Author: TalkAfrique News Flash

Johannesburg — A 50-year-old asthmatic man presumed dead by his family woke up inside the morgue of a private undertaker at Libode in the Transkei region on Sunday afternoon

The man, whose name has been withheld, lost consciousness while asleep at his home in a nearby village on Saturday evening, said Eastern Cape health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo.

“His family thought he had died,” Kupelo told Sapa.

“The family called a private undertaker who took what they thought was a dead body to the morgue, but the man woke up inside the morgue on Sunday at 5pm and screamed, demanding to be taken out of the cold place.”

He had been there for nearly 24 hours.

Kupelo said the two mortuary attendants who were on duty at the time ran out of the building thinking the screaming man was a ghost.

They called for help, put on brave faces and went back to find that the man was indeed alive.

“We sent an ambulance to the funeral parlour to take the man to Saint Barnabas Hospital because he had been exposed to extreme cold for nearly 24 hours,” Kupelo said.

He warned the public not to assume that a sick person had died and call a mortuary.

“Doctors, emergency workers and the police are the only people who have a right to examine the patients and determine if they are dead or not,” said Kupelo.

The wife of Ghana’s ex-leader Jerry Rawlings has failed in her bid to be the ruling party’s presidential candidate in next year’s election.

Nana Konadu Rawlings won only 3.1% of the vote, at a convention of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party in the capital, Accra.

The party reconfirmed President John Atta Mills’ as its flagbearer.

Analysts say Mrs Rawlings’ candidature showed a desire by her husband to wield greater influence in the party.

The BBC’s David Amanor in Accra says Mrs Rawlings made a swift exit from the conference hall after her defeat.

Her supporters blamed a narrow electoral college and few women delegates for her defeat, our reporter says.

During campaigning, she said she was challenging Mr Atta Mills to “save and salvage” the NDC.

‘Heal divisions’

Analysts say her candidacy showed deep divisions in the ruling party and had caused a stir because Mr Rawlings and Mr Mills were once staunch allies.

In his victory speech, Mr Mills promised to heal divisions caused by the contest.

“We need to know we belong to one party,” he said.

It was the first time since Ghana returned to democracy in 1992, when presidential two-term limits were introduced, that a sitting head of state has been challenged as party leader in the first term of office.

Mr Atta Mills, who took office in January 2009, had served as vice-president to Mr Rawlings for four years.

Mr Rawlings seized power in military coups in 1979 and 1981, before serving as elected president from 1993 to 2001.

Ghana is ranked the 105th preferred tourist destination in the world and the 10th in Africa.

This was disclosed by the Minister for Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, in a speech read on her behalf, at the formal opening of this year’s Methodist Religious Tourism Festival(Methofest) at Koforidua at the weekend.

The festival, which coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the independence of the Methodist Church, Ghana from the British Methodist Conference  on 28 July 1961, is to showcase the achievements of the church in the various dioceses throughout the country.

The theme for the celebration is: “The Methodist Church of Ghana, 50 years of Autonomy; Achievements and Challenges.”

Ms Dansua explained that domestic tourism promotes national cohesion and brotherliness, which are critical for national development and gave the assurance that her Ministry would totally support the Methodist Church and other interested stakeholders to promote domestic tourism.

She said tourism is a powerful catalyst for economic growth, job creation, redistribution of wealth and poverty reduction.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi, called on Ghanaians to search for peace, unity and healthy dialogue that could lead to development, progress and prosperity.

He urged Ghanaians not to allow their differences of opinion or diversity of thought to separate them from one another or to be the cause of dispute, hatred and strife in their hearts.

Dr Apea-Kubi expressed regret that the political climate currently emphasizes differences, disunity and destruction, rather than the qualities of unity, productivity and constructive engagement that are required for national growth.

He, therefore, encouraged the Church to pray for unity and peace.

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, the Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, called on the bishops of the 15 Diocese of the Church to make sufficient budgetary resources available to ensure that, by 2013, they put up  reasonable tourism packages for their dioceses.

He explained that the Methofest was established to encourage the church and its various branches to keep and preserve its heritage like historical documents, artefacts, articles, sites, buildings and memorabilia for posterity.

The Presiding Bishop said the dioceses were expected to assemble and showcase the artefacts and materials gathered from time to time at the diocesan centres with the objective of establishing diocesan museums, historical sites and buildings for domestic and international tourism.

The Very Rev. Cdr. E. O. Arthur, Acting Director of the History, Archives and Library Division of the Church, appealed for support for the construction of the Methodist Church Ghana Heritage Centre to house the project.

He also appealed for 35,000 Pounds Sterling to be given to the Public Records and Achieves Administration Department of the Ghana Civil Service to enable it to repair some 98 very important church documents deposited with that department.

GNA