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WORLD NEWS Saturday 14 September 2019
South African leader drops UN visit as women protest attacks

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME deadly xenophobic vio-
KRISTA MAHR lence in Johannesburg and
Associated Press the capital, Pretoria, lead-
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — ing to an outcry from coun-
South Africa’s president on tries across the continent.
Friday canceled a visit to More than 12 people have
the United Nations’ annual been killed and police say
gathering of world lead- more than 700 have been
ers this month to focus on arrested. The periodic vio-
unrest over gender-based lence against foreigners
violence and xenophobic leads people elsewhere in
attacks, while women held Africa to remind South Afri-
another protest to express cans of the hospitality that
their fears. Hundreds gath- countries on the continent
ered outside the Johan- showed them during the
nesburg Stock Exchange to long fight against the harsh
demand stronger govern- system of white minority
ment and business-sector rule known as apartheid,
action against rising levels which ended in 1994.
of rapes and other sexual Nigeria’s government in
offenses. Some members of particular has protested
the ruling African National the latest violence, and a
Congress party called on Demonstrators hold up banners in Sandton, Johannesburg, Friday Sept. 13, 2019, as they protest local airline this week be-
the government to declare against gender-based violence. gan airlifting scores of Nige-
a state of emergency. Associated Press rians out of South Africa for
New data on gender- Town last week after a ernment to deal with the Johannesburg resident free. About 700 Nigerians
based violence fueled spate of murders of young issue and even called for Bonolo Mafa said women have registered with mis-
concerns. Police on Thurs- women and children. the death sentence to be generally felt unsafe even sions in South Africa, hop-
day released annual crime President Cyril Ramapho- made the punishment for when using taxi services like ing to leave.
statistics saying sexual of- sa told reporters that “the rape. The death penalty in Uber and Taxify. “Most of South Africa’s president on
fenses and rape rose 4.6% women of our country are South Africa was abolished the times those Uber driv- Friday said his government
and 3.9%, respectively, in afraid” and he vowed to in 1995. ers are men and it can get was “totally committed”
the past year. introduce measures to help “Every day there is a re- very scary,” she said. “Even against attacks on foreign
Women across South Africa give them “the safety they ported case, even the vic- now we are scared of the nationals. Ramaphosa ac-
have been sharing their deserve.” That includes tims being small children,” police, we do not get any knowledged local frustra-
experiences of violence making public transport said Soweto resident Othilia comfort from having the tion about the country’s
and their fears on social safer, he said. Motau. “Our courts are not police around. Safe spaces high unemployment rate
media with the hashtag The women, many dressed prosecuting people. They are only created by other and sluggish economy but
#AmINext. Friday’s dem- in black, marched in the get arrested and soon they women.” South Africa in re- said that “we do not take
onstration followed several streets. Some said they had are out on the streets and cent weeks also has been out our anger against peo-
days of protests in Cape lost confidence in the gov- they rape again.” shaken by a new wave of ple from other nations.”q

As Indonesia fires rage, schools and airport forced to close

By NINIEK KARMINI education officials said. week by disputing that the
Associated Press Health offices in both smoke was coming from
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) provinces said more than Indonesia, noting that hot-
— Indonesian authorities 300,000 people have suf- spots were also detected in
closed an airport on Su- fered respiratory illnesses Malaysia’s Sarawak state.
matra island on Friday due since the haze began, and “I think there was incorrect
to poor visibility caused officials said more people information, because the
by smoke from raging fires have been seeking medi- Indonesian government
burning through peatland, cal help in recent weeks. is trying systematically to
while schools in several Nearly every year, Indo- solve this as well as possi-
provinces and in neighbor- nesian forest fires spread ble,” Bakar told reporters in
ing Malaysia closed due to health-damaging haze Jakarta. Malaysian Environ-
the hazardous haze. across the country and into ment Minister Yeo Bee Yin
Fluctuating visibility that neighboring Malaysia and responded immediately,
at times was just 300 me- Singapore. The fires are of- telling Indonesia “not to be
ters (yards) forced airlines ten started by smallholders Tourist take a picture from Kuala Lumpur Tower as city stands in denial.” She cited data
to postpone flights to the and plantation owners to shrouded with haze in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, Sept. 13, from the ASEAN Special-
main airport in Pekanbaru, clear land for planting. 2019. ized Meteorological Center
the capital of Riau prov- Some schools in Malaysia’s Associated Press that showed the haze im-
ince, airport official Yogi central Selangor state shut state, which neighbors In- thir Mohamad would write pacting parts of Malaysia
Prasetyo said. Poor visibility on Friday, affecting 45,000 donesia’s West Kalimantan to Indonesian President originated in Indonesia.
also caused delays at an students, after air pollution province where more than Joko Widodo to press for Many areas of Indonesia
airport in Dumai, another levels spiked, the state Edu- 25,000 hectares (60,000 urgent action to tackle the are prone to rapid burning
city in Riau. cation Department said. acres) of land were delib- cross-border haze. Indone- because of the draining of
Worsening haze caused Earlier this week, hundreds erately burned. sian Forestry and Environ- swampy peatland forests
more schools in Riau and of schools were shut for a Officials have said Malay- ment Minister Siti Nurbaya for pulp wood and palm oil
Jambi provinces to close, day in eastern Sarawak sian Prime Minister Maha- Bakar sparked anger this plantations. q