As the world continues to celebrate international Women’s Day, Women prisoners in Burundi have protested against poor food, congestion and delayed Justice.

On March 12 a team from the Ministry of Justice visited Mpimba central prison, however, the prison authorities had earlier cautioned the inmates to behave when the Ministry Justice team arrives at the facility.

Before the arrival of the personnel from the Ministry of Justice, the director of the prison asked the prisoners to behave like ‘human beings’.

“When our guests come, you should stand up, greet them warmly and welcome with dances and songs. You have to prove to them that you are still “human beings”, you have to show them that you are innocent “. And to tell them a secret: “The minister has brought you something, stay calm!,”said the director of the prison.

The prison warden prohibited the inmates telling them not to expose their problems but only to thank: “Put your jargon aside, and one of you is going to speak in thanks only. Our problems are between us,” he ordered.

Evelyne Izobiriza an inmate was chosen to represent her colleagues. She didn’t mince words and suddenly defied orders from prison warden.

In her speech, she didn’t just say “thank you”.

She presented her concerns also on the subject of the recent presidential pardon; “We are afraid that most of us will not benefit from the presidential pardon, because we are still in the category of ” defendants ” and that is a lot of years that our trials do not advance.

To qualify for this grace, you must be in the category of “condemned”. A lot of women here don’t have lawyers and others can’t afford a lawyer,” she pleaded.

“We sleep on the floor, the prison is full. You couldn’t get into our cells to find out. There are pregnant women, old people, mothers who have infants. Some of us have just spent 5 years without appearing in court, not to mention those who are here unfairly. The justice does nothing, we want to know where it is with our files,” Izobiriza querried the team from Justice Ministry.

Another inmate cited the lack of food, “We are given almost a kilogram and a half of flour and beans a day, for lunch and dinner, whether you have children or not. This is not enough “.

During this visit, the team from the Ministry of Justice brought some food for the detainees. This was for the purpose of celebrating International Women’s Day with these detainees.

“The prisoners are 235 in total while this part of the prison should only accommodate 80 inmates,” said Ildefonse Ruvahagumye, director of Mpimba central prison.

Foreigners working for  the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) are worried of their safety following a growing public anger against them.

Reports reaching Taarifa indicate that the local population in town of Kyubo, Haut-Katanga accuses ICCN of attempts to rob the concession of the Upemba National Park for the erection of a hydroelectric dam by a foreign company.

This Monday March 15, a protest march was organized in Kyubo, more than 200 kilometers from Lubumbashi among which the agents of Kipay Energy are expressing their dissatisfaction with what they see as blocking the construction of a hydroelectric dam on an area belonging to the Upemba National Park.

Justicia Asbl a non-profit association for the defense and promotion of human rights has denounced threats against foreign officials of the ICCN. It calls on the political and administrative authorities of Haut-Katanga to ensure the safety of foreign nationals of ICCN and their partners in the face of these threats.

Justicia Asbl warns that messages against foreign nationals could lead to human rights violations attributable to the manipulators of these masses.

This manipulation, which began with the publication of pamphlets against foreign officials of ICCN in the local media, is exacerbated these days by the instrumentalisation of the youth in order to attack foreign nationals and ICCN partners.

The officials and agents of the Upemba Park have lived in insecurity for a while. The conservator of Upemba National Park was killed on Saturday December 15 in Kyalwe, in Mitwaba territory (Haut-Katanga).

According to the provincial office of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), the victim was shot dead by armed men while returning from the nearby town of Kyubo by motorbike.

Two armed men allegedly asked him to stop. Following the curator’s refusal, they shot him, said Upemba Park officials.

The People of South Africa’s Zulu Nation, the country’s largest ethnic group are mourning the death of their King Goodwill Zwelithini who has succumbed to diabetes-related issues.

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi announced the death of the king on Friday Morning, ” It is with the utmost grief that I inform the nation of the passing of His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini,” he said in a brief statement.

“On behalf of the royal family, we thank the nation for your continued prayers and support in this most difficult time,” the statement added.

There were concerns for his blood sugar levels and he received treatment in the ICU when he became unstable.

His condition was treated with caution because of the risks associated with covid-19, Buthelezi said previously.

King Zwelithini made history as the longest serving monarch of the Zulu Kingdom – with a reign spanning over five decades.

Born on 14 July 1948 in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, he’s the eldest son of King Cyprian Bhekuzulu and his second wife Queen Thomo.

Following his father’s passing in 1968, King Zwelithini was appointed to the throne – he was just a 20-year-old student at the time.

But he was not crowned until 1971 because he had to go into hiding outside the kingdom following a plot to have him killed.