DFID cut aid to Malawi
By Campaigns | July 14, 2011
Following a diplomatic row between the British and Malawian governments, Malawi ordered the British High Commissioner to leave the country. Britain froze any new government to government aid, ordered the Malawi High Commissioner to London to leave the country and reviewed its aid to Malawi. The row emerged after a report the British High Commissioner sent to the Foreign Office in London, which was critical of the President, saying he showed increasing authoritarian tendencies was leaked.
The British Government has now decided to cut government to government aid to Malawi indefinitely. Britain was Malawi’s largest single aid donor. The statement from DFID makes no mention of the diplomatic row but that clearly led to the aid review and decision to cut government to government aid. Read the rest of this entry »
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UN women report: Access to justice remains a work in progress
By Campaigns | July 7, 2011
The Guardian, 6 July
More than half of working women in the world, 600 million, are trapped in insecure jobs without legal protection, according to the first flagship report of the new agency UN Women. A similar number do not have even basic protection against domestic violence, it finds, while sexual assault has become a hallmark of modern conflict. Read the rest of this entry »
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Dlamini Vows to Keep Currency Peg as Swaziland Runs Out of Cash for Wages
By Campaigns | July 5, 2011
Bloomberg, 5 July 2011
Swaziland, where the government is running out of cash to pay its workers, will keep its currency peg with South Africa’s rand as it seeks funding to boost foreign exchange reserves, central bank Governor Martin Dlamini said. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Kimberley process, set up to rid the world of blood diamonds, is on the brink of collapse
By Campaigns | July 5, 2011
The Australian, 4 July
THE Kimberley Process, the mechanism set up to rid the world of “blood diamonds” is on the brink of collapse because of moves to allow exports from Zimbabwe’s fabulously wealthy Marange diamond fields, campaigners have told The Times. Read the rest of this entry »
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Prime Minister Tsvangirai ‘barred’ from Chiadzwa
By Campaigns | July 5, 2011
SW Radio Africa News, 5 July
Suspicion was high on Monday following reports that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was barred from touring the controversial Chiadzwa diamond fields over the weekend. Read the rest of this entry »
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UN Women’s Agency Being “Strangled at Birth”
By Mark | July 1, 2011
IPS, 30 June
When the United Nations inaugurated a landmark special agency for women last January, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon set an initial target of 500 million dollars as the proposed annual budget for the new gender-empowered body.
But nearly six months later, the voluntary funding for U.N. Women (UNW) from the 192 member states has remained painfully slow. Read the rest of this entry »
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Zimbabwe diamonds: Kimberley Process approves sales
By Campaigns | June 24, 2011
BBC, 24 June 2011
Zimbabwe has controversially been given the go-ahead to sell diamonds from its rich Marange mines.
The industry’s leading certification system, known as the Kimberley Process, was split over the decision. Read the rest of this entry »
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Swaziland financial reform panned by IMF
By Sarah | May 19, 2011
Mail & Guardian Online, 19 May 2011
The International Monetary Fund gave Swaziland’s financial reform programme a harsh review on Wednesday, a major blow to the crisis-hit kingdom’s urgent attempts to secure international loans. Read the rest of this entry »
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Swazi King heads for Abbey – as tear gas drifts at home
By admin | April 18, 2011
BBC Newsnight, 15 April 2011
Newsnight has learned that the King of Swaziland, Mswati III, is planning to visit London for the Royal Wedding, bringing an entourage of “around fifty” according to sources inside Swaziland. Read the rest of this entry »
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Aid, development and solidarity
By Tony | March 4, 2011
ACTSA’s Director, Tony Dykes comments on the government’s aid review
On 1 March the Secretary of State for International Development announced the results of the aid review. There were winners, where the aid budget was increased and losers where aid was cut completely. Action for Southern Africa is asking that the decision to cut the UK aid budget to Lesotho be reviewed. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and has the 3rd highest rate of HIV/AIDS. Nearly 50 per cent of the population try to live on less than $1.25 cents a day. The Department for International Development (DFID) spent £5 million in Lesotho in 09/10. Not a lot, but Lesotho is relatively small with 2 million people and £5 million spent well there can make an important contribution to poverty reduction and development. It could have a much greater impact in Lesotho than being re-allocated. (DFID) says Lesotho is one of the poorest countries in the world with a high degree of vulnerability. So we think right to push for a rethink. Read the rest of this entry »
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