A number of Nigerian bloggers marked the death of human rights lawyer and social justice activist, Gani Fawehinmi (1938-2009).

‘Gani Fawehinmi belonged in a class of his own. Selfless, visionary and dogged, even in the face of enormous personal risk, so long as the cause advanced the common good, he was not a man to shy from truth or fear inconvenience.” - Pat Utomi

Cognative Diary describes Fawehinmi as the ‘most famous figure in Nigerian history’. Possibly he meant to say the most famous ‘legal figure’. Nonetheless, Fawehinmi stands as out as a giant in a country where there are relatively few prepared to fight for social justice and his passing represents the end of an era and will be surely missed...

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/447/58604_gani_tmb.jpg‘His death this morning, 5th September 2009, suggests the beginning of the end of an era of a particular generation of public activists in Nigeria, following on the death in 2006, of Beko Ransome Kuti (1940-2006), who, along with Fela Anikulapo (1938-1997) and Olikoye (1927-2003), to adapt the words of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, were, along with their sister Dolupo, their mother, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti ( 1900-1978) and father Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (1891 to 1955) members of ‘the legendary Ransome Kuti [family"> of Abeokuta.

‘Younger and older members of the group who fought such death defying battles are still with us, such as Femi Falana and Wole Soyinka, but I wonder whether the culture of civic resistance these people represent is still as powerful as what they demonstrated.’

My Pen & Paper asks who will stand up for the defenseless now Fawehinmi is gone?

‘Now that Papa Gani Fawehinmi is dead, who will speak for us? – someone with enough repute – who lives up to the words: honesty and dignity; someone we have always believed in – who puts the nation before himself and every other thing; someone we can be sure about – who won’t disappoint when he gives you a promise; someone whose ‘state of mind’ crosses the borders where tribal inclinations, financial status and musterable powers put the Nigerian masses to a perpetual loss; someone who knows the real issues, and puts these first and foremost.’

Finally Grandiose Parlor describes Fawehinmi as Nigeria’s Martin Luther King:

‘An indefatigable critic of military dictatorship and corruption, in the process of his crusades for the rule of law, the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the oppressed, he fought many battles against military dictatorship as a result of which he had been arrested several times by the military governments and its numerous security agents. He was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.’

Sokwanele has been running a series of posts called ‘Zimbabwe Inclusive Government Watch’. The aim is to monitor violations of the Unity Government agreement between Zanu PF and the MDC.

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/447/58604_sokwanele_tmb.jpgAcco... to the latest report politically motivated violence, corruption and seizures of farms not only continue to take place but appear to be worsening.

‘The month of August has seen a notable increase in breaches in these two areas:
open subversion of legal or administrative processes for political benefit, and
deliberate non-cooperation with the other parties to the GPA agreement, or the deliberate undermining – or abuse of – other persons or parties for political ends.

Zanu PF's favourite political tool – violence – stills plagues Zimbabwe's populace to the extent that it is almost accepted as a norm by the majority. Our first listed breach in Issue 8 reveals that the government has turned deaf ears to the warnings by the Kimberly Process that the sales of Zimbabwean diamonds may be suspended internationally after the international body directed that Zimbabwe's diamond fields should be demilitiarised. The troops are still there, and rights abuses and smuggling continue unabated.’

Unlike Zimbabwe, which has extensive media coverage on human rights violations, there is relative silence on Ethiopia. Abbay Media reports on the continued human rights violations causing displacement in the country due to the ongoing internal conflicts as well as between the Ethiopian army and the Ogaden National Liberation Front and in the south-west between the army and the Oromo Liberation Front.

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/447/58604_ethiopia_tmb.jpg‘For decades, Ethiopia has been affected by famine and conflict. In 2009, there have been various reports of internal displacement resulting from conflicts and human rights violations perpetrated by the army and groups opposed to the government. It is difficult to establish the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) as neither the government nor any international organisation has undertaken a profiling exercise. The access of humanitarian and human rights organisations and the media to some areas of the country has been restricted....

‘The impact on civilians of the conflict in Somali Region has been likened to that of Darfur. Meanwhile, there are also conflicts in at least five of the country’s nine regions with causes ranging from competition over scarce water and pasture resources to disputes over administrative boundaries. In February 2009 alone, some 160,000 people were driven from their homes by conflict between the Garre of the Somali region and the Boran of the Oromiya region over a contested piece of land.’

Constitutionally Speaking comments on the recent granting of refugee status to a white South African, on the basis as white man he is in danger of his life. The law in Canada on refugee status does not require a full hearing with cross examination which enabled Huntley to present his case without any challenge from the SA government. If he had been challenged, the description of the leafy white suburb of Mowbray where he lived might have brought a different result.

‘Huntley is therefore very lucky. Imagine the Refugee Board had to have a full hearing and the South African government could present evidence – tested under cross examination – about the situation in South Africa. Hell, the South African government could merely have asked a representative of Pam Golding Properties to go and testify on their behalf. On the Pam Golding’s website, Huntley’s old suburd is described as follows:

Mowbray is known for its convenient locality to all of Cape Town’s amenities, particularly exclusive schools, the University of Cape Town, the world-famous Groote Schuur Hospital and sporting facilities, such as the Rondebosch Golf Course and Newlands Rugby and Cricket grounds. Boasting large family homes, when you buy a house in the Southern Suburbs, you are not only buying a home, but rather a lifestyle of carefree independence for your children.’

Africa Rise reports on the attempted deportation of African workers by the Israeli government:

‘There is a growing level of opposition within Israel to the deportation policy of the government, and in particular, to the fact that the government deports and at the same time, allows employers to ‘import’ new labour.

‘There “Human Resources Companies” are said to make dozens of thousands dollars on each new worker they import. Thus, the “revolving door" policy, in which the government allows to illegalize many workers only to import new ones is extremely profitable.

‘To support the deportation, officials use the cynical rhetoric of accusing the foreign workers in the growing levels of unemployment, ignoring the fact that it is the same government that constantly gives new permits for the industry to import new cheap labor from abroad.’

She asks how the Israeli government will explain these deportations and racism against migrant workers to prospective partnerships with African countries. I doubt the African countries would be any more concerned than they have at the massive deportations and racism experienced by their citizens in Europe.

Finally Black Looks writes on the welcome conviction of the seven men accused of gang raping South African lesbian Buyisiwe in 2005. The case has taken nearly four years – which is not very encouraging for women who wish to report their rape. BL asks why the remaining three-quarters of South African men [one in four of South African men have admitted to rape"> are not breaking their silence around rape:

‘One in 4 South African men have admitted to rape and half of those admitted to more than one rape – meaning there are millions of rapists walking and driving the streets. 36,190 rapes and attempted rapes were reported in 2007. A 2005 study from the Medical Research Council (MRC) on sexual violence report that only one out of every nine rape survivors report the attack to the police and even when cases do reach the courts, there is a less than 5 per cent conviction rate – meaning there are 9 times 36,000 rapes and attempted rapes every year, nearly half million.

A recent brief conversation with a young SA man is a wake call for mass education. He was convinced that many women were in fact seducing men and then accusing them of rape. And whilst there are many women speaking and writing against the hate and violence directed at women particular black lesbians, I still do not hear the voices of men. Why are men particularly those in the progressive activist community not breaking the silence on violence against women? By not doing so, they themselves become complicit in hate and rape.’

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* Sokari Ekine blogs at Black Looks
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