CONTENTS

- Kenya: Kaiser's death: Is there a cover-up?

- Sudan: Christian cemetery wanted for shopping centre

- Malawi: Domestic violence rampant in rural Malawi

- Zambia: Children exploited in the name of culture and poverty

- Zimbabwe: Health system is a nightmare

- Kenya: Community health servants make a difference

- Malawi: IMF, UK warns Muluzi of Corruption

- Clippings

- War and Peace

- Action and Contact

Editorial

The brutal death of Mill Hill Missionary Fr. John Kaiser is still

vivid in our minds. It is more than one month now and the truth behind

his death is yet to be known. Instead, more speculations and theories

concerning Kaiser's death abound. AFRICANEWS special correspondent

comments on the joint effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigations

(FBI) and the Kenya government's Criminal Investigation Department

(CID) to put to rest this intense speculation. Exclusive stories

highlighted in the local newspapers, however, "seem to suggest that

the finger of blame could point wholly or partially at Fr. Kaiser

himself." Our correspondent is skeptical that the real culprits will

be brought to justice.

In northern Sudan, the government has decided to take over part of a

Christian cemetery with a plan to put up a shopping centre. On its

side, the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) reacted by issuing a letter

protesting against the government's action. Our correspondent reports

that the media is also not pleased with this decision, terming it a

sign of disrespect for the living and the dead.

Forty per cent of women in the rural areas of Malawi suffer severely

and silently at the hands of their abusive husbands and male

relatives, because of such factors as the payment of bride price,

negative attitudes by society of women, and economic dependence of

women on men. This abuse occurs despite the presence of programmes

and non-government organisations to advocate for women's rights,

reports our Malawian correspondent Brian Ligomeka. Many human rights

NGOs lack the resources and personnel to travel to remote areas, and

it is difficult to reach rural women through the media. A group of

women is calling for the establishment of a separate family court as

one way of resolving cases of domestic violence.

Despite three different ministries, 27 pieces of legislation, and

several international agreements designed to protect children, child

labour still continues with alarming regularity in Zambia, reports our

Newton Sibanda and Amos Chanda. According to government estimates,

there were 563,000 children involved in child labour in 1999. Lack of

co-ordination and resources amongst government departments to identify

and prosecute violators of child labour laws, abject poverty, and the

role of work in the traditional socialisation process of children are

some of the factors accounting for child labour. The Zambian

government, United Nations, and non-government organisations are

taking steps to prevent and eradicate child labour in Zambia.

As the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to wreak havoc on society, a

Catholic group in Kenya has decided to care for the human face behind

the statistics. The Wahuduma wa Afya (Health Servants) - consisting of

five trained nurses, two counsellors, and more than a hundred

volunteers - visit approximately a thousand patients in the Mombasa

area who are experiencing various stages of the infection. They

provide medicine, spiritual support, and referrals, reports Thomas

Japanni. Group members come from the Small Christian Communities.

In our Action and Contact column we bring you an update on the Caravan

for Peace previously highlighted in our July issue. The Caravan,

which started on June 26 from Robben Island, South Africa, will be in

Maputo, Mozambique, this month and end in Arusha in June 2001. This is

certainly a very ambitious initiative from local and international

peace movements. The aim of the Peace Caravan is to promote peace,

prevent crime, and promote unity beyond national boundaries.

A NOTE TO OUR READERS:

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