they have been shown to be safe andeffective, WHO will work with coun-tries and partners to accelerate accessto these products.’’ (The Independent20 ⁄ 7)

SPORTWorld Cup Legacy

The general consensus seems to havebeen that the FIFA 2010 World Cupwas a success not just for the hostnation South Africa but for thewhole continent.

Africans everywhere had put theirhopes, prayers and soul into supportingGhana, the last African team remainingin the tournament, but hearts were bro-ken as they lost to Uruguay and wentout.

Ghana had the support of a whole con-tinent including Nelson Mandela, the

former South African president, now91, who sent a letter to the Ghanaianfederation saying that the entire conti-nent wished success to the team. Withall other African teams eliminated, allaround Africa people became honoraryGhanaians.

Ghanaian newspapers on July 3rd con-gratulated the national football team,the Black Stars, for their performanceat the FIFA 2010 World Cup in SouthAfrica after the exit on penalties toUruguay at the quarter-final stage. TheGhanaian Times described the defeat,which denied the Black Stars thechance to be the first African countryto be in the semi-finals of the WorldCup, as ‘‘a painful exit’’.

Ghana’s gracious acceptance of defeatmatched the kindness that has markedthis South African World Cup, accord-ing to the New York Times (2 ⁄ 7). Itslast team played well, and when it lost,it lost with grace. That memory shouldlast as long as the result.

As host of the most-watched sportingevent on earth, South Africa had setout to reinvent itself in the eyes of theworld, casting off its reputation as aplace defined by violent crime, povertyand AIDS. To a remarkable degree, itsucceeded, says the New York-basednewspaper.

A fledgling democracy that has strug-gled to address its profound social illsproudly discovered it could deliver amega-event requiring years of carefulinvestment and planning. A countrywhose politics have been damagedrecently by bitter, racially tingedinvective offered hundreds of thou-sands of visitors an affectionate wel-come.

In South Africa itself, ‘‘What A Show!’’exclaimed The Sunday Times, while TheSunday Independent proclaimed it‘‘Africa’s Greatest Moment’’.

The Times, London (19 ⁄ 7) quotedSepp Blatter, FIFA president as sayingthat he was giving South African nineout of 10 for organisation.

South Africa’s President Jacob Zumapraised the World Cup for bringingSouth Africans together like no otherevent since the end of apartheid. Hesaid the event had triggered an out-pouring of national pride and broughtpeople together across all sections ofsociety.

‘‘I don’t see why we can’t bid to hostthe Olympics in the future. It’s impor-tant for Africa,’’ he said.

The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined the chorusof approval. ‘‘There is no doubt thatthis World Cup has been a success for

South Africa and for the entire Africancontinent. I congratulate the Govern-ment and the South African people. Itis my hope that this renewed focus onAfrica will lead to an African renais-sance and I call upon all parties tofocus on ensuring that the success issustained.

The UN Secretary-General acknowl-edged the efforts of the South Africangovernment and the local organisingcommittee in organising and sustainingan event of this magnitude. Its organi-sation surpassed expectations, as thetournament took place in a positivespirit and safe environment for athletes,fans, observers, and local communitymembers alike. While there may havebeen doubts prior to the World Cupabout staging the event in SouthAfrica, there is now widespread confi-dence in the ability of the region tostage such global events.

According to The Daily Nation, Nai-robi (12 ⁄ 7), everything went right forthe hosts, save for the failure by theBafana Bafana to make it past the firstround on the month-long showcase.(Sources as referenced in text)

RELIGIONSenegal – Death of MourideLeader

The nation has lost a ‘‘strong voice ofunity’’ but his legacy will continue.

The spiritual leader of Senegal’s richestand most powerful Muslim brother-hood, the Mourides, has died of nat-ural causes at the age of 85.

Bara Falilou Mbacke was the sixthcaliph of the brotherhood and tookover the leadership two years before.He was the grandson of the sect’s foun-der, Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke. Hun-dreds of thousands of people attendedceremonies to mourn his death in theholy city of Touba where he was buriedin the Great Mosque.

Africa News said: ‘‘The nation is unitedin its loss of a strong voice of unity –from religious leaders to politicians,musicians and ordinary Senegalese,everyone remembers him in a uniqueway. A spokesperson for CardinalAdrien Sarr, the head of the Church inSenegal, was quoted as saying the‘‘Christian community of Senegalexpressed its sympathy and solidaritywith the Mourides at this time ofmourning and hope.’’ Father PatriceColy prayed for God’s mercy for this‘‘great man of faith, openness and dia-logue between Muslims and Christians,the reward of a good and faithfulservant.’’

Cameroon: CPJ mourns the deathof Pius Njawe

The pioneering Cameroonian journalistand a press freedom advocate was killedin a car accident in the US on July 12th,the Committee to Protect Journalists saidin a press release on the 13th. Njawe, 53,was imprisoned several times during hiscareer. He was president of the FreeMedia Group, a company that publishesCameroon’s leading independent daily LeMessager, and a 1991 recipient of CPJ’sInternational Press Freedom Award.

Adamou Ndam Njoya, a former Educationminister who is now with the opposition,says Njawe was a truly independentjournalist.

Njawe ‘‘was an honest man,’’ Njoya saidin an interview with Radio France Inter-nationale, Paris (15 ⁄ 7). ‘‘He wanted toknow things and to inform and tochange views and go deeply when westarted a multi-party system [in Camer-oon]… He wanted to make Cameroo-nians aware of democracy,’’ he added.

The media has described Njawe as a‘‘legend’’, and Njoya agreed. There was afight for information to be put out forthe public, he said, and Njawe was at theforefront.

‘‘After living in a one-party system, in aone-party state for so long, new tradi-tions had to be created. We had to ‘‘cre-ate a new tradition of democracy, atradition of free expression. He was oneof those who worked for it’’.

The Federation of African journalists(Faj) described Njawe as a press freedomicon not only in Cameroon but all overAfrica. ‘‘His relentless determination andcourage in the fight for press freedomand his lifelong struggle for journalists’welfare in Cameroon were extraordi-nary’’. (Sources as referenced in text)

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� Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2010.