Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Mandela Making Progress - Doctors
Doctors treating former South African President Nelson Mandela have said he is recovering from a lung infection that has kept the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader in hospital for the last five days
" Mandela has made progress during the past 24 hours and they are satisfied with the way he is responding to treatment," President Jacob Zuma's office said a statement released on Wednesday
Tata as locally known by his supporters was admitted to Pretoria's '1 Military' Hospital on Saturday after being flown from his home village of Qunu in a remote, rural part of the Eastern Cape province.
The government only gave the first concrete details about his condition on Tuesday, saying he had suffered a recurrence of a lung infection.
When he was admitted, officials stressed there was no cause for concern although domestic media reports suggested senior members of the government and people close to him had been caught unawares.
He has since spent most of his time in his ancestral home in Qunu, a village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province.
His fragile health prevents him from making any public appearances in South Africa, although he has continued to receive high-profile domestic and international visitors, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton in July.
Ghana's opposition goes to court over presidential poll result
Ghana's main opposition party says it will challenge in court the
results of a December 7 poll in which incumbent president John Dramani
Mahama was declared winner with 50.7% of the vote a move which has caused controversy amongst party supporters
After this was announced the Democratic Congress (NDC) supporter was stabbed in Accra by Supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
However it is also reported that his supporters have grown increasingly restless and embarked street protests and sometimes attacked journalists in the nation's capital.
The New Patriotic Party, whose leader Nana Akufo-Addo, lost to Mahama, has said the vote was marred by irregularities.
"We are contesting the results, so we are going to court," Nana Asante Bediatuo, the party's legal adviser, said
"We believe we have enough evidence of malfeasance during the voting, and we are filing as soon as possible after putting them together," Bediatuo said.
The disputed poll in the gold, oil and cocoa producing nation has raised fears of unrest in a country which has managed 30 years of successful democratic changes of power despite its location in the heart of west Africa's so-called "coup belt".
A contested election in 2008, in which Akufo-Addo lost by less than 1%, pushed the country to the brink of chaos, with disputes over results driving hundreds of people into the streets with clubs and machetes.
After this was announced the Democratic Congress (NDC) supporter was stabbed in Accra by Supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
However it is also reported that his supporters have grown increasingly restless and embarked street protests and sometimes attacked journalists in the nation's capital.
The New Patriotic Party, whose leader Nana Akufo-Addo, lost to Mahama, has said the vote was marred by irregularities.
"We are contesting the results, so we are going to court," Nana Asante Bediatuo, the party's legal adviser, said
"We believe we have enough evidence of malfeasance during the voting, and we are filing as soon as possible after putting them together," Bediatuo said.
The disputed poll in the gold, oil and cocoa producing nation has raised fears of unrest in a country which has managed 30 years of successful democratic changes of power despite its location in the heart of west Africa's so-called "coup belt".
A contested election in 2008, in which Akufo-Addo lost by less than 1%, pushed the country to the brink of chaos, with disputes over results driving hundreds of people into the streets with clubs and machetes.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Soldiers guarding hospital treating Nelson Mandela
Soldiers have been posted outside 1 Military Hospital to screen vehicles entering the building, where Nelson Mandela is being treated
All vehicles entering at the hospital's are stopped and inspected by Military police before allowing them onto the premises.
Vehicles belonging to news crews, including an outside broadcast vehicle, were turned back at the entrance.
Several journalists milled outside, metres away from the security checkpoint.
On Monday, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said Mandela was "doing very, very well" while undergoing unspecified medical tests at the military hospital.
She offered the first government confirmation that Mandela, 94, was at the hospital. He has received military medical care since 2011.
The office of President Jacob Zuma also confirmed on Monday that Mandela was fine, but did not offer further details.
President Zuma visited Mandela on Sunday morning and found him to be "comfortable and in good care".
In February, Mandela spent a night in a hospital for a minor diagnostic surgery to determine the cause of an abdominal complaint.
In January 2011, Mandela was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests, but what turned out to be an acute respiratory infection.
Mandela has had other health problems. He contracted tuberculosis during his years in prison and had surgery for an enlarged prostate gland in 1985.
In 2001, Mandela underwent seven weeks of radiation therapy for prostate cancer, ultimately beating the disease.
All vehicles entering at the hospital's are stopped and inspected by Military police before allowing them onto the premises.
Vehicles belonging to news crews, including an outside broadcast vehicle, were turned back at the entrance.
Several journalists milled outside, metres away from the security checkpoint.
On Monday, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said Mandela was "doing very, very well" while undergoing unspecified medical tests at the military hospital.
She offered the first government confirmation that Mandela, 94, was at the hospital. He has received military medical care since 2011.
The office of President Jacob Zuma also confirmed on Monday that Mandela was fine, but did not offer further details.
President Zuma visited Mandela on Sunday morning and found him to be "comfortable and in good care".
In February, Mandela spent a night in a hospital for a minor diagnostic surgery to determine the cause of an abdominal complaint.
In January 2011, Mandela was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests, but what turned out to be an acute respiratory infection.
Mandela has had other health problems. He contracted tuberculosis during his years in prison and had surgery for an enlarged prostate gland in 1985.
In 2001, Mandela underwent seven weeks of radiation therapy for prostate cancer, ultimately beating the disease.
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Ghana's Mahama likely to win the presidential election
Ghana President John Dramani Mahama is likely to win the presidential
election against his rival Nana Akufo-Addo.
According tp local media Mahama held a slim lead over Akufo-Addo. on Sunday with nearly all votes counted
Privately owned Joy News television, based on provisional results from 261 of 275 districts, said Mahama had 50.03 percent and Akufo-Addo 48.05 percent.
The station added that "Mahama is the likely president-elect of Ghana," however the electoral commission had not made any declaration.
It based its finding on trends of already tallied votes in addition to an analysis of outstanding districts, it said. It also reported that turnout was at 81 percent.
Ghana's presidential and parliamentary polls were held on Friday, but polling stations in some areas re-opened on Saturday after a new biometric system and late delivery of materials led to delays.
The stakes are especially high in a nation with a booming economy fuelled by a new and expanding oil industry. Ghana is also seeking to further burnish its credentials as a stable democracy in turbulent West Africa.
According tp local media Mahama held a slim lead over Akufo-Addo. on Sunday with nearly all votes counted
Privately owned Joy News television, based on provisional results from 261 of 275 districts, said Mahama had 50.03 percent and Akufo-Addo 48.05 percent.
The station added that "Mahama is the likely president-elect of Ghana," however the electoral commission had not made any declaration.
It based its finding on trends of already tallied votes in addition to an analysis of outstanding districts, it said. It also reported that turnout was at 81 percent.
Ghana's presidential and parliamentary polls were held on Friday, but polling stations in some areas re-opened on Saturday after a new biometric system and late delivery of materials led to delays.
The stakes are especially high in a nation with a booming economy fuelled by a new and expanding oil industry. Ghana is also seeking to further burnish its credentials as a stable democracy in turbulent West Africa.
Nelson Mandela still in hospital
| Former South African president Nelson
Mandela is still in hospital for medical tests, although the government has said there is
no cause for alarm. President Jacob Zuma confirmed in a statement on Saturday that the 94-year "Tata" as he is known by his supporters, was admitted to to a Pretoria hospital for "medical attention" but it gave no details of Mandela's condition. "President Zuma assures all that Madiba is doing well and there is no cause for alarm," it said, referring to Mandela by his clan name. Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said the former president is undergoing routine tests at a military hospital in Pretoria, the capital, just north of Johannesburg. Like many South Africans, Maharaj referred to the anti-apartheid icon by his clan name, Madiba. “President Zuma assures all that Madiba is doing well and there is no need for alarm. We have previously said, and we repeat, that he will be receiving medical attention from time to time which is consistent with his age,” he said. However Maharaj gave few details, citing patient confidentiality. He would not say whether Mr. Mandela was taken to the hospital by helicopter or what medical tests he was undergoing. The military has largely taken over responsibility for the former president's medical treatment. Maharaj said the hospital was chosen because it has all the facilities Mandela needs and where his privacy is secure. This is the second time Mandela has been admitted to hospital, in February he was admitted because of abdominal pain, but released the following day after a keyhole examination showed there was nothing seriously wrong with him. He has since spent most of his time in his ancestral home in Qunu, a village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province. His frail health prevents him from making any public appearances in South Africa, although in the last few months he has continued to receive prominent visitors, including former US President Bill Clinton. |
Friday, 7 December 2012
Ghana election: John Mahama VS Nana Akufo-Addo
Long queues were reported as voters in Ghana are selecting their next president and a 275-seat
parliament in elections which is seen as a model for democracy in Africa.
Some 14 million people are expected to turn out for Friday's poll. President John Dramani Mahama, in office only since July when he as vice president succeeded President John Atta Mills when he died in office, is facing seven contenders.
His main opponent is Nana Akufo-Addo, a former foreign minister, who lost the 2008 election to Mills by less than 1 percent.
Ghana, a nation of 25 million, has previously held five transparent elections in a row. Nearby Mali, which was also considered a model democracy, was plunged into chaos this March following a military coup.
Some 14 million people are expected to turn out for Friday's poll. President John Dramani Mahama, in office only since July when he as vice president succeeded President John Atta Mills when he died in office, is facing seven contenders.
His main opponent is Nana Akufo-Addo, a former foreign minister, who lost the 2008 election to Mills by less than 1 percent.
Ghana, a nation of 25 million, has previously held five transparent elections in a row. Nearby Mali, which was also considered a model democracy, was plunged into chaos this March following a military coup.
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Ghana Police team up with Military to beef up security during election
Ghana’s police have teamed up with the military to provide a “five layer
security force” as part of an effort to bolster security to ensure a
peaceful general election Friday.
“We have managed to put together a very encompassing security arrangement in place to ensure that this very important election will come and go peacefully," said police spokesman Cephas Arthur.
“We are putting one unarmed security officer at the polling station to handle any security disturbance there,” continued Arthur. “The next tier is the Patrol Team who will move from one polling station to another. We also have the Reserved Unit, which has been attached to every district and region, and we also have the Action Unit. If these units can’t handle the situation then we will call in our friends from the military as the last resort.”
Arthur’s comments came after security personnel voted Tuesday to enable them provide protection against violence during the vote.
He said the police have been taking precautions to prevent any acts that could undermine the election as well as the country’s stability. He also said they are working with other security organizations to provide a formidable security arrangement for the election.
Arthur says the agencies are ready to protect prospective voters in the run up to the election.
But, some Ghanaians have expressed concern about possible violence during the vote despite a pledge by all of the presidential candidates to encourage their supporters to eschew violence.
Supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have clashed following accusations and counter accusations of intimidation and harassment during campaigns in the run up to the election.
“The campaign period also served as a test case and we are lucky to have recorded very minimal incidents," he said. "We recorded numerous incidents in the previous elections, but because this one has been secured, just a couple of them occurred. It has largely been very peaceful this time.”
He called on Ghanaians to have confidence in the police, saying they and other security systems have “been able to secure and deliver safely five different elections since 1992. We do it to the admiration of the world.”
Source Voice of America
“We have managed to put together a very encompassing security arrangement in place to ensure that this very important election will come and go peacefully," said police spokesman Cephas Arthur.
“We are putting one unarmed security officer at the polling station to handle any security disturbance there,” continued Arthur. “The next tier is the Patrol Team who will move from one polling station to another. We also have the Reserved Unit, which has been attached to every district and region, and we also have the Action Unit. If these units can’t handle the situation then we will call in our friends from the military as the last resort.”
Arthur’s comments came after security personnel voted Tuesday to enable them provide protection against violence during the vote.
He said the police have been taking precautions to prevent any acts that could undermine the election as well as the country’s stability. He also said they are working with other security organizations to provide a formidable security arrangement for the election.
Arthur says the agencies are ready to protect prospective voters in the run up to the election.
But, some Ghanaians have expressed concern about possible violence during the vote despite a pledge by all of the presidential candidates to encourage their supporters to eschew violence.
Supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have clashed following accusations and counter accusations of intimidation and harassment during campaigns in the run up to the election.
“The campaign period also served as a test case and we are lucky to have recorded very minimal incidents," he said. "We recorded numerous incidents in the previous elections, but because this one has been secured, just a couple of them occurred. It has largely been very peaceful this time.”
He called on Ghanaians to have confidence in the police, saying they and other security systems have “been able to secure and deliver safely five different elections since 1992. We do it to the admiration of the world.”
Source Voice of America
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