Angola, the Reluctant SADC Trader
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Trade (PoT) was signed in 1996 with the aim of increasing trade between member states through the elimination of tariffs and harmonisation of customs procedures.
A Boom for Whom? Mozambique’s Natural Gas and the New Development Opportunity
In the two decades since the end of Mozambique’s civil war the country has depended heavily on international donors to fund its development.
Reconciling growth and development with ecological integrity along Africa’s coastline
The value of nature’s ‘services’ and its non-market benefits need to be better understood and incorporated into the development choices that countries make.
Small-Scale Fisheries in Mozambique
Small-scale fisheries in Africa employ over 95% of fishers and provide more than 90% of the fish consumed across the continent. In Mozambique, as elsewhere on the continent, small-scale fisheries are a crucial component of the rural economy, supporting food security and livelihoods.
Integrating SADC: Why Angola is the odd one out
When heads of state met in Lilongwe, Malawi, for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit on 17 and 18 August 2013, one of their agenda items was a report from the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Economic Integration. This task force has been working on a roadmap towards the formation of a SADC Customs Union, which aims to take regional integration within the bloc one step beyond the existing Free Trade Area (FTA) that was launched in 2008.
Ethiopia’s Foreign Policy one year after Meles Zenawi: An opportunity for transformation
Today, on 21 August 2013, a year has passed since the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the man considered to be the leading architect of post-Derg Ethiopia. Following his death, the future of a resurgent Ethiopia hung by a thread. Uncertainty mounted in the vast country of over 80 million inhabitants, with over 60 diverse ethnicities and two major religions that have cohabitated uncomfortably for decades.
China’s Silent Storm in Sierra Leone
There are many faces to China’s presence in Sierra Leone and its present role there. Chinese investments, ‘gifts’ and trading activities have gone some way to reshaping the stereotype of Beijing as solely an exploiter of Africa’s minerals resources.
Will Tax Reform Drive Equitable Development in Oil-Dependent Angola?
Angola is currently implementing a major tax reform programme, which aims to boost non-oil tax revenue as a means to diversify its economy. Broadening the tax base will play a critical role in reducing natural-resource dependence and vulnerability to international commodity price and demand volatility.
The 33rd SADC Summit in Lilongwe: An organisation at the end of its resources
The overarching mandate of the Southern African Development Community is the furtherance of socio-economic cooperation and integration, including political and security cooperation among its fifteen member states. Ordinarily, it is with these in mind that the 33RD annual SADC Summit is convening in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.
Mining Sector Violence Reflects a Deeper Social Malaise
Marikana has elicited a voluminous spectrum of analyses. The most insightful have pointed to the need for deep structural reforms, including innovative means of addressing the persistent challenges of migrant labour. Few, however, have drawn parallels between Marikana and the central problem of violence in South African society more broadly.