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Published 1st July 2009

Vol 2 (AAC) No 9

Namibia

Beijing in scanner scandal

Image courtesy of Panos Pictures
Image courtesy of Panos Pictures

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A politically-charged investigation into commissions on the supply of scanners to the Windhoek government is drawing in some high-profile Chinese officials

The arrest of Namibia's powerful Public Service Commissioner, Teckla Lameck, on 9 July by investigators of the Namibian Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in connection with a contract between China's Nuctech and Windhoek International Airport has set in train a legal case with serious repercussions.

China woos the team of rivals

Image courtesy of Panos Pictures

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Harare's power-sharing government needs finance urgently but cannot agree on how to negotiate the terms with China

As China emerges as the biggest outside financier of the power-sharing government, differences in Harare over policy towards Beijing are growing. The first public row broke soon ...

Mittal's meltdown

Hobbled by the global business downturn and billions of dollars in debt, Mittal's plans to turn West Africa into its iron-ore hub are on hold

The world's biggest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, is cutting back sharply on its operations in West Africa, which were part of a plan to provide about two-thirds of the company's ir...

Tokyo's new loans for Africa

Japan is to add another US$4 billion in new concessional loans to Africa over the next five years, outpacing the spending of the China-Africa Development Fund, according to Koji ...

MTN-Bharti merger

Despite shareholder concerns the deal between Africa's and India's biggest mobile companies is set to go ahead this year

The planned US$20 billion merger of Africa's Mobile Telephone Networks (MTN) and India's Bharti Airtel would bring together two continental giants to form the world's third large...

Pointers

Michael Chilufya Sata

President, Patriotic Front of Zambia

Neither age nor ill-health seem to dampen the fire in the belly of Zambian opposition leader Michael Sata. Born 1937, 'King Cobra' has lost none of his bite, even after losing pres...

Seiko Hashimoto

State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Japan

Seiko Hashimoto brings Olympic glamour to the Africa-Asia axis. Born in 1964 in Hokkaido, she competed in seven Olympic Games, four as a speed skater and three as a cyclist. After ...

Dai Bingguo

State Councillor, China

Dai Bingguo was last in Africa in February, when he accompanied President Hu Jintao to Saudi Arabia, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius. The low-key diplomat's nondescript title...

Najib Razak

Prime Minister, Malaysia

Najib Razak's political pedigree is impeccable, but he struggles with the common touch needed to enact his liberal, but potentially unpopular, economic policies. Born 1953, Najib i...

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