African press review 27 June 2011

Sex and secrecy, xenophobia and HIV, all figure in the pages of today's newspapers on the African continent...

The Star in South Africa reports that a Member of Zimbabwe's Parliament was arrested last week, accused of infecting a journalist with HIV.

Movement for Democratic Change MP Siyabonga Malandu Ncube turned himself in at the Bulawayo Central police station accompanied by his lawyer, Mlweli Ndlovu.

Media in Zimbabwe reported that a journalist working for the pro-Zanu-PF Chronicle newspaper in Bulawayo told police that she had been infected with HIV by Ncube, a member of the MDC faction led by Welshman Ncube.

Under Zimbabwean law, prosecutors would have to prove that the MP knew he had the disease before having sex with her, if indeed he does have it.

If convicted, Ncube could face 20 years in jail.

The Herald in Zimbabwe reports that the authorities in the South African province of Limpopo have set up a team to investigate last week's xenophobic attacks against Zimbabweans.

At least two dozen Zimbabweans have sought refuge at Seshego Police Station, while unconfirmed reports indicate that over 1 000 others are still hiding in the bush.

The attacks, which claimed the life of one Zimbabwean, allegedly stoned to death by youths led by ANC councillor Tebogo Mojapilo, has left many Zimbabweans in the area northwest of Polokwane, living in fear.

Houses belonging to Zimbabweans were torched during the disturbances.

Twelve suspects - including the councillor - have since been arrested in connection with the attacks and were granted R600 bail each by the Polokwane Magistrates' Court.

They are to appear on August 16 for trial.

The African National Congress’s proposed amendments to the Protection of Information Bill relieves some concerns about the proposed law's negative effects on democracy, according to a statement from the Johannesburg Press Club on Sunday.

Last Friday, the ANC bowed to pressure by activists, academics, journalists and former ministers by scrapping three clauses in the bill to bring the legislation in line with the Constitution.

The ruling party agreed to scrap mandatory prison sentences for possessing and publishing secret information and to limit to state security bodies, the power to classify information as secret.

It had previously sought to extend this power to all 1 001 existing organs of state, prompting fears of a return to apartheid-era state secrecy and an onslaught on media freedom.

The ANC also agreed to appoint a retired judge to hear any appeal over refusal for access to classified information. Previously it placed this power with the state security minister.

The Johannesburg Press Club, however, maintained its opinion that the proposed amendments do not deal with the issue of exempting from prosecution whistleblowers and journalists who release classified information deemed to be in the public interest.

Cosatu, the Confederation of South African Trade Unions, is set to take a decision on whether to continue support for President Jacob Zuma.

Several Cosatu leaders told The Sunday Independent yesterday that, although the trade union federation is unhappy with Zuma’s leadership, a decision on his fate would still have to be carefully considered.

The four-day meeting of Cosatu’s Central Committee, the confederation's highest decision-making body, starts today in Midrand, Gauteng, to discuss continuing support for Zuma, and also to plan the living wage campaign which the federation is expected to embark on in the coming months.

Cosatu's secretary general, Zwelinzima Vavi, said on Sunday, however, that the trade union group will not be discussing the leadership of the African National Congress at this week's central committee meeting.

There are still 18 months until the ANC's elective conference in 2012.

Vavi said the right time to start talking about nominations for the leadership would be four months before that conference.

Still in South Africa, the Bryanston home of Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros was burgled over the weekend.

The commissioner was not at home when the break-in happened on Friday evening.

His wife heard the robbers breaking in and raised the alarm.

The robbers managed to steal a plasma screen TV before fleeing.

According to The Daily Monitor in Kampala, the United States government has raised serious concerns over Uganda’s failure to slow the spread of HIV/Aids in the country and warned that US cannot continue funding treatment and care as more and more Ugandans are becoming infected.

Joann Lockard, the public affairs officer of the US Embassy in Kampala, said Uganda has lost considerable energy in the fight against the HIV/Aids epidemic.

The US remains Uganda’s chief donor supporting HIV/Aids treatment and care, contributing about 85 per cent of the budget for provision of ARVs to people living with the disease.

Available figures indicate that there are 1.2 million Ugandans living with HIV, including more than 150,000 children. An estimated 64,000 people died from AIDS in 2009 and 1.2 million children have been orphaned by Uganda’s devastating epidemic.