Sorcerer dies in failed underwater spirit stunt

A TRADITIONAL medicine man in Tanzania drowned after jumping in a river and promising to resurface three days later with relevations from ancestral spirits, police said Tuesday.
The local witch doctor, named as Nyasio Alfonso, staged his ill-fated stunt last week at the village of Masingo in the western Mpanda district near Lake Tanganyika, Rukwa regional police commander Daudi Siadi told AFP.

Dozens of villagers chanted and drummed as the fortune-teller dived to confer with the riverine spirits, he said.

"The incident was reported to us by the village leadership on Sunday, four days after Alfonso threw himself into the river," he said. "His decomposing body was fished out several metres downstream."

The police officer said the incident was the first of its kind in the region. "We are not aware of such practices although belief in witchcraft is widespread in Rukwa region," he said. — AFP

Reprinted from The Zimbabwe Independent

Zimbabwe Out of Control

BBC has a very informative report on how Zimbabwe came to be in the state it is and what the future may hold. Listen to:

The past seven years

Present and future

Seventh Spring

Who wants to live on a pension of $0.85 per month? If you do, go to Zimbabwe. Until then read

Cathy Buckle's Letter from Zimbabwe.

Fortaleza da Ilha de Moçambique

A closer look at the fort on the Island of Moçambique.

Oliver Mtukudzi-Hear Me Lord

More great music. This time from Zimbabwe.

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A bit of beautiful music from South Africa to break the ugliness of the news.

Why I'm fleeing South Africa

This is one of the saddest articles I've read in some time. The widow of Alan Paton is leaving South Africa. To leave the land one loves because of fear must be one of the most difficult things in life. How can things be turned around? That is the challenge not only for South Africa, but for the rest of the world corrupted by greed and hatred. I believe the greed gives birth to the hatred. Read

Why I'm fleeing South Africa

by Anne Paton (widow of Alan Paton)

All for Sugar

Cathy Buckle reports another farm theft in Cathy Buckle's Letter from Zimbabwe.

Beautiful Africa - 3rd edition!

A great blog on all of Africa is Beautiful Africa. It is a "carnival" and has regular collections of postings from all over Africa. Check out the latest:

Beautiful Africa - 3rd edition!

Message sending failed!

Cathy Buckle's latest Letter from Zimbabwe:

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Starving in Zimbabwe

CNN reports Starving in Zimbabwe

Crawling Under Razor Wire

Cathy Buckle writes from Zimbabwe:

Crawling under razor wire

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Q&A: Zimbabwe's economy

'Witchcraft' arrest in Mozambique

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From ZimOnline

Clear as Mud

Cathy Buckle's Letter from Zimbabwe

Cry for the Beloved Country. Will there be anyone to rebuild Zimbabwe after Mugabe is gone? Will anyone even try for fear that the next leader will be a Mugabe reincarnate?

I weep.