The Media Monitoring Project views with grave concern the recent appointment of commissioners to the Media and Information Commission as provided for in the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. MMPZ notes that firstly, the Commission itself is not an independent body since it is appointed by a government minister and is directly accountable to him. Secondly, that while the Commission purports to encourage and enforce ethical and professional journalistic practice; the functions of the Commission serve to restrict the public’s constitutional rights to freedom of expression and limits those wishing to exercise these rights. Thirdly, the composition of the Commission is not representative of Zimbabwean society. And finally, the Commission has been constituted within an Act that is in fact designed to restrict the free flow of information and opinion, and the people’s rights to these fundamental freedoms.

RSF has protested the 4 June 2002 arrest of Zouhair Yahyaoui, founder and editor of the online newspaper "TUNeZINE", and the government's suppression of the newspaper's website.

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has asked ICAD for assistance in promoting discussion on a paper they have recently prepared entitled: CIDA Discussion Paper: Building Comprehensive Approaches to HIV/AIDS Care, Treatment & Support in Resource Limited Settings. This paper will inform the development of program guidelines being prepared for CIDA staff for use in the design, assessment, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects. The guidelines are designed to facilitate the operationalization of international commitments in the area of care, treatment and support for people living with HIV/AIDS in resource limited settings. Comments made on the forum by Monday June 17, 2002 will be reported at an experts' consultation to be held in Ottawa June 19-20, 2002. Thirty national and international experts from CIDA, Health Canada, International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Canadian organizations working in care, treatment and support programming and advocacy in developing countries will attend the meeting to provide feedback on the discussion paper.

The German Foundation for World Population (DSW) has just launched a new website in English. It contains up to date information on DSW's activities in Germany and in developing countries: development projects, advocacy campaigns, special events and publications on population and reproductive health.

Southern Africa is a region of enormous natural wealth. So why are 13 million people facing starvation? Drought and floods are certainly to blame, but man-made calamities, such as the decision of the authorities in Malawi to sell off a strategic 167,000-tonne grain reserve and President Robert Mugabe's controversial land seizures in Zimbabwe, have played a big part.

Zimbabwe's only privately owned broadcasting station, Joy TV, started in July 1998, closed down on 31 May 2002, bringing down the curtain on Zimbabwe's botched experiment with broadcasting diversity and carrying the same dream down with it. Joy TV closed down after a lease agreement it had with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation was cancelled on the grounds that it violated the Broadcasting Services Act, which was enacted in 2001.

Are developing countries missing out on the technological revolution? How can small businesses and rural farms benefit from information technology (IT)? While many people are illiterate, they will have little chance of 'surfing the net’. If the internet is a long way in the future, rural villages can benefit enormously from more basic technology such as the telephone and the radio.

THIS YEAR'S THEME: People-Centred Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy in Africa.

Scientific American has created a list of top web sites in the fields of Medicine, Earth & environment, Computer Science, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Mathematics, Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Archeology & Paleontology and Physics. Many of these sites demonstrate the true power of the Internet to build resources and share specialised knowledge. Explore.

Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad has told the National Press Club that South Africa cannot tolerate a situation where one individual controls the .za domain on the Internet, after Mike Lawrie, the domain's administrator, insisted that he would not hand over the administration if the new electronic communications bill provided for government interference.

HelpAge International Africa Regional Development Centre is planning to conduct a training course on ageing in Africa in Nairobi between October 14-18.

A workshop on human rights training will take place between June 27-28 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Republic of Congo's military claimed Monday to have retaken the southern region of Pool, the scene of a two-month rebellion that sent tens of thousands of civilians fleeing. The army gave no details of the operation, however, and refused to talk about the whereabouts of the rebellion's leader, or of the hostages he had taken in the bitter fighting.

Journalist Abduel Kenge of "The Express" was arrested and held in police custody for four hours on Tuesday 21 May 2002, it has emerged. Kenge was arrested for allegedly engaging Vice President Ali Mohamed Shein in a manner not befitting the public official's status.

A magistrate's court in Zimbabwe has ruled that The Daily News reporter Lloyd Mudiwa and Guardian foreign correspondent Andrew Meldrum must be tried on allegations of having "written falsehoods". The two are being charged under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

A constitutional dispute between Capitol Radio Private Limited and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Authority (BAZ) over the legality of the latter(BAZ)will begin at the Supreme Court on June 19. Chief justice Godfrey Chidyausiku together with Justice Sandura, Cheda, Gwaunza and Malaba will hear the matter.

A Catholic priest and the Nyeri Catholic Arch-diocese were yesterday awarded Sh4 million in libel damages against the East African Standard and the Daily Nation. Nyeri High Court Judge J V O Juma found the two newspaper publishing groups guilty of defaming Father John Mwangi Maimba and the church four years ago.

Rwandan journalists are excited about a Press Bill that, for the first time, proposes the liberalisation of the media in the Central African state of 8.6 million people. A section of the journalists, led by Dr James Vuningoma, head of the Association of Rwandan Journalists (ARJ) hailed the Bill, saying it was aimed at improving the state of the media in the country.

Mauritius has become the latest country to jump on to the information technology bandwagon. Experts say that if the island-nation's daring plan is to end in cheers and not tears, the government must give its full backing. (Source: TAD Information Update May 2002 No. 5)

Nairobinet Online, an application service provider in East Africa, in conjunction with Mindleaders, will soon start offering courses in information technology, business and finance.