Caster-away

Several hours ago Caster Semenya received her gold medal for her outstanding victory in the 800m women's race at the IAAF's World Championships. Sadly, that success has been overshadowed by claims that it was undeserved, allegations that she was ineligible for the race,that her competing was unfair to the other athletes. The stage whispers declare her a man and explain her victory with the unfair advantage conferred on her by androgens.

Discuss your thoughts in our Open Thread. Is it fair that we are discussing so publicly Semenya's gender? And how does one determine gender?

Mbeki's final speech to South Africa (transcript)

Fellow South Africans, I have no doubt that you are aware of the announcement made yesterday (on saturday) by the National Executive Committee of the ANC with regard to the position of the President of the Republic.

Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to inform the nation that today (Sunday) I handed a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Honourable Baleka Mbete, to tender my resignation from the high position of President of the Republic of South Africa, effective from the day that will be determined by the National Assembly.

Read the rest of Thabo Mbeki's speech here.

The dollar, circumcision and AIDS

Readers will no doubt have seen the new American strategy on combating HIV/Aids in Kenya and the wider the region as is reported in the local press (Daily Nation 23/08/2007).

The reason for the change in strategy is said to have been occasioned by the recent studies in Kenya and South Africa that indicate that Male circumcision more than halves the chance of contracting HIV/Aids among males (by up to 60%).

Read more from Elijah Marangu here.

US of Africa

This week, The African Executive Magazine spoke out on the clamour for the formation of a United States of Africa proclaiming, "we do not need a United States of Africa." According to the magazine, the African Union (AU) summit issued a road-map to a federation of African States (Accra Declaration) without mentioning a single idea on political or economic freedom for African citizens.

Read here as Ken Teyie advises African states to move away from ideology onto action that will lead to economic growth.

Poachers and Ivory- video

A few days ago lives were lost in a crossfire between poachers and KWS rangers.

Kenya which follows a strong non-hunting tourism tradition, thus finds itself at odds with the South African countries where hunting and culling are an integral part of wildlife management. In Zimbabwe which has annual hunting quota of 500, for example, a survey conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature and African Wildlife Foundation indicated an elephant population of around 110 000 against a carrying capacity of 47 000. Zimbabwe insists that Kenya has been ‘sent' to fight against Zimbabwe citing the fact that two Kenyan missions to Zimbabwe have in the past been vastly impressed by Zimbabwe's conservation efforts and by its attempts to resolve the competition for reasons between men and wildlife.

Join in on the discussion here on Kenya's wildlife future and the threat that KWS faces with poaching.