INSIDE JOB

 Namibia

Thieves made off with diamonds worth $2.63 million from a store inOkahandja, 71 km north of Namibia's capital city Windhoek. "Employees that opened the safe on Monday morning [September 6], planning to start work, discovered a substantial amount of diamonds were missing," Kennedy Hamutenya, Chairman of NamGem Diamond Manufacturing Co., told Reuters. "There were no signs of breaking in at the factory or at the safe. The signs are pointing to an inside job," he added.  

A BIG HAUL

 Rwanda 

Rwandan authorities revealed in September that they had seized 3,500 ton of cannabis and arrested 2,670 people in 2009. A police spokesperson said the information, provided in a police report on drug trade and consumption, should not be taken as evidence that drug consumption is on the rise in the country. Rather, it is brought about by improved enforcement.

PRICE WAR

Kenya

Mobile phone users in Kenya were treated to massive price cuts of between 50 and 75 percent in late August and September. The cuts were the result of an intense price war between several service providers. The change has been welcomed by customers, who have been making longer-than-usual calls and switching servers to get a better deal. Kenya has long been at the forefront of Africa's mobile phone revolution.

 SECRET DIAMOND SALE

Zimbabwe 

The Zimbabwe Government announced in September that the second edition of its controversial diamond sale would go ahead in secret. At the time of writing, the auction was expected to take place in September. The Mines Ministry said the decision to conduct the auction in private was taken out of security concerns, and indicated that buyers had been concerned about media attention. The first auction generated an estimated $72 million (see story Page 22).

SECURITY CRACKDOWN

 Swaziland

 Sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy, Swaziland, saw a sharp increase in political dissent in September, as opposition figures planned a protest march. Mario Masuku, President of the People's United Democratic Movement, was taken into police custody for interrogation and, immediately afterwards, was having his movements closely monitored by authorities. A 1973 king's proclamation bans Swazi citizens from being involved in any political movement.