President Obama dropped South Africa visit because Michelle’s mother insisted to join the entourage

By Korir, Chief editor (API)

When it was announced that Mrs Obama will travel alone to South Africa, it was not clear why President Obama would not travel with her. Now a source in her office (name withheld) says the trouble started when Michelle’s mother, Marian Robinson, insisted to join the entourage.

She will be in South Africa tomorrow Monday 20th. She will also visit Botswana before sightseeing for 4 days. Michelle and her mother wants to use the time there to enjoy the scenery (visiting the national parks) watching wild animals – this will be something for the children. It will be easy for them to do so because the many officials that surround the President always does not give them the privacy, mother-daughter Robinson/Michelle, that they seem to miss after the election of Obama to head the US.

The President wanted to travel with his wife and children on what was to be a working 7-day holiday to South Africa. The president’s plan was to meet former South African president Nelson Mandela because his health is deteriorating. It is said he wanted to meet him this year because in the coming year he will be very busy with the presidential campaign. Obama wants a second term in office.

Michelle’s mother, it is reported, wanted to use the opportunity to be with them and also get to meet Mandela. When the president said no, Michelle is said to have become very furious and stood her grounds insisting that her dear mother must travel with them.

That is when the president decided to drop the visit enabling Michelle and mother (daughter and mother) to go and enjoy the African sun and afternoon tea with Mandela.

Before accepting that his wife and mother travel alone to Africa, it is said, the president insisted and got his wife’s understanding that the upcoming September trip to Kenya will not include Marian Robinson (Michelle’s mother), but only their two daughters and government officials.

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President Obama’s wife Michelle to have Afternoon Tea with Nelson Mandela in South Africa on Monday her office confirmed today.

By Korir, Chief editor (API)

It has been reported that Mrs Obama, Michelle will visit South Africa Monday the 20th and will leave for Botswana the same day in the evening.

Her official and private program will include meeting with Nelson Mandela Monday for a chat and afternoon tea.

She will also meet with one of President Zuma’s many wives.

Mrs Obama travels with her daughters. The White House reports that the trip will focus on education and health. It is also reported that instead of being accompanied by President Obama, Mrs Obama will have the company of her dear mother and two other unnamed relatives. The president has a lot to do back home now that the election campaign is around the corner.

It is, however, confirmed that President Obama will be accompanied by his Wife Michelle and daughters when the president visits Kenya in September this year as we earlier reported.

Source. (Official: Mrs Obama’s office).

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ILO MEETING ENDS

BY JEFF OTIENO IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

The 100th session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) meeting has officially ended in Geneva, Switzerland.

During the three week long intense session world leaders among them Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Markel, President of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete, President of Finland and her Switzerland counterpart graced the occasion in the United Nations General Assembly Hall.

A powerful Kenyan delegation under the tutelage of the COTU (K) Secretary General Francis Atwoli, Labour Minister John Munyes, Labour P.S Beatrice Kituyi and Federation of Kenya employers Chair Person Jackline Mugo were also in the attendance and gave key note addresses touching on the plight of Kenyan workers and how their welfare can be improved in the near future.

 Various adoptions like that of domestic workers were made and only ratification from affiliated member countries is what remains.

The fiery COTU Secretary General also retained his powerful position in the ILO governing body a slot only equivalent to the Kenyan cabinet and whose mandate is to run the daily affairs of the ILO body.

Owing to that position, Atwoli will now be obliged to attend the ILO head quarters thrice in a year for crucial deliberations.

Meanwhile the General Secretary for the aviation who was also in attendance took issue with some private Kenyan companies for muzzling and victimizing shop stewards.

Nicholas Baraza mentioned Flower wing and Transami as the culprits in his brief address at the ILO Assembly Hall.

END

The Bambuti settlement in Mugunga lacks the most basic amenities

DRC: Ragi Ngenderezi Abulengu, “We are like birds: today we are here, but tomorrow we will move again”

Photo: Zahra Moloo/IRIN

The Bambuti settlement in Mugunga lacks the most basic amenities

MUGUNGA, 15 June 2011 (IRIN) – In Mugunga, about 12km from Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), communities of Bambuti have been eking out a living at the edge of the city. The Bambuti are believed to be among Central Africa’s oldest inhabitants, surviving from hunting and gathering. Among those living in Mugunga, some fled the war in eastern DRC in 2005 and others were evicted from their ancestral homes in Virunga National Park, home to DRC’s mountain gorillas.

Neglected by humanitarian organizations, the Bambuti are among the most marginalized communities in the country, without access to even the most basic of resources like shelter and potable water. They frequently face discrimination from other communities. One of their greatest challenges is access to land; despite being DRC’s original inhabitants, they have no title deeds.

“Where we were before, in Ngungu, there was a war between the DRC National Army (FARDC) and the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) several years ago. A lot of people died. When they saw children, the militias simply mutilated them. Now, we’ve been away for more than five years, but we have been unable to go back. We don’t even have our own land there. And here in Mugunga, the proprietor can tell us that we have to move after 2-3 days, so we will be on the move again.

“Recently the city’s water department cut off the water supply so we don’t have any access to water. And even eating every day is difficult. We live by depending on other people who were living here before. We work for them and they give us a small amount to eat. Like slaves.

“As Bambuti, we have no right to own land, so how can we even go back to where we came from? We need the government to bring about stability in land ownership. We are like birds: today we are here, but tomorrow we will move again. Even when someone dies, we have trouble finding a place to bury him.

“When some of our people were moved from Virunga National Park, we were supposed to get 40 percent of the profits from the park, but we got nothing. We can’t even change our lifestyle to fishing because of a lack of materials.

“When we try to go to the park, we are beaten by the security guards. They tell us we are dirty; some use their weapons against us. The last time one of us went there, his shirt was torn by the guards. How can we find our own medicines if the park is closed to us? In the health centres, we are refused treatment because we don’t have money. They tell us: `You are a pygmy – get out’.

“The whole of Congo has forgotten the Bambuti, but please tell me something, who does the Congo belong to? Who are the true people of Congo? If we raise our heads, the people of this country push us down again. If we had access to education, we could study – we really have a great deal of potential, but we have no access.”

zm/am/cb source www.irinnews.org

President Chiluba has died

By Korir, Chief editor (API)

Former Zambian President Fredrick Chiluba has died. It is reported that he died in his bedroom in the presence of his wife and doctor.

According to the Daily Nation, Kenya,  “Chiluba complained that he was feeling like he had some gas. The doctor attended to him and left. Then two hours later Dr Kangwa was called and he came and attended to him. Dr Chiluba was even joking that “doctor ndemishupafye (doctor, I am just troubling you) I am well” but Dr Kangwa noticed that he was unwell. – “”Just a few minutes before midnight, Dr Chiluba was in the bedroom with Mrs (Regina) Chiluba and (his doctor) Dr Kangwa and they noticed that he had rather quickly changed. They panicked, they tried to call an ambulance but the doctor was in place, he checked him and realised he had died,” said the spokesman.””

His doctor was unable to save him.

Chiluba is credited with bringing democracy to the country and lifting the economy, but he is also accused of embezzelment of state money together with is family.

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