Vol 49 No 21 | ZIMBABWE Mugabe rearranges the deckchairs 17th October 2008 Almost a month after the signing of the power-sharing agreement, Zimbabwe is no nearer to a new cabinet. The ink was barely dry on the accord before President Robert Mugabe left for New York to address the United Nations General Assembly with a 60-strong entourage. Muddles...
Vol 49 No 21 | ZIMBABWE Hunger stalks the land 17th October 2008 Malnourished children are dying in the countryside and the next harvest is unlikely to be better. Malnourished children are dying in the countryside and the next harvest is unlikely to be better. The combination of the worst drought for a decade and bad government...
Vol 49 No 20 | ZIMBABWE Next, the economic battle 3rd October 2008 Even if the politics fare well, foreign economic support is both essential and uncertain The much-talked of US$1 billion rescue package for Zimbabwe's new power-sharing government is an illusion, according to British, United States and World Bank officials. There is no agreement...
Vol 49 No 20 | ZIMBABWE Politicians parley, people starve 3rd October 2008 Negotiations between the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and Movement for Democratic Change have been deadlocked for the past month over five key ministries: Information, Finance, Home Affairs,...
Vol 49 No 20 | ZIMBABWE Farms are the key 3rd October 2008 John Robertson, an economic consultant, says any recovery must start by restoring previous levels of agricultural productivity. 'They have destroyed the farming sector and shown no respect for...
Vol 49 No 20 | BOTSWANAZIMBABWE Brotherly love 3rd October 2008 Botswana President Ian Khama's open criticism of President Robert Mugabe's regime has provoked a stream of vitriol from Zimbabwe's state-controlled media. Mugabe's officials referred to Khama's government as...
Vol 49 No 19 | ZIMBABWE A three-legged race 19th September 2008 After months of tense negotiations, Morgan Tsvangirai has settled for much less than his supporters voted for The agreement reached in Harare on 15 September may not be what Zimbabweans wanted, but it was the best the negotiators could get after various governments had tried...
Vol 49 No 19 | ZIMBABWE Political theatre 19th September 2008 Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara have signed the power-sharing agreement but can it really work? Amid the euphoria and impeccably presented theatre of the signing of the Zimbabwe power-sharing agreement on 15 September, only a Jeremiah would have warned that Monday’s child is...
Vol 49 No 19 | ZIMBABWE Deals after the deal 19th September 2008 The businessmen and bankers are ready but donors will adopt a wait-and-see aproach Private companies may move faster than Western governments, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in returning to Zimbabwe after the political deal. There are plans for hundreds...
Vol 49 No 18 | ZIMBABWE Mnangagwa's second coming 5th September 2008 The man whose closeness to Mugabe earned him the title of ‘Son of God’ is back at the helm of the ruling party As the power-sharing talks falter, the star of Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chairman of the Joint Operations Command and Rural Housing Minister, continues to rise. Whatever happens in the negotiations,...