Basildon Peta

US seeks 'coalition' to force Zimbabwe regime change

Basildon Peta — 2004-08-25T14:53:00Z

The United States has called for the building of a "coalition of the willing" to push for regime change to end the crisis in Zimbabwe. The new American ambassador to South Africa, Jendayi Frazer, said quiet diplomacy pursued by South Africa and other African countries in its dealings with the Zimbabwe president needed a review because there was no evidence it was working. She said her country would be willing to be part of a coalition if invited. (...)

Party of apartheid merges with ANC

Basildon Peta — 2004-08-09T13:42:00Z

in Johannesburg

The party that invented and brutally enforced the system of apartheid in South Africa has died following its weekend decision to merge with its traditional arch-rival, the ruling African National Congress.

The move has outraged Afrikaaner right-wingers, who at one stage were the backbone of support for the New National Party (NNP) and often complain that their culture is being destroyed under ANC rule. (...)

Pretoria's prosecutor resigns suddenly after political row

Basildon Peta — 2004-07-27T14:32:50Z

South Africa's chief prosecutor, who has led a spirited anti-corruption campaign against top South African politicians, has resigned, sparking allegations that he has been forced to quit by a political establishment fearful of his work.

Bulelani Ngcuka has overseen the prosecution of many influential people, including the anti-apartheid icon Winnie Mandela and Tony Yengeni, the former parliamentary chief whip of the ruling African National Congress. He also prosecuted top business people, most notably the arms dealer Schabir Shaik, who is also a private financial adviser to the Deputy President, Jacob Zuma. (...)

Mugabe bans red in curb on opposition

Basildon Peta — 2004-07-15T00:58:29Z

President Robert Mugabe's government has banned the colour red from Zimbabwe television because it is the symbol of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

The MDC encourages its supporters to flash football-style red cards, to tell Mr Mugabe that he is no longer wanted on Zimbabwe's political field. (...)

Newspaper to sue Mugabe and Nujoma over rival publication

Basildon Peta — 2004-06-29T13:31:20Z

The Sunday Times, South Africa and sub-saharan Africa's largest newspaper, said it was instituting legal action against Zimbabwe's President, Robert Mugabe, and his Namibian counterpart, Sam Nujoma, to stop their governments from using its name.

The two virulently anti-West leaders have agreed to start a new newspaper called the New Sunday Times to counter what they describe as propaganda from the South African and European media. The new newspaper project would be jointly funded by their governments.

Zimbabwe bans third private newspaper in a year

Basildon Peta — 2004-06-11T09:37:47Z

Another independent national newspaper was shut down by the Zimbabwe government yesterday - the third in less than a year.

The banning of the weekly Tribune follows the forced closure of the Daily News and the Daily News on Sunday in September last year. Several provincial newspapers were forced to close in 2002 because they could not afford the hefty deposits that had to be lodged with the state-run Media and Information Commission (MIC) under a new media law.

Zimbabwe nationalises all farmland in 'return to feudalism'

Basildon Peta — 2004-06-09T14:05:31Z

The Zimbabwe government has announced that all farmland will be nationalised, including all privately owned game parks, and private land ownership banned. The move has been described as the "single biggest shock" of President Robert Mugabe's rule since independence from Britain in 1980.

"This has effectively turned back the clock and put Zimbabwe back into the centuries-old feudal economic systems which benefited the kings and their aristocrats and impoverished the poor," said the prominent Zimbabwean economist John Robertson. (...)

Mbeki welcomes deposed Haitian leader to £30,000-a-month stay in South Africa

Basildon Peta — 2004-06-01T09:32:20Z

The deposed Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide arrived in South Africa to a red-carpet welcome yesterday amid strong opposition protests over how President Thabo Mbeki has warmed to the former dictator.

Mr Mbeki, who rarely greets heads of state at airports, and who was not at the airport when the President George Bush or the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder visited his country, was at Johannesburg airport to meet Mr Aristide. (...)

Mandela marks 10-year anniversary with speech criticising Britain and US

Basildon Peta — 2004-05-11T08:56:37Z

in Johannesburg

In a parting shot before stepping out of the public limelight, the former South African president Nelson Mandela has attacked Britain and the United States for their alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners and for invading the country in the first place. (...)