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KINGDOM TO HOLD FRESH GENERAL ELECTIONS IN THREE MONTHS

LESOTHO: POLITICS/SABC/8/3/17 SABANews 1

MASERU – LESOTHO is to hold fresh general elections in THREE months, after TWO snap ballots in 2012 and 2015.

King LETSIE THE THIRD says he accepted the advice of Prime Minister PAKALITHA MOSISILI to dissolve Parliament and hold elections in the interest of unity, as well as to avoid a Constitutional crisis.

His announcement comes after the Prime Minister lost a vote of no confidence last WEDNESDAY.

However, SABC News says the opposition intends to challenge the dissolution of the National Assembly.

Deputy Prime Minister MOTHETJOA METSING has also confirmed the King has accepted the advice of the Prime Minister to dissolve the NINTH Parliament.

He says the Constitution demands elections within 90 days after the dissolution of Parliament, while the electoral law makes demands a voting day should be announced with FOUR days after the dissolution.

SABC says the opposition has attempted to invoke the powers of another statutory body, the Council of State, to prevent the move.

The Senior Private Secretary to the King says the Monarch has reached the decision in the interest of national unity and to avoid constitutional crises, and he has deemed it not wise to convene the Council of State as had been requested.

On the other hand, the opposition hoped to make its last move in Parliament, but the Speaker had already effected the Gazette.

BASOTHO NATIONAL PARTY Leader THESELE MASERIBANE says they fully understand, after a briefing by their legal advisers, there is a case on board.

He says the opposition party is preparing to challenge the planned Parliamentary dissolution at the Constitutional Court of LESOTHO, while the government and its allies say they are ready for polls.

Opposition groups also says they are confident they have support, but believe spending another 200-MILLION rand (about 15-MILLION-385-THOUSAND US dollars) within TWO years is not in the best interests of the country.

The SOUTH AFRICAN national broadcaster says it is now up to the LESOTHO Independent Electoral Commission to declare its readiness./Sabanews/cam

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PRESIDENT RECEIVES MESSAGE FROM CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

ANGOLA: DIPLOMACY/ANGOP/8/3/17 SABANews 1

LUANDA – President JOSÉ EDUARDO DOS SANTOS of ANGOLA has this week received a message from CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Head of State FAUSTIN-ARCHANGE TOUADÉRA.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Foreign Affairs Minister CHARLE ARMEL DUBANI delivered the letter during a meeting with President DOS SANTOS at the Presidential Palace in the capital, LUANDA.

The ANGOLAN Press Agency, ANGOP says Minister DUBANI has addressed the media at the end of the discussions, saying he has discussed with the ANGOLAN Leader the state of bilateral cooperation.

It quotes him as saying the situation of political stability in his country is improving, in terms of internal security, despite some isolated skirmishes disturbing the peace.

Minister DUBANI says the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Government has been working with the international community for the full restoration of peace and security, with a view to achieve the global development.

ANGOP also says ANGOLA and CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC have agreements signed in general terms in the political and diplomatic field.

Minister DUBANI says areas of interest include diamonds, diplomacy, defence and security; while President TOUADÉRA also made a trip to ANGOLA last JANUARY in order to strengthen cooperation.

ANGOLA and CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC are members of the International Conference on the GREAT LAKES Region, ICGLR.

Other members of the grouping are BURUNDI, REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, KENYA, UGANDA, RWANDA, SUDAN, SOUTH SUDAN, TANZANIA, and ZAMBIA.

The ANGOLAN Head of State has been supporting the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, which experienced an internal interreligious conflict, to put an end to disagreement through dialogue./Sabanews/cam

ELECTORAL BODY TO HOLD NATIONAL MEETING ON VOTING
ANGOLA: ELECTIONS/ANGOP/8/3/17 SABANews 1

LUANDA – The ANGOLAN National Electoral Commission will hold a national methodological meeting from 16 to 17 MARCH in the capital, LUANDA, ahead of the 2017 polls.

Commission Spokesperson JÚLIA FERREIRA says the forum aims to provide technical and legal training to representatives of national and local bodies on the elections.

She says the gathering will further provide guidelines on the way the stakeholders will better fulfil their duties.

Ms FERREIRA also says there is a need to transmit strategic guidelines in terms of methodologies, which should be used to carry out the tasks.

She says it is important to provide the central and local electoral bodies with information on the timetable of the activities.

The Constitutional Court will also hold a seminar on 14 MARCH on the preparation and submission of political parties’ candidates to the general elections in AUGUST.

The meeting will take place at the Auditorium of the Justice Palace and will be attended by registered political parties and coalitions.

Legal parties and coalitions will send a maximum of THREE representatives, whose names must be submitted to the institution by the NINTH of MARCH before accreditation on the 13TH and the 14TH.

The FOURTH ANGOLAN General Elections are scheduled for AUGUST, after the FIRST held in 1992 and the SECOND in 2008.

The THIRD ANGOLA ballots in 2012 saw the coming in of a new general election model, in which the Head of State will be leader of the party with the majority votes and the SECOND will be the Vice President.

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GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES TEACHER FOR ALLEGED RAPE OF PUPILS

MPAKENI – The MPUMALANGA Provincial Department of Basic Education in SOUTH AFRICA is investigating ONE of its teachers for allegations of rape.

The move comes after the teacher allegedly sexually abused TWO pupils at the MPAKENI Primary School, in yet another such sex scandal in the region.

The authorities are also probing to find out the truth about reports claiming ONE of the parents accepted money as compensation when he found out about the rape.

State radio, SABC News says a 12-year-old girl has also reported her teacher for trying to have sexual relations with her.

It quotes the child as saying the FIRST encounter was when they were doing athletics and the teacher asked her to go and sleep with him at the Grade FOUR classroom, and he would give her 450 rand.

She says she then asked him if he could not see she was very young, to which he said is it only adults who sleep; and she just ran away from him.

The SECOND time he allegedly sent her to go and put books in the staff room and he blocked her from leaving, asking her to sleep with him; but she managed to open the door and ran out crying.

SABC News says the girl reported both incidents to her grandmother, who then informed the school principal.

It quotes the grandmother as saying she is hurt because the principal called her child and the teacher into his office, and ordered the child to forgive the teacher, without even calling her to be present.

The SOUTH AFRICAN national broadcaster says the MPAKENI community went on a rampage, demanding the teacher and principal leave the school.

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FINANCE MINISTRY TO TABLE REVISED NATIONAL BUDGET NAMIBIA

WINDHOEK – Finance Minister CALLE SCHLETTWEIN of NAMIBIA has been due to table the National Budget for the 2017 to 2018 fiscal year this afternoon.

State radio, NBC News says the development comes FIVE months after he revised his previous financial plan from 61-BILLION to 57-BILLION NAMIBIA dollars to reduce accumulated debt.

It says Minister SCHLETTWEIN has remained unwavering since last year, saying NAMIBIA is not broke and the government has not lost its ability to honour financial obligations.

NBC News says NAMIBIA has been facing harsh economic difficulties for some time now, and measures by Minister SCHLETTWEIN aim to strengthen growth and cut wastages.

It says as a result, he has frozen certain tenders and vacancies, while he also proposes to introduce some taxes.

The national broadcaster quotes Accountant CHANTELL HUSSELMANN as saying this year’s budget is likely to come up with measures like environmental levies and a revised Solidarity Tax.

She says the announcement of Tax Amnesty this year also has the potential to help the Government broaden its revenue collection base.

Ms HUSSELMANN says the State can broaden the tax further in the next financial year, with the removal of exemptions from a variety of categories of taxation.

The NAMIBIAN Finance Minister says his Government wants to re-design proposals for tax on wealth, to target people and organisations with high income.

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GOVERNMENT STRUGGLES TO CONTAIN LUMPY SKIN DISEASE

NAMIBIA: LIVESTOCK/NBC/22/2/17 SABANews 1

WINDHOEK – The government of NAMIBIA says it is still working around the clock to contain the outbreak of lumpy skin disease in cattle.

The disease broke out early last month in OTJITUUO communal area of the OKAKARARA Constituency in the OTJOZONDJUPA Region, and has spread to the neighbouring OKONDJATU communal area.

The State says it has so far secured lumpy skin disease vaccines worth 400-THOUSAND NAMIBIA dollars to help fight the outbreak.

Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer JOHN SHOPALA says a team of veterinary officials are vaccinating cattle free.

He says they will vaccinate about 14-THOUSAND cattle in OTJITUUO and OKONDJATU communal areas, to prevent the lumpy skin disease from becoming endemic.

Mr SHOPALA says the prevention of the disease will ensure the national meat industry is protected and export demand maintained.

He therefore, appeals to full and part-time farmers to liaise with the veterinary office at OKAKARARA to help fight the outbreak.

The Directorate of Veterinary Services has imposed a number of restrictions, mainly cattle sales, movement and gathering, in an effort to control and contain the lumpy skin disease.

The authorities in NAMIBIA say they will only lift the measures once they have defeated the outbreak of the lumpy skin disease, which is transmitted from one animal to another through mosquito bites.

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AUTHORITIES ENCOURAGE RESPECT FOR ROAD SPEED LIMITS

NAMIBIA: TRANSPORT/NBC/22/2/17 SABANews 1

WINDHOEK – Police in NAMIBIA and the Road Fund Administration are urging motorists to adhere to speed limits, saying accidents cause too much death and injury.

State radio, NBC News says the call comes after a TOYOTA pick-up collided with a truck in the northern town of RUNDU.

It says the collision caused the truck to veer off and slam into a NAMIBIA Defence Force Canteen next to the Trans-CAPRIVI Highway at the SUN CITY settlement.

The broadcaster quotes Chief Inspector JOHN NDUMBA as saying drivers should obey speed limits to avoid such accidents.

Meanwhile, the Police and the Road Fund Administration have begun held a THREE-day-long Refresher Course for traffic law enforcers in the capital, WINDHOEK.

Traffic Law Enforcement Division Head LUDWIG RALPH says the vision is to secure the safety of all road users, which depends on raising awareness related to vehicle and traffic problems.

He says other approaches discussed involve problems experienced on the roads, controlling road-user behaviour and training enforcers as well as road users about measures towards common road safety problems.

The workshop aims to reduce road traffic accidents by 10 percent every FOUR months and recruit 100 more traffic officials each year.

A similar gathering held in RUNDU Town in KAVANGO EAST Region appears to have successfully strengthened relations between the Police and the Road Fund Administration in NAMIBIA.

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ZAMCOM MINISTERS’ COUNCIL TO MEET IN MOZAMBIQUE

HARARE – The ZAMBEZI Watercourse Commission, ZAMCOM Council of Ministers is to meet tomorrow (THURSDAY) in the Western MOZAMBIQUE city of TETE.

Information, Communication and Partnerships Program Manager LEONISSAH ABWINO-MUNJOMA has revealed the information in a media statement this week.

She says the meeting of the ZAMCOM top governing body aims to provide policy guidance in promoting the joint management and development of the ZAMBEZI River Basin.

Delegates will also receive updates, approve yearly accounts, approve work plans and budgets, as well as consider recommendations from the ZAMCOM Technical Committee.

Ms MUNJOMA says the Council will take stock of what the river basin group has achieved, TWO years after the setting up of its permanent Secretariat in HARARE, ZIMBABWE.

She says the gathering in TETE comes after the ZAMCOM Technical Committee met on TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY.

ZAMCOM was set up through the ZAMCOM Agreement by the EIGHT SADC riparian states sharing the ZAMBEZI River Basin.

The grouping is meant to promote and coordinate the joint management and development of the ZAMBEZI watercourse in a sustainable, climate resilient manner.

The riparian states are ANGOLA, BOTSWANA, MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE, NAMIBIA, TANZANIA, ZAMBIA, and ZIMBABWE, which is hosting the Secretariat.

They signed the ZAMCOM Agreement in 2004 at KASANE in BOTSWANA, and the deal came into force in 2011.

The Council of Ministers is the supreme body of the group, while the Technical Committee implements policies and decisions of the Council, and the Secretariat provides technical and administrative services.

ZAMCOM has developed rules and procedures to share information on the management and development of the ZAMBEZI watercourse, which the Council of Ministers adopted in 2016.

Ms MUNJOMA says it has also developed procedures for notification of planned measures the ministers are to consider and adopt during their forthcoming meeting in MOZAMBIQUE.

The official says ZAMCOM is financed by the riparian states and a number of global partners including the DANISH Government, the GERMAN Development Agency and the World Bank.