BY GEORGE KAGAME
The end of every year resembles that of each working day for the largest supermarket in my neighbourhood. At the end of each working day here, the owner closes the entrance door and along with her husband and Petero Gatera their cousin from the country converge behind the counter. With Gatera remaining at the door to keep watch while the rest of the family sit behind the small counter to count the returns from the day's sales. It otherwise called taking stock. As it is with every end of year we all go; 'Happy New Year" and then follow the statement with the reminiscing about the last and the forecasts for the new one. We are like a super market to translate.
The routine of the supermarket like that of every new year has been similar for a very long-while but the seriousness with which the family carries out this task daily makes it it look like that is the first day for sales reconciliation and its the last. Albert Uwayesu the husband told me that if the universal issue in discussion is money the lingua franca starts and ends with 'utmost seriousness' at every step. "Is life not about money?" he asked.
New money is what Kigali has been experiencing since the beginning of 2008 and the results are there for all to see, the city is now abuzz with many Yuppies-Young Urban Professionals- moving around with laptop bags, while their younger colleagues are now in space and out of place.
These are the teenagers, campusers who equipped with latest mobile phones and Ipods have left the verbose Africa.
There are no more conversations in buses or restaurants, every one in the newest generation seems to be having earphones plugged on their heads and they are all listening to downloaded music from the internet. This is the Kigali of ICT, and yes, that is the story of Kigali now, new money, new kids and newer laptops.
And like Uwayesu said, Kigali has been about money this year, not only has the number of banks from foreign lands increased their presence here, the new banks have also sparked a competition for attraction in the city centre. BK was the first to set up an ultra modern office block-if you ignore Ecobank, then Finabank, then BCR and even Banki Ya Baturage is following suit.
It is not just in the blocks alone that the banks are competing, their managers are busy behind their flashy glass windows devising means with which to attract Rwandans to start up business plans that the banks are ready to fund. Yes, it is official Rwanda's commercial banks are lamenting that they have too much money in their coffers which Rwandans are not borrowing it to create business enterprises that will in turn create more money. As a remedy the banks started a program in 2008 whereby customers are given incentives to design good business plans that can be funded by the banks, all the customers need to is good business acumen to present a plan.
Three of the customers that entered the most recent business plan competition and failed met up with Kigali Notes' good old corespondent Matu Sikiofupi who captured their lamentations and recounts them below:
Mchizi: I designed a good plan. I wanted to open up a bar and saloon and i wanted some of the rooms in my house as premises for the enterprises, however the bank panel threw my plan out and never offered me an explanation. They said this is not a good plan. Now i have asked them to assist me learn how to make good plans.
Taperi: What were you doing going for business competitions when you know that you have never entered leave alone won any competition in your life. There has been alot of money coming into Kigali this year and i mean big money, if you want some of it the bank is not the place to go. I suggest you try entering one of the 'Ishirahamwe' there you will get money without straining your little brain. eti business plan!!!
Bonfere: I suggest that we try going to Kenya to look for work there so you can save and start your business without mocking yourself with bank competitions. Have you not heard that Kenya this year allowed us the opportunity for employment there without paying any taxes. This has been a great year to be in Rwanda and even greater if you are in Kigali.
Monday 29 December 2008
Investors’ now turn to President Kagame for tax reforms
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Rwanda’s ambivalent tax system is still a major challenge for investors and hinders the volume of business in the country, this was revealed by a group of businessmen that were meeting President Paul Kagame in his annual investors’ roundtable.
The roundtable which took place in Village Urugwiro earlier in the week is meant to promote and strengthen partnerships between the public and private sectors which Kagame has relentlessly pursued as necessary for Rwanda to achieve economic growth.
The investors led by Robert Bayigamba the Rwanda Private Sector federation president said the high cost of transporting goods and services to the Rwandan market along with the absence of an effective tax rate are some of the issues that must be dealt with effectively if Rwanda must attract more investments in the country.
In an earlier interview Ms. Rachel Kyte a senior Vice President with the International Finance Corporation said Rwanda as a land locked country needs a highly efficient transport and logistics network.
IFC is a private investment subsidiary of the World Bank,) and one of the leading investors in Rwanda today with strong interests in the tourism sector.
The investors’ concerns come at a time when Rwanda has just climbed several steps in the World Bank’s Doing Business index for 2008 from 148 in 2007 to 139 out of 175 countries surveyed. The jump up was made possible by the several reforms that were undertaken in 2008 after the formation of the national Doing Business Unit, a task force under the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA), to identify and drive implementation of reforms to improve Rwanda’s business climate.
The task force began its work in December 2007 and, within nine months had identified and successfully implemented 15 investment climate improvements, most of which were captured in the current survey causing Rwanda to move several notches up. These include; reduced cost of port and terminal handling by liberalizing the warehouse services sector, and new customs declaration points have accelerated trade. Furthermore, decentralization has sped the issuance of building permits.
The task force came into force at about the same time that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development along with the Rwandan country office of the World Bank hired The Policy Practice a savvy consultancy firm to advise economic policy makers on business reforms to improve local private investments.
In an independent survey by the New Times early in December showed some small scale investors in Kigali as happy with government in improving conditions of accessing capital, reducing non tariff barriers and "a reasonable tax policy".
Rwanda’s ambivalent tax system is still a major challenge for investors and hinders the volume of business in the country, this was revealed by a group of businessmen that were meeting President Paul Kagame in his annual investors’ roundtable.
The roundtable which took place in Village Urugwiro earlier in the week is meant to promote and strengthen partnerships between the public and private sectors which Kagame has relentlessly pursued as necessary for Rwanda to achieve economic growth.
The investors led by Robert Bayigamba the Rwanda Private Sector federation president said the high cost of transporting goods and services to the Rwandan market along with the absence of an effective tax rate are some of the issues that must be dealt with effectively if Rwanda must attract more investments in the country.
In an earlier interview Ms. Rachel Kyte a senior Vice President with the International Finance Corporation said Rwanda as a land locked country needs a highly efficient transport and logistics network.
IFC is a private investment subsidiary of the World Bank,) and one of the leading investors in Rwanda today with strong interests in the tourism sector.
The investors’ concerns come at a time when Rwanda has just climbed several steps in the World Bank’s Doing Business index for 2008 from 148 in 2007 to 139 out of 175 countries surveyed. The jump up was made possible by the several reforms that were undertaken in 2008 after the formation of the national Doing Business Unit, a task force under the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA), to identify and drive implementation of reforms to improve Rwanda’s business climate.
The task force began its work in December 2007 and, within nine months had identified and successfully implemented 15 investment climate improvements, most of which were captured in the current survey causing Rwanda to move several notches up. These include; reduced cost of port and terminal handling by liberalizing the warehouse services sector, and new customs declaration points have accelerated trade. Furthermore, decentralization has sped the issuance of building permits.
The task force came into force at about the same time that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development along with the Rwandan country office of the World Bank hired The Policy Practice a savvy consultancy firm to advise economic policy makers on business reforms to improve local private investments.
In an independent survey by the New Times early in December showed some small scale investors in Kigali as happy with government in improving conditions of accessing capital, reducing non tariff barriers and "a reasonable tax policy".
Small scale investors happy with 2008 reforms in business environment
BY GEORGE KAGAME
As the end of 2008 approaches, small and medium scale investors in the country have expressed joy concerning reforms in the business sector which the government adopted in 2008 to reduce the cost and burden of investing in Rwanda.
A handful of small scale investors interviewed in a random survey carried out by The New Times since the beginning of December across selected suburbs in Kigali city revealed that the private sector investors were happy with continued effort by government in improving conditions of accessing capital, reducing non tariff barriers and "a reasonable tax policy".
According to Innocent Nsengiyumnva a wholesale shop owner in Remera, today he is capable to import his goods from Kenya and Uganda without much hassle from customs officials and as a result his turn over rates have also increased.
Claude Mupenzi an importer of fashion clothes in Kicukiro said that he was happy with the increased working hours of the customs boarder posts and the cooperation of Kenyan authorities since both countries have increased bilateral relations in the business sector. He said however that there were challenges in the transportation of the goods as fare costs are still very high.
The investors' remarks come at a time when government has embarked on a vigorous campaign to make its ambition of making Rwanda a regional investment hub a reality.
This started with President Paul Kagame authorizing the establishment of a national Doing Business Unit, a task force under the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA), to identify and drive implementation of reforms to improve Rwanda’s business climate. The task force began its work in December 2007 and, within nine months had identified and successfully implemented 15 investment climate improvements, most of which were captured in the current survey causing Rwanda to move several notches up.
According to Kempeta Sayinzoga, a senior official in the Ministry of Finance and economic planning, the government reviewed 14 commercial laws in 2008, the laws are part of government's commitment to promote commercial courts to deal with business related issues between private investors and government authorities, they are also part of government's intention of building confidence in private and public sector partnerships.
Sayinzoga also says that her ministry has implemented four out of 10 reforms that are crucial in streamlining procedures and requirements needed to start up a business in the country. She adds that because of these reforms, Rwanda has been able to move up the ladder on the World Bank Doing Business Index from 148 in 2007 to 139 in 2008 out of 175 countries surveyed every year.
Sayinzoga further adds that the Rwanda Development Board was created to consolidate institutions geared towards increasing efficiency of service delivery to investors in the country. Some of the institutions introduced in the year include Business Registry Agency, Land Registry all geared towards reducing bureaucracy for investors.
The finance ministry has also since the beginning year held regular meetings between the Private Sector Federation and Rwanda Revenue Authority to discuss tax and private sector development.
The Rwanda Revenue Authority has also introduced a scheme to reward good compliers, as a result small scale investors in the country are now more cooperative in paying taxes on time.
As the end of 2008 approaches, small and medium scale investors in the country have expressed joy concerning reforms in the business sector which the government adopted in 2008 to reduce the cost and burden of investing in Rwanda.
A handful of small scale investors interviewed in a random survey carried out by The New Times since the beginning of December across selected suburbs in Kigali city revealed that the private sector investors were happy with continued effort by government in improving conditions of accessing capital, reducing non tariff barriers and "a reasonable tax policy".
According to Innocent Nsengiyumnva a wholesale shop owner in Remera, today he is capable to import his goods from Kenya and Uganda without much hassle from customs officials and as a result his turn over rates have also increased.
Claude Mupenzi an importer of fashion clothes in Kicukiro said that he was happy with the increased working hours of the customs boarder posts and the cooperation of Kenyan authorities since both countries have increased bilateral relations in the business sector. He said however that there were challenges in the transportation of the goods as fare costs are still very high.
The investors' remarks come at a time when government has embarked on a vigorous campaign to make its ambition of making Rwanda a regional investment hub a reality.
This started with President Paul Kagame authorizing the establishment of a national Doing Business Unit, a task force under the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA), to identify and drive implementation of reforms to improve Rwanda’s business climate. The task force began its work in December 2007 and, within nine months had identified and successfully implemented 15 investment climate improvements, most of which were captured in the current survey causing Rwanda to move several notches up.
According to Kempeta Sayinzoga, a senior official in the Ministry of Finance and economic planning, the government reviewed 14 commercial laws in 2008, the laws are part of government's commitment to promote commercial courts to deal with business related issues between private investors and government authorities, they are also part of government's intention of building confidence in private and public sector partnerships.
Sayinzoga also says that her ministry has implemented four out of 10 reforms that are crucial in streamlining procedures and requirements needed to start up a business in the country. She adds that because of these reforms, Rwanda has been able to move up the ladder on the World Bank Doing Business Index from 148 in 2007 to 139 in 2008 out of 175 countries surveyed every year.
Sayinzoga further adds that the Rwanda Development Board was created to consolidate institutions geared towards increasing efficiency of service delivery to investors in the country. Some of the institutions introduced in the year include Business Registry Agency, Land Registry all geared towards reducing bureaucracy for investors.
The finance ministry has also since the beginning year held regular meetings between the Private Sector Federation and Rwanda Revenue Authority to discuss tax and private sector development.
The Rwanda Revenue Authority has also introduced a scheme to reward good compliers, as a result small scale investors in the country are now more cooperative in paying taxes on time.
Rwandans express mixed on Bagosora's life sentencing by the ICTR
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Across section of Rwandans interviewed by The New Times on Thursday for their reactions on the sentencing to life in jail for three individuals who have been identified as crucial in the planning and the implementation of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda with mixed reactions.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in what many observers say is their land mark trial so far sentenced to life imprisonment the Theoneste Bagosora a highly influential officer in the Rwandan national army prior to the Genocide in 1994, n the same judgement read by Norwegian judge Erik Mose, Lieutenant Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva; and Major Aloys Ntabakuze were also given life imprisonment sentences while General Gratien Kabiligi, a former director of operations in the same army and along with the three was in the same group jointly tried as Military Trail one was acquitted.
The majority of the interviewees picked randomly in Kigali said that Bagosora and his three co-accused in the Military Trial case deserved the life sentence he was given by the ICTR and that the trial took unnecessarily longer as there was not much research needed to ascertain the gravity of Bagosora's crimes in the Rwandan responsibility. Alphonse Bucyanayandi 39 and a resident of Gikondo and working in Kacyiru said the sentencing of Bagosora, Nsengiyumva; and Ntabakuze was long overdue; "the sentencing was expected and only because the ICTR does not a more harsh punishment. In my view, there's no possible punishment that Bagsora can be given to help the healing process of the country. But life sentence is better than anything else in the alternatives the ICTR have."
Robert Rwiyemeye 32, a survivor working in the city centre said he was disappointed that the trial took such a long time to come to an end; "we have endured much humiliation reading and listening to the radio about the proceedings in Arusha, the sentencing of these particular individuals should not have taken such a long while but am happy that Bagosora will hopefully spend the rest of his life in jail and i hope he stays long enough as the victims of his activities have endured for so long."
Maria Mukandoli 29 a kiosk owner in Nyabugogo said the judgement is crucial for its timing because it was one of the most important trials that the ICTR claims to have delayed in completing; "now that the biggest suspects have been sentenced, i hope that that ICTR does not ask for their mandate to be extended beyond 2009 as they asked the security council."
Stephen Muganga 45, who witnessed killings in Kanombe said he was disappointed by the acquittal of General Gratien Kabiligi; "Kabiligi was an influential commander in 1994, there's no chance that as director of military operations in the army he never participated in the killings." Kabiligi was one of the four former officers in the genocidal regime forces and was acquitted by the ICTR.
Bernoid Kaboyi the Executive Secretary of Ibuka a local organization charged with assisting the survivors of the genocide refused to give his opinion on the judgement when contacted by The New Times but Fracois Xavier Ngarambe the Spokesman of the Prosecutor's office said that the judgments were welcome but he objected to the acquittal of Kabiligi and the 20 years jail sentence given to Juvenal Habyarimana's in-law Protais Zigiranyirazo for his role in the genocide; "i have also been following the sentencing sessions in the news but anyone would have sentenced Bagosora to life in jail if you followed his responsibilities in the history of Rwanda. It is also good that the judgments are out of the way."
Across section of Rwandans interviewed by The New Times on Thursday for their reactions on the sentencing to life in jail for three individuals who have been identified as crucial in the planning and the implementation of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda with mixed reactions.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in what many observers say is their land mark trial so far sentenced to life imprisonment the Theoneste Bagosora a highly influential officer in the Rwandan national army prior to the Genocide in 1994, n the same judgement read by Norwegian judge Erik Mose, Lieutenant Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva; and Major Aloys Ntabakuze were also given life imprisonment sentences while General Gratien Kabiligi, a former director of operations in the same army and along with the three was in the same group jointly tried as Military Trail one was acquitted.
The majority of the interviewees picked randomly in Kigali said that Bagosora and his three co-accused in the Military Trial case deserved the life sentence he was given by the ICTR and that the trial took unnecessarily longer as there was not much research needed to ascertain the gravity of Bagosora's crimes in the Rwandan responsibility. Alphonse Bucyanayandi 39 and a resident of Gikondo and working in Kacyiru said the sentencing of Bagosora, Nsengiyumva; and Ntabakuze was long overdue; "the sentencing was expected and only because the ICTR does not a more harsh punishment. In my view, there's no possible punishment that Bagsora can be given to help the healing process of the country. But life sentence is better than anything else in the alternatives the ICTR have."
Robert Rwiyemeye 32, a survivor working in the city centre said he was disappointed that the trial took such a long time to come to an end; "we have endured much humiliation reading and listening to the radio about the proceedings in Arusha, the sentencing of these particular individuals should not have taken such a long while but am happy that Bagosora will hopefully spend the rest of his life in jail and i hope he stays long enough as the victims of his activities have endured for so long."
Maria Mukandoli 29 a kiosk owner in Nyabugogo said the judgement is crucial for its timing because it was one of the most important trials that the ICTR claims to have delayed in completing; "now that the biggest suspects have been sentenced, i hope that that ICTR does not ask for their mandate to be extended beyond 2009 as they asked the security council."
Stephen Muganga 45, who witnessed killings in Kanombe said he was disappointed by the acquittal of General Gratien Kabiligi; "Kabiligi was an influential commander in 1994, there's no chance that as director of military operations in the army he never participated in the killings." Kabiligi was one of the four former officers in the genocidal regime forces and was acquitted by the ICTR.
Bernoid Kaboyi the Executive Secretary of Ibuka a local organization charged with assisting the survivors of the genocide refused to give his opinion on the judgement when contacted by The New Times but Fracois Xavier Ngarambe the Spokesman of the Prosecutor's office said that the judgments were welcome but he objected to the acquittal of Kabiligi and the 20 years jail sentence given to Juvenal Habyarimana's in-law Protais Zigiranyirazo for his role in the genocide; "i have also been following the sentencing sessions in the news but anyone would have sentenced Bagosora to life in jail if you followed his responsibilities in the history of Rwanda. It is also good that the judgments are out of the way."
Thursday 25 December 2008
The road to the shrine of the corrupt
Rwakitura tales
By GEORGE KAGAME
Jane Mbabazi got her first job at 19, by which time she had been done with a marriage and two children.
She could not afford to take care of the children so she left them with her husband who had a new wife. The new wife promptly advised her husband to take the children “somewhere else.”
The year was 1987 and Mbabazi was hired as a House Keeper at State House.
The Uganda State House was abuzz in 1987; it was one year after Museveni had captured power finally ridding the country from the grip of Idd Amin; the infamous dictator who brought you The Last King of Scotland.
Uganda was rebuilding and many Africa experts described Yoweri Museveni at the time as a rare and “New breed” of African leader.
Having got political liberation for Uganda in 1986, Museveni was faced with a much more dangerous enemy; HIV/Aids which was killing the emerging economy.
Museveni would be the first leader in the world to recognize the threat posed by HIV/Aids in the 1980s and to start a conceited fight back against the disease. It had intriguingly threatened that country’s and the entire sub continental economic set up wiping away villages swiftly as a war would.
For all, Uganda stood, as a shining star in tackling HIV/Aids and Museveni was the poster boy of initial global campaigns to find prevention of Aids as well as dealing with the stigma faced by people living with HIV/Aids. Donors eagerly supported him.
His State House in 1987 and the people working there were highly regarded. It was grand; it sat atop a hill and its windows opened out to the scenic horizons of L. Victoria in Entebbe.
“I was blessed,” Mbabazi said of her first job. She kept the job until she was diagnosed with HIV/Aids in 1999, by which time she was the Head House Keeper of Rwakitura; the private residence of President Museveni’s family in Western Uganda.
She had indeed proved herself reliable because in her career she kept house for important and permanent private visitors to President Museveni like Jean-Baptiste Bagaza the former president of Burundi and Ms. Farah Aideed wife of a dead Somali warlord with the same name.
Her posting to the president’s private residence was coveted, Rwakitura is a Mecca of sorts for all people of note including Presidents of the US and German. As part of her tasks, Mbabazi’s immediate and only boss was the first lady Janet Museveni with whom she dealt regularly.
Janet Museveni was highly regarded as a conservative Born Again Christian otherwise known as Mulokole in Uganda; the same people who insisted on abstinence as the only effective tool against HIV/Aids.
Rwakitura; on top of being the Mecca for all the people involved in fighting HIV/Aids was also amongst the most battered places in the country by the Aids epidemic.
The soldiers guarding the presidential home as well as the intelligence hub they created were the main channels through which Aids spreads. The disease steadily ate away Rwakitura’s landscape and exposed Ugandans to a worse reality; thriving corruption.
The grand house castle sits on a hill and the long winding drive leading to the main gate takes one through more glamorous residences owned by close confidants of the Musevenis. It is a classic “Its Our Time to Eat,” legend.
By 2006 Uganda had lost billions of donor dollars in corruption, most of it going to relatives of the First Lady Jim Muhwezi, the Minister of Health at the time, as well as two of his deputies. Muhwezi alone is said to have to diverted hundreds of millions in US dollars into a personal fortune.
He was a regular at Rwakitura.
Upon being diagnosed with the disease, Mbabazi was immediately fired from Rwakitura was informed never to step near state house again. Her friends shunned her till she died in loneliness.
Janet Museveni who had spoken with her at least once a week shut her out, the house keeper never had any insurance on health or any other scheme.
By 2001 when she was diagnosed with Aids Mbabazi had five children, the youngest aged seven.
On her termination letter; security rather than medical reasons were mentioned as the cause of her dismissal and this designated her as a security threat, even her friends were scared of her.
She survived on her savings until her death in 2006 when Kyambadde offered to take Mbabazi’s youngest child into her family.
Rwakitura was a paradox, it was a symbol of the new Uganda in its adolescent grandiose and yet it also bore the bitter scars of Aids and its industry. Rwakitura in those days was like a shrine for the corrupt.
ENDS.
By GEORGE KAGAME
Jane Mbabazi got her first job at 19, by which time she had been done with a marriage and two children.
She could not afford to take care of the children so she left them with her husband who had a new wife. The new wife promptly advised her husband to take the children “somewhere else.”
The year was 1987 and Mbabazi was hired as a House Keeper at State House.
The Uganda State House was abuzz in 1987; it was one year after Museveni had captured power finally ridding the country from the grip of Idd Amin; the infamous dictator who brought you The Last King of Scotland.
Uganda was rebuilding and many Africa experts described Yoweri Museveni at the time as a rare and “New breed” of African leader.
Having got political liberation for Uganda in 1986, Museveni was faced with a much more dangerous enemy; HIV/Aids which was killing the emerging economy.
Museveni would be the first leader in the world to recognize the threat posed by HIV/Aids in the 1980s and to start a conceited fight back against the disease. It had intriguingly threatened that country’s and the entire sub continental economic set up wiping away villages swiftly as a war would.
For all, Uganda stood, as a shining star in tackling HIV/Aids and Museveni was the poster boy of initial global campaigns to find prevention of Aids as well as dealing with the stigma faced by people living with HIV/Aids. Donors eagerly supported him.
His State House in 1987 and the people working there were highly regarded. It was grand; it sat atop a hill and its windows opened out to the scenic horizons of L. Victoria in Entebbe.
“I was blessed,” Mbabazi said of her first job. She kept the job until she was diagnosed with HIV/Aids in 1999, by which time she was the Head House Keeper of Rwakitura; the private residence of President Museveni’s family in Western Uganda.
She had indeed proved herself reliable because in her career she kept house for important and permanent private visitors to President Museveni like Jean-Baptiste Bagaza the former president of Burundi and Ms. Farah Aideed wife of a dead Somali warlord with the same name.
Her posting to the president’s private residence was coveted, Rwakitura is a Mecca of sorts for all people of note including Presidents of the US and German. As part of her tasks, Mbabazi’s immediate and only boss was the first lady Janet Museveni with whom she dealt regularly.
Janet Museveni was highly regarded as a conservative Born Again Christian otherwise known as Mulokole in Uganda; the same people who insisted on abstinence as the only effective tool against HIV/Aids.
Rwakitura; on top of being the Mecca for all the people involved in fighting HIV/Aids was also amongst the most battered places in the country by the Aids epidemic.
The soldiers guarding the presidential home as well as the intelligence hub they created were the main channels through which Aids spreads. The disease steadily ate away Rwakitura’s landscape and exposed Ugandans to a worse reality; thriving corruption.
The grand house castle sits on a hill and the long winding drive leading to the main gate takes one through more glamorous residences owned by close confidants of the Musevenis. It is a classic “Its Our Time to Eat,” legend.
By 2006 Uganda had lost billions of donor dollars in corruption, most of it going to relatives of the First Lady Jim Muhwezi, the Minister of Health at the time, as well as two of his deputies. Muhwezi alone is said to have to diverted hundreds of millions in US dollars into a personal fortune.
He was a regular at Rwakitura.
Upon being diagnosed with the disease, Mbabazi was immediately fired from Rwakitura was informed never to step near state house again. Her friends shunned her till she died in loneliness.
Janet Museveni who had spoken with her at least once a week shut her out, the house keeper never had any insurance on health or any other scheme.
By 2001 when she was diagnosed with Aids Mbabazi had five children, the youngest aged seven.
On her termination letter; security rather than medical reasons were mentioned as the cause of her dismissal and this designated her as a security threat, even her friends were scared of her.
She survived on her savings until her death in 2006 when Kyambadde offered to take Mbabazi’s youngest child into her family.
Rwakitura was a paradox, it was a symbol of the new Uganda in its adolescent grandiose and yet it also bore the bitter scars of Aids and its industry. Rwakitura in those days was like a shrine for the corrupt.
ENDS.
Tuesday 16 December 2008
Experts report will not determine ongoing talks between Rwanda and Congo; Museminari
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The government of Rwanda will not deter from normalizing diplomatic relations with DR Congo despite the highly controversial and criticized report released earlier in the week by a group of UN Experts on DR Congo.
Speaking to Journalists in Kigali on Tuesday the Minister of Foreign Affairs Rosemary Museminari said Rwanda would not be disrupted by the report from discussions with DR Congo regarding resuming diplomatic relations between the two neighbours after ten years of hostility. Museminari however stated that although the report would have an impact on the discussions it will not determine the direction of the discussions which are currently on going. The report accused Rwanda of recruiting children among other things which the government has insisted are false.
"It may have an effect but for us in Rwanda, we are determined to continue with the talks without any interruptions," said Museminari, she added that even if the report was very biased against Rwanda the meetings would continue.
The negotiations between Rwanda and Congo have in recent months been in full gear after being in a state of hostility since 1998. Since then the two countries have accused each other of supporting proxy wars against their respective governments. Opponents of Rwanda's government who are believed to have been the militias and forces interconnected with the Genocide in 1994 are suspected to be supported by the DR Congo government in massacring Congolese ethnic Tutsi tribesmen, these groups are now classified as negative forces and are mainly operating in Eastern Congo.
The negative forces are a combination of the Interahamwe, EX-Far, and mainly Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda-FDLR are believed to have camps based in Eastern Congo where Congolese minority Tutsi ethnic Tutsi are settled. The negotiations to renew relations between Rwanda and Congo come months after these ethnic Tutsi resumed their rebellion in Eastern Congo against the Kinshasa government in late August.
In mid November, DR Congo Foreign Minister Thambwe Muamba visiting Kigali said that his country was set to send an ambassador to Rwanda soon and was also evacuating people that were residing in the Rwandan Embassy in Kinshasa so as to welcome the Rwandan ambassador there. Museminari said that to underliner Rwanda's commitment to good relations with Congo, "we appointed our ambassador to Congo" but the deployment waits for formal agreements to be endorsed between the two countries.
She added that DR Congo has promised to send their ambassador to Kigali early next before the end of April. Commenting on the rejuvenated efforts to revive the diplomatic relations DR Congo President Joseph Kabila said in a televised state address last Saturday that; "we are increasing political and diplomatic actions to end war and misery."
The talks between the two countries are now in due process and are code-named as "four plus four" high level bilateral framework in which Rwandan officials are meeting with their Congolese counterparts to resolve the problem of the FDLR-Interahamwe. The framework is also handling a comprehensive operational plan against the negative forces.
The efforts also comes at a time when DR Congo is currently negotiating a peace deal with the minority tribes political party in Eastern Congo under the leadership of renegade General Laurent Nkunda in Nairobi under the mediation of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. The also come when both Rwanda Burundi and DR Congo are trying to rejuvenate the economic community of the Great Lakes states-CEPEGL.
The government of Rwanda will not deter from normalizing diplomatic relations with DR Congo despite the highly controversial and criticized report released earlier in the week by a group of UN Experts on DR Congo.
Speaking to Journalists in Kigali on Tuesday the Minister of Foreign Affairs Rosemary Museminari said Rwanda would not be disrupted by the report from discussions with DR Congo regarding resuming diplomatic relations between the two neighbours after ten years of hostility. Museminari however stated that although the report would have an impact on the discussions it will not determine the direction of the discussions which are currently on going. The report accused Rwanda of recruiting children among other things which the government has insisted are false.
"It may have an effect but for us in Rwanda, we are determined to continue with the talks without any interruptions," said Museminari, she added that even if the report was very biased against Rwanda the meetings would continue.
The negotiations between Rwanda and Congo have in recent months been in full gear after being in a state of hostility since 1998. Since then the two countries have accused each other of supporting proxy wars against their respective governments. Opponents of Rwanda's government who are believed to have been the militias and forces interconnected with the Genocide in 1994 are suspected to be supported by the DR Congo government in massacring Congolese ethnic Tutsi tribesmen, these groups are now classified as negative forces and are mainly operating in Eastern Congo.
The negative forces are a combination of the Interahamwe, EX-Far, and mainly Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda-FDLR are believed to have camps based in Eastern Congo where Congolese minority Tutsi ethnic Tutsi are settled. The negotiations to renew relations between Rwanda and Congo come months after these ethnic Tutsi resumed their rebellion in Eastern Congo against the Kinshasa government in late August.
In mid November, DR Congo Foreign Minister Thambwe Muamba visiting Kigali said that his country was set to send an ambassador to Rwanda soon and was also evacuating people that were residing in the Rwandan Embassy in Kinshasa so as to welcome the Rwandan ambassador there. Museminari said that to underliner Rwanda's commitment to good relations with Congo, "we appointed our ambassador to Congo" but the deployment waits for formal agreements to be endorsed between the two countries.
She added that DR Congo has promised to send their ambassador to Kigali early next before the end of April. Commenting on the rejuvenated efforts to revive the diplomatic relations DR Congo President Joseph Kabila said in a televised state address last Saturday that; "we are increasing political and diplomatic actions to end war and misery."
The talks between the two countries are now in due process and are code-named as "four plus four" high level bilateral framework in which Rwandan officials are meeting with their Congolese counterparts to resolve the problem of the FDLR-Interahamwe. The framework is also handling a comprehensive operational plan against the negative forces.
The efforts also comes at a time when DR Congo is currently negotiating a peace deal with the minority tribes political party in Eastern Congo under the leadership of renegade General Laurent Nkunda in Nairobi under the mediation of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. The also come when both Rwanda Burundi and DR Congo are trying to rejuvenate the economic community of the Great Lakes states-CEPEGL.
Media crucial in preventing genocide ideology; Mucyo
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission charged with preventing genocide ideology in Rwanda Jean de Dieu Mucyo has called for increasing the capacity of the media in the country so as to eliminate the "still prevalent" genocide ideoelogy in Rwanda 14 years after over one million people were killed in what experts say is Africa's worst human catastrophe.
Speaking to the press in his Kacyiru based office Mucyo said; "the media is crucial. It was used by the Genocidal regime prior to 1994 in a campgain to promote genocide ideology. We need to increase its capacity today to fight the ideology."
Mucyo's appeal comes exactly a year after a parliamentary investigation found alarming cases in the country's formative education system where students were divided according to their ethnic groupings. The report released by a six man commission headed by Donatille Mukabalisa in December 2007 found schools especially in the Northern Province allegedly promoting genocide ideology "registering 97 percent cases of the ideology."
In Gakenke one secondary school was said to have lists of Tutsi students to be killed drawn up. However school administrators say no one has so far been killed on the said lists. In this same school students were made to wear different uniforms according to their ethnic group, books and poems inciting hatred. The headmaster of the school then said the uniforms were supplied by the Fund for Genocide Survivors'-FARG a charge that students at the school denied.
At the release of the report, members of Parliament in the previous term put the then minister of Education Dr. Jean D'arc Mujawamariya under alot of pressure, she was questioned by the house along with her deputy Joseph Murekeraho. Both were accused for doing little to stop the spread of the ideology. The report disclosed that" genocide ideology" was detected in 84 of the 637 secondary schools in Rwanda IN 2007.
Mucyo said today the media was essential in promoting an open and frank society were citizens discussed freely issues relating to the Genocide; "we need to promote an open society culture among Rwandans where people talk freely instead of going to their homes to indoctrinate their children with the evil ideologies of genocide."
He said that government has since set up a national framework covering all layers of the local government structure to help in sensitizing Rwandans against the ideology saying that all institutions in the country were responsible for fighting genocide ideology; "its our duty but all institutions in the country must work hard. There's a national advisory council to fight genocide ideology in the country headed by the President Paul Kagame, the council has a wide outreach to the grassroots administrations."
Mucyo said that it was now important to sensitize local administrations to advise the citizens so that they can tour local Genocide memorials as the current norm of coming to Gisozi was not necessary; "there should be literature written by locals about hat happened in their localities. This way children will be discouraged from the ideology at an early age if they knew that he genocide was organized even in their (children) areas." He added that places of social interaction were the leading centres for the dissemination of Genocide ideology and only the media could contribute to ending this hate propaganda.
Stephen Rangira a veteran teacher in Kigali said; "Most journalists in the country are young, they are not very familiar with the country's geopolitical and socio-econmic history. Many need much training in covering issues such as genocide ideology and its multi faceted manifestations,"
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission charged with preventing genocide ideology in Rwanda Jean de Dieu Mucyo has called for increasing the capacity of the media in the country so as to eliminate the "still prevalent" genocide ideoelogy in Rwanda 14 years after over one million people were killed in what experts say is Africa's worst human catastrophe.
Speaking to the press in his Kacyiru based office Mucyo said; "the media is crucial. It was used by the Genocidal regime prior to 1994 in a campgain to promote genocide ideology. We need to increase its capacity today to fight the ideology."
Mucyo's appeal comes exactly a year after a parliamentary investigation found alarming cases in the country's formative education system where students were divided according to their ethnic groupings. The report released by a six man commission headed by Donatille Mukabalisa in December 2007 found schools especially in the Northern Province allegedly promoting genocide ideology "registering 97 percent cases of the ideology."
In Gakenke one secondary school was said to have lists of Tutsi students to be killed drawn up. However school administrators say no one has so far been killed on the said lists. In this same school students were made to wear different uniforms according to their ethnic group, books and poems inciting hatred. The headmaster of the school then said the uniforms were supplied by the Fund for Genocide Survivors'-FARG a charge that students at the school denied.
At the release of the report, members of Parliament in the previous term put the then minister of Education Dr. Jean D'arc Mujawamariya under alot of pressure, she was questioned by the house along with her deputy Joseph Murekeraho. Both were accused for doing little to stop the spread of the ideology. The report disclosed that" genocide ideology" was detected in 84 of the 637 secondary schools in Rwanda IN 2007.
Mucyo said today the media was essential in promoting an open and frank society were citizens discussed freely issues relating to the Genocide; "we need to promote an open society culture among Rwandans where people talk freely instead of going to their homes to indoctrinate their children with the evil ideologies of genocide."
He said that government has since set up a national framework covering all layers of the local government structure to help in sensitizing Rwandans against the ideology saying that all institutions in the country were responsible for fighting genocide ideology; "its our duty but all institutions in the country must work hard. There's a national advisory council to fight genocide ideology in the country headed by the President Paul Kagame, the council has a wide outreach to the grassroots administrations."
Mucyo said that it was now important to sensitize local administrations to advise the citizens so that they can tour local Genocide memorials as the current norm of coming to Gisozi was not necessary; "there should be literature written by locals about hat happened in their localities. This way children will be discouraged from the ideology at an early age if they knew that he genocide was organized even in their (children) areas." He added that places of social interaction were the leading centres for the dissemination of Genocide ideology and only the media could contribute to ending this hate propaganda.
Stephen Rangira a veteran teacher in Kigali said; "Most journalists in the country are young, they are not very familiar with the country's geopolitical and socio-econmic history. Many need much training in covering issues such as genocide ideology and its multi faceted manifestations,"
KCC comes good on its promise to reward top performing schools
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Kigali City Council on Friday rewarded six top primary and secondary schools in the city with brand new HP computers for their exceptional performance in last year's national examinations released at the beginning of 2008.
Speaking at the awarding of the gifts at KCC offices in the city centre Ms Martha Yakurije the city's Education Officer said that the computers were part of KCC's response to government Information and Information Technology policy. "this KCC's way of supporting school going children to boost their performance, we have also rewarded the best performing students every year with cash, tuition and other scholastic materials."
Yakurije said KCC has embarked on a vigorous campgain to raise education standards in the city, "we continue to monitor the performance of schools by constantly inspecting their facilities." Back in May, KCC rewarded students that came top of their peer in national exams in Kigali, the gifts included tuition subsidies for top students proceeding to tertiary institutions and other materials." She revealed that KCC was in the final stages of organizing academic competition for students in Kigali, the students would sit similar exam tests organized by KCC.
With Kenya recently scrapping working permits for Rwandans seeking employment there, Yakurije said KCC was set to introduce a "rigorous" campaign to teach school going children regional languages like Swahili and English such that they can compete for jobs regionally. "Early next year we are organizing an oral competition for pupils and we will reward the winners handsomely."
She added that Kigali was also set to begin start the acclaimed One Lap Top per child programme launched recently by President Paul Kagame. The programme seeks to introduce ICT and its related functionaries to school children while they are in their early education career so as to grow and master the information age. So 50,000 laptops have been supplied in the three district pilot project reaching Kigali y January 2009. Yakurije said KCC is currently sensitizing parents on how they help the success of the laptop project.
Among the schools that benefitted from the KCC gifts include ApeperCyahafi, Petit Seminaire Ndera, Fawe Girls School and Notre Dame. Reverand Jean Bosco Ntagungira the Headmaster of Petit Seminaire said his school would use the computer to boost its ICT department, " we are happy that in our endeavors to raise the standard of education in the country we have the support of KCC. This culture will encourage other schools to increase their performance and the school going children will benefit more from the competition among schools."
Kigali City Council on Friday rewarded six top primary and secondary schools in the city with brand new HP computers for their exceptional performance in last year's national examinations released at the beginning of 2008.
Speaking at the awarding of the gifts at KCC offices in the city centre Ms Martha Yakurije the city's Education Officer said that the computers were part of KCC's response to government Information and Information Technology policy. "this KCC's way of supporting school going children to boost their performance, we have also rewarded the best performing students every year with cash, tuition and other scholastic materials."
Yakurije said KCC has embarked on a vigorous campgain to raise education standards in the city, "we continue to monitor the performance of schools by constantly inspecting their facilities." Back in May, KCC rewarded students that came top of their peer in national exams in Kigali, the gifts included tuition subsidies for top students proceeding to tertiary institutions and other materials." She revealed that KCC was in the final stages of organizing academic competition for students in Kigali, the students would sit similar exam tests organized by KCC.
With Kenya recently scrapping working permits for Rwandans seeking employment there, Yakurije said KCC was set to introduce a "rigorous" campaign to teach school going children regional languages like Swahili and English such that they can compete for jobs regionally. "Early next year we are organizing an oral competition for pupils and we will reward the winners handsomely."
She added that Kigali was also set to begin start the acclaimed One Lap Top per child programme launched recently by President Paul Kagame. The programme seeks to introduce ICT and its related functionaries to school children while they are in their early education career so as to grow and master the information age. So 50,000 laptops have been supplied in the three district pilot project reaching Kigali y January 2009. Yakurije said KCC is currently sensitizing parents on how they help the success of the laptop project.
Among the schools that benefitted from the KCC gifts include ApeperCyahafi, Petit Seminaire Ndera, Fawe Girls School and Notre Dame. Reverand Jean Bosco Ntagungira the Headmaster of Petit Seminaire said his school would use the computer to boost its ICT department, " we are happy that in our endeavors to raise the standard of education in the country we have the support of KCC. This culture will encourage other schools to increase their performance and the school going children will benefit more from the competition among schools."
Friday 12 December 2008
Gisenyi-Bujumbura road to ease trade in northern corridor
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The government is currently sourcing for funds to begin construction works on a new road linking Gisenyi in the western province to Bujumbura in Burundi.
This was revealed by Vincent Gatwa@@@@, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Infrastructure to the press on Monday, “the new road will improve transportation of goods and people connecting to Bujumbura (and Goma), it will also increase access between the two cities for travelers interested different activities like tourism.”
He said construction will begin 2010.
Gatwa@@ added that the road will enhance the fast tracking of Rwanda and Burundi into the East African Community on top of improving the business environment on the Northern Corridor Transport System.
According to sources from the Ministry of Finance and economic planning, the road will cost USD: 618m and funds for its construction will be sourced from the African Development Bank, World Bank, European Union, OPEC, Saudi Fund and others.
The Northern Corridor Transport System has been hailed by many observers as being important to the economic transformation of the Great Lakes Region. The corridor connects Rwanda and Burundi with the coast through Uganda and Kenya, instead of the shorter but very poorly developed connexion through Tanzania.
The corridor also hosts the extremely fertile soils for agriculture spanning the entire western Rwanda, Eastern Congo and South Western Uganda. Gisenyi and its surrounding area is agriculturally productive and nearby Ruhengeri remains the food basket of Rwanda.
Gatwa@@@ said government was set to hold a roundtable meeting with donors on 16-17 this month to discuss the road.
When completed this will be the third highway road connecting Rwanda and Burundi, the first goes through Butare in the Southern Province, the second through Nyamata in the eastern province and is in its completion stages (from the Rwanda side, the Burundi side is yet to start.)
Bosco Ndahimana a food trader in Musanze welcomed the Gisenyi=Bujumbura road saying that he will be able to maximize his Fuso trucks properly as he will be able to sell agricultural produce to Burundi and that competition for the Kigali market will also reduce.
Rwanda has in recent times embarked on a serious campaign in setting up structures to ease the free movement of goods and services in East Africa after the failure to deepen regional economic integration. Last Month, Rwanda hosted President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya who scrapped working permits for Rwandans seeking jobs in Kenya as well increasing working hours of the crucial Mombassa seaport and Gatuna boarder post.
The government is currently sourcing for funds to begin construction works on a new road linking Gisenyi in the western province to Bujumbura in Burundi.
This was revealed by Vincent Gatwa@@@@, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Infrastructure to the press on Monday, “the new road will improve transportation of goods and people connecting to Bujumbura (and Goma), it will also increase access between the two cities for travelers interested different activities like tourism.”
He said construction will begin 2010.
Gatwa@@ added that the road will enhance the fast tracking of Rwanda and Burundi into the East African Community on top of improving the business environment on the Northern Corridor Transport System.
According to sources from the Ministry of Finance and economic planning, the road will cost USD: 618m and funds for its construction will be sourced from the African Development Bank, World Bank, European Union, OPEC, Saudi Fund and others.
The Northern Corridor Transport System has been hailed by many observers as being important to the economic transformation of the Great Lakes Region. The corridor connects Rwanda and Burundi with the coast through Uganda and Kenya, instead of the shorter but very poorly developed connexion through Tanzania.
The corridor also hosts the extremely fertile soils for agriculture spanning the entire western Rwanda, Eastern Congo and South Western Uganda. Gisenyi and its surrounding area is agriculturally productive and nearby Ruhengeri remains the food basket of Rwanda.
Gatwa@@@ said government was set to hold a roundtable meeting with donors on 16-17 this month to discuss the road.
When completed this will be the third highway road connecting Rwanda and Burundi, the first goes through Butare in the Southern Province, the second through Nyamata in the eastern province and is in its completion stages (from the Rwanda side, the Burundi side is yet to start.)
Bosco Ndahimana a food trader in Musanze welcomed the Gisenyi=Bujumbura road saying that he will be able to maximize his Fuso trucks properly as he will be able to sell agricultural produce to Burundi and that competition for the Kigali market will also reduce.
Rwanda has in recent times embarked on a serious campaign in setting up structures to ease the free movement of goods and services in East Africa after the failure to deepen regional economic integration. Last Month, Rwanda hosted President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya who scrapped working permits for Rwandans seeking jobs in Kenya as well increasing working hours of the crucial Mombassa seaport and Gatuna boarder post.
Increasing Inflationary gap leaves city tenants crying foul
BY GEORGE KAGAME
As ever, in the 2008-9 financial year plan, the government has released well designed and eloquent graphs to be presented to the private, public and civil society sector financiers (read donors) seeking for the establishment of a housing scheme for low income earners in the country.
The plan targets increased cheap financing to the housing bank, encouraging the local production of construction materials, providing longer-term mortgage financing and so many other colourful words to have more houses in the city for people with small earning means.
The paradox of housing in Rwanda is so cloudy that while blue collar employees cry foul because of unscrupulous land lords for due to poor quality condos and exorbitant rent charges, many of these workers are employed in an unprecedented construction boom in Rwanda.
So as the blue collars finish their working day at Vision 2020 blocks mainly in Gasabo district they retire home to shanty townships in the neighbourhoods of Nyabugogo where they share single room condos with the ever present cousins visiting from the country. The new initiative by government comes years after the housing bank started a scheme catering for the Diaspora market. This market is largely responsible for turning Nyarutarama from a green to a concrete jungle it is slowly becoming now.
The blue collars, who spend their day in this area as moto drivers, journalists, guards and casual labourers are left to the machinations of Kigali's crafty landlords. Whose mastering of price discrimination is unrivaled.
After a long working day at one of the various printing shops in the city centre commonly known as "Imperimerie,' Sulambaya a city land lord and Kigali Notes Correspondent brings you a beer chat with three of his friends concerning the housing sector or lack of it in our great city.
Abilia: I think the best powerpoint presenters are found in this great country. I was very impressed by their recent work in Serena as they presented the housing scheme reforms to donors attending the development indicators meeting last week. The donors have eloquent graphs showing the success of the funds they have poured in the fight against this and that sector, while local government officials have even more brilliant presentations showing projects that need more funding and others still progress but speed slowed because one donor has not fulfilled his pledge.
Msafiri: You are very stupid Abilia, don't you know that the people who do their shopping at UTC are the same ones that employ us? If you and your fellow protesters disturb them who will pay us? Let me tell you, your problem is finding rent. Well, it is also my big problem but right now am more concerned about how i will make it watch Shaggy. The entrance fee is quite high it equals my monthly rent. I must make it to see Shaggy, don't make noise about your rent. Instead i will join you if you protest about the morphology of our houses. They are all built to resemble car garages. Why by the way?
Mwafaka: All government officials talk about is the rising inflationary gap, food fuel, airtime and everything else. Why don't they talk about rent? The government is more concerned with bigger projects than your fellow 'city houseless' mates. I have to stage a massive protest against my land lord, government and my neighbours. This protest will make the one in support of Kabuye look childish. Me and my fellow squatters-the ones that have no issues with neighbours-will shout and thereafter we will enter UTC and not go out. This will scare away the shoppers from entering the mall. The ones we trap inside we will lecture them about making laws that curtail the powers of landlords especially in regard to hiking rent.
Sulambaya: The reason Mwafaka is mad about land lords is because when he got his one room house the land lord insisted that he be a "Cilibateri" then he brought his charcoal selling girl friend later two days, then his big black cousin who also invited his wife. Now their house resembles an IDP camp. I wish i was his land lord, i'd not hike his rent, i'd also charge him rent per head in the house. With the increased rent returns i'd be able to increase my contribution to one of the Koperativus my family belongs to.
As ever, in the 2008-9 financial year plan, the government has released well designed and eloquent graphs to be presented to the private, public and civil society sector financiers (read donors) seeking for the establishment of a housing scheme for low income earners in the country.
The plan targets increased cheap financing to the housing bank, encouraging the local production of construction materials, providing longer-term mortgage financing and so many other colourful words to have more houses in the city for people with small earning means.
The paradox of housing in Rwanda is so cloudy that while blue collar employees cry foul because of unscrupulous land lords for due to poor quality condos and exorbitant rent charges, many of these workers are employed in an unprecedented construction boom in Rwanda.
So as the blue collars finish their working day at Vision 2020 blocks mainly in Gasabo district they retire home to shanty townships in the neighbourhoods of Nyabugogo where they share single room condos with the ever present cousins visiting from the country. The new initiative by government comes years after the housing bank started a scheme catering for the Diaspora market. This market is largely responsible for turning Nyarutarama from a green to a concrete jungle it is slowly becoming now.
The blue collars, who spend their day in this area as moto drivers, journalists, guards and casual labourers are left to the machinations of Kigali's crafty landlords. Whose mastering of price discrimination is unrivaled.
After a long working day at one of the various printing shops in the city centre commonly known as "Imperimerie,' Sulambaya a city land lord and Kigali Notes Correspondent brings you a beer chat with three of his friends concerning the housing sector or lack of it in our great city.
Abilia: I think the best powerpoint presenters are found in this great country. I was very impressed by their recent work in Serena as they presented the housing scheme reforms to donors attending the development indicators meeting last week. The donors have eloquent graphs showing the success of the funds they have poured in the fight against this and that sector, while local government officials have even more brilliant presentations showing projects that need more funding and others still progress but speed slowed because one donor has not fulfilled his pledge.
Msafiri: You are very stupid Abilia, don't you know that the people who do their shopping at UTC are the same ones that employ us? If you and your fellow protesters disturb them who will pay us? Let me tell you, your problem is finding rent. Well, it is also my big problem but right now am more concerned about how i will make it watch Shaggy. The entrance fee is quite high it equals my monthly rent. I must make it to see Shaggy, don't make noise about your rent. Instead i will join you if you protest about the morphology of our houses. They are all built to resemble car garages. Why by the way?
Mwafaka: All government officials talk about is the rising inflationary gap, food fuel, airtime and everything else. Why don't they talk about rent? The government is more concerned with bigger projects than your fellow 'city houseless' mates. I have to stage a massive protest against my land lord, government and my neighbours. This protest will make the one in support of Kabuye look childish. Me and my fellow squatters-the ones that have no issues with neighbours-will shout and thereafter we will enter UTC and not go out. This will scare away the shoppers from entering the mall. The ones we trap inside we will lecture them about making laws that curtail the powers of landlords especially in regard to hiking rent.
Sulambaya: The reason Mwafaka is mad about land lords is because when he got his one room house the land lord insisted that he be a "Cilibateri" then he brought his charcoal selling girl friend later two days, then his big black cousin who also invited his wife. Now their house resembles an IDP camp. I wish i was his land lord, i'd not hike his rent, i'd also charge him rent per head in the house. With the increased rent returns i'd be able to increase my contribution to one of the Koperativus my family belongs to.
Thursday 11 December 2008
The next round of fuel price negotiations: Inflation
BY GEORGE KAGAME
As this year's festive seasons begins, Kigali is facing fuel shortages and forcing many car owner to leave their vehicles packed at home and use public buses or the Kigali trademark, the Moto to conduct their daily businesses. The buses and motos are currently enduring long queues on many petrol stations around the city in the evenings as they fill up for the next day. There's a looming fuel crisis.
A disagreement between a cartel of fuel importers in the country and government is causing this misery. Apparently fuel importers were displeased by the recent reduction in the prices of fuel. The decision to reduce fuel costs was reached after negotiations between government and the importers, documents were signed, smiles abound and photos were taken. The press was invited, good news had to be told and shared.
As can be expected in the hustling world of the petrol dollar, a few weeks after the drama above unfolded. Government and petrol investors were back at the negotiating table. At the beginning of this week, the monthly meeting between the two was locked in a stalemate as fuel importers were unrelenting in their determination to charge a higher rate per average costs, point which government objected to. The issue at contention is about a mid ground price at which to sell a litre of fuel can be sold at petrol stations. The government insists on one and the importers want another, the former has insisted that fuel costs should keep pace with inflationary gaps in the economy. Not only are the importers finding this kind of talk bothering, they also refuse to understand it. As ever the case with these things, the involvement of the press in the matter was limited to press conferences and PR letters.
The talk of inflation and pump prices has left many in our great Kigali wondering who is fooling who! At a recent introduction ceremony in Cyangugu in the other province left some in the brides entourage wondering. Their deliberations were captured by our correspondent Sikiofupi. He presents its excerpts here below.
Mtupu: If the government is concerned about commodity prices and inflation, why don't they hold negotiations with land lords in the country, supermarkets, restaurants and private sector employees. These are the people in dire need of inflation lectures.
Msani: Who cares about prices of commodities, the Rwanda Bureau of standards? I choke!!!!!!
Mteja: Who cheats the consumers in this country? It it government high taxes, investors? We ask the private sector federation? Huh, don't mention that, what do they do kumbe? Hire consultancies and advocate. By the way, is there any trade union in our country?
Mhudumu: Today my supervisor told me to clean up and freshen the 'salle', he said that people in clean black suits, white shirts and red ties from Kigali are coming over the weekend to discuss development indicators in Rwanda. They will be escorted by other even more savvy people from The World Bank here to release a report showing indicators of growth in the country for 2007-8. I will inform you anything they talk about. The government is likely to welcome the report upon its release but a few weeks later the same government will be criticizing it.
And early next year they will hire a glamorous consultancy firm to advise them on what to do about the report. The private sector federation will also hire another consultancy firm probably from South Africa to advise it also. The investors meanwhile will wait for another investment conference to voice their frustration about Doing Business in Rwanda, high taxes, poor service delivery culture, these 'slow and backward' Rwandans'. At least i will be kept busy organizing the salle. The consumer will, well, what will you do?
As this year's festive seasons begins, Kigali is facing fuel shortages and forcing many car owner to leave their vehicles packed at home and use public buses or the Kigali trademark, the Moto to conduct their daily businesses. The buses and motos are currently enduring long queues on many petrol stations around the city in the evenings as they fill up for the next day. There's a looming fuel crisis.
A disagreement between a cartel of fuel importers in the country and government is causing this misery. Apparently fuel importers were displeased by the recent reduction in the prices of fuel. The decision to reduce fuel costs was reached after negotiations between government and the importers, documents were signed, smiles abound and photos were taken. The press was invited, good news had to be told and shared.
As can be expected in the hustling world of the petrol dollar, a few weeks after the drama above unfolded. Government and petrol investors were back at the negotiating table. At the beginning of this week, the monthly meeting between the two was locked in a stalemate as fuel importers were unrelenting in their determination to charge a higher rate per average costs, point which government objected to. The issue at contention is about a mid ground price at which to sell a litre of fuel can be sold at petrol stations. The government insists on one and the importers want another, the former has insisted that fuel costs should keep pace with inflationary gaps in the economy. Not only are the importers finding this kind of talk bothering, they also refuse to understand it. As ever the case with these things, the involvement of the press in the matter was limited to press conferences and PR letters.
The talk of inflation and pump prices has left many in our great Kigali wondering who is fooling who! At a recent introduction ceremony in Cyangugu in the other province left some in the brides entourage wondering. Their deliberations were captured by our correspondent Sikiofupi. He presents its excerpts here below.
Mtupu: If the government is concerned about commodity prices and inflation, why don't they hold negotiations with land lords in the country, supermarkets, restaurants and private sector employees. These are the people in dire need of inflation lectures.
Msani: Who cares about prices of commodities, the Rwanda Bureau of standards? I choke!!!!!!
Mteja: Who cheats the consumers in this country? It it government high taxes, investors? We ask the private sector federation? Huh, don't mention that, what do they do kumbe? Hire consultancies and advocate. By the way, is there any trade union in our country?
Mhudumu: Today my supervisor told me to clean up and freshen the 'salle', he said that people in clean black suits, white shirts and red ties from Kigali are coming over the weekend to discuss development indicators in Rwanda. They will be escorted by other even more savvy people from The World Bank here to release a report showing indicators of growth in the country for 2007-8. I will inform you anything they talk about. The government is likely to welcome the report upon its release but a few weeks later the same government will be criticizing it.
And early next year they will hire a glamorous consultancy firm to advise them on what to do about the report. The private sector federation will also hire another consultancy firm probably from South Africa to advise it also. The investors meanwhile will wait for another investment conference to voice their frustration about Doing Business in Rwanda, high taxes, poor service delivery culture, these 'slow and backward' Rwandans'. At least i will be kept busy organizing the salle. The consumer will, well, what will you do?
Kenyans in Rwanda happy with relations between Kigali and Nairobi
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The Chairperson of the Association of Kenyans Living in Rwanda Ms Carol Nderitu has welcomed the decision by Kenya to abolish working permits for Rwandans able to find employment in her home country.
The decision to abolish work permits for Rwandan residents in Kenya was announced last month by President Mwai Kibaki while on a state visit here. It came only months after Rwanda scrapped working permits for residents of the five member making up the East African Community, however, other members of the EAC have not yet scrapped the permits. In Kenya citizens from other EAC members save for Rwanda are required to have work permits, while the permits are still in place for Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday in Kigali, Nderitu said that the move is an important step towards achieving regional integration and bilateral relations between Kenya and Rwanda. She said members in her association were 'extremely happy" with their relationship with the government of Rwanda and added that officials normally attend meetings of her 316 member group to note issues that they raise.
Nderitu said her association is inspired by the monthly Umuganda public service. "We meet regularly to network and find means of increasing opportunities for trade between Kenya and Rwanda, we have also participated in Umuganda activities to have and promote dialogue between Kenyans here and Rwandans." She said that the asociation is set to host its second annual end of year dinner at Kigali's Serena Hotel this Friday.
To cement the good relations existing between Rwanda and Kenya today, Kibaki also promised that his government was set to eradicate all non-tariff barriers to trade with emphasis on reduction of weigh-bridges and road blocks. The announcement came after Kenya opened up a 24-hr service at the crucial Mombassa port and Rwanda declaring Gatuna customs post open for the same period. There are 30 Kenyan companies that have been approved by the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotions Agency while 2000 Kenyans are recorded to be living in Rwanda.
The Chairperson of the Association of Kenyans Living in Rwanda Ms Carol Nderitu has welcomed the decision by Kenya to abolish working permits for Rwandans able to find employment in her home country.
The decision to abolish work permits for Rwandan residents in Kenya was announced last month by President Mwai Kibaki while on a state visit here. It came only months after Rwanda scrapped working permits for residents of the five member making up the East African Community, however, other members of the EAC have not yet scrapped the permits. In Kenya citizens from other EAC members save for Rwanda are required to have work permits, while the permits are still in place for Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday in Kigali, Nderitu said that the move is an important step towards achieving regional integration and bilateral relations between Kenya and Rwanda. She said members in her association were 'extremely happy" with their relationship with the government of Rwanda and added that officials normally attend meetings of her 316 member group to note issues that they raise.
Nderitu said her association is inspired by the monthly Umuganda public service. "We meet regularly to network and find means of increasing opportunities for trade between Kenya and Rwanda, we have also participated in Umuganda activities to have and promote dialogue between Kenyans here and Rwandans." She said that the asociation is set to host its second annual end of year dinner at Kigali's Serena Hotel this Friday.
To cement the good relations existing between Rwanda and Kenya today, Kibaki also promised that his government was set to eradicate all non-tariff barriers to trade with emphasis on reduction of weigh-bridges and road blocks. The announcement came after Kenya opened up a 24-hr service at the crucial Mombassa port and Rwanda declaring Gatuna customs post open for the same period. There are 30 Kenyan companies that have been approved by the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotions Agency while 2000 Kenyans are recorded to be living in Rwanda.
Methane gas extraction is a dream come true; Mirenge
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Gas extraction which began three weeks ago on Lake Kivu in the western province will incredibly supplement energy supplies in the country and increase economic activity.
This was revealed by John Mirenge the Director General of Electrogaz the government parastatal charged with energy supply, Mirenge who was speaking to journalists from his office on Wednesday said the current government had fulfilled the long held desire by Rwanda to utilize the huge methane gas deposits on the bedrock of L. Kivu: "For the first time in this country we have demystified the mystery of gas in Rwanda, before we only talked about it and doe nothing about it." He described it as a dream becoming reality.
Mirenge said that the pilot project to extract methane from Kivu began three weeks ago and it was producing 1.5 megawatts of electricity currently.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of state for energy said gas production on Lake Kivu is likely to cause challenges because it is the first time in the world that methane gas would be extracted from underneath the lake but stated that the gas will eventually be made available on the market, "The only problem remaining is that it will be the first time to exploit methane from underwater globally, so it will take a bit of time to come up with appropriate technology." The potential power output from the lake is 350 mw, he said.
Efforts to contact the techinicns in Gisenyi charged with the actual extraction were futile as their phones were switched off.
Methane gas has long been considered as the solution of Rwanda energy requirements, exploration works on the lake began in 1963 by a Belgian company. Today, the International Finance Corporation with other donors are financing the project.
Gas extraction which began three weeks ago on Lake Kivu in the western province will incredibly supplement energy supplies in the country and increase economic activity.
This was revealed by John Mirenge the Director General of Electrogaz the government parastatal charged with energy supply, Mirenge who was speaking to journalists from his office on Wednesday said the current government had fulfilled the long held desire by Rwanda to utilize the huge methane gas deposits on the bedrock of L. Kivu: "For the first time in this country we have demystified the mystery of gas in Rwanda, before we only talked about it and doe nothing about it." He described it as a dream becoming reality.
Mirenge said that the pilot project to extract methane from Kivu began three weeks ago and it was producing 1.5 megawatts of electricity currently.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of state for energy said gas production on Lake Kivu is likely to cause challenges because it is the first time in the world that methane gas would be extracted from underneath the lake but stated that the gas will eventually be made available on the market, "The only problem remaining is that it will be the first time to exploit methane from underwater globally, so it will take a bit of time to come up with appropriate technology." The potential power output from the lake is 350 mw, he said.
Efforts to contact the techinicns in Gisenyi charged with the actual extraction were futile as their phones were switched off.
Methane gas has long been considered as the solution of Rwanda energy requirements, exploration works on the lake began in 1963 by a Belgian company. Today, the International Finance Corporation with other donors are financing the project.
Rwanda welcomes US task force on genocide prevention
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The U.S. Task Force on Genocide prevention report released this week in Washington has been welcomed by Jean de Dieu Mucyo the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide as a "a crucial initiative" in the fight against the inhuman crime and its ideology.
Speaking to journalists in his office on Airport Road on Thursday, Mucyo said that as a world super power, the US had a responsibility to stop crimes against humanity wherever they maybe before the crimes exploded into full blown atrocities; "the US task force on genocide is very important because it will ensure that the US government will be prepared to deal with the crime whenever it happens. Had they been prepared to react, the massive destruction of life and property should not have happened here IN 1994."
In 2007, the US launched a task force to draw up a list of practical recommendations for responding to threats of genocide and mass killings anywhere in the world. The task force is chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Defense Secretary William Cohen. Both leaders served in Bill Clinton's administration that failed to react with the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans in the mid 1990s.
Rwanda lost over one million innocent civilians accused of being Tutsi and over 10,000 ethnic Albanians were murdered in the Balkans in a single day for being Moslem. The report titled "Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for US Policy-makers," will be presented to the next U.S administration under Barrack Obama in January 2009 to be used in dealing with genocide issues in the world. The task force was formed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy and the United States Institute of Peace.
Mucyo said that the report should not only focus on preventing genocide in the future but to help the victims that have suffered past genocides in the world: "it is important to help victims of Genocide where it has happened. In Rwanda's case the UN has passed several resolutions calling for assistance for the victims of 1994 especially children and widows, but till now most of these resolutions are just on paper. We hope that this example by the US is an example that Genocide does not happen anywhere else."
He also praised the US task force saying that will help speed up UN action in areas where atrocities are believed to be happening like Darfur; "the UN delays, procedures are very long, the US can speed up UN initiatives because of its huge influence there." Mucyo added that the US needed more partners in the developed world to show responsibility in leadership to help to end genocidal crimes. The UN has been accused for failing to stop the Rwandan Genocide because it was saddled by definitional issues, deferring a robust response to genocide to quibbling over the intricacies of its meaning.
Mucyo added that for now Rwanda is concerned and preoccupied with preventing the ideology that leads (led) to genocide in 1994: "We need to fight the ideology, we are advising local government institutions to organize visits to genocide memorials located in their own areas instead of ever coming to the capital in Kigali to tour the one based in Gisozi. In local memorials locals learn more about their own areas and how the hate propaganda and the genocide was rooted in all areas in the country. That way, fighting the ideology will have a nationwide approach instead of being focused in one area or institution."
Speaking at the launch of the report mid week Albright said genocide cannot be stopped by simply pledging "never again." She categorized three crucial dimensions of the task force's proposal: prevention of genocide as a top foreign policy priority; the creation of a high-level, inter-agency mechanism that is specifically focused on stopping genocide before it happens; and the appropriation of $250 million annually to finance "specially-tailored" projects in countries at risk. She added "preventing genocide is an obligation to past victims." In 2000 Albright was accused by African leaders for failing to act to stop the Genocide in Rwanda in 1994 as US ambassador to the UN, she was also accused of employing stalling tactics at the Security Council to prevent deployment of peacekeeping forces in the country.
Former US senator and ambassador to the UN John Danforth said the US had formed the task force because they were not entirely satisfied with UN reaction to the crime: "working through the UN is good and important, but i have just seen the UN not do anything."
The report notes in part; "preventing genocide is an achievable goal, genocide is not the inevitable result of ancient hatreds or irrational leaders. It requires planning and is carried out systematically. There are ways to recognize its signs and symptoms and viable options to prevent it at every turn if we are committed and prepared."
The U.S. Task Force on Genocide prevention report released this week in Washington has been welcomed by Jean de Dieu Mucyo the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide as a "a crucial initiative" in the fight against the inhuman crime and its ideology.
Speaking to journalists in his office on Airport Road on Thursday, Mucyo said that as a world super power, the US had a responsibility to stop crimes against humanity wherever they maybe before the crimes exploded into full blown atrocities; "the US task force on genocide is very important because it will ensure that the US government will be prepared to deal with the crime whenever it happens. Had they been prepared to react, the massive destruction of life and property should not have happened here IN 1994."
In 2007, the US launched a task force to draw up a list of practical recommendations for responding to threats of genocide and mass killings anywhere in the world. The task force is chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Defense Secretary William Cohen. Both leaders served in Bill Clinton's administration that failed to react with the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans in the mid 1990s.
Rwanda lost over one million innocent civilians accused of being Tutsi and over 10,000 ethnic Albanians were murdered in the Balkans in a single day for being Moslem. The report titled "Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for US Policy-makers," will be presented to the next U.S administration under Barrack Obama in January 2009 to be used in dealing with genocide issues in the world. The task force was formed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy and the United States Institute of Peace.
Mucyo said that the report should not only focus on preventing genocide in the future but to help the victims that have suffered past genocides in the world: "it is important to help victims of Genocide where it has happened. In Rwanda's case the UN has passed several resolutions calling for assistance for the victims of 1994 especially children and widows, but till now most of these resolutions are just on paper. We hope that this example by the US is an example that Genocide does not happen anywhere else."
He also praised the US task force saying that will help speed up UN action in areas where atrocities are believed to be happening like Darfur; "the UN delays, procedures are very long, the US can speed up UN initiatives because of its huge influence there." Mucyo added that the US needed more partners in the developed world to show responsibility in leadership to help to end genocidal crimes. The UN has been accused for failing to stop the Rwandan Genocide because it was saddled by definitional issues, deferring a robust response to genocide to quibbling over the intricacies of its meaning.
Mucyo added that for now Rwanda is concerned and preoccupied with preventing the ideology that leads (led) to genocide in 1994: "We need to fight the ideology, we are advising local government institutions to organize visits to genocide memorials located in their own areas instead of ever coming to the capital in Kigali to tour the one based in Gisozi. In local memorials locals learn more about their own areas and how the hate propaganda and the genocide was rooted in all areas in the country. That way, fighting the ideology will have a nationwide approach instead of being focused in one area or institution."
Speaking at the launch of the report mid week Albright said genocide cannot be stopped by simply pledging "never again." She categorized three crucial dimensions of the task force's proposal: prevention of genocide as a top foreign policy priority; the creation of a high-level, inter-agency mechanism that is specifically focused on stopping genocide before it happens; and the appropriation of $250 million annually to finance "specially-tailored" projects in countries at risk. She added "preventing genocide is an obligation to past victims." In 2000 Albright was accused by African leaders for failing to act to stop the Genocide in Rwanda in 1994 as US ambassador to the UN, she was also accused of employing stalling tactics at the Security Council to prevent deployment of peacekeeping forces in the country.
Former US senator and ambassador to the UN John Danforth said the US had formed the task force because they were not entirely satisfied with UN reaction to the crime: "working through the UN is good and important, but i have just seen the UN not do anything."
The report notes in part; "preventing genocide is an achievable goal, genocide is not the inevitable result of ancient hatreds or irrational leaders. It requires planning and is carried out systematically. There are ways to recognize its signs and symptoms and viable options to prevent it at every turn if we are committed and prepared."
Kaberuka raises African concern about global financial crisis
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The President of the African Development Bank Donald Kaberuka has raised concern about the impact of the ongoing financial crisis in developed nations on African economies.
Speaking at the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development's event on Africa meeting in Doha earlier in the week, Kaberuka said the current international crises in the finance sector, high fuel and food prices, Africa was to be affected in keeping commitments on Official Development Aid, on aid effectiveness, on trade reform is now "critical" and more urgent than ever. The conference brought together international economists from the UN and senior governments officials drawn across the globe.
"There is now little doubt the financial crisis will, and is already impacting on African economies through multiple channels; which cumulatively, are leading to slowdown and contraction of the economies of many countries in Africa. The result is lower government revenues, fiscal retrenchments, cutbacks in social programs, infrastructure projects abandoned business closures and strains in the banking sector"
Doha is also the same venue where the World Trade Organization launched the Doha Development Round in 2002. The Doha Round is remembered for starting the promotion of aid and trade relationships between developing and donor countries. The Doha Round talks also offers global leaders the chance to underscore their commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to reassure poor nations that the fierce economic conditions enveloping us today will not lead rich countries to scale back their efforts at reducing poverty in the developing world.
Experts and African leaders have voiced their fear and concerns about the ongoing credit crunch in the US and Europe, where consumers have borrowed more money from banks than the banks actually have in their control, powerful banks in the US and housing finance instituions have run bankrupt, merged or closed. In the process affecting other investment sectors of the economy. As a result, it has been feared that developed countries especially the US which contribute significantly to the donor aid that runs Africa would be affected as budget priorities of the rich nations change.
Kaberuka reaffirmed the African Development Bank's commitment to boost its support to the private sector, to help in ensuring that vital key infrastructure projects are not abandoned, to enable banks to continue accessing trade finance and to work with Governments and business to ensure momentum on business reform does not slip back. He highlighted that the financial crisis comes on top of the impact of escalating food and oil prices where many African countries were straining from protests and demonstrations by citizens against government for high fuel and food prices.
In a letter addressed to the same conference, Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization has also called upon developed nations to show their deeds that they remain committed to helping developing countries grow through trade and aid.
He said that with the global financial system in crisis today, the international economy is bracing for the worst economic recession since the 1930s. Lamy wrote that because of the current "tough times" in the world "it will be easy for politicians to blame foreigners for their nations' ills, shutting foreign products out of their markets and slashing foreign aid budgets." He also said that the WTO was happy with the decision recently by the 20 major economies in the world to pledge publicly a moratorium on the imposition of new barriers to trade in the coming 12 months.
The President of the African Development Bank Donald Kaberuka has raised concern about the impact of the ongoing financial crisis in developed nations on African economies.
Speaking at the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development's event on Africa meeting in Doha earlier in the week, Kaberuka said the current international crises in the finance sector, high fuel and food prices, Africa was to be affected in keeping commitments on Official Development Aid, on aid effectiveness, on trade reform is now "critical" and more urgent than ever. The conference brought together international economists from the UN and senior governments officials drawn across the globe.
"There is now little doubt the financial crisis will, and is already impacting on African economies through multiple channels; which cumulatively, are leading to slowdown and contraction of the economies of many countries in Africa. The result is lower government revenues, fiscal retrenchments, cutbacks in social programs, infrastructure projects abandoned business closures and strains in the banking sector"
Doha is also the same venue where the World Trade Organization launched the Doha Development Round in 2002. The Doha Round is remembered for starting the promotion of aid and trade relationships between developing and donor countries. The Doha Round talks also offers global leaders the chance to underscore their commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to reassure poor nations that the fierce economic conditions enveloping us today will not lead rich countries to scale back their efforts at reducing poverty in the developing world.
Experts and African leaders have voiced their fear and concerns about the ongoing credit crunch in the US and Europe, where consumers have borrowed more money from banks than the banks actually have in their control, powerful banks in the US and housing finance instituions have run bankrupt, merged or closed. In the process affecting other investment sectors of the economy. As a result, it has been feared that developed countries especially the US which contribute significantly to the donor aid that runs Africa would be affected as budget priorities of the rich nations change.
Kaberuka reaffirmed the African Development Bank's commitment to boost its support to the private sector, to help in ensuring that vital key infrastructure projects are not abandoned, to enable banks to continue accessing trade finance and to work with Governments and business to ensure momentum on business reform does not slip back. He highlighted that the financial crisis comes on top of the impact of escalating food and oil prices where many African countries were straining from protests and demonstrations by citizens against government for high fuel and food prices.
In a letter addressed to the same conference, Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization has also called upon developed nations to show their deeds that they remain committed to helping developing countries grow through trade and aid.
He said that with the global financial system in crisis today, the international economy is bracing for the worst economic recession since the 1930s. Lamy wrote that because of the current "tough times" in the world "it will be easy for politicians to blame foreigners for their nations' ills, shutting foreign products out of their markets and slashing foreign aid budgets." He also said that the WTO was happy with the decision recently by the 20 major economies in the world to pledge publicly a moratorium on the imposition of new barriers to trade in the coming 12 months.
Tuesday 2 December 2008
Hydro power lines to be installed on all major roads in the country starting January; Electrogaz
Hydro power lines to be installed on all major roads in the country starting January; Electrogaz
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Large parts of rural Rwanda will also soon be lighting with electricity if the words of John Mirenge the Director General of Electorgaz, the national corporation charged with power distribution in the country are to be believed.
Speaking to the press on Monday in his office, Mirenge said, "from the beginning of 2009 we shall be able to connect power supply lines on all the main roads connecting major urban centres across the country." He said this was the medium term solution for Rwanda's alarming energy costs and erratic connection.
Mirenge said government had earmarked 8 mini hydro electricity projects and construction works were already underway for some while many will start in January 2009. Tenders for the construction of mini hydro projects in Ngororero, Gisagara, Nyaruguru, Bugesera, Byumba and two in the Eastern Province. Many of the projects will be functional by the end of next year.
Mirenge said that government's ambitious rural electrification programme will also be boosted greatly, "we are coordinating a project with the Ministry of Infrastructure and donors to have electricity footprints in all rural areas in the country beginning with the new year."
The national electricity extension programme especially in rural areas is being funded by the European Union and analysts say that once the new projects are completed government will be able to achieve its target of increasing access to electricity from the current 108,000 homesteads to increasing access to 16 percent of the population by 2012. He added that by the same time there will be 30 hydro projects in rural areas to increase connectivity.
Only a tiny fraction of the population remains connected to electricity and this is the leading challenge to policy makers in the country as the limited coverage of electricity supply lines hinder economic activities and investments in many areas. The government has adopted several alternatives to find solutions to energy, these include the establishment of the Institute for Scientific Research and Technology (IRST) extends its biogas development project, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency RURA and conceited efforts in delivering the promise of massive methane gas depots in Lake Kivu in the Western Province.
The prospects and challenges of hydro electricity production in Central Africa are troublesome in equal measure, with DR Congo unstable politically, work on the Grand Inga Dam project set to be begin in 2010 is in doubt as the DRC remains insecure. The USD. 80bn has been hailed as a final solution to all energy requirements in the region and Africa at large.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Large parts of rural Rwanda will also soon be lighting with electricity if the words of John Mirenge the Director General of Electorgaz, the national corporation charged with power distribution in the country are to be believed.
Speaking to the press on Monday in his office, Mirenge said, "from the beginning of 2009 we shall be able to connect power supply lines on all the main roads connecting major urban centres across the country." He said this was the medium term solution for Rwanda's alarming energy costs and erratic connection.
Mirenge said government had earmarked 8 mini hydro electricity projects and construction works were already underway for some while many will start in January 2009. Tenders for the construction of mini hydro projects in Ngororero, Gisagara, Nyaruguru, Bugesera, Byumba and two in the Eastern Province. Many of the projects will be functional by the end of next year.
Mirenge said that government's ambitious rural electrification programme will also be boosted greatly, "we are coordinating a project with the Ministry of Infrastructure and donors to have electricity footprints in all rural areas in the country beginning with the new year."
The national electricity extension programme especially in rural areas is being funded by the European Union and analysts say that once the new projects are completed government will be able to achieve its target of increasing access to electricity from the current 108,000 homesteads to increasing access to 16 percent of the population by 2012. He added that by the same time there will be 30 hydro projects in rural areas to increase connectivity.
Only a tiny fraction of the population remains connected to electricity and this is the leading challenge to policy makers in the country as the limited coverage of electricity supply lines hinder economic activities and investments in many areas. The government has adopted several alternatives to find solutions to energy, these include the establishment of the Institute for Scientific Research and Technology (IRST) extends its biogas development project, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency RURA and conceited efforts in delivering the promise of massive methane gas depots in Lake Kivu in the Western Province.
The prospects and challenges of hydro electricity production in Central Africa are troublesome in equal measure, with DR Congo unstable politically, work on the Grand Inga Dam project set to be begin in 2010 is in doubt as the DRC remains insecure. The USD. 80bn has been hailed as a final solution to all energy requirements in the region and Africa at large.
Private ARVs too expensive; PLWH
Private ARVs too expensive; PLWH
BY GEORGE KAGAME
People Living with HIV/Aids-PLWH-are not happy with the high cost of Anti Retroviral drugs on the private market as Rwanda joins the world to celebrate great achievements in the fight against HIV/Aids. "It costs too high for me, and sometimes i need supplements on the free dose provided by government" said Giles Rubaara, a PLWH in Kigali on 1 December, as the world celebrated the United Nations' day to observe and raise awareness to HIV/Aids.
Rubaara, a resident of Gikondo said that he would prefer to purchase the ARVs supplied on the private market instead of the freely offered ARVs by government in public health centres. He has been living with HIV/Aids for the past six years.
Speaking to the press on Monday, Fulgence Kamari the Communications Officer of the National Commission for the Prevention of HIV/Aids-CNLS said government established 345 health centres across the country in which free ARVs are given public health centres spread across the country, he said that for all Rwandans that have tested positive for HIV, the treatment is free and added that so far only 42 percent of the population in the country have tested for HIV. He added that some people opt for the original ARVs and, "it should be noted that there are enough ARVs given free of charge for Rwandans that come forward to test."
The government through the Aids Research and Treatment Centre-TRAC and funding from Global Fund and US President's emergency plan to prevent Aids provide free ARVs to people that test positive for HIV the virus that causes Aids. However the ARVs supplied by government are World Health Organization recommended duplicates of original ARVs. The originals are too expensive to be offered for free and so they are sold on the private market at Frw 400,000 per year, a price many victims of Aids find too high to afford. Most expenditure on Aids in the country goes to the purchase of ARVs and other medicines for PLWH, Kamari said.
Kamari said that Rwanda had not organized any special ceremonies to commemorate the 2008 world Aids day saying that CNLS had already events earlier to mark the day. "three years ago we adopted a programme whereby we hold our world Aids day on the last saturday of the month of November when all the people are participating in the mandatory public service works-Umuganda. Here we have a chance to to sensitize people about HIV and encourage them to come forward for voluntary testing and counseling."
Commenting on the significance of World Aids day, World Bank Senior Health Specialist Miriam Schneidman said that in Rwanda there has been a “massive increase in the number of people that have come to be tested, and as access to AIDS treatment has scaled up people have become more accepting of those living with AIDS,” While access to antiretroviral treatment has improved markedly, now reaching about 30 percent of those who need it." She however added there was more effort needed to increase ARV supply to all the people that need it. Schneidman said that to celebrate the 2008 many events have been organized to highlight the importance of the fight these include the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, taking place in Senegal, December 3-7.
The World Bank through its Multi Country Approach programme-MAP and US international Aid Development agency-USAID are among the leading financiers of the fight against HIV/Aids.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
People Living with HIV/Aids-PLWH-are not happy with the high cost of Anti Retroviral drugs on the private market as Rwanda joins the world to celebrate great achievements in the fight against HIV/Aids. "It costs too high for me, and sometimes i need supplements on the free dose provided by government" said Giles Rubaara, a PLWH in Kigali on 1 December, as the world celebrated the United Nations' day to observe and raise awareness to HIV/Aids.
Rubaara, a resident of Gikondo said that he would prefer to purchase the ARVs supplied on the private market instead of the freely offered ARVs by government in public health centres. He has been living with HIV/Aids for the past six years.
Speaking to the press on Monday, Fulgence Kamari the Communications Officer of the National Commission for the Prevention of HIV/Aids-CNLS said government established 345 health centres across the country in which free ARVs are given public health centres spread across the country, he said that for all Rwandans that have tested positive for HIV, the treatment is free and added that so far only 42 percent of the population in the country have tested for HIV. He added that some people opt for the original ARVs and, "it should be noted that there are enough ARVs given free of charge for Rwandans that come forward to test."
The government through the Aids Research and Treatment Centre-TRAC and funding from Global Fund and US President's emergency plan to prevent Aids provide free ARVs to people that test positive for HIV the virus that causes Aids. However the ARVs supplied by government are World Health Organization recommended duplicates of original ARVs. The originals are too expensive to be offered for free and so they are sold on the private market at Frw 400,000 per year, a price many victims of Aids find too high to afford. Most expenditure on Aids in the country goes to the purchase of ARVs and other medicines for PLWH, Kamari said.
Kamari said that Rwanda had not organized any special ceremonies to commemorate the 2008 world Aids day saying that CNLS had already events earlier to mark the day. "three years ago we adopted a programme whereby we hold our world Aids day on the last saturday of the month of November when all the people are participating in the mandatory public service works-Umuganda. Here we have a chance to to sensitize people about HIV and encourage them to come forward for voluntary testing and counseling."
Commenting on the significance of World Aids day, World Bank Senior Health Specialist Miriam Schneidman said that in Rwanda there has been a “massive increase in the number of people that have come to be tested, and as access to AIDS treatment has scaled up people have become more accepting of those living with AIDS,” While access to antiretroviral treatment has improved markedly, now reaching about 30 percent of those who need it." She however added there was more effort needed to increase ARV supply to all the people that need it. Schneidman said that to celebrate the 2008 many events have been organized to highlight the importance of the fight these include the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, taking place in Senegal, December 3-7.
The World Bank through its Multi Country Approach programme-MAP and US international Aid Development agency-USAID are among the leading financiers of the fight against HIV/Aids.
Friday 28 November 2008
Great Lakes envoy cautions MONUC reinforcement to 20,000
Great Lakes envoy cautions MONUC reinforcement to 20,000 in DR Congo
BY GEORGE KAGAME
President Paul Kagame's envoy to the Great Lakes Region Ambassador Joseph Mutaboba has expressed caution at the decision to increase the forces of the United Nations' Peace Keeping Mission in DR Congo-MONUC from 17,000 to 20,000 on Thursday by the Security Council at the behest of France.
The Security Council increased the peace keeping force after the most recent outbreak of war between the National Congress for the Defence of the People forces under the command of Congolese dissident soldier General Laurent Nkunda against a combination of the Congolese government forces, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, Interahamwe and Mai Mai who are allegedly fighting on one side.
The decision to reinforce the MONUC forces has been criticized by many observers noting that the peace keeping force even before the increase in their numbers-still the largest operation by the UN-is inefficient and has also conspired with the various negative forces in the region to fight against Nkunda who says he is fighting to defend minority communities in Eastern Congo especially his ethnic Tutsi tribesmen who are threatened by the FDLR and the Interahamwe.
Asked if the increase in MONUC numbers will have an impact on peace and security in Eastern Congo, Mutaboba said: "it might make an impact if and only if they have a clear mandate and specific target." He added that even if the force was increased to '40,000 or 60,000' it means nothing "if the root causes of the conflict in the region is not addressed, the MONUC will have no impact if they continue protecting the Interahamwe." Mutaboba also said that the UN is fully aware of the problem of negative forces hiding in Eastern Congo and the rape and guns for minerals accusations against MONUC forces especially from Pakistan and India. "i hope they learned their lesson", he said.
The UN sent a 17000 strong force to keep peace in DR Congo in 1999 as the country was under going a military conflict in which 13 countries were allegedly involved. Since its creation however, MONUC has been accused of inefficiency for failing to maintain peace especially in the eastern part of DR Congo where 26 rebel groups are reported to be fighting. The biggest threat among these groups experts say are the FDLR who are remnants of the genocidal forces of Rwanda who continue victimizing civilian ethnic Tutsi in Congo. Of the already 17000 strong MONUC force in the Congo, only 6000 are based in Eastern Congo.
Since he started the rebellion in 2004, Nkunda has consistently said he is fighting to defend his minority Tutsi tribesmen whose existence is threatened by bandit groups that fled the country in 1994 after participating in the Genocide which claimed close to one million Rwandans. According security experts at the Nairobi based East Africa Standby Brigade, Rwandan negative forces that entered the jungles of Eastern Congo after the genocide initially numbered over 10,000 but it is believed that they have increased in numbers and logistics since they entered into partnership with the DR Congo government forces. The negative forces continue to destabilize Eastern Congo and have particularly attacked ethnic Tutsi tribesmen in the region.
Nkunda welcomed the increase of the force saying that he hoped they would help to establish stability in the region: "Congolese people must gain from the increased force. Currently Eastern Congo has no economy, no water, no electricity and no government." He added that he had ordered a ceasefire to allow for the if the force would help to introduce stability in the region then it is a good decision to increase their numbers,"
The UN stated that the 3,100 more troops will be dispatched to DR Congo but didnot say when the forces would be sent but residents in Eastern Congo are skeptical of the force: Christian Matandi in Kibumba Eastern Congo said: "what use is the increase of MONUC, they have been here before but they are interested in other parts of the country. What sense does it make to have only 6000 forces in Eastern Congo out of the 17000 when it is only this region that is under serious conflict?" asked Matandi.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
President Paul Kagame's envoy to the Great Lakes Region Ambassador Joseph Mutaboba has expressed caution at the decision to increase the forces of the United Nations' Peace Keeping Mission in DR Congo-MONUC from 17,000 to 20,000 on Thursday by the Security Council at the behest of France.
The Security Council increased the peace keeping force after the most recent outbreak of war between the National Congress for the Defence of the People forces under the command of Congolese dissident soldier General Laurent Nkunda against a combination of the Congolese government forces, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, Interahamwe and Mai Mai who are allegedly fighting on one side.
The decision to reinforce the MONUC forces has been criticized by many observers noting that the peace keeping force even before the increase in their numbers-still the largest operation by the UN-is inefficient and has also conspired with the various negative forces in the region to fight against Nkunda who says he is fighting to defend minority communities in Eastern Congo especially his ethnic Tutsi tribesmen who are threatened by the FDLR and the Interahamwe.
Asked if the increase in MONUC numbers will have an impact on peace and security in Eastern Congo, Mutaboba said: "it might make an impact if and only if they have a clear mandate and specific target." He added that even if the force was increased to '40,000 or 60,000' it means nothing "if the root causes of the conflict in the region is not addressed, the MONUC will have no impact if they continue protecting the Interahamwe." Mutaboba also said that the UN is fully aware of the problem of negative forces hiding in Eastern Congo and the rape and guns for minerals accusations against MONUC forces especially from Pakistan and India. "i hope they learned their lesson", he said.
The UN sent a 17000 strong force to keep peace in DR Congo in 1999 as the country was under going a military conflict in which 13 countries were allegedly involved. Since its creation however, MONUC has been accused of inefficiency for failing to maintain peace especially in the eastern part of DR Congo where 26 rebel groups are reported to be fighting. The biggest threat among these groups experts say are the FDLR who are remnants of the genocidal forces of Rwanda who continue victimizing civilian ethnic Tutsi in Congo. Of the already 17000 strong MONUC force in the Congo, only 6000 are based in Eastern Congo.
Since he started the rebellion in 2004, Nkunda has consistently said he is fighting to defend his minority Tutsi tribesmen whose existence is threatened by bandit groups that fled the country in 1994 after participating in the Genocide which claimed close to one million Rwandans. According security experts at the Nairobi based East Africa Standby Brigade, Rwandan negative forces that entered the jungles of Eastern Congo after the genocide initially numbered over 10,000 but it is believed that they have increased in numbers and logistics since they entered into partnership with the DR Congo government forces. The negative forces continue to destabilize Eastern Congo and have particularly attacked ethnic Tutsi tribesmen in the region.
Nkunda welcomed the increase of the force saying that he hoped they would help to establish stability in the region: "Congolese people must gain from the increased force. Currently Eastern Congo has no economy, no water, no electricity and no government." He added that he had ordered a ceasefire to allow for the if the force would help to introduce stability in the region then it is a good decision to increase their numbers,"
The UN stated that the 3,100 more troops will be dispatched to DR Congo but didnot say when the forces would be sent but residents in Eastern Congo are skeptical of the force: Christian Matandi in Kibumba Eastern Congo said: "what use is the increase of MONUC, they have been here before but they are interested in other parts of the country. What sense does it make to have only 6000 forces in Eastern Congo out of the 17000 when it is only this region that is under serious conflict?" asked Matandi.
Rwanda to mark UN diabetes day with week long activities; Diabetes Association
Rwanda to mark UN diabetes day with week long activities; Diabetes Association
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The Rwanda Diabetic Association will celebrate this year’s World Diabetes Day with several activities to increase awareness and the plight of people suffering from it no top of free medical care for all children affected.
Speaking to the press over the weekend Dr Fransco Gishoma, the President of Rwanda Diabetic Association the national organization in Rwanda which is concerned with diabetes related issues in the country said the Rwanda Diabetic Association has organized several events to mark the day which was officially designated by the UN last year on 14 November.
"Rwanda forwarded the day to 21 November and we have a week long observation. With the help of local government authorities we are inviting all children suffering from diabetes to get free treatment. We have partnered with 16 major hospitals across the country to provide therapy. We are also treating diabetic children and 'absolutely' poor people for free on top of reducing the cost by 30 percent for those with 'small' means."
Gishoma said that 2008 theme for Rwanda diabetes day, "No children should be killed from diabetes” marks his association's determination to curb the disease in the country.
The United Nations' marked the first diabetes' day on 14th November 2007 and declared that the day to be an international day to be observed among all member countries to appeal to the disease affecting over 246 million worldwide.
Even if the president of diabetes association in Rwanda did not give immediate statistics as to the extent of diabetes in the country, he said that disease is serious threat to the health of many Rwandans: "our association in partnership with the Ministry of health has started programmes running at public health centre level across the country to ensure that all children are tested for diabetes.
World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world. It was introduced by International Diabetic Federation and the World Health Organization in response to concern over increasing numbers of people with diabetes around the world.
The date marks the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921. With the passage of the United Nations' World Diabetes Day Resolution in December 2006, November 14 has now become a United Nations-observed day.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The Rwanda Diabetic Association will celebrate this year’s World Diabetes Day with several activities to increase awareness and the plight of people suffering from it no top of free medical care for all children affected.
Speaking to the press over the weekend Dr Fransco Gishoma, the President of Rwanda Diabetic Association the national organization in Rwanda which is concerned with diabetes related issues in the country said the Rwanda Diabetic Association has organized several events to mark the day which was officially designated by the UN last year on 14 November.
"Rwanda forwarded the day to 21 November and we have a week long observation. With the help of local government authorities we are inviting all children suffering from diabetes to get free treatment. We have partnered with 16 major hospitals across the country to provide therapy. We are also treating diabetic children and 'absolutely' poor people for free on top of reducing the cost by 30 percent for those with 'small' means."
Gishoma said that 2008 theme for Rwanda diabetes day, "No children should be killed from diabetes” marks his association's determination to curb the disease in the country.
The United Nations' marked the first diabetes' day on 14th November 2007 and declared that the day to be an international day to be observed among all member countries to appeal to the disease affecting over 246 million worldwide.
Even if the president of diabetes association in Rwanda did not give immediate statistics as to the extent of diabetes in the country, he said that disease is serious threat to the health of many Rwandans: "our association in partnership with the Ministry of health has started programmes running at public health centre level across the country to ensure that all children are tested for diabetes.
World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world. It was introduced by International Diabetic Federation and the World Health Organization in response to concern over increasing numbers of people with diabetes around the world.
The date marks the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921. With the passage of the United Nations' World Diabetes Day Resolution in December 2006, November 14 has now become a United Nations-observed day.
Welcome to the township and its eternally celebrating La Buvette Bar
Welcome to the township and its eternally celebrating La Buvette Bar
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Many a lonely night have been spent here, many more beer bottles broken, small sticks collected across the country to take care of the popular 'Brochete' delicacy here. This is La Buvette Umubano bar.
Talk about strategical location in whatever terms, and you have an idea of this poor man's version of a tavern. It is a tough attempt to describe the geographical location where the bar is found, but if you are familiar with Kigali's 'elaborate' social life, you probably know about Mayak Cinema. One of the foremost feature among the concrete jungle of Nyamirambo township, otherwise known as Biryog. And so far, the only public movie theatre in the city. La Buvette is found next Mayak and even then a client needs good knowledge of the grids of bars to identify the place if you miss seeing the only advert of the bar on top of the entrance in white paint.
The bar opens anywhere after midmorning and remains in service till the last customer leaves, and the clients are not the kind that 'buy me a rose, call me from work", the last customer rule therefore is the one among many that are liberal. This is probably the only place in the city 'real' and random karaoke takes with no aid of technology. Extremely loud conversations spanning the entire bar, even louder music videos playing on the television positioned strategically such that barman is also watching it most of the time instead of listening to his orders, and traditional Kinya-rwanda drama and songs. All the above in no particular order but on many occasions they are simultaneous.
An advertising manager would call this a wonder in terms of market segmentation. In this bar, you can have circles of patrons standing close to each other and dancing in full gear but to different tunes. one from the music video showing on the mandatory television set and the other from live performances among the patrons in the other circle singing to a Kinya-rwanda or Congolese tune. Wild laughter breaks out occasionally but for the most part, the atmosphere inside this bar is either of a heated political debate-lately and mostly about a certain Barack Obama-, cursing about a delayed order-which the barman never heard about because he was watching music video a prostitute that has been cheated by an irate client.
La Buvette serves mainly beer at the normal retail prices, fairly decent Brochete and roasted bananas, irish potatoes which, in the ranges of 500 to 750 Frw is pocket friendly for the eternally joyous patrons here and makes the 'Brocheteman' the busiest and most important staff of the La Buvette, good relations with him are crucial if you intend to have a good time here.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Many a lonely night have been spent here, many more beer bottles broken, small sticks collected across the country to take care of the popular 'Brochete' delicacy here. This is La Buvette Umubano bar.
Talk about strategical location in whatever terms, and you have an idea of this poor man's version of a tavern. It is a tough attempt to describe the geographical location where the bar is found, but if you are familiar with Kigali's 'elaborate' social life, you probably know about Mayak Cinema. One of the foremost feature among the concrete jungle of Nyamirambo township, otherwise known as Biryog. And so far, the only public movie theatre in the city. La Buvette is found next Mayak and even then a client needs good knowledge of the grids of bars to identify the place if you miss seeing the only advert of the bar on top of the entrance in white paint.
The bar opens anywhere after midmorning and remains in service till the last customer leaves, and the clients are not the kind that 'buy me a rose, call me from work", the last customer rule therefore is the one among many that are liberal. This is probably the only place in the city 'real' and random karaoke takes with no aid of technology. Extremely loud conversations spanning the entire bar, even louder music videos playing on the television positioned strategically such that barman is also watching it most of the time instead of listening to his orders, and traditional Kinya-rwanda drama and songs. All the above in no particular order but on many occasions they are simultaneous.
An advertising manager would call this a wonder in terms of market segmentation. In this bar, you can have circles of patrons standing close to each other and dancing in full gear but to different tunes. one from the music video showing on the mandatory television set and the other from live performances among the patrons in the other circle singing to a Kinya-rwanda or Congolese tune. Wild laughter breaks out occasionally but for the most part, the atmosphere inside this bar is either of a heated political debate-lately and mostly about a certain Barack Obama-, cursing about a delayed order-which the barman never heard about because he was watching music video a prostitute that has been cheated by an irate client.
La Buvette serves mainly beer at the normal retail prices, fairly decent Brochete and roasted bananas, irish potatoes which, in the ranges of 500 to 750 Frw is pocket friendly for the eternally joyous patrons here and makes the 'Brocheteman' the busiest and most important staff of the La Buvette, good relations with him are crucial if you intend to have a good time here.
Is Rutshuru and Eastern Congo persecuted for its agriculture or minerals?
Is Rutshuru and Eastern Congo persecuted for its agriculture or minerals?
BY GEORGE KAGAME&
GEORGE BARYAMWISAKI
Rutshuru, Eastern Congo
At first observation everything looked like it was staged, 'President" Laurent Nkunda was going to meet retired Nigerian leader General Olusegun Obasanjo now serving As special envoy of the UN Secretary General on the congolese crisis. The crisis like a volcano arose from relative slumber in recent times to a full fledged war pitying the National Congress for the Defense of the People, CNDP under the command of General Laurent Nkunda against the government troops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and what many neutral observes agree are remnants of the genocidal forces in Rwanda in 1994.
The burst up of Eastern Congo followed a rarely peaceful period in recent times after the CNDP and government agreed to "work together", in January this year, Nkunda's people and those of the DRC government negotiated a deal for peace. However towards the weeks ending september, Goma itself was saved from CNDP's capture with the rebels declaring a ceasefire, Obasanjo is here to try to find peaceful means of stopping the war first, then guaranteeing the security of minority tribes in the area against a myriad other rebel groups fighting in this part of Congo, whose government outreach remains very poor, saves for a few roads to transport agricultural produce from the deeper farming communities to markets as far as Gisenyi, Kigali, Goma and Bukavu.
The recent war has seen Nkunda's CNDP capture a number of strategic areas and towns from government control, as a result, international humanitarian organizations have been quick to release reports declaring their analysis of their of the situation, even the UN has increased its peace keeping force to 20,000 the largest mission in the world. The two generals are meeting in a catholic church mission, which after the traditional sunday worship early in the morning, has quickly become an altar of peace, Nkunda calls it "a blessing, a chance for peace." Obasanjo is se to mediate negotiations between CNDP-which is the only group in the region interested in negotiations at all-with the DR Congo government sitting in Kinshasa.
Nkunda is a Congolese military man of Tutsi ethnic background, he has honed his skills in the complex wars that have raged in Eastern Congo since the ending of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. First he was involved in the well celebrated campaign to bring an end to the "sleeping" era of Mubutu Seseko in 1997 and then the campaign of the early 2000s where almost 13 countries were involved. Since those wars, Nkunda has emerged as a 'protector' to some communities in Eastern Congo particularly the Tutsi, and a 'warlord' in the western world. His tribesmen, the ethnic Congolese Tutsi are under the constant threat by armed groups that were defeated in in 1994 after their efforts had flared up a genocide. These groups are currently trademarked as "negative forces" they control considerable influence and large swathes of land in the Congo.
The negative forces are another evolution of militias, soldiers, vigilantes who after their suspected participation in the Rwandan Genocide escaped to Eastern Congo and by 1997 had acquired considerable influence to direct opportunity and misery in the region. These included Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda-FDLR, Interahamwe, Mai Mai and over 20 other rebel groupings according to security experts.
The Mai Mai is a remake of the Maji Maji, the historical anti colonial rebellion in Tanzania in 1905 against German rule.
The Tanzanian Maji Maji relied on the 'blessed water' supplied by a Tanzania magician named Kiyingitikire. Unlike their Tanzanian counterparts, the Congolese Mai Mai use guns, and "Silah za'ajabu"-dangerous guns, according to Robert Tumwizere, "they have washed away entire villages" in his hometown of Kibumba. The Mai Mai, although reported to be a threat to certain communities in Eastern Congo, they continue to be part of the mainstream political system of the central government. They also have representation in the provincial legislative assembly sitting in Goma.
Today Obasanjo has come in this remote part of Eastern Congo- two weeks ago under government control- but is now under the management of the National Congress for the Defense of the People led by Nkunda by the bidding of the UN Secretary General, to start a process whereby the Congolese government will negotiate with Nkunda's CNDP to end the recent outbreak of war . This is Jomba hill, it hosts a beautiful catholic mission on its peak and the meeting between the former Nigerian President and the Congolese rebel leader is taking place inside one of the church buildings.
The meeting venue, part of the territory under the control of Nkunda, it is also in the midst of the main food basket of the entire breadth of Eastern Congo. Feeding cities far away as Kigali, Bukavu and Kisangani.
Security is very detailed on the fences of the meeting venue, but outside children play and run around in circles, the elders smoke tobacco and waiting journalists-mostly white and working for prestigious media houses- are silently looking for strategic points to shoot pictures. Everything at first inspection looks if it has been designed by the rebels to look good for these journalists, and cynical as they are wont, the journalists know its all make believe.
But the drive towards Rutshuru is much more natural and serene. Trucks heavily loaded with sacks of foodstuffs and cattle contest for pathway on the small road with MONUC Anti Personnel Carriers, while on the roadsides, what is said by locals to be former security posts and road blocks of the FDLR are still left undisturbed.
The soils along all the hills covering the entire region of Kabuhanga, Bunagana, Rumangabo, Kibumbi and to Rutshuru, the ones occupying the region that covers the borders between Uganda, Rwanda and Dr Congo are probably the most fertile in Central and East Africa. Large parts of this area has been under the control of the CNDP since 2004 and as a result it is a haven of peace compared to many parts in Eastern Congo, and this explains why the meeting is taking place here and why the crowd is so eager to see Nkunda. For the 170 km of the journey from Goma inside the area under the control of CNDP, many of the residents in the area talk f the minerals, but they say the minerals are very far from here, they are mostly in Katanga region and even then, the mines and their products are run privately by Chinese and French companies.
The minerals so often mentioned in international news reports are not evident here, save for Nkunda's metal tipped hand stick.
After a few minutes talking to the press and bidding farewell to Obasanjo's entourage, on the way back to the meeting venue to hold another meeting of the executive council of the CNDP, Nkunda stops and addresses the crowd and promises a second visit soon, "to spend much more time with you." This happens in Kinyarwanda and long after all international journalists had already left.
The residents here are not decided whom between Uganda's Yoweri Museveni and Mobutu is their president but asked to choose between Kabila, "any Kabila" and Nkunda. Nkunda is a favourite for many. Even in private chitchats, many don't understand what the fuse about the current humanitarian crisis is about. "Since 2003, we have not had people running away from my village," says Sebahanga Bosco a resident of Jomba.
With this area embroiled in civil conflict involving various rebel groups and bandit militias, there are no investments in the agricultural sector here or any other sector, however the area remains till to-date the food basket of Goma in Eastern Congo, Gisenyi in Western Rwanda and Kisoro in Southern Uganda. It ironic therefore, that humanitarian groups involved in the crisis that currently pits General Laurent Nkunda against the DR Congo government continue assessing the area as a 'humanitarian crisis.'
The timing of the meeting is because the humanitarian groups "feeding the war in our country" according to Sebahanga have complained to Nkunda to open 'humanitarian corridors' so they can supply food to displaced victims of the war.
As the aid organizations raise their concerns about the safety of their 'food convoys' to the above areas, private businessmen buy food from markets in the same area, many as deep as Kibumba hundreds of kilometres inside the territory under the control of the CNDP. The food crops from here include onions, carrots, banana, vegetables and fruits and large numbers of livestock, they transported on Ugandan Fuso trucks locally called 'Ingande' to Goma, Kigali and Uganda by local farmers. There is no government functioning here, the locals, sometimes with their local churches are responsible for most infrastructure in the region.
The agricultural traders here share the small roads with MONUC armored vehicles escorting the aid organizations trucks to Goma. Tumwizere, a driver of one such trucks that carry agricultural produce to Goma says it is not the first time that international aid organizations have got it all wrong in Eastern Congo in recent years : "In 1995, the humanitarian agencies supported an active military establishment under the guise of a refugee camp. This is the current FDLR that is terrorizing us. They are not serious," those MONUC, he says with the confidence of a learned teacher. He is in fact an East African Flight School graduate but upon his return to his region in Eastern Congo found the entire herd of the family cattle slaughtered by the Mai Mai, he now runs a car for hire company in Goma.
He says that many of the busy trading centres we passed through were only two months ago under the Kinshasa government, and adds that only two months ago, the same towns accomodated camps where the FDLR lived undisturbed. "It is these camps that aid organizations claim to have found empty recently he says when we pass one such camps.
The FDLR according to Tumwizere had their own government structure and territory close to the western Rwandan border. "They charged five litres of fuel for every vehicle that passed through Rumangabo township on top of ransacking all material on board,". The FDLR here are real threat, but it is not clear which one between them and the Mai Mai militia is the most feared." While many are wiling to talk about FDLR, many more are afraid to talk about Mai Mai. "My father had 270 heads of cattle in 1995, when the Mai Mai killed him in 1997, there were only 70. Today we have no cattle left in the family."
A senior CNDP official living in the area adds his movement is used to the practices of the humanitarian organizations,he observes that it is not the first time that refugees in Eastern Congo have received undue mercy: "After the Rwandan Genocide, many of the people that were fed by aid organization near Goma turned out to be genocidaires who had a very active military organization that was being assited by these NGOs. For us, what we have dismantled are FDLR camps that were housing our enemies not innocent citizens. The citizens in our area are free, they live in their houses and we have assured them of protection. They are the source of agricultural produce in this region"
BY GEORGE KAGAME&
GEORGE BARYAMWISAKI
Rutshuru, Eastern Congo
At first observation everything looked like it was staged, 'President" Laurent Nkunda was going to meet retired Nigerian leader General Olusegun Obasanjo now serving As special envoy of the UN Secretary General on the congolese crisis. The crisis like a volcano arose from relative slumber in recent times to a full fledged war pitying the National Congress for the Defense of the People, CNDP under the command of General Laurent Nkunda against the government troops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and what many neutral observes agree are remnants of the genocidal forces in Rwanda in 1994.
The burst up of Eastern Congo followed a rarely peaceful period in recent times after the CNDP and government agreed to "work together", in January this year, Nkunda's people and those of the DRC government negotiated a deal for peace. However towards the weeks ending september, Goma itself was saved from CNDP's capture with the rebels declaring a ceasefire, Obasanjo is here to try to find peaceful means of stopping the war first, then guaranteeing the security of minority tribes in the area against a myriad other rebel groups fighting in this part of Congo, whose government outreach remains very poor, saves for a few roads to transport agricultural produce from the deeper farming communities to markets as far as Gisenyi, Kigali, Goma and Bukavu.
The recent war has seen Nkunda's CNDP capture a number of strategic areas and towns from government control, as a result, international humanitarian organizations have been quick to release reports declaring their analysis of their of the situation, even the UN has increased its peace keeping force to 20,000 the largest mission in the world. The two generals are meeting in a catholic church mission, which after the traditional sunday worship early in the morning, has quickly become an altar of peace, Nkunda calls it "a blessing, a chance for peace." Obasanjo is se to mediate negotiations between CNDP-which is the only group in the region interested in negotiations at all-with the DR Congo government sitting in Kinshasa.
Nkunda is a Congolese military man of Tutsi ethnic background, he has honed his skills in the complex wars that have raged in Eastern Congo since the ending of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. First he was involved in the well celebrated campaign to bring an end to the "sleeping" era of Mubutu Seseko in 1997 and then the campaign of the early 2000s where almost 13 countries were involved. Since those wars, Nkunda has emerged as a 'protector' to some communities in Eastern Congo particularly the Tutsi, and a 'warlord' in the western world. His tribesmen, the ethnic Congolese Tutsi are under the constant threat by armed groups that were defeated in in 1994 after their efforts had flared up a genocide. These groups are currently trademarked as "negative forces" they control considerable influence and large swathes of land in the Congo.
The negative forces are another evolution of militias, soldiers, vigilantes who after their suspected participation in the Rwandan Genocide escaped to Eastern Congo and by 1997 had acquired considerable influence to direct opportunity and misery in the region. These included Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda-FDLR, Interahamwe, Mai Mai and over 20 other rebel groupings according to security experts.
The Mai Mai is a remake of the Maji Maji, the historical anti colonial rebellion in Tanzania in 1905 against German rule.
The Tanzanian Maji Maji relied on the 'blessed water' supplied by a Tanzania magician named Kiyingitikire. Unlike their Tanzanian counterparts, the Congolese Mai Mai use guns, and "Silah za'ajabu"-dangerous guns, according to Robert Tumwizere, "they have washed away entire villages" in his hometown of Kibumba. The Mai Mai, although reported to be a threat to certain communities in Eastern Congo, they continue to be part of the mainstream political system of the central government. They also have representation in the provincial legislative assembly sitting in Goma.
Today Obasanjo has come in this remote part of Eastern Congo- two weeks ago under government control- but is now under the management of the National Congress for the Defense of the People led by Nkunda by the bidding of the UN Secretary General, to start a process whereby the Congolese government will negotiate with Nkunda's CNDP to end the recent outbreak of war . This is Jomba hill, it hosts a beautiful catholic mission on its peak and the meeting between the former Nigerian President and the Congolese rebel leader is taking place inside one of the church buildings.
The meeting venue, part of the territory under the control of Nkunda, it is also in the midst of the main food basket of the entire breadth of Eastern Congo. Feeding cities far away as Kigali, Bukavu and Kisangani.
Security is very detailed on the fences of the meeting venue, but outside children play and run around in circles, the elders smoke tobacco and waiting journalists-mostly white and working for prestigious media houses- are silently looking for strategic points to shoot pictures. Everything at first inspection looks if it has been designed by the rebels to look good for these journalists, and cynical as they are wont, the journalists know its all make believe.
But the drive towards Rutshuru is much more natural and serene. Trucks heavily loaded with sacks of foodstuffs and cattle contest for pathway on the small road with MONUC Anti Personnel Carriers, while on the roadsides, what is said by locals to be former security posts and road blocks of the FDLR are still left undisturbed.
The soils along all the hills covering the entire region of Kabuhanga, Bunagana, Rumangabo, Kibumbi and to Rutshuru, the ones occupying the region that covers the borders between Uganda, Rwanda and Dr Congo are probably the most fertile in Central and East Africa. Large parts of this area has been under the control of the CNDP since 2004 and as a result it is a haven of peace compared to many parts in Eastern Congo, and this explains why the meeting is taking place here and why the crowd is so eager to see Nkunda. For the 170 km of the journey from Goma inside the area under the control of CNDP, many of the residents in the area talk f the minerals, but they say the minerals are very far from here, they are mostly in Katanga region and even then, the mines and their products are run privately by Chinese and French companies.
The minerals so often mentioned in international news reports are not evident here, save for Nkunda's metal tipped hand stick.
After a few minutes talking to the press and bidding farewell to Obasanjo's entourage, on the way back to the meeting venue to hold another meeting of the executive council of the CNDP, Nkunda stops and addresses the crowd and promises a second visit soon, "to spend much more time with you." This happens in Kinyarwanda and long after all international journalists had already left.
The residents here are not decided whom between Uganda's Yoweri Museveni and Mobutu is their president but asked to choose between Kabila, "any Kabila" and Nkunda. Nkunda is a favourite for many. Even in private chitchats, many don't understand what the fuse about the current humanitarian crisis is about. "Since 2003, we have not had people running away from my village," says Sebahanga Bosco a resident of Jomba.
With this area embroiled in civil conflict involving various rebel groups and bandit militias, there are no investments in the agricultural sector here or any other sector, however the area remains till to-date the food basket of Goma in Eastern Congo, Gisenyi in Western Rwanda and Kisoro in Southern Uganda. It ironic therefore, that humanitarian groups involved in the crisis that currently pits General Laurent Nkunda against the DR Congo government continue assessing the area as a 'humanitarian crisis.'
The timing of the meeting is because the humanitarian groups "feeding the war in our country" according to Sebahanga have complained to Nkunda to open 'humanitarian corridors' so they can supply food to displaced victims of the war.
As the aid organizations raise their concerns about the safety of their 'food convoys' to the above areas, private businessmen buy food from markets in the same area, many as deep as Kibumba hundreds of kilometres inside the territory under the control of the CNDP. The food crops from here include onions, carrots, banana, vegetables and fruits and large numbers of livestock, they transported on Ugandan Fuso trucks locally called 'Ingande' to Goma, Kigali and Uganda by local farmers. There is no government functioning here, the locals, sometimes with their local churches are responsible for most infrastructure in the region.
The agricultural traders here share the small roads with MONUC armored vehicles escorting the aid organizations trucks to Goma. Tumwizere, a driver of one such trucks that carry agricultural produce to Goma says it is not the first time that international aid organizations have got it all wrong in Eastern Congo in recent years : "In 1995, the humanitarian agencies supported an active military establishment under the guise of a refugee camp. This is the current FDLR that is terrorizing us. They are not serious," those MONUC, he says with the confidence of a learned teacher. He is in fact an East African Flight School graduate but upon his return to his region in Eastern Congo found the entire herd of the family cattle slaughtered by the Mai Mai, he now runs a car for hire company in Goma.
He says that many of the busy trading centres we passed through were only two months ago under the Kinshasa government, and adds that only two months ago, the same towns accomodated camps where the FDLR lived undisturbed. "It is these camps that aid organizations claim to have found empty recently he says when we pass one such camps.
The FDLR according to Tumwizere had their own government structure and territory close to the western Rwandan border. "They charged five litres of fuel for every vehicle that passed through Rumangabo township on top of ransacking all material on board,". The FDLR here are real threat, but it is not clear which one between them and the Mai Mai militia is the most feared." While many are wiling to talk about FDLR, many more are afraid to talk about Mai Mai. "My father had 270 heads of cattle in 1995, when the Mai Mai killed him in 1997, there were only 70. Today we have no cattle left in the family."
A senior CNDP official living in the area adds his movement is used to the practices of the humanitarian organizations,he observes that it is not the first time that refugees in Eastern Congo have received undue mercy: "After the Rwandan Genocide, many of the people that were fed by aid organization near Goma turned out to be genocidaires who had a very active military organization that was being assited by these NGOs. For us, what we have dismantled are FDLR camps that were housing our enemies not innocent citizens. The citizens in our area are free, they live in their houses and we have assured them of protection. They are the source of agricultural produce in this region"
With works on KCC underway, the debate resumes
With works on KCC underway, the debate resumes
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Her client had declared that she was going to have English language lessons, today the shopkeeper-on the outskirts of Kigali-asked her client how far she had gone in the project to learn English. The client bemused by the question answered; "the day that an 'Anglophones' learn as much French as the English i can master, that day i will also learn more English."
After a few more jokes the conversation took on different subjects and thirty minutes later, it had turned to the topic of Kigali Convention Centre, whose construction is currently in full gear, heralded as a solution to regional summits and meeting venue, the conference to be built at a cost of @@@@remains contentious, not least on whom is the ultimate investor and the difference it will make to the city. For many of the residents however, KCC is not just another addition to Kigali's limited monuments, the facility has not been received with the open hands it deserves.
The land on which the centre will seat-circumveting the headquatres of the security bank-Zigama, caused its own controversy as poor tenants were given fast marching orders off the property which is rumoured to be developed by Libyans. The former owners o this land are among many that were resettled or are about to be at the Batsinda housing project set up by Kigali City Council on the fringes of Remera suburbs. The tenants were not given any alternative solutions.
Currently, construction works are underway to build a new road behind the fence of the main post office headquatres through to the front of the Ministry of Justice offices in Kacyiru, when this bypass is completed, Kigali Convention Centre Airport from the parliamentary buildings to KBC will be closes, sometime in January.
The building of the new road was the subject of interest to the aforementioned conversation between client and shopkeeper in Kacyiru. Construction works here because of the poor quality of the soils are causing an eternal cloud of dust over the shop and the building across the road, in which the client worked.
"You see, if you refuse to speak English, you will not refuse to see it," the shopkeeper joked with the client. Claude Sikiofupi, a correspondent with Kigali Notes and a regular customer with the the same shop caught up with the rest of the conversation and had his own contribution. Here below are the excerpts;
Shopkeeper: "Hey Jane, you see the convention centre is very important, you have to respect the people that are building it. I hear that it will have two roads occupying the space of one. One on top of the other. An "etage" of roads. Have you ever seen one like that? It is not even among the roads that i have seen on Nigerian movies."
Client: Relax Mama Mere, all roads are the same, but the question is, when the convention is completed, shall be I be able to find a job there? I hear there will be a 5 star hotel with 279 rooms and executive suites and a conference centre. Surely, there will be much more for me to gain with these things. I don't mind the dust for now?
Shopkeeper: Are you always looking for a job? I have known you for over six years now, and everything makes sense or not depending on whether it will give you a job or not. What are you looking for in life, are you not on a job now?
Client: You see nothing makes sense to me in this country if all i hear are conventions, workshops, conferences and and new roads only passing through or in this case above my neighbourhood and taking all its revenue further away from me. My current job is only small enough to make me your customer. I want to be able to make my shopping in Nakumatt. Have you heard about it?
Shopkeeper: You are a very greedy woman, what is wrong with you shopping from my kiosk? If you are interested in jobs and new businesses in Kigali, i will also give you one now, plans are in advanced stages for the construction of another 5 star hotel where Jali Club is situated today. And with the new master plan of the city, there are more projects even bigger that are coming up. Shall you stay whining about jobs anymore.
Sikiofupi: You are all misrepresenting facts here, Kigali is interested in hotels and convention centres because we are the preferred destination of tourists and conferences. Now you know, the new roads, convention centres are for meetings and discussions, not jobs.
Unless you are a translator.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Her client had declared that she was going to have English language lessons, today the shopkeeper-on the outskirts of Kigali-asked her client how far she had gone in the project to learn English. The client bemused by the question answered; "the day that an 'Anglophones' learn as much French as the English i can master, that day i will also learn more English."
After a few more jokes the conversation took on different subjects and thirty minutes later, it had turned to the topic of Kigali Convention Centre, whose construction is currently in full gear, heralded as a solution to regional summits and meeting venue, the conference to be built at a cost of @@@@remains contentious, not least on whom is the ultimate investor and the difference it will make to the city. For many of the residents however, KCC is not just another addition to Kigali's limited monuments, the facility has not been received with the open hands it deserves.
The land on which the centre will seat-circumveting the headquatres of the security bank-Zigama, caused its own controversy as poor tenants were given fast marching orders off the property which is rumoured to be developed by Libyans. The former owners o this land are among many that were resettled or are about to be at the Batsinda housing project set up by Kigali City Council on the fringes of Remera suburbs. The tenants were not given any alternative solutions.
Currently, construction works are underway to build a new road behind the fence of the main post office headquatres through to the front of the Ministry of Justice offices in Kacyiru, when this bypass is completed, Kigali Convention Centre Airport from the parliamentary buildings to KBC will be closes, sometime in January.
The building of the new road was the subject of interest to the aforementioned conversation between client and shopkeeper in Kacyiru. Construction works here because of the poor quality of the soils are causing an eternal cloud of dust over the shop and the building across the road, in which the client worked.
"You see, if you refuse to speak English, you will not refuse to see it," the shopkeeper joked with the client. Claude Sikiofupi, a correspondent with Kigali Notes and a regular customer with the the same shop caught up with the rest of the conversation and had his own contribution. Here below are the excerpts;
Shopkeeper: "Hey Jane, you see the convention centre is very important, you have to respect the people that are building it. I hear that it will have two roads occupying the space of one. One on top of the other. An "etage" of roads. Have you ever seen one like that? It is not even among the roads that i have seen on Nigerian movies."
Client: Relax Mama Mere, all roads are the same, but the question is, when the convention is completed, shall be I be able to find a job there? I hear there will be a 5 star hotel with 279 rooms and executive suites and a conference centre. Surely, there will be much more for me to gain with these things. I don't mind the dust for now?
Shopkeeper: Are you always looking for a job? I have known you for over six years now, and everything makes sense or not depending on whether it will give you a job or not. What are you looking for in life, are you not on a job now?
Client: You see nothing makes sense to me in this country if all i hear are conventions, workshops, conferences and and new roads only passing through or in this case above my neighbourhood and taking all its revenue further away from me. My current job is only small enough to make me your customer. I want to be able to make my shopping in Nakumatt. Have you heard about it?
Shopkeeper: You are a very greedy woman, what is wrong with you shopping from my kiosk? If you are interested in jobs and new businesses in Kigali, i will also give you one now, plans are in advanced stages for the construction of another 5 star hotel where Jali Club is situated today. And with the new master plan of the city, there are more projects even bigger that are coming up. Shall you stay whining about jobs anymore.
Sikiofupi: You are all misrepresenting facts here, Kigali is interested in hotels and convention centres because we are the preferred destination of tourists and conferences. Now you know, the new roads, convention centres are for meetings and discussions, not jobs.
Unless you are a translator.
MPs call for conceited effort in the fight against gender based violence
MPs call for conceited effort in the fight against gender based violence
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Members of Parliament attending the Wednesday early morning session called on government and relevant institutions to eradicate all forms of violence in families particularly against wives. The legislators, as part of national events to mark the "16 Days of activism against gender based violence", beginning on the same day till 10 December were debating a report compiled by Rwanda National Police on the gender based violence covering the period from 2005-08.
The report revealed alarming cases of attacks against women including rape, defilement, corporal punishment as well as murder by their husbands. In a chilling report, Nyirahirwa Venerandi said that there 259 wives murdered by their husbands in the three years, during the same period, Nyirahirwa said there were over 2000 reported cases of rape to the police in the country and fatally almost 10,000 cases of defilement of children below the age of 18. The report however didnot show statistics concerning gender based violence directed to husbands by their wives.
Nura Nikuze said that sexual harassment was a major concern in the country "sexual harassment at work places is common and needs to be addressed". She said because of the stigma and cultural concerns surrounding the issue, many women were afraid to report cases to authorities and in some cases police officers were wont to tell married women that "your husband beat you up because of your big heads because of emancipation," once these women try to report their violent husbands to authorities.
Nura further appealed to the Fund for Genocide Survivors-FARG to help catering for the scholarship needs of children whose mothers were raped during the 1994 Genocide. One MP said that the Rwandan population need to be sensitized on the Gender Violence Act recently passed by parliament, she asked whether going by current figures marriage was not overstated in the country, "Is it extremely difficult for married couples in Rwanda to have a peaceful separation or divorce that they resort to murder, or is divorce abolished?"
The MPs debate on gender violence is part of national events that the government through the National Gender Cluster in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion along with the United Nations' Fund for the Development of Women have organized to cover the "16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence" campaign to promote gender equality in the country.
The 16 days of activism against gender violence were enacted as UN observed days since 25 November in 1981, in Rwanda, the National Gender Cluster in a communique to the press stated that they have organized major activities to honour the day. These include educational workshops to increase sensitization of government structures like Gacaca, Land and Labour Laws, and the gender based violence Act recently passed by parliament. This year's theme "Human Rights for Women-Human Rights for all", according to the gender cluster is part of on going efforts to raise awareness and call for action against all forms of Gender Based Violence.
Critics note that much as Rwanda continues to be a model country in promoting women empowerment in Africa and the world, as evidenced by the virtue of the country having the highest representation of women in national and local legislative sectors than any other country in the world. Rwanda also remains with many lessons to learn in gender promotion as it recovers from the fatal effects of the 1994 Genocide where scores of women were raped and alot more exposed to the most brutal punishment by especially the Interahamwe community vigilantes. There are many of the victims of this terror in Rwandan society.
The chilling revelations by Police of the extend of gender based violence in the country will put to shame the recent parliamentary elections in Rwanda where more woman than men won parliamentary seats and put Rwanda top of the lost of countries with the most gender friendly policies.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Members of Parliament attending the Wednesday early morning session called on government and relevant institutions to eradicate all forms of violence in families particularly against wives. The legislators, as part of national events to mark the "16 Days of activism against gender based violence", beginning on the same day till 10 December were debating a report compiled by Rwanda National Police on the gender based violence covering the period from 2005-08.
The report revealed alarming cases of attacks against women including rape, defilement, corporal punishment as well as murder by their husbands. In a chilling report, Nyirahirwa Venerandi said that there 259 wives murdered by their husbands in the three years, during the same period, Nyirahirwa said there were over 2000 reported cases of rape to the police in the country and fatally almost 10,000 cases of defilement of children below the age of 18. The report however didnot show statistics concerning gender based violence directed to husbands by their wives.
Nura Nikuze said that sexual harassment was a major concern in the country "sexual harassment at work places is common and needs to be addressed". She said because of the stigma and cultural concerns surrounding the issue, many women were afraid to report cases to authorities and in some cases police officers were wont to tell married women that "your husband beat you up because of your big heads because of emancipation," once these women try to report their violent husbands to authorities.
Nura further appealed to the Fund for Genocide Survivors-FARG to help catering for the scholarship needs of children whose mothers were raped during the 1994 Genocide. One MP said that the Rwandan population need to be sensitized on the Gender Violence Act recently passed by parliament, she asked whether going by current figures marriage was not overstated in the country, "Is it extremely difficult for married couples in Rwanda to have a peaceful separation or divorce that they resort to murder, or is divorce abolished?"
The MPs debate on gender violence is part of national events that the government through the National Gender Cluster in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion along with the United Nations' Fund for the Development of Women have organized to cover the "16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence" campaign to promote gender equality in the country.
The 16 days of activism against gender violence were enacted as UN observed days since 25 November in 1981, in Rwanda, the National Gender Cluster in a communique to the press stated that they have organized major activities to honour the day. These include educational workshops to increase sensitization of government structures like Gacaca, Land and Labour Laws, and the gender based violence Act recently passed by parliament. This year's theme "Human Rights for Women-Human Rights for all", according to the gender cluster is part of on going efforts to raise awareness and call for action against all forms of Gender Based Violence.
Critics note that much as Rwanda continues to be a model country in promoting women empowerment in Africa and the world, as evidenced by the virtue of the country having the highest representation of women in national and local legislative sectors than any other country in the world. Rwanda also remains with many lessons to learn in gender promotion as it recovers from the fatal effects of the 1994 Genocide where scores of women were raped and alot more exposed to the most brutal punishment by especially the Interahamwe community vigilantes. There are many of the victims of this terror in Rwandan society.
The chilling revelations by Police of the extend of gender based violence in the country will put to shame the recent parliamentary elections in Rwanda where more woman than men won parliamentary seats and put Rwanda top of the lost of countries with the most gender friendly policies.
Rwanda begins events to mark 16 days of women empowerment programmes
Rwanda begins events to mark 16 days of women empowerment programmes
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The National Cluster in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion along with its partners in gender equality in Rwanda has organized a series of advocacy activities to celebrate "The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence" beginning today to 10th December.
The 16 days of activism against gender violence were enacted as UN observed days since 25 November in 1981, in Rwanda, the National Gender Cluster in a communique to the press stated that they have organized major activities to honour the day. These include educational workshops to increase sensitization of government structures like Gacaca, Land and Labour Laws, and the gender based violence bill.
The Cluster with partners including UNIFEM, Profemmes, and civil society organizations
will also be showcasing the success story of two couples that have managed to overcome extreme cases of gender based violence, the couples will give their testimonies across rhe cocuntry. The Cluster will further coordinate debate sessions in all institutions of higher learning in the country to increase awareness of the need to abolish gender based violence.
This year's theme "Human Rights for Women-Human Rights for all", according to the gender cluster is part of on going efforts to raise awareness and call for action against all forms of Gender Based Violence.
Observers and academicians note that much as Rwanda continues to be a model country in promoting women empowerment in Africa and the world, as evidenced by the virtue of the country having the highest representation of women in national and local legislative sectors than any other country in the world. Rwanda also remains with many lessons to learn in gender promotion as it recovers from the fatal effects of the 1994 Genocide where scores of women were raped and alot more exposed to the most brutal punishment by especially the Interahamwe community vigilantes. There are many of the victims of this terror in Rwandan society.
In line with gender promotion in security forces, the Rwanda Defense Forces with help from the United Nations' Development Fund for women recently established the gender desk, the desk is a component of the RDF’s programme to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) both in Rwanda and within its peacekeeping missions.
MIGEPROF officials added that the 16 days of gender activism are also celebrated along with other important days in the UN awareness calendar. These include, December 1st as International AIDS Day, to take the opportunity to highlight issues related to the inter-section between HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women, particularly sexual violence.
A document from the cluster reads in part; "..This campaign aims not only to raise awareness about Gender Based Violence issues and compel communities, government and other stakeholders to act to prevent violence, but to show the relationship between GBV and the violation of fundamental human rights, exposing the social, health, and legal ramifications of GBV. It also serves as a capacity building opportunity for women, encouraging them to speak out against SGBV and demand accountability for the protection of their rights."
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The National Cluster in the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion along with its partners in gender equality in Rwanda has organized a series of advocacy activities to celebrate "The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence" beginning today to 10th December.
The 16 days of activism against gender violence were enacted as UN observed days since 25 November in 1981, in Rwanda, the National Gender Cluster in a communique to the press stated that they have organized major activities to honour the day. These include educational workshops to increase sensitization of government structures like Gacaca, Land and Labour Laws, and the gender based violence bill.
The Cluster with partners including UNIFEM, Profemmes, and civil society organizations
will also be showcasing the success story of two couples that have managed to overcome extreme cases of gender based violence, the couples will give their testimonies across rhe cocuntry. The Cluster will further coordinate debate sessions in all institutions of higher learning in the country to increase awareness of the need to abolish gender based violence.
This year's theme "Human Rights for Women-Human Rights for all", according to the gender cluster is part of on going efforts to raise awareness and call for action against all forms of Gender Based Violence.
Observers and academicians note that much as Rwanda continues to be a model country in promoting women empowerment in Africa and the world, as evidenced by the virtue of the country having the highest representation of women in national and local legislative sectors than any other country in the world. Rwanda also remains with many lessons to learn in gender promotion as it recovers from the fatal effects of the 1994 Genocide where scores of women were raped and alot more exposed to the most brutal punishment by especially the Interahamwe community vigilantes. There are many of the victims of this terror in Rwandan society.
In line with gender promotion in security forces, the Rwanda Defense Forces with help from the United Nations' Development Fund for women recently established the gender desk, the desk is a component of the RDF’s programme to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) both in Rwanda and within its peacekeeping missions.
MIGEPROF officials added that the 16 days of gender activism are also celebrated along with other important days in the UN awareness calendar. These include, December 1st as International AIDS Day, to take the opportunity to highlight issues related to the inter-section between HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women, particularly sexual violence.
A document from the cluster reads in part; "..This campaign aims not only to raise awareness about Gender Based Violence issues and compel communities, government and other stakeholders to act to prevent violence, but to show the relationship between GBV and the violation of fundamental human rights, exposing the social, health, and legal ramifications of GBV. It also serves as a capacity building opportunity for women, encouraging them to speak out against SGBV and demand accountability for the protection of their rights."
Wednesday 19 November 2008
Amidst city violence, xenophobia and apartheid hang over, South Africa is the hope of AFRICA
Amidst city violence, xenophobia and apartheid hang over, South Africa is the hope of AFRICA
BY GEORGE KAGAME
JOHANNESBURG
"You cannot find forgiveness in the past, but in the future lies progress," goes a copy text of a South African national television advert. The advert promotes the use of a certain financial credit card, this is to a large extend a credit economy, it is also a place of big phrases, big people, and even bigger issues. This is South Africa. Where the past invokes memories of the brutality of the 'white' people in Africa, a past of violence of the worst kinds from a tyrannical apartheid regime, and its most gracious of victims.
Beginning its road to recovery in 1994 like Rwanda, South Africa has undergone enormous recovery since that even if those guilty for the injustice in her past cannot be forgiven, its present filled with huge challenges, there is no doubt about the future promise of this great nation.
The government set the national truth and reconciliation commission of South Africa in 1994 to try and find forgiveness in her past, but today, even with the leader of that commission winning a nobel prize, unity and reconciliation remains largely elusive here.
At the Apartheid museum on the outskirts of Johannesburg the reality and weight the advert expressed above begins to sink in.
The museum, quite bigger in size and therefore more detailed than the Gisozi based Kigali Genocide memorial-in tribute to Rwanda's sad history- is a long maze of rooms with almost similar grotesque images about the different paths of history in Africa.
Hilariously presented is a stone baked news story that appeared in October 1986 in the famous The Star newspaper of Pretoria. The story starts with the famous 'chameleon' dance where black Africans were measured according to appearance to determine which one belonged to what colour stratification, depending on you belonged to black, chinese, white, coloureds races, each colour attracted specific benefits. With black being at the bottom of the rung. But that was not enough, many times the yardstick would be liberal and other considerations put into place to identify where one belonged, these varied from the thickness of hair, size of nose and length of face.
But at the exits of this well documented museum lies the hope in the promise of the future. Not only do the seven pillars symbolizing the tenets of the new South African constitution announce the new ideology of the country, that of respect, democracy, diversity, unity and Human rights, a long convoy of 30 BMW ultra modern sports cars that cruises by followed by another one of 20 powerfully built motor bikes, drive the point home. There is only person inside the sports cars while the bikers carry curvaceous young women behind them. All the occupants are young urban looking Black South Africans. It is not clear what the convoy is all about but explanations by locals vary.
On another note, as the advert goes this African economic giant has a past in which search as you may find, there is no chance of forgiveness. However, today South Africa is a symbol of a nation's ability to raise from destruction to greatness. For so many reasons, the concept of forgiveness remains hard to conceive, but with 'Azania', hosting the next Confederations' and World Cups, the progress of this country cannot be overemphasized.
Locals explain that BMW and many of the prestigious corporate companies in Johannesburg send their products for drive-by promotions to many parts of the city especially Soweto, this is because in the past, corporate companies didnot see any need to advertise in areas occupied by Black Africans because Blacks were not allowed to buy certain products and so they were never considered in most informercial campaigns, apart from ones where the government had interests. Also because many could-not afford these products. As a result, people that lived in places like Soweto didnot know most companies existing in their own country. It is today that these companies are getting familiarized with the black South Africans.
Today, the businesses are just beginning to break ground in such areas, which are in a distance forty kilometre in circumference. Some locals state that the convoy today is one of the raise of a certain South African class that were known as 'Cheese Boy in Johannesburg during the struggle to topple the white supremacists that reigned during the era of Apartheid.
The cheese boys were equally affected by apartheid as everybody in South Africa and lived in the 'townships' but these ones were either indirect benefactors of the system or they beat it and afforded cheese for their school going children. The cheese boys developed round chubby cheeks because they never ate the meagre meals that served during school days during Apartheid. Those children are the ones running the country now and their children are the driving four wheel drive Audi cars cruising fast on the elaborate roads of South Africa. The new breed of Cheese Boys is the one that formed the convoy driving about and through Soweto with very loud music booming with bass. The other explanation is that these cars were going to attend a wedding of a fellow biker, biker clubs are a very common feature of Johannesburg's social fabric.
At a simple interpretation the meaning of the television advert is evidence of the new South Africa. They represent everything new about South Africa, perfect roads running through all parts of the country, affordable European brand vehicles, manufactured in the country and the government policy of Black empowerment for the Black South Africans, what their white countrymen call 'Bending over'.
In the evening another national television screens a 'white' comedy in which an urban lower class white family struggles to keep their teenage boy in school in the hope that he will pass his exams and bring the family good fortune after getting serious employment. The boy is more interested in singing with a pop band however.
The movie tries to picture the white community struggling to fit in the new South Africa, where the ANC and black people are in power. In one incident, a black state agent tells off the white boy: "Things changed, you can go back to America or Europe". The 'white' boy struggles to remain in school and complimenting his parents income by getting a part time jobs. In one hilarious episode he is chased from a pop competition run by the 'Black' TV channel-SABC-on the account that he is white and therefore should go to Mnet channel, a white pay per station also running a pop music contest, where he is also chased-but after beating his white interviewer in an apparent depiction of an identity crisis.
In another scene a black state agent tells his white countryman: "things have changed, you are no longer master here. Go back to Europe or America." His victim responds, " i hate the government, i hate the ANC. It is no-longer possible for a white person to get a job in South Africa now, they say it is Black Economic Empowerment to help the blacks catch up. Or easily translated, that we have to 'bend over'."
The comedy attempts to highlight the government's on going official policy of unity and reconciliation prevailing in the country and challenges of readjusting. But like so many others things in this beautiful country, most things are about surface image and even big phrases cannot clearly put them into their proper perspective.
South Africa is a credit and shopping economy. Most of the shopping here takes place in huge malls that seem to occupy all available space in many business districts. In one mall a shopper finds all the necessities that money can buy. Most eating and social places are found in or near the malls. Its here that most interaction takes place. However, for a stranger these social places also seem to be separated by a colour line. There are those of blacks and others exclusively for whites. Apart from the fashion, grocery, and any other kind of shops blacks and whites still maintain interaction according to their different colours. This is seen in restaurants, night clubs and suburbs to a small extent. In one up-market night club there was a lone 'whiteman' inside and all the patrons looked at him with gestures of disapproval. One patron asked openly, 'What is he doing in a black club?".
Yet, the division between in South Africa is on close scrutiny colour blind, earlier this year, Black South Africans mobilized and organized themselves into gangs. These gangs went on a nationwide rampage attacking blacks from other parts of Africa killing 66 in a campaign that took less than two weeks. The target of the gangs were 'AFricans' that were taking away jobs from the native blacks. The 'Africans were accused for working for smaller wages making them a favourite for many employers in South Africa.
Many argue however, that this current state of fairs is a result of Mbeki's leadership. The ANC is now involved in controversy and an influential group of members from the party have formed a rival party that is likely to contest for the next presidential elections in November 2009.
The xenophobic attacks were labeled by The Star, a respected broadsheet in Johannesburg to have been led by; 'angry people'. The people supposed to manage these issues are not in a state of confusion currently. The ruling African National Congress is involved in a 'make ups to break ups' series. Recently, the power struggle between Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki reached boiling point when influential members of the ANC decided to break away and form a new party to rival ANC for power in November 2009. The struggle between Mbeki and Zuma had seen Mandela's successor and one credited with impressive economic growth figures and indicators, maintaining fairly considerable influence in world politics, and hosting the 2010 World Cup-being forced out of the presidency on accusations of 'influence peddling'. The new party which goes under the name of SANC-South African National Congress party will tussle it out with the ANC for votes, SANC however has taken some crucial members of the ANC and the presidential elections next year promises a big battle. And this great country has overcome so many battles.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
JOHANNESBURG
"You cannot find forgiveness in the past, but in the future lies progress," goes a copy text of a South African national television advert. The advert promotes the use of a certain financial credit card, this is to a large extend a credit economy, it is also a place of big phrases, big people, and even bigger issues. This is South Africa. Where the past invokes memories of the brutality of the 'white' people in Africa, a past of violence of the worst kinds from a tyrannical apartheid regime, and its most gracious of victims.
Beginning its road to recovery in 1994 like Rwanda, South Africa has undergone enormous recovery since that even if those guilty for the injustice in her past cannot be forgiven, its present filled with huge challenges, there is no doubt about the future promise of this great nation.
The government set the national truth and reconciliation commission of South Africa in 1994 to try and find forgiveness in her past, but today, even with the leader of that commission winning a nobel prize, unity and reconciliation remains largely elusive here.
At the Apartheid museum on the outskirts of Johannesburg the reality and weight the advert expressed above begins to sink in.
The museum, quite bigger in size and therefore more detailed than the Gisozi based Kigali Genocide memorial-in tribute to Rwanda's sad history- is a long maze of rooms with almost similar grotesque images about the different paths of history in Africa.
Hilariously presented is a stone baked news story that appeared in October 1986 in the famous The Star newspaper of Pretoria. The story starts with the famous 'chameleon' dance where black Africans were measured according to appearance to determine which one belonged to what colour stratification, depending on you belonged to black, chinese, white, coloureds races, each colour attracted specific benefits. With black being at the bottom of the rung. But that was not enough, many times the yardstick would be liberal and other considerations put into place to identify where one belonged, these varied from the thickness of hair, size of nose and length of face.
But at the exits of this well documented museum lies the hope in the promise of the future. Not only do the seven pillars symbolizing the tenets of the new South African constitution announce the new ideology of the country, that of respect, democracy, diversity, unity and Human rights, a long convoy of 30 BMW ultra modern sports cars that cruises by followed by another one of 20 powerfully built motor bikes, drive the point home. There is only person inside the sports cars while the bikers carry curvaceous young women behind them. All the occupants are young urban looking Black South Africans. It is not clear what the convoy is all about but explanations by locals vary.
On another note, as the advert goes this African economic giant has a past in which search as you may find, there is no chance of forgiveness. However, today South Africa is a symbol of a nation's ability to raise from destruction to greatness. For so many reasons, the concept of forgiveness remains hard to conceive, but with 'Azania', hosting the next Confederations' and World Cups, the progress of this country cannot be overemphasized.
Locals explain that BMW and many of the prestigious corporate companies in Johannesburg send their products for drive-by promotions to many parts of the city especially Soweto, this is because in the past, corporate companies didnot see any need to advertise in areas occupied by Black Africans because Blacks were not allowed to buy certain products and so they were never considered in most informercial campaigns, apart from ones where the government had interests. Also because many could-not afford these products. As a result, people that lived in places like Soweto didnot know most companies existing in their own country. It is today that these companies are getting familiarized with the black South Africans.
Today, the businesses are just beginning to break ground in such areas, which are in a distance forty kilometre in circumference. Some locals state that the convoy today is one of the raise of a certain South African class that were known as 'Cheese Boy in Johannesburg during the struggle to topple the white supremacists that reigned during the era of Apartheid.
The cheese boys were equally affected by apartheid as everybody in South Africa and lived in the 'townships' but these ones were either indirect benefactors of the system or they beat it and afforded cheese for their school going children. The cheese boys developed round chubby cheeks because they never ate the meagre meals that served during school days during Apartheid. Those children are the ones running the country now and their children are the driving four wheel drive Audi cars cruising fast on the elaborate roads of South Africa. The new breed of Cheese Boys is the one that formed the convoy driving about and through Soweto with very loud music booming with bass. The other explanation is that these cars were going to attend a wedding of a fellow biker, biker clubs are a very common feature of Johannesburg's social fabric.
At a simple interpretation the meaning of the television advert is evidence of the new South Africa. They represent everything new about South Africa, perfect roads running through all parts of the country, affordable European brand vehicles, manufactured in the country and the government policy of Black empowerment for the Black South Africans, what their white countrymen call 'Bending over'.
In the evening another national television screens a 'white' comedy in which an urban lower class white family struggles to keep their teenage boy in school in the hope that he will pass his exams and bring the family good fortune after getting serious employment. The boy is more interested in singing with a pop band however.
The movie tries to picture the white community struggling to fit in the new South Africa, where the ANC and black people are in power. In one incident, a black state agent tells off the white boy: "Things changed, you can go back to America or Europe". The 'white' boy struggles to remain in school and complimenting his parents income by getting a part time jobs. In one hilarious episode he is chased from a pop competition run by the 'Black' TV channel-SABC-on the account that he is white and therefore should go to Mnet channel, a white pay per station also running a pop music contest, where he is also chased-but after beating his white interviewer in an apparent depiction of an identity crisis.
In another scene a black state agent tells his white countryman: "things have changed, you are no longer master here. Go back to Europe or America." His victim responds, " i hate the government, i hate the ANC. It is no-longer possible for a white person to get a job in South Africa now, they say it is Black Economic Empowerment to help the blacks catch up. Or easily translated, that we have to 'bend over'."
The comedy attempts to highlight the government's on going official policy of unity and reconciliation prevailing in the country and challenges of readjusting. But like so many others things in this beautiful country, most things are about surface image and even big phrases cannot clearly put them into their proper perspective.
South Africa is a credit and shopping economy. Most of the shopping here takes place in huge malls that seem to occupy all available space in many business districts. In one mall a shopper finds all the necessities that money can buy. Most eating and social places are found in or near the malls. Its here that most interaction takes place. However, for a stranger these social places also seem to be separated by a colour line. There are those of blacks and others exclusively for whites. Apart from the fashion, grocery, and any other kind of shops blacks and whites still maintain interaction according to their different colours. This is seen in restaurants, night clubs and suburbs to a small extent. In one up-market night club there was a lone 'whiteman' inside and all the patrons looked at him with gestures of disapproval. One patron asked openly, 'What is he doing in a black club?".
Yet, the division between in South Africa is on close scrutiny colour blind, earlier this year, Black South Africans mobilized and organized themselves into gangs. These gangs went on a nationwide rampage attacking blacks from other parts of Africa killing 66 in a campaign that took less than two weeks. The target of the gangs were 'AFricans' that were taking away jobs from the native blacks. The 'Africans were accused for working for smaller wages making them a favourite for many employers in South Africa.
Many argue however, that this current state of fairs is a result of Mbeki's leadership. The ANC is now involved in controversy and an influential group of members from the party have formed a rival party that is likely to contest for the next presidential elections in November 2009.
The xenophobic attacks were labeled by The Star, a respected broadsheet in Johannesburg to have been led by; 'angry people'. The people supposed to manage these issues are not in a state of confusion currently. The ruling African National Congress is involved in a 'make ups to break ups' series. Recently, the power struggle between Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki reached boiling point when influential members of the ANC decided to break away and form a new party to rival ANC for power in November 2009. The struggle between Mbeki and Zuma had seen Mandela's successor and one credited with impressive economic growth figures and indicators, maintaining fairly considerable influence in world politics, and hosting the 2010 World Cup-being forced out of the presidency on accusations of 'influence peddling'. The new party which goes under the name of SANC-South African National Congress party will tussle it out with the ANC for votes, SANC however has taken some crucial members of the ANC and the presidential elections next year promises a big battle. And this great country has overcome so many battles.
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