Finally, a deal has been agreed upon in Zimbabwe. Late last night (Thursday 11 September), Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party agreeded with the opposition MDC to sign a power-sharing deal. South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has mediated the talks, said the ruling Zanu-PF and opposition had agreed on all issues, and will announce a national unity government on Monday. It was about time! These negotiations have been dragging on for a very long time with both parties not agreeing on one thing or the other. Now that there has been an agreement, we have to wait until Monday (15 September) to find out exactly how this power sharing deal is going to work. For now, it may be a bit too early to celebrate and think that things are going to change for the best in Zimbabwe as we do not know what the deal contains. It is clear that either Mugabe or Tsvangirai has backed down from their initial demands. Who is the one that backed down? Read the rest of this entry »

Zambian president Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, the 59-year-old Zambian leader passed away yesterday (19 August) in a Paris hospital, after suffering a stroke during an African Union (AU) summit in Egypt, in June this year. At that time, reports had surfaced that Mwanawasa had actually passed away but that was not true. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his sadness on the death of Mwanawasa. In a statement released by his office, the Secretary-General says Mwanawasa was at the forefront of Zambian politics at a time of exceptional challenge and change in his country. He also noted Mwanawasa’s key role in the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa as well as his firm stance as Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson on the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

Mwanawasa was one of the first African leaders to openly criticise Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in the period after the election results in Zimbabwe were delayed from being announced. For now, Zambia’s Vice President, Rupiah Banda, is expected to take over as acting president.

The InTheNews.co.za team would like to passes on its condolences to the Mwanawasa family. Our prayers are with you. We have lost a great leader.

Yesterday, reports were rife that Zambia’s President, Levy Mwanawasa had passed away in France after suffering a stroke on Sunday before the African Union summit in Egypt. A Johannesburg-based radio station, Talk Radio 702, yesterday quoted a Zambian embassy spokesperson as saying Mwanawasa was dead. Even South Africa’s President, Thabo Mbeki passed on his condolences at a public speech he made only to later make an apology that he was given wrong information and that the Zambian president was actually still alive. I wonder where the news originally surfaced from that Mwanawasa was dead? Read the rest of this entry »