In the world of political miscalculations, none has been as dramatic recently as the African National Congress leadership’s belief that ordinary ANC members would accept the resignation of Jacob Zuma from organisational activities. It was a stupendous mistake that nearly derailed the national general council.
The continuing flow of arms from neighbouring countries into the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo threatens the fragile peace in that region, Amnesty International recently. Also, the International Court of Justice in The Hague began hearing a case brought by the DRC, accusing Rwanda of armed aggression between 1998 and the present. Rwanda has rejected the allegations.
Once upon a time, there was a magical fairyland called South Khrazania, which was under the baffled rule of a group of deranged control-freaks calling themselves the Association of Nepotists and Cronies. In control of the ANC was an elitist cabal of fabulously wealthy fairies and pixies and ministers and dwarves and elves and trades union leaders all of whom were hopeless addicts.
Police had to hold back a placard-wielding crowd of fifty from disrupting a glitzy celebrity party at the London Natural History Museum where diamonds from South African mining company De Beers were being exhibited. The charity Survival International organised the protest to highlight the Botswana Bushmen’s claim that their land had been taken away from them to mine the diamonds.
The leaders of eight of the world’s wealthiest countries are capable of delivering justice for Africa. We take a look at their differenty agendas and also look at the domestic pressures that each of them in carrying out these agendas.
Although health awareness and the availability of sound nutritional guidance are increasing in Egypt, many women still find it difficult to overcome economic and cultural barriers to maintain a healthy weight. About 75% of overweight people in Egypt are women, says Dr Sherif Azmi, a nutritionist at the Nasser Health Institute.
Rich Western countries spend up to 25 times as much on defence as they do on overseas aid and have increased their assistance to the poorest African countries by just a head since 1990, according to United Nations figures. Research to be shows that every country in Western Europe and North America has a bigger military budget than overseas development budget.
A landmark ruling in the Lesotho Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal to declare as unconstitutional the reservation of one third of the country’s local government seats for women. An aspirant male ward councilor Molefi TÅ¡epe lodged the complaint with the Lesotho Independent Electoral Commission.
Cyril Ramaphosa is the guy who most South Africans think will be our next president. He played the lead role in negotiating the agreement that led to the new South Africa, he is a major player on the empowerment scene. He is a big guy. But here is his former comrade from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) taking one of his flagship companies from him.
The first G7 gathering took place in 1975, the start of a history of broken pledges, verbose communiqués and intangible commitments by the rich world to do something about Africa. At the last British G8 in Birmingham in 1998, Tony Blair sounded hopeful. The final communiqué said: ”We are encouraged by the new spirit of hope and progress in Africa.”