Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa sacked Vice-President Nevers Mumba on 4 October for igniting a serious diplomatic row. Mumba had accused individuals in Congo-Kinshasa of funding the Zambian opposition.

The new Pan-African Parliament has already made an impact. As it opened in Midrand on 16 September, Pretoria established diplomatic ties with the Polisario Front's government-in-exile, the Saharan...

Just as an independent poll showed a solid gain in popularity by President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, the leaders of the opposition Movement for Democratic...

The Zimbabwe government has taken powers to nationalise the assets of people it regards as enemies of the state. It works like this. A statutory instrument (part of...

An anonymous e-mail campaign against former Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya threatens to undermine the governing party's image of unity in the run-up to November elections. President Sam Nujoma...

Political fumbling is overshadowing real economic achievements. President Levy Mwanawasa has failed to deliver a constitution and the anti-corruption crusade against his predecessor, Frederick Chiluba, shows few results....

President Bingu wa Mutharika has surprised those who dismissed him as his predecessor's uncharismatic surrogate. He has won cross-party support and is rapidly becoming popular, three months after...

The new cabinet, named on 13 June, contains factions that will pull President Bingu wa Mutharika in all directions

The African Union summit in Addis Ababa formally accepts a devastating critique of the government's human rights abuses. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation lambasts the government's...

Considering the economic nightmares with which he has to contend daily, Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono is a relaxed man. He speaks gaily of economic challenges, never of...