Not Seen Yaradua Nigerian Acting President Goodluck Jonathan says he hasn’t seen or spo- ken to ill-president Umaru Yaradua since he returned from a sick bed in Saudi Arabia. Indeed no one has seen Yaradua in public. Jonathan, who recently was in the US on President Obama’s invitation to the nuclear summit, said the last time they spoke was days after his admission to hospi- Website: www.centum.ca/emelikeukpabi tal in Saudi Arabi, November 26. 5/1/10 Gaddafi: Confused or mad? Fallout from the Libyan leader’s comment that Nigeria should split along ethnic lines Senegal‟s Baaba Maal thrills Toronto audience

By Anya Wassenburg in Toronto "I think it's a subject we should (take Special to the African World on) as African musicians," he says. Baaba Maal is on tour in the "Western music is just about business." U.S. till June. But he was recently in He notes that griots were far more than Toronto to kick-off his North American entertainers. "Centuries ago, this was tour at the Royal Conservatory in front the role of the griots, not only to tell of a huge audience. stories, but to advise the leaders." I caught up with internation- Leaders used thir songs to mobilize ally acclaimed musician and singer after the high energy show here on April 6. Baaba Maal is a musical superstar in his native Senegal, striking international fame about twenty years ago with his fu- sions of West African traditions and global influences, and the soaring vocals that rise above it all. Baaba is a Fulani and sings mainly in his na- tive Pulaar, with the odd piece in French. Over the decades, he's been something of a stylistic chameleon, exploring various musi- cal influences from other cultures (notably on Television, his 2009 CD collaboration with NYC based electronica group Brazilian Girls) as do so many others in adopting African rhythms and styles. The mantle of star isn't one he wears lightly, BY PETER UDUEHI however. Baaba is a Nigeria has recalled its ambassa- the same region. griot, part of a West dor to Tripoli following utterances by Gaddafi first said that Nigeria African tradition of Libyan leader Muamar Gaddafi that Nige- should be balkanized into two along reli- musicians/singers/ ria should be disintegrated like the former gious lines with the predominantly more storytellers that goes Baaba Maal: Modern-day Griot Yugoslavia along ethnic lines. Muslim north and more Christian south back centuries to the Gaddafi, self-proclaimed prince of parting. Then he changed his suggestion days of the Mandé Em- world revolutionaries and always the that it should be along ethnic lines though pire. Interestingly, Baaba was not born support for projects or ideas - much the quintessential protector of human rights he misinformed the geographical repre- into the griot caste, as is the tradition. way North Americans use media, a fact for all people except his own, further had sentation of the Ibos and Yorubas as com- He was actually born to a fisherman's that makes his role that much poignant his government representative summoned ing from the west and east respectively. family, but was educated in music from back at home. Baaba talks about the up recently in Abuja for explanations. Ni- His ignorance on the geography an early age by close friend Mansour significant factors that affect access to gerian leaders are peeved at the Libyan of Africa’s most populous nation as well as Seck, a blind griot who still sings the information in much of Africa, including leader’s comment which came on the heels the share gumption to make such a sug- backing vocals in his band today. To the disruptions of war, language differ- of the recent murders of hundreds of peo- gestion received aspersions from many Baaba a griot is someone with a role and ences, and lack of education. "But they ple in Jos, Plateau state by Muslim terror- Nigerian leaders. Senate president David a responsibility, and in respect to Afri- are very close to their culture," he notes ists who hacked their Christian victims to Mark called him a “mad man” while can culture, a vital one. A socially con- - making music a natural bridge to the death in their sleep. The Muslims say they Continued On Page 2 sious political message is part of that otherwise unreachable. were simply retaliating for the killing of role. Continued On P. 2 their flock by Christians months earlier in Nigerians in their homeland. town in Senegal." There he becomes a African Worl 5/1/10 p 2

Gaddafi "It is very inciting and dan- conduit to the larger world. "People Continued From Page 1 gerous to the corporate existence of want to know my opinion because I Nigeria. We should condemn his travel," he says, reporting a drop in at- port in the capital Libreville to a a foreign ministry statement said (Ghaddafi) utterances and forge mosphere of family, friends and neighbors. standstill and could lead to signifi- "His theatrics and grandstanding at ahead as one indivisible nation in line Musicians, as he points out, have a kind cant cuts in oil production. every auspicious occasion have be- with the vision of our founding fa- of authority with people long ago for- The unions are unhappy at labour come too numerous to recount." thers. We must see our differences as feited by the political class. "People will regulations and want restrictions on judge you by your words," he says. "We the use of foreign workers. prefer to listen to the artists," he laughs. Shady politicians - it's an element that Gabon is one of Africa's main oil pro- cuts across all the world's cultures. ducers but is trying to diversify away He sees the committment to a socially from oil as revenues from it fall. conscious message as lifelong. "I don't There have been reports of shortages see any way to run away from that." It at petrol stations and people stock- doesn't extend to any political aspira- piling fuel. tions beyond that, however. "I'm an art- "The strike will be tough and could ist," he says. "If something is wrong, I be long," said Onep union Secretary will make a song," he pauses, "and if it's General Guy Roger Aurat Reteno, something good, I will make a song reports the AFP news agency. about that too." "The consequences will be hard and

disagreeable, but we are pushed into situations that are deplorable for everybody." An Onep spokesperson told AFP the Gaddafi and other African leaders in good times. African traditional rulres had strike would effect all sectors using at one occasion crowned him the “King of all Kings”. Some believe he bribed his Shortage way into their hearts and utterances. fuel, including the national energy and water company, but not hospi- Many senators say it is something that should propel us to ensues as tals and the security services. ironic that Gaddafi, who until re- move ahead and continue to live in Onep's main grievance is that too cently as chairman of the African peace with our neighbours," Agoda many oil jobs are going to Africans Union proposed that the continent said. Gabon oil from other countries and Western- should be united into a “United ers. States of Africa”, is now calling for strike begins The government had offered to es- the disunion of one of its parts. T h e Baaba Maal Gabon's main oil workers' tablish temporary restrictions on chairman of the House Committee on foreigners working in the oil indus- Continued From Page 1 union has begun a strike which is Airforce John Halims Agoda, who try if talks were resumed, but Onep He sprinkles his socially conscious mes- seen as a big test for new President sponsored a motion on the Libyan sage between the music in his concerts, Ali Ben Bongo. rejected the offer. issue said Ghaddafi's comments de- about music as a way to bring people The strike has brought public trans- Gabon's previous President Omar served to be condemned. He said that together, and about things like equality Bongo amassed a vast fortune during it is ironical and unfortunate that and an increased role in society for Af- his 41 years in office and was accused Ghaddafi has remained controversial rica's women, (this to the crowd's delight of embezzling oil revenues. on African and global politics and his at the Toronto show.) "We need these His son succeeded him in September call for the disintegration of Nigeria people for the future of the African con- 2009 after polls which opponents say must not be taken lightly. tinent," he insists. were fixed. "We urge the Federal Gov- It's a role he took on in a different con- The election was followed by violent ernment to liaise with the United text in December 2009, when he at- tended the Climate Change Summit in street protests by opposition activ- Nations Security Council to as a Copenhagen as the climate change am- ists. matter of utmost urgency order the bassador for the Africa Talks Climate Libyan Leader, Colonel Muammar initiative. Africa Talks is a research and Ghaddafi, to stop forthwith his call communications drive that looks at the Up to the second! for the break up of Nigeria along views of Africans on climate change. In religious divide in order to end the Copenhagen, he introduced a global recurring crisis in the country. panel discussion with young people from "We also call on the Federal around the world, among other things, African teams as Government to request the African urging climate justice for the world's Union (AU) to order an independent poorest countries who will bear the bur- den of climate change they largely didn't investigation into the motivation of they perform at create. Former president Omar Bongo Colonel Ghaddafi's comments on Despite his wide recognition in Senegal Nigeria and ascertain if there is a had a firm grip on the country. and an international profile, Baaba lives Mnay believe he made a lot of relationship between the comments in a small community without the trap- he World Cup in and the primary sources of the sup- pings of glamour or stardom. "When I'm money from oil. ply of infiltrators who come to fight done this tour, I go home to my small

African World May 1, 2010 Page 3

Babangida and Nigerians’ conundrum Commentary: head that Nigerians must overlook his misdeeds in as a political armed robber only greater in de- By Peter Uduehi office as he prepares his arsenal for another major scending order of agility than the famous Oyenusi Ibrahim Babangida, one-time Nigerian effect at their coffers should he become successful by how well his pen back-pedaled to siphon off head-of-state and something of a dastardly act in in his bid. But Nigerians are no fools. Our hope is large contract percentages to his bank accounts the fabric of Nigerian polity because of the damage that his supports will turn spurious on him—get his abroad. King of bribery, Ibori even tried to cajole he heaped on his people for the 10 years he seized loot ( in fact demand it) and then thumb their ink former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission power, recently declared his intention to run for on other candidates. That way he would have com- chairman Nuhu Ribadu so he would not investigate president in 2011. pletely wasted his time and effort. And that is if his schemes as governor. Yet the shameless PDP It is not whether the lout announced his Nigerians know what they are doing! continues to resurrect ugly heads past (like Baban- intent that bothers right-thinking Nigerians, it is the Babangida, who may well succeed as the gida) and present to the political table. Nigerians fact that a man of is ilk would have the temerity to presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic must know that they don’t owe the PDP anything. raise the spectre of another open sore which gives Party (PDP) during the primaries (or convention), We don’t run a prime-ministerial system of govern- away Nigeria as a real failed state and a nation presents Nigerians a different kind of conundrum ment in Nigeria, as such we should not treat the where anything goes. It means the reputation of from that which stipulates that the North of Nigeria country’s politics as if we have one. Because poli- Nigeria as a place where anyone with money can must supply the next presidential candidate from tics in Nigeria is still very colonial, our fear is that buy power is still firmly entrenched. the PDP. That means if the PDP is the almost de Babangida will be a product of that assumption and Babangida knows his reputation, is keenly facto supplier of the presidency in Nigeria then Ba- his wishes may come true. If that happens we will aware of what most Nigerians think of him, and bangida stands to become the next president if he be in a big mess. That is a conundrum that will knows that buying votes to shoot your way to achieves his objectives at the primaries with all the further plunge us into avoidable demise. What we power is an easy enterprise in a place like Nigeria— cajoling, bribery and arm-twisting he will muster at are saying in effect is that other less controversial even though he has vowed he would not do that such occasions. and dubious parties exist in the country and it is because according to him, he’s the “most investi- Which is why it is difficult to grasp the now time to debunk the PDP and shame all its ten- gated Nigerian in history”. For good reason, he is. reasons behind Nigerians’ equanimity when it tacles because, for the most part, it has failed the Babangida is the man responsible for the comes to how they perceive the PDP. If true analy- country as a political party. mammoth corruption currently plaguing Africa’s sis is worth anything, Nigerians must know that the most populous nation. Before he came to power in pDP has provided them 1985, corruption in Nigeria did not receive the mediocrity at almost kind of ignoble distinction that it got in the last two every level since the -and- a-half decades. If politicians and leaders in party’s dominance of government bribed and engaged in thievery the politics in the Third dis- amounts looted were almost infinitesimal they pensation. Since 1997, made no impact on public policy; but with Baban- the PDP has forced on gida in office corruption reached dizzying heights us the ilk of former gov- as billions of dollars went missing in grand ernor of Edo State Lucky schemes. Ibrahim Abacha, who came to power Igbinedion, a tout fit for after Babangida knew all too well the style of his transport aide at New predecessor and commandeered the economy of Benin Motorparks with the country into his personal bedroom as if the all the concomitant of nation he ruled belonged to him and his family. cacophony and ambiva- Abacha developed the attitude that if Babangida (a lent rudeness; a messiah half-baked Northerner who many in the army ridi- of all things vain and culed for his cowardice) could get away with his duplicitous. Igbinedion loot, he too could get away with murder as he made away with millions sometimes amused himself when he would ask the of dollars and turned Central Bank governor to deliver millions of dollars Edo state over to thugs in armoured trucks to his villa at prompt occasions. like himself. Then came That was the flurry of activities against the Nige- from the ambit of PDP rian people from its leaders because of the licen- another former governor tious ways Babangida foisted on his countrymen called James Ibori, who and women. like Babangida, was a Babangida, yet to disclose how more than good-for-nothing idiot 40 billion dollars got missing from the Gulf War who was severely look- windfall in the early 1990s, has gotten it into his ing for a place in history

African World 5/1/10 p 4 African World 5/1/10 INSIDE WEST AFRICA p 5

"We gave our findings to the Areva board of directors because too many politicians didn’t like the fact he was Niger: French state- and the Nigerien local authorities and called for a com- stepping on many influential toes and cleaning up the prehensive radiological survey and clean-up of the vil- range of corruption in the country. lage," Bruno Chareyron, an engineer in nuclear physics owned company and director of research at CRIIRAD, told IPS. Since Jonathan came to office over the termi- nally ill and incapacitated Yaradua, Ribadu was exoner- "poisoning" poor CRIIRAD also found radioactive contamination in ated by Jonathan’s government, his charges withdrawn drinking water and radio-active scrap metal in the min- and then there is speculation he would be reinstated Paris — Recent research by Greenpeace sug- ing towns. into government as advisor to the acting president on gests that French state-owned company Areva's public economic crimes matters. claims of decontamination of populated areas near ura- The public health consequences of the exploitation of nium mines in Niger are false. High radio-activity per- uranium are only one of the many problems raised by It is being speculated that Jonathan will offer sists in towns and rural areas near the mines, affecting the extractive industry in Niger. an advisory role to the former. anti-graft Czar in an some 80,000 people. effort to boost the war against corruption in the coun- Alain Joseph, a French hydro-geologist working in the try, but the details of yesterday's meeting were not When uranium was discovered in the impoverished West African country, told IPS that the "pasture econ- made public. West African state in the 1960s, many thought that the omy is about to disappear in north-eastern Niger be- radioactive mineral - indispensable as combustible for cause of the dozens of mine projects installed there Very rarely has an American president met nuclear power plants and raw material for nuclear which over-exploit the scarce water resources of the with a non-substantive president of a country. bombs - would be the panacea for all the social and eco- area". nomic afflictions haunting the former French colony. Details of the meeting were still sketchy at In 2009 alone, Niger authorised 139 uranium research press time, but we have since gathered the two leaders Instead, as several recent reports by environmental projects conducted by companies from Australia, Can- used the opportunity to discuss outstanding issues be- organisations and independent researchers show, Ni- ada and China. tween the two countries most of which would have ger's uranium mines constitute a deadly gift for the been discussed all along but for the ill-health of Presi- country, both for its public health and its politics. Joseph said that these projects are draining water from dent Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. Agadez, the region's only water source. "The uranium Today, Niger is considered the poorest country in the exploitation is not only decimating Niger's environ- The US is Nigeria's biggest customer in the interna- world. It ranks last in the Human Development Index, ment and public health. It is also about to destroy the tional crude oil market and much of its energy security and it is confronting a political crisis caused by allega- economic foundations of Tuareg, Fula, Kounta and is directly affected by militant activities in the Niger tions of corruption and environmental conflicts -- all other pastoral, nomadic people in the north of the coun- Delta. linked to the uranium mines (see part two of this arti- try," he said. cle). Another issue of interest to the two countries, sources told THISDAY, is Nigeria's proposed reform which According to a report that the global environmental seeks to radically restructure the oil industry. organisation Greenpeace released on Mar 30, high ra- dioactivity can still be detected on the ground near the Nigeria: Jonathan, Multinational oil companies have expressed worries Nigerien uranium mines, especially in the mining towns over the revised fiscal regimes which they claim are of Arlit and Akokan, some 850 km northeast of the unfavourable to their operations. capital Niamey. meets Obama on Niger He also reinterated Federal Government's commitment Some 80,000 people live in these towns and in the Delta, and other mat- to the anti-graft war and sought the co-operation and nearby region. The mines are operated by the French support of the American government in this regard. state-owned company Areva, which describes itself as ters "rank(ing) first in the global nuclear power industry". The US is currently seeking UN sanctions against Iran France, which has been exploiting uranium mines in Washington DC — Acting President Good- over its nuclear development programme and Jona- Niger for 45 years, is the main foreign investor in Ni- luck Jonathan met with President Barack Obama re- than's statement is understood to mean Nigeria may ger. cently ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit called by abstain from voting when the matter comes up. the US president to further find ways of limiting the In an interview with IPS, Rianne Teule, nuclear energy spread of nuclear weapons worldwide. The Acting President was accompanied on the trip by campaigner for Greenpeace International, explained the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Odein Ajumogobia, that the group's research team visited Niger's uranium The two leaders discussed the situation in the and Nigeria's former Ambassador to the US, Alhaji mines last November to investigate whether Areva Niger Delta, as well as reforms Jonathan is instituting Hassan Adamu. The other ministers and governors complies with basic health and labour standards. to address electoral issues and corruption in Nigeria. who were billed to accompany him had arrived the US earlier. "We found dangerous levels of radiation in the streets Before their meeting, former Nigerian corrup- of Akokan," Teule told IPS. "We also found high con- tion Czar Nuhu Ribadu met with Jonathan to discuss Also on hand to receive the Acting President, who ar- centration of uranium in four of five samples of drink- the circumstances that led to his dismissal as head of rived 30 minutes later than scheduled, were the US ing water from Arlit, in doses beyond the limits estab- the dreaded Economic and Financial Crimes Commis- Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Rene Sanders, and lished by the World Health Organisation," Teule said. sion (EFCC) which Ribadu said he was proud to spear- Deputy Head of Nigerian Mission in Washington DC, head because it brought to book thousands of corrup- Ambassador Baba Gana Wakil. "Areva had earlier claimed that such radiation had been tive influences in the country. Observers believe Ri- identified and its sources addressed," Teule said. badu, who lost his job when new leader Umaru Yaradua Ribadu left the country in controversial circumstances came to power, because of trumped-up charges that he two years ago following his removal as EFCC chairman In some cases, the radioactivity measured by Green- had not declared his assets prior to taking office like by President Yar'Adua and a chain of events which saw peace researchers in Akokan was 500 times higher than other government department heads. But Ribadu told Ribadu demoted and dismissed from the police force. the normal levels. Obama he did declare his asets and that he was fired

"A person spending less than one hour per day in those places would be exposed to more than the maximum allowable annual radiation dose for the public recom- mended by the International Commission on Radiologi- cal Protection and enforced by legislation in most coun- tries," Teule said.

Greenpeace's findings confirm earlier reports by other French environmental groups that have denounced Areva's lack of responsibility in the operation of the uranium mines in Niger. In 2007, an inspection by the independent investigative commission on radioactivity CRIIRAD (after its French Call Us For The Cheapest Fares name) and the Nigerien environmental organisation Aghir In'Man discovered high levels of radiation in the To Anywhere in AFRICA! streets of Akokan. Call us for the best In the immediate neighbourhood of the Akokan hospi- tal, CRIIRAD measured levels of radiation up to 100 times higher than normal background values. CRIIRAD also identified the source of the radiation as the radioactive waste rock from the mines that had been used for road construction.

African World 5/1/10 p 6

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Babangida intends to run for president 2011. He still calls himself an “evil genius” and says he’s “the most investigated” Nigerian living or dead. For good reason, you miht say!

Nigeria’s Acting President Goodluck Jonathan met recently US president Barack Obama in the White House. The two discussed issues relating to their countries

Around 3,000 people commemorated Eugene Terreblanche's life. The road to Ventersdorp, home of the late Eugene Terreblanche, is fringed with fertile fields. Terreblanche belong to the radical right of White South Africa who wants to to take the country back to the dayus of apartheid. He was constantly reminded that that would not happen. Many said he lived by the sword, and indeed he did as his life was marked by violence. He died recently in the hands of his two black farmers who bludgeoned him to death in his sleep. Mr. Jonathan makes the rounds with handshakes during his recent visit to the US

Sudan votes in landmark elections and everyone is in the act. Many are also in frenzy as questions of rigging arise. South Sudan’s fate will soon be known whether or not it will continue as part of the entire nation of Sudan. The votes will determine that.

According to Dr Martin Okot, a senior consultant African World 5/1/10 p 8 Zambia: Health Minis- on TB at Mulago National Referral Hospital, TB predominantly affects the lungs but can also affect the destruction of a wetland that filters sewage from try sets record straight other parts of the body. Dr Okot said the cost of Bugolobi flats and other neighbouring areas. treating drug-resistant TB is high. The move by the encroacher has sparked off protests on cholera cases It costs Shs40,000 to treat non-drug resistant TB from the residents who are angry that the reclamation for a period of between six and eight months while of the wetland could lead to blockage of sewerage drug-resistant TB treatment can cost as much as pipes thus exposing them to unhygienic living condi- ZAMBIA has recorded 996 new cases of chol- tions. Shs8 million per person. era with 87 deaths countrywide since last year when Nema Deputy Executive Director Gerald Sawula Musoke the rainy season started contrary to the report attrib- said the organisation was investigating the matter with uted to the Medecins Sans Frontieres or Doctors with- Namibia: Marker achieves intent to arrest the culprits and cause them to remove out Borders (MSF) which said the number of cholera the soil. cases in the country had risen to 4,000 with 120 deaths. Ministry of Health spokesperson Reuben Kamoto yet another milestone in Mbewe said in an interview last Friday that the latest Namibia: Shell joins BP cholera cases were 996 from March month end to April conservation 7 this year. on the way out He said 982 cases were recorded in Lusaka province Windhoek — The Cheetah Conservation Fund while the Copperbelt had recorded six cases. (CCF) yet again achieved a milestone when its director, Dr Mbewe said Southern Province had recorded two Dr Laurie Marker, was awarded the 2010 Tyler Prize THE local fuel industry has suffered its second cases while Luapula had recorded three. Achievement for her work in wildlife conservation. major blow with Shell's decision to pull out of Namibia, Central Province had also recorded three cases of Chol- Marker will receive the award on 23 April at a private barely a month after BP announced its withdrawal from era. ceremony, which will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel the country. Dr Mbewe said the number of deaths so far from the in Beverly Hills. She shares the prize, which includes Together, Shell and BP command 45 per cent of the time cholera started this season was 87. U$200 000 and gold medals, with Stuart Pimm, a Pro- local retail fuel market. Acting Ministry of Health spokesperson Elizabeth fessor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University in "One has to be worried that the oil companies are mov- Chizema said yesterday that this year's outbreak of Durham, North Carolina. ing out," Mines and Energy Permanent Secretary Jo- cholera was not the worst and that some cases were Marker was chosen for the award in recognition of her seph Iita reacted yesterday. not even confirmed but were being treated as cholera contribution to developing an ecosystem-based ap- The Ministry will meet with Shell today or tomorrow for cases. proach to sustainable management which in turn also a thorough briefing, the PS said. "The high numbers of cases could be that even sus- benefits the respective community economically. Shell Oil Products Africa issued a statement saying it is pected cholera cases were treated as cholera cases un- She was nominated by Jeffrey Bader, former US Ambas- "reviewing its ownership options for its downstream til they were verified as otherwise," Dr Chizema said. sador to Namibia for the award. He said the work of the businesses" in 21 African countries, including Namibia. Head of the MSF mission to Zambia Luke Arend was CCF is the most successful project in its endeavour to "While a number of options are being considered, the quoted on the Zambia watchdog.com site yesterday protect the world's biodiversity. preferred outcome is the sale of most businesses in saying MSF was responding to the worst cholera out- "Laurie Marker has been involved in the study of wild scope as going concerns," the oil giant said. breaks in the country for many years. cheetahs for more than 30 years and established an Early last month, BP announced that it was closing shop Mr Arend said cholera cases had risen to more than 4, organisation in Namibia to study them and protect in Namibia, following "a strategic review". 500 while more than 120 people had lost their lives. them. The organisation approaches wildlife conserva- Experts in the fuel industry yesterday calmed fears that According to Mr Arend, MSF teams were working tion by clearly addressing the needs of human inhabi- Shell's and BP's exit would cause fuel shortages in the around the clock to treat people affected with cholera tants and creating economic opportunities for them," country. Private oil companies supply 50 per cent of the and had set up cholera treatment centres in Matero, the executive committee of the Tyler Prize for Environ- fuel consumed in Namibia, while the Namibian Petro- Chawama and Kanyama. mental Achievement Award, in a statement. leum Corporation Group (Namcor) supplies the other But Dr Chizema maintained the cholera cases were not Marker has been involved in the study of cheetahs half. the worst as they had not been confirmed as such. since the 1970s and established the CCF in 1990. The Harald Schmidt, Secretary of the Namibian Oil Industry Fund addresses problems such as cheetah predation on Association, stressed that the pull-outs would be livestock and degradation of grazing land and wildlife "planned and structured" and that the businesses Uganda: Experts raise habitat by an invasive plant. The award was established would be taken over as going concerns. by John and Alice Tyler in 1973 as a means to encour- "It will be business as usual," Schmidt said. age the preservation of the environment. It has been Namcor Managing Director Sam Beukes agreed, saying red flag over tubercu- awarded annually to 61 individuals and four organisa- that fuel supplies "will be expected to be continuing as tions associated with world-class environmental accom- normal". losis plishments. "The only change would be the ownership of the two companies in Namibia," he said. Kampala — A strain of tuberculosis that is resistant PS Iita was equally reassuring, saying that the compa- to normal drug treatment is fast emerging in Uganda: Multiplex nies would either be bought by Government or other Uganda and doctors have termed it a time bomb. private investors. The new threat of the Multi-drug-Resistant Tuber- "Government is seriously looking into the downstream culosis (MDR-TB) has worried medical experts be- linked to Bugolobi fuel business," he said. cause it cannot be treated with standard drug regi- The chairman's report in the 2009 financial statements mens. Wetland takeover of Namcor clearly spells out the corporation's plans. According to Dr Grace Muzanye, a TB specialist "Namcor has further embarked on the penetration of the downstream market to fulfil its strategic intent of with the Centre for Disease Control, although Kampala City Council yesterday linked proprietors becoming an integrated oil and gas company by partici- there are no precise figures on the numbers of of Multiplex Uganda Limited, a local construction pating in the full value chain," it stated. drug-resistant TB, at least 10 per cent of the Company, to a wetland under degradation in In the same statements, Beukes identified Namcor's 40,000 new cases recorded in 2008 were found to Bugolobi, a Kampala suburb. further integration into the downstream market as a have strains that are resistant to drugs. The KCC officials while touring the site yesterday way of securing "alternative sources of revenue". "Most patients who are diagnosed with TB are also arrested a man, Mr Edrine Wandera, who was Namcor suffered a loss of N$257 million last year and given drugs and left to go and mix with the com- found with the documents and a records book of the was technically insolvent with liabilities outstripping munity which makes them vulnerable while those site. assets by about N$70 million. who are given drugs are not monitored and some The residents told the city officials that Mr Wandera Beukes yesterday said the sale of BP's and Shell's as- do not continue with the dose," Dr Muzanya said, had been deployed on the site to monitor activities on sets, including the storage tanks at Walvis Bay, will be adding; "this leads to drug-resistant TB which is the wetland. on an open tendering basis. "Whoever is successful will take responsibilities for the difficult and very expensive to manage." He was The team of KCC officials attached to Nakawa Division led by town clerk Abuna Besigye toured the site meas- supplies [of fuel]," he said. addressing journalists at Kiswa Primary School in uring about two acres. Beukes denied media reports that Namcor has already Kampala yesterday, during a TB awareness cam- Mr Besigye said they had received information from clinched a deal with BP to buy its assets, saying the cor- paign, ahead of today's World TB Day. other people linking Multiplex proprietors to the site. poration will compete with all the other bidders. Uganda is number 15 among the 22 high-burden However, in a telephone interview with Daily Monitor, Asked whether Namcor intends taking over Shell's busi- TB countries in the world, collectively account for a Multiplex Official only identified himself as Mr Bbosa ness, he said: "We keep our options open." 80 per cent of TB cases. The World Health Organi- said they are on site as contractors. Beukes said that BP and Shell jointly enjoy 45 per cent sation said in its 2010 report that about 440,000 "It is true that our trucks have been ferrying soil to the of the downstream and supply market in Namibia. multi- drug-resistant cases were registered world- site but we were contracted," Mr Bbosa said. He, how- Putting this into perspective, he explained: "Assuming wide. ever, declined to discuss the matter further, saying he that one billion litres of fuel is sold in Namibia, 450 mil- lion litres will come from Shell and BP together. Of this, The report warns that not much is known about needs consent from his bosses. they will import 225 million litres in total, while they the drug-resistant TB. "Countries face enormous Mr Wandera was released after the company officials came to the division offices and promised to produce will source 225 million litres from Namcor." hurdles in accelerating access to diagnostic and clearance documents from Kampala City Council and treatment services for drug-resistant TB, and pre- National Environment Management Authority. vious efforts to address this epidemic have clearly Daily Monitor reported that the unchecked destruction been insufficient," the report say. of green belts and wetlands in Kampala was leading to African World 5/1/10 Inside North Africa p 9

ever, the amount of money that has been raised is tional Park and World Heritage Site. North Africa: Sahara astounding. Furthermore, the recent interest in The hotel will be about 12km from the Lower Desertec by prominent leaders and companies out- Zambezi National Park. Protea Hotels Zambia is desert solar project side of Europe suggest that the international com- 97,5% owned by Union Gold and 2,5% by Mauro munity is taking the solar project very seriously. Guardigli, an Italian living in Zambia. Desertec Industrial Initiative is only valuable The group operates under the Protea Inns becoming a reality granted both the MENA region and Europe mutu- and Hotels (Pty) Ltd franchise of South Africa. ally benefit. If this happens, the positive contribu- The construction of the hotel, the environmental- Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII), the tions to the rest of the world will be significant. ists argued, would have a huge impact on Zim- largest solar energy project, has recently gained babwe. the support of the US company First Solar and According to information from various sources, both the Tunisian and Algerian governments. Tunisia: Ministers the hotel will be built in an area which has already The announcement of the Joining of First Solar on exceeded Zambia government's recommended 16 March has propelled Desertec into soon becom- pay inspection visit number of hotels. ing a reality providing solar energy, up to 15 per- A campaign against the project was started on the cent of Europe's energy. If completed by the pro- social network Facebook, with 8 070 individuals in jected date in 2012, this would create a network of to the „city of cul- support of the campaign -- "Save Mana Pools sustainable energy regions not only in Europe but against the building of the hotel as of yesterday". in North Africa and the Middle East as well. ture‟ in Tunis Conservationists said the proposed hotel would Since its launch on 13 July 2009, the $550 billion disturb plans to have World Heritage Status ex- initiative has gained a great deal of momentum Tunis — Mr. Abderraouf El Basti, Minister of tended to the Zambian side of the Zambezi. incorporating countries from the MENA region Culture and Heritage Preservation and Mr. Slaheddine But Protea Hotel chairman Mark O'Donnell said (Middle East North Africa) as well as the recent Malouch, Minister of Equipment, Housing and Land protests against the proposal were out of context addition of five more companies from Morocco, Planning, paid an inspection visit on Thursday to the because the environmental impact assessment Tunisia, Spain, France and Italy. city of culture in Tunis. (EIA) was yet to take place. During their visit they were briefed about the progress Desertec Industrial Initiative was launched by 12 "Management wants to develop something that is European companies in Munich a year after the of the works and the various components of the project. The Czech contractor and all concerned parties took appropriate and in harmony with the area," Mediterranean Solar-Plan, which was signed on part in the event. O'Donnell told businessdigest from Zambia yes- 13 July 2008 at the Union of the Mediterranean The management unit of the project is also busy pre- terday. "I have been quoted out of context most of Summit. Since the DII was launched, the focus has paring a study on methods of management of the City the time. I do not know if I should continue talk- been in creating demonstration projects in Mo- of culture, the creation of the operas well as prepara- ing to the media. We are a responsible company rocco and working with governments in making tions relating to a Contemporary Arts museum and that follows the law and do things properly. So sure the laws put in place allow the export of re- Cinema library in Tunis. much of this is taken out of context, it is so dis- newable energy. turbing, the negative reports are coming from Founding companies include: Munich Re, TREC, people who do not know what is going on down Deutche Bank, Siemens, ABB, Abengoa Solar, Tunisia: 'Golden Eye there." E.ON, HSH Nordbank, Cevital, M&W Zander Grant Cumings, vice chairman of Conservation Holding, Schott Solar, and MAN Solar Millen- Cave' in Siliana Will Lower Zambezi of Zambia, was quoted in the nium. Dr. Bernd Utz, chief technology officer of Zambian media saying "the size and nature of the the Renewable Energy Division of Siemens told Soon Compete for development was inappropriate for the site". MediaGlobal, "The main challenge is the political "That model has proved successful for Protea Ho- framework. We need strong political support in 'Most Beautiful Cave' tels in downtown Lusaka, but why put it in a wil- Northern Africa, Europe and in the Middle East. derness? It will double overnight the number of In 2012 we want to present a politically approved hotel beds in the area, which are all operating at concept of how this vision can become reality." Title less than 50% occupancy, so it is not like there's a DII uses carefully positioned mirrors in the Sahara huge market waiting to go there. And they're not desert to boil water and activate turbines. Accord- Tunis — One of the geological wonders in coming in at a cheap price," Cunnings said. ing to the Desertec Foundation, the technology of Tunisia, is undoubtedly the 3000 meter deep An environmental planner, Derek Chittenden, said the solar project is based on a concentrated solar "Golden eye" cave located in the "Sarej" mountain, the hotel proposal "flies in the face of all sound power plant (CSP). This works just like a coal the second-highest mountain in Tunisia in the planning principles". steam power plant except that instead of coal, the governorate of Siliana. "If this goes through, it's the beginning of the end power plant operates solely on concentrated solar The cave consists of nine separate rooms contain- for that area. It will have a huge impact on the power. The mirrors work to reflect and concen- ing rock formations, characterized by their golden Zimbabwean side, yet neither the Zimbabwean trate solar energy, which are transmitted to color and unique water fountains springing from national parks or the government -- or even Europe and Africa by a super grid of high-voltage the heart of the mountain. Unesco -- knew about the proposal," Chittenden direct power cables. Considering the importance and sheer beauty of was quoted saying. Prof. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of the Manage- these caves Tunisian geologists, are preparing a O'Donnell however said management had ap- ment Board of SCHOTT AG told MediaGlobal, file, made of videotapes, still photos and docu- proached the Environmental Council of Zambia "Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology is a ments they will submit it to the Speleological and (ECZ) to consult them about producing an EIA crucial element of the Desertec project. SCHOTT Caves World Federation for the nomination of the study. has been involved in this type of solar technology "Golden Eye cave" for the "most beautiful cave in He said the purpose of an EIA was to ensure that from the very beginning. Today, our receivers the world" award. what is done in the lower Zambezi area is appro- form the heart of solar power plants that utilize The cave is located on rocky terraces with crystal priate for the area. parabolic trough technology. They can be found in cataclysms formed over thousands of years each "People with concerns on the project are free to the Nevada Solar One power plant located near six meters high. approach ECZ and submit their proposals. Protea Las Vegas as well as the Andasol power plant in According to speleologists, the height of the larg- will take into account what ECZ will advise," Spain, the first commercial power plant of its kind est hall in the cave is 20 meters. In order to reach O'Donnell said. in Europe. We consider ourselves to be the global the cave's last room amateurs are required to The hotel will consist of a central lodge, confer- leaders in terms of both technology and market swim, crawl, and climb. ence centre and six double-storey blocks of rooms. share with our solar receivers." Tunisian speleologists are looking forward to ex- There will be moorings on the river for boats and Should DII be successful, there are many advan- plore more than 60 other caves located in the a parking lot to take 40 vehicles. tages of the solar energy project. Besides combat- mountains of the northwest region of the country. ing climate change, power plants would create jobs and improve the economic development of the local communities. Desertec would also enhance Zimbabwe: Cam- infrastructure, thus, providing electricity to com- munities, which have previously not had access. paigners lobby Advertise Alexander Mohanty Spokesman of DII-Enabling Desertec in EUMENA told MediaGlobal, "For some countries it can lead to the reversal of capital against building of flows in the energy sector. They will get the op- Now for portunity to sell power and to generate income hotel along Zambezi rather than having the need to buy coal, oil or gas. Other countries no longer have to exploit their CONSERVATIONISTS, villagers and Less fossil resources and they have the option of leav- tour operators in Zambia want to bar Protea Ho- ing these resources to future generations without tels Zambia's plan to build a 144-bedroomed hotel loss of income." on the banks of the Zambezi River. Protea Hotels 416-668-9182 Critics of DII have expressed concern over the plans to construct the hotel in a wild area up- view that the project may be too ambitious. How- stream from the world-renowned Mana Pools Na- African World news 5/1/10 Inside African Press p 10

bunked any crisis between members of the Na- Nigeria: Two die as tional Union of Road Transport Workers, Ethiopia: U.S.$1.7 NURTW, and members of the Lagos State Traffic commercial bus driv- Management Authority, LASTMA, saying the billion dam may sink claim was untrue. Reacting on the issue, Special Adviser on Trans- ers protest in Lagos portation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said: "Contrary to the hopes of 20,000 the report going on that the members of NURTW From Nigerian Vanguard Newspaper are protesting against the operations of the Jeff Otieno of the East African (Nairobi, Kenya) LASTMA, such information is not true as there is Lagos — NO fewer than two persons no crisis between the transport union and the traf- Nairobi — Lake Turkana could be the scene of a major Monday lost their lives as commercial bus drivers fic Agency. conflict in the near future, environmentalists are warn- in Lagos State stayed off the road, protesting al- Opeifa said investigation by LASTMA and ing. leged excesses of the officials of the Lagos State the office of the Special Adviser had found out that Transport Management Authority, LASTMA, Ten years ago, then Egyptian foreign minister it was a group of people of unidentified origin Boutros Boutros-Ghali said the next major wars in Af- leaving commuters stranded at bus stops across the probably sponsored that caused the public disor- rica would be over water. state. der along Oworonsoki and Orile - Mile 2 axis, Now water diplomacy is starting to take centre-stage in The two persons whose identities Vanguard could not adding that LASTMA was at no time involved in African and global affairs. ascertain at press time, were said to have died in two the crisis. separate incidents at Mile 2 Oke area of Amuwo Odofin Experts are tracing fights over water rights Local Government Area of the state. Opeifa warned individuals who were out and shortage as the root cause of the many civil con- One of them was said to have died when he to disrupt the good works of Governor Babatunde flicts in the continent over the past three decades. attempted to jump on an open truck, but miscalculated Fashola, to desist from such act as LASTMA As Kenya and Ethiopia enter a series of deals on elec- and fell. He was said to have been run over by an on- would not relent in performing its statutory re- tricity generation and supply, the livelihood of 200,000 coming vehicle. sponsibilities of monitoring, controlling and en- people is threatened. The other, a bus conductor, was said to have fallen off a forcing traffic rules and regulations irrespective of bus when some protesting drivers attacked his bus. any sponsored campaign of calumny on the traffic These people have for centuries depended on a But leaders of the National Union of Road Agency. lake that is fed by rivers currently threatened by a giant Transport Workers, NURTW, have dissociated their He added that motorists have the option of hydroelectric power project in Ethiopia. members from the action said to be spearheaded by not paying any fine if they obey traffic rules and The Gilgel Gibe III hydroelectric power dam, which at unregistered Association of Danfo Drivers in Lagos a cost of $1.7 billion will be one of the largest in Africa, State. regulations to the letter. is already causing concern among environmentalists Stranded commuters in Lagos as commercial He advised members of the public to go and local communities. vehicles were off the roads to protest alleged highhand- about their lawful duties as the security operatives edness by LASTMA officials at the Cele bus stop, along have been directed to ensure law and order on La- Opponents say it will destroy the livelihood of Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Monday. gos roads. thousands of people. In some areas, the protest intended to be Opeifa, therefore, enjoined those who may Situated on the Omo River Valley, the dam is expected peaceful took a violent dimension as some LASTMA be aggrieved with the operations of the Agency to to have a mammoth reservoir that will hold thousands officials were reportedly attacked while some commer- feel free and make their complaints known at of cubic metres of water. cial bus drivers, who were apparently oblivious of the LASTMA complaint unit, specially created by Environmentalists and locals believe this will interfere planned protest, had their windscreens shattered by Governor Fashola, to address such issue. with the flow of water into Lake Turkana. some aggrieved drivers. Other flashpoints that Unep and UNDP have cited in- The development caused a stampede particu- clude the Nile, Niger, Volta and Zambezi basins. larly at Bariga, Oshodi, Iyana-Ipaja, Mile 12, Mile 2,

Iyana-Oba and along the Oshodi-Apapa expressway, as The UNDP says population growth and eco- passengers inside moving commercial buses were Nigeria: JTF raises nomic development will lead to nearly one in two peo- forced to disembark. Some of them reportedly sustained ple in Africa living in countries facing water scarcity injuries as they tried to escape. and water stress in 25 years. Explaining the reasons for the protest, the association alarm over alleged Water scarcity is defined as less than 1,000 cubic me- said: "The intimidation and abuse of our fundamental tres of water available per person per year, while water human right by LASTMA officials can no longer be plot to attack in Ni- stress means less than 1,500 cubic metres per year. tolerated. LASTMA officials have deviated from their By 2025, according to UNDP, 12 more African coun- main job which is controlling traffic to pursuing danfo tries will join the 13 that already suffer from water and collecting N7,000 or issue ticket of N30,000." ger Delta stress or water scarcity. The association further accused the officials of "Water disputes in Africa revolve around one using mobile policemen to harass and brutalise its or more of three issues: quantity, quality and timing. members, wondering what connection the policemen From This Day Newspaper have with LASTMA. These play out differently on various scales, whether Some of the danfo drivers appealed to the Lagos State internationally, intra-nationally, regionally or indi- government to save them from the hands of some Yenagoa — The Joint Task Force (JTF) rectly," says a Unep-funded report titled: LASTMA officials and Mobile Policemen who usually on the Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, has "Hydropolitical vulnerability and resilience along inter- go about in buses to arrest drivers. raised alarm on plans to attack oil facilities be- national waters in Africa". The drivers who embarked on a peaceful pro- longing to the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, the Shell The Nile Basin, which encompasses nine coun- test to Vanguard Newspapers, in Lagos said some of Petroleum Development Company. tries -- including Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania -- has been mentioned as a potential source of conflict because the officials had left their primary assignment of con- The JTF in a statement by Lt Col TO An- trolling traffic to extortion and unjust arrest. of the high number of people who depend on it. tigha, Coordinator Joint Media Campaing Centre For example, if the combined population of just three "There is a group of Mobile Policemen warned those " behind the plot to abandon the idea who uses bus to arrest danfo drivers making our countries -- Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan -- through immediately in their interest and that of the na- which the Nile runs, rises as predicted from 150 million work most uncomfortable by collecting an amount tion." today to 340 million in 2050, there will be intense com- ranging from N10,000 to N15,000 from bus driv- The interventionist agency made it clear that the petition for limited water resources. ers. The intimidation and abuse of our fundamen- "declaration of general amnesty and other meas- This could easily spill over into war. Sudan, tal human rights by LASTMA officials can no ures taken by the Federal Government to consoli- Ethiopia and Eritrea are among the Nile Basin states longer be tolerated," they said. date the gains of the amnesty programme have not that are most vulnerable to climatic variations. Meanwhile, NURTW leaders have disassociated in any way diminished the vast capacity and capa- The amount of water left when the Nile reaches the sea has also been drastically declining, proof that the up- members from the protest, describing the "act as bility of the JTF as a military outfit." unlawful." take along its course is rising. The JTF therefore made it clear in the n case water levels reduce drastically, Egypt, The Amuwo Odofin Branch Secretary of four paragraphs statement that it will visit its NURTW, Alhaji Bola Hassan, who spoke to Van- being at the lower end of the river, will be most af- military might on those planning the attack, any- fected. guard, regretted that the commercial bus drivers, time it happens. "Consequently, the JTF warns Meanwhile, the African Resources Working Group who were being represented by unknown union that it will destroy any group of ex-militants or says there are also disagreements on the use of the did not notify them before embarking on the pro- emerging militants who attempt to sabotage oil Okavango-Makgadikgadi Basin in Southern Africa. test, thereby taking laws into their hands. and gas installations or dislocate the prevailing Botswana's need to sustain the delta and its lucrative According to him, "we, the NURTW, peace and tranquillity in the Niger Delta. ecotourism is in conflict with Namibia's plans to pipe have condemned the wrongful act completely. If "The JTF enjoins all Nigerians and for- water from the Okavango river to supply its capital, Windhoek. there are needs for the drivers to protest for any eigners within and outside the Niger Delta to dis- reason, they should have informed us because we Also, dams and water transfers in the South African regard this threat and continue with their legiti- area of the Incomati River basin have reduced freshwa- represent them. mate endeavours. Parents, traditional rulers and "There are rules guarding the union. You ter flows and increased salt levels in Mozambique's well-meaning interest groups are advised to warn Incomati estuary. don't go out and take the laws into your hands. their children, subjects and adherents respectively This has altered the estuary's ecosystem and led to the They have no right to barricade the roads and to refrain from tampering with government instal- disappearance of salt-intolerant plants and animals. wreck havoc on those who did not participate. We lations, to enable the Federal Government concen- enjoin the police to prosecute all those found trate on addressing the multi-faceted problems wanting. facing the region." The Lagos State government has de-

African World News 5/1/10 News p 11

Mr Geldof and the Band Aid Trust are Cohen, and in same way it was contin- Geldof taking their complaint to the broadcast- ued by the priestly clan of the Lemba. PETER UDUEHI ing regulator Ofcom. "They have a common ancestor who They and a number of other agencies, geneticists say lived about 3,000 years challenges BBC including Oxfam, the Red Cross, Chris- ago somewhere in north Arabia, which is tian Aid and Save The Children, are also the time of Moses and Aaron when the aid claim writing to chairman of the BBC Trust, Jewish priesthood started." Bob Geldof has challenged the Sir Michael Lyons. Prof Parfitt is a world-renowned expert, BBC to substantiate its report that mil- John Kennedy, a co-founder of the Band having spent 20 years researching the lions raised for famine relief in Ethiopia Aid Trust, said: "The trust is writing to Lemba, and living with them for six were diverted to pay for weapons. the BBC and Ofcom to complain about months. The anti-poverty campaigner said there the broadcast." The Lemba have a sacred prayer lan- was "not a shred of evidence" Band Aid A Christian Aid spokeswoman confirmed guage which is a mixture of Hebrew and or Live Aid money was siphoned off. it was planning to support the com- Arabic, pointing to their roots in Israel The report included claims that substan- plaint. and Yemen. tial sums of aid that went into rebel-held Despite their ties to Judaism, many of areas of Tigray province in 1985 were Lost Jewish tribe the Lemba in Zimbabwe are Christians, used to buy arms. while some are Muslims. The BBC World Service has said it is 'found in "Christianity is my religion, and Judaism standing by its report. is my culture," explains Perez Ha- Mr Geldof told BBC One's Andrew Zimbabwe' mandishe, a pastor and member of par- Marr show he would personally sue the The Lemba people of Zimbabwe and liament from the Movement for Democ- Ethiopian government and spend the South Africa may look like their compa- ratic Change (MDC). money on aid if any evidence was pro- triots, but they follow a very different Despite their centuries-old traditions, duced. set of customs and traditions. some younger Lemba are taking a more 'Credible voices' They do not eat pork, they practise male liberal view. He said: "Produce me one shred of evi- circumcision, they ritually slaughter "In the old days you didn't marry a non- dence and I promise you I will profes- their animals, some of their men wear Lemba, but these days we interact with sionally investigate it, I will profession- skull caps and they put the Star of David others," says Alex Makotore, son of the ally report it, and if there is any money on their gravestones. late Chief Mposi from the Lemba missing I will sue the Ethiopian govern- Their oral traditions claim that their "headquarters" in Mberengwa. ment for that money back and I will ancestors were Jews who fled the Holy "I feel special in my heart but not in spend it on aid. front of others such that I'm separated 713-280-1783 Land about 2,500 years ago. OR "There is not a single shred of evidence It may sound like another myth of a lost from them. Culture is dynamic." 416-668-9182 that Band Aid or Live Aid money was tribe of Israel, but British scientists have The oral traditions of the Lemba say diverted in any sense, it could not have carried out DNA tests which have con- that the ngoma lungundu is the Biblical been." firmed their Semitic ori- The news and current affairs editor at gin. the World Service, Andrew Whitehead, These tests back up the said the BBC stood by its report. group's belief that a group Taking part in a discussion with Mr of perhaps seven men 713-280-1783 Geldof, Mr Whitehead said the BBC had married African women "quite a lot of evidence" to support the and settled on the conti- report. nent. The Lemba, who The World Service report featured in- number perhaps 80,000, terviews with two former members of a live in central Zimbabwe rebel group who made the allegations and the north of South dating from the mid-80s. Africa. They told the BBC they posed as mer- And they also have a chants in meetings with charity workers prized religious artefact that they say to get aid money which they used to connects them to their Jewish ancestry - wooden Ark made by Moses, and that fund attempts to overthrow the govern- a replica of the Biblical Ark of the Cove- ment. centuries ago a small group of men be- nant known as the ngoma lungundu, gan a long journey carrying it from One rebel leader estimated that $95m meaning "the drum that thunders". (£63m) from Western governments and Yemen to southern Africa. The object went on display recently at a “ Hearing from those professors in Ha- charities, including Band Aid, was di- Harare museum to much fanfare, and verted. rare and seeing the ngoma makes it clear instilled pride in many of the Lemba. that we are a great people and I'm very The CIA also alleged aid money was "For me it's the starting point," says being misused, Mr Whitehead pointed p r o u d ” religious singer Fungisai Zvakavapano- David Maramwidze Lemba elder out in a radio discussion. Mashavave. He accepted the 1985 report from the The object went missing during the "Very few people knew about us and this 1970s and was eventually rediscovered crime agency was written before Band is the time to come out. I'm very proud in Harare in 2007 by Prof Parfitt. Aid had gone into Ethiopia, but said it to realise that we have a rich culture and established "a pattern" that international I'm proud to be a Lemba. "Many people say that the story is aid was being used for military purposes. "We have been a very secretive people, far-fetched, but the oral traditions of the The report concluded: "Some funds that because we believe we are a special peo- Lemba have been backed up by science," insurgent organisations are raising for ple." he says. relief operations, as a result of increased Religion vs culture Carbon dating shows the ngoma to be world publicity, are almost certainly The Lemba have many customs and nearly 700 years old - pretty ancient, if being diverted for military purposes." regulations that tally with Jewish tradi- not as old as Bible stories would sug- Mr Geldof, who was speaking to the tion. gest. BBC from Nairobi, also said one of the They wear skull caps, practise circumci- But Prof Parfitt says this is because the sources quoted in the report was a sion, which is not a tradition for most ngoma was used in battles, and would "dissident political exile" who was "not Zimbabweans, avoid eating pork and explode and be rebuilt. credible". food with animal blood, and have 12 The ngoma now on display was a rep- “ There is a clear public interest in de- tribes. lica, he says, possibly built from the re- termining whether some money given as “ Many people say that the story is far- mains of the original. famine relief ended up buying guns and fetched, but the oral traditions of the "So it's the closest descendant of the Ark b u l l e t s ” Lemba have been backed up by science ” that we know of," Prof Parfitt says. Andrew Whitehead, BBC World Service Large crowds came to see the unveiling Tudor Parfitt University of London Martin Plaut, the World Service's Africa They slaughter animals in the same way of the ngoma and to attend lectures on AFRIKAN- editor who broke the story, said a lot of as Jewish people, and they put the Jew- the identity of the Lemba. his nine-month investigation was spent ish Star of David on their tombstones. For David Maramwidze, an elder in his [email protected] trying to corroborate or dismiss events. Members of the priestly clan of the village, the discovery of the ngoma has He said: "We came across a lot of other Lemba, known as the Buba, were even been a defining moment. African World: evidence which made it clear that yes, discovered to have a genetic element "Hearing from those professors in Ha- indeed, some of the money had gone also found among the Jewish priestly rare and seeing the ngoma makes it clear Now Available in astray." line. that we are a great people and I'm very U.S. & Canada! He added that the "balanced, measured" "This was amazing," said Prof Tudor proud," he says. programme had gone through the entire Parfitt, from the University of London. "I heard about it all my life and it was BBC editorial process and had not sim- "It looks as if the Jewish priesthood con- hard for me to believe, because I had no ply been "thrown on air". tinued in the West by people called idea of what it really is. African world News 5/1/10 p12