‘African Union, Sadc toothless bulldogs’
THE presence of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the African Union (UN) observer missions during the just-ended elections has only served to rubber-stamp the political status quo and sanitise electoral fraud, civil society organisations (CSOs) and opposition political parties in Bulawayo have said. The CSOs and political parties said the two regional organisations […]
Harare violence is yet another wake up call for Southern African Development Community
First, there’s the voting. Then, there’s the counting. But what happens next? This is the sad question now on everyone’s mind after the military was deployed to suppress post-election protests in Zimbabwe today. No-one wanted the answer to be gunfire, tanks and injuries. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had announced a resounding parliamentary victory for […]
MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa Threatens to Take ZEC Headon Over Printing of Ballot Papers
Opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, who is also MDC-T leader, has said his party is giving the country’s election body, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), one week to meet its demands on the printing of ballot papers or the party will take unspecified action. Chamisa said they were taking the […]
SADC ‘to evaluate Zim rally blast and take appropriate steps’ says President Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who also chairs the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has condemned the bomb blast which left at least 41 people injured in Zimbabwe, saying that the bloc will evaluate the incident and “take appropriate steps”. The explosion rocked the White City Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was addressing […]
Chorus Against Swazi Election Grows
Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) has joined the growing chorus of international observers to declare elections in Swaziland / Eswatini undemocratic. King Mswati III rules the kingdom as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch and political parties are banned from taking part and many political activists are labelled ‘terrorists’ under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Sunit […]
UN Chief António Guterres Welcomes Formation of Unity Government in Madagascar
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the formation on Monday of a government of national unity in Madagascar led by a non-partisan Prime Minister, as requested by the nation’s leading constitutional court. According to media reports, the court ordered President Hery Rajaonarimampianina to form a new government with a “consensus” prime minister at its […]
Keeping the African Union Relevant to Africa’s Citizens
Africa Day is celebrated across the continent with cultural festivals, conferences and actions to combat xenophobia. The day commemorates the founding, on 25 May 1963, of the Organisation of African Unity, the forerunner of the African Union (AU). For some, Africa Day is also a time for hard questions: Is a continental organisation like the […]
Why Lesotho’s in Such a Mess and What Can Be Done About It
In an interview following his recent return as Prime Minister of Lesotho, Tom Thabane has blamed the army for the country’s chronic political instability. Stating that his previous administration (after an election in 2012) was “scuttled” by the army, he went on to say that he now intended to neutralise the Lesotho Defence Force, even […]
‘Sadc must give Zimbabwe poll reforms ultimatum’
Southern African leaders must keep an eye on Zimbabwe as it draws up a road-map for general elections in 2018, amid high tension and possible chaos over President Robert Mugabe’s likely successor amid stalled electoral reforms, analysts have warned. The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (Sadc) must put Zimbabwe on the front burner as it […]
President Yoweri Museveni to Show the Way Out of Burundi Crisis
The Burundi crisis and the country’s status as a partner state in the East African Community are among issues that were expected to feature at the EAC Heads of State Summit in Dar es Salaam. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who takes over the chairmanship of the EAC, had pledged that, he would bring the Burundi […]
