news


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE Global Village ALL AFRICA.COM — Former president


Mandela in spotlight over blood diamonds


Nelson Mandela’s willingness to embrace dodgy characters during his time in office came under the spotlight recently when it was learned that even his wife, Graca Machel, was unhappy with Charles Taylor’s presence at a dinner in Sep- tember 1997.


Testifying in the former Liberian president’s


war crimes trial, actress Mia Farrow said Ms. Machel, then Mr. Mandela’s fiancée, warned him about Mr. Taylor being at Mr. Mandela’s charity dinner. It was after the dinner that Mr. Taylor allegedly gave supermodel Naomi Camp- bell a gift of rough diamonds.


“Ms. Machel said something to this effect:


‘No, no, you don’t want to be photographed with this man. This is the president of Liberia. He is not supposed to be here or he should have left by now’,” Ms. Farrow said.


Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesman


Sello Hatang could not be reached to confirm Ms. Machel’s reported comment.


ALL AFRICA — Africa is a step closer to set-


ting up its own space agency, with the approval of a planned feasibility study by the 53-member states of the African Union earlier this month.


The African Space Agency, as it would be


known, would be intended to help ensure the continent becomes an important player in the global space program. The agreement was made at the close of the third African Union Confer- ence for Ministers in charge of Communica- tions and Information Technologies meeting in Abuja on Aug. 6.


Ministers said that the feasibility study


would also draft a common space policy for the continent, taking into account various existing space technology initiatives. They added that the continent-wide policy would be developed in collaboration with the International Tele- communication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The news follows the first successful launch of a pan-African satellite by the Regional African Satellite Communications Organization earlier this month.


Preparations for the launch began almost 20


years ago, in 1991, but various controversies held it up until 2007, when the satellite was first launched into orbit, only for it to develop technical problems.


The ITU will provide advice to Africa on


technical issues involved with setting up the agency, its spokesperson, Sarah Parkes, told SciDev.Net. Parkes also said that details of the assistance to be provided by the ITU are yet to be defined but stressed that the union would do everything it can to help launch a space agency that would aid development on the continent.


Jonathan Mahlangu, a South Africa-based


policy analyst said that the plan by the African Union was long overdue.


Nelson Mandela While the diamonds Ms. Campbell subse-


quently gave former Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund head Jeremy Ractliffe have raised ques- tions about his decision to hold on to them for 13 years, they also reopen the debate about Mr. Mandela’s judgment in consorting with leaders with checkered pasts. It also raises the ques- tion whether this strategy benefited South Africa and the organizations Mr. Mandela has lent his name to.


Asked to comment, Mr. Ractliffe repeated a


statement he made recently that he kept the stones to avoid embarrassment to Ms. Camp- bell, the fund or Mr. Mandela.


Analysts absolved Mr. Mandela of any re-


sponsibility over the issue of the diamonds, saying he could not have foreseen what was to transpire.


Prince Mashele, of the Centre for Politics


and Research, said Mr. Mandela’s advisers would have done background checks on his guests. In any case, as a head of state he would ordinarily have met Mr. Taylor .


“Politics doesn’t work like the clergy where


people confess their sins before you dine with them,” said Mr. Mashele.


The head of the Institute for Global Dia-


logue, Siphamandla Zondi, said the events unfolded at the height of Mr. Mandela’s reputa- tion as a peacemaker. “In Mandela’s vocabulary there was no pariah at the time. He was willing to risk anything in order to achieve peace,” he said.


In her testimony, Ms. Campbell said she had


received a pouch containing uncut diamonds from two men believed to have been sent by Mr. Taylor. She later gave the diamonds to Mr. Ractliffe on the understanding that the chil- dren’s fund would put them to good use.


Centre for the Study of Democracy director


Steven Friedman said any effect on the charities involved would depend on how they responded to the allegations.


Parliamentarian Patricia de Lille, who along


with Mr. Ractliffe is a trustee of the fund, de- clined to comment. However, she was quoted by the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper as saying she was “very, very sad and disappointed” that Mr. Ractliffe had not reported the rough diamonds to the foundation. Fund trustees would later discuss whether it was appropriate for the former Murray & Roberts finance director to keep working with the fund, she told the news- paper.


In separate testimony at Mr. Taylor’s trial,


Ms. Campbell’s former agent, Carole White, said the model and Mr. Taylor sat near each other and had flirted at the dinner.


Africa to set its own space agency


Advertise in the


Michigan Chronicle for the Best


Advertising Call us st


313-963-5522 or


Fax us at 313-963-8788 CONTACT US:


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE 479 LEDYARD • DETROIT MI 48201 (313) 963-5522 • FAX (313) 963-8788


OFFICE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


For general, local ............Ext. 232 Entertainment news ........Ext. 241 Homefront .......................Ext. 248


Community (religion, fashion, weddings, etc) ................Ext. 243 Subscriptions ..................Ext. 227 E-commerce ...................Ext. 255


–DEADLINE –


Classified: 3 p.m Friday. Copy, corrections and cancellations, pre- ceding the Wed nesday publica- tion.


Display: 12 p.m. Friday preced- ing the Wednesday pub lication.


For all news and calendar items: Deadline is two weeks prior to event.


Weeks that contain holidays, dead- line is Thursday prior to publication date.


HOW TO


“Think of the contributions of NASA and ESA to the development of America and Europe,” he said. “A well coordinated space agency for Africa will assist in solving most of the chal- lenges before her.”


According to Mahlangu the critical mass of ex- perts to kick start the agency already exists.


“All African Union needs to do is to put up a call to her citizens in NASA and Europe to come and contribute with their knowledge,” he said.


But others are more cautious. Peter Martinez, coordinator of South Africa’s National Working Group on Space Science and Technology, said the idea was premature.


“A number of African countries should first develop their own capabilities and these coun- tries could then take the lead in perhaps form- ing a continental space agency,” said Martinez, who also heads the space science and technol- ogy division at the South African Astronomical Observatory.


Nairobi — Kenyans can now cancel trips


Kenya’s kidney transplants


to India or South Africa for kidney surgeries, and instead head to Kenyatta National Hospital where doctors have transplanted 14 kidneys in less than a year.


Normally, they do one or two a year. Another


20 patients are on the queue after new kidney donors were found.


Dr Antony Were, the hospital’s head of renal


unit was upbeat that patients who have been going to India now no longer need to leave home.


“Since March this year, we have witnessed


an unprecedented number of patients coming for kidney transplants,” he says.


In March this year, doctors in collaboration


with kidney specialists from Hospital Clinic de Barcelona in Spain, carried out six transplants within one week.


In the past, patients have avoided Kenyatta, Preferred India


and preferred to go to India for three main rea- sons: it is easy to buy a kidney from a person who is not related to the patient; the cost of transplant has largely been cheaper; India has had an impressive transplant success rate.


But recently, the hospital seems to have


turned the tables on India, improving on its success rate and sharply reducing the cost of a transplant compared to what is charged in India. With Sh300,000, a person can do a kidney transplant at Kenyatta com- pared to over Sh1.5 million in India.


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY


Publication No.: USPS 344-820


479 Ledyard Street Detroit, MI 48201


Phone: (313) 963-5522 OFFICE HOURS:


Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Sat. and Sun.


The Michigan Chronicle is published every Wednesday. Periodical


Postage, paid at Detroit, MI. Price $1.00 and other post office.


MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION


POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:


MICHIGAN CHRONICLE 479 LEDYARD


DETROIT, MI 48201                               e = D T E ®


DAVE JOHNSON 


      


800.477.4747


“Having trouble paying your energy bills?


I can help.”


1-800-853-0463 Erickson.com


*As per the Residence and Care Agreement. Prices quoted are reflective of current inventory and are subject to availability.


August 25-31, 2010


Page A-2


Frankly, the only way we could think to make Henry Ford Village better


was to make it even more affordable.


You deserve to live in a community where you can stay happy, healthy, and secure with fixed, predictable expenses and wonderful neighbors who share your interests and passions. That’s what we offer at Henry Ford Village. And now we’re making it even more affordable for you to enjoy this one-of-a-kind lifestyle by lowering our prices.


Act now and secure a beautiful one bedroom, maintenance-free


apartment home with an entrance deposit as low as $74,000. Plus enjoy fixed predictable expenses and access to a host of exciting


campus amenities with our affordable Monthly Service Packages— starting at less than $950 a month!*


Only Henry Ford Village has the size and strength to offer you a


wonderful retirement lifestyle at such low prices, so don’t delay. Call today while apartment homes are still available.


6457705


We’re lowering prices to fit your finances.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32