Vol 51 No 6 | ZIMBABWE The next revolution 19th March 2010 The crisis at Telecel Zimbabwe points to the political and economic problems with the new indigenisation laws, which many see as yet another form of patronage for the...
Vol 51 No 6 | MOZAMBIQUE Aid strike in Maputo 19th March 2010 Relations between President Guebuza’s government and the West are deteriorating fast – that will mean less aid Diplomats and foreign aid organisations are due to meet in Maputo on 19 March to decide whether to call off what amounts to an aid strike against President...
Vol 51 No 6 | ANGOLA Sonangol gulps 19th March 2010 Sonangol, Angola’s state-owned oil company, could take a controlling stake in Portugal’s Galp oil company as part of its ambitious overseas acquisition strategy. In late February, Sonangol Chairman...
Vol 3 (AAC) No 5 | ANGOLACHINA Reshuffling Luanda's Beijing connection 15th March 2010 As the President rearranges his government and calls for another crackdown on corruption, Beijing’s friends can take nothing for granted The news that José dos Santos da Silva Ferreira is to head a new super ministry which will oversee Chinese contracts and projects is a strong vote of...
Vol 3 (AAC) No 5 | ZAMBIACHINA Banda bags a billion 15th March 2010 Zambia does not always get what it wants or what it wants at the right time. President Rupiah Banda went on a 10-day official visit to China in...
Vol 51 No 5 | SOUTH AFRICA Tightening the welfare belt 5th March 2010 A centrist budget annoys the people who got the President elected and leaves some economic questions unanswered South Africa is now the biggest welfare state in the developing world and the implications for public finances are frightening. As the recession tapers off, the rising public...
Vol 51 No 5 | SOUTH AFRICA Small print, big figures 5th March 2010 Monetary and exchange-rate policy In October, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan hinted at big economic changes. The South African Reserve Bank’s inflation strategy would be amended, the 3-6% target range for official inflation...
Vol 51 No 5 | NAMIBIA Uranium battleground 5th March 2010 The race to develop new uranium mines in the central Namib Desert is led by France’s nuclear giant Areva, pursued by smaller Australian and Canadian exploration companies. Areva...
Vol 51 No 4 | SOUTH AFRICA The state of Jacob Zuma 19th February 2010 Jobs and housing, not sex scandals, will determine the President’s future as party rivals struggle for influence in the government Reports of President Jacob Zuma’s political demise are exaggerated. Yet what should have been a moment of triumph for him during the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release...
Vol 51 No 4 | SOUTH AFRICA Malema, mines and the youth league 19th February 2010 As the African National Congress leadership tries to dampen factional rivalries, some are asking whether Julius Malema, the firebrand President of the ANC Youth League, has moved from...