At 4:00 am tomorrow (or five hours from now) I'll get up and begin a winding journey that will land me in South Africa Thursday afternoon. I'll be there for three weeks, will be traveling extensively for two conferences, some research, travel and holiday, and reportage. I may be out of touch for a bit, […]
With just over two days to go before the runoff little is certain except for the certainty that Robert Mugabe's calculated tyranny has turned Zimbabwe into a chaotic state in which the anarchy he has very much fomented serves Mugabe's needs. Zimbabwe is ostensibly a one-party state. In reality, right now it is a one-man state. The […]
The dueling headlines tell of the tricky course South Africa has chosen for itself with regard to the situation in Zimbabwe. It is widely recognized that South Africa has the potential to be the biggest external power broker, whether through sticks or carrots, words or deeds. And so far, it is no secret, South Africa […]
Things are grim in Zimbabwe. But that does not mean that we cannot find room for laughter. The blogger Copyranter, who has been an advertising copywriter in New York for sixteen years, dissects various ads and other forms of propoganda. Yesterday Copyranter tackled a Robert Mugabe campaign poster. An excerpt: Since present conditions in Zimbabwe […]
Whether he intended such a result or not, is it possible that Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the runoff election in Zimbabwe has finally forced the outside world to contemplate real action against Robert Mugabe and his regime? And could that action include the use of force? There are rumblings from Britain that military action could […]
Despite the fact that South African farmers produced high yielding maize crops this year, a confluence of global factors means that this staple food for millions of South Africans may be unavailable or prohibitively expensive for the foreseeable future. The poor, of course, will be the hardest hit: They rely the most on the crop and are […]
Crises tend to escalate quickly in South Africa. Just weeks ago there were precious few South Africans who could have identified John Hlophe, the Cape Judge President. Now he is at the center of a row over his alleged involvement in the ongoing arms scandal that some are calling “the greatest showdown in South Africa's […]
In its Daily News Brief today the Council on Foreign Relations has placed the Zimbabwe crisis at the “Top of the Agenda.” CFR provides lots of links about the ongoing crisis. UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan also posts about Zim today, with a handful of links, including to some powerful pictures.
Responses to the escalating crisis in Zimbabwe have accelerated, especially after Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the campaign today. Here is a roundup: Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos has sent a message to Mugabe asking him to make sure the election is free and fair and to eliminate the violence besieging his country. Zim's independent […]
Morgan Tsvangirai, the Movement for Democratic Change leader who has challenged Robert Mugabe has withdrawn from the runoff election. Tsvangirai, who is widely believed to have won the 29 March elections, and who would likely have won in the 27 June runoff were they free and fair, has cited the widespread violence aimed at MDC supporters […]
This week The Washington Post “Book World” profiles Africanist Alex de Waal, who contributes a piece in Book World's “The Writing Life” feature. De Waal is best known for his work on the Sudan and the Darfur crisis. I met de Waal at this year's Sudan Studies Association meeting. He has a fierce intellect and an […]
Talk about taking with one hand and giving with the other! Even as the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) seeks a way to have corruption charges against Jacob Zuma disappear and go over the top in their willingness to support him, the organization's leaders have also made clear that if Zuma disappoints, the ANCYL will have […]
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