Vol 48 No 5 | SOUTH AFRICA A highly political budget 2nd March 2007 Higher spending and a budget surplus smack a tasty pre-election mixtur The budget was full of handouts. On 21 February Finance Minister Trevor Manuel dished out tax cuts, paid off apartheid-era debt, and boosted public spending on almost everything...
Vol 48 No 5 | SOUTH AFRICA Mining revolt 2nd March 2007 The global stock market jitters on 27 February - prompted by 9% falls on the Shanghai and Hong Kong markets - hold two lessons for South Africa. Firstly,...
Vol 48 No 5 | ZAMBIA Zambia's big new investments 2nd March 2007 India's Vedanta Resources has pumped nearly US$1 billion into Konkola Copper Mines. KCM incorporates four mining companies: Nchanga Mine in Chingola, Konkola Mine in Chilabombwe, Nampundwe Mine in...
Vol 48 No 5 | MALAWI Pipe Dreams 2nd March 2007 In 1964 when the British colonialists left, Malawians ate mostly home-grown maize and earned foreign exchange from tobacco. Despite huge efforts and the doubling of the population, little...
Vol 48 No 5 | LESOTHO Mosisili's snap victory 2nd March 2007 Calling snap parliamentary elections on 17 February has worked well for Lesotho's pragmatic Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili in his battle with former Communications Minister Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, founder...
Vol 48 No 4 | SOUTH AFRICA Raining on the parade 16th February 2007 Heated arguments about crime and unemployment draw attention away from the government's economic successes Cape Town was gripped by a heat wave with temperatures soaring into the high 30s, in the days leading up to the opening of parliament on 9 February...
Vol 48 No 4 | MALAWI Muluzi on the record 16th February 2007 In Britain for a month, former President Bakili Muluzi tells Africa Confidential about his political plans Malawian attitudes to former President Bakili Muluzi are still mixed but President Bingu wa Mutharika insists that he is still a 'good friend'. His Deputy Information Minister, John...
Vol 48 No 4 | SOUTH AFRICA Women in power 16th February 2007 Who are the women vying for the top jobs in the African National Congress, and what are their chances? The National Assembly has 131 female members out of 400, up from just 12 before the 1994 elections. This places South Africa twelfth in the global league of...
Vol 48 No 4 | ZIMBABWE Shuffling the deckchairs 16th February 2007 Ministers may change but economic policy still defies reality, as the currency crashes A 'fusion of new and old blood' to reinvigorate the economy was President Robert Mugabe's hopeful description of his cabinet reshuffle on 6 February. His real economy chief,...
Vol 48 No 4 | SOUTH AFRICA Cyril eyes the presidency 16th February 2007 Union leader turned tycoon Cyril Ramaphosa has discreetly informed senior members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions that he is prepared to be a candidate for...