Building an African Corporate Governance
Developing a suitable system of corporate governance is an important priority for Africa.
Lesotho after Pretoria: More Questions than Answers as Leaders Continue to Dance Close to the Flame
More than a week has now passed since the ostensible coup attempt of 29 August in Lesotho. This was sold officially as an operation to neutralise elements within the Lesotho Mounted Police Service who were colluding with government supporters to disrupt a protest march the following Monday.
South African response to conflict must be astute
From Gaza to Syria, Iraq and Ukraine, the existing political order is under attack. The crises in Europe challenge the stability that was the product of post-Cold War settlements, while the post-World War II arrangements in the Middle East are unravelling.
South Africa and China: The Making of a Partnership
South Africa–China relations are developing at a steady pace, from the onset of formal diplomatic ties in 1998 to the multi-faceted partnership we see today.
Ethiopia, Regional Integration and the COMESA Free Trade Area
Arguments that free trade enhances welfare are persuading more and more countries to liberalise their trade regimes. One way of doing this is to join a free trade area (FTA).
SADC leaders must show zeal
The heads of state and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) members are ensconced in the resort town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. This is for the annual summit of the regional economic community (17-18 August) that includes countries from as far north as Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Riding the Sudanese Storm: China, India, Russia, Brazil and the Two Sudans
This paper gives a thematic analysis of the Chinese, Indian, Russian and Brazilian engagements in Sudan after 2005, with particular interest in the changing nature and trajectory of these relationships after the establishment of South Sudan in 2011.
South Africa: Closer Government and Industry Engagement the Key to Beneficiation
The 2014 South African Mining Lekgotla convenes in Johannesburg, on 13-14 August. This comes against the backdrop of unresolved challenges in the mining sector, including the recent protracted platinum strike, inter-union rivalries and violence, service delivery failure in mining communities and the persistent migrant labour system.
Synthetic Diamonds and the Kimberly Process: Fighting the last war
For well over a decade, a unique, but flawed global governance initiative, the Kimberley Process, has sought to assure customers that the high prices that they pay for diamonds – stones sold as symbols of love – are not associated with war and bloodshed. But more recently, the increasing production of synthetic diamonds in response to demand in emerging countries is threatening the stability of the entire diamond market.
The future of the platinum industry and its implications for South Africa
At this week’s Mining Lekgotla (13-14 August 2014), the future of the currently suppressed platinum industry is likely to be a key agenda item. Whether fuel cell technology takes off is a critical determinant of what this future might look like.