Africanews staff wish to thank the hundreds of readers who have sent their
condolences following the death of Andrew Awour, our editor in November in a car
accident. Andrew who was only 26 years old, was gifted with many talents. He was
especially committed to the ideals of justice and peace. He spent most of his
time in defence of the outcast and marginalised. You would meet him not only
working for long hours at the computer, but also organising the foot-ball club
of the neighbourhood, advising and medicating a street child, caring for the
refugees. It will be difficult for us to overcome such a loss, but we will do
our best to continue his work, and to make it develop along the line he had in
mind.
In the memory of our first editor we are starting an annual Andrew Awour Prize
of US$ 300, to be awarded to the best article on justice and peace published by
Africanews. This prize will be given in addition to the already existing prize
of US$ 200. From now on the US$ 200 prize will be called Clement Mwale Prize,
and given to the best article on economics and politics published by Africanews.
Clement Mwale was an upcoming Zambian journalist, who shared with Andrew the
dream of Africanews but who also died in a car accident in December 1994, before
the dream came true. The Prizes will be awarded every year in January, for the
two best articles of the previous year.
The difficult task of carrying on with Andrew's job now rests on the shoulders
of Clement Njoroge. Clement is a graduate in philosophy with a post graduate
diploma in Planning and Management of Development Projects. He has assisted
Andrew in the previous two years, and is a contributor to Catholic International
in the USA and of Internazionale in Italy.
There are changes in our communication system. We have a new line, so while the
number +254.2.560385 will be only for voice communication, the number
+254.2.576175 will be dedicated to fax communication. It will be easier for our
correspondents to reach us, though the occasional power failure cannot be ruled
out. The e-mail address remains the safest and cheapest way
of contacting us.
In this issue our lead article is from Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony.
Bonaventura Lemana, like many other Mozambicans wonders if the second scramble
for Africa is already at hand. His story,Up for grabs dwells on the sensitive
issue of land rights. Malawi, one of the continent's poorest countries has an
expanding economy and an increased productivity simply because of the
privately-owned tea tobacco and, more recently, sugar estates that together
account for over 80 per cent of Malawi's export earnings. Despite this, tobacco
growers are swimming in a pool of dire exploitation. A case of human rights
violation. Patrick Mawaya has more details.
Rwanda, a country which has been in turmoil in the recent past is now trying to
come to terms with its bloody past. A comprehensive interview with Archbishop
Christian Cardinal Tumi of Douala by Martin Jumbam, a Catholic journalist,
reveals alot about the church's deep concern for this Great Lakes country.
The Church has, as its first priority to safeguard human dignity in all aspects.
Sierra Leone, according to Chris Samai, the Editor of an independent newspaper,
The Democrat, is now a country unsafe even for its own inhabitants. The seven
year-old armed conflict has left millions of people homeless.
Who is responsibe for Africa's plight? The war ravaged countries, the poor
malnourished refugees, stagnating economies, debt problems and the perrenial
corruption among others? Keith Richburg, a Black American puts the blame squrely
on Africans themselves. Most African politicians have blamed all of this on
external factors. Richburg thinks otherwise, he analyses,. Fr. Joseph Caramazza
reviews his controversial book Out of America.
We wish you all the best during Christmas and the New Year.
Africanews staff
