THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM CLANCY, HOST: This week on INSIDE AFRICA: the patients become the healers; how land mine survivors in Ethiopia are rebuilding their lives and making a difference in society. A report on the state of schools in South Africa's townships seven years after the end of apartheid.
(VIDEO CLIP)
DAN FOSTER, DISC JOCKEY, COOL-FM: Breakfast jam Dam Foster style, Dam Foster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Funny, irreverent and mystified to be here. Meet a U.S. disc jockey who's winning the hearts and minds of Nigeria's radio listeners.
Hello and welcome. This is INSIDE AFRICA. I'm Jim Clancy. We're taking our weekly look at news and life on the Continent. First, we're going to South Africa and make a visit to a classroom. During the apartheid era, there were glaring inequities in the education system. Townships, schools, struggled to survive, while schools in affluent suburbs flourished. Years after the end of apartheid, how have things changed?
For an answer to that question, we turn to our Johannesburg bureau chief Charlayne Hunter-Gault -- Charlayne.
CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Jim, seven years into South Africa's new democracy, educators are struggling to overcome the inequities that crippled black schools during apartheid. For years, poor test results have borne witness to the damage done. Despite that, some schools in poor townships like this one are overcoming the odds.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): As dawn breaks over Orange Farm, these students head for a Hatuto school, coming out of the shacks of this poor township, some without breakfast or money to buy food. Some may faint from hunger before the day is over.
But they get up and come here, at least an hour earlier than students at other schools. Their day beginning with prayers for success. Then it's down to making it happen. Not easy, when there's almost never enough of anything.
(on camera): One of the problems they've had to overcome can be seen here in this library. Too many students, not enough books. Not enough books in the library, not enough books in the classrooms, where the students have to share. The teachers have to improvise.
But improvise they do. This lesson on HIV/AIDS taught from a magazine donated to the school.
MTUNGWA DLAMINI, TEACHER: No condoms.
CHILDREN: No sex.
DLAMINI: Thank you.
HUNTER-GAULT (voice-over): The regular lessons are also infused with something extra.
DLAMINI: But in life, of course, there are things that are going to challenge you. But despite that, one still has to. We tell them being poor is a challenge. And the only solution to that is to become more and more educated. Good education will be able to combat and make a change.
HUNTER-GAULT: This former student learned that lesson.
ISABELLE NTSUKUNYANE: I'm much motivated to come to this class. And I have enough confidence with them. So that's why they are helpful kids as well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They tell us how to be the best in life.
HUNTER-GAULT: Teachers often work on weekends and holidays, though their average salary is less than $300 a month. This kind of motivation is what's put a Hatuto and his students out ahead of most township schools. There's a pass rate of almost 95 percent. The national average is closer to 50.
Like Trevor Nthini, most students live in cramped township stacks, studying difficult.
TREVOR NTHINI, STUDENT: I can only study after everybody has gone to sleep. And sometimes that's very late.
HUNTER-GAULT: So Trevor, who wants to be an engineer, usually returns to school to study, despite the dangers in the township where crime is rampant after dark.
GOLI HADEBE, PRINCIPAL: We might be a school in an ocean of sharks. But the fact is, that is still a school.
HUNTER-GAULT (on camera): South Africa's minister of education is determined to see more success stories like Ahatuto (ph). And while more resources are needed, the lesson of Ahatuto (ph) is that human will and commitment are the greatest resources of all.
Charlayne Hunter-Gault, CNN, Orange Farm, South Africa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Now for more on this topic, go to our Web site at www.cnn.com/INSIDEAFRICA. Remember, you can take part in our quick vote there. And then, why don't you join me online for a live chat. That will be on the Internet Wednesday at 1500 hours, Greenwich meantime. You can discuss all things African. Go to www.CNN.com/chat.
The United Nations estimates there are 110 million landmines scattered in nearly 70 countries across the globe. 11 of those nations are in Africa, among them, Ethiopia, where thousands of people have been maimed.
Even more important, the story of how some are rebuilding not only their lives, but the lives of others.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Lama Jamilo spent more than a decade begging on the streets of Addis Ababa, a former soldier, proud and patriotic, Lama was injured by a landmine in 1989 during Eritrea's roar of independence from Ethiopia. He lost not only both of his legs, but he also lost his sustenance and his hope.
Recently, Jamilo's life changed. An organization called "the landmine survivor's network" began helping him. They sent a counselor, someone disabled like Jamilo (ph), to help him deal with his frustrations. They brought him a scale, so he could run a small business. Jamilo (ph) says it's helped him regain self-respect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before I received assistance from landmine survivor's network, I was idle. I was dependent on other people. And since I got these scales, I'm happy. And it's not only given me something to do, it has given me income.
CLANCY: Rosiro Abetta Stall (ph) was also provided by LSN. And Felike Adeferes crumbling home was repaired. These people are among some 25 to 50,000 landmine victims struggling to survive in Ethiopia today.
YIBERTA TADESSA, LANDMINE SURVIVORS NETWORK: We are working with people who are really emotional, frustrated, desperate and also (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just to change their attitudes. We are working really to (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CLANCY: The landmine survivors network was founded in 1995 by two Americans. It operates in a number of countries. The concept, to help landmine victims with counselors like Incai Osres (ph), who are themselves disabled.
ENQUAYEHU ASRES: One of the most rewarding and interesting parts of my job is when I treat an individual who has already lost hope and I see that he is reviving through my supports and intervention. When a person goes through idle and frustrated to being economically active and productive, it is inspiring.
CLANCY: As well as counseling to handicapped, LSN organizes peer support groups. It provides desperately needed material assistance, links to medical treatment, prosthetic limbs and a source of income.
MUIRREAN BRENNAN, CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL: In way, it is a drop in the ocean, but it's an important ocean. And it's a start. Possibly because LSN is kind of building on a foundation of people who have been injured themselves, who will then help other people who have been injured.
It's beneficiaries agree. Athula Sunawork Desalen (ph) was wounded by a landmine as a child in 1956. Six months ago, LSN began helping him. Now he has a sewing business and is so affected by the assistance, that he has begun counseling others, just like him.
And Felike Adeferes now has her rebuild house. A veteran soldier of three wars, Adeferes lost one leg to a landmine in 1991.
FELIKE ADEFERES, LANDMINE SURVIVOR: If it wasn't for LSN, I wouldn't have a home. My house was falling apart.
CLANCY: A drop in the ocean, maybe, but one for Adeferes to celebrate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Apart from rehabilitating victims, the landmine survivors network is working to remove mines from areas where they'll still present. We're going to take a break right now. When we return, Tunisia preparing for a major international sports gathering. We'll look at how that's changing the face of the capital, Tunis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: This week, new information came to light about the United States in action during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Declassified U.S. government documents show that senior Washington officials were aware of the scale of the killings underway.
Tumi Makgabo has more now more about reaction from Rwanda's President Paul Kagame.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUMI MAKGABO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The declassified documents show that the United States was aware of the scope of the killings very early on. But Rwanda's president says the revelations are not surprising.
PAUL KAGAME, RWANDAN PRESIDENT: The U.N. knew the U.S. government and other governments in Europe and -- all of them knew. They had a presence here. They had offices. They had representatives who were supposed to be informing them as to what was happening.
MAKGABO: According to the documents obtained by the privately run National Security Archive in Washington, Prudence Bushnell, then the number two official for African matters at the State Department, urged a senior Rwandan military official, Colonel Theoneste Bagosora to "do the right thing." But the killings continued under early July, when the rebels captured the capital, Kigali.
KAGAME: I don't know. The reason is well aware. Why they decided to ignore that and came to understand that a genocide was taking place at a much later stage.
MAKGABO: Theoneste Bagosora is now on trial at the United Nations tribunal set up after the genocide. As many as 115,000 genocide suspects are crowded into makeshift prisons in Rwanda, awaiting trial. And the country is now using its own methods to heal the wounds.
It's been rebuilding its justice system and restoring a traditional village level judiciary known as Gachacha (ph), which involves the local population. President Kagame says among the most daunting tasks has been educating people on how to respond to the public trial of genocide suspects.
Because Rwandans living in villages are being taught how to accept people returning to their fold, after being cleared or charged, all serving time in prison. But the president admits achieving that is a daunting task.
Tumi Makgabo, CNN.
(END VIDETAPE)
CLANCY: All right. Time now for us to turn to another area of interest in Africa, business news. And for that, we've got to turn to Zain Verjee -- Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Jim. Good news for the telecommunications industry in Africa. High tech experts say the Continent is the most profitable place for wireless operators. And international companies want to take advantage of the lucrative market.
CNN's Robert Wiener looks at how one company's making waves in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT WIENER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to Kinshasa. This capital of some seven million souls continues to both delight and confound the visitors.
For example, where are the telephone poles? Answer, no where. For years, only the elite could be seen with one of these.
DAVID MUTOMB: During Mobutu's period, it was mainly restricted to VIPs who had -- who could afford having cellphones because the government, which was paying for the bills.
WIENER: But now that's changed. Thanks to foreign investment, Congolese by the tens of thousands have learned to reach out and touch someone.
By local standards, it's still expensive: $75 gets you the phone, $10 bucks gives you 33 minutes of airtime. But Celtel, one of a handful of foreign companies, invested $69 million and banked on this country's future.
JOHN MCDONALD, CELTEL DIRECTOR: Although it has a history of volatility, both the economical and political progress made this year, so far, has been extremely positive. And we are confident of going forward that we will continue to see a lot of growth.
WIENER: So far, Celtel, which is expanding into other African markets, says it has almost 70,000 subscribers, each spending an average of $40 a month. The Congolese like to chat as much as the next guy. And since the main business here is not diamonds, uranium or even cobalt, but rather the rumor business, there's plenty to talk about.
What's more important though, the telephone has made a terribly tough life here easier. MUTOMB: And I think though people are unpaid, but they can manage. They even market sellers who can afford a phone.
WIENER: This is Robert WIENER, CNN, area code 243 in Kinshasa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: A boost for trade in Africa. Seven African countries have launched an insurance agency aimed at reassuring foreign investors against financial losses. The African Trade Insurance Agency will provide political risk insurance. From its headquarters in Nairobi, it also worked to encourage trade within Africa.
The agency's received more than $1 million from the International Development Association. I'm Zain Verjee and those are your African headlines.
Jim, back to you.
CLANCY: All right, Zain. Thanks for that.
Well, every four years, countries along the Mediterranean basin come together to compete in various sporting events. This year game's going to be taking place in Tunisia. The country is making preparations.
And as Sylvia Smith reports, hoping the games will make Tunis a winner.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SYLVIA SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tunisians are on their marks, getting set for the Mediterranean Games in September. But while athletes focus on training for track and field and other competitions, the host country is looking beyond the games. Thousands of extra visitors are expected to descend on the capital, Tunis. And the man in charge of promoting Tunisia to the rest of the world, says the games are an ideal opportunity for the country to show off.
RADWEN TAKAYA, FOREIGN INVEST. PROMO. AGENCY: Every program for every discipline of the game will be printed in 10 different languages in Tunisia. Every track suit worn by a Tunisian athlete will be manufactured in Tunisia. So the most important aspect for Tunisians for the games is to show what they can achieve in terms of manufacturing, managing the logistics around the games. And we want to use this as a showcase for our skills.
SMITH: Hosting the games also means providing accommodation for athletes from around the Mediterranean. Architect Bahri Riyadh designed a long term benefit into the athletes' village. After the games, its 1,000 apartments will help cover a housing shortage and create a boom in a rundown part of town.
BAHRI RIYADH, ARCHITECT: It resolves the problem of lodging the athletes during the games. And afterwards, provides social housing at a very low cost.
SMITH: The new stadium is in the southern part of Tunis. And the city hopes it will kick start a new industrial area.
TAKAYA: Tunis is built around a lake. The north part of the lake has always been wealthier and has attracted lots of businesses in the service industries. The southern part has been neglected. Now these games are going to give, for the infrastructure developed, are going to give to the area a new cache. And expect a lot of businesses to be interested in creating jobs in this upper Tunis.
SMITH: Tunisia's teams are showing great determination. National records have been broken during training. But even if they win no medals, Tunisia itself stands to gain from all the attention focused on its capital.
For CNN's INSIDE AFRICA, this is Sylvia Smith in Tunisia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: OK. Well, we've got stock market numbers coming up for you ahead. And also, the music of South African singing sensation Lebo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Well, Femi Oke is back from her tour of the United States. And as always, she's ready to surprise us. Femi, what do you have for us this week?
FEMI OKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much, Jim. Every week on INSIDE AFRICA, there are usually one or two stories that we're very excited about. We can't wait to see how they might turn out. This next report certainly comes into that category.
It's about a South African singer whose been described as being funky and sexy, plus she's also beginning to gain a reputation on the international music circuit, too. So who better then to send a funky, sexy assignment? Well, none other than Paul Tilsley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL TILSLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over); To her fans, Lebo Matawsa (ph) is fiery, dynamic, and no nonsense, a fresh African music phenomenon. She shocked to stardom with her singing and dirty dancing, talents she learned in township streets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I'm on that state, I don't care (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I don't care if you're 75-years-old. But if you come into my show, I'm going to give it to you. And you exactly the way it is.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) the way it is. If you like it, you're safe. If you don't like it, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
TILSLEY: Lebo is the front person from Boom Shaka, who burst onto the scene seven years ago, with the appropriate titled "It's about Time."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Boom Shaka is like an explosion in me. Every time the guys go on stage, you feel like a bond (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or the crowd or the house or anything.
We've been called controversial, sexy. We dance sex. We've been called names, but I believe that if you're an African woman, you have to be proud of what you've got.
TILSLEY: It's also music with a message. This performance was to honor children killed in the fight against apartheid. But Lebo wishes not to dwell on the past.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be grateful that you can live today. You can wake up in the morning and not be harassed. You can wake up in the morning and not have anybody firing gunshots at you, while you can do -- go to school. You know what I mean? And we are well protected.
TILSLEY: Lebo is using her considerable experience in the industry to make it on her first solo project. She is a modern day woman, often seen on Johannesburg's highways, dashing between recording sessions. But she never forgets the roots of her culture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My culture, I'm African. And I have to know everything about it. I don't want to be out there in the world where everybody would be looking at me and thinking, "Who was is she trying to be?" I want them to know that I am who I am. And I am Lebo from Africa.
TILSLEY: Lebo is working on the music for an upcoming TV special. The show's producer has no doubt that Lebo has what it takes to make it internationally.
KEITH PFEIFFER, EXEC. PRODUCER, SABC: I believe she has. I think she's disciplined enough to carry it off. And she certainly has the talent. And I wish her well in the hope that something does come about.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to make it in the whole wide world because I believe I can do that.
TILSLEY: Lebo could well be singing herself, a star is born.
Paul Tilsley for INSIDE AFRICA, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OKE: And that report gets my nomination for the INSIDE AFRICA quote of the week. I have a feeling that all future concerts that label plays will be absolutely jam packed. That's it for me. Here's Jim.
CLANCY: Thanks, Femi. Well, finally, we have the story of an African -- an American disc jockey we should say, who's winning the hearts of his African fans. And where? Believe it or not, in Lagos, Nigeria. The Baltimore native was recruited off the Internet. He's since become the hottest name in morning radio in Nigeria. We get that story from Jeff Koignge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINGNE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's arguably Lagos' hottest on air personality.
LYNDA UMEH, HEAD OF RESEARCH, COOL-FM: He's number one. He's the most listened to broadcaster presently at least in the mornings. And nobody can take that from him.
KOINGNE: Not a bad place to be for Dan Foster, who was discouraged from coming to Africa first by his dad.
FOSTER: "You want to go to Africa?" I said, "Dad, they're giving me this. They're doing this. I'm following my dream. And said, "But, you're in Africa."
KOINGNE: And then by his country.
FOSTER: My own government sent me back stuff saying, "Don't go." OK, that democracy just happened. You're not ready for it just yet, you know, just negative stuff about the things in Africa.
KOINGNE: But discouraged he wasn't. And these days he can be heard throughout Lagos, keeping most of its 12 million inhabitants entertained, informed and inspired. Sometimes though, he has problems tuning into his audience.
FOSTER: It takes a while for your ear to get a tune. I'm always saying, "Huh? What you say? Huh? I didn't hear you. Could you repeat that?" And that's a brother having problems understanding what you're saying. And same with me, because I talk fast.
Ogusagna (ph), I mean, I'm learning this African language. Ogusana (ph).
KOINGNE: But he's adapting well, learning his audience's language and throwing it right back. These days, Nigerians not only understand him, they've just about adopted him as one of their own. And he'll be the first to tell you he feels right at home here.
FOSTER: Someone took me from Africa, you know. I see some brothers that look like, what are you doing man, were you in Washington? I mean, the resemblance. You know, they say we all look alike. It ain't no joke. You know, we look alike. Damn.
Quit following that for everybody else. You know, it's all stuck up underneath somebody else butt.
KOINGNE: But every now and then, a reminder that life as an on-air personality in Africa is very different from what he's used to.
FOSTER: I get in trouble sometimes. I ain't going to lie to you. They write me little nasty letters all the time -- "What are you saying?" I say, "Oops." That's that American stuff in me. Sorry, y'all.
KOINGNE: Foster may have found in a different land, but he still knows he'll have to go back someday.
FOSTER: Even though I may be a big fish here, you know, and then back home I'm a little fish, I'm still me no matter what, no matter what. I miss home. I'm still me. If I go back, I still feel I'm a big fish.
It's the breakfast jam, Dan Foster style. Dan Foster, Dan Foster. Somebody stop me.
KOINGNE: In Lagos, Nigeria, Jeff Koingne for INSIDE AFRICA.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: The INSIDE AFRICA team would like to hear from you. Send us your e-mails at INSIDEAFRICA@CNN.com.
That has to be all for this week's show. Thanks a lot for joining us. I'm Jim Clancy; see you next week.
END
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