Vol 53 No 16 | ZIMBABWE It’s time for a vote 3rd August 2012 The courts say there must be bye-elections and that will impose change on all the political parties The Supreme Court has finally forced President Robert Mugabe to hold long-outstanding bye-elections in three Matebeleland parliamentary seats. He had argued that the polls would be...
Vol 53 No 16 | ZIMBABWE Souvenir of Matebeleland 3rd August 2012 So far, Matebeleland's special concerns have not been fully addressed by the political reform process. The Human Rights Commission will deal only with matters since 2008, leaving t...
Vol 53 No 16 | BOTSWANA Threats to Khama fade 3rd August 2012 Opposition parties are unable to form an alliance capable of ousting the governing Botswana Democratic Party In spite of the serious split in the Botswana Democratic Party in 2010, opposition parties cannot form a broad electoral alliance, the only way to end the BDP’s long reign at the g...
Vol 53 No 16 | ANGOLADIAMONDS Secrets are not forever 3rd August 2012 The Gaydamak case exposed details of profit-taking in the diamond business that the government might have preferred to remain unseen Russian-Israeli billionaire Arkady Gaydamak failed to convince the London High Court he had a case against diamond-dealer Lev Leviev in mid-June. Ever since, analysts have been por...
Vol 53 No 16 | ANGOLANAMIBIADIAMONDS Cross-border pollution 3rd August 2012 Lev Leviev's interests in neighbouring Namibia could suffer as a result of the British High Court proceedings in June, especially from the judge's critical remarks about his credib...
Vol 5 (AAC) No 10 | MAURITIUSINDIA To save a treaty 31st July 2012 Pressure mounts again on the treaty that allows funds to transit untaxed through Mauritius and into India’s markets Mauritius and India are gearing up for another confrontation over the 1983 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement. The DTAA allows Indian investors to avoid paying tax by funnelling t...
Vol 5 (AAC) No 10 | ZIMBABWEINDIA Missing the sparklers 31st July 2012 Disappearing diamond revenue is slowing economic growth and enriching illicit networks at the interstices of India-Zimbabwe trade Disappointing diamond revenues and other factors forced Finance Minister Tendai Biti to slash predictions for Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product growth in 2012 from the expected 9.4...
Vol 5 (AAC) No 10 | ZIMBABWEINDIA No retail therapy here 31st July 2012 Since he was widowed in March 2009, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been involved in a series of romantic escapades that have drawn ribald commen...
Vol 5 (AAC) No 10 | ZIMBABWECHINABRIEFING Diamonds give you wings 31st July 2012 Anjin Investments is attracting even more attention from the authorities after a Global Witness report released in late June highlighted the company’s links to the security service...
Vol 5 (AAC) No 10 | ZAMBIA Alexander Chikwanda 31st July 2012 Finance Minister, Zambia In the 29 June listing of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Corporation (CNMC) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Zambia’s Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda saw ‘a legitimate cause fo...