What is e-governance? Can information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to the achievement of good governance goals? What are the implications for development? Why, when there is so much promise, do many e-governance initiatives go wrong? Can the gulf between the connected and the un-connected be bridged?

The press carried 43 political violence related stories, of which two appeared in both the private and public press. Three new murders, all MDC members, were reported during the week, all in the private press. ZANU PF members were allegedly responsible. Zimpapers carried 20 reports of political violence, of which 15 were blamed on the MDC. Police arrests and court cases reported only implicated the MDC. TV recorded 15 incidents of political violence; four less than those reported the previous week. The MDC was blamed for five, while ZANU PF was identified as being responsible twice.

The offices of Zimbabwe's only independent daily and those of a company that printed opposition election campaign material were petrol bombed early on Monday in the country's second largest city. The incident occurred amid an increasingly tense run-up to presidential polls on March 9-10.

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is seeking five fellows for the 2002 Foster Davis Fellowships for African Journalists (formally know as The Poynter Institute Southern and South Africa Journalism Fellows Program) who are accomplished journalists positioned for expanded leadership roles. They do not need to be full-time trainers, they do need to have a passion to teach fellow journalists. Deadline: February 28 2002.

In anticipation of the meeting of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) at the Elysée Palace on February 8, 2002, Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders - RSF) has addressed a letter to the five heads of State in charge of the steering committee: Mr Abdelaziz Bouteflika (Algeria), Mr Hosni Moubarak (Egypt), Mr Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Mr Abdulaye Wade (Senegal) and Mr Thabo Mbeki (South Africa). RSF wishes to draw their attention to repeated violations of freedom of the press by several NEPAD Member States.

This is the newsletter about preparations for the International Year of Mountains. It was prepared by the IYM Coordination Unit at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the UN lead agency for coordinating the Year.

Imfundo has launched a database which catalogues all major initiatives and organisations that use information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance education across sub-Saharan Africa. This is the first element in the development of the Imfundo KnowledgeBank portal.

A dozen years ago, there was a film called "Slaves of New York." That's what some of the journalists covering the World Economic Forum felt like, crammed in cramped, overcrowded newsrooms and also barred from actually attending the event they were there to report on. Many in the working press were only allowed to follow the proceedings on TV screens in a press center set up in an adjoining hotel. The Earth Times, which denounced the practice and petitioned to be allowed access, says it was banned for its complaints. It countered with a headline screaming "Media Apartheid!" and is now suing the WEF for defamation and libel in connection with these goings-on.

An editorial in This Day (Lagos) criticizes CNN for suggesting that recent ethnic clashes in Lagos and the explosion at a munitions warehouse have led to a eagerness among the Nigerians to see a resumption of military rule. Last weekend CNN Bureau chief in Nigeria, Jeff Koinange, reported, "people are tired of democracy and now want the military back."

A street-smart Zimbabwean radio station has found a way around President Robert Mugabe's crushing broadcasting regulations and is distributing its show by cassette. Radio Dialogue decided to distribute thousands of cassettes of their programme called 'Taxi Tunes' around Bulawayo after the government refused to grant it a license last month.

In Niger, a new project encourages people to exchange weapons for solar-powered radios, trains young people to repair them and supports the country's expanding community radio network.

Apart from trying to influence politics, Zimbabwe Watch weekly spreads the
above ZimWatch Bulletin, an overview of interesting news stories, features
and analyses from divers media. If wanted, Zimbabwe Watch co-ordinator Wiep
Bassie can give away interviews. Zimbabwe Watch lobbies governments and governmental networks as EU, SADC,
Commonwealth and the United Nations for them to put pressure on the
Zimbabwean government to hold free and fair elections. Political and
economical sanctions could be useful means to pressurise the Zimbabwean
government.

On 16 January 2002, a Sudanese court ordered the editor of the English language newspaper "Khartoum Monitor" to pay a five million Sudanese pound (approx. U$1,950) fine over an article published in the paper that accused the government of facilitating slavery.

CIVICUS, by virtue of its global reach and commitment to dialogue has been invited to both the WEF and WSF. This will be the second year of our participation at both events. We are committed to expressing our solidarity with citizens and CSOs who will gather at Porto Alegre from January 31st to February 5th, to advance our common goals of greater social and economic justice and human rights for all. This year, debt cancellation for the poorest countries will feature as a top agenda item at the WSF. CIVICUS will also participate in good faith at the WEF to be held from February 1st to February 4th, where policy and decision-makers from around the world will explore issues such as how to make globalisation work for the poorest communities, and how to ethically reconcile the global war against terrorism with threats to citizens' civil liberties and human rights.

Despite assurances by the Zimbabwean government that foreign journalists will be allowed in the country, Australian journalist Sally Sara has been denied accreditation.

Prime Minister Boye has taken legal action against Guèye, "Le Tract" newspaper's publication director, for "insults to a member of the government" and "distribution of false news through the use of false or fabricated documents". Touré, Guèye's computer graphics technician, is being taken to court for "complicity". On 31 January 2002, the two journalists appeared before the examining judge in a Dakar court. Guèye's next hearing is scheduled for 11 February.

The organisation renowned in South Africa for it's pioneering efforts for tax campaigning for the non-profit sector finally launches it's online newsletter. The free newsletter covers a wide variety of topics for non profit sector from news, events, resources to the latest developments in tax campaigns.

This Drum Beat pulls together compelling stories from The C. I. Home Page from Nov 16 2001 to Jan 18 2002. This includes 3 sections - Development News, Communication News and Base Line. We find relevant information, usually from sources that you won't see in the mainstream media. Links are provided for more information. Stories change every Tuesday and Friday.

An editorial production of the educational unit of the Wikyo Akala Project in the Korogocho shantytown. This newsletter comes to you bi-monthly. The Wikyo Akala Project is a community-owned effort striving to bring a few glimmers of hope to a community fractured by illiteracy, malnutrition, joblessness, and crime.