| COMMUNITY BUILDING
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culture and sport
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| Copyright
legislation under review in SADC |
| Original books, music and
other artistic products must be made affordable to ordinary citizens in SADC, a recent
workshop in Maputo, Mozambique, urged. Speaking during the SADC Copyright and
Neighbouring Rights workshop, Mozambican Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Mateus
Katupha expressed hope that the Committee of SADC Culture and Information Ministers would
find ways of making original products available cheaply.
Participants, who were mainly from the SADC region, concurred in calling for a greater
exchange of original national products between the member countries of the region.
They however, warned that if original works are priced too high, pirates and forgers
are the ones who benefit by offering pirated copies at much lower prices. The Mozambican
minister |
hoped that the exchange of
original writings and music between SADC countries “will allow the region to consume
a bit more of its own material”. Katupha said this would also give more importance
to the authors’ societies of the region, and counter the trend whereby royalties
“are transferred more to Europe and to the Americas than to the countries of the
region”.
“The current situation”, he added, “not only fails to provide our own
creative talents with more resources, but it is also detrimental to our economies in that
these transfers are not in our local currencies”.
The meeting was convened to discuss the latest developments concerning the protection
of copyright in the region, draft recommendations to be submitted to the annual meeting of
ministers of the sector, to take place in May. It also sought to gather international
experiences in collective management of societies of authors. |
The minister said efforts
have been made to reformulate legislation in SADC countries to bring it into line with the
various international conventions on copyright. However, court cases concerning copyright
were long and complicated “showing clearly the need to train the staff who deal
directly or indirectly with these questions”. Katupha pointed out that a greater
exchange of materials within the region would also allow “greater and better mutual
knowledge, thus contributing to the process of regional integration”.
Last international women's day of the
millenium celebrated in southern Africa
Conclusions of impact study
SADC in pictures
Books and publications
SADC diary
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| Zimbabwe loses right to host nations cup |
All Africa Games
soccer qualifiers
underway
The seventh All Africa Games soccer qualifiers are currently under
way with most southern African countries meeting in the first round stages for the
competition which will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in September.
Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are pitted in the same group while Lesotho,
Zambia, Malawi and Namibia are in another group.
Only one country qualifies from each group and will join the hosts South Africa as well
as winners from other zones in Africa.
Meanwhile, most countries in the region are in the process of choosing their athletics
teams to compete in the Johannesburg games.
The All Africa games take place once every four years. Zimbabwe hosted the last edition
in 1995. |
| Zimbabwe cried foul in
March when the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) upheld
an earlier decision to move the continent’s premier soccer showcase from the southern
African country in favour of two west African countries. CAF alleged that Zimbabwe had
not made adequate preparations for the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations and awarded the right to
host the biennial tournament to Ghana and Nigeria. The two countries are previous hosts,
while Zimbabwe has never hosted the tournament before. Ghana hosted the finals in 1963 and
1978, while Nigeria played hosts in 1980 and 1982.
The failure to host the African Cup of Nations finals was not a blow to Zimbabwe alone
but to the whole of southern Africa. For Zimbabwe, the continental event was anticipated
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generate a lot of foreign
currency as spectators were expected to throng the country to witness the event. For other
SADC countries, it was going to be as good as playing at home as their supporters would
need to make a short journey to Harare. Realising the importance of having the
tournament staged close to home, South Africa offered financial support to Zimbabwe,
hoping to pursuade CAF to change their decision. Zambia, another regional soccer
powerhouse made a written message of solidarity with Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, all this
counted for nothing as CAF upheld their decision.
The co-hosts now qualify automatically as hosts along with Egypt who qualify as
holders. Zimbabwe will find solace in having been allowed to participate in the
qualifiers. |
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