Vol 64 No 21 | ZIMBABWE Mnangagwa presses on regardless 19th October 2023 Another disputed election over, the President's faction of the ruling ZANU-PF wants to change the constitution to give him a third term Undaunted by regional and international criticisms of the legitimacy of the August elections, the ruling party is continuing its rout of the opposition and abuse of its control...
Vol 64 No 21 | SOUTH AFRICA Eskom chaos is at the heart of the growth crisis 18th October 2023 Unless the power utility gets credible leadership and more investment to boost generation and transmission it will continue to hold the economy down The IMF's latest data forecasts South Africa's economy will grow by 0.9% this year, up from projections in July of 0.6%. The marginal improvement is based on fewer...
Vol 64 No 20 | SOUTH AFRICA Cash crunch triggers ANC policy fight 5th October 2023 The increasingly difficult task of servicing growing debt while delivering social development presents President Cyril Ramaphosa with the toughest choices of his presidency. 'It is a balancing act...
Vol 64 No 20 | SOUTH AFRICA Power cuts dash optimism on revenues 5th October 2023 Bad economic news on almost all fronts complicates the ruling party's campaign to win over voters ahead of next year's elections As the election campaign gets under way, President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling African National Congress confront an increasingly problematic economic legacy. It is sure to undermine the...
Vol 64 No 20 | MOZAMBIQUE Secret deal won't end the tuna bond saga 5th October 2023 Maputo won't disclose the cost of its deal with Credit Suisse and why it's abandoned its demand for damages As with the US$2 billion hidden loans scandal that triggered Mozambique's serial financial crises over the past decade, all sides are trying to keep secret the details of... READ FOR FREE
Vol 64 No 20 | NAMIBIA Fishrot trial delay 5th October 2023 The long-anticipated Fishrot corruption trial of 10 highly placed Namibians accused of multi-million fishing quotas fraud, racketeering and corruption, has been postponed again thanks to delaying tactics. The...
Vol 64 No 20 | BOTSWANA Antwerp gems deal on the rocks 3rd October 2023 The President put much store into a scheme intended to add value to diamond sales, but the dream seems to be turning sour The Botswana government's ambitious plan to sell part of its huge rough diamond output have been dealt a hammer blow by the implosion of its selected sales partner,...
Vol 64 No 20 | SOUTH AFRICA At last, the $8.5bn energy transition plan is ready 26th September 2023 Delayed by the power crisis and fights with the coal lobby, the government says the green plan will launch at the UN Climate Summit After two years of turf wars, the government's implementation plan for its US$8.5 billion (R160bn) Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) will be made public at the UN COP28...
Vol 64 No 19 | ZIMBABWE Mnangagwa keeps it in the family 21st September 2023 An enlarged cabinet stuffed with relatives and loyalists is complicating international efforts to restart negotiations on the country's finances International and regional concerns persist about the legitimacy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's victory in national elections last month, particularly the failure of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to...
Vol 64 No 19 | SOUTH AFRICA Long goodbye points to broken system 21st September 2023 The President has finally pushed out key Zuma ally Busisiwe Mkhwebane, but the cadre system which protected her is intact The firing of discredited Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on 13 September is being lauded by President Cyril Ramaphosa's supporters as a victory in his campaign for zero-tolerance of...