Culture

UNESCO adopts Victoria Falls draft decision with Zambian amendments

Published

2 months ago

July 29, 2024

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has adopted a draft decision concerning the Zambian Victoria Falls World Heritage Site, incorporating amendments proposed by the country.

The adoption of the amendments was made at the 46th Session of the Committee held in New Delhi, India.

First Secretary, Press at the Zambian Mission in Paris, Naomi Mweemba, who made the announcement, said the revised draft decision aligned with previous Committee decisions and supports the Joint Integrated Management Plan (JIMP) as a blueprint for infrastructure development.

Mweemba explained that the “JIMP outlined improvements within and around the Victoria Falls site, including establishing precise boundaries, zonation and buffer zones to complete the retrospective inventory that began a decade ago.”

“The Committee urges Zambia and Zimbabwe to finalise and harmonise the JIMP with national and transboundary plans. This includes limits on use, permissible activities, infrastructure and safeguards to mitigate development pressures,” Mweemba stated.

According to Mweemba, the draft decision was adopted without objection, with Kenya presenting the amendments on behalf of Zambia and the Republic of Korea and Rwanda offering support.

“Consensus was reached between Zambia, Zimbabwe and the World Heritage Centre prior to the adoption of the amendments,” Mweemba noted.

She added that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an advisory body of the World Heritage Convention, was also involved in the discussions.

Zambia was required to include evidence in all management plans and State of Conservation reports showing that the Victoria Falls Livingstone Resort Hotel was adhering to mitigatory measures set by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the revised JIMP.

Additionally, Zambia has allocated $100,000 to support capacity-building programmes for sustainable development around the World Heritage site.

“This funding reflects Zambia’s commitment to implementing the safeguards recommended by the World Heritage Committee in 2023, ensuring that the proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme does not compromise the site’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV),” she added.

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Culture

Rwandan YouTuber Rashid Hakuzimana sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for criticizing govt

Published

24 hours ago

October 10, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A high court in Rwanda has sentenced a YouTuber, Rashid Hakuzimana, who known for his critical commentary on the government, to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of breaching laws on genocide denial, inciting ethnic division, and spreading false information.

The judge who sentenced Hakuzimana— who also describes himself as a politician— said his remarks on YouTube, such as those suggesting that genocide orphans were not as well cared for as the children of senior government officials, amounted to fuelling division.

Hakuzimana was arrested in 2021, with his trial bringing significant media attention, while reflecting ongoing tensions surrounding governance in Rwanda.

His commentary often touched on sensitive subjects, including the treatment of genocide orphans compared to the children of senior government officials.

He was accused, among other things, of denying the Rwandan genocide, during which approximately 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus, were killed by Hutu extremists.

The case not only highlighted the Rwandan government’s stringent stance on dissent but also raised broader questions about freedom of speech, accountability, and the historical memory of the 1994 genocide.

Rwandan law criminalizes any attempts to deny, downplay, or justify the tragic historical event, while the charges against Hakuzimana also included claims of inciting ethnic division and spreading false information, notably for asserting that anyone who challenges President Paul Kagame in elections is subsequently jailed.

During the trial, Hakuzimana who represented himself, denied the allegations, asserting that his arrest stemmed from his critical views of the government expressed through his popular YouTube channel, Rashid TV.

Culture

MultiChoice targets illegal streamers in crackdown against piracy

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Satellite television services provider, MultiChoice, says it is now targeting illegal streamers in its renewed crackdown against piracy.

Frikkie Jonker, the Anti-Piracy Director for Broadcast and Cybersecurity at MultiChoice-owned Irdeto, in a statement on Tuesday, says the company now uses tools to analyse illegal streams and identify the individuals responsible for streaming pirated DStv content.

Jonker stated that authorities knew who the end-users of these pirate streaming services were and warned that MultiChoice would consider legal action against them once criminal proceedings against such operators had been finalised.

“We are going after the whole ecosystem,” Jonker said in response to a question asking who MultiChoice is targeting.

“The company has carried out several raids in recent months, resulting in the arrest of several suspects allegedly involved in pirate streaming operations.

“Suspects include individuals allegedly distributing pirate streaming devices and login credentials for illegal streaming services like Waka TV.

“We have identification tools that we can use to analyse a stream of a pirate operation. By analysing it, we can say that the stream is using account number ‘123’, and then we take that account down,” Jonker said.

Jonker emphasised the importance of the crackdown, stating that the impact of pirate streaming services on platforms such as DStv Stream and Netflix is difficult to quantify due to their size.