Vol 56 No 9 | ZIMBABWE Illegal gold exports 1st May 2015 Chinese business people are accused of smuggling gold out of the country with the connivance of senior ruling party officials Securocrats and political bigwigs in President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) are colluding with Asian entrepreneurs, mainly from China, ...
Vol 56 No 9 | MOZAMBIQUE Frelimo’s hit parade 1st May 2015 The campaign of intimidation against ex-President Armando Guebuza's political enemies has suddenly ended after his resignation as President of the governing Frente de Liberta&ccedi...
Vol 56 No 9 | SOUTH AFRICA BRICS on the rocks 1st May 2015 Designed as a radical alternative to the World Bank by the BRICS group countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the much-vaunted New Development Bank is falling ...
Vol 56 No 9 | ZIMBABWE So far, so bad 27th April 2015 The campaign against Mujuru continues and the opposition remains incapable of capitalising on ZANU-PF's difficulties As the economy plummets and political infighting reaches fever pitch, Zimbabwe's state media chose to mark the 35th anniversary of the nation's Independence on 18 April, by splashi...
Vol 56 No 8 | SOUTH AFRICA Poison plots and power games 17th April 2015 President Zuma cancelled the results of ANC elections in Durban because the wrong candidates won A new conference to elect regional leaders of the African National Congress is to be held at the end of April after President Jacob Zuma declared February's vote void. He cancelled...
Vol 56 No 8 | MOZAMBIQUE Nyusi finds the cupboard bare 15th April 2015 The new President's team has found a huge hole in government finances. A frantic hunt is on for hundreds of millions of missing dollars President Filipe Nyusi's new era – a decisive break with the policies and personalities of ex-President Armando Guebuza – has begun with an apparent financial disaster....
Vol 56 No 7 | ZAMBIA Lungu returns the favours 3rd April 2015 The new President’s health problems and his pursuit of political vendettas are not inspiring political confidence President Edgar Lungu has been having trouble fulfilling his reported promise to ex-President Rupiah Banda to get the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mutembo Nchito, off his...
Vol 56 No 7 | ZAMBIA Mining companies get their way 3rd April 2015 On 26 March, President Edgar Lungu ordered Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma and Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda to make a change to the new mining taxes by 8 April. Mining co...
Vol 56 No 7 | ZIMBABWE Bye any means 3rd April 2015 Renewed opposition factionalism means that some MPs are being recalled and bye-elections have to be held Sixteen bye-elections, most of them triggered by the opposition, will be held on 10 June, parliamentary officials have decided. In the interim, the number could rise through furthe...
Vol 56 No 7 | MOZAMBIQUE A farewell to Armando 3rd April 2015 Ex-President Armando Guebuza has resigned from the presidency of the governing Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo) having lost his power struggle with...