Following reports that the South Africa was holding embattled South Sudan former First Vice President Riek Machar, the has denied he is under house arrest.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said in a statement that the SA government had ‘noted with concern some media reports claim that Dr Riek Machar is under house arrest in South Africa’.

The statement made reference to the fact that the SA government had issued a statement on October 13, 2016 announcing the arrival in the country of Machar, as well as the purpose of his visit.

In the October statement, Dirco said Machar was in the country on a ‘private visit for medical reasons’ and that the length of his stay was unknown.

“Indeed, Dr Riek Machar is still in South Africa and the South African Government is taking care of him, given his profile,” Dirco said on Wednesday. “Furthermore, the Government is in constant consultations with the Government of South Sudan and the IGAD countries about Dr Riek Machar’s presence in South Africa.

“South Africa wishes to reiterate her commitment to continue to work with the Government and the people of South Sudan in search of peace, stability and development. South Africa does this through her participation in the IGAD Plus mechanism, as well as the inter-party political dialogue which is facilitated by South Africa Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi of the United Republic of Tanzania,” the Dirco statement reads in part.

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Tanzanian security forces should immediately and unconditionally release Maxence Melo, the co-founder of popular online discussion portal, the Jamii Forum, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has demanded.

Police raided the website’s office in the capital Dar es Salaam after detaining Melo.

Melo’s lawyer, Benedict Ishabakaki,  told the media that police detained his client yesterday for interrogation regarding a case police filed demanding his cooperation in determining the identities of several users of the online forum who have written about such controversial issues as corruption. The website reported that police raided its office, questioned employees about their duties, and took two additional employees, whom the website did not name, to a police station for further questioning.

Founded in 2006, Jamii Forum is among the most popular online discussion sites in East Africa, and hosts frank debates about such topics as graft in the public sector and government incompetence, mostly in Kiswahili.

“Maxence Melo and Jamii Forum give people across the region an important platform to discuss serious issues of public concern,” CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal said from New York. “The Tanzanian government would do better to investigate allegations of corruption, rather than pressuring a website to violate its users’ trust and privacy.”

Reporting the police raid, Jamii Forum attempted to reassure readers about the security of their personal information, which the website said was encrypted on servers located outside Tanzania.

Tanzanian President John Magufuli has taken a series of steps to limit media freedom since he was elected in October 2015.

On November 15, 2016, he signed into law new regulations that journalists and the political opposition fear will curb press freedom by requiring journalists and social media users to be licensed by a Media Services Council, whose independence free expression groups feared was not adequately protected, among other measures.

At least 10 Tanzanians have been charged with ‘insulting’ president Magufuli, including on the messaging platform WhatsApp. All have been charged under a tough cybercrimes law endorsed in 2015, and are at various stages of the legal process, the reports said.

Neville Meena, secretary of the Tanzania Editors Forum, told CPJ that the cybercrime law was being used as a tool to censor the public and the media and to limit criticism of the government. He said the organization backed a case filed by Jamii Media, which runs Jamii Forums, to have sections of the law overturned by the High Court of Tanzania. The court is expected to rule in February, Meena said.

Tanzanian authorities have also shuttered radio stations, halted live transmission of parliamentary debates, and taken dozens of newspapers off the streets for what the government described as licensing violations, according to news accounts.

Tanzanian government spokesman Hassan Abass did not immediately return CPJ’s calls and text messages requesting comment

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South Sudan President Salva Kiir has launched a national dialogue that encompasses all the troubled country’s rival political parties and groups, which will be led by eminent statesmen.

Addressing members of South Sudan national legislative assembly in the capital Juba on Wednesday, President Kiir asked for forgiveness for wrongs committed.

“National dialogue in my view is both a forum and process through which the people of South Sudan can gather to redefine the basis of their unity as it relates to nationhood and sense of belonging,” the South Sudanese leader told the country’s lawmakers.

“In the light of national endeavor, I am calling upon all of you to forgive one another, enter dialogue with one another in your personal capacities, embrace yourself,” he said adding “I am asking you, the people of South Sudan to forgive me for any wrong I might have committed.”

A national committee of eminent personalities and persons of consensus will be instituted to steer the process, Kiir said. The committee will work with independent experts from Juba-based think tanks such as the Ebony Center, Sudd Institute and Centre for Peace and Development.

The three institutions will also constitute secretariat work for the committee.

The process will have bottom-top approach with the first phase being ‘grassroots consultation’ to map out grievances unique to each community and the region. Second phase will convene regional peace conferences and the final phase will lead to convergence in Juba for the National Conference.

“The National Conference shall tackle remaining issues that are not addressed in the sub-national processes, which would have direct baring on national cohesion,” Kiir said, in what has been described by experts as his first detailed plans to address issues in a tribally divided, war torn country.

The resolutions adopted will aid writing of permanent national constitution. Kiir said experience has shown that South Sudanese can dialogue. He recalled his disagreement with late SPLM leader John Garang in 2004, return of Riek Machar to SPLM in 2002, SPLM convention of 1994 and Dinka and Nuer communities conference of 1999 as evidence of viability of local led peace initiatives.

President Kiir expressed disappointment with the economic and security situation affecting lives of the people, declaring that peace and reconciliation would be his priorities.

“My comrades, Taban Deng Gai, James Wani Igga and myself will do our part in National dialogue. We will hold peace rallies within Juba and across the Country to educate our people on peace and unity. I have directed the Minister of Finance and Planning to mobilize necessary resources”, Kiir told lawmakers.

Armed opposition groups, Kiir said, will be invited to take part in the dialogue. He did not say when the process will start but revealed having instructed the ministry of financé to avail funds.

Meanwhile, the South Sudanese leader also called for help from the international community and warned citizens against hate speeches that target Americans and the United Nations.

ECONOMIC CRISIS

He said he was particularly concerned with the rise in living costs because of the shrinking economy resulting from effects of war his administration struggles to end.

“I am deeply concerned about the parents who can no longer feed their children because of our shrinking economy”. I am also concerned about the growing number of street children and women who have lost everything due to the ongoing political situation. I am deeply concerned that all our citizens are distraught over the current political conflict and drastically declining economy”, said president Kiir in a prepared speech he delivered before legislators.

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