Former South African Police Chief Pleads Not Guilty

Senior member of the ruling African National Congress pleaded says he’s not guilty in the first day of his corruption trial.  Jackie Selebi, former Interpol president is being charged with having links to organized crime and accepting bribes worth 1.2m rand ($157,000).

During the case at Johannesburg’s High Court, prosecutors will seek to prove that Mr Selebi, 58, received corrupt payments over a five-year period.  At the heart of the allegations is Mr Selebi’s relationship with convicted drug smuggler, Glen Agliotti, who is also accused of links to the murder of a prominent mining magnate.

Jackie Selebi’s relations with former South African President Thabo Mbeki has also called for concern that the ousted president protected Selebi when corruption charges originally were filed while Mbeki was still president.  Mbeki was finally forced to place Selebi on leave as police chief because of the allegations.

Mr. Zuma,  South Africa’s new president – who had graft charges against him dropped on technical grounds shortly before he became head of state – has promised to make a priority of fighting corruption, a major issue in the country.

But Monday’s defence statement suggests the trial could become a sounding board for allegations reaching towards the highest levels of the ruling party.

Somalia’s Security Minister Killed

More than 10 people are dead north of Mogadishu including Somalia’s Security Minister Omar Hashi Aden according to reports by the BBC.  A suicide car bomb in front of Medina Hotel is also to have killed several diplomats staying there as well.  Al-Shabaab(Somalia Islamist group) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Al-Shabaab militant group has been trying for 3 years to topple the UN backed Somali government.  One of their objectives is to implement the rule of sharia which is the body of Islamic religious law.

Who Am I?

Since I began researching countries in Africa, I began to grow more and more cynical.  I was for the first time forming a distrust of my country.  I began looking at everything differently and assuming there was a conspiracy with everything if it didn’t make sense.  I began to heed my parents theories on the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I started fine tuning my listening about our government – went back and reviewed our American history beginning with the slave trade.  I found a trail of corruption, oppression, conspiracy and just plain evil.  Once I moved from my American history to African history I grew more upset.  I grew upset the more I read about the colonialism and corrupt dictators.  But what was most upsetting was learning what is apparently the American government rule:  Unless we have a stake in something we turn a blind eye.  I realize its not feasible to help everyone across the globe,  but why must we pretend that third world countries do not exist unless they have something we want?  I found myself becoming a person I’m not – a person so distrusting in anything good and right.  I was becoming a person that didn’t believe.  My frame of thought always was to believe in something – anything and everything.  If we don’t believe how will things change?

Unity Government in Zimbabwe?

Perhaps I’m too much of a a pessimist. But I don’t understand how the international community can expect these negotiations to be successful. Tsvangiarai and Mugabe have had a long and violent past. Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party has on many occasions tried to murder opposition leader Morgan Tsvangiarai including an unsuccessful attempt of trying to throw him from a ten-story office building. Robert Mugabe, who has been in power in Zimbabwe since 1980, has always stated that he desired absolute power and his party would be the only ruling party. Mugabe’s wife has even been quoted as saying that no other political party would ever step foot in their capital building.

People with Albinism in Tanzania

Here in America we might not think twice when seeing someone with albinism. It might take us a few moments to process what we’ve seen. But for the most part it doesn’t break our stride. Not so in continental Africa. In some African countries, people with albinism are considered cursed, however, in other countries it is believed that if you have HIV and you have intercourse with an albino, then you will be cured. This belief has led to numerous rapes, particularly in Zimbabwe.

Westernization in Africa?

I recently read an article discussing what might be a true problem plaguing some countries in Africa. It has been rare for me to read from an interpretation of someone who does not think that western models are always the way to go. Since forced colonization during the ‘scramble for Africa’ period, the peoples of Africa have been pressed to form governments and societies based off of western civilizations. But have we really not thought that this way may not be the best way for the countries of Africa? Very similar to how democracy doesn’t work in countries like Iraq?

Environment vs Money

A proposed project is being discussed in Kenya regarding the production of sugarcane to be used for biofuels. The sugarcane would be grown in the wetlands along the 440 mile long Tana River – the longest in Kenya. Initially the proposal sounds great, more jobs for the locals perhaps significant monies pouring into the country as well as the creation of hundreds, possibly thousands of jobs.

Mugabe’s Regime

Not until after British and American diplomats were harassed and taken into police custody, did we in America begin to hear of the atrocities occurring in Zimbabwe under a heartless dictator – Mugabe. I have been reading a biography of Mugabe by Martin Meredith for some time now and I shudder when I see his name in the news, but I find myself rushing to read the story with the anticipation of indirectly witnessing the next Nazi Germany.

GM foods in Africa

I’ve been researching genetically modified foods with an emphasis on how they can help countries in Africa. People all over the the continent are experiencing food shortages, famine, and undernourishment. It seems logical. You have the United States ready and willing to send almost 600,000 tons of gm grain and seed to countries in Africa – what’s the problem?

What About Africa?

So, ‘What about Africa?’ you may say. What’s the big deal, everyone has problems especially now in the United States with an approaching recession and downward spiral of the housing market. But everyone has problems, right?