Erai Maggi does not look like a villain who is destroying the planet; nor does he look like a hero who is saving the world’s poor. Wearing jeans and work boots, he can be found on a typical day driving a battered Fiat car on one of his farms south of the Amazon rainforest.
Robert Mugabe’s iron grip on his ruling Zanu-PF party is being broken ahead of this month’s presidential election as senior party figures throw their weight behind an unprecedented challenge to Zimbabwe’s president from his former finance minister, Simba Makoni.
Russia’s next president Dmitry Medvedev pledged to uphold Vladimir Putin’s policies on Monday after a big election win that critics said was stage-managed to let the outgoing Kremlin leader keep his grip on power. Medvedev (42) who will be the youngest Russian leader since Tsar Nicholas II when he is sworn in on May 7, has asked former KGB spy Putin to be his prime minister.
It is difficult to imagine how a school pledge recited every morning can accomplish much. But this might be the opportunity to examine the fundamental values of South Africans and the role of religion in our schools. Some have rejected the pledge outright, while others would modify it, writes Abdulkader Tayob.
Every day, well-heeled citizens clatter in and out of the Rishengchang, China’s first bank. But the ledgers are dusty and unused; the visitors are not customers but tourists. The most notable visitor to the museum, President Hu Jintao, may well recall the lesson in hubris as he stares at the biggest economic challenge that he has faced to date.
Not many former chief executives stay on at their old haunts once a successor is appointed and they’re no longer on the board. Thulani Gcabashe, however, can still be found in the corridors of Eskom’s cavernous Megawatt Park — even though he no longer works at the utility.
The Mail & Guardian‘s Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya has asked: ”Can we as a newsroom honestly say that the black staff in our newsroom does not have issues they feel particularly unhappy about?” M&G editor Ferial Haffajee reports on the ensuing discussion about race at the newspaper.
Hardliners in Washington, Beijing and Taipei continue to warn of an explosive military confrontation between China and the United States as Taiwan’s short-fuse presidential election draws close. But growing evidence suggests hawks on both sides are purposefully exaggerating the risks.
”Our main concern with the information peddlers is that they are using invasive methods and they are distorting information, sowing divisions within the government.” Siyabonga Cwele chairs Parliament’s joint standing committee on intelligence. He spoke to Nic Dawes about the committee’s Special Browse Mole report.
The contest for the presidency in Zimbabwe has begun, with candidates preparing manifestos and travelling the length and breadth of the country to drum up support. The Mail & Guardian looks at the tactics, insults, prospects and problems of the three contenders in Zimbabwe.