ANGOLA: Atlantic Ventures loses lawsuit against Angolan state

The Arbitral Tribunal of Paris overruled, the legal action brought against the Angolan State by Atlantic Ventures, which challenged the revocation of a Presidential Decree authorizing the concession of building the new Dande Port to that company linked to the businesswoman Isabel dos Santos. The concession was for 30 years and the work was valued at US $ 1.5 billion, involving the issuance of a state sovereign guarantee, in the same amount, in favour of the company Atlantic Ventures.
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MOZAMBIQUE: Food with coal and contaminated water: the daily lives of Moatize residents

A study by the non-governmental organisation Sekelekane, in the city of Tete, scientifically analyses the socio-environmental impacts of coal mining in the regions of Moatize and Benga by mining companies Vale Moçambique and ICVL.

The results of the study point to profound changes in water and air quality.

Regarding air quality, the study says that suspended particles detected include sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

The document also assesses the level of noise pollution from dynamiting and concludes that “the average value recorded goes well beyond tolerable levels”. Read more here

NAMIBIA: Abortion Debate Heats up in Namibia
Campaigners from both sides of the abortion debate have had heated discussions in the last couple of days over the issue, which is now also a subject of deliberation in the National Assembly.
An online petition calling to reject the legalisation of abortion in Namibia has also been launched. The anti-abortion appeal comes just days after a local woman Beauty Boois called for the legislation of abortion in a petition. In her petition, which has also divided opinion on social media platforms, Boois said Namibian women have been left with no choice but to break the law to practise their right of choice, in the process risking their lives and health as well as their well-being to obtain illegal abortions.

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SOUTH AFRICA: COVID-19 cases surpass 300,000, says health ministry

South Africa’s cases of COVID-19 crossed 300,000 on Wednesday, the most in Africa and among the 10 highest in the world. Africa’s most industrialised nation recorded a rise of 12,757 cases on Wednesday to reach 311,049 confirmed COVID-19 cases, its health ministry said in a late evening statement four months since the first case was confirmed in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa put a lockdown into effect on March 27, shutting shops, requiring people to stay at home and sending the army on to the streets to enforce the measure when South Africa had only 400 cases and no recorded deaths. The government later eased many curbs over fears for its struggling economy. But with coronavirus cases increasing in the country of 58 million people, an exasperated Ramaphosa on Sunday re-imposed an alcohol ban and a night curfew.

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ZIMBABWE: Bulawayo Water Crisis Worries Parliament

A Bulawayo legislator Anele Ndebele on Wednesday made a passionate plea in Parliament for Government to urgently declare the Bulawayo water crisis a state of disaster in a bid to attract development partners. Ndebele raised the issue following the death of at least 13 Luveve residents while thousands were affected from a diarrhoea outbreak that occurred after they drank contaminated tap water. Early this year Government ruled out declaring the city a water crisis area saying there was enough water to last up to 14 months.

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