Africans see one-man rule as the greatest threat to democracy on the continent, an Afrobarometer survey released on Wednesday has shown. In the past eight years, there have been four controversial attempts to amend Constitutions in favour of incumbent elected presidents, in Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and Nigeria.
The South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) on Wednesday expressed concern at plans by the union representing security guards to spread their strike to other sectors of the economy. Sacob is particularly concerned about the ability of the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) leadership to control its members.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has emerged as the new hope to resolve the hitherto intractable Zimbabwean political and economic impasse. After numerous failed diplomatic attempts to have Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe vacate his seat, Annan is expected to bring a political deal to Harare later this year.
The revelation that National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi appears to have been drawn into the orbit of the late Brett Kebble is deeply disturbing. Selebi’s relationship with Kebble’s security lieutenants — direct in the one case, indirect in the other — throws up critical questions.
It was a dark and stormy night in the Visdorp when the devil appeared to Joseph. ”Do you know who I am?” he asked. ”Gimme a hint,” said Joseph. The devil twirled his moustache and cried: ”I am the dark lord!” ”Just as I thought,” said Joseph. ”The bladdy CEO of Eskom.”
Experts call it the ”oil curse”. In Africa’s oil-exporting countries, only a tiny fraction of revenues is used to fight poverty, and in many cases black gold has actually become a hurdle to development. Oil in Africa — from the Gulf of Guinea to north-western Sudan — lies at the heart of questions of good governance and development.
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The African Union has asked Nato to prolong its mission in Sudan’s violence-wracked Darfur region to help back a peacekeeping operation there, an alliance spokesperson said on Wednesday. ”The AU has asked Nato to extend its current support to the end of September,” said spokesperson James Appathurai.
The White House on Wednesday vowed there would be no direct negotiations with Iran unless it suspends its uranium-enrichment programme. ”Iran has to take that fundamental step when it comes to enriching and reprocessing uranium,” White House spokesperson Tony Snow told reporters.
South African star all-rounder and vice-captain Jacques Kallis is to undergo surgery next week to repair the ”tennis elbow” injury that has plagued him since November last year. Physiotherapist Shane Jabaar said on Wednesday that this meant that Kallis was unlikely to tour Sri Lanka in August.