Huge Botswanan Diamond Sold for $53M
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Oct 15, 2017 March 9, 2017 / Ph: 905.598.6371 Email: [email protected] Did you know the fastest growing women entrepreneuship class lives in Africa? Page 7 [email protected] [email protected] Huge Botswanan diamond sold for $53m A rough diamond about the size of a tennis ball, recovered from the Karowe mine in Botswana in November 2015, has been sold by Canadian-based Lucara Diamond Corp for $53m (£39m). The 1,109-carat stone, at present the world's largest uncut diamond, was bought by British diamond business Graff Diamonds for $47,777 per carat, and will now be cut and polished, Lucara said. The Canadian firm had previously tried to sell the diamond at a Sotheby's auction in June 2016, but bidding failed to reach the reserve price. The stone, called Lesedi La Rona, or Our Light in the national language of Botswana, is said to be 2.5bn-3bn years old. Laurence Graff said: "We are thrilled and hon- oured to become the new custodians of this in- credible diamond. Nigeria: order given to dismantle roadblocks seen as corruptive Nigeria's top policeman orders roadblocks dismantled around the country with instructions to arrest and investigate any police personnel Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the immediate violating this directive. removal of all roadblocks on the country's highways, the Vanguard newspaper is The squads have also been ordered to be on the lookout for - and remove - and reporting. roadblocks set up by illegal revenue collectors, road transport unions, labour or Mr Idris has also instructed all officers involved in vehicle patrols to ensure that trade associations. they wear uniforms, clear name tags and service numbers. The statement added: "For avoidance of doubt, the Taxes and Levies act, Laws of A statement issued on Monday night, widely reported in the Nigerian press, said Federation of Nigeria 2004 section 2 (2) disallowed any person, including a Tax Au- the directives were necessary to make it easy for business to be conducted freely as thority from mounting a Road block in any part of the Federation for the purposes well as to safeguard the free passage of travellers and goods. According to the state- of collecting any Tax or Levy." ment, no police department or unit should mount a roadblock without express per- mission of the Inspector General of Police. Reports say teams of the special X-Squad of the police force have been deployed African World News Page 2 Oct 15, 2017 Focus: History of secret weapon against apartheid Anti-apartheid giant Oliver Tambo was yesteryear secret weapon using ‘communication’ to destroy apartheid. How did he do it? Communica- dergo journalism tion was one training in Rus- of the most sia, Germany and p o w e r f u l Canada before weapons that joining Radio Oliver Re- Freedom in An- ginald Tam- gola and later bo believed Tanzania. would dis- mantle the "It is purely by a p a r t h e i d accident that I government ended up being and liberate in Radio Freedom South Afri- and being in the cans. media [field]. It was never my On Wednes- intention. I had day, a panel never even discussion thought about it. hosted by Government "I refused to ac- Communica- cept a proposal to tion and In- go for journalism f o r m a t i o n training in Russia S y s t e m s when I was in (GCIS) -- in partnership with the National ment of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Dar es Salaam. I told them I did not come Press Club -- celebrated the role of the longest (DLCA), which was to start to develop the here to go to school... I came here to learn serving ANC President in advocating for me- constitutional framework. It covered issues how to handle a weapon and go back to shoot dia freedom. around institutional democracy," said Ma- my way into South Africa and liberate our khubela. people. That was my thinking, and I was ada- Since the beginning of the year, citizens have mant that nobody would change that. been given an opportunity to reflect on the Tambo was also instrumental in the establish- life of Tambo and his impact on democracy. ment of Radio Freedom. According to Ma- "We were told that the then ANC President The discussion on Wednesday was held to khubela, Radio Freedom was not established Oliver Tambo was coming. We were all very focus on his contribution towards realising to tell lies about the activities of the ANC but excited. He arrived and as per norm, we dis- media freedom. to reflect correctly the policies of the organisa- cussed political situations and other things. tion and developments within the country, At the end of that discussion, he wanted to Panellists said Tambo believed in communi- and to share information about how the see me and a number of other colleagues who cation and the use of media to keep the South struggling was progressing. were seconded to go train as journalists. He African public informed about issues that af- wanted to see us individually." fected their lives. Tambo's contribution to media freedom In his conversation with O R Tambo, Ntenteni Tambo also strongly used communication Tambo spent most of his lifetime in exile in explained why he refused to go for journal- every time he crossed South African borders neighbouring countries. One of the men who ism training. However, Tambo said to him: to speak out against the oppressive apartheid had an opportunity to drink from Tambo's "We are giving you a responsibility that is government and to mobilise the international well of leadership wisdom, Thami Ntenteni, greater than that of a man who will be going community to help liberate South Africa. who is also Head of Communications of the into South Africa carrying a gun. We are giv- Thabo Mbeki Foundation, said Radio Free- ing you a responsibility to prepare the people The panel discussion was one of many events dom began in South Africa, not in exile. of South Africa psychologically to receive the to pave the way towards the national celebra- man who has a gun. The struggle in South tions of the centenary of OR Tambo, which is "The very first broadcast of Radio Freedom Africa is not a military one. It is primarily a scheduled for October. Had he lived long was done inside the country by Walter Sisulu. political struggle and we have been forced by enough to enjoy the fruits of his plight of Immediately after the arrest of the ANC lead- circumstances to take up arms. We need you fighting for democracy, Tambo would be 100 ership in Rivonia, Walter Sisulu broadcasted to go and train as a journalist and prepare our years old on 27 October. from underground, where he said 'Our house people." is on fire. The whole leadership of the ANC A man of value has been arrested, and I am broadcasting now Ntenteni had no choice but to accept the chal- from underground from hiding. I have not lenge. "I only agreed on terms that I would Reflecting on the life of Tambo, Brand South seen my family for the past two weeks. How- firstly go for military training before joining Africa Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kingsley ever, we pledge to continue the struggle for the school of journalism, and we agreed." Makhubela, said he understood some of Tam- freedom'. That was the very first broadcast," bo's underlying values, and how he upheld said Ntenteni. O R Tambo Foundation CEO Linda Vilakazi checks and balances in government. said the foundation continues to unearth He said it was soon athe Sharpeville fter Mas- more people who worked closely with Tambo "I had the privilege, at a very tender age, to sacre, when the ANC leadership in South Af- so that they can share their memories of the have worked with OR Tambo directly, first as rica had been arrested in Rivonia, Oliver liberation leader. a body guard and later as his chief body Tambo was tasked with the responsibility of Guard. OR [Tambo] was a visionary. He real- going outside and setting up the external mis- ised very early on that within the structures sion of the ANC. of the African National Congress (ANC), there is a need to develop some legal frame- "The organisation had to adopt completely work and to start to interrogate constitutional new tactics of underground operations under matters. conditions of illegality." "He set up an entity that he called the Depart- Ntenteni said Tambo convinced him to un- African World News The Environment Page 4 Oct 15, 2017 Rwanda: Why Conservation of Mountain Gorillas' Habitat is a Win-Win Last Friday, I was so excited to attend for the depends on the uninterrupted functioning of natu- is hugely important, as an integral part of environ- very first time, the annual gorillas naming ceremo- ral systems, which ensure the supply of energy and mental protection. ny, Kwita Izina that was held in Kinigi Sector, Mu- sanze District. It was the 13th edition of the ceremony, held on a sunny day. The mood was stunning and ecstatic. 19 baby gorillas were given different names by stake- holders in tourism, conser- vationists, and globally renowned celebrities among other guests that graced the colorful event. Most of the names given to baby gorillas reflected a flurry of useful meanings specifically linked to Rwanda's culture, identity, home-grown initiatives, and other important as- pects of our national val- Of course, this calls for strengthening mechanisms ues.