state. this is t.w. news africa coming up in the next 15 minutes the place where there's no space for criticism human rights watch saved that place is rwanda to hear from one woman who says he's made a big sacrifice to deepen the political debate in the country and will keep doing so. and and then president of north suit in south africa a community living in the midst of coal power stations is suing the government for violating people's rights to a healthy environment more on day case coming up. i'm christine with a welcome to news africa i'm glad you are today in london is viewed as

a model nation by many africans and some of the statistics all impressive it's ranked as the best place to do business on the continent life expectancy has sold in the prostate cade's it's also making striking progress when it comes to gender parity more than 3 fifth's office legislators all women higher than any other country in the world but awful age critics have raised concerns human rights watch says free speech or the freedom to criticize the government or the ruling party of president paul kagame a has been severely replaced in the country be a correspondent not a corrida ball was recently in want to wish he made an opposition leader. dreams of a truly free and democratic rhonda. but as the opposition leader claims the country is. in the stream into reality.

but internationally and its president have the reputation of being a repressive regime. the man who with his rebel group and at the mosque of the 994 genocide some 800000 ethnic tutsis and moderate hutus have been massacred in just 100 days. been applauded for visionary leadership and bringing stability to the east african nation. russia is well known as africa's development . reflect the modernizing economy and progressive society but there is a disparity between perception and reality the president's critics say this exterior is one curated by regime. tricks. and a beer is the fast woman who challenged for the presidency in 2010 she returned

from exile in the netherlands to stand in the presidential elections. but her name never made it onto the ballot papers. we have to call vice the government that does them to open up political space in iran that this is why i decided to leave my husband. and come in said that one day of course it was not to easy for my husband for my kids to let the damn business behind and the when they come back when they come back my country they put him in a prison i spend 80 years in a prison. one of gammons leading critics she was found guilty of threatening state security and belittling the $994.00 genocide that tore apart the nation. into bear has consistently said these charges were a fabrication and politically motivated even now she still faces accusations that she recruited for a terrorist group in an interview with t w u b a were denied there was any truth to

the allegations. but she's not the only opposition leader to say they've been subjected to official oppression bernard into gum the founder of the social party in mercury has been imprisoned 3 times he openly questions the narrative of rhonda's democratic miracle i don't know about god is that that but this is the regime is that there is in the one that you have nor in the bin that need you here for. this purpose so if there is a no op was from but how can this is when the news the news that the courts are granted. both into gunda and in the bay area say they have sacrificed a lot for their struggle to deepen the political debate in their home country into barrett says several of her followers are still and present she also claims that her 30 year old assistant unsound to your mana who died in march $2900.00 plus his life for the course. of a call from one member from

a political party to to admit that today found in their in their forests i does not understand it i say no you talk about maybe about someone else about to not talk about the outside of his hair but yes is his kilt your toes a difference to accept or to understand until today i am asking why why why they killed him. authorities say they are still investigating who is responsible for the monist death and burial wants justice for him and. i have to struggle for my people or her to struggle for the democracy in my country because in order to remove. your parents says she won't live in fear of being imprisoned killed in her fight for what she believes to be right. my guest today is a senior fellow at a godly based think tank called the policy or the institute of policy analysis and

research that haiti. is a poor guy i'm a supporter and he joins me now from the one campus all welcome to. africa. in the $27.00 election president paul kagame a gotcha 98 percent off that voters an overwhelming majority is that outcome truly reflective of how people feel towards this president would you say yes simple answer oh right now that's a challenge and say but he was the only candidates running in the election opposition voices were not allowed to run they were just grateful just credited for one will and the reason i want to ask if you're comfortable living in a country way opposition voices are silenced is that of democracy. so so 2 things i realize you have been developed in the last question and i'll go back

to that and then i'll come across to combine this 2nd one before i go to the developing on the 1st one is that instead to correct there were 3 candidates in the elections. 2 of the opposition and one the incumbent and then the incumbent one and the tool of the opposition one of them is now in parliament he actually won his party ticket in parliament him and another member of his party are now in parliament the 3rd one is to a small party was brand new he'd just come back to the country to call in this election but he had not been this we should well but that's for the 2nd question 1st question the president won by 98 percent and us that's not democracy as far as you're concerned you're diffusion of them across the situation where prison weans we've 20 percent or 10 percent i allow me to argue that that's not what democracy means democracy means power by the people right when you mean the people you mean the majority of the people so when the majority of the people elect

someone that actually would be more the more correct to ok then a situation where west oh yeah there's been wins with 20 percent ok got it i don't want to get into bogged down with that the technicalities of what a democracy really is and and some actually argue that the 2 candidates that you argue at ran against the president were actually endorsed by him but he was ok with them running but those that he felt had a message that opposed his we're not allowed to say i think it's it's well people decide whether or not those people were in the opposition but let's talk about the fact that some people in your country some of your fellow countrymen. they believe that they are not able to speak freely they fear their repetitions of voicing their opposition to president paul could that mean. right so let's close your discourse by step you're making a few statements that i lack to also comment on one of them is it's not the

president who was discredited he was in south korea there's an electoral commission which is supposed to be independent and to date nothing has is there to prove that it is not independent now what does what is it that these kind of that say that you say was the president in fact what they said did not or was the president what they say but it kept in law in the sense that they wanted to practice if need $46.00 ethnic politics is illegal in rwanda it's not so much against the president it's against the run constitution there is a difference the president doesn't in those countries that's going to send those everywhere in the world by an individual commission and these people did not oppose the president they actually wanted to run on steve mark stigmatizing groups denying the genocide and creating it he kept it in the people i know right you come through you have now the rise of right wing movements that are actually gaining political capital based on stigma and you know for bia and so on in iran

they use illegal i know you can't understand it from their 2 very best but it's a very sensitive issue especially given our recent history of course you can just say ok that's all we have time for all that to take heating down boardroom is that a poke at that message and reese as senior fellow at the institute of policy analysis and research thank you. all right it's to south africa now where a coalition of environmental and community groups has filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the government the case claims the state has violated the constitutional rights of people living in the highfield region by failing to provide a healthy environment i felt is a highly industrialized area in the province it is home to a dozen coal fired power plants. heavily polluted air pumping out every

day 365 days a year from the 12 coal fired power stations in the high felt area of south africa . it's a terrible place to live. but most of the residents here don't have an alternative housing is cheaper under the smokestacks supermarket employee and single mother. has been living in high felt for 12 years. her 2 children suffer from asthma. high range to move slowly. they wish to move away because this place is not the right. doctors agree with her a nearby surgery mainly treats long and breathing problems and speak. to their so people could. see that when they get to. just look at the seat cushion 1st pitch. and integrate it.

will be just the fixable. those who can't leave are now fighting for a cleaner environment they filed a lawsuit against the state saying that having to breathe filthy air is against the constitution they're violating a law and they are violating a lot i mean they are violating a law that i to help that's the truth the government says it closely monitors air pollution and that sulfur dioxide emissions which are linked to lung problems have improved residents like mom and her children hope for a court decision in their favor and air pollution study has revealed that coal fired power stations kill more than 2200 south africans every year. and the results of that court decision i'm sure we will be sure to report that is africa but that is where we need it from the program hesitated forget it and always

catch all our stories on our website and all facebook page have a lovely weekend still makes tide by. her 1st day of school in the. first clinton wasn't. ready sure as grand a moment arrives. join the arena take on her journey to freedom in our interest to dodge the usual rotten and the rioting returns home. the quiet melody resounds michael white of the move. and would soon rebuild homes resonate with in his soul. the mind and the music. beethoven 1st won 2019

from september 6th to september 29th. the us he'd have to get through that wind is a good break without it.