Police arrested Paul Kasonkomona on April 7, 2013 as he left the private Muvi TV studios after saying in an interview that gay rights were like any other form of human rights, to be respected at all cost. He was charged the next day with “inciting the public to take part in indecent activities”.

Kasonkomona remains in police custody, despite his supporters warning that the health of the HIV-positive activist could deteriorate in jail.

The YouTube video below posted by Muvi TV shows plains-clothes officers arresting Kasonkomona:

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Zambia, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. An overwhelming 98 percent of the country disapproves of homosexual behavior, according to 2010 Pew Research Center poll.

Kasonkomona's arrest came a week after four all-male couples, four Zambians and four foreigners, attempted to get married in the Zambian capital city of Lusaka.

Gay and HIV activist Paul Kasonkomona (with raised hand). Photo courtesy of Zambian Watchdog.

The official in charge of the registry, Henry Kapata, told a local newspaper in a story republished by citizen media website Zambian Watchdog:

They were waiting on the queue and I didn’t know what they wanted until they entered my office. They were all men, dressed normally. [They told him point blank] We have come here specifically to register our marriages. […] I was shocked that such things can happen in Zambia. I told them that we don’t register gay marriages in Zambia. The Marriages Act Cap 50 of the Laws of Zambia and even the Constitution is very clear about that.

The attempted marriages attracted condemnation throughout the country. Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu, acting president at the time of President Michael Sata’s visit to China, reiterated at a church function the government's position on homosexuality, saying:

As a nation and government, we will not accept foreign misdemeanors because we have never known same marriages of man to man, or woman to woman and the bible does not allow. We would better remain poor as a nation than to accept some of these norms perpetuated by people with money who want to destroy our society.

Church officials also balked at the men. Zambia is officially a Christian nation, according to its 1996 national constitution.

Reverend Pukuta Mwanza of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia called homosexuality an “inhuman and unnatural practice” and urged the government not to bend on its hardline position, writing in a letter to the country's head of delegation of the European Union:

We urge our Zambian government not to succumb to your pressures in seeking to interfere with the internal affairs of our sovereign nation by promoting the so called ‘human’ rights that are contrary to our fundamental Christian values and our rich African and traditional beliefs and practices which abhor those practices you are seeking to promote.

One reader on Lusaka Times website, The Only Living Jay, reminded the now ruling Patriotic Front government that it had a more open stand on homosexuality when it was the opposition party before the 2011 elections, writing:

When in oppozition, the PF waz accuzed of habouring homosexual ideaz in the meetingz they had with some Western Diplomats. It would be interesting to hear what the oppozition will say this time around. Human rights violation??
This non-issue of homosexuality must be handled very carefully with a level-headed approach. To go on rampage arresting the so called gayz or pro-gay activists may have ghastly consequencez. Remember Zambia iz not an island. What exactly doez the constitution say or not say?

Commenter Panda used an anti-gay slur while encouraging Zambians not to give up their anti-homosexuality stance, even if it means losing out on aid from countries more accepting of the sexual orientation:

Hon Lungu has spoken very well. Please country men and women, lets all unit and speak with one voice on this matter. These “homos” might go to the extent of withholding their aid (Like Obama promised) and we wil be suffer a few consequences in our hospitals, schools etc; but let us fight for what we as a nation want. Problem will come in when some people are prepared to bow th these “homos” for a bowl of soup.

However, some Zambians have no problems with homosexuality. Commenter Mushota on Lusaka Times wondered why anti-gay campaigners want to impose their religious beliefs on everybody else. The main argument that Zambians use against homosexuality is that God created a man and a woman:

Mr Lungu [Home Affairs minister], Why victimise them the same argument can be made for homosexuals . Since the beliefs of religious conservatives (generally) are not their beliefs, doesn’t that violate homosexuals’ freedom of religion? We are all entitled to our own beliefs, but we should not expect everybody else to conform to them. Same sex marriage has no logical impact on the everyday lives of religious Zambians but You denying same sex couples the right to marry does have a direct impact on the everyday lives of homosexuals. Marriage may be a religious issue for many but the fact is, we also have civil marriage, which has absolutely nothing to do with religion. Religious groups and churches have every right to deny same sex marriage in their parish, but You have absolutely no right to deny it

Another commenter writing on Zambia Watchdog wrote (the site does not have permanent links for individual comments):

People are so quick to preach about what is right and wrong yet if we were to see the wrongs they have done, we would run away. Some people on this bolg [sic] have rapped [sic] children, men or women and yet they critisize [sic] gay people. Who is more wrong a child molester or a gay person who minds his or her own business. The bible says a lot of things such as thy shall not steal, thy shall not commit adultery, honour thy mother and father etc. Yes there is a right and wrong but who are we to say what is and what is not. [...] By the way I too have Gay friends like Mweemba and some not all, happen to be the nicest people you can ever meet. What they do in private should have nothing to do with how we perceive them.

Reacting to a story about the police's refusal to release the activist, commenter Counselor congratulated him for his courage:

very brave of you Mr Paul Kasonkomona… one day Gay Rights will be recognized even in Zambia and the whole world at large. Its takes more than bravery to come out as homosexual in African society.

Hitting back at the church for its stand on homosexuality, blogger Miss Bwalya (@missbwalya) wrote on Twitter:

@MissBwalya: Wake me up when Church bodies unite in their call to end the ungodly acts of rape, stripping of women and child molestation.

Another Twitter user, Lwanga Mwilu (@lwangamwilu), captured the polarization that goes on among Zambian netizens when discussing gay issues:

@lwangamwilu: The tensions between free speech and hate speech ever so magnified in the gay rights debate #Zambia

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Women in Zambia are often subjected in public to taunts and in some cases stripping if they are considered to be indecently dressed, a subject this article's writer blogged about more than five years ago.

The order is allegedly an attempt to curb the problem, but some Zambians have accused the judge of indirectly blaming women for their own assaults.

The statement of Justice Rhoyda Kaoma, judge-in-charge of the Kitwe High Court, was first reported on the Facebook page of Flava FM 87.7 radio and immediately went viral:

[…] Supreme Court Judge Royda Kaoma has urged police officers to arrest anyone found indecently dressed to avoid escalating Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases.
Ms Justice Kaoma who is also Kitwe High Court Judge-in- charge said in response to a concern from one of the members of the public on what the police was doing about indecent dressing by some girls and women, that police should take up the role and arrest those found wanting.

So following calls by judge Royda Kaoma, the question is:
Should police start arresting women who are indecently exposed? […]

Madam Justice Rhoyda Kaoma, right, in the picture that appeared on James Mwape's Facebook page and used here with his permission.

Reaction in the wake of the judge's statement was fierce. Scott Davies commented on the radio station's Facebook report:

How moronic to blame the women for men who act!
This justice is so wrong.

This judge must be one hell of an i…t.
Why not making sure women are protected from call boys and other fools who think they are judge and jury and strippers of women.

Its close to rape as they grope and try and touch the women as well.

Another commenter, Kingsley King Kaluba, accused the judge of being dull:

The role of the judge to is merely interpret the law,clear ambiguities n pass sentece [sic] not directing police.that judge is dull.I can tell she got that position through..katwishi mwe (I have no idea).

But others such as Gerald Sandundu supported the judge’s directive:

if there is a precedent then the judge is ok and going through the zambian law reports the judge is very correct..at least we will be saved from these ladies who re [sic] walking almost naked in public [...] bravo madamjudge [sic].

James Mwape reported in a Facebook post that Justice Kaoma was speaking at a Catholic Women’s League luncheon where she said:

Police officers should do something about indecent exposure and under the law there should be nothing like parents would plead for their children because just like manslaughter or murder cases, an offence is an offence.

Police should take up the role and arrest culprits, they should take even one example

Commenting on Mwape’s publication, Caroline Nenguke Phiri criticized the judge for focusing on women's dress instead of men's behavior:

Seriously misdirected energies & instructions!! Instead of telling women how to dress, tell the men to stop raping them!! Will we now pay for the sins of men who can't control themselves?? Really, are you for real??

On Twitter, the converstation continued. Muleya Mwananyanda Muleya Mwananyand (@MuleyaM) wondered why Zambian jurisprudence is so backward:

@MuleyaM: @senzian #GBV you gotta be kidding me right? which judge? which case? honestly why is Zed [Zambia] jurisprudence so backward?

One tweet, however, stated a woman’s legal organization was not aware of the judge’s comments:

@Manyanyato: the organisation “Women in Law & Development” is unaware of comments made by Judge Roydahkaoma with regard to women's dress and #GBV

It will be surprising, however, Zambian women's movements take the judge's directive lying down.

Written by Gershom Ndhlovu · comments (2)
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President Banda was the country’s head of state for three years, from 2008 when he took over from President Levy Mwanawasa for whom he had been vice president, up to 2011 when his party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy was defeated in presidential and parliamentary elections.

Former President Banda whose immunity has been lifted by Parliament. Photo courtesy of zambianeye.com

It is not the first time a former president has had their immunity lifted. Zambia’s second president Frederick Chiluba, who died in 2011, spent most of his post-presidency retirement defending himself from both criminal and civil suits after his immunity was lifted on allegations of plundering national resources leveled at him by the late Mwanawasa, the man Chiluba personally anointed to take over for him.

Among the allegations presented to the 158-member National Assembly on March 15, 2013 by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba, who is also secretary general for the ruling Patriotic Front party, were that Banda and his family in 2011 reportedly spent more than 20 billion kwacha (370 million US dollars) on the purchase of election campaign materials, a sum that was personally handled and disbursed in cash by Banda and his sons. Kabimba said:

The GJIT [Government Joint Investigations Team] has now established that K21,907,847,170 cash was personally disbursed by Mr. Rupiah Banda and his family and that the MMD [Movement for Multiparty Democracy] never had such sums of money in its bank account at any time. During the period, Mr. Banda purchased bicycle spares and accessories from Atlas Cycles and printed fabrics from India at declared value of K371,908,000 with duty at K81,076,292 while 42 Toyota Hilux Vigo from Western, a United Arab based firm with valued [sic] at K1,869,840,000 and K892,434,129 as duty.

Similarly, materials including branded candy lollypops, 40 used Bedford Trucks, branded T-shirts, caps, badges, hats, balloons, hand flags, and flags were bought from various suppliers in the Emirates, United Kingdom, and China.

Underpinning the allegations against the former head of state, Kabimba further said:

Mr. Banda’s personal handling of such large sums of moneys and his activities constitute acts of money laundering and, or the presumption that the funds in question came from the national treasury as public funds for which he is liable to prosecution.

President Banda’s international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, was quoted by citizen media website Zambian Watchdog, saying:

The removal of former President Banda’s immunity fails to pass the litmus test for legitimacy. Keeping in mind that this is the same government that only days ago fired live rounds into crowds of voters, the same people that have repeatedly arrested opposition leaders on bogus grounds, and the very same Justice Minister, Wynter Kabimba, who himself defiantly refused to answer corruption questions before the authorities, there can be little doubt about where the PF stands on matters of justice.

At the time of writing this report, the Zambian Watchdog was reporting that President Banda had been summoned to appear before the JGIT [Government Joint Investigations Team] on March 18, 2013, barely two days after his immunity was lifted.

Castigating opposition members for walking out of the house during the motion, Sidique Abdullah Gondwe Geloo wrote on Facebook page Zambian Eye:

It was highly irresponsible of you and I should add shameful that you had to start playing politics over RB's immunity removal proposition by not attending Parliament. Opposing for the sake of opposing only makes you look like losers that are plain adamant. Corruption is the GREATEST evil in Zambia, and no matter how much you hate the party in power, you should always support any move against corruption regardless of the motives. Any leader, including RB (I love RB, we rarely chat but are in good fellowship with each other) should be happy to accept the immunity removal so that he can prove to the world he wasn't corrupt.

Commenting on a story on Zambian Watchdog about the lifting of Banda’s immunity, a reader calling himself Maverick stated [individual comments have no links]:

[...] I was never a fun [sic] of RB during his short lived presidency and I’m all for prosecuting him if he indeed abused that high office. But can someone tell me: what did the country gain or benefit from lifting FTJ’s immunity and subsequently prosecuting him? Why can’t opposition MPs ask the government to tell the nation the gains achieved from that long winding prosecution of Chiluba up to and until his death? Equally how much was lost by the country through the expenses that came with the prosecution?

My gut instinct tells me NOTHING was gained, apart from fattening the bank accounts of some now fat public officers and enriching a Fraud Member of the public who benefited from FTJ’s misfortunates. So are we that gullible to go through the same expensive route as a nation to prosecute RB until his death, and enriching the same individuals in the process and adding the 3rd Seasonal person to enrich them?

On Twitter, the debate was no less intense. Rocky Chisupa (@RockyChisupa) warned that current President Michael Sata would face the same fate after his tenure:

@RockyChisupa: We NOW know Sata's immunity will be lifted after his tenure. So, why not avoid future costs of time and investigations by lifting it now?

“IamCathyPhiri” (@cathyphiri79) simply asked:

@cathyphiri79: Who there is free from corruption really?

Zambian journalist Lwanga Mwilu (@lwangamwilu), who was live tweeting the proceedings, quoted one opposition member, writing:

@lwangamwilu: Hon Muntanga: If MMD campaign money came from state, where is PF's by-election money coming from? They are suddenly rich.

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President Sata as a victim of the Public Order Act when he was an opposition leader himself. Picture courtesy of Zambian watchdog.

Zambia’s opposition parties have called upon the Commonwealth to suspend the country amid claims of a deteriorating political environment. They accuse Michael Sata’s Patriotic Front (PF) government of using the Public Order Act to severely curtail opposition party activities. Ironically, the Public Order Act was a piece of legislation that the Zambian President had to contend with as an opposition leader. However, since coming to power, he has stated that he has now “fallen in love” with the Act.

Two opposition leaders – the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)’s Nevers Mumba and United Party for National Development (UPND)’s Hakainde Hichilema – are currently on trial for various political offences covered by Public Order Act. Mumba and Hichilema also attended the recent gathering of opposition leaders in South Africa – known collectively as the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR) – that made the demand for Zambia’s suspension from the Commonwealth.
Hichilema said at the press briefing:

If you objectively look at the pattern of abuses committed by this government, not just against the opposition parties but also against civil society and business competitors of the allies, it is difficult not to conclude that we are on the road back towards the one-party state.

At the same briefing, Mumba explained why the CDDR had to issue its statement abroad:

If there were respect for human rights in Zambia, we would not be here […] We are here today because the signs on the ground are similar to those in Uganda under Idi Amin. We have refused to reverse the gains of independence and we are here to tell the international community.

President Sata publicly claimed that the opposition leaders were claiming asylum in South Africa, a request that the South African President Jacob Zumba turned down after Mumba’s and Hichilema’s return to Zambia. Even more embarrassing for the government was a claim made by the Chief Government Spokesman and Information and Broadcasting Minister, Kennedy Sakeni, that former President Rupiah Banda had also attended the press briefing. However, the former President’s office denied attending the event.

However, one opposition party, the National Restoration Party, criticized the CDDR for staging the meeting and press briefing on foreign soil. The party’s Youth League representative, Aquino Mutale, said:

At no time has any Opposition Political Party been denied their freedom to hold Press Conferences from their respective Secretariats – not even Dr Nevers Mumba from his Kabulonga Home! Today we ask, why South Africa!? […] If what their demands to the Commonwealth succeed, who would suffer the repercussions? Is it not the very people they claim to speak on behalf of? Is it not the ordinary Zambian struggling to survive[?]”

Writing on the Zambian Eye page on Facebook, Ray Panji Mwanza said:

It’s funny how people complain about results instead of targeting the cause….the press conference and all the complaints are simply fruits of which the root cause is Sata’s ancient style of governing…..if people don’t want our nation to end up another Zimbabwe, the solution is not in condemning Nevers & co, but condemning and standing up to PF’s old-fashioned dictatorial rule…

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Mr. Ndhlovu explains the purpose of his book in the last pages. He states that he was motivated to write this book because pastors and politicians who had been abusing the Christian faith to advance their personal agendas had disillusioned him.

Munshya wa Munshya reviews Gershom Ndhlovu's new book titled The Declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation: Blessing or Curse?.

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Muyangana explained that BongoHive, which officially launched in May 2011, emerged from weekend sessions in which a group of IT experts volunteered to hold hands-on workshops for a recent group of IT graduates from the Lusaka-based Evelyn Hone College who were completing internships at VVOB Zambia. Encouraged by Erik Hersmann and Juliana Rotich of iHub Nairobi, the workshops was eventually formalized into an innovation hub.

An interesting aspect of this project is the rise and encouragement of the women's network called Asikana, which in one of the local languages means young women who appreciate information and communication technology.

Global Voices (GV): First and foremost, what is BongoHive (BH) and what are its core activities?

Simunza Muyangana (SM): BongoHive is a technology and innovation centre that provides space for technology enthusiasts in Lusaka to meet, swap experience and attend training, networking and geek events like hackathons, bar camps, etc.

GV: Who is involved in it? Do people have to be “geeks” to get involved?

SM: There are a number of people involved in BongoHive. The management team consists of Lukonga Lindunda, Silumesii Maboshe, Bart Cornille, and I with Lukonga involved in the day-to-day management of the centre. He is assisted by Charles Mwanza and George Lupupa who are responsible for managing the centre and community outreach respectively. We also have various other members who spearhead initiatives that BongoHive is involved in like the Asikana Network, the Lusaka Google Developers Group, BarCamp Lusaka, and Mobile Monday Lusaka.

Even though most of the people that come through are either current students or recent graduates who studied Information Technology, BongoHive is an open community centre that welcomes even those that do not necessarily have a specialty in IT. We've been blessed with people who actively contribute to the centre as mentors that you wouldn't ordinarily call geeks.

GV: What demographic of people are involved in BH activities?

SM: I'd posit that most of the people that make use of the centre are between the ages of 20 and 26. Events that are held in the evening or over the weekends attract an older demographic only because that is when they are most likely to have time to come over. Our ladies have very definitely staked a claim in BongoHive by forming their own forum called the “Asikana Network” that uses the centre extensively.

GV: We have seen the release of two interesting apps either coming out of Zambia or dealing with Zambia. One is an app on the draft constitution and the second, an app that aggregates news about Zambia. Was BH involved in making those apps? What other apps have you developed or are in the midst of developing?

SM: Zambia News aggregator is quite handy but BongoHive was not involved in its development.

Gilbert Mwiinga, the developer of the Zambia Draft Constitution app is an active member of the BongoHive community. He conceptualized the idea in 2011 when we ran a workshop on Android App Development with Dale Zak of WhiteSpaces in Canada. Other mobile apps that have come from the community include Fist Drive, a file-sharing application developed by Daryl Lukas. Fist Drive was a semi-finalist in the last Google Apps Competition for the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Bantu Babel is a translation app that was developed by the community during the last Random Hacks of Kindness event for the US Peace Corp volunteers station in Zambia.

Late last year we ran a Pitch Night under the Mobile Monday Lusaka umbrella. It was encouraging to realize that there are a lot more mobile and web applications currently in development by individuals who use the Hive. However, I think most of them would prefer to have their apps announced after they have been launched. Look out for a lot more Zambian apps in 2013. Our Google Developers Group is currently running another course on Android App Development.

GV: What is your opinion of the Zambian government's actions against the website Zambian Watchdog? Do you think this type of crackdown could spread to others citizen news websites if it succeeds in shutting it down?

SM: Most, if not all, software development is about helping people access information. Some would even say that software development in itself is a form of self expression.  We support the right to freedom of expression. We also encourage responsibility in its use. I personally believe that people who feel that their right to dignity may have been violated should be allowed to address their concerns or seek some form of justifiable recourse.

GV: Recently ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority) embarked on SIM card registration for “security” reasons. Is that not threat to digital freedom?

It really depends on who holds that information and who will have access to it, doesn't it? ZICTA is supposed to be an independent agency. I have no problem with my service provider or the bank authority attaching my name to my number for transactional purposes. I cannot see why anybody else would need it. If it is required for purposes of criminal investigation, I'd prefer they first sought a court order allowing them to talk to my service provider.

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Besides the beauty of the Ethiopian game and the composure the players showed after a long absence from the AFCON tournament, Ethiopian politics was at the centre of online discussion. Ethiopian fans in the stadium displayed various placards and flags representing different political interests.

Ethiopian Muslims protest the Ethiopian Government while supporting the Ethiopian Team in South Africa at The Cup of African Nations 2013. From the Awolia School Support Page Facebook Page

In a bid to create a sense of deja vu for Ethiopians the blog Addis Rumble published a few historical photos from old AFCON tournaments in which Ethiopia had participated.

In the pictorial post titled, The Ethiopian comeback it wrote: 

This week Ethiopia is making a surprise comeback at the 2013 Cup of Nations in South Africa after knocking out neighboring rivals Sudan through an aggregate 5-5 draw in the final qualification round. In the days after the qualification was secured in October last year, Addis seemed like a transformed city. Previously you would hardly notice any football celebrations in the cityscape (other than of the usual English Premier League teams) but following the qualification most of the capital’s blue taxis and mini-buses – usually the best way of distilling public opinion – started displaying posters of the national team with a ‘Yes We Can’ text added.

The occasion was also packed with interesting Ethiopian political tidbits. Mohamed Ademo, a blogger based in New York wrote on Facebook about how different groups stood behind one team despite their variation on the political and cultural spectrum:

Sport brings people together. The cheerful Oromo crowd in South Africa today is a good example of that. In the states, rarely do we see both sides (Oromo and other Ethiopians) cheering for the same team. We have separate sporting tournaments and federations.

For Ethiopia's football fans in South Africa, the choice today was between OLF flag, the defacto Oromo flag, and the EPRDF (Ethiopia's ruling party) flag. As you have said so eloquently, whether the Oromo and non-Oromo fans of Team Ethiopia displayed different flags didn't matter. They both supported one team.

For far too long, at international sporting events and bazaars, a monolithic image of Ethiopia have been presented to the world. An Ethiopia with 3000 years of history that is still a christian island, has one flag, and speaks only Amharic.

But in reality, Ethiopia is a truly diverse nation with divergent aspirations and historical experiences. As a result, contending national sentiments (isms) have emerged. Under previous Ethiopian regimes, for example, the use of Afan Oromo in public spaces and government offices was banned.

In EPRDF's Ethiopia, while linguistic and cultural rights are – at least in theory – respected, wearing or displaying an OLF flag amounts to an act of terrorism. What you saw today (the bitching and moaning about Oromo flag from those who still want to control the narrative of Ethiopia) is an extension of that false sense of unity. I concur with you that, at the absence of “national” consensus, the way forward is to recognize our differences and respect people's rights to identify however they see fit.

In the same vein, our Oromo activists should also stop pouncing on every chance to question the nationalism of those who are passionate football fans – and chose to look beyond politics.

All the while, it's imperative to stay civil and use this opportune moment to ask: who is Ethiopian, what's the Ethiopian identity, does the EPRDF flag represent the aspirations of the diverse people of Ethiopia, does waving OLF flag automatically make one a secessionist, why do Oromos love the OLF flag, why are non-Oromo Ethiopians so scared of assertive Oromo nationalism etc.

Shared by Ermias M Amare on Facebook

On Twitter, under the hashtags of #TeamEthiopia and #Eritrea, there was also a great deal of discussion about sport and politics! Kweschn Media tweeted:

While #Zambia's fans waved only 1 flag, #Ethiopia‘s side had more than 2 flags. Politicized soccer – Reflection of unresolved issues.

But for Zerihun it would have been great for Eritreans if Eritrea was still a part of Ethiopia. Mentioning the alleged failed coup attempt by Eritrean rebel soldiers, he tweeted:

If you hadn't been allowed to secede, you could have enjoyed the game with us :) #Ethiopia makes fun of today's #Eritrea Coup #TeamEthiopia

Ethiopia will face Burkina Faso in the second match of group C of the AFCON tournament while Zambia will play Nigeria. The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, is ‘the’ football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).  This is the 29th Africa Cup of Nations, and is being held from 19 January to 10 February 2013.

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Chimba is charged with unlawful printing and publication and for being in “possession of property suspected of being proceeds from a crime.”

His critics call him a propagandist and his supporters an investigative journalist. Chimba's ”Stand Up For Zambia” documentaries portray negative attributes of Sata and prophesied what life would be like for Zambians if Sata was voted into office. The series aired on state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation TV in the months running up to the September 20, 2011 elections.

Once reviled, the documentaries are now hits on YouTube as most of the things that Chimba predicted, like the arrest of opposition leaders and preventing them from holding public meetings, are now a reality.

Chanda Chimba III, right, chatting with former Information Minister General Shikapwasha, seated centre and a security officer. Picture used with the permission of Mwebantu Media.

Chimba whom netizens have nicknamed the “Prophet” for his foresight, has been arrested along with the former Minister of Information and Broadcasting Lieutenant-General Ronnie Shikapwasha, former Zambia Daily Mail Deputy Managing Editor Davis Mataka and media consultant Ng'ande Mwanajiti for offences related to pre-election publications.

An introduction to one of the episodes of “Stand Up For Zambia” on YouTube uploaded by impeachsata reads:

Stand Up For Zambia was a documentary series produced by the investigative journalist Chanda Chimba for ZNBC in 2010-2011. Since the Patriotic Front government was elected into power last year, Mr. Chimba has faced arrests and constant harassment by the new government. His films predicted many of the authoritarian abuses of power now being practiced by the Sata regime of Zambia. For more info, please write to impeachsata@gmail.com.

There were numerous reactions to Chimba's arrest on various citizen media websites. On Zambia Peoples Pact, an open Facebook group, Nawa Mukwati Sibongo, writes:

I await to see Fred Meembe [Post Newspaper owner and editor] support Chanda Chimba III as a fellow scribe they may not agree in content and style but they should fight for the freedoms of speech by those in the media. I also await the media organisations to lend the young man support.

Responding to Sibongo, Emmanuel Khantafu Zulu gave a breakdown of what Chimba was arrested for:

Particulars of the offence are that Chanda Chimba III Unlawfully did cause to be printed or published newspapers called” Stand up for Zambia” and “News of our times” Which were not registered at the office of the Director National Archives of Zambia. He was found in possession or control of an accumulated total of K611, 440,433.12 money he paid for private media and printing services to Zambia National Broadcasting Services Corporation, Muvi Television and the Daily Mail limited respectively, which is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of a crime.

Mbwantu, on the ZambianWatchdog [comments on this website do not have permanent links], writes:

A reader calling herself Margaret Thatcher writes:

Chanda Chimba was dutifully reminding people with short memory, of a man who always says things that he does not mean to. A man who will say this today and change when it suits him. A man who could tell a dangerous lie all in the name of gaining some political mileage. We are very cheap lot! really to say the least.

Wanzelu ku Choma writes in support of the arrests:

Doesn’t bother me. Man needs to account for his action when time comes.

On Lusaka Times, Rocky warned Patriotic Front leaders might meet the same fate:

Concerned about the political developments in Zambia, the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR), quotes a member and international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam on its website:

President Michael Sata and the Patriotic Front government of Zambia must immediately halt their unlawful arrests and prosecutions of journalists and opposition leaders, according to the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR).

“These politically motivated arrests represent a campaign of intimidation that violates the rights of all Zambian citizens to free and fair assembly and freedom of expression,” said Robert Amsterdam, international counsel to the CDDR. “It is absolutely unacceptable for any country calling itself a rule-of-law democracy to have the leadership behave with such impunity, violating both local and international law to persecute their opponents.”

Written by Gershom Ndhlovu · comments (1)
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Zambian President Rupiah Banda. Photo released by Antonio Cruz/ABr under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)

A YouTube video recently surfaced of an interview with Afrik Production TV during his stint at the Boston University in the United States last year. In the interview Mr Banda said:

[...] From the very beginning, it was very clear that I preached acceptance of the results of the elections. Of course, I must say that perhaps I was almost sure that I would win [...] It (the result) was very close I could have contested but, you know, the atmosphere was already very poisoned in the country. My opponent, the one who won the election, had already publicly stated that if they don't win, they are going to go to war and started sharpening knives in the streets, and things start that way. I did not want to be the one to be blamed for shedding the blood of the Zambian people.

One reaction to the video by katebebe1, reads:

Rupiah, had you been this focused and thoughtful in your public appearances, you would have been easily re-elected. But you allowed the sycophancy of your lieutenants define your public image. I blame your handlers as much as I blame you.

Mr Banda peacefully handed over office to the then newly elected President Sata a couple of days after the September 20, 2011 elections and has since been engaged in international assignments including a brief residency at Boston University in the United States where the above interview was conducted.

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You are welcome to download it here. You can even send a copy (in PDF, ePub or Mobipocket format) to your relatives or friends across the world, maybe as a present for their donation to GV. Most important, please spread the word in your global circles, social networks and anywhere you deem fit!

African Voices of Hope and Change is more evidence of the power of we‘, a collective effort focusing on places and people too often ‘forgotten’ by mainstream media worldwide, despite Africa’s diverse but promising growth in the upcoming years. As stated in the ebook introduction, “At the start of the new millennium, it felt as though the African continent was essentially written off by the international community… [but] recent statistics suggest that nine of the fastest-growing economies in the world are in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

And while many experts actually believe that new technology's most lasting influence will be on a broadening field of education, “also important is the potential for leveraging technology towards a more general transparency and accountability, as shown by initiatives based on social and citizen media for monitoring local elections or making government data available on the Internet.”

Aimed at providing a larger context and fostering the Global Voices mission, this collection of 2012 posts will try to parse out such complex framework and open up the horizon for the upcoming year. These voices tell us about moving forward in hope and change, their accounts reveal a path infused with struggle and collaboration.

Thanks to Mohamed Adel for technical support and to those who variously contributed to articles selected for this new e-book: Afef Abrougui, Ahmed Jedou, Anna Gueye, Eleanor Staniforth, Endalk, James Propa, Kofi Yeboah, Lova Rakotomalala, Nwachukwu Egbunike, Richard Wanjohi, Sara Gold, Sara Moreira, and Ndesanjo Macha.

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President Michael Sata, Zambia's Commander-in-Chief. Photo courtesy of Zambian Watchdog.

It remains difficult to confirm the existence of the Barotse Liberation Army, the supposed paramilitary wing of various groups calling for the secession of Zambia’s Western Province. However, if President Michael Sata’s order to the army to kill the rebel activists is anything to go by, the organization is nevertheless considered a serious threat to Zambia’s national security.

The November 30, 2012 order came after it was reported that the rebels were recruiting former soldiers and policemen to serve in the Barotse Liberation Army. Speaking at a Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional Defence Command Staff College graduation ceremony, Sata said:

In Lukulu (Western Province) people have formed a group called Barotse Liberation Army, they are recruiting people. As of today, I am aware that they have recruited 276 people. They are recruiting former army officers, police officers and former poachers they want to rise against us and we have to be prepared… And you the Army Commander I have told you before that I need troop career planes because how can I transport troops to Lukuku?

In a veiled criticism of the army’s lack of preparedness and alleged toleration for unrest in the region, Sata said:

Our soldiers are graduating but some of them, they have never fired a gun since they joined the army until they retire… because it is different to train and to go and do the action. You need to be well trained in order to defend this country.

On a Facebook group, Zambian Voice, Isikanda Wamulwange expressed concern at President Sata’s call:

If military force will be used on the so called “rebels” in the Western province, might this not lead to civil war, is there no better way to resolve this issue.

Chileshe Tayali responded on the same thread:

Surely the President's outburst is not the best way to sort out BRE [Barotse Royal Establishment] conflict. He is declaring war in public. I find his directives very careless.

A local online publication, the Barotse Post, reported that the soldiers sent to the area pulled out after failing to find rebels:

The Zambian troops began their disgraced pull out from Lukulu on Sunday, 2nd December 2012, after failing to find the imagined Barotse Liberation Army activists. Four helicopters were seen flying out with some of the special forces who were sent on what has proved to be a wild goose chase. In order to save face, the disappointed and ashamed Minister of Defense has pleaded for information on BLA from the locals. This only shows how panicky the Zambian Government gets to be whenever it comes to the Barotseland issue.

The same publication accused the Zambian government of allegedly fabricating lies against against Barotse people:

Not so long ago the Zambian people were fed on a lie that the Barotseland Freedom Movement in Kaoma was recruiting retired military personnel. This claim was recently followed by another malicious one, in the wake of Mr Clement Sinyinda's resignation as Ngambela [Prime Minister] of Barotseland, that some Lozi people in Senanga and Sesheke were organizing to dethrone the Litunga [king].

Calls for the secession of Western Province have heated up in the last few years over allegations that successive Zambian governments have ignored the Batrotseland Agreement of 1964 which united the region with the rest of Zambia at independence in 1964.

As an opposition leader, Sata promised restoration of the agreement within 90 days of assuming office but, surprisingly, he has now taken a belligerent stance against it and it seems dialogue is not yet on the horizon.

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An unlikely challenger to Messi, who is a marvel to watch when he turns up for his Spanish la Liga team FC Barcelona, has emerged in Zambia – in the form of a footballer who died nearly 20 years ago.

Godfrey Chitalu was with 30 other team members and administrators when a plane carrying the Zambia National Team to a World Cup outing in Senegal crashed in Gabon on April 28, 1993.

Godfrey Chitalu was well known by his moniker Ucar, and at the time of his death was National team coach. Ucar which almost became like his middle name – originated from his boundless energy on the pitch like the battery UCAR (made by Union Carbide) which powered the two-band radio sets people listened to football commentaries on.

One website, the Bleacher Report, noted of Chitalu who is reputed to have scored 107 goals in the 1972 season:

Don't rewrite that record book just yet—unless the name Godfrey Chitalu is going in.

On Twitter, the name Godfrey Chitalu went viral after western media reported Messi’s supposed record breaking goal-scoaring.

‏@oluwashina Dear Messi, yes you've surpassed Gerd Muller's record but not Godfrey Chitalu's 107 goals in a calendar year 1972. *In MJ's voice – Beat it*

One tweep disputing Messi’s record and seemingly accusing western media of biasness, wrote:

@bishopskid14 @world_dream that goal record is held by godfrey chitalu another example of clear bias

UKZambians, a citizen media website based in the UK, quoted a Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) official:

Even as the world has been looking at Lionel Messi’s record, breaking Gerd Muller’s, the debate and discussion back here has been why Godfrey’s goals are not being recognized. What we are doing is, we have commissioned an independent team locally to go back into the archives and record minute-by-minute each of those goals. The team that we have put together is going to calculate all of those goals, recording which ever game or tournament they were scored in.

We will then send that to CAF [Confederation of African Football] and FIFA so that we can show that, while Messi’s record is there, while Muller’s record is there, the actual record holder in terms of goals per calendar year is actually an African. It’s actually Godfrey Chitalu.

Arguably, Zambia’s football at that time was not as professional as it is today, but football-loving Zambians can only hope that at least their record keeping improves from this story.

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Reporting on the riots, Zambian Reports wrote:

Ndola residents have taken to the streets damaging property, particularly those belonging to Somali nations following the shooting of a Zambian in a wage dispute.

Somali nationals are also being targeted for beatings as a sign of revenge.

The riots started early this morning in Northrise forcing Copperbelt riot police to descend on the city to quell the volatile situation. The situation was particularly worse in Masala and Ndeke township where majority of Somalians reside in Ndola.

The Zambian Eye also reported:

Zambians are rioting in Ndola the provincial capital of the Copperbelt.

The riot started this morning and by press time 9:30 am local time the residents were still rioting looting a shop of a Somalian in the Second Class area in the Central district. Zambian Eye reporter at the scene says there was no presence of the police yet.

Goods wealth millions of kwacha has been rooted [sic].

“The situation is tense here right now people are looting the shop grabbing assorted groceries such as sugar and cooking oil, Zambian Eye reporters said.

The riot follows the shooting of a Zambian who is reported to have been demanding for his money on Thursday by a Somalian

The story was also picked up by Somali news website, Hiiraan Online.

On Twitter Temwani Nkhata wrote:

@NkhataTemwani: @ caesarcognac yeah we good people bt nw its gettin outa hand…u knw nw they hv become disrespectful and arrogant to us as a peole,enuf!  [yeah, we are good people but now it is getting out of hand… you know now they have become disrespectiful and arrogant to us people, enough!]

Read the earlier tweet:

@caesarcognac @blistic_1 @ NkhataTemwani: @Kush_411 we tolerate so much  as Zambians these ppl  is [are] taking us for granted. Why do we give [th]em so much power?

On Facebook, netizens disagreed with someone who blamed the entire Somali community for the incident. Richard Banda Lcgi Meiz wrote:

A Zambian was shot dead yesterday by a Somalian national and it has sparked riots /looting in Ndola. The issue is that Zambia is going to be in trouble not many years or decades from now following the influx of Somalians. These are guys who are coming from a war-torn or failed state and came in Zambia without anything. They are bearing children who are sarcastically claiming to be Zambians and so they are considering the provisions of our citizenship clause.

[…] We must have control on the influx of Somalians in this country otherwise our great-grand children will curse us while we will be in our graves for the current failures to set things straight.

The Somalians have their own buses and schools and we dont know whether they are teaching those children of theirs hate for the non-Muslims or not.

Banda was criticized by Emmanuel Mulenga:

Damn you stereotypes! Just because one Somalian commits a crime, you condemn everyone of Somalian decent? Learn to embrace equality and diversity! Deal case by case not this rubbish racism you are posting!

There was no official statement from the police at the time of writing on whether there has been any arrests among looters apart from an earlier statement attributed to provincial police commissioner Mary Tembo on the arrest of the Somali suspected killer.

In July 2012, the Zambian Police thwarted a xenophobic attack on a national who was burnt to death in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. A number of Somali nationals are settled in and around Ndola where they run businesses ranging from transportation to supermarkets.

Written by Gershom Ndhlovu · comments (3)
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On Congo Forum, Jacques Mbokani wrote [fr]:

Depuis son accession à l’indépendance la R.D.C. a toujours été en proie à des conflits de tous ordres. … L’exposé consiste essentiellement à identifier les causes des conflits en RDC. … Les causes des conflits en R.D.C. peuvent être regroupées en deux catégories majeures. … les causes externes … et d’autre part, les causes internes.

The Congo was declared independent on June 30, 1963, and renamed Congo-Leopoldville. Power was shared between the head of state Joseph Kasa-Vubu and the Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. On November 25, 1965, supported by governments of Belgium and the United States, General Joseph Desire Mobutu deposed President Kasa-Vubu, removing him from power and naming himself president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He would remain in power for 30 years. The country was renamed Zaire between 1971 and 1997.

This video covers the history of the assassination of Patrice Lumumba [fr]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOYQjegItnM

Another video tells of the coming to power of Mobutu, King of Zaïre, Conquest of Power [fr]:

Important economic issues at stake

Jacques Mbokani continued [fr]:

Dans le film intitulé : « Blood Diamond » (le diamant du sang) un vieil homme soupirait en ces termes : « j’espère qu’ils ne vont pas trouver du pétrole… alors nous serons réellement en danger… ». Les propos de ce vieil homme, révèlent en réalité la question des ressources naturelles comme sources des conflits.

On the website Maps of the DRC [fr], we learn that :

Qualifié de scandale géologique, le sous-sol de la RD du Congo regorge de plusieurs minerais et d'énormes réserves énergétiques. Les ressources minières les plus connues sont celles des groupes de l'Etain, du Nobium et du Cuivre, auxquels on peut ajouter le manganèse, l'or et le diamant. Concernant les richesses énergétiques, on peut citer le pétrole off-shore de l'Atlantique et d'importants gisements du nord-est, lesquels aiguisent déjà, beaucoup d'appétits de tous les milieux mafieux aussi bien congolais qu'internationaux, au mépris des populations locales. De même, l'uranium dans le sud-est pays, ainsi que le gaz méthane du lac Kivu, font partie des ressources énergétiques dont le pays ne semble pas maitriser la gestion présente ou future. Ce manque d'autorité et de contrôle de ses propres richesses, se traduit par un trafic sans précédent à l'EST du pays, opéré par des bandes armées avec, malheureusement souvent, la complicité des congolais eux-mêmes au détriment de leur propre pays.

The causes of the internal conflicts within the DRC date from the dictatorship of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, who remained in power until 1997:

La raison du plus fort était la meilleure, … médiocrité de la classe politique, … l’effondrement et le manque d’indépendance de l’appareil judiciaire …inexistence des services publics tant administratifs que sociaux. … Le recrutement des militaires que ce soit par le processus normal ou dans le cadre du brassage ou mixage, ce recrutement se fait sans tenir compte de la citoyenneté, de l’âge, de la moralité ou du passé judiciaire

The following video shows the hold that Mobutu had over the DRC during this period: Mobutu, King of Zaïre 2, Master of the Game [fr]:

Website Konexinfo [fr] traced how several countries found themselves implicated in this conflict:

La situation actuelle en RDC, dans la région du Kivu, découle de plusieurs conflits qui ont eu lieu depuis une vingtaine d’années dans la région des grands lacs africains. Ces multiples conflits sont liés les uns aux autres. De nouveaux seigneurs de la guerre prennent la relève de ceux qui accèdent au pouvoir.

Seven countries at war on Congolese soil

Meeting between Kabila, Bush, Kagame and Annan at NYC in 2002 by Eric Draper – public domain

The Ugandan Yoweri Museveni recruited and organised an army of 6,000 men at the frontiers of Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda and overthrew the elected president of his country, Milton Obote in 1986.

In Rwanda between 1990 and 1993 the FPR with Paul Kagamé at its head fought against the regime of the sole party of the president, Juvénal Habyarimana.

In 1994, the genocide in Rwanda, which has a common border with the DRC, forced around 2 million people to migrate to Eastern DRC.

From Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo [fr] and to the current chaos, website la documentation francaise gave a detailed chronology [fr] of events in the DRC:

In 1996, in South Kivu, the Banyamulenge rebellion started, involving Congolese Tutsi of Rwandan origin (who had migrated to the region from 1959 to flee the violence in Rwanda), with the military support of Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. With others opposing the president of Zaire, Marshall Mobutu, they regrouped as the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Zaire, ADFL, led by Laurent Desire Kabila.

After 30 years of power, President Mobutu left in exile before the rebels’ victory. Laurent Desire Kabila named himself president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the new name for Zaire. The rebels took control of capital Kinshasa on May 17, 1997.

Dismantling the camps of Rwandan refugees infiltrated by former Rwandan armed forces and extremist Hutu militia – the Interahamwe – responsible for the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda.

Kabila then broke his alliances with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

In 1998, a new Tutsi rebellion, among the Banyamulenge broke out in Kivu against Kabila’s government troops, supported by his ex-allies Rwanda and Uganda. A new political-military coalition was formed – the Congolese Assembly for Democracy (RCD) – led by Ernest Wamba dia Wamba.

Seven countries at war on Congolese soil, with Congolese rebels supported by Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi….capturing Kisangani, capital of the Eastern province and the country’s third city. They would be stopped in their advance towards Kinshasa by the intervention of troops from Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

This resulted in the partitioning of the country, with North and South Kivu falling under the control of the RDC and the West remaining under the control of Kabila and his allies Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Also in 1998, another rebellion, this one led by Jean-Pierre Bemba, in the province of Equator, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), took control of the region. With the support of Uganda, they took the city of Kindu and the mining regions of Kasai and Katanga.

On May 17, 1999, Wamba’s RCD split into two movements: RCD-Goma, led by Emile Ilunga Kalambo and supported by Rwanda, and RCD-Kisangani, which remained under Wamba’s control, and was supported by Uganda. Uganda were also still supporting Bemba’s MLC.

Kabila’s government no longer controlled the western half of the country.

The Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement (Zambia), signed in July 1999, changed nothing with respect to the massacres. The Rwandan army occupied one part of the Eastern province, North and South Kivu as well as North Katanga. The Ugandan army controlled the north parts of Equator and Eastern provinces. Despite the agreements, fighting and massacres continued. Both countries disputed control of the city of Kisangani, global hub of the diamond market, leading to the death of two hundred citizens.

In 2001, following the assassination of President Laurent Desire Kabila, his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state, on January 17.

Countries directly or indirectly involved in Congolese Conflicts by Jaro7788 – Public Domain

Since then, United Nations resolutions and peace agreements between aggressors and attempts at democracy have periodically punctuated the repeated massacres and rapes as a weapon of war. The cyclical conflicts have allowed foreign powers and companies to access the precious minerals [fr] so vital to mobile phones worldwide.

Jacques Mbokani concluded [fr]:

En résumé, la cause centrale réside dans la faillite de l’Etat congolais qu’il faut reconstruire. C’est parce que l’Etat n’existe plus que les Etats voisins pillent, violent et font ce qu’ils font. C’est parce que l’Etat n’existe plus qu’il y a la prolifération des seigneurs de guerre et la prolifération des armes légères.

Written by Anna Gueye · Translated by Jane Ellis · View original post [fr] · comments (2)
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Discover the shortlist and other suggested contenders which didn't make the cut this year.

The Okavango Delta, Botswana

Hippos bathing in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, the world's largest inland delta by John on Wikipedia CC-license-by

The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta, created from the rains that fill the Okavango River. The Namibian government has plans to build a hydropower station which would regulate the Okavango's flow, but environmentalists fear that this project could destroy most of the fauna and flora in the Delta.

The Red Sea Reef, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its Reef stretches over 1,240 miles along the coast of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea and contains more than 1,100 species of fish.

Anthia goldfish in the Red Sea from Wikimedia commons. Image in the public domain.

Mount Kenya, Kenya 

Mount Kenya wall by Radu vatcu (CC BY-3.0)

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. It was covered by an ice cap for thousands of years. The Mount Kenya ecosystem provides water directly for over two million people. The park receives over 16,000 visitors per year.

The Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Local people on the Avenue of the Baobabs, Morondava, Madagascar. Image on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

The Avenue of the Baobabs is located between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in the Menabe region in western Madagascar. Baobab trees, up to 800 years old, stand about 30 meters in height and this particular species is endemic to Madagascar. The site was present in the news recently because it was victim of a wild fire that burnt down newly planted trees around the giant trees.

 The Stone Forest of Bamaraha, Madagascar

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve in Madagascar. Image on Wikipedia (CC BY-3.0).

Tsingy de Bemaraha is a nature reserve located near the western coast of Madagascar in the Melaky Region. This National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the main attraction is the stone forest that is composed of limestone needles originating from erosion patterns from groundwater and winds.

Zuma Rock, Nigeria

Zuma Rock near Abuja by Jeff Attaway on Flickr (CC-BY-2.0).

Zuma Rock is a 725 meter high monolith found in Nigeria on the road out of Abuja. Its nickname ‘Gateway to Abuja’ is derived from this road.

The Peak of Furnace, Réunion Island

Eruption at the Peak, April 2007 on FlickR by zatiqs (CC BY-NC-SA).

Le Piton de la Fournaise (The Peak of Furnace) is a shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

The Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

Aldabra Island, Seychelles on FlickR by Johny Shaw (CC-BY-2.0).

Aldabra is the world's second largest coral atoll and forms part of the Seychelles. Aldabra is almost entirely free of human interference and is home to the world's largest population of giant tortoises.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 

Kibo on Mt Kilimanjaro by Chris 73 (CC-NC-BY).

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world at 5,895 meters. The current shrinking and thinning of Kilimanjaro's ice field is similar to other glacier retreat in mid-to-low latitudes across the globe. At the current rate, Kilimanjaro is expected to become ice-free some time between 2022 and 2033.

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

A young male lion at the hunt in Ngorongoro Crater by Brocken Inaglory on Wikimedia (CC-BY-3.0).

The Ngorongoro Crater is a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera located in the west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The crater plays host to almost every individual species of wildlife in East Africa, with an estimated 25,000 animals within the crater.

The Serengeti Migration, Tanzania

Wildebeest crossing the river by Stefan Swanepoel in Wikipedia (CC-BY-3.0).

The Serengeti migration is the longest and largest overland migration in the world. Each year, the great wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro area of the southern Serengeti of Tanzania in January to March, when the calving season begins; some 750,000 zebra precede the migration of 1.2 million wildebeest.

The Sahara Desert

Camels in Guelta d'Archei, Ennedi, north-east Chad. Image on Wikipedia (CC-BY-2.0).

The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. The desert encompasses, at least in part, the countries of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Tunisia. The southern border of the Sahara is marked by a band of semi-arid savanna called the Sahel.

Bloggers’ suggestions

A number of natural wonders were omitted from the shortlist, so a few bloggers have added their own suggestions via their blogs. A slight controversy was the fact that a few countries were featured several times while others were not mentioned at all, despite having worthy candidates.

The Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe

The Victoria Falls at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe is already selected as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Swimming at the edge of Victoria Falls in a naturally formed safe pool, accessed via Livingstone Island. Image on Wikimedia Commons, released into public domain by Ian Restall.

Blyde River Canyon, South Africa 

The Blyde River Canyon is located in Mpumalanga and forms the northern part of the Drakensberg escarpment. It is 16 miles (26 kilometers) in length and is on average around 2,500 feet (762 meters) deep. The Canyon consists mostly of red sandstone.

The Weeping Face of Nature located in Blyde River Canyon. Image by Ptosio on Wikipedia (CC-BY-3.0).

Feel free to add any sites that you feel were omitted in the selection process in the comments section below.

Written by Rakotomalala · comments (1)
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