What is a common factor in ensuring that women do not marry too young, do not have more children than they can cope with, do not die giving birth — and contract HIV in smaller…
A senior African National Congress MP, Ben Turok, says the existing trade agreement between South Africa and the European Union has not benefited his country. The agreement "is…
Reports that Zimbabwean Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu has annulled the registration of all NGOs active in the country have been greeted with dismay by civil society…
A debate is under way among analysts and civil society activists about how South African President Thabo Mbeki should proceed in fulfilling the mandate given to him last month by…
After her father was murdered, Vanessa Lynch started a fund-raising initiative called the DNA Project to help the South African Police Service build up an efficient DNA database…
This year will mark the first occasion on which an African country, Kenya, is serving as sole host of the World Social Forum (WSF) — a gathering that had its beginnings in the…
The 2006 <i>Human Development Report</i>, titled <i>Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis</i>, focuses on the ongoing problems that surround provision of…
"I was arrested a dozen times," notes Tapera Kapuya, a student leader at the University of Zimbabwe between 2001 and 2002 who says he was the target of both police and the…
There were 18 in Africa 35 years ago. There are 34 now — which begs the question: are policies to thin the ranks of the almost three dozen least developed countries (LDCs) on the…
A call has been made for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to involve civil society in its decision-making process — in deed, as well as in word. This came ahead…
A variety of ailments can affect people with albinism, an inherited genetic condition characterised by the absence of melanin in skin, eyes and hair. But the challenges…
Recent moves by the Zimbabwean government to allow white farmers whose land was confiscated to resume farming have drawn a variety of responses. "They killed people; they threw…
For generations, African farmers have relied on local knowledge to manage and conserve water. Whether this knowledge should be recognised and promoted by the government is a…
With more than five million of its 47-million citizens HIV-positive, South Africa currently has more people living with HIV/Aids than any other country. This brings with it a…
Political tensions in Swaziland are on the rise following the arrest of 15 pro-democracy campaigners in recent weeks over petrol-bomb attacks that were made on courthouses and…
As the final round of consultations to choose a new director-general for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) wrapped up Thursday, former European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal…
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/199502/Zim_icon.GIF" align=left>A Human Rights Watch group spent more than three weeks in Zimbabwe in December 2004 and February 2005.…
This past weekend saw a new military operation underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Reports from the central African country say about 800 United Nations troops have…
The World Social Forum (WSF), sometimes described as the "carnival of the oppressed", is under way in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. While WSF participants debate the…
A few years ago, the tiny kingdom of Lesotho appeared to have a lot on offer for investors. Textile manufacturers certainly seemed to like what they saw. Towards the end of last…
