Disgruntled parents of Sojini Secondary school in South West Zimbabwe have expressed their anger towards the headmaster of the school whom they accuse of trying to milk them dry by demanding outrageous fees structures. Some of the parents revealed to AfricaNews that the school which is located in Mbembesi rural district, was demanding 10 and 16 buckets of maize plus some chickens for O and A’ level students respectively.

The publication of potential “mismatches” between prevention strategies and the actual causes of HIV/AIDS in some African countries has already helped to improve efforts to combat the disease, according to the lead United Nations agency on the issue. The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said that a series of reports from Kenya, Lesotho, Swaziland and Uganda showed a “relative lack of evidence-based policies and programmes.”

Prof Philip Alston, a UN human rights official, on Thursday released his final report in which he accuses top police officials of running death squads and describes Kenyan courts as “slow and corrupt”. Describing the state of Kenyan justice system is “terrible”, Prof Alston said: “Investigation, prosecution and judicial processes are slow and corrupt.”

Africa Spectrum no. 1/2009 has just been published. It has established itself among the internationally acknowledged and accredited peer-reviewed African Studies journals and is included in the relevant internationally recognized abstracting and indexing lists. Africa Spectrum is with immediate effect an Open Access journal. We thereby seek to contribute towards reducing the existing asymmetric relations in the global academic world. As of the next issue (no. 2/2009) Africa Spectrum will also be published exclusively in English. We would like to encourage all to visit our web site and invite scholars to submit manuscripts:

The Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre Ltd.(HKRAC) is assisting a male, Muslim asylum claimant from central Cote d'Ivoire with family origins in northern Cote d'Ivoire. The claimant was involved in the local branch of the Rassemblement des Republicains (“RDR”), and became the head local mobilizer for a town of 40,000 people. He experienced police harassment, intimidation and threats on account of his political activities.

The Centre for Citizens’ Participation in the African Union invites representatives from civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations to participate in the fifth ‘Citizens’ continental conference on the African Union (AU) summit’ that will be held the 5th-6th June 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to reflect on the issues on the agenda of the 13th ordinary summit of the AU. However, member states of the AU are yet to decide the venue of the upcoming summit following the suspension of Madagascar, which was to host the July summit, and it is not yet clear how they will decide on a host country without an official meeting, while some speculate that Mauritius will likely be the host country. Elsewhere, the AU and the Gambian government hosted an international meeting bringing together experts on gender and related issues to analyse the reporting and implementation process of the Solemn Declaration of Gender Experts in Africa, the lessons learned, challenges and opportunities. African ministers in charge of integration met in Yaoundé, Cameroon, under the theme ‘Partnerships and integration in Africa’. At the 10th East African Community (EAC) ordinary summit, leaders agreed on a programme of harmonisation of trade agreements among member states and approved the acceleration of the process of negotiations on all outstanding integration issues. EAC education experts are also gearing up for the harmonisation of education systems in the region to increase employment opportunities as well as enhance free movement of labour in the region.

In peace and security related news, a joint Senegal/AU mission led by the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and the chairman of the AU Commission Jean Ping arrived in Mauritania’s capital city, Nouakchott, for discussions with the stakeholders involved in the country’s democratic crisis. The AU peace and security commissioner announced that countries have pledged additional troops following a closed-door meeting on Somalia that was reviewing the situation and strategising on ways to strengthen the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia. Furthermore, the AU chairperson has strongly condemned the killing of a Nigerian peacekeeper with the UN-AU mission in Darfur and stressed the need for all concerned parties ‘to facilitate the work of UN-AU mission and to fully cooperate with it in its endeavour to contribute to the restoration of lasting peace, security and stability in Darfur.’ The Libyan leader and chairman of the AU, Mouammar Gadhafi, received the UN and AU emissaries to the Democratic Republic of Congo who briefed him on the ongoing peace and reconciliation process in the country and the improvement of its relations with Rwanda.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) election observer mission has sent its observers to Malawi to monitor the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on 19 May 2009 with a task of supporting ‘the delivery of a credible, transparent and legitimate election by the country’s electoral commission’. SADC is also pressing for the reinstatement of ousted Malagasy President Marc Ravalomanana and seeking to bring all parties together to restore constitutional order. Newly elected South African President Jacob Zuma has called for ‘the urgent strengthening of the AU to enable it deal effectively with the peace and security challenges in Africa’ and advocates tougher measures against coup plotters. Analysts propose the standardisation and harmonisation of the regional economic communities, the strengthening of election-monitoring missions and national electoral commissions as part of solutions to some of the problems of the continent. Meanwhile, the AU panel of eminent personalities welcomed the ruling by the speaker of the national assembly of Kenya, which put an end to an impasse regarding the designation of the Leader of Government Business in Parliament and the nomination of the Chairperson of the House Business Committee. The panel went on to ‘urge Kenya’s leaders and all Members of Parliament to put aside their partisan considerations and place the interests of the people first.’

In other news, the Women’s Working Group on financing for development, in a declaration emerging out of the second women’s consultation, called for structural, sustainable, gender equitable and rights based responses to the current global financial and economic crisis. Analysts of the International Food Policy Research Institute, which is working with the AU to develop guidelines on how to negotiate with foreign investors, warns of the negative impact on the continent if there are no regulations on how rich countries and firms lease or buy massive tracts of land for the production of food or biofuel. The Danish government launched an initiative that will target the private sector to rejuvenate the continent’s business and agricultural capacity by providing loans to entrepreneurs and small-scale businesses. The initiative’s committee members include heads of state, members of civil society, academia and international and regional organisations, mainly from Africa. Finally, a commentator analyses the state of democracy in Africa’s post conflict states and concludes that while ‘democracy is steadily taking root in many of these traumatised countries’ it is imperative not to ‘overlook the socio-economic component of the post-war recovery agenda’.

Reporters Without Borders is alarmed by the decision to keep Radio Mada sports reporter Evariste Ramanantsoavina in detention and charge him with “inciting revolt against the republic’s institutions,” defamation and disseminating false information. He was arrested on 5 May and forced to reveal the location from which the radio was broadcasting in defiance of a closure order.

Reporters Without Borders condemns the foreign travel ban that has been placed on William Tonet, the editor of the independent Luanda-based biweekly Folha 8 (F8), whose passport was seized when he tried to cross by land into Namibia on 9 May. Tonet has been harassed by the authorities ever since the newspaper’s creation in 1995.

Across the continent, African women play a significant role in improving the quality of life of their communities. From grandmothers to young girls, there are women in each country on the continent whose achievements have been stellar, whether in a small community, in their nation or across the continent. Yet many of these women and their achievements go unrecognised and unlauded.

The Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance (IPLG) at Africa University invites applicants for a Senior Lecturer or Lecturer in Public Policy and Governance. The Institute seeks to contribute to a culture of peace, good governance, security and socio-economic development in Africa through research, teaching, networking and community-level action.

The Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance (IPLG) at Africa University invites applicants for a Senior Lecturer or Lecturer in Leadership. The Institute seeks to contribute to a culture of peace, good governance, security and socio-economic development in Africa through research, teaching, networking and community-level action. IPLG provides a focus for training, research and documentation in the areas of peace, leadership and governance in Africa with a view to developing the skills of students and practitioners in these areas

In order to overcome the constitutional deficit in Africa and contribute to the dynamism of the teaching of constitutional practice in the Continent has developed a programme on « Constitutionalism and Constitutional Rights », which includes the organising of a yearly Academy aimed at improving the knowledge and understanding of institutional mechanisms by the wider public. The Second Session of the ACLJA will be held under the theme “Constitution and Citizenship”

The DURBAN SINGS project asks for your attention: Can you lend your ear to the "Singing Durbanites" on Can you write an audio letter to audio activists of the southern hemisphere? Can you pick up on their songs, stories, proverbs and histories, take them to yours, add from your songs, stories, proverbs and histories and post your re-telling re-mix back to them?

Fahamu is looking for qualified candidates for the post of Programme officer, Education for Social Justice. Successful candidates would have a responsibility for developing curriculums and training our diverse audiences in human rights and social justice topics as well as online tutoring. The candidate is also expected to have experience in community training and organizing for a pan-African audience.

In 2008, Tanzania, along with the rest of the world, celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. During this celebration, Tanzania had the opportunity to consider the improvements and failures in its efforts to achieve the goal of realizing justice, liberty and human rights for all. While Tanzania is committed to upholding the rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, this commitment does not always seem to translate into reality.

The Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) is seeking a competent, experienced, motivated and dynamic individual for the position of Executive Director. ZWRCN is an information-based organization with a focus on research, collection, analysis, processing and dissemination of information on gender and development. The organization’s strategic interventions aim to empower women, strengthen inter-organizational networking of gender and development agencies and promote the women’s movement in Zimbabwe.

This is a workshop for UN, international and local NGO staff working on economic and gender-based violence programs (enterprise development, vocational training, skills development, micro-finance, agriculture, cash and food for work programs, etc) with displaced and returning populations.

The Italian navy has transferred more than 200 migrants picked up in waters off the island of Malta to Tripoli under a new agreement with Libya.The migrants were rescued after they issued a distress call on Wednesday. Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said the Libyan government's move could mark a "turning point" in the fight against illegal immigration.

Former news reader with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, Jestina Mukoko was on 6 May 2009 granted bail by Harare Magistrate, Catherine Chimanda after the defence reached a mutual agreement with the Attorney General’s office to that effect. Appearing on behalf of the State, Chris Mutangadura, told the court that there had been communication between the Defence counsel and the Attorney General, and the latter had consented to the bail of all the accused persons with the exception of freelance photojournalist Shadreck Manyere, and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) activists, Gandhi Mudzingwa and Kisimusi Dhlamini.

The Africa Commission has delivered its final set of recommendations. The Commission is proposing a new consensus for international development cooperation with Africa. Focus should be directed towards private sector-led growth, which creates jobs. The Commission also decided to take action. It will launch five ambitious initiatives aimed at creating job opportunities for Africa's youth.