Full Coverage: Southern Africa

31.07.2007 MAPUTO, July 30 (IPS) - Over 1,000 Mozambicans, including children, are trafficked to South Africa every year where they are forced into prostitution or to provide free or cheap labour. In response, Mozambique's government last week approved a new law which will make human trafficking a crime punishable with long prison sentences.

27.07.2007 Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) legislators have recommended the establishment of a Parliamentary Forum ICT policy and strategy to guide the development and adoption of ICT at the regional level. The development, widely seen as a move to harness and promote effective use of ICT in the legislative assemblies was adopted following a three-day workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa.

20.07.2007 Recently, United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP) launched this years human development report for Zambia in Lusaka. The occasion, which was graced by the presence of the country's vice president, Nevers Mumba was rather sobering. There was just nothing to celebrate. Zambia finds itself in the unenviable 164th position in the world on social and economic performance.

19.07.2007 In the wake of the most severe drought in 30 years, the kingdom of Lesotho has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international assistance for over 400,000 people in need of urgent food aid.

11.07.2007 Parliament in Swaziland sought to sanction the editor of the privately owned Times of Swaziland Sunday newspaper for expressing himself about the affairs of the House of Assembly in a recent commentary in his publication.

04.07.2007 On 24 June 2007, a Public Eye reporter Kabelo Masoabi was assaulted at the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) rally at Makhaleng Ha Ramabanta in the Maseru district.

04.07.2007 Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Namibia are leading a campaign by African governments to weaken a key UN Declaration that would protect the rights of indigenous peoples, according to campaigners.