This research concerns the costs of computers in schools in developing countries. It examines some of the arguments for the use of computers in schools in developing countries, including data from Zimbabwe and South Africa. The paper also raises issues which can affect computer provision and utilisation including processes of allocating provision, training of teachers in the use of ICT and models of provision.

The Internet Society has started a new discussion list: [email protected] It will host discussions on software as a public good, free software and open source software applications on third world development and Internet access, and open standards for interfaces and communications. Visit http://www.isoc.org/members/discuss/pubsoft.shtml if you'd like to join the discussions.

Makerere University in Kampala (Uganda) has been chosen as the site of the first women-oriented facility established by the ITU Internet Training Centres Initiative for Developing Countries (ITCI-DC). The ITCI-DC is an initiative between ITU and the private sector in which Cisco Systems Inc. is a key partner.

Strong opposition has trailed the FATWA (death sentence) passed on THIS DAY newspaper reporter, Isioma Daniel, by the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, North-western Nigeria, over an allegedly blasphemous article which allegedly triggered riots in Kaduna and Abuja two weeks ago. Among the prominent voices opposed to the sentence is Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, who called for the immediate prosecution of Zamfara Deputy Governor Aliyu Shinkafi.

The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) has condemned the actions of the Kenyan police on the weekend of 30 November to 1 December, during which they arrested, manhandled and detained two South African journalists in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.

Journalist Paulette Kimuntu and cameraman Kadima Baruani have been arrested in front of the South African embassy in Kinshasa. Both journalists work for the private television station Radiotélévision Kin-Malebo (RTKM). Kimuntu and Baruani were taken to the Police Special Services prison in Kin-Mazière. The authorities have yet to provide an official explanation for the journalists' arrest and detention.

The National Housing Enterprises (NHE) says it will go ahead with plans to evict pensioners who have not paid debts. Ten days ago over 250 senior citizens marched to the Prime Minister's Office to voice their grievances after they were threatened with eviction.

We are calling on YOU! to become a MISA member and help in entrenching Media freedom and Access to information rights in Zimbabwe.

SchoolNet Africa E-News is an e-mail service aimed at people interested in education through information and communication technologies (ICTs) in African schools. If you would like to receive the newsletter please send an e-mail to [email protected] with a request to be added to the SchoolNet Africa mailing list.

We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 100 countries, to express our serious concern at the proclamation of a fatwa against journalist Isioma Daniel. According to reports, on 26 November the government of the majority-Muslim northern state of Zamfara announced that a fatwa calling on Muslims to kill Ms Daniel had been issued in response to her allegedly blasphemous article published in ThisDay newspaper on 16 November. The article claimed that the Prophet Mohammed might have considered marrying a Miss World contestant had he seen them and sparked rioting in which about 200 people were killed, despite several published apologies by the paper and the resignation of Ms Daniel.

During the recent ICT Policy and Civil Society Workshop in Addis Ababa held between 6th and 8th November 2002, the need for developing a framework for Open Source solutions emerged strongly. Consequently, WOUGNET along with other Civil Society Organisations from all over Africa unanimously resolved to create an interim civil society task force on Open Source software to be called 'Open Source Task Force for Africa - OSTA'. The overall goal of the taskforce is to bring together individuals and organisations working on Open Source in Africa and consequently seek a mandate to establish the 'Open Source Foundation for Africa'.

Somali Civil Society News is delivered by email every two weeks and is part of a project that aims for the achievement of permanent respect for human rights, justice through rule of law, pluralism, good governance and sustainable peace in Somalia and Somaliland. For more information on this project visit http://www.somali-civilsociety.org. The newsletter contains links to stories about the Horn of Africa region in various content categories. For free subscription send an email to [email protected]

The Non-Profit Partnership wishes to invite applications for the position of Information Officer. Duties will include media relations, graphic design and publishing of internal publications.

Zimbabwe has become a land of long queues. At the TM Supermarket in Harare's Chadcombe shopping centre, a long line of people stream out of the door. Three other equally long queues stretch across the adjacent road, almost blocking the traffic.

The first phase of the distribution of food to thousands of drought-affected Namibians has been successfully completed in the Katima Rural and Windhoek Rural constituencies. However, the exercise has yet to get off the ground in the Kavango Region.

The Bureau Chief for Agence France Presse, Stephane Barbier, has been given until the end of the week to leave the country after the government refused to renew his work permit.

Two Hudson Park High teachers have lost their locks for charity as part of the Cancer Association of South Africa's (Cansa) shave-a-thon fund-raising campaign to help cancer patients nationwide.

The Zimbabwe Standard newspaper has established that the Government's determination to infiltrate all sectors of society has intensified. This is evident through reports that graduates from the notorious Border Gezi Training Institute will be given first priority for training by the country's main journalism school, at the Harare Polytechnic.

We the undersigned, representing a community of non-governmental media organizations, feel compelled to write you this open letter in view of the dangerous dimensions that reactions to the November 16, 2002, news report by THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper, on the re-located Miss World contest, are assuming. First and foremost, we wish to draw your attention to the lead report of the Nigerian Tribune of Tuesday, November 26, 2002, titled "Zamfara pronounces death sentence on journalist".

The man charged with killing Mozambican investigative reporter Carlos Cardoso told a court on Monday that the murder was ordered by the eldest son of President Joaquim Chissano. Carlitos Rachide said as he pleaded guilty that he was asked to kill Cardoso by one of his co-accused, Anibal Antonio dos Santos, alias Anibalzinho, who mysteriously escaped from the Maputo maximum security prison in September.