News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

2 die, 5 hurt in Congo blast

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 10:51 PM PST

Five UN Indian peacekeepers remain in a critical condition following an explosion in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

|||

Johannesburg - Five United Nations (UN) Indian peacekeepers remain in a critical condition following an explosion in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Tuesday which killed two and wounded dozens of other people.

The injured include 32 Indian peacekeepers from the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC is expected to travel to Goma shortly to assess the situation on the ground, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said following the attack all of the wounded were receiving medical treatment in Goma.

He made his remarks during the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

Early reports said the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED).

A MONUSCO Quick Reaction Force and an investigation team with explosives experts were deployed to the scene.

"Our thoughts are with the family of the victims and our colleagues who were injured," said Dujarric.

The DRC is extremely rich in natural resources, but political instability, a lack of infrastructure, deep rooted corruption, and centuries of both commercial and colonial extraction and exploitation have limited holistic development.

In 2015 major protests broke out across the country and protesters demanded that Joseph Kabila step down as President.

African News Agency

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

'My staff spend too much time in the toilet.’

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 02:10 AM PST

Former Namibian trade minister David Namalenga says workers at his textile factory spend “too much time” in the toilet.

|||

Gaborone - Former Namibian trade minister David Namalenga says workers at his textile factory spend “too much time” in the toilet because they do now want to work.

Namalenga's remarks were in response to a petition from the workers who alleged that his company was recording the time they spent in the toilet and deducting money from their pay for this.

Namalenga said he could not pay for time spent in the toilet because most of Namibia's defunct textile factories closed down due to laziness among the workers.

“If they [employees] spend a lot of time in the toilet and do not do the work which they are required to do, then there is no job. Now, if the client wants their stuff and people spend the time in the toilet instead of working, then there is no job,” said Namalenga.

He said most of the workers in his company had worked for several textile firms that had closed down since 1990 due to worker laziness.

Namalenga said he believed they wanted to bring their tendencies of non-performance with them, a development he vowed not to allow. “Here at Dinapama, we will not tolerate laziness. Nothing is hidden here at Dinapama, and there is no colonialism here. They [workers] can demonstrate and make noise, but the point is that we just have to work. Whoever does not want to perform must just get out,” Namalenga said.

Until 2011, the former outspoken trade unionist was the minister of trade in the Namibian government of President Hipikefunye Pohamba.

He is now the MD of Dinapama, a joint venture textile manufacturer based in the capital Windhoek.

In a petition sent to the Namibia Wholesale and Retail Workers Union, the workers accused Namalenga of deducting money - equivalent to the time they spent in the toilet - from their salaries as lost productivity.

The union also accused the ex-minister's company of “a continued disregard” of good practices and ethics in handling workers' queries.

AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Two Zim baby elephants die before shipment to China

Posted: 08 Nov 2016 12:54 AM PST

Thirty seven baby elephants forcibly taken from their mothers in Zimbabwe are about to be flown to Chinese zoos.

|||

Cape Town - Thirty seven baby elephants forcibly taken from their mothers in the wild in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park are about to be flown to Chinese zoos, despite an international outcry against previous exports

A number of baby elephants from similar shipments in 2012 and 2015 died shortly after arrival and two of the elephants now awaiting shipment have already died, says the Conservation Action Trust.

In 2012, only four elephants of the eight survived the journey and another three died shortly after arriving in China, leaving only one lonely survivor. In September 2015, National Geographic reported that elephants from a shipment in China were being mistreated and were slipping into poor health.

Export of elephants is sanctioned under Cites regulations, as long as trade in individual animals doesn't threaten the long-term survival of the species.

"Past elephants from Zimbabwe sent to Chinese zoos have died or languished in deplorable conditions," says Iris Ho, programme manager for wildlife at Humane Society International.

"Sending wild African elephants to zoos in China is either a literal death sentence or akin to life in prison to these animals."

Johnny Rodrigues of the Zimbabwean Conservation Task Force said two of the recently captured baby elephants had already died from starvation and thirst due to neglect.

China has apparently ordered 200 juvenile elephants to be captured for a variety of zoos and safari parks across the country over the next five years.

"If these elephant captures and pending transfers to China are confirmed," said Ho, "there is highly likely diplomatic consideration involved in the Chinese authorities' approval of the import."

She pointed to the Chinese president's trip to Zimbabwe last year and the wildlife 'conservation' deal signed at the time.

Chinese president, Xi Jinping, said then that China would continue to help Zimbabwe improve its capability to fund its protection for its wildlife by donating equipment, conducting exchanges of experience, and buying its wild animals. It's understood that the capture equipment for the young elephants was donated by China.

According to the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group, there are currently around 46 000 elephants in Hwange National Park and another 6 000 in adjacent communal and safari areas.

If these numbers are true, it is hard to argue that the removals would have a significant impact on numbers but as elephant biologist, Dr Keith Lindsay says: "The bigger impact is on elephant behaviour. Taking calves away from the midst of families would be very disruptive and I would not be surprised if the adult females from the affected families were very frightened and angry about people on foot or even in vehicles," he said.

"If captures occurred in communal areas, the disruption could increase the incidence of human-elephant conflict and, if they were in the national park, they could make it harder for tourist operators to get close to elephants."

Lindsay, however, says these are only the practical considerations. "The real issue is the inhumanity of stealing offspring from mothers. We know elephants grieve for companions, including calves, who have died and the effect must be similar in the case of kidnappings," he says.

David Neale, Animal Welfare Director at Animals Asia, says information from within China suggests that both Shanghai Wild Animal Park and Yunnan Safari Park are preparing for the arrival of the latest batch of elephants with Shanghai getting 17 elephants and Yunnan 15 elephants. According to Neale, there are a dozen or so other possible zoos earmarked to receive the elephants.

Conservation Action Trust

 

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now