrant workers
to the UK have ensured the
continued growth of the economy, possessing a work ethic
and skill level that many
young British people just do
not have. Of course language
skills are important, but I
would be concerned if this
meant that those who want to
work and help our economy
grow are kept out of the country and take their skills and
talent elsewhere."
Mr. Owen Tudor of the
TUC said forcing workers
from outside European Union
to learn English before they
are allowed into Britain would
be discriminatory. He told the
VOA that it is also important
for foreign workers to learn
English so they can integrate
into society and understand
health and safety signs at
work. Learning English would
also protect the workers
against exploitation and enable
them to join unions. "I think it
will not help to develop community cohesion by keeping
some people out and letting
some people in on the basis of
their knowledge of English,"
Mr. Tudor added.
In a speech to the Trade
Unions Congress on 10th
September, Mr. Brown assured
trade unions of his government's support not only to
create good jobs, but to create
"decent jobs, where employees
are at all times fairly treated. I
am today also talking to the
General Secretary (of TUC
Brendan Barber) about how
we work effectively to make
sure that today's vulnerable
workers are tomorrow's secure
workers." He warned all
employers against underpaying their workers. "Let us be
clear, no employer anywhere
should be allowed to avoid the
minimum wage. No employer
should be allowed to impose
unsafe or unacceptable conditions. I will stand with you to
enforce all the conditions of
the minimum wage."
He announced that the
government will increase the
maximum penalties for violation of the minimum wage.
"We will raise the amount of
compensation paid to workers
who are owed arrears, and we
will in future target resources
to projects aimed at the safety
and security of vulnerable
workers who are at risk," Mr.
Brown extends language
tests for immigrants
Brown said.
The prime minister said that
the government was taking
new enforcement powers
against people traffickers who
buy and sell illegal migrant
labour. He said that's why the
government decided to set up
the Gangmasters Licensing
Authority (GLA) to curb the
exploitation of workers in the
agriculture, horticulture, forestry, shellfish gathering and
associated processing and packaging industries. It is now
illegal to supply workers to the
agriculture, horticulture, forestry, shellfish gathering and
food processing and packaging
sectors without a GLA licence.
He said the government will
legislate to tighten agency
regulation this winter.
Mr. Brown praised the good
work by the unions to help
migrant workers and to combat racism and any bigotry
against those who are in the
UK legally "but who live in
fear from unscrupulous employers who profit from fear."
Report criticises “fast track” asylum claims
Bail for Immigration Detainees: Women asylum seekers are set up to fail if their case is decided when they are in detention
By Stephen Ogongo
The detained fast track fundamentally undermines women's ability to prepare and present their asylum claims in the
UK, a new report has revealed.
The report titled 'Refusal
factory', by the charity Bail for
Immigration Detainees (BID),
presents evidence from 31
cases decided in detention,
including women who have
fled sexual abuse, torture, and
domestic violence. The Home
Office has detained over 800
women since May 2005 in
order to 'fast track' their claims
for asylum. According to the
report, despite rules that only
'straightforward' cases are
dealt with in detention, women
with complex cases are being
sent there.
Once in detention women
don't have enough time to
disclose traumatic experiences, or to prepare properly for
their appeals by gathering
expert reports or medical
information. Women may be
interviewed by men and are
not made aware of their right
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to ask for a female interviewer,
interpreter or representative.
The detained fast track
(DFT) is too fast to allow
women to disclose their experiences, many of which involve sexual violence. The report
shows that 99% of women in
Yarl's Wood are refused asylum by the Home Office, compared to around 83% for cases
decided outside detention.
Most applicants are also refused asylum at their appeal.
The government says this is
because claims are unfounded
and they are detaining the right
people, but BID's report shows
that decisions on which cases
end up in detention are arbitrary. According to 'Refusal factory', the high refusal rate is
likely to be connected to lack
of time to prepare for the appeal, and the fact that around one
third of women are not represented in court while the
Home Office is always represented.
"Fast tracking women fleeing persecution, including
torture survivors, is obscene
and unfair. Hundreds of
women every year are paying
the price for this Government's
desire to speed up the asylum
process", said Sarah Cutler,
author of the report.
The report calls for the end
of detained fast track, and for
immediate safeguards to be
introduced, including better
screening processes, automatic
legal representation at appeals
and a time limit on detention.
See Peter Tatchell's
commentary
on Page 19
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4
LIVING IN UK
October 2007
A call for a new generation
of Black role models
lenge these images in communities, rience, time or expertise to apply for
promoting positive citizenship and Government funding, local authority
alternative role models. The report also grants or voluntary sector resources.
looks at the positive impact that mento- One of the most successful ways of
ring schemes can have both on young overcoming these barriers is for them
to form an umbrella organisation to
people and in supporting parents.
Mr. Lewis said: "We need to create a make their voice heard, share expertise
new culture where
young Black men
look up less to rappers and more to
successful
young
Black role models in
their communities
like
doctors,
lawyers, community
leaders and others."
The report asks
the Government to
construct a national
framework for family-school partnerships, ensuring that
the needs of Black
families are integral
to the framework.
The report calls
for a stronger relationship and engagement
between
parents of Black
boys and teachers
and schools to promote greater educational
aspiration.
These partnerships
could provide support and encouragement so more Black
parents
become
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears
school governors,
offer more advice and guidance on pro- and resources. This ensures a more
moting education at home and support coordinated and strengthened focus on
parents in raising concerns or sugge- tackling issues of concern.
All ethnic groups achieve better
stions on improving local schools.
Voluntary and Community Sector GCSE results than a decade ago with
organisations working to support Black progress in tackling the gap between
boys and young Black men should Black and white pupils - however
form Black-led Consortia, supported Black boys still lag behind overall.
Whilst there is evidence of good practiby the Government, the report says.
Many of the organisations at the ce and excellent teaching, this is not
forefront of tackling underachievement consistent in every school and the
amongst Black young men and boys report calls for change.
Chair of REACH Lewis added:
are small in scale and face significant
barriers. Many do not have the expe- "Despite many encouraging trends,
© GNN PHOTO
There is need of a new generation of
role models from within local communities in order to tackle underachievement among Black boys and young
men and counter a culture of low aspiration, a new report has suggested.
The new independent REACH
report says that a lack of positive role
models is having a detrimental effect
on the aspirations on young Black men
and says a national role modelling programme is needed to raise expectations
and counter negative portrayals of
Black men.
New figures published in the report
set-out the stark future economic costs
of failure to promote equality of opportunity for Black boys. It makes clear
that tackling underachievement among
Black boys and young men could benefit the economy by £24 billion over the
next 50 years.
The REACH group were asked to
look at how communities, local agencies, parents, individuals, local and
central Government can work together
to raise aspirations, create more opportunities and improve life chances of
young black men.
The report makes clear that tackling
issues around underachievement is a
shared responsibility. The Black community, community leaders and voluntary organisations, local and central
government all have an important role
to play if progress is going to be made.
One of the key recommendations of
the report is that the Government
should introduce a structured national
role model programme for Black boys
and young Black men.
Chair of REACH Clive Lewis, who
is founder of a major charity for Black
men, believes that a new generation of
role models from within local communities are needed - lawyers, doctors,
teachers, charity leaders, successful
local politicians and others. He thinks
that too often the role models for young
black men are celebrities and rappers who can glamorise crime, guns or
gangs.
The report calls for a new national
structured programme identifying and
promoting local role models who chal-
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Black communities are still being
drawn into a web of disadvantage and
suffer poorer outcomes in education,
health, employment, housing and the
criminal justice system.
"We need to focus our collective
effort on raising the aspirations and
achievement of Black boys and young
men to enable them to be more connected and engaged with wider society and
more able to make an even greater contribution economically, culturally and
politically to Britain."
He observed that "Often the only
well-known images of Black men are
those of sportsmen and rap artists. But
Black boys and young men desperately
need a greater diversity of images and
portrayals, showing that Black men can
be, and are, successful as in a wide
range of careers including business,
teaching, the law and health care.
"There is an economic and social
imperative to raising aspirations of
Black young boys and men. In turn this
will help to create a more skilled workforce, reduce crime and the fear of
crime, decrease the pressure on the criminal justice system and provide a
boost to the British economy."
Communities Secretary Hazel
Blears who received the report on
behalf of Government at the launch in
Manchester termed it "a significant and
welcome study." The minister said "We
particularly welcome the report's
emphasis on the contribution positive
role models - like doctors, lawyers, and
other professionals - can play in helping raise aspirations and inspire
young black men. We will consider
how the Government might support
this recommendation for a national role
modelling programme, which emphasises those local people making a real
contribution to civic life in their communities.
"Much has been done to tackle race
inequality - but there is more to do. The
new Commission for Equality and
Human Rights will commence its work
in October and bring a stronger and
renewed focus to tackling these
issues."
Fingerprint technology
strengthens UK's border security
UK is collecting 100,000
fingerprints a month from
foreign nationals overseas
applying to go to the UK, the
Government has announced.
Visa applicants in 100
countries worldwide are
required to provide fingerprints if they want to visit to
the UK for work, study or tourism. Roll-out of this new
technology has been rapid.
The biometric programme has
been running since last
September
with
the
Government pledging to take
the fingerprint of every
foreign national applying for
a British visa by April 2008.
Fingerprints taken as part
of the visa application process
are checked against UK
Government records to see if
the individual is already
known to the Border and
Immigration Agency. This has
already seen over 8,000 sets
of prints matched quickly and
successfully to individuals of
concern, proving the effectiveness of the biometric
checks.
Immigration Minister Liam
Byrne said: "Biometric
checks are essential to protect
our borders. They allow us to
screen each visa applicant
before they are given the right
to enter the UK, meaning
tighter border controls and
increased security.
"But it's not just abroad
that these fingerprint records
are used. Once these individuals are in the UK the
Immigration Services use the
same database for enforcement activity, such as illegal
working operations. The
Border and Immigration
Agency is committed to cracking down on those who
abuse immigration laws. We
will continue to employ new
technology such as this as we
come down ever harder on
illegal immigrants."
EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION NEWS
October 2007
5
EU to propose “blue card” for
skilled immigrants this month
Frattini calls for "Vigorous integration strategy & zero tolerance on illegal employment"
The EU countries have to change
their traditional way of thinking of
migration as a world of loss and sorrow. "We have to look at immigration
as an enrichment and as an inescapable
phenomenon of today's world not as a
threat," EU Justice Commissioner
Franco Frattini told the EU High Level
Conference on Legal Immigration in
Lisbon, Portugal in September.
Eighty five percent of unskilled
labour goes to the EU and only 5% to
the USA, whereas 55% of skilled
labour goes to the USA and only 5% to
the EU. Mr. Frattini said Europe has to
reverse these figures with a new vision.
He said immigration has been identified as one of the solutions to compensate for the negative impact of
demographic ageing on the labour market. He, however, said that immigration
on its own is not the solution.
He pointed out that combining
enhanced mobility within Europe with
a strong integration strategy can help
make Europe successful in today's
world.
Proper management of immigration
will help the EU to address and to reduce unwanted phenomena such as unregulated migration and trafficking in
human beings while ensuring that
Europe can welcome the migrants its
economy needs and its society is capable and willing to receive, Mr. Frattini
observed.
He revealed that on 23rd October he
will put forward the first two legislative proposals: a general Framework
Directive on the basic socio-economic
rights of all third-country workers and
a Directive on the admission of highly
skilled migrants. He also plans to present in 2008 proposals for Directives
on the admission of seasonal workers,
remunerated trainees and intra-corporate transferees.
The aim of the proposal for a
Directive on the admission of highly
skilled migrants, Mr. Frattini said, is to
put forward more attractive entry and
residence conditions for highly skilled
migrant workers to come to Europe.
This will provide for a fast-track procedure for the admission of highly qualified third-country workers based on
common criteria: work contract, professional qualifications and a salary
level clearly above existing minimum
wages at national level.
residence in different Member States so
that they can obtain long-term EC residence status faster," he said.
The rights of migrant workers, Mr.
Frattini said, should primarily be workrelated such as working conditions,
social security rights on the basis of
contributions paid or recognition of
qualifications.
hired migrants without a residence permit.
He said it will not be possible for
migrants to realise their full potential
unless they are given opportunities to
integrate into the host society and economy. "Integrating legally residing
immigrants is therefore a top priority
and a key element of the EU's compre-
“Remittances from migrants
are in many countries the
way out of poverty. In some
areas of Senegal, remittances
make up 90% of the disposable income of families. In
Ghana remittances accounted for 13% of GDP in 2006
and in Mali 6%. Remittances
are the tangible sign that
migrants intend to improve
the living standards of their
families and relatives and
that they care for their countries of origin.”
By Stephen Ogongo
EU Justice Commissioner
Franco Frattini
He said this should also be applied
to third-country nationals already
legally resident in a Member State and
fulfilling the criteria (students, etc).
The EU Justice Commissioner said
that the workers admitted under these
schemes would be issued with a special
residence permit called the "Blue EU
Labour Card" which will allow them to
work in a member state for an initial
two years and to move into a second
member state after two or three years'
of legal residence in the first EU state.
"In order not to penalise potentially
mobile highly skilled migrants, they
should be allowed to add up periods of
In order to be comprehensive, Mr.
Frattini said that EU's immigration
policy must also address the question
of illegal immigration which he said
can be fought by tightening up controls
at the external borders of the EU and
also by preventing illegal employment
of immigrants. "It cannot be emphasised often enough that, unless effective
measures are taken to combat illegal
immigration, the credibility of the legal
immigration policy we are working
together to shape will be irreparably
undermined."
Mr. Frattini proposed last May
tough penalties for employers who
hensive immigration policy," he said.
Managing migration is in the interest of
both the EU and third countries, Mr.
Frattini said. "Remittances from
migrants are in many countries the way
out of poverty. In some areas of
Senegal, remittances make up 90% of
the disposable income of families. In
Ghana remittances accounted for 13%
of GDP in 2006 and in Mali 6%.
Remittances are the tangible sign that
migrants intend to improve the living
standards of their families and relatives
and that they care for their countries of
origin."
Billström: Devise mechanisms for legal migration & transform them into concrete action
Sweden has prioritized legal migration and regards it as one of the country's most important issues for the future, Mr. Tobias Billström, Minister for
Migration and Asylum Policy has said.
Mr. Billström said it is very important
for the EU to devise new and improved
mechanisms for legal migration and to
transform them into concrete action.
"The scale and scope of international migration, as well as the complexity of migration issues, has grown substantially in recent years. The need to
develop innovative ways to maximize
the positive effects of legal migration
for the benefit of all is thus more
important than ever," Mr. Billström
told the EU High Level Conference on
Legal Immigration in Lisbon, Portugal
in September.
He said Sweden believes that it is
important for the EU to find more legal
possibilities for people to come to
Europe and work. Noting that most EU
Member States are facing a future shortage of labour, he said that "When that
day comes it will be important to have
clear rules in place making Europe an
attractive choice for those people looking to migrate for work."
The Swedish Minister for Migration
and Asylum Policy said his
Government is aiming to introduce
greater opportunities for labour migration to the country. "One of the most
important future issues for the EU is
how to promote circular migration
which can help to meet the needs for
labour in recipient countries and at the
same time lead to positive effects on
development in the countries of origin,
and which will benefit the migrants
themselves," Mr. Billström said.
He said Sweden has taken up the
challenge of addressing legal migration
by proposing changes to its existing
legislation to facilitate increased labour
migration from third countries in order
to fill labour shortages. "It is also
important that we regard increased
legal mobility as something which is
itself positive, both for the EU and for
third countries," Mr. Billström said. He
also stressed the need of overcoming
the various obstacles that lie in the way
of a harmonized European migration
policy. "A holistic approach to legal
migration must also include an active
recognition of the role that migrants
play in promoting development and
poverty reduction in their countries of
origin as well as the contributions they
make towards the enrichment and prosperity of destination countries," he
said.
Mr. Billström said EU's overall aim
must be to ensure that people migrate
out of choice rather than necessity.
This, he said, requires "a broad, balanced and long-term approach to international migration and development."
He said there is need of promoting
coherent policy approaches that promote synergies between migration and
other policy areas (including development cooperation, trade, and foreign
affairs). The Government of Sweden,
Mr. Billström said, puts great effort
into making the country an accommodating society. He said they are committed to creating a "society in which
© PAWEL FLATO PHOTO
Maximize positive effects of legal migration, EU told
Mr. Tobias Billström
everyone, irrespective of ethnic background, culture or religious creed is
given a fair chance to contribute to
society's well being on equal grounds."
6
THE GUIDE
October 2007
Health & well-being in the UK
You can access the UK's National
Health Service (NHS) in a number of
ways. Here we provide an overview of
the main services available to help you
get the treatment you need.
How to find an NHS service
To find doctor/GP surgeries, opticians, dental practices, chemists/pharmacies, NHS Walk-in Centres and
hospitals in your area, call NHS Direct
on 0845 46 47 or visit the NHS website. http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx
Your doctor/general
practitioner (GP)
Your GP surgery provides:
- general medical advice and treatment
- prescriptions
- referral to a specialist or a hospital
- immunisations
- tests
To register with a surgery, talk to
the receptionist. They can tell you
whether you live in the area the surgery covers and whether it has room for
new patients. If you are registering a
new baby, you will need to fill out the
registration card you receive from the
registrar when you register your
baby's birth and take it to your doctor's surgery.
46 47 or visit the NHS website
(http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx ) to
find out your nearest NHS dentist
accepting new patients.
Chemists and pharmacists
Pharmacists, or chemists as they
are often called, are experts on medi-
cines. They will prepare prescriptions
for you as issued by your doctor.
You may need to pay for your
medication or you may be eligible for
free prescriptions - your doctor will
tell you. Remember to take ID with
you to the chemists if you are eligible
for free prescriptions.
Pharmacists can also give advice
on treatments that can be bought over
Finding the right NHS service
the counter.
Call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or
visit the NHS website to find out your
nearest pharmacist.
NHS walk-in centres
These centres offer confidential
advice and treatment for minor injuries and illnesses. Staffed by experienced nurses, they are open seven days a
week, from early until late, and you do
not need an appointment. To find out
where your nearest NHS Walk-in
Centre is located call NHS Direct on
0845 46 47 or visit the NHS website.
Accident and Emergency/999
If you are seriously ill and need
emergency care, you can go straight to
an Accident and Emergency (A & E)
Department at a hospital near you.
Alternatively, you can call 999 for
an emergency ambulance.
Health visitors and
community nurses
Health visitors are specially trained
nurses who provide advice and support in the community for people
whose health may be vulnerable.
If you have a child under the age of
five you will usually be assigned a
health visitor when your baby is about
ten days old. If this does not happen,
contact your GP surgery and they will
let the local health visitor know.
If you or a member of your family
need nursing care or support at home,
a community nurse or health visitor
could help. The people they work with
could be ill or disabled or have physical or mental health problems.
NHS dentists
You don't need to wait until you
have toothache to visit the dentist. In
fact, a check-up every six months will
help to prevent any major problems
developing. Call NHS Direct on 0845
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Hospitals
Treatment and appointments at
NHS hospitals are free for all UK residents. Find out more about the hospital admissions system in England,
choosing your hospital, waiting times
and your stay in hospital, as well as
what to do if you have a complaint
about a hospital or your treatment.
Choosing your hospital
If you and your GP (or other healthcare professional) decide that you
need to see a specialist for further treatment you will be given a choice of at
least four hospitals or clinics.
Your GP, or staff at the surgery, will
give you a booklet called 'Choosing
your hospital' which contains information about your local hospitals, including comparisons. When you search
for your local hospital on the NHS
website and view your options, you
can download a pdf version of the
booklet for your area. You may also
find it useful to consult your local
patient support service whose telephone number will be listed in booklet.
If you decide that you do not wish
to choose at all, your GP can make the
decision for you.
Being admitted to hospital
If you need to be admitted to a
hospital, your GP, dentist or other
health professional will arrange this
for you. You may be admitted to a
hospital that is a centre for specialised
care if you require complex treatment.
You can be admitted to a hospital,
depending on the nature of tests or tre-
atment that you require, as either:
- an outpatient - you are referred, eg
by your local doctor, to see a hospital
consultant for a specialist opinion,
without the need for a hospital bed
- a day patient/day case - you need
a hospital bed for tests or surgery, but
do not need to stay overnight for surgery
- an inpatient - you need a hospital
bed because you have to stay in hospital for tests or surgery
Arranging an appointment
If you are an outpatient you should
be able to book a convenient appointment either online through the
'Choose and Book' service (in England
only) or through the hospital's own
booking service. Alternatively, you
may be asked to telephone the hospital
yourself to arrange an appointment on
a convenient day.
You will be told what will happen
during and after your appointment and
a telephone number will be provided
for you to ring if you have any questions. Your hospital will then write to
you with details of your appointment
including the date, time and directions.
Waiting times for treatment
Waiting times for hospital treatment vary but you should expect to
wait no longer than:
- 13 weeks for your first outpatient
appointment
- six months for inpatient treatment
- two weeks to see a specialist if
your doctor or dentist refers you
urgently with suspected cancer
- two months for an urgent GP
referral for cancer treatment
- one month from the date of diagnosis with cancer to treatment
- two weeks for a specialist chest
pains clinic, if you are suffering from
chest pains and angina is suspected
By December 2008, patients will be
guaranteed a maximum of 18 weeks
(known as the 'pathway') between
referral and the start of treatment.
your progress. Your privacy will also
be respected and you will be able to
see your records if you wish. The doctors and nurses treating you will be
sensitive to your religious, spiritual
and cultural needs. Your healthcare is
the priority, and the treatment you
receive will not be affected by gender,
sexuality, age or disability.
Efforts will also be made to offer
you a bed on a single sex ward where
possible and any dietary requirements
will be assessed.
Staying overnight at hospital
Making a complaint
If you are admitted as an inpatient
at a hospital, it's recommended that
you bring the following:
- personal toiletries
- nightdress or pyjamas
- dressing gown
- a pair of slippers
- any equipment that you use, such
as a walking or hearing aid
- any medication that you are
taking, or information detailing current treatment
If you are not satisfied with the
level of care you receive in hospital,
you need to contact the hospital you
are unhappy with to try to resolve the
matter. If you are still not satisfied you
should contact a Patient Advice and
Liaison Service representative at your
hospital or Primary Care Trust.
If you are still unhappy, you can
ask for an independent review panel to
assess your case. This must be submitted within 28 days of the written reply
to your complaint, and is dealt with by
a non-executive member of the NHS
Health Authority.
If you are still unsatisfied with the
outcome, you should contact the
Parliamentary and Health Service
Ombudsman. See http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make_a_complaint/healt
h/index.html
What to expect in hospital
Your nurse, or doctor, will clarify
what is wrong with you and explain
the treatment that needs to be carried
out. You can then discuss the treatment and if you decide to proceed, you
will be required to give written consent. You'll be involved in all decisions regarding your treatment throughout your stay in hospital.
Staff will, at your request, ensure a
friend or relative is kept informed of
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8
IN AFRICA THIS MONTH
October 2007
By IRIN
Violence in Sudan's remote western
region of Darfur has forced nearly a
quarter of a million people to flee their
homes this year, increasing the pressure on the humanitarian effort, the
United Nations said in a report.
The International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC) also expressed concern over worsening security conditions in Darfur.
"Over 240,000 people have been
newly displaced or re-displaced during
2007," according to the report prepared
by the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in
collaboration with partner UN agencies
and NGOs. Thousands of people were
fleeing their homes each week, the
report added.
It came as the Sudanese government
and Darfur rebels prepare for peace
talks this month aimed at ending more
than four years of conflict that has claimed an estimated 200,000 lives and
displaced some two million people
from their homes.
The UN said the insecurity was
complicating efforts to respond to the
needs of the new internally displaced
persons (IDPs) and the delivery of assistance to millions of people depending
on aid. "During August, the humanitarian situation in Darfur has deteriorated," said the report, the Sudan
Humanitarian Overview. It added that
attacks against humanitarian staff continued throughout the month.
"Seven humanitarian vehicles were
hijacked or stolen, and four humanitarian convoys were attacked," the UN
said.
"Five humanitarians were kidnapped or abducted, and three were physically assaulted," it added. "Many areas
of Darfur still remain a hostile environment for relief efforts," the report said.
UN staff were forced to relocate on
24 occasions in 2007. "This has a direct
and tangible impact on the quality and
quantity of aid and results, in some
cases, in the inability to reach those in
need," it said.
The ICRC has also raised concerns.
"Owing to the unstable and tense environment and the poor road conditions
during the current rainy season, access
to remote rural zones remains irregular
and difficult," an ICRC statement said.
"The ICRC has determined that
thousands of people, many of whom
had already been displaced several
© IRIN PHOTO
Thousands more flee
violence in Darfur - UN
The UN says insecurity is complicating efforts to respond to the
needs of the new internally displaced persons
times since the conflict began in 2003,
moved to Dom Jong, Fujo, Fatma
Karal, Kutrum, Kwila, Boldong, Kati
and Kurifal in remote areas of Western
Jebel Marra between June and August,"
it observed.
"This means that
the
communities
most at risk in rural
areas are often reachable only sporadically," said the head
of the ICRC's Darfur
ping force, to be known as operation, Denise
UNAMID, as well as an impro- Duran, quoted in the
vement in the humanitarian statement.
situation and better prospects
"Many fled there
for development and recovery to
escape
the
for the people of Darfur.
fighting or out of
The peace negotiations will fear of attack; others
begin in Libya under the lead were forced to move
of the AU-UN Special Envoys by their deteriorating
on 27th October. The envoys, economic situation
Jan Eliasson representing the or their increasing
UN and Salim Ahmed Salim isolation and lack of
for the AU, "will continue to access to services in
work in close coordination remote places," the
with the countries of the region ICRC said.
and ensure that the concerns of
"This population
civil society, representatives of movement affects
internally displaced persons, the already fragile
women's groups and tribal lea- situation of residents
ders are channelled into the and formerly displanegotiation process," Mr. Ban ced people in the
said.
region," it added.
During his visit to Sudan,
Armed elements
Chad and Libya, the Secretary- have also appeared
General received "strong in IDP camps, a preendorsement" for the upcoming sence which has
negotiations.
been attracting the
Ban Ki-Moon urges Darfur parties
to foster positive climate for peace talks
UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
United Nations SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon has called on all parties to the conflict
in the Sudanese region of
Darfur to create a climate conducive to successful peace
negotiations to be held this
month in Tripoli, UN News
Service reported.
In a statement released in
the Libyan capital on 9th
September, where Mr. Ban was
wrapping up a three-nation trip
that also took him to Sudan and
Chad, the Secretary-General
set out a series of measures
required to address the conflict
that has engulfed Darfur since
2003, killing over 200,000 people and driving an additional
2.2 million from their homes.
He urged all parties "to
declare their serious commitment to achieve a political
solution to the Darfur crisis; to
create a security environment
in Darfur conducive to negotiations; to participate in and commit to the outcome of the negotiation effort; and to cease all
hostilities immediately."
Mr. Ban stressed the need
for an end to violence and insecurity, a strengthened ceasefire
supported by the incoming
UN-African Union peacekee-
Sudanese security forces. "In many
IDP camps, armed elements are present, and violent incidents are increasing," said the UN.
The organisation said that in August,
"all operations were suspended in
Zalingei Camp [West Darfur] for two
days, while Kalma camp [South
Darfur] was closed to aid operations
for three days."
Rains that have been battering the
country have also added new problems.
"Worsening sanitary conditions in
the IDP camps have led to a spread of
waterborne diseases. In some cases,
this has been accompanied by worsening malnutrition rates which, although
localised, have required and received
urgent responses," said the UN report.
Despite this, aid workers resumed
food distribution to some 160,000 people who had not received assistance
since May.
"However, 60,000 Darfurians were
still not reached in July due to insecurity in some areas," the UN said. It added
that humanitarian workers have not
been able to access several parts of
Jebel Marra in West Darfur since 16th
August.
The UN Secretary-General, Ban Kimoon, has called for an end to the
ongoing violence. The UN and African
Union (AU) are in the process of
deploying a joint force of 26,000 troops
in the region to replace the ill-equipped
and cash-strapped AU mission that has
been unable to stop the violence.
MDGAfrica Steering Group set up
A steering group has been formed to
coordinate and redouble efforts in support of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) across the African continent.
The MDG Africa Steering Group
was formed in York by leaders of the
major multilateral and inter-governmental organizations working for
development in Africa, the heads of the
United Nations, African Development
Bank, African Union Commission,
European Commission, International
Monetary Fund, Islamic Development
Bank and the World Bank.
"With a clear focus on implementation, we will accelerate efforts to follow through on existing commitments
to support development in Africa," the
MDG Africa Steering Group said in a
statement. The group expressed deep
concern that Africa as a whole is not on
track to meet the MDGs by 2015. It,
however, affirmed that many individual
countries are on track to achieve at
least some of the goals.
"Many African governments have
significantly strengthened their policies, advancing the conditions for longterm economic growth. Success stories
throughout the continent show that the
Goals
remain
achievable
if
Governments and the international
community urgently implement existing commitments to strengthen
domestic policies and scale up investments," said the group.
It observed that the Declaration on
the Millennium Development Goals of
31st July 2007, signed by a number of
Heads of State and Government and
major corporations, as well as several
other initiatives already underway, all
underscore that there is determination
to achieve tangible results, and that it is
possible to mobilize the international
system around shared objectives.
"In our efforts, we must recognize
the primary responsibility of African
governments in meeting the Goals,
reinforce national ownership and capacity for implementation, and strengthen
the commitment to sound policies and
accountability," said the group.
The MDG Africa Steering Group,
chaired by the United Nations
Secretary-General, mobilizes the leaders of the UN system and major multilateral and intergovernmental organizations in support of reaching the
MDGs in Africa. The group will focus
on (i) strengthening international
mechanisms for implementation in the
five areas of: health, education, agriculture and food security, infrastructure
and statistical systems; (ii) improving
aid predictability; and (iii) enhancing
coordination at the country level. It will
be supported by the MDG Africa
Working Group, composed of representatives of the UN system and other
major multilateral organizations and
chaired by the UN Deputy-Secretary
General. The Working Group will
reach out to African Governments, prepare action plans for achieving the
objectives of the Steering Group, mobilize and coordinate the efforts of the
institutions represented, and prepare
periodic progress reports.
IN AFRICA THIS MONTH
October 2007
9
Mbeki recalls Steve Biko's vision of Ubuntu
“Ubuntu places a premium on
the values of human solidarity”
By BuaNews
President Thabo Mbeki has called
on South Africans to value ubuntu,
meaning a sense of community and
humanity, over a culture of individualism, as envisioned by the Black
Consciousness icon Steve Biko.
Addressing the 8th annual Steve
Biko Memorial Lecture, President
Mbeki said a culture of
individualism, as opposed to one of ubuntu,
meant all the tasks that
Mr Biko set when he called for an uprising
against racism as well as
an assertion of pride and
dignity, had not yet been
met.
The lecture, which
took place at the
University of Cape
Town, was held on the
30th anniversary of the
leader's death.
President Mbeki said
during the years of the
liberation struggle many
voices had raised concerns about social ills
such as crime and the
particular forms it assumed, such as the rape of children and
women, abuse of the elderly, and callous murders which "show a disdain for
human life".
"Similarly many have expressed
concern at what seems to be an entrenched value system centred on the personal acquisition of wealth at all costs
and by all means, including wilful
resort to corruption and fraud," said
President Mbeki.
"These negative social phenomena
and others, which occasioned the call
for moral regeneration, have suggested
that our society has been captured by a
rapacious individualism which is corroding our social cohesion, which is
repudiating the value and practice of
human solidarity, and which totally
rejects the fundamental precept of
ubuntu."
President Mbeki asked whether this
was the kind of society Mr Biko visualised, and for which he gave up his life.
"When he wrote that, 'the philosophy of Black Consciousness... expresses group pride and the determination
of the blacks to rise and attain the envisaged self' surely he did not imagine
envisage self characterised by the rapacious and venal individualism we had
just mentioned," explained Mr Mbeki.
"To reclaim and rediscover the
African identity and build a society that
is new not only its political and economic arrangements, but also in terms of
the values that uphold, somewhat tentative calls have been made to re-educate
our society about the ubuntu value
system."
Mr Mbeki said ubuntu, which
reminds us that "a person is a person
through other people", does not allow
for an individualism that overrides the
collective interest of a community.
He said that ubuntu places a premium on the values of human solidarity, passion and human dignity.
It is a lived philosophy which enables members of the community to
achieve higher results through collective effort.
"It is firmly based on recognising
the humanity in everyone. "It emphasi-
ses the importance of knowing oneself
and accepting a uniqueness in all of us
so as to render meaningless the complexes of inferiority and superiority.
Indeed, ubuntu connects all of humanity irrespective of ethnicity, racial origin," he said.
A new value system that must replace those that emerged during the long
years of Colonialism and Apartheid,
but they seek to destroy the most cherished of our beliefs - that the cornerstone of society is man himself - not just
his welfare, not his material wellbeing
but just man himself with all his ramifications."
Mr Biko further wrote of a rejection
of the "power-based society of the
westerner that seems ever concerned
with perfecting their technological
know-how while losing
out on their spiritual
dimension. We believe
that in the long run the
contribution to
“In rejecting western values... we are special
the world by Africa will
rejecting those things that are not only be in the field of human
foreign to us but they seek to destroy relationships.
"The great powers of
the most cherished of our beliefs - that
world may have
the cornerstone of society is man him- the
done wonders by giving
self - not just his welfare, not his
the world an industrial
material wellbeing but just man him- and military look, but
the great still has to
self with all his ramifications.”
come from Africa giving the world a more
The late Steve Biko,
human face.
Anti-apartheid activist in South
"We dare not allow
Africa & Black Consciousness icon the notable vision handed down to us by the
great titans of our struggle to perish," said
President Mbeki.
"From the gigantic death of Stephen
still needed to be infused into our
Bantu Biko 30 years ago today must, in
society, he added.
In this regard the President quoted time, arise an enormous birth. Stephen
Mr Biko who wrote: "In rejecting Bantu Biko died but his vision has not
western values... we are rejecting those perished."
things that are not only foreign to us
"It emphasises the importance of knowing oneself and
accepting a uniqueness in all
of us so as to render meaningless the complexes of inferiority and superiority.
Indeed, ubuntu connects all
of humanity irrespective of
ethnicity, racial origin"
President Thabo Mbeki
Brown calls for global fight against poverty
UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown
has called for a commitment in the
fight against poverty worldwide. "As
long as there is poverty and unfairness,
change," he said. Addressing the Trade
Unions Congress on 10th September,
Mr. Brown promised that the voice
his Government
"I have met children who, if given of
will be heard "supthe chance, could be the next
porting a ceasefire
Mandela, or the doctor who saves with justice for the
lives, or a teacher who inspires chil- two
million
dren or a public service worker who displaced
in
cares for people in need. Let us by Darfur and supraising international development porting peace with
aid and by mobilising the world's justice in the
East."
resources work together not only to Middle
Referring
to the
eradicate illiteracy in the coming
Nelson Mandela's
decade but use the medical knostatue that was
wledge and science that we have to unveiled
in
eradicate the killer diseases."
London in August,
Mr. Brown said
the statue "is not a
UK's Prime Minister Gordon
monument to the
Brown
past but a beacon
of hope for the
wherever discrimi- future. It sends a signal that no injustination and injustice ce can last for ever, that suffering in the
exists, there we must cause of liberty is never in vain, that
be also working for there is nothing that those in the cause
of justice cannot achieve if they stand
together and work for common purposes."
He also joined Mr. Mandela in
appealing to all to "be part of the
Education for All Campaign so that the
day will dawn soon when 80 million
children who do not go to school today
because there are no schools for them
to go to, will have the basic human
right of education."
Mr. Brown said he has been to
Africa where he has met children who
would play key roles in the society if
given a chance. "Let us by raising international development aid and by mobilising the world's resources work together not only to eradicate illiteracy in
the coming decade but use the medical
knowledge and science that we have to
eradicate the killer diseases," he said.
He also urged all the rich and poor
nations to work together to ensure that
the children in both the rich and poor
nations and all "families are not the
victims but the beneficiaries of globalisation, not the losers but the winners
from global change."
10
October 2007
IN NIGERIA THIS MONTH
Yar'Adua orders probe
into Rivers’ violence
tion led by Chief Edwin K. Clark said
he was also prepared to establish a
judicial commission of inquiry into the
crisis, if the investigations indicate that
there is a need to do so.
"You have made very grave allegations. Put the allegations in writing and
we will investigate them.
I assure you that our interest is for peace and stabi“If it is clearly established
lity in the Niger Delta. We
that anyone is a party to cau- need peace to achieve
rapid development of the
sing the crises, he will be
dealt with according to the region. If it is clearly estathat anyone is a
law. We will act on whatever blished
party to causing the cricomes out of a thorough and ses, he will be dealt with
just investigation”
according to the law. We
will act on whatever
comes out of a thorough
President Umaru Musa
and just investigation,"
Yar'Adua
President Yar'Adua was
quoted as saying.
The President also assured the deleced individuals and
office holders in and gation that he would initiate further
outside the state who dialogue on plans to relocate residents
belonged to cult groups of the waterfront areas of Port
caused the crisis in Harcourt, This Day reported.
Mr. Clark who spoke to the State
Rivers State, This Day
House Correspondents after the meereported.
President Yar'Adua ting said that there were over 103 cult
who met with a delega- groups in Rivers State and were being
President
Umaru
Musa Yar'Adua has
ordered a thorough
investigation into allegations made by leaders
of the Ijaw National
Forum that highly pla-
financed and patronised by politicians
both inside and outside government. A
situation whereby from 1999 till date
Rivers State is infested with cults is not
acceptable, he said. "There are over
103 cult groups in Rivers State. And
who are the leaders, financiers and the
patrons of these cult groups?
Politicians both in government and outside government," Mr. Clark said.
According to him, some of the
financiers were cultists expelled from
their universities in their days as students with some being indicted by the
State Security Service (SSS) in
November 2006.
Mr. Clark said the Ijaw Elders
Forum comprising leaders from the
Niger Delta spreading from Akwa
Ibom to Ondo States, also alerted the
Federal Government on the dangers of
demolishing the waterfront in Rivers
State, describing it as ethnic genocide.
"The latest matter we have come to
talk to Mr. President about is the demolition of the waterfront in Port
Harcourt. The people have been there
before 1912, before Port Harcourt was
founded, the aborigines of the place. If
you drive them away within four
months where do they go to?" he asked.
Nigerian prisons to be overhauled
Nigeria plans to overhaul its prisons
system, Minister for the Interior, Maj.General David Abbe(rtd), has said.
The minister who was reacting to a
recent jailbreak in Ibadan said the
Federal Government was addressing
the issue.
According to This Day reports, ments. "The circumstances under cher for Amnesty International. "Some
Agodi Prisons, which has capacity for which the Nigerian government locks prisoners are called 'forgotten inmates'
500 inmates, is accommodating 680 up its inmates are appalling. Many as they never go to court and nobody
prisoners made up of 619 awaiting trial inmates are left for years awaiting trial knows how much longer their detenin filthy overcrowded cells with chil- tion will last, simply because their case
persons and 61 convicts.
"From preliminary reports, the dren and adults often held together," files are lost."
inmates believed there was no adequa- said Aster van Kregten, Nigeria researte medical care for
them," Omeli said.
Kirikiri prison has
also been termed by
many health organisaReporters Without Borders party activists or police offi- to his aid were also beaten.
tions as unfit for human condemns a violent assault on cers." An estimated 40 inmates Abiola was hospitalised but
habitation. The maxi- Tope Abiola, the deputy editor were killed when guards put his life is not in danger.
mum security section of of
Violence against journalists
the
privately-owned down a riot in Agadi prison on
the prison hosts 1,500 Nigeria Tribune daily newspa- 10th September in which also
marred
the
11th
inmates while the per, who was beaten uncon- many detainees tried to esca- September inauguration of a
medium security sec- scious by prison guards and pe. Oyo comptroller of prisons new road near Ibadan by the
tion hosts 1,300 inma- police at Agodi prison in Maureen Omeili said no jour- governor of Oyo. When the
tes. Both were built to Ibadan (in the southwestern nalists would be allowed to ceremony was over, political
accommodate half the state of Oyo) on 11th visit the scene of the riot as it activists blocked the road and
number of inmates.
September while trying to was an internal matter that did demanded money from the
Prisons in Nigeria cover the aftermath of a riot by not concern the press.
governor. They turned on
have been heavily criti- inmates.
Abiola was one of many other people present, inclucised by both local and
"Nigerian journalists are journalists who nonetheless ding journalists, after the
international
human often subjected to violence on went to the prison the next governor
fled.
Gbenga
rights bodies. Human the least pretext, without day, arguing that such a large Abegunde of the privatelyrights groups and UN anyone ever being punished," death toll in one of the coun- owned Daily Independent
officials recently said the press freedom organisation try's oldest prisons could not newspaper was hit by several
that the condition of said. "We call on the gover- be ignored. He was taking stones in the chest and a vehiNigerian prisons is nment to put an end to this photos of bodies and trying to cle owned by African
shocking with about 60 impunity by ordering investi- count them as they were being Independent Television, a pripercent of inmates gations that result in those removed from the prison when vately-owned TV station, was
awaiting trial, often for responsible being identified police and guards beat him destroyed but none of the jouryears, in unsanitary, and punished, regardless of until he lost consciousness. nalists was seriously injured.
overcrowded environ- whether they are political Fellow journalists who went
Police beat journalist covering prison riot
"The issue of congestion in the prisons would be addressed by government," he said and requested the judiciary to assist by accelerating the judicial process, This Day reported.
Some 40 inmates of Agodi Prison,
Ibadan, died on 10th September following an attempted jailbreak, while four
prison officials were injured. State
Controller of Prisons, Mrs Maureen
Omeli, said the inmates claimed that
they protested because of poor medical
facilities.
Strive to reduce maternal mortality rate, Nigeria advised
Nigeria has been challenged to
implement credible health records that
could help in reducing high rate of
maternal and child mortality. Mrs.
Toyin Saraki, wife of Kwara State
governor and initiator of the WellBeing Foundation, lamented high rate
of maternal and child mortality in
Nigeria and said the country must strive to meet the demands of the
Millennium
Development
Goal
(MDG), with particular reference to
goal four, which deals with improving
the conditions of women giving birth,
This Day reported.
She said the government, health care
providers and mothers must work together to form a common perspective on
the situation which must be checked to
avoid posing grave danger to the future
of Nigerian children. "There should be
a concerted effort towards tackling
health inequalities in our country and
in providing a sure foundation through
a healthy pregnancy and early childhood for our mothers and children respectively", she said.
Mrs. Saraki made the remarks at the
opening of a technical review meeting
on the Nigerian Integrated Personal
Maternal and Child Health Record
(NIPMCHR), in Ilorin, Kwara State.
She said the gathering was "an indication that the death of women and
children in the process of delivery is a
terrible occurrence that we must fight
against. We agree that the death of
women leaves traumatising effect on
families and societies. We agree that
these two medical problems have
arguably been the most neglected in the
world and that being properly tackled,
most of these mortalities are actually
preventable. We must therefore begin
to move towards preventing all of these
mortalities that we can possible prevent."
IN GHANA THIS MONTH
October 2007
11
Floods displace 275,000
Kufuor: It is against nature and law to sell relief items
President John Agyekum Kufuor
has warned personnel involved in the
distribution of relief items to the flood
victims and the beneficiaries against
selling the items, GNA reported. "The
relief items are being given to you on
humanitarian grounds and it will therefore be against nature and the law for
you to commercialise it", he said.
During a recent visit to the people of
Daboya in the West Gonja District,
which has been devastated by recent
floods, President Kufuor assured the
people that relief item such as food,
blankets, mattresses, roofing sheets and
boards would soon be sent to them.
He said a committee had also been
set up at the national level to handle the
problems emerging from the floods to
alleviate the plight of the people.
According to Government figures,
in northern Ghana flooding has affected more people than in all other West
African countries combined, yet the
disaster has received little international
attention compared to floods elsewhere
in the region.
IRIN cited the government's
National
Disaster
Management
Organisation (NADMO) to have said
that floods have affected close to
275,000 people in the Upper East,
Upper West and Northern Regions of
the country. Parts of the Western
Region have also seen flooding. Most
of the affected people are displaced,
although some are still living in what is
left of their homes.
"The magnitude is unbelievable but
yet ... nobody is talking about it on the
international scene. It's amazing,"
Benonita Bismarck, head of operations
"The magnitude is unbelievable but yet ... nobody is talking about it on the international scene. It's amazing"
Benonita Bismarck, head of
operations for the Ghana
Red Cross
for the Ghana Red Cross, told IRIN. Black and White Volta Rivers were reconstruction projects, but says it
Daboya, which is about 30 kilometres hard hit, government officials and aid needs much more for food, medication,
blankets, mosquito nets, clothing and
from Tamale, has been flooded by the workers said.
"For security reasons, when the tents for the displaced people.
White Volta and completely cut off
The government has set immediate
from the rest of the Northern Region. water level started exceeding the
Other communities affected by the flo- accepted level, we had to do that to needs at 500 billion old Ghanaian cedis
ods are: Sinsina,
Tidowrope
and
Kpendua, all in the
District.
The UN Office
for the Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs
estimates
that aside from
Ghana, 204,000 people have been affected by floods in 11
countries
across
West Africa.
Daniel Ayugane
has lived in Ghana's
Upper East Region
since he was born.
"I'm 43 years old.
I've never seen such
a
situation,"
Ayugane, who heads
CRS Ghana told
IRIN.
The heaviest rains
fell from 24th to
29th August, but
rains have continued
since, government
and aid workers said.
In Builsa district
113.8 mm of rain fell
on 24 August, followed by 120.1mm the
next day - "apparenPresident John A. Kufour waving flood victims behind collapsed bridge
tly the heaviest rainfall in ten years," Yasmin Ali Haque, avoid erosion of the dam and its (US$53 million) to be allocated to
representative for the UN Children's destruction," said Ouirago Bouda, Upper East Region (45 percent),
director of production and transporta- Northern Region (40 percent), Upper
Fund in Ghana, told IRIN.
The situation was aggravated by the tion of electricity at the national power West (5 percent) and Western Region
opening of a dam in neighbouring company that manages the dam, (10 percent), according to WFP.
"The situation is alarming," the
Burkina Faso, where floods were cau- Société Nationale d'Électricité du
sing dangerously high water levels, Burkina (SONABEL). "It could have Interior Ministry's Akrasi-Sarpong told
IRIN. "We need support. Ghana is a
according to the Burkinabé gover- been worse if the dam did not exist."
The displaced people are living in developing country. We cannot use our
nment. On 27th August, the government opened a flood gate of the Bagre schools, community centres, churches, meagre resources to meet the effects of
dam in the east of the country, releasing government buildings or with relatives the floods in the three regions."
The UN is considering the deploywater at a force of 900 m3 per second and friends. The government has cominto the White Volta River, which flows mitted 60 billion old Ghanaian cedis ment of a disaster management team.
into Ghana. Ghanaians living along the (US$6.4 million) for relief items and
Ghana praised for instituting
free primary education
The World Bank has praised Ghana for instituting free
compulsory basic education.
Mr. Mats Karlson, World
Bank Country Director, said
primary education was of
public good, GNA reported.
Mr. Karlson said quality
basic education facilitated
quality human resource in the
future and urged government
to ensure that children received quality education to ensure a good foundation.
Mr. Karlson spoke during
the Development Dialogue
Series organised by the
World Bank to promote
vibrant policy discourse in
Ghana on the theme:
"Meeting the Challenge of
Accelerated and Shared
Growth in Ghana."
He said as one went
higher on the education
ladder, education became
more of a private good
than a public good and
thus the beneficiary must
finance it.
"In any case, the average
tax payer still pays for education if it is highly subsidised
by government. Ghana has
done well in the past 50 years
in terms of education enrolment which has increased
significantly."
Mr. Karlson said there was
the need for a human development agenda on education and
research to ensure that
Ghanaians gained quality education.
Ms. Elizabeth Ohene,
Minister of State in charge of
Tertiary Education said there
were still huge holes in the
education system because
some of the people who were
able to complete basic education and were not able to go
further in education were left
hanging without knowing
what to do.
According to Ms. Ohene,
education system must concentrate on providing numeracy and literacy to the children
at the basic level to enable
them to fit somewhere into the
society when they are not able
to go to higher levels.
She said the majority of students who got first class degrees in the universities and other
tertiary institutions were those
from rural areas who got the
chance to climb higher on the
academic ladder. She said
science should be made an
integral part of the education
system.
Youth advised against violent acts
Ghanaian youth have been
discouraged from taking the
law into their hands and engaging in violent acts to resolve
grievances with people in
authority.
The Northern Regional
Police
Commander,
Mr
Ephraim Brakatu advised the
youth to channel their grievances through appropriate quarters for peaceful resolution
and be promoters of peace and
harmony in their communities,
GNA reported.
"Peace building is not the
preserve of any person but a
collective responsibility of all
and sundry," he added. Mr
Brakatu made the appeal
during this year's International
Day of Peace in Tamale. The
day is observed worldwide by
United Nations to provide a
platform for stakeholders to
review their commitment
towards promoting peace.
Mr. Brakatu urged the
youth to preach peace to their
parents and families saying:
"In doing this, our aim of
gathering today would be
fruitful but without that we are
wasting our precious time."
Mr. Brakatu pointed out
that it was the responsibility of
every citizen to ensure and
maintain law and order but
noted that mankind had the
tendency to exhibit selfish,
brutish and lawless character.
"It is in line with this that
Ghana Police Service was
established to train people in
the maintenance of law, order
and protection of life and property," he added.
Mr. Amadu Ibrahim Zakari,
National Coordinator of
Ghana Network for Peace
Building (GHANEP) asked
stakeholders of peace building
to use their individual and collective knowledge towards
building a culture of peace in
Ghana, GNA reported.
"Today is devoted to commemorating and strengthening
ideal peace within and among
all nations and peoples to
affirm that through cooperation, we manifest the essential
spirit that unites us in our
diverse ways," he said.
12
October 2007
IN ZIMBABWE THIS MONTH
Archbishop Sentamu: Impose sanctions against Zimbabwe
Brown to boycott EU-Africa
Summit if Mugabe is invited
Mwanawasa: "I will not go to Portugal if Mugabe is not allowed"
measures that will in the end bring the
results which we want, which is the
restoration of full democracy."
He said further sanctions will be
sought through the European Union "in
the next few days".
Mr. Chidyausiku told the BBC2's
Newsnight that Mr Mugabe had a
"sovereign right" to attend the summit.
"Gordon Brown has no right to dictate
who should come to Lisbon," he said.
"Definitely we are going if we are invi-
UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown
will not take part in a major EuropeanAfrican summit set for December in
Portugal if Zimbabwean leader Robert
Mugabe is allowed to attend. Mr.
Brown described the situation in
Zimbabwe as "appalling and tragic",
and called on the international community to bring more pressure to bear on
the Harare regime.
President Mugabe is currently
facing an EU travel ban, which would
have to be lifted if he was to attend the
Lisbon talks.
Writing in the Independent newspaper, the Prime Minister said the reason
for the ban is "the abuse of his own
people."
"There is no freedom in Zimbabwe;
no freedom of association; no freedom
of the press," he said. "And there is
widespread torture and mass intimidation of the political opposition.
President Mugabe's attendance would
mean lifting the EU visa ban that we
have collectively imposed.
"I believe that President Mugabe's
presence would undermine the summit,
diverting attention from the important
issues that need to be resolved.
"In those circumstances, my attendance would not be appropriate."
He urged the deployment of a
United Nations humanitarian mission
and promised support for the economic
reconstruction of Zimbabwe once Mr.
Mugabe was gone. Mr. Brown said that
"The numbers of people who have been
pushed into poverty and unemployment and into suffering as a result is
something that is angering the whole
world and it is the combination of measures, there are no easy answers to this
question but it is the combination of
Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe
But Zimbabwe affirmed that
President Mugabe will defy Mr.
Brown's boycott threat if invited to
attend the Europe-Africa summit.
Zimbabwe's UN Ambassador Boniface
Chidyausiku said Mr. Brown had "no
right to dictate" who should be at the
summit in Portugal. Mr Chidyausiku
accused Mr Brown of seeking to "multilateralise" an argument between the
UK and Zimbabwe, BBC reported.
ted because we are part of Africa."
Zambia's
President
Levy
Mwanawasa also rejected the idea of
keeping Mr. Mugabe away from the
summit saying that if the Zimbabwean
president is not allowed to attend the
summit, then neither will he. "I will not
go to Portugal if Mugabe is not allowed. I don't know how many of us
[African leaders] will be prepared to go
to Portugal without Mugabe," said
President Mwanawasa who is also the
chairman of the regional Southern
Africa body, SADC.
Mr. Brown's decision to boycott the
upcoming Europe-Africa summit
should President Mugabe be allowed to
attend came within days following a
call by the Anglican Archbishop of
York, John Sentamu, on Britain to lead
a campaign of targeted sanctions
against the government of President
Mugabe. "Mugabe is the worst kind of
racist dictator," said Sentamu, the
Ugandan-born second-in-command of
the Church of England, in an article in
Britain's The Observer newspaper. "It
is now time for the sanctions and campaigns that brought an end to apartheid
in South Africa to be applied to the
Mugabe regime."
Mr. Brendan Barber, Trades Union
Congress (TUC) General Secretaryr
welcomed Mr. Brown's boycott threat.
"'The TUC wholeheartedly supports
the Prime Minister's tough stance
against Robert Mugabe's possible
attendance at the EU summit in
December. If the Zimbabwean leader is
allowed to attend, his appearance in
Portugal will give his despotic and
repressive regime the legitimacy he
craves," Mr. Barber said.
China has, however, taken a different stand. China's Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Jiang Yu said her country "has normal and sound state-to-state
relations with Zimbabwe." She added
that "We hold that the affairs of
Zimbabwe should be resolved by the
Zimbabwean government and people
in the end. The international community should offer constructive assistance
to the reconciliation, stability and development in Zimbabwe. "
Archbishop Ncube: "I have not been silenced by the crude machinations of a wicked regime"
Mugabe critic quits as archbishop after an adultery scandal
of God should seem to be on trial down now. People should pluck up just
because I am its head." He thanked all a bit of courage and stand up against
Zimbabweans and all in the internatio- him and chase him away," he said. In
nal community who have stood by him one of his boldest statements against
in his hour of need. "I remain a President Mugabe, Bishop Ncube said:
Catholic Bishop in Zimbabwe, and will "[Mr] Mugabe is a man who is a megacontinue to speak out on the issues that lomaniac. He loves power, he lives for
sadly become more acute by the day. I power. Even his own party [Zanu-PF]
am committed to the Word of Our Lord are pleading with him - 'Please stand
Jesus Christ, and see my decision as down, you've done enough good.'
opening up new opportunities to serve According to Zanu-PF he's done a lot
Him through serving the poor and suf- of good, according to me, he's done a
fering of Zimbabwe, who sadly beco- lot of evil. [Mr] Mugabe is an evil man,
me more numerous and more impoverished every day," he said.
He said he will use his experiences working among the people to "I will use my expelobby for greater humanitarian supriences working
port, in particular for food and medical supplies as Zimbabwe faces among the people to
extreme national crisis. Archbishop
lobby for greater
Ncube, 60, has this year called for humanitarian supmass street protests and foreign
port, in particular
intervention to remove Mr Mugabe.
"I am ready to stand in front. We for food and medimust be ready to stand, even in front cal supplies at this
of blazing guns... I accept that it may
time of extreme
mean that I lose my life. Starvation
national
crisis.”
stalks our land and [the] government
does nothing to correct our situation.
Archbishop Pius
People are angry now and should
stand up, fill the streets and demand
Ncube
that this man [Mr Mugabe] steps
a bully and a murderer. I will not be
bullied
or
bought
by
him.
Zimbabweans are so desperate, that
we're ready to offer anything to get this
man out."
Former BBC Zimbabwe correspondent Grant Ferrett says Mr Ncube's
hostility to Mr Mugabe's government
stems from the massacres of his
Ndebele people in the early 1980s. An
estimated 20,000 people were killed,
mostly civilians, by a North Koreantrained brigade of the army.
Zimbabwe's
Roman
Catholic
Archbishop Pius Ncube, a fierce critic
of President Robert Mugabe, has resigned after an adultery scandal. Last
July the state media published photographs of what it said was Pius Ncube
in bed with a married woman who worked for his parish. The woman's
husband has sued him for 20bn
Zimbabwe dollars (about $160,000, or
£80,000, on the black market exchange
rate) over the affair. But his lawyers
say the allegations are an orchestrated
attempt to discredit him.
Archbishop Ncube said in a statement on 11th September that Pope
Benedict XVI had accepted his resignation under the article of church law
that says a bishop should retire if he is
ill or if "some other grave reason" had
made him unsuitable for office.
He said he requested to leave office
in July, a decision made as a result of "a
State-driven, vicious attack not just on
myself, but by proxy on the Catholic
Church in Zimbabwe."
"In order to spare my fellow Bishops
and the body of the Church any further
attacks, I decided this was the best
course of action." The bishop said he
felt it was right for him to face the
"case in court as Pius Ncube, an individual, not that the Holy Catholic Church
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AFRICANS IN UK
14 October 2007
New book examines theories on the African origin of mankind
“Colourism is a big deal”
Colourism has been a subject of
great interest to the media in the recent
years, with a keen focus on skin bleaching. But the coverage of colourism
"is generally sensationalised and there
is never any serious attempt at explaining its origins," argues Deborah
Gabriel in her first book - Layers of
Blackness: Colourism in the African
Diaspora.
Deborah is the first author in the UK
to take an in-depth look at colourism the process of discrimination based on
skin tone among members of the same
ethnic group, whereby lighter skin is
more valued than darker complexions.
She examines the African Diaspora
in Britain as part of a global black community with shared experiences of slavery, colonization and neo-colonialism.
She says that "People need to understand that colourism goes beyond personal preferences and aesthetic ideals we are talking about social and economic disparities among people of
African descent because of skin colour
and that's a big deal."
Deborah examines the shared experience of slavery and colonisation as a
starting point for analysing how colourism has evolved in the USA, Jamaica,
Latin America and the UK. The historical context is balanced with a strong
political perspective and an examination of how colourism impacts black
communities in the African Diaspora
today.
The book has an interesting chapter
on human evolution and skin colour
examining theories on the African
origins of mankind and how human
skin colour evolved from black to
white. A chapter on white supremacy explains how whiteness functions
as an invisible mechanism within
society conferring privilege and
social advantage to people racialized as white, whilst at the same time
dominating and subjugating nonwhite peoples. A chapter on blackness and black identity examines
how people of African descent have
defined themselves both in historical and contemporary times.
This book will appeal to anyone
with an interest in the subject of race
and identity who wants to understand why colourism - a psychological legacy of slavery still impacts
people of African descent in the
Diaspora today.
Deborah is a multi-skilled journalist with experience in the UK,
Jamaica and Africa. She has worked
across the mediums of TV, radio,
print and online, putting forward a
radical perspective on issues of
social justice. She is director of
Imani Media Ltd, a company that
provides editorial services, documentary training and production and
self-publishing services. She is also
founder and director of human rights
organization, Imani Development Ltd,
SACOMA hosts Immigration
Information Day in London
Foreigners in the UK have
been advised to properly plan
for their retirement and
encouraged to participate in
the voting in the country.
The experts of SACOMA,
a community based organisation in Ilford, Essex, told the
Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic (BAME) communities
that voting is the most important way to make their voice
heard on the issues that concern them.
On 1st September SACOMA
organised
an
Immigration Information Day
in Durning Hall, Earlham
Grove, Forest Gate E7 9AB,
London. The main aim of the
information event was to give
people with immigration concerns a chance to get first
hand accurate information
about immigration in the UK
from Immigration Law
experts, so that they make
informed decisions about
their immigration issues.
The panel of speakers
included solicitors from
Joseph Tily Solicitors based
in Dalston, London and solicitors
from
Cranbrook
Solicitors in Ilford, Essex.
The solicitors gave a brief
overview of the current
immigration policies, before
answering participants' questions. The event was quite
interactive with 90% of the
time being spent on answering the participants' questions on immigration. It was
made quite clear that the
Home Office has not granted
any amnesty but is working
on backlog clearance.
The broad topics of discussion included failed asylum
seekers, new migration policies, overstayers in the UK,
work permit or Highly
Skilled Migrant Programme,
family re-union, studying in
the UK from abroad, etc.
SACOMA had an information table and advisors of
its other services including
information leaflets on,
voting in the UK, on pensions
and retirement planning, free
SEND US YOUR ST ORIES
Do you have a story to share with our readers? Are
you planning for a community function (wedding,
naming ceremony, graduation, cultural festival,
independence celebration, seminar, demo, etc)?
Please send us reports and announcements of these
activities and we will publish them in Africa News.
Address your reports to: The Editor, Africa News,
Via Maroso, 50, CAP 00142 Rome, Italy.
E-mail: africanews@etnomedia.org
Tel +39-06-87410531. Fax +39-06-87410528.
health and ICT courses at
SACOMA, as well as information on business start-up
from SACOMA's enterprise
arm, SACOMA Centre for
Enterprise.
Comments from the participants summed up the day's
success. John from Reading,
said, "This is quite useful,
you should hold more events
like this."
Joan from Barnet commented that, "it is like an
immigration surgery and
should be regular." Ahmed
from Plumstead, Woolwich
said "This is excellent. I came
for one burning question, but
got a lot of useful information."
Norma from Southampton
expressed the view of many
when he asked, "When is
SACOMA holding the next
Immigration
Information
Day?"
SACOMA is a community
based organisation providing
information, advice and guidance and a range of initiatives. It supports programmes
which are responsive and
proactive to meet the individual needs of the migrant and
Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic (BAME) communities, to enable them to gain
access to available resources,
gain self-esteem and foster
personal and community
development.
For further information
contact: SACOMA on 0208
554 9444
Email:
info@sacoma.org.uk:
www.sacoma.org.uk
"People need to understand
that colourism goes beyond
personal preferences and
aesthetic ideals - we are talking about social and economic disparities among people
of African descent because of
skin colour and that's a big
deal."
Deborah Gabriel,
Author of Layers of
Blackness: Colourism in the
African Diaspora
which focuses on human rights advocacy and community empowerment in
Africa and other developing countries.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in
journalism studies.
Layers of Blackness: Colourism in
the African Diaspora has been published by Imani Media Ltd and be ordered by sending an email to info@layersblackness.com or by logging on the
website www.layersofblackness.com
“So Beautiful Show”
in London to attract
over 25,000 visitors
The great show
titled "So Beautiful
Show" is taking place
this
month
in
London. It will be
held all day on 27th
and 28th October at
Excel London, One
Western
Gateway,
Royal Victoria Dock,
London, E16 1XL.
The show offers
consumers the opportunity to attend an
experiential event,
whereby visitors are
informed, educated,
inspired and motivated to explore ways to
enhance
personal
health and beauty.
Whether it is a personal development
seminar, life coaching, a beauty
treatment, hair styling session
or a consultation with financial
advisor, consumers can find a
wealth of resources to improve
their perceived wellbeing all in
a one-stop location.
So Beautiful! provides a platform for businesses to create
awareness, educate, and showcase their offerings to an
audience that is ready to be
empowered.
Over 40 seminars will also be
conducted by experts and celebrity speakers within the wellness industry and beyond.
The So Beautiful Show will
attract over 25,000 consumers
over two days, with 70% of visitors being women and over 60%
of visitors aged between 25 - 55
years old with high disposable
incomes.
Double Olympic gold medal-
list and healthy living advocate
Dame Kelly Holmes will open
the So Beautiful Show! "I am
honoured to be opening the So
Beautiful Show. These days,
many
people,
especially
women, do not find the time to
treat themselves in the midst of
their hectic schedules. The So
Beautiful Show is the ultimate
weekend break for those who
deserve a long-overdue pampering!" Dame said, adding that
"An event like So Beautiful is
so important for the future
health and wellbeing of everybody - so it is definitely worth
booking the time out of your
diary to attend."
For further information, please contact: So Beautiful!, 17
Thomas Street, London, SE18
6HU, Tel: 020-8854 2442, Fax:
020-8854 2255. Email address:
info@sobeautifulshow.co.uk
AFRICANS IN UK
October 2007
15
Ugandan beauty princess to sensitize & highlight on issues affecting the East African child
Maureen Nyakaira crowned
Miss East Africa UK 2007
The most beautiful girl from East
Africa living in the UK is none other
than the Ugandan medical physics student Maureen Nyakaira. Maureen won
the crown under a very stiff competition from contestants from Tanzania,
Malawi, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and
Eritrea.
This year's much anticipated Miss
East Africa UK Beauty Pageant took
place on 1st September at the prestigious Conway Hall, London. Maureen,
who is a student at Cardiff University
in Wales, expressed a mixed reaction to
winning the crown. "I will remember
this night for the rest of my life. At first
I was shocked, Is it me really? But then
that was my number they called," she
said.
The crowd cheered as the humble
beauty claimed the prestigious title.
Miss East Africa UK was attended
by guests not only from the East
African community but also other parts
of Africa and Europe. The special
guests of the night included the
Sudanese ex-war child soldier
Emmanuel Jal and Cindy of the famous
Ugandan girl band Blu*3.
Emmanuel staged a marvellous
show managing to captivate the crowd
with his unique style of gospel rap with
its message of peace and reconciliation
born out of his experiences as a child
soldier in Sudan. Emmanuel who grew
up in Kenya after being smuggled out
of the war torn Sudan had kind words
to say to the founder and CEO of Miss
East Africa UK Pauline Long. "I am
honoured to be here to support a good
cause and I commend Pauline for standing up for vulnerable children, children orphaned through HIV/AIDS and
Genocide," he said.
Emmanuel is also the founder of
GUA Africa; a charity that works with
doing charity work and helindividuals, families
ping needy children. In 2006
and communities to
she travelled back to her vilenable them overcolage in her home country
me effects of war. He
Uganda with friends where
expressed interest in
they built a school for the
working with the
children. Her passion already
newly crowned Miss
lies with bringing a smile to a
East Africa UK.
child's face. After the
Pauline who is
Tanzania trip, Maureen will
also a Kenyan, estaagain head to Uganda in
blished the beauty
January to visit Pearl
pageant in 2006 in
Children Care Home in Jinja.
order to sensitize and
In the meantime she will conhighlight on issues
tinue to do campaigns for
affecting the East
Nyumbani children's home
African child.
situated in Nairobi, Kenya,
Maureen who is
Rafiki Children's home
now officially the
Kenya, orphans of Rwanda
2nd title winner of
and Edukaid of Tanzania.
Miss East Africa UK
Apart from her charity
is expected to emulawork Maureen has won a one
te last year's winner
year Modelling contract with
Brenda
Akot's
UK's top modelling agency
accomplishments
Mahogany Models, an excluand achievements.
sive dress custom made for
Brenda, the Miss
her by top elite designer
East Africa UK 2006
Moyo by BB designs. She
did a tremendous job
will also model for Grace
carrying out charitaShannan designs during her
ble duties not only in
Miss East Africa UK 2006 Brenda (left) assuring Maureen reign and will appear in
the UK but also in
various leading UK magaziEast Africa where
after passing on the crown
nes.
she worked with
The organisers of Miss East Africa
Nyumbani Children's home and for baby care. The home is situated in
Rafiki's children home of Kenya. Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria UK pageant would like to thank all the
While handing the crown to Maureen, in Tanzania. This Baby Home provides sponsors and partners listed below for
this
event
happen:
Brenda said, "I wish you all the best a stable, loving home for up to 23 making
and I trust you will be a brilliant orphaned and abandoned babies and Tumukunde.com, UGPulse.com, Grace
ambassador for the East African chil- infants who are severely disadvanta- Shannans designs, Moyo by BB
ged. The home provides nutrition, love, designs, Mahogany Model managedren."
The newly crowned queen is alrea- health care, physical and emotional ment, Shades of Ebony, Kosibah
dy planning her first trip this month. support until the child is either foste- Creations, Godson pictures, Screen
She will travel to Tanzania to volunteer red, adopted or reunited with their nation awards, Karama Umuntu
Magazine, Diamond Touch Magazine
at Forever Angels Baby Home. She family.
However, the Ugandan beauty is and (la maison d'Issey) - Mikolo colwill also deliver nappies, wipes, baby
food, toys and generally items required not a new recruit when it comes to lection.
Interview with Miss East Africa UK
“The voiceless children have found a voice in me”
How did you prepare for the
Pageant?
By just being me. I tried to remain
me.
By Stephen Ogongo
In this exclusive interview with
Africa News, Miss East Africa UK
2007 Maureen Nyakaira expresses
her love for the needy children and
makes a passionate appeal to all be
generous and to spare a thought for
the orphaned children. "I have experienced the pain and struggle these
children go through during my childhood in Uganda. Having to live on
barely nothing to eat, fetching water
and firewood from a very far well. It
is a real struggle and a hurting experience especially if added with the
loneliness of having no parents to
love and care for them unconditionally," she says.
Maureen, 21, was born and raised
in Uganda. She comes from Kabarole
District which is in the western part
of Uganda. She came to the UK in
2003. The most beautiful girl from
East Africa in the UK is single, not
because there are no men running
after her, but because she is committed to her studies and her duties as
Miss East Africa UK. "I am also a
committed Christian and totally rely
on God's grace each day," she says.
How does it feel to be crowned
Miss East Africa UK?
I feel suddenly empowered. It's
Founder of Miss East Africa UK
Pauline Long introduces Musician
Emmanuel Jal the during the pageant
wonderful. Suddenly the voiceless
have found a voice in me. I also feel
more confident considering the stiff
competition with all the other beautiful
girls. Being crowned has made me realise how special I am.
Why did you decide to contest?
I got encouragement from my
friends and I saw it as a way of increasing awareness of things close to my
heart like putting smiles on children's
faces and contributing to their future.
Miss East Africa UK has a special
mission of creating awareness on
issues affecting the East African children. What are some the main issues
affecting the children now?
They are faced with epidemic of
loneliness without parents, poverty and
malnutrition, severe sanitation deprivation. The Children are also deprived of
education and some have never been to
school. They live in dwellings with
more than five people per room which
is overcrowding. The problems affecting these children are too many to
mention. All these situations are very
horrible and it is going to be my mission to try and find solutions for such
situations.
What's the message you'll be
taking to the children in each home
you'll be visiting?
That they are not forgotten and
there is hope still out there. A bad
beginning does not mean a bad ending.
They should embrace God who will
never leave nor forsake them.
How can our readers support you
in this noble mission?
When an appeal is made, let them
be generous. Let them put money
where their mouth is. Your donation
could change the lives of many of our
deprived children by freeing them from
want and fear.
Is there anything else you would
like to tell our readers?
Spare a thought for the orphaned
children. Even if you can't contribute at
least pray for them.
Any advice to young people thinking about their future?
Let them not lean on their own
understanding. Let them seek mentoring.
Any advice to young African girls?
They should stick to their studies.
We are underrepresented in all circles
of excellence. Education will make
them more independent and less vulnerable and will also increase their chances of a better, wealthier life.
We would like to invite all our readers
and companies to help Miss East Africa
UK 2007 carry out this noble mission
successfully. Kindly send your donations
and words of encouragement to: Mrs.
Pauline Long, President, Miss East
Africa UK, Tel: +44(0)7704193590.
Email:
pauline@misseastafrica.co.uk
Website: www.misseastafrica.co.uk
16
October 2007
AFRICANS IN UK
African organisations receive
fund to fight child abuse
Four African organisations in
London have received a donation of
£450,000 from two charities to help
African children in the UK who are
accused of witchcraft and abused.
City Parochial Foundation (CPF)
and Trust for London (TfL) said they
are giving the money to help improve
child protection and a family support
centre.
The grants were awarded to: AFRUCA, UK Congolese Safeguarding
Action Group, Churches' Child
Protection Advisory Service, and the
Victoria Climbié Foundation. Funding
will support work with young people,
parents, social workers, policy-makers
and church leaders.
AFRUCA received a grant of
£123,200, the UK Congolese
Safeguarding Action Group received a
grant of £107,500, CCPAS received a
grant of £100,000 while the Victoria
Climbié Foundation was awarded a
grant of £108,000.
"These organisations have a track
record of addressing this complex and
difficult human rights issue, often with
very limited resources", said Bharat
Mehta, Chief Executive of TfL and
CPF. "This new initiative will sustain
and develop their work in London and
enable them to contribute to the safety,
quality of life and well-being of chil-
organisations through out often violent exorcisms has become
an advisory group commonplace.
After a trial at the Old Bailey three
involving experts from
relevant fields inclu- people were sent to prison in June 2005
ding the Metropolitan for abusing a child they claimed was
Police, child protection possessed by evil spirits. The child had
and children's services. been stabbed, beaten and had chilli
An external evaluation peppers rubbed in her eyes.
An eight-year-old Victoria Climbie
will be commissioned
to assess the impact of was tortured to death some years ago.
Her killers attacked her in part because
the funded work.
There have been they believed her to be possessed.
many cases in the UK When she died she had 128 individual
of African children injuries.
accused of being
possessed and then
subjected to often
violent exorcisms.
"These organisations have a track
According
to record of addressing this complex
BBC reports, in and difficult human rights issue,
Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic often with very limited resources.
This new initiative will sustain
Republic of Congo,
thousands of chil- and develop their work in London
dren live on the and enable them to contribute to
streets after being the safety, quality of life and wellthrown out of their being of children and to promote
homes following
children's rights."
claims of "Kindoki"
Victoria Climbie was tortured to death partly
or "Ndoki", which
Bharat Mehta,
because of witchcraft
means witchcraft.
Chief
Executive
of TfL and CPF
In recent years
dren and to promote children's rights." the practice of accusing children of
CPF and TfL will support funded being possessed and then carrying
Returnees to Africa trained to plan
for sustainable small businesses
Interims for Development, a UK
based company runs workshops
titled "Planning and Managing your
Business" to enable recent returnees
to Africa to develop their new businesses in a more structured and
sustainable way.
Sponsored by the International
Organisation for Migration (IOM), a
leading international organisation working with migrants and governments to
provide humane responses to migration
challenges, the workshops have provided in-country support for refugees
returning home to South Africa,
Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Through the
IOM's Voluntary Assisted Return and
Reintegration Programme (VARRP),
the organisation has assisted over 7,500
individuals and families with assisted
return and reintegration assistance in
the countries of return.
As part of the reintegration process,
the workshops are providing returnees
with access to training for setting up a
small business; enabling participants to
acquire the tools they need to rebuild
their lives back in their countries of origin and to sustain their return on a
long-term
basis.
Interims
for
Development has already successfully
assisted the IOM with employment and
entrepreneurial orientation and training
for returnees to Zimbabwe, with highly
positive feedback from both participants and IOM staff.
Small Business Development
"Planning and Managing your
Business" is delivered to groups of
returnees and the training workshops
have, to date, been run in Nigeria,
South Africa and Zimbabwe. The twoday training programme covers a range
of information and advice on selfemployment - from setting up a business to developing a business idea and
a basic business plan. Participants are
also offered strategies for identifying
sources of finance and resourcing and
for promoting their businesses.
Across the countries, the workshops
have given tools and information to
help returnees with identifying transferable skills and reviewing their business ideas in a focused way. Delegates
come from a wide ranging spectrum of
businesses, from welding to hairdressing, from manufacturers of school uniforms to Internet cafes and photocopy
services. The workshops have been
structured to be informal and highly
participative, allowing those present to
share ideas and experiences with people in a comparable situation.
during each session to gain a deeper
understanding and therefore strengthen
their plans so that the document becomes a 'live' document for them to constantly refer to and amend as necessary." Some of the participants have not
had the benefit of any formal training
in how to plan and manage their businesses, says Adebanjo.
Refining the Business Plan
These entrepreneurial skills and
employment skills programme will
enable the IOM to provide returnees
with a broad range of training to assist
with the creation of sustainable busi-
Asking the Key Questions
Dorothy Adebanjo, Interims for
Development's
Zimbabwe-based
Training Consultant, has led the delivery of the workshops across the three
countries. "It doesn't matter where you
are; the principles and basics of doing
business are the same," she says. "In
our experience, planning and managing
are the same across the countries we
have been working in.
One critical aspect of the workshop
is the self-analysis undertaken by participants who are faced with answering
key questions about their capacity and
temperament in relation to selfemployment. Adebanjo found that
across the board, planning was critical
at the early stages of business development and people should not underestimate the level of planning needed and
an understanding of their own skills.
In the initial stages, participants
complete a Business Plan form which
is brought into the training and forms a
central point of referral as the training
workshop progresses, she adds.
"Throughout the training, participants
are able to amend the form as they gain
increased information. They are able
nesses through a clear understanding of
business planning and management.
"The delegates are able to refine
their business plans, and with a deeper
understanding of the details of how to
cost their products, calculate their gross
and net profits. They are able to understand the importance of marketing their
products and how to gather information
on their competitors. This gave them an
in-depth insight into the manner in
which they can run their business in
order to make a profit," says Adebanjo.
The workshop participants are also
trained in financial management skills,
a critical area in which many individuals have no formal training or qualification. Through active discussions,
participants share their experiences and
opinions and examine in depth direct
and indirect costs and the importance
of running their business ethically at a
time of increased competition for a
relatively small market, as well as other
external circumstances such as high
inflation.
A Whole New Way of Living
"The business person has to come to
terms with and embrace a whole new
way of living," says Adebanjo. "The
participants are able to reflect and
assess their understanding of the implications of having to work differently
from those in employment." With all
the inherent risks involved in running a
business, these training workshops are
equipping small business owners with
the basic skills required at a time when
competition is at higher levels in many
African countries than ever before.
"The delegates are able, by the close
of the training workshop, to define
their business ideas clearly and concisely," says Adebanjo. "They are able to
take stock and reflect on their various
skills and to look at themselves critically, thereby identifying their strengths as
well as their weaknesses." The training
workshops are reinforcing the importance for business men and women to
regularize their businesses, to learn
how to compete effectively and to put
the funds that they have to good use,
she adds. "All aspects of the course are,
I would say, of equal importance.
Interims for Development is a UK
based company providing a range of
Human
Resources,
Training,
Employment, Entrepreneurship and
Capacity Building services in Africa
and in the UK. For further information,
please consult www.Interimsfd.com
AFRICANS IN EUROPE
October 2007
17
The African Union-African Diaspora in Europe Regional Consultative Conference, Paris
Africans, Diaspora should take
global responsibility for
Africa’s development
Africans at home and in the
Diaspora have to work together for the
development of Africa, South Africa's
Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana
Dlamini Zuma has said. "We have to be
agents of change, wherever we may be
for the creation of a better life for all
Africans in a better world," she said in
her speech at the African UnionAfrican Diaspora in Europe Regional
Consultative Conference (RCC) in
Paris, France.
Dr Dlamini Zuma said "it is unfortunate that as Africans we are susceptible
to believing the worst about ourselves
and our Continent." She regretted the
fact that Africans who work in the
media more often than not tend to
entrench rather than challenge such
misperceptions.
"The first change has to be within
ourselves: belief in ourselves and our
capacity and to express solidarity
amongst ourselves wherever we may
be," she told the conference.
She said it was the duty of all
Africans to fight against the labels that
dare to define Africans, "these stereotypes and racist profiling that dare to
define the African - all Africans - as
less than human.
"No longer shall we ensure such
scorn and misinterpretation. No longer
shall we accept the lowly status others
have given us. We do not accept these
labels, this denigration and enforced
marginalisation. We refuse racism and
reject injustice! Our task henceforth is
to interpret ourselves, to define ourselves, to give shape to our own identity,
to believe in our own ethics, to take
responsibility for our own actions and
to harness our capacity to overcome
suffering and together boldly and fearlessly to pave the path to our destiny."
Dr Dlamini Zuma said Africans'
quest was to, through the dialogue,
rally behind the call for them to collectively take a global responsibility for
their own development, and "for the
African condition in its totality, which
covers the ground occupied both by
Africans in Africa and in the
Diaspora".
She called for the use of collective
strength to address problems African
Diaspora in Europe continues to face
such as xenophobia, racial discrimination, political and socio-economic marginalisation.
Dr Dlamini Zuma appealed to the
participants at the conference to ackno-
as women.
Dr Dlamini Zuma explained that the
AU was making a call on the African
Diaspora to put forward concrete and
tangible proposals for cooperation between itself and its Diaspora.
"In responding to the call by the AU,
we must pay due regard to the fact that
we are building on many good initiatives that are already underway in Africa
that need our active support.
"One crucial element in our quest to
reunite Africa and her Diaspora is the
need to acknowledge and accept our
diversity as Africans as much as we
recognise the quest for greater unity.
Africa is big with
many
countries,
nations, nationalities,
religions, tribes and
"We have to be agents of
she said.
change, wherever we may be challenges,"
The minister howefor the creation of a better life ver said that diversity
should not preclude
for all Africans in a better
Africans and the
world"
African Diaspora from
acting in unity of purMrs. Nkosazana Dlamini
pose.
Zuma, South Africa's
"Notwithstanding
the divergent views we
Foreign Affairs Minister
may espouse, we
should be united in our
who laid the intellec- desire to see this better Africa in a bettual and cultural foun- ter world," she said.
The meeting forms part of a series of
dations for the tasks
upon which they now RCCs that have been organised in preembark. "Theirs was paration for the Summit of the African
to create the dreams Diaspora to be held during the first half
for a better Africa and of 2008 in South Africa.
Similar conferences have already
world. Ours is to make
these dreams come taken place in Brazil for Latin America,
true and to achieve the practical reali- London for the United Kingdom, New
York for North America, Barbados for
zation of an African renaissance."
The conference focused on ways the Caribbean.
The Africa RCC will take place in
forward on crucial issues including
migration, global governance, peace Addis Ababa in October 2007. The
and security, sustainable development RCCs aim to produce a shared vision
and knowledge sharing and the empo- for sustainable development for the
werment of the vulnerable groups such African continent and its Diaspora.
wledge the contributions of a long line
of African and African Diaspora thinkers such as W.E.B du Bois, Sylvester
Williams who organized the first Pan
African Congress in London in 1900,
Marcus Garvey whose
declaration that Africa
was for the Africans
inspired an entire
movement and Pixley
Ka Seme who called
for the "regeneration
of Africa".
She urged them to
draw inspiration from
the past generations
Sweden Africans unite in Luleå
By Roland Abaidoo
Africans in Sweden's Norrbotten
Region have come together to form an
All Africans Association in Luleå. To
many African immigrants the 1st
September meeting at Kultuna in
Tunastigen, Luleå was a fulfilment of
a long awaited dream.
The meeting brought together
Africans from Angola, Cameroon,
Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana,
Somalia, Congo, Burundi, Rwanda,
Liberia, Sudan and Zambia. Many
Swedish who are married to Africans
were present. Also present were
Swedish who are sympathetic to the
plight of the African Continent.
A Cameroonian Mr. Jimmy Muruki
was unanimously elected Chairman of
the Association. Madam Aisha from
Ghana was elected his vice. Precious
Eyeson, a Nigerian and Paolo, an
Angolan were elected Secretary and
vice respectively.
In a speech after his election, Mr
Muruki thanked the members for
imposing their trust in him and promised to do everything he could to unite
Africans in Norrbotten. He said many
problems in Africa can be solved if
Africans residing in advanced countries can come together to help "our
countries at home". He said there is an
environmental catastrophe in Africa
which can be a threat to the tourist
industry of the continent. There is the-
refore the need to identify some of these problems and see how
best the association
can assist in their solution.
Later in an interview, the vice chairperson Madam Aisha,
pointed out that there
is the need to follow
the political and economic events in the
various African countries, so that proficient
ministers of states can
be identified and
honoured. She said the
call by a state minister
in Ghana that every Ghanaian must be
tested of the HIV/AIDS was very
important. She regretted that up till
now, neither the Government nor the
general public have reacted to such a
wise suggestion.
The meeting was climaxed by a
party in which African and Swedish
meals were served.
Rhema Nti is Miss
Ghana UK 2007
Rhema Nti
has
been
voted
the
most beautiful
Ghanaian girl
in the UK.
Rhema, 18,
has just completed her ALevel and will
be
going
University to
study
BA
Honours
Degree
in
Business
Management
at
Queen
Mary University of London.
She works part time in a retail store.
Rhema likes travelling abroad. "My
spare time is taken up by shopping,
socialising and dancing ballet. I have
been involved in several business related competitions in school and was
managing director of the young enterprise team."
18
October 2007
COMMENTARY/OP-ED
South Africa: ANC
and new Leadership
By Eric Singh
The 52nd Conference of the African
National Congress (ANC) of South
Africa promises to be a very heated
affair. When delegates assemble on 16
December 2007 at the University of
Polokwane in the Limpopo Province,
they will be faced with the task of electing a leader who will lead South
Africa from 2009 onwards.
The battle lines are drawn. There are
no clear favourites in sight but a number of candidates have made their
intentions known. The two leading
contenders are the sitting president
Thabo Mbeki and his Deputy Jacob
Zuma. The third contender is the multibillionaire and former Premier of
Gauteng Province, Tokyo Sexwale.
President Mbeki is of the opinion
that the next President of South Africa
should be a woman and has put forward the name of Deputy President Ms
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Winnie
Mandela is proposing Foreign Minister
Frau Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Winnie Mandela is expected to play
a key role in the choice of the next president. She has deep roots within the
membership and is accepted throughout the country. It is not surprising,
therefore, that all the contenders are
wooing her. A South African President
can serve only two terms in office. This
would bring Thabo Mbeki's reign to an
end after the elections in 2009. On the
other hand there is no limitation to the
period a person can occupy the
Presidential Chair in the ANC. The
general feeling in the ANC is that
whoever occupies the organisation's
seat should also head the government.
The ANC's partners in the Tripartite
Alliance, COSATU (Congress of South
ship at all levels of the organisation.
Power must reside in the collective
rather than in a few individuals. … The
Alliance and the ANC must be empowered to drive the transformation agenda, rather than the current situation
where the movement works more like a
rubber stamp and the Alliance a crisis
management body.
"If the ANC becomes a movement
of the bourgeoisie, then the liberation
movement will have stalled,
because the capitalists are content
with the current order of things in
which they can reap profits and
make lucrative deals".
SACP General Secretary,
Blade Nzimande, has warned
against allowing dirty politics of
succession from turning South
Africa into another authoritarian
Zimbabwe.
"When we look at the once promising, but now failed progressive revolutions like next door in
Zimbabwe, it all started with the
things we are saying now. That is
where it started going wrong. The
Zimbabweans kept quiet because
they said this is a liberation movement that has fought a glorious
Winnie Mandela is expected to play battle, and Zimbabwe was on a
a key role in the choice of the next slippery slope. By the time
ANC president
Zimbabweans woke up it was too
late. That is what we must not
COSATU
General
Secretary allow here (in South Africa)" warned
Zwelinzima Vavi did not pull his pun- Nzimande.
Tokio Sexwale, on the other hand,
ches. "The Alliance and the ANC itself
were for part of the post-1994 era lar- firmly believes that South Africa cangely marginalized from policy formu- not afford to lose the Alliance. "We
lated, and reduced to onlookers, expec- cannot have a COSATU that feels that
ted to mechanically follow directives it has got serious difficulties with the
ANC. We can't have an ANC that canissued by the executive" said Vavi.
According to Vavi, "The ANC must not see eye to eye with its members.".
retain and promote collective leader- In response to criticisms about contraAfrican Trade Unions) and the SACP
(South African Communist Party), are
most unhappy with the path being followed by the ANC-led government.
Both of them support Jacob Zuma. He
is considered an ally of the working
class. Here is an example of their
distress. In his address to the national
conference of the National Education,
Health and Allied Workers Union
(NEHAWU), in Pretoria in June,
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dictions between his ANC membership
and business interests, Sexwale said
that the depths of his pocket do not
determine his social consciousness. He
went on to point out that such great
ANC leaders like Chief Albert Luthuli,
(first African to win the Nobel Peace
Prize), and Walter Sisulu, who was sentenced to life imprisonment together
with Nelson Mandela, were both businessmen.
The Conference in December will
have another problem to deal with. MK
(Umkhonto we Sizwe - Spear of the
Nation), represented through the MK
Military
Veterans
Association
(MKMVA), is demanding the right of
participation and to vote at the conference. This will put it on a par with the
ANC Women's League, and the ANC
Youth League. The ANCYL has this
privilege since the last conference in
2002. The army veterans are demanding that this item should be placed on
top of the agenda at the conference in
Polokwane. At the moment they have
observer status. The former soldiers
argue that they were fully represented
at the last Conference of the ANC in
exile that was held in the Zambian
town of Kabwe in 1985. If this move is
successful, it could very dramatically
tilt the balance in favour of Jacob
Zuma.
Whatever happens, one is certain,
the 4000+ delegates will be kept on the
hop for the five days beginning on 16
December. It is not only the question of
the leadership with which they will
have to deal, but a whole host of social
and economical problems as well.
Black Africa: Living with the visions of the past (Part 2)
By Ekarika Nana 0bot
With a little effort, you too can find
out for yourself who exactly President
Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is!
Which man London, Washington,
Brussels and Abuja, are tossing between the Towers of London, and the
Spanish Inquisitor. Did he commit
sacrilege? The answer probably will be
"yes and no." No, because Mr. Mugabe
committed no sacrilege and "yes"
although he committed no sacrilege, he
attempted to keep his flesh for himself,
instead of keeping it for the butchers.
The flesh he dare keep is the land of his
predecessors, and so it was until 1890
when white settlers began to slaughter
them for it.
A scene comparable with not only
that of Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh,
Iran's Prime Minister, who in the
British and American eyes committed
unforgivable sin by placing Iran's
national interest above British and
American interest in that Dr.
Mossadegh wanted to have more than
8% royalty from the net profit that
Britain earns from Iranian oil minerals.
The CIA together with the British SIS,
overthrew Mohammed Mossadegh in
August 1953. Welcome to AfricanEuropean saga. In 1979 the British
Government under Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher, together with the
US government, agreed to subscribe
£75m towards Zimbabwe's ten-year
land reform program, as friendly act,
not as reparation for illegal occupation,
and not as interest accrued to
Zimbabwe, for the utilization of their
land by white settlers for centuries.
Suddenly, Margaret Thatcher made a towards western economic might.
If Mr. Mugabe is a monster, good!
"U" turn from previous agreements
saying that Zimbabwe's land was to be But whatever his faults may have been,
the price for Zimbabwe's independen- he has provided his folk at least, basic
ce. Why? Is it because Zimbabwe, unli- education. He finances it with "rain
ke other African countries refused to propelled" agricultural economy in the
take civil war by proxy within that 10- midst of mountains of questionable
year period that would have seen foreign debts left behind by Ian Smith's
Zimbabwe back to the genesis of its Rhodesia.
struggle for nationhood? Things took
new dimensions as
the Secretary of
“If President Robert
State, Claire Short,
(Tony Blair's labour Mugabe of Zimbabwe is a
government), wrote monster, good! But whatean ugly letter to
ver his faults may have
President Mugabe been, he has provided his
saying; "I should folk at least, basic educamake it clear that we
tion. He finances it with
do not accept that "rain propelled" agricultuBritain has a special
responsibility
to ral economy in the midst of
meet the cost of land mountains of questionable
purchase
in foreign debts left behind by
Ian Smith's Rhodesia.”
Zimbabwe. We are a
new Government
from diverse backEkarika Nana 0bot
grounds
without
links to former colonial interest. My
own origins are Irish and as you know He
transformed
education
in
we were colonised not colonisers. Let's Zimbabwe beyond that of most black
assume that the fall of the tabernacle in African countries with exception of
New York on 9/11/2001 nullified all Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana in 1957.
existing national and international Before 1980, education in Zimbabwe
agreements, one would think that £75m was compulsory only for children of
will be far less than the amount, the European origin or background. Black
CIA or MI6 would require to depose a African children were required to pay
government in Africa, South America, tuition fees at neatly segregated schoand at other subject counties around the ols says New African magazine.
world that fail to contribute diligently African classes were held under the
trees. At that time, primary schools
enrolment was extremely poor and
resulted in floods of illiterates within
the African population. Mr. Mugabe
established a universal integrated compulsory educational system and raised
the number of schools for blacks from
177 in 1979 to 1517 in 1992. School
enrolment rose by over 1000% from
66,200 to 687,742 in that same period.
Myself, a peripherally Nigeria's
independence child, an orphan born on
the fields behind the riverbanks from
where Nigeria picks its golden eggs
dared not dream of the luxury of a primary education. It is not the mother
Africa, I repeat, not Africa which is a
test case for mankind's survival. It is
alone the African leaders who turn our
own paradise into hell. Consider
Former Nigeria President 0basanjo's
senseless massacres of Ijaws in the
Niger Delta, the liquidation of opposition just to mention a few. Consider
also, Presidents Museveni (Uganda)
and Kagame, (Rwanda) fighting ignominious war for and on behalf of
Anglo-American raw-material cartel
that has already claimed the life of
about four million Congolese added to
an estimated 10 million murdered by
King Leopold II, of Belgium between
1885-1908.
I think, one should always strive to
reflect than defy one's conscious even
when constantly threatened by internal
and external adversities. We must first
blow up our pathological consciousness and corrosive social behaviours
so as to be able to bring up a new generation termed to be Africans from our
own syllabus.
COMMENTARY/OP-ED
October 2007
19
Figures of disgrace
The human scandal of
Britain’s asylum system
By Peter Tatchell*
The government's 'success'
in cutting asylum numbers is
down to its shameless rigging of
the system to ensure many
applicants fail.
In order to appease the anti-asylum
vote and attempt to meet its asylum
reduction targets, the UK government
has deliberately erected so many obstacles to claiming asylum that even
genuine refugees are nowadays labelled as bogus and deported.
Home Office Minister Tony
McNulty has announced, with a fanfare of pride and publicity, that in 2006
the government cut the number of asylum applications and increased the
number of deportations. Asylum applications have dropped to the lowest
level for 14 years, with the number of
people applying for refugee status in
the UK falling to 23,610 in 2006.
Statistics show deportations in the
second quarter of 2007 fell by 6% compared with the same period last year.
But the overall trend of the last year is
that the number of asylum seekers
deported from the UK rose by 17% in
2006; with deportations totalling
18,280.
Labour and the Daily Mail are jumping for joy. For the many genuine
refugees who are wrongly branded by
the Home Office as "failed" asylum
seekers, this get tough policy is a
humanitarian disaster. Some are being
sent back to countries where they are at
risk of arrest, jail, torture, vigilante
attacks, death squads and worse. The
truth is that much of the government's
"success" in cutting asylum numbers
and hiking deportations is because it
has shamelessly rigged the asylum
system to ensure the failure of as many
applicants as possible.
This is a cynical, ruthless, immoral
policy - devoid of compassion and
humanity. Labour's pride in its rigged
asylum system is one reason why so
many people, like me, have left Labour
in droves. We can no longer stomach
this heartless, dishonest government,
which brags that it deports one asylum
seeker "every eight minutes." I have no
objection to the removal of people who
make false, fraudulent claims. There
are some bogus claimants who abuse
the system. Their applications should
be rejected. But I know from firsthand
experience that many genuine refugees
get labelled by the Home Office as crooks and charlatans. I have assisted asylum applicants for over 20 years - not
only gays and lesbians, but also people
who have suffered political and religious persecution. In the last couple of
years alone, I have helped over 100
refugees who were declared by the
government to be "not genuine." With
my help, and the assistance of others,
all but two of these applicants were
eventually able to corroborate their
harrowing accounts of brutalities such
as imprisonment, torture, rape and the
murder of their loved ones. The fact is
that many, if not most, asylum applications "fail" because of poor or non-existent legal representation, not because
the claims are unfounded. A majority of
the asylum seekers who contacted me
impossible to do a decent job representing asylum applicants with such miserable levels of funding. All the solicitors I have spoken to agree that the
number of hours paid by legal aid for
the preparation of each asylum application is insufficient. It does not cover all
the work required to produce a professional application or appeal. The preparation of a proper asylum case involves
a solicitor taking a detailed statement
from the applicant, which can be especially slow and laborious because
“Home Office ministers like Tony
McNulty cannot claim they are
unaware that the asylum system is
rigged to fail as many applicants as
possible. They cannot plead ignorance about the woeful inadequacy
of legal aid funding. If they don't
know, they should know. It is their
responsibility. If they do know, why
are they allowing it to continue?”
Mr. Peter Tatchell
had no solicitors. They had been abandoned. A few never had solicitors in the
first place. With no legal representation, and often speaking little or no
English, no wonder they failed at their
first attempt to get asylum.
Apart from two claimants, all the
asylum applicants I have supported had
no income and were dependent on legal
aid. A dwindling number of legal aid
solicitors do a good job. Many let down
their clients. Some are third rate and
incompetent or, more usually, they are
under-funded and over-burdened with
asylum claims. The Home Office has a
list of legal aid solicitors it recommends to asylum claimants. It just so
happens that most of these firms have a
high failure rate, which is very convenient for a government hell-bent on slashing asylum numbers. The talk on the
asylum street is that shoddy solicitors
gravitate to asylum work because it is
easy pickings, with little competition
from first-rate lawyers. It certainly
looks that way from my experience.
In one case with which I was involved, a Home Office-approved legal aid
practitioner acting for ex-Soviet bloc
asylum applicants was so incompetent
that I had to advise him on basic points
of law. Cuts in legal aid funding mean
that many reputable solicitors no longer take on asylum cases. They say it is
many applicants do not speak English
and are deeply traumatised due to torture or to the murder of their friends
and family.
Case preparation also involves
securing corroborating affidavits from
witnesses and family members in farflung countries, obtaining expert
reports from academics and human
rights groups, organising medical examinations and documentation to confirm assault and torture, and researching the legal basis of the claim and
the relevant case law.
The government expects legal aid
solicitors to be able to do all this with a
mere few hours work. In most cases,
this is impossible. The wholly inadequate legal aid fees mean that most
asylum applicants never have their case
adequately presented to the Home
Office - which is the way the government likes it, because it increases the
"fail" rate and boosts deportations.
The under-funding of legal aid asylum cases means that many reputable
law firms have pulled out of asylum
work. A few firms struggle on heroically, doing good quality legal aid asylum
work at a financial loss. This leaves the
field open to less scrupulous solicitors.
Some see asylum applicants as cash
cows. They know the legal aid money
is inadequate. They realise they won't
be able to prepare a proper claim. But
they just take the money and a present
half-baked submission on behalf of
their client.
The legal aid solicitor for one of my
Palestinian claimants represented her at
an asylum hearing based on a 20 minute interview conducted one hour before
the case began. This was not long
enough to document her full story, let
alone get any supportive evidence. At
the hearing, key aspects of her persecution as a Muslim woman were never
heard and no corroborating documentation was presented. No wonder she
"failed." One Iranian I am assisting is
represented by a firm of legal aid solicitors recommended by the Home
Office. They told him they did not
"have time" to record his story of persecution and, anyway, it was "too complicated". Without the applicant's
approval, they presented an asylum tribunal with a plausible - but entirely fictitious - story, which had nothing to do
with his actual experience of human
rights abuses in Iran. I can only assume
that this firm also presents bogus evidence in other "complicated" cases.
The Home Office under-funding of
legal aid encourages such abuses. It is
an open invitation to unscrupulous
laws firms to take short-cuts and manipulate the system.
The whole asylum process is rigged
to fail as many applicants as possible.
The government's Fast-Track system is
designed to speed up the processing of
claims and expedite the removal of
"failed" asylum seekers. A solicitor
assigned to a new claimant often gets
less than 24 hours notice of their client's
Home
Office
hearing.
Unsurprisingly, the refusal rate is high.
If the claim is refused, the appeal can
be scheduled for as little as a week or
so later - which is rarely enough time to
get additional supportive evidence.
My experience is not untypical.
Similar complaints about the asylum
system are reported by other organisations working with asylum applicants,
such as the National Coalition of AntiDeportation Campaigns, Bail Circle,
and the London Detainees Support
Group. Home Office ministers like
Tony McNulty cannot claim they are
unaware that the asylum system is rigged to fail as many applicants as possible. They cannot plead ignorance about
the woeful inadequacy of legal aid funding. If they don't know, they should
know. It is their responsibility. If they
do know, why are they allowing it to
continue?
* Peter Tatchell is a human rights
campaigner and member of
OutRage!
(http://www.petertatchell.net). He is
Green Party parliamentary candidate
for Oxford East. Talking With
Tatchell is broadcast every Friday
night at 8.30pm on the internet TV
channel, www.18doughtystreet.com
A conflict of cultures
By John Mwangi
The typical African individual living
in any western nation makes an effort
to balance his culture with what the
foreign society or environment
demands. It is a continuous battle
trying to adapt to the foreign culture
and society while at the same time striving to hold on to the traditional
African within the individual.
While in the western society, if the
typical African insists on being an
African to the core, the western public
will misconceive him, but if he wholly
imbibes the foreign culture, he would
likely lose the core elements that make
him a traditional African. And if in that
condition, he goes/comes home to
Africa, he would be seen by the typical
traditional Africans at home (and there
are millions of them) as a disgrace to
the motherland and culture he was supposed to represent. He would be regarded as a sell-out. He would be viewed
as one without consideration or respect
for his roots. He would be treated as
one who chose to snub his culture out
of egotism and pomposity.
To avoid being continuously tonguelashed and insulted, the returning
African would try to hide the influence
of the foreign accent on his speech.
Usually he fails at it because sooner or
later, the foreign accent slips through.
In the end, he only subjects himself to
ridicule and scorn. He becomes the
worst of two worlds - neither being
able to properly speak and exhibit his
original language and traditional culture, nor successfully imbibing the
western accent and culture. A sort of
dilemma hardly understood by those
who have never been faced by the rea-
lity of this dual situation on a first hand
experience. This predicament is further
compounded by the fact that the individual thus becomes a master of neither
his original African traditional culture,
nor the previously strange western culture.
Yet, many of us will neither relent
nor crucify ourselves. Rather than
waste in self-pity, and self condemnation, some of us have found some solace in simply balancing the two cultures
and giving the situation the best shot
we can give to each of these conflicting
worlds, ONE AT A TIME.
20
ENTERTAINMENT
October 2007
The flaws in Nigerian movies
By Nigeriafilms.com
As a movie critic for www.nigeriafilms.com, I have seen more than
a thousand Nigerian movies since the
end of the 90s and I am very often
asked why Nigerian movies are so
poorly produced and executed. Don't
get me wrong, I have laughed, cried,
screamed and learned a bunch from
a couple of great movies that remain
the reference till today in Nollywood
history, to name but a few: The Price,
The Intruder, The Issakaba franchises, Little Angel, Old School.
There are two kinds of flaws that
rampage the quality of Nigerian
movies:
- the lack of funds and technical
knowledge that hamper movies in the
fields of sound and image, special
effects, scenes choreography and structure, and so on.
- the lack of creativity and the greed
to push to the market a movie that is a
carbon copy of another or develop a
theme already seen a million times
before and counting.
Action/Thrillers
Rape and pregnancy
The fighting scenes and the shooting scenes are poorly choreographed
and amateurish. Action heroes in
Hollywood are also masters of martial
arts which takes time and discipline to
learn, you don't improvise that.
Gunshots sound like firecrackers.
Punches and kicks sound like they have
been stolen from scenes from other
movies.
Rape scenes abound and there
seems to be a general rule to it: the girl
gets pregnant. In almost 90% of the
cases. And when a woman is pregnant,
she "must" have morning sickness.
Problem here is that a pregnant
woman gets sick in the middle of the
day. The nauseous state at the beginning of the pregnancy is called morning sickness for a reason, it gets the
woman out of bed in the morning. The
nausea can continue throughout the
day, but as a general rule, it happens in
the morning, before a woman is out of
bed. Ask your wives and sisters! Then
again, some actresses are
mothers and know that all
too well, still they play
pregnant women who
have nausea in the middle
of the afternoon.
Actors
For the great majority of them, they
lack formal and basic training in voice
Part 1 - 2 - 3.
Stories drag on unnecessarily for the sake of
selling more CDs/VCDs.
The popular fashion of
making 3 parts to a story
has
proportionally
decreased the viewing
pleasure.
"Standing
Order" is the most gruelling, senseless piece of
nothing I ever sat down
to watch 9 hours long!
People, 9 hours long!
The ride will be long & chaotic, so
fasten your seatbelts, here we go:
Introduction at the beginning is
always way too long, it sometimes
takes a third of the space on the disc to
advertise other movies from the same
production house. The advertising guy
sounds like he has 2 minutes to read an
A4 sheet and at the same time the
house is coming down because the roof
is on fire. He has to get out of there in
1 and a half minutes or he's dead!
The beginning of Part 2 usually has
15 minutes of part 1 before it properly
starts. Just put on a Hallmark production and you'll see my point.
The soundtrack: Headache alert!
It plays continuously over the dialogues to the point that at times the viewer doesn't understand a word that is
being said.
The Themes
They are repeated times and times
over to the point that the viewer can
just see the title, listen to the soundtrack and just five minutes into the
movie, they know already where the
storyline is heading to.
How many times is a bored married
woman going to get an accident and
fall madly in love with the
passerby/doctor/mechanic who comes
to her rescue? How many times will a
rich man/woman conspire to have their
offspring marry the rich offspring of
their friend/business partner/political
godfather? How many times will a
match made in heaven be undermined
by trouble brewed by the boy/girl best
friend? How many times is a woman in
love going to finance the wellbeing of
her jobless, parasite boyfriend who will
eventually abandon her? How many
times?
NEW RELEASES
Spelling Mistakes
coaching, body language, and impersonation of the character. They don't feel
their characters and don't play them
convincingly either. Acting is a formal
training, a great figure or a cute face
are far from enough to be a credible
actor or actress. In "Touch My Heart",
Desmond Elliot plays a loud and rowdy
illiterate to the perfection. He really
became that man and who is totally
opposite to the person Desmond is, and
despite all his flaws, the viewer comes
to feel empathy for him. That's what
acting is all about! More examples:
RMD in "The Price", Stella DamasusAboderin in "Standing Alone", and
Patience Ozokwor in "Old School".
Sex, sex, sex
It has become indispensable to the
narration of every story, and rather too
much of it than too little. It is for the
most part senseless sex that the storyline doesn't justify. It is either sex between lovers or sex for money between
pot-bellied middle-aged fools and girls
the age of their (grand) daughters.
In "My Empire", Steph Nora
Okereke Falana and Benedict Johnson
are lovers and I quickly lost count of
the scenes in which they were in bed or
just out of bed in robes. Why can't a
man and a woman be lovers without
jumping in bed with one another? Isn't
there anything else lovers ever do? Is
sex the only means of communication
between lovers?
Does anybody ever review the finished product before pushing it out to
the masses? Actors’ names are very
often grossly misspelled in the credits
and subtitles are a serious hazard to
your health.
Editing Mistakes
In "The Intruder", Rita Dominic is
talking about Chief Jacobs calling him
Chief Douglas who was another character in the story. Sometimes, actors
call fellow actors by their real names or
by someone else's name. Continuity!!!
It also happens that the title in the
movie is not the same on the cover. The
movie "The Invisible man" is called so
on the cover, but is "The Invincible
man" in the movie. Go figure!
Make-up, wigs and garments
The circus is in town! Women have
their faces made up like clowns with
sometimes each eye brow in its own
colour! Eucharia Anunobi-Ekwu is a
specialist at this kind of nonsense.
Wigs and hairpieces are a national disaster and look like bird nests on a rainy
day! Granted the fashion these days is
low waist. Does that mean the viewer
has to get dizzy roller-coasting up and
down the fat rolls on the hips and buns
of Uche Jombo and Monalisa Chinda
to name but a few? Actresses get sausaged in tight outfits that don't fit their
generous shapes and make them look
outright ridiculous while they could be
regal in African attires. Do they sign a
clause in their contracts that forbids
them from wearing African attires?
Husbands
They are always right and they
always get away with all the evil they
ever commit against women. A man
will chase his wife away from his home
for 3 years, and marry someone else
who will off course disappoint him. In
the meantime, the wife is beating the
path to the local church every hour of
the day and praying and fasting continuously to get back her cheating, backstabbing husband. All he has to say, but
it's not compulsory, is that he is sorry.
And she'll come back running with the
blessings of her family and this will be
a day of great joy for her. She'll confess
to him that she never lost hope while he
was enjoying himself with someone
else.
In "Naked Sin", Bob-Manuel
Udokwu rapes the dead body of
Chioma Chukwuka who not only gets
pregnant in the process, but also sees
an act of salvation in it! In "Games
Men Play", the same Bob-Manuel
Udokwu plots the rape of his own wife,
the same Chioma Chukwuka who
eventually forgives him because he's
sorry! Next, please!
Women
Should aliens come down to Earth
and watch exclusively Nigerian
movies, what do you think they would
go back to tell their folks about
Nigerian women? Women are mostly
cast in a negative light that portrays
them as dumb, submissive, nymphomaniac, slaves, immoral, and greedy
gold-diggers. The minute a woman gets
a man, the only thing on her mind is to
get him to marry her the fastest possible and she will stop at nothing to make
that happen. All the women in her
direct entourage have nothing else in
mind but to snatch him away from her
by all means. Her mother, sisters, best
friends, colleagues and even her housemaid are now a threat, they all become
her worst enemies. Women walk
around hunting for men to marry them
at any cost. In "Honey Desire", a single
mother and educated woman with a
comfortable situation throws herself at
an illiterate street bum who can't tell
his left from his right. She fights tooth
and nails to keep the idiot to herself and
even fights her own daughter who off
course throws herself at him as well.
And since the bum thinks with his third
leg anyway, he gets himself the best of
both worlds by taking them both to bed
and eventually abandoning them later.
A woman who's kind, a true friend and
a caretaker of another woman is always
a victim.
Watch Nigerian movies with your
eyes and ears wide open and feed me
back. Enjoy!
ENTERTAINMENT
October 2007
21
By Ami Boghani
Son), and David Keating
(Writer/Director, The Last of
the High Kings).
After these first seven days,
the mentors sat down and deliberated to choose 3 of the 9
films to go into production,
with the remaining 6 filmmakers serving as production
managers and assistant directors. We also welcomed a new
branch of participants- 3 cinematographers, 3 sound mixers,
and 3 editors- who would train
with their own respective mentors: Barry Alexander Brown
(Editor, Malcolm X, Inside
Man), Kerwin DeVonish (2nd
© AMI BOGHANI PHOTO
"If we don't tell our stories,
no one else will." That is the
mantra of Maisha (meaning
life in Kiswahili), the non-profit filmmakers' training program based in Kampala,
Uganda that I've worked for
since 2004. Each year Maisha
conducts three-week training
labs for aspiring East African
film professionals in directing,
screenwriting, sound recording, cinematography, and editing. Founded by filmmaker
Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding,
The
Namesake),
Maisha brings filmmaking professionals from all over the
world to Kampala to
mentor students from
Uganda, Tanzania,
Rwanda, and Kenya.
Rather than attempt to
"doctor" participants'
work or guide it in a
particular direction,
the lab's goal is to
equip our students
with the tools necessary to articulate their
unique visions on
screen.
In our third year of
operation, Maisha has
grown from a summer
program to a yearround one, thus allowing us to train more
people. Our most
Kenyan Cinematographer
recent session, which George Michuki Karugu on set
started on July 26th,
in Kampala, Uganda
welcomed 9 filmmaking trainees. The
participants were selected Unit DP, Inside Man), Fellipe
based on their submitted scre- Barbosa (Writer/Director, Salt
enplays and sent into a rigo- Kiss), Verane Pick (Actress,
rous week of supervised revi- Last Looks), and Drew Kunin
sion under the experienced and (Sound Mixer, Crouching
meticulous eyes of Joshua Tiger Hidden Dragon). Three
Marston
(Writer/Director, six-person crews were then
Maria Full of Grace), Jason assembled and given three
Filardi (Writer, Bringing days to shoot, and three days
Down the House), Alison to edit their short films.
The three films that were
Maclean (Director, Jesus'
created at the 2007 Maisha
lab- Must Be A God-Fearing
Christian Girl by Wanjiru
Kairu from Kenya, The Trip by
James Gayo from Tanzania,
and What Happened in Room
13 by Dilman Dila from
Uganda- were, in my opinion,
examples of a very pure brand
of cinema. All three of these
filmmakers had the craft in
their blood without seeing
even a fraction of the films a
student the States would have.
Though the stories range from
a comedy about a young man
whose mother tries to guilt
him into marriage to a silent
film about a philandering
husband they have in common
specifically local themeswhich is what, in Mira Nair's
words, makes them so "surprisingly universal."
The birth of a training program is an education in itself,
especially in a region where
funding arts and culture is not
a priority and there is literally
no infrastructure for filmmaking and distribution. Even
so, all of the Maisha students,
past, present, and future, are
working filmmakers. While
people in other parts of the
world have the opportunity to
go to school to study filmmaking, these individuals are
doing it entirely on their own.
It's baptism by fire and it's the
tenacity of the students to get
their work made and seen that
drives Maisha. The organization simply exists to supply
guidance, support, and exposure.
When asked about why she
has undertaken the task of running the program, Maisha's
Program Director, Tanzanianborn Musarait Kashmiri jokingly says, "I think that Africa
needs a serious PR makeover."
As much as I agree, I don't
want to write about my opinions on the media's portrayal
of "Africa"- or even comment
on the common assumption
that a collective voice exists
© AMI BOGHANI PHOTO
Maisha Film Lab: Passionate
Artists of the Highest Order
An actor on the set of James Gayo's The Trip
for an entire continent. I'd
rather leave that to the men
and women who are creating
raw, beautiful films in East
Africa. They don't function as
ambassadors of their culture or
beholden bearers of truth, but
as true, passionate artists of the
highest order.
Even though the quality of
the work that's coming out of
Maisha is exceptionally solid,
there remains the question of
distribution. While independent filmmakers in any other
part of the world have access
to a network of distributors,
festivals, and cinemas, East
African filmmakers do not. I
recently viewed a film made
by
Ugandan
Directing
Collective Yes That's Us.
Filmmaker Donald Mugisha
and his partners recruited
Ugandan reggae superstars
Bobi Wine and Buchaman to
star in their debut feature film,
Divizionz, a sophisticated yet
honest portrayal of life in the
Kampala ghetto shot on HD.
Donald confessed to me that
he had sunk about $8,000 USD
of his own money into the project, but now that it's complete,
he is having a hard time figuring out what to do with it. It's
not as though a distribution
company is going to buy the
rights and show it in the few
East African multiplexes,
where Jet Li reigns supreme.
Donald's best hope at this
moment is to show the film at
local festivals (where, unlike
the States, films are rarely
bought) but after that, how will
Yes That's Us continue to thrive? Donald's quandary is a
common lament of any director in a region with a nascent
film industry.
Maisha is in the process of
sending the 2007 short films
out to both East African and
International film festivals.
We are developing an internetbased post-lab support program where Maisha alumni
can upload their work and
send it to their mentors for
feedback. With digital technology, filmmaking is more
accessible and mobile, and
certainly more viral. And of
course, we're always accepting
applications for our programs.
Now that these stories are
being told, we need to make
sure they are being heard so
that these exciting new voices
can make the impact they are
so deeply capable of.
The best of Tabu Ley's old music released
If 'Franco & TPOK Jazz' were the
Rolling Stones... then 'Tabu Ley
Rochereau' is the Beatles or, at the very
least, is Paul McCartney. Songwriter,
singer, talent scout, music-publisher,
record-company executive and even,
most recently, a politician - it's clear
he's one of the Greats.
Originally dubbed 'Rochereau'
because he was the only one in his class
who could identify a certain French
TOP CHARTS
hero as Colonel Pierre DenfertRochereau, the 'Tabu Ley' was gradually added as Congo's own 'Authenticite'
programme got underway.
And it's at this period that Sterns
Music 2CD compilation catches him the golden years from the very early
60s through to the late 70s when he
wrote some of his finest songs and
gave some of his greatest performances. A time when he was as happy to
write jingles for OMO soap powder
(Savon Omo - CD1), as he was unafraid to experiment with extended workouts and let his band have its way (e.g.
Adeito - CD2 - parts 1 & 2 reunited
here for the first time since they were
recorded).
These 2CDs are a confection of
African pop at its very best; melodic,
vibrant, beautifully crafted and while
well aware of what was going on in the
rest of the world - not least the rest of
Africa - securely anchored in that
mainstream of African music,
Congolese rumba. And, above it all,
floats the voice of Tabu Ley
Rochereau, the voice of lightness...
You can play audio tracks and order
your CD's on the web site www.sternsmusic.com
22
SPORTS
October 2007
Golden Eaglets being “spoilt”
after winning U-17 World Cup
state reception in Abeokuta for
the team before announcing
N5 million present to the team
and a 32 seater bus to be used
by any U-17 national team by
the
Nigeria
Football
Chinese to build a 40,000
seater stadium in Zambia
Chinese are to build a
40,000-seater stadium in northern Zambia. The governments of Zambia and China
recently signed an agreement
for the construction of the stadium in Ndola in the
Copperbelt province, BBC
reported.
The construction will cost
an estimated $70 million. A
Chinese delegation visited the
country to carry out feasibility
studies at the construction site.
Delegation leader Zhang
Zijun and Bizwayo Nkunika,
the permanent secretary in
Zambia's ministry of works
and supply, signed on behalf
of the two governments.
The new stadium which
will be Zambia's biggest-ever
arena will be ready before the
2010 World Cup in South
Africa, Sports minister Gabriel
Namulambe said.
"The signing ceremony
marks the beginning of the
construction works," he
announced at the signing ceremony in Lusaka.
"This country will benefit
from South Africa's hosting of
the 2010 World Cup if the stadium is completed. "I am calling upon the private sector to
Ghana has been urged to
speed up work on training
grounds earmarked for the
2008 African Cup of Nations
finals. The Confederation of
African Football (Caf) sent a
three-man inspection team in
Ghana in mid September to
asses the country's readiness
for the tournament that gets
underway in January.
"The training pitches are an
South Africa's player
Leremi dies in car crash
come on board because we
need a five-star hotel next to
the stadium." Chinese ambassador to Zambia Li Qiangmin
assured that the construction
of the stadium would be completed before 2010.
Zambia is currently facing
stadium crisis. Fifa has declared the Independence Stadium
in Lusaka unfit to host matches, and Zambia may have to
play their 2010 World Cup
home qualifiers outside the
country. A parliamentary committee has also recommended
the razing down of the stadium.
Speed up work on
ACN training pitches,
Caf tells Ghana
area of concern for us
and we have informed
the Ghanaian officials,"
BBC quoted Tunisian
Slim Aloulou, the head
of the inspection team
to have said.
"We're worried that
with the pace of work,
they cannot be completed on time and have advised
that the Ghana officials put
pressure on the contractors and
also make alternative plans.
"The thing with training pitches is that the grass needs to
be firmly in place by the time
the tournament comes around.
We didn't see that."
Ghana is supposed to provide sixteen training pitches in
African Youth Championship "What they have been given
in Togo, the Government and are legacies and I tell you that
people of the Gateway State before long; trouble will come
accorded them the best of and some of them will sell
reception, support and hospi- those houses and some will
lose their money.
tality."
"But like a team we will sit
Haruna Lukman, the
Golden Eaglets' captain has down and give them good
since their return to Nigeria advice on what to do with their
been receiving cash both for money and also I will advice
himself and for the team. He them to be focused and train
said that out pouring of good- so hard so that they retain their
will towards the team and offi- form," Tella said.
cials since they returned
from Seoul has been overwhelming.
"I am just getting rich
"I am just getting rich
now; I am looking forward now; I am looking forto more of such goodies,
ward to more of such
because I know that when I
goodies,
because I know
become a professional plathat when I become a
yer I could earn more
money, doing what I love to
professional player I
do best," Daily Champion could earn more money,
newspaper quoted Lukman doing what I love to do
to have said after telecoms
best"
company Globacom gave
each of the players N2m.
But the Eaglets' coach
Haruna Lukman, the
Yemi Tella warned his boys Golden Eaglets' captain
to be careful with the
money they were receiving.
Nigeria's Golden Eaglets
have been having nice since
they won this year's FIFA
Under-17 World Cup in Korea
last month. Governor Gbenga
Daniel of Ogun State hosted a
Association.
Schools in
Abeokuta, the
state
capital
were
closed
down to enable
the pupils come
to cheer the
World beaters
upon
return
from
Korea,
Vanguard newspaper reported.
Explaining
why the state
was overjoyed
with achievement of the
Golden Eaglets,
Governor
Daniel
said
"The journey of
the great feat
we are all celebrating in the
country started
from
Ogun
State in September 2006 when
the Eaglets started their camping exercise at the Gateway
Games Village in Ijebu-Ode.
While there ahead of the
all for the sixteen team competition and the country's
Minister of Sports Dominic
Fobih admitted they are
encountering problems.
"We are aware that there are
issues with the training
grounds and for us too it has
been a major source of concern," he said. "But we will
work on and are confident it
will be all fine when the tournament comes around." The
Caf team, however, expressed
satisfaction with Ghana's readiness to host the rest of the
continent. "We have seen four
beautiful stadiums and they
could even host games tomorrow," Aloulou said.
US team Orlando Pirates midfielder Gift Leremi, right,
fights for the ball with Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyabonga
Nkosi, left, during the Vodacom Challenge soccer match
at Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenburg, South
Africa, Thursday, July 20, 2006.
South Africa's international
midfielder Gift Leremi was in
September killed in a car accident. The accident occurred
late in the evening of 3rd
September, BBC reported.
Leremi, 22, had just returned from Cameroon where he
played for South African
champions
Mamelodi
Sundowns in an African
Confederation Cup match.
Police spokesperson Jimmy
Maboko said: ""He was driving on the fast lane and then
lost control of his car.
"The car went over an
embankment and started overturning, he was then flung out
in the process and his body
was found a few metres away
from the wreckage."
Leremi had only recently
joined Sundowns, moving in
the pre-season from Orlando
Pirates, where he had spent
five seasons as a player.
Leremi, who had scored
twice since his move to
Sundowns, won four caps for
South Africa, the last being
two years ago at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the U.S.
The South African Football
Players Union called Leremi
"one of the best midfielders in
the country".
"Leremi's football skills
will be sorely missed by the
South African fans and his
passing has left a massive void
with his family and in South
Africa football in general."
SPORTS
October 2007
23
2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
Kaiser impressed by preparations
"South Africa must ensure it's an African World Cup, with all the continent's culture & flair"
By LCC
The
legendary
Franz
Beckenbauer visited the construction site of Cape Town's
2010 FIFA World Cup South
Africa™ stadium on 7th
September and declared himself "very, very impressed"
with South Africa's preparations for the event.
Franz Beckenbauer nicknamed der Kaiser, who is now a
FIFA executive member, was
in South Africa for the 50th
anniversary celebrations of the
Confederation of African
Football (CAF). Along with
the chairman of the FIFA
World
Cup
Organising
Committee, Issa Hayatou, and
the Chief Executive Officer of
the South Africa 2010
Organising Committee, Danny
Jordaan, Der Kaiser visited the
site of the picturesque
Greenpoint FIFA World Cup
stadium, on the slopes of Table
Mountain and alongside Cape
Town's Table Bay.
"Cape Town is one of the
most exciting and beautiful
cities in the world," he said.
"The place could not be better.
And South Africa is a wonderful country. The Greenpoint
World Cup Stadium is in a
stunning location, underneath
Table Mountain and with a
view of the famous Robben
Island, where Nelson Mandela
was imprisoned. I am very,
very impressed with the construction going on in Cape
Town.
"It's fantastic what the people in South Africa are doing
in preparing themselves for the
World Cup in 2010," added
Beckenbauer, a FIFA World
Cup-winning player in 1974
and a coach in 1990.
For Beckenbauer, whose
exploits on and off the FIFA
World Cup stage are the stuff
of legend, the sight of Cape
Town's 2010 FIFA World Cup
stadium steadily under con-
the global football showpiece
in 2010. "I am definitely convinced that the 2010 FIFA
World Cup will be a success.
It's the biggest opportunity for
South
Africa,"
said
Beckenbauer. "The whole
world will be watching this
struction gave him great satisfaction.
Speaking after the site visit,
Beckenbauer said he was
extremely confident South
Africa would be ready to host
country in 2010. And as far as
I can see they're on time and I
have no doubt all the stadiums
will be ready before the World
Cup." Germany is still basking
in the success of a FIFA World
and Fedor Radmann.
Hayatou, who was at the
Cape Town construction site
with FIFA President Joseph S.
Blatter in June this year, was
also extremely impressed with
the progress made on the site
since his last visit. Jordaan
said it was clear to
Beckenbauer and Hayatou that
much hard work is
being done in
South Africa to
“South Africa is a wonder- prepare for 2010
and that the counful country. The
try was on track
Greenpoint World Cup
and on schedule
Stadium is in a stunning to host a succeslocation, underneath Table sful event.
up to
Mountain and with a view the"Leading
Preliminary
of the famous Robben
Draw of the 2010
FIFA World Cup
Island, where Nelson
Durban on 25
Mandela was imprisoned. I in
November this
am very, very impressed year the message
with the construction going they will take to
rest of their
on in Cape Town. It's fan- the
colleagues on the
tastic what the people in FIFA executive is
South Africa are doing in that a lot of work
being done. The
preparing themselves for isprogress
made
the World Cup in 2010” clearly shows
we're on track for
a
wonderful
Franz Beckenbauer,
World Cup.
FIFA executive member
" T h e y
(Beckenbauer and
Hayatou) are get"South Africa must ensure ting very excited about
it's an African World Cup, Africa's first World Cup," said
with all the continent's cultu- Jordaan. "That's very evident
re and flair. I am sure it will when talking to them. The
be a great success," said period of doubt from anyone
Beckenbauer, who was also about South Africa's ability to
joined in South Africa by two host 2010 is long gone. People
of his Vice Presidents from the are now only interested in deaGermany 2006 Organising ling with operational issues."
Committee, Horst Schmidt
Cup last year in which
Beckenbauer played such a
major role, but he advised
South Africans to put their
own stamp to what will be the
first FIFA World Cup on the
African continent. "The best
thing is not to copy the
German World Cup," he
advised.
South Africans mark 1000 Day
Countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
By LCC
South Africans from all
walks of life gathered in their
thousands around the country
on Saturday 15th September
2007 to mark the 1000 Day
Countdown to the 2010 FIFA
World Cup™.
As it reaches this important
milestone, the 2010 FIFA
World
Cup
Organising
Committee South Africa (OC)
and the South African government are satisfied that all preparations for the tournament
are on track to deliver on the
country's promise to host the
best FIFA World Cup ever.
"The 1000 Day Countdown
marks the beginning of the
operational phase of the 2010
FIFA World Cup. We are running within time and within
budget and we are confident
that the tournament will be a
success. There is a shared
vision and commitment by all
South Africans that this World
Cup must work," said OC
Chief Executive Officer
Danny Jordaan.
The
country's
leader,
President Thabo Mbeki added:
"The 2010 FIFA World Cup
presents a golden opportunity
to showcase Africa to the
world. Now we have to show
that the African renaissance is
upon us and Africa's time has
come. The South African
Government will leave no
stone unturned to host a tournament that brings great satisfaction to billions across the
world."
The OC, in conjunction
with the tournament's nine
host cities, staged free public
events countrywide to mark
the 1000-day countdown on
15th September.
"The milestone offers all
people involved in 2010 the
opportunity to collectively
inform the nation about the
progress made thus far, as well
as mobilise South Africans
behind the efforts of making
sure the 2010 FIFA World Cup
becomes the success we want
it to be," said the OC's Chief
Officer of Communications
and Marketing, Tim Modise.
"As a collective, we have to
say to the world that we are
confident of our abilities to
host a successful World Cup.
We are calling on South
Africans in their thousands to
support their host cities' events
and to fly the flag for their
country. After all, this is their
World Cup," he added.
President's praise
FIFA President Joseph S.
Blatter said the 1000 day
countdown would stimulate
interest and enthusiasm even
more in the host country.
"I want to congratulate the
nine host cities and the Local
Organising Committee for the
great initiative to organise this
commemorative event marking the 1000 Day countdown," he said.
"I am really delighted by
the enthusiasm and big efforts
made not only to organise a
unique event, but also to inclu-
de the entire
nation in this celebrations on their
joint journey to
2010. I am sure
that with this
event the wave of
enthusiasm for the
2010 FIFA World
Cup will reach
everybody
in
South
Africa,
including those
normally not in
contact with football. If there is one
thing on this planet that has the
power to bind people together it is
football."
For
South
Africans it was a
day to unite and
joyfully
come
together in a way
they last did when
FIFA awarded the
country the right to host the
2010 FIFA World Cup on 15
May 2004. But the hard work
will quickly resume as the
country works around the
clock to prepare to host the
world in 2010.
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