Southern Africa Report (Johannesburg)

A subscription newsletter covering key political and economic developments in the Southern African Development Community.

September 3, 2011

Malawi: A Very Reverend Dialogue Begins

The start of a UN-brokered dialogue last week between President Bingu wa Mutharika and his extra-parliamentary opposition has done little to ease the difficulties facing the... Read more »
South Africa: Zuma Plays for Keeps Against Youth Leader

This week’s disciplinary hearing against ANC Youth League president Julius Malema is intended by President Jacob Zuma as the endgame. Read more »

Malawi: Mutharika Circles His Wagons

The indefinite postponement of a second round of street protests against President Bingu wa Mutharika's embattled administration offers only temporary relief for the ailing... Read more »
Swaziland: Limbering Up for Constitutional Talks

Even before the first Rand of South Africa's R2,4-billion has changed hands, Swazi government and pro-democracy formations are positioning themselves to benefit from the loan's... Read more »
Swaziland: Pretoria Loan to Pay Democracy Dividend

As predicted, South Africa has structured its R2,4-billion (US$351-million) bailout package for Swaziland to maximise leverage for political reform in Africa's last absolute... Read more »
Madagascar: Region Squeezes Rajoelina

The tougher SADC stance on Madagascar following the June special Sandton Summit (see Vol 29 No 18) is weakening acting President Andry Rajoelina's hold on power, although the... Read more »

South Africa: Ruling Party Tightens Control on Govt [analysis]

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) last week moved to reassert more direct control of the executive branch through its mid-term party lekgotla (meeting), staged... Read more »
Malawi: Mutharika Bans Four Radio Stations [analysis]

This week's bloody suppression by President Bingu wa Mutharika's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of protests in Malawi's major cities was inevitable after months of... Read more »
Swaziland: The Lawyers Are Restless

King Mswati III's clumsy attempts to halt tentative moves by Swaziland's judiciary to question his constitutionally entrenched status as being above the law have backfired. Read more »
Swaziland: South Africa Agrees to U.S. $200 Million Bailout

The South African Cabinet has agreed in principle to grant Swaziland a R1,4-billion (US$202-million) - slightly higher than the R1,2-billion originally reported (SAR Vol 29 No 18... Read more »

South Africa: Zuma Launches Counter-Strike Against Party Opponents

President Jacob Zuma's appointment of former Transport Minister and anti-apartheid struggle veteran Mac Maharaj to replace Zizi Kodwa as presidential spokesperson is the first... Read more »
South Africa: Ruling Party to Review Performance

The ANC begins its key three-day lekgotla (workshop) starting next Wednesday (14 July). The lekgotla precedes and feeds into the mid- term Cabinet breakaway on 26 July. Read more »

Swaziland: South Africa Inches Towards Bailing Govt Out

The process of getting South Africa's bailout loan to Swaziland edges towards completion. Despite conflicting media reports, Pretoria and Manzini have agreed to a R1,2-billion... Read more »
Zimbabwe: Mugabe's Generals Plan to Win Next Election

As Zimbabwe awaits the arrival of SADC's tri-national support-team to assist with the process towards internationally accepted elections, the country's generals are finalising... Read more »

Zimbabwe: Harare Prepares for Region to Put Boots On the Ground

The initiative continues to slip from aging President Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe's fraught negotiations towards a new constitution and a general election. Read more »

South Africa: ANC's Allies Gather to Counter the Youth League

The meeting of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) central committee next week (29 June 2011) will offer the first public response within the African National... Read more »
Madagascar: Southern Africa Can Wait Rajoelina Out [analysis]

SADC has little to gain by reacting strongly to Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina’s defiant rejection of its insistence that he allow his exiled opponents back home. Read more »
South Africa: Ruling Party Youth Face Uphill Battle

The African National Congress (ANC) Youth League’s very public adoption of policies on mine nationalisation and uncompensated land seizure last week is an attempt to win... Read more »

South Africa: Ruling Party Youth Prepare to Challenge Zuma

Having effectively secured his own second term as president of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League, Julius Malema will use next week's elective conference to lay the... Read more »
Swaziland: Mswati Heads for Pretoria to Plead for Bailout

King Mswati III is due in Pretoria next week to plead directly with President Jacob Zuma for a R10-billion (US$1,47-billion) loan to keep Swaziland from complete collapse. Read more »
Zimbabwe: Keeping Mugabe on the Straight and Narrow

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe goes into Saturday's extraordinary SADC summit in Johannesburg still battling to overcome the consequences of President Jacob Zuma's skilled... Read more »

South Africa: Ruling Party Gladiators Enter Arena

With the bruising local government election out of the way, and a renewed mandate from a barely-altered base, the African National Congress (ANC) this week returns its full... Read more »
South Africa: A Long and Winding Road for Zille's DA

The major plus for South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) in the 18 May 2011 local elections has been its entrenchment as the only real opposition to the ANC... Read more »
South Africa: Ruling Party Acts on Local Election Complaints

The ANC is keeping President Jacob Zuma’s promise for a post-election review of candidate lists – and to replace improperly nominated councillors, if necessary... Read more »
South Africa: 17 Years On, Voting Still a Matter of Black and White

More than 17 years after the defeat of apartheid, South Africans continue to vote almost entirely along racial lines. Read more »

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