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1.	Lesotho: Pre-paid water meters put the poor at risk
	Author: Christian Johannessen	Date Written: 15 May 2008
	Primary Category: Southern Region	Document Origin: World Council of Churches
	Secondary Category: Ecology	Source URL: http://water.oikoumene.org
	Key Words: Lesotho, water, pre-paid water meters, poor, risk,
	Summary & Comment: The Ecumenical Water Network, an initiative of churches, Christian organizations and movements working on people’s access to water around the world and community-based solutions to the water crisis met recently in Maseru and calls on churches to get involved in advocacy work for the human right to water. Lesotho's the pre-paid water meters rec . . . [expand]
2.	SADC energy ministers deliberate on regional energy shortfalls
	Author: Richard Nyamanhindi	Date Written: 15 May 2008
	Primary Category: Southern Region	Document Origin: Southern African News Features
	Secondary Category: Ecology	Source URL: http://www.sardc.net
	Key Words: Southern Africa, Power, Conservation, SAPP, Taskforce
	Summary & Comment: Following a power crunch currently hitting hard on southern African region, ministers of energy in the region have agreed to revive the regional energy planning network which will complement the energy recovery roadmap which was established recently to mitigate the power shortages. FJ
3.	South Africa: COSATU Gauteng, xenophobia,
	Author: COSATU Media Alert	Date Written: 13 May 2008
	Primary Category: Southern Region	Document Origin: COSATU
	Secondary Category: -none-	Source URL:
	Key Words: South Africa: COSATU Gauteng, xenophobia,
	Summary & Comment: Violent, xenophobic attacks on foreigners are taking place in Alexandra and have occurred in Diepsloot, Atteridgeville and elsewhere. Poor, working-class South Africans and immigrant peoples have a common interest in fighting to improve the intolerable levels of poverty, unemployment, crime, and shortage of housing in poor communities. The Johannes . . . [expand]
4.	South Africa: Way clear for Khulumani international lawsuit to go forward to trial
	Author: Khulumani	Date Written: 13 May 2008
	Primary Category: Southern Region	Document Origin: Khulumani
	Secondary Category: Human Rights	Source URL:
	Key Words: South Africa, Apartheid, Khulumani, Lawsuit
	Summary & Comment: The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in the Khulumani Internation Lawsuit stands. The Khulumani lawsuit targets 23 foreign multinationals for having aided the perpetration of human rights abuses under South Africa’s apartheid regime. The Supreme Court ruling means the case can now go ahead. FJ
5.	South Africa: Mail & Guardian editorial: Once upon a time ...
	Author: Mail and Guardian Editorial	Date Written: 9 May 2008
	Primary Category: Southern Region	Document Origin: Kabissa debate list
	Secondary Category: -none-	Source URL:
	Key Words: South Africa, Mail & Guardian, editorial, Scorpions, prosecuting authority,
	Summary & Comment: This well written overview highlights the gradual failure and copting of State institutions created to provide checks and balances on the State’s exercise of power. The last of these to be dismantled by the president and by Zuma was the Directorate of Special Operations, or Scorpions - a prosecuting authority. "And so it was that the light of . . . [expand]
6.	South Africa: Change course on land or face grave consequences
	Author: Business Day - Commentary	Date Written: 8 May 2008
	Primary Category: Southern Region	Document Origin: Business Day, through afrika.no
	Secondary Category: Human Rights	Source URL: http://www.afrika.no
	Key Words: South Africa, Land, Redistribution, Restitution,
	Summary & Comment: South Africa’s ability to reach its economic growth targets is hampered by its land redistribution campaign. The campaign is going at a snail’s pace, and it is very unlikely that it will meet its target of redistributing 30 percent of the commercial land to blacks by 2014. FJ
7.	Small can be beautiful in Southern Africa
	Author: Stephanie Nieuwoudt	Date Written: 8 May 2008
	Primary Category: Southern Region	Document Origin: IPS Terraviva Africa
	Secondary Category: Economic Justice	Source URL: http://www.ipsterraviva.net
	Key Words: Southern Africa, Agriculture, small-scale farmers, Technology
	Summary & Comment: The Southern African region is currently registering stunted, economic growth and dwindling food production. Can it turn the corner and start producing impressive results? It can if governments invest in small-scale farmers. This story gives an example of Malawi which registered high food production and an improved economy after government invested . . . [expand]

News from Additional Sources

IPS Inter Press Service - Southern Africa

1. TRADE: Zimbabwe Is the Fly in the New FTA Broth
   HARARE, May 15 (IPS) - With an electoral crisis, world-record inflation and a collapsing economy blighted by a brain drain and a generally restive population, Zimbabwe could prove to be southern Africa’s ‘‘problem child’’ as the region seeks to link its economies in a new free trade area (FTA).
2. TRADE-MALAWI: Turmoil as Tobacco Prices Fluctuate
   LILONGWE, May 15 (IPS) - Malawi’s tobacco industry has been in turmoil after wildly fluctuating prices led protesting farmers to force the closure of the auction floors.
3. SOUTHERN AFRICA: Water "Undervalued and Not Treated With Respect"
   MASERU, May 14 (IPS) - A two-day conference on water issues in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which opened Wednesday in Maseru, Lesotho, has seen representatives of government, civil society, the private sector, donors and other groups discuss the likely effects of climate change on development in the region.
4. Q&A: "Literally, This Is Energy From Dirt"
   ACCRA, May 10 (IPS) - You've heard of solar power, and also wind power. Now, you might start hearing about soil power as well.
5. DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: "Political Will" Needed To Address Food Crisis
   NAIROBI, May 9 (IPS) - The need to give agriculture top billing on governmental "to do" lists has been highlighted at a telephone briefing to discuss the current food crisis as it affects Africa.