Vol 54 No 25 | ZIMBABWE Arms-for-minerals trades exposed 4th December 2013 Zimbabwe has parcelled out choice mining concessions to Russia and China in exchange for arms – but they may have sold them too cheaply Deals to trade mining concessions for arms from Russia and China were arranged privately during the period of the coalition government by Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front leaders,...
Vol 7 (AAC) No 2 | SOUTH AFRICA Mamphela Ramphele 30th November 2013 Leader, Agang South Africa According the party’s website, ‘Agang, which means “build” in Sesotho, stands for clean government to restore the promise of freedom to all South Africans: equality, dignity and hope...
Vol 7 (AAC) No 2 | ZAMBIA Mixed messages 29th November 2013 President Michael Sata laid the first stone for the expansion and upgrading of Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka on 7 November. The China-financed US$360 million project is...
Vol 54 No 24 | ANGOLAPORTUGAL Luanda cows Lisbon 28th November 2013 Portugal appears to have succumbed to Angolan pressure to drop more investigations of top officials in Luanda. Last week, the Portuguese Central Investigation and Criminal Prosecution Department, the...
Vol 54 No 24 | NAMIBIA Katti goes for gold 28th November 2013 Knowledge Katti, the oil exploration millionaire and close associate of Prime Minister Hage Geingob, appears to be on the verge of another business coup. Katti represents one of...
Vol 54 No 24 | ZIMBABWE Mugabe's farm in sanctions row 27th November 2013 The President and his wife run a dairy business. A German firm has been supplying them for four years, even though the couple are under EU sanctions The German firm Wilhelm Guth Ventiltechnik has been supplying components to Robert and Grace Mugabe's dairy in defiance of international sanctions. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Guth South Africa, has...
Vol 54 No 24 | MOZAMBIQUE Frelimo unnerved 26th November 2013 The governing party won the polls but the MDM shows signs of growing into a serious political challenge The governing Frente de Libertação de Moçambique and President Armando Guebuza emerged from the local elections on 20 November still in power nationwide. Yet cracks have appeared. Some...
Vol 54 No 24 | MALAWI Political class in turmoil 20th November 2013 The Cashgate scandal is roping in most politicians in a storm of corruption so severe that donors have halted aid payments The reputations of almost all members of the political establishment – with the possible exception of the opposition United Democratic Front – have been severely battered by the...
Vol 7 (AAC) No 1 | ZAMBIAINDIA KCM on the back foot 18th November 2013 With elections just two years ahead, the threat of job cuts unnerves the Lusaka government Konkola Copper Mines, a subsidiary of Anil Agarwal's London-listed Vedanta Resources and Zambia’s second-largest copper producer, is having a rocky ride under the Patriotic Front government. In opposition,...
Vol 7 (AAC) No 2 | ZAMBIAINDIA KCM on the back foot 15th November 2013 With elections just two years ahead, the threat of job cuts unnerves the Lusaka government Konkola Copper Mines, a subsidiary of Anil Agarwal's London-listed Vedanta Resources and Zambia’s second-largest copper producer, is having a rocky ride under the Patriotic Front government. In opposition,...