Vol 51 No 11 | ZIMBABWE Squashing the judges 28th May 2010 The courts, despite everything, persist in doing justice sometimes and the President is not amused The acquittal of Roy Bennett, Deputy Minister-designate of Agriculture and Treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), on 10 May gave President Robert Mugabe the chance to...
Vol 51 No 11 | ZIMBABWE Legal limits 28th May 2010 The Harare legal profession is enjoying itself at the expense of fellow practitioner Jonathan Samkange, a favourite in the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front who shuns the human...
Vol 51 No 11 | MADAGASCAR An unconvincing egotist 28th May 2010 Putsch leader Andry Rajoelina says he won’t stand in the forthcoming elections – but for some reason no one believes him Andry Rajoelina, President of the incumbent Haute Autorité de la Transition (HAT), has said that he will not stand in presidential elections later this year but he is...
Vol 3 (AAC) No 7 | MAURITIUSINDIA Round-trips and hot money 20th May 2010 Indian companies are routing tens of billions of dollars through Mauritius each year in a giant tax avoidance scheme India is changing its tax laws in a bid to introduce greater transparency into its financial transactions with Mauritius. The aim is to stem ‘round-tripping’ of funds by politicians, businessmen and...
Vol 3 (AAC) No 7 | MAURITIUSINDIA Tweeting Tharoor and the cricket controversy 20th May 2010 Minister of State for External Affairs for Africa Shashi Tharoor considered himself a modern diplomat for his embracing of the internet messaging website Twitter. Yet his tweets from...
Vol 3 (AAC) No 7 | ZAMBIACHINA Beijing digs deeper into Zambian mines 20th May 2010 Oppositionist Michael Sata’s rhetoric against China is not slowing down Chinese investment plans ahead of Zambia’s national elections, which are due in 2011. Chinese companies operating Zambian mines will now have...
Vol 3 (AAC) No 7 | SOUTH AFRICAJAPAN Slow to let go of Hitachi 20th May 2010 Faced with popular outcry about profiteering from electricity shortages and opaque ties between political parties and businesses, South Africa’s governing African National Congress is being forced to abandon its stake in...
Vol 3 (AAC) No 7 | ZIMBABWE Stan Mudenge 20th May 2010 Higher Education Minister, Zimbabwe Isaak Stanislaus Gorerazvo Mudenge’s role as Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front’s Secretary for External Affairs keeps him in the foreign policy loop and he took part in Zimbabwe’s...
Vol 51 No 10 | ANGOLA Boom-bust all over again 14th May 2010 China is offering another mega-loan and oil prices are rising again but Luanda’s short-term finances are fraught Market reports that negotiations have stalled between the government and Goldman Sachs over a complex, US$250 million, dual currency (United States dollar and Angolan kwanza) loan facility point...
Vol 51 No 10 | ANGOLA The IMF makes up with Luanda 14th May 2010 Prior to the global financial crisis in 2008, many were questioning the International Monetary Fund’s relevance, especially in African countries which were increasingly turning to the international financial...