Ugadan Photojournalist Nominated for 2012 CNN Awards

Newsroom; The Observer newspaper photojournalist, Edward Echwalu is among the 27 journalists nominated for the 17th edition of the 2012 CNN Multichoice African Journalism awards. This years awards are scheduled for July 21 in Lusaka, Zambia. Known for his calm and laidback demeanour, Echwalu is one of the most respected photojournalists in Uganda. Yet it had to take the efforts of editors and friends to convince him to submit his works for nomination. "After weeks of pleading, Echwalu reluctantly submitted in five photos just a day to the submission deadline. The rather chilling, cinematic photos were all taken during last year’s walk-to-work riots. He hence dubbed his submission folder ‘Walk to Work or Walk to Death’." reads a story on The Observer's website. Reacting to news of his nomination, Echwalu, in his trademark solitary voice had this to say: “My pictures depict terror and that is a reminder to all photojournalists that we do not work for ourselves but rather for the good of society no matter what it takes.” Other Ugandan journalists that have won the award include last year's winners: Norman Katende (Photojournalism), Farouk Kayondo (TV News) and Benon Herbert Oluka (Tourism). Leone Ssenyange, (2010 Sports Award), Carolyne Nakazibwe (2002’s Health Reporting category) and Richard Kavuma (overall accolade in 2007). Earlier this year, Police officers allegedly beat Edward Echwalu as he was trying to cover the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye at Kira Road Police Station in the capital, Kampala. On April 5th, he recorded a statement with the police's Professional Standards Unit. Police promised to thoroughly investigate the matter within three weeks and hold anyone found responsible accountable, but by press time, the case was not yet resolved.

Journalist charged with incitement to violence, remanded

Uganda Press; Daily Monitor Ntungamo-based reporter, Perez Rumanzi, has been charged with incitement to violence and remanded in custody for 14 days. The new charge, preferred before the Ntungamo Grade One Magistrate Machenga Francis, was amended from the terrorism and obstruction charges that were initially brought against him before he was released on police bond in April. Rumanzi, 27, was arrested by Special Forces Group (SFG) guarding the first Lady Janet Museveni on Sunday, April 29 for allegedly interfering with the security of the first lady. Prosecution alleges that Rumanzi conducted himself in a manner that got the security concerned. It is alleged that he interfered with the movement of security people, and hurled insults at them, saying their time will come like it happened with Muammar Gaddafi. Ms Janet Museveni was the chief guest at the installation ceremony of the members of South Ankole Diocese synod at Kyamate Cathedral. Rumanzi nearly escaped jail when the magistrate said that the charge of “incitement to violence” was not on the charge sheet, and ordered him to produce two sureties so that he could be released pending amendment of the charge sheet. However, he failed to provide the sureties, and was remanded to Ntungamo Government prison until May 30. Rumanzi says he was cleared to cover the ceremony, but left the venue to off-load pictures from his camera’s memory card. On coming back he was denied access to the venue by Ms Museveni’s security personnel who said he was not cleared. “When they told me to go away, I went and kept the camera and returned to attend the service because I had just been cleared in the morning. They then said they did not want me there. They arrested me and called police to take me to the cells,” Rumanzi says. He will appear before court on May 30.

Journalist Killed in Kasese

Uganda Press; Journalists in Kasese District have condemned the killing of there colleague, Amon Thembo Wa'Mupagashya. According to Kasese Central Police, Thembo was attacked and shot dead by unknown armed thugs at about 1am in Kyogha village, Bwera Sub-county, on friday night as he returned from covering a wedding. Thembo, 42, was the director of the Mupagashya Community television centre in Kasese Town. Police say a witness, the deceased’s son, Arnold Mumbere, said men immediately took off with his father’s video camera, a jacket and a bag after being shot. The boy survived unhurt in the process. In a meeting chaired by the district information officer, Mr John Thawithe, journalists said their professional work is at risk if the security personnel do not intervene in curbing insecurity. In a joint statement, the journalists said: “It is tragic that our colleague Amon Thembo died in such a manner. We condemn with strongest terms the killing of our colleague. May the police and other security personnel intensify their operations and investigations so that the assailants are brought to book.” Thembo is survived by a wife and three children. He was buried in Kyogha yesterday.

When A Blind Activist Eluded Chinese Agents

From the Gallery; Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng jumped scaled a high wall and fled the darkened village. From there, he traveled nearly 400 miles to Beijing. His escape was made all the more remarkable by a simple fact: The 40-year-old Chinese dissident has been blind since childhood. “His story,” said friend and fellow activist Hu Jia, “is the Chinese version of ‘The Shawshank Redemption, ” reports the Wasingtonpost.com His flight is a severe blow to China’s vast and lavishly funded internal security system. China, according to budget figures released last month, will spend $111 billion on internal security this year — $5 billion more than the military will get. Chen, a prominent legal activist infuriated party officials by rallying opposition to forced sterilizations and other aspects of China’s family-planning regime, and was jailed from 2006 to 2010. Chen was technically free but under 24-hour surveillance for the last 19 months. He was barred from making phone calls or receiving visitors. Living under the watchful eye of the world’s biggest security apparatus, his every movement closely monitored. So for a blind man to elude one of the world's survaillance team is a show of man's resilience. In the days leading to his escape, Chen pretended to be sick, this clearly hoodwikned the details of layers of security imposed around his tumbledown home. The blind lawyer first tried to escape last year by digging a tunnel with his family members. But guards quickly discovered it, foiling the plan when the tunnel was only a few yards long. Chen’s success in eluding the legions of police and plain-clothes security agents that blanket much of China adds another layer of mystery to a case that has long caused bafflement. It has also highlighted the role of one of the Communist Party’s biggest irritants — a network of well-organized and committed activists ready to take grave personal risks to combat what they see as intolerable injustices.

Museveni wins law suit in London court

From the Gallery; The British Court of Justice has ordered a London-based Ugandan journalist, Dr. Jesse Mashate, to stop making false claims against President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
"Be an extended civil restraint order imposed on the claimant stopping him from applying for making any claims or applying for any orders against the defendant without the permission of the judge, and without notice,” the order read.
The court was dismissing a case in which Mashate had obtained a default judgment with orders compelling President Museveni to pay £57m (about sh232.6b) including accumulated interest from 2010 as compensation to him (Mashate) for loss of business. The court also refused Mashate permission to appeal against its orders.
In the November 4 ruling, Justice Seymour, QC, also rejected Mashate’s request to appeal against his judgment. The team defending President Museveni included Kampala-based lawyers Dr. Charles Kallu-Kalumiya, Peter Kabatsi and Joseph Matsiko, all of Kampala Associated Advocates.
The judge also ordered Mashate not to sell Ugandan properties in London.

Mashate had dragged the President to the British court in London, initially, in his personal capacity as Museveni, claiming that he had breached a gentleman’s agreement “evidenced in writing” to compensate him for his newspaper, The Weekend Digest, which the Ministry of Information and National Guidance had closed down in 1986.
However, according to the court record, which the New Vision saw, Mashate, later sued Museveni as the President of Uganda, while at some stage he also involved the Government of Uganda.
The court also ordered Mashate to pay £90,000 as costs of the case, with a breakdown of £50,000 to Museveni and £40,000 to Uganda Property Holdings (UPH) Limited, a company controlling the Uganda Government properties in the United Kingdom and elsewhere abroad.
Earlier, the court had heard that in 1986, the Government closed Mashate’s news bulletin, The Weekend Digest, published in Kampala.
It was also alleged that while attending the 1997 CHOGM business meeting in London, Museveni met Mashate and allegedly promised to pay him (Mashate) $10m (£6.8m) as compensation for the banned publication.
When Mashate realised the payment was not forthcoming, he sued the President in his personal capacity as Museveni and during all the proceedings, Museveni did not appear in court. Mashate applied and obtained a default judgment against Museveni.

Publish Date: Nov 21, 2011 http://tinyurl.com/8967jeh (C)

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