Vol 53 No 22 | ZIMBABWE Three men in a boat 2nd November 2012 The triumvirate of Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara officially holds the key to the constitutional referendum. It faces major challenges President Robert Mugabe opened the final Stakeholders’ Conference on the draft constitution on 22 October. When the audience dispersed three days later, nobody seemed clear on what substantive...
Vol 53 No 22 | ANGOLA Sovereign wonga fund 2nd November 2012 The glitzy launch of the Sovereign Wealth Fund has bedazzled the international financial world, although many of the details are unclear Amid much fanfare, Luanda formally launched its US$5 billion Fundo Soberano de Angola on 17 October. The Fsdea was formed from the Fundo Petrolifero set up by the...
Vol 6 (AAC) No 1 | SOUTH AFRICACHINA Calls for protection against Beijing’s exports 30th October 2012 The government wants to improve trade terms with China as new studies show how cheap imports are damaging local industries and costing jobs South Africa’s Trade Minister Rob Davies gave a list of trade concerns to Beijing officials in October during his tour of East Asia. Davies’s government wants to reduce...
Vol 6 (AAC) No 1 | MADAGASCARCHINABRIEFING Rosewood scandal hits more Chinese companies 30th October 2012 In October, Chinese companies were once again the target of Madagascar’s environmental groups for their role in illegal rosewood exploitation. Environmental umbrella group Alliance Voahary Gasy pointed ...
Vol 6 (AAC) No 1 | SOUTH AFRICA Rob Davies 30th October 2012 Trade and Industry Minister, South Africa Rob Davies’s recent tour led to the strengthened economic relations with Indonesia and China. On 17 October in Jakarta, South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry...
Vol 53 No 21 | SOUTH AFRICA Zuma’s campaign pays off 19th October 2012 On the brink of the ANC conference in Mangaung in December, incumbent Jacob Zuma has outmanoevered his rivals for the party presidency African National Congress leaders are trying to stitch together a deal that would avoid a contest for the party Presidency between incumbent Jacob Zuma and Vice-President Kgalema Motlanthe...
Vol 53 No 21 | SOUTH AFRICA Winning them over one by one 19th October 2012 The plan to secure President Jacob Zuma certain victory at the African National Congress’s leadership election focuses on one-to-one meetings with his main opponents. Zuma’s enforcers are concentrating...
Vol 53 No 21 | ZAMBIA Big budget, big promises 19th October 2012 The triumph of the bond issue and strong public spending plans may help revive a stagnant economy and the government’s political fortunes One year after taking the helm, President Michael Chilufya Sata and his Patriotic Front (PF) face mounting pressure from electors upset at their apparent failure to deliver on...
Vol 53 No 21 | ZAMBIA Ex-President Banda switches horses 19th October 2012 The political landscape is changing and President Michael Sata’s Patriotic Front faces a new opponent. Having lost faith in his own party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, former...
Vol 53 No 21 | MOZAMBIQUE Guebuza’s new man 19th October 2012 President Armando Guebuza has underlined his command of party and state by removing Prime Minister Aires Ali from his government job after he failed to hold on to...