The presidential candidate of the Progress Action Congress (PAC) Mrs Sarah Jibril, has accused the nation's mass media of not giving adequate publicity to the so-called smaller political parties and their candidates. Jibril, who spoke in Abuja at a workshop on election reporting organised by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said the press have tended to report "richer" parties more to the disadvantage of others.

The quarterly SADC Barometer examines the programmes of the Southern African Development Community, reporting on developments in regional trade, integration, development and other crucial areas affecting the region. The SADC Barometer is part of an effort by the South African Institute of International Affairs to promote reform and a more involved, robust civil society discussion on African policy choices. As a result SAIIA has launched two programmes to involve and inform key members of business and civil society about regional and continental issues not covered in the mainsteam media. The second project is aimed at informing civil society about the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). In the coming months, SAIIA will produce a monthly journal, Africa in Perspective, which will provide in-depth analysis of the latest developments in NEPAD and a variety of other reforms and innovations in Africa. In addition, SAIIA will roll out an active programme to survey your views on key policy priorities and feed these views to the media and government decision-makers. These journals will be distributed by electronic mail to key players in business, academia, government, media, non-governmental organisations and other civil society organisations. To forward suggestions or comments or to subscribe or unsubscribe to the SADC Barometer please write to SAIIA at [email protected].

Following the WSIS PrepCom II in Geneva, two basic working documents have been produced: a draft Declaration of Principles and a draft Plan of Action. Comments to the two working documents may be submitted by May 31, 2003. To facilitate contribution to the WSIS working documents and Uganda's input to the WSIS, WOUGNET is hosting an online forum: 'An Information Society for Uganda'. For details and to register, send email to [email protected] or visit:
http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/ug/isug.html

The saga at the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) took another twist last week when two more employees of the beleaguered examinations body appeared before the Harare Magistrates court and were found guilty of contravening the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Zvakwana/Sokwanele is a non-partisan, non-profit group of passionate people - volunteers and visionaries - working to keep Zimbabweans informed about breaking news, including civic campaigns and public meetings and events. They have an activist wing that engages in non-violent civic actions. The words zvakwana and sokwanele are vernacular for "enough is enough". Visit their web site and join the Zvakwana mailing list.

The Social Change email list is a continuation of Social Change magazine, and is intended for discussing social and economic development issues, especially as they relate to Zimbabwe.

The usage of the Internet - which has been described as a possible engine for economic growth - is still a 'mountain to climb' in many African countries. According to a report published by Africa Online, of the 770 million people in Africa, one in every 150, or approximately 5.5 million people in total, now uses the Internet.

Kabissa has launched a new web site for its Time to Get Online project. It is an Internet capacity-building project for West African civil society organisations that was launched in November 2002. Initially, it targeted organisations in West Africa whose main agenda concerns human rights, freedom of information, responsive government and democratization. A set of self-learning materials has been developed to help civil society activists and organisers to get online and to integrate the Internet into their organisations. The materials can be used as both a self-taught curriculum and as a reference guide for users with varying levels of Internet experience and expertise. The materials are available for download for African civil society organisations. Local workshops serve as a supplement to the learning materials and give organisations the opportunity for hands-on learning.

A Sustainable ICT Case Studies website has been launched. It has been generated by Gamos and BigWorld as part of a research programme into Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sustainability factors. Funded by the Department of International Development (DFID), the research programme identified activities from across the world that sought to benefit the poor and had an ICT component. In particular it considered programmes where ICTs had enhanced ongoing development activities, the ICT activity could be replicated without sizeable investment, and there was a measure of sustainability.

sqlDesktop promises to clean up your life. Oh, and it also promises to turn your digital documents into a valuable resource, reports www.tectonic.co.za.

Pupils of the Lesaoana Intermediate School in the rural eastern Free State village of Sehlajaneng have received a computer centre from the Telkom Foundation that is set to change their learning experience.

Derechos announces the creation of a new mailing list for the distribution of information (news, articles, commentary, documents) and actions concerning the threats to human and civil rights and democracy in and by the United States of Americas. This includes legislation like the Patriot Acts, projects like Total Information Awareness, judicial/political actions such as the denial of habeas corpus and so forth. The mailing list will be in English and moderated. You are invited to join and to contribute.

IT entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth's Shuttleworth Foundation has opened the first of three open source learning centres in the Western Cape. The centre, at the Nooitgedacht Primary School in Bishop Lavis, takes computer access to nearly 1 000 children for the first time.

Local and international companies that benefited from apartheid are likely to come under increased pressure to pay reparations to the victims of racial discrimination and exploitation, after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) handed in its final report to the South African government. The TRC was set up to investigate the human rights abuses that took place in South African under apartheid. The final report documents 22,000 cases of rights abuses, although some community-based organisations claim that many more victims of apartheid were not identified during the TRC process.

In keeping with its promise to produce a quality and authoritative national newspaper in South Africa, THISDAY South Africa has released its pilot edition in Johannesburg to a Focus Group for a social scientific analysis.

Three journalists narrowly escaped being lynched recently by irate youths at the office of assassinated All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP) Chieftain, Marshal Harry, in Port Harcourt, in the Niger Delta region. The journalists, Emmanuel Ugwu of The Punch, Kelvin Ebiri of The Guardian and a photo journalist, Femi Makinde, had joined other sympathizers to keep vigil at the office located in the premises of a hotel. But an attempt by Makinde to take the photograph of one of the weeping sympathizers drew the ire of the Kalabari youth who descended on him. Makinde was beaten and his digital camera confiscated.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved ruling to a later date in the appeal filed by the Daily Times of Nigeria PLC, challenging the ruling of a Lokoja High Court that issued a bench warrant for the arrest of its Managing Director, Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo and Sunday Times Editor, Tunde Ipinmisho.

On 22 March 2003, while covering a demonstration against the war in Iraq, Islam Salih, a journalist with the Qatar-based satellite television station Al-Jazeera, and his cameraman Mohammed el Hassan were struck by several police officers.

On 24 March 2003, freelance journalist Stanley Karombo was released on Z$5,000 (approx. US$6) bail. Karombo was arrested on 20 March at the Mutare central police station at the instigation of Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Edmund Maingire. Karombo's lawyer, Peter Makombe, told MISA-Zimbabwe that his client was arrested under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), for allegedly practicing journalism without accreditation.

The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) has convened a Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations which has resolved to oppose South Africa's proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill, tabled in Parliament for debate on 10 March. The Bill was referred to the Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security on the 14 March for public hearings and deliberations. Public invitations for submissions on the Bill have been issued and the deadline for submissions is the 30 April.