Why Singapore is courting Africa.

Today, China is by far the most active Asian player in Africa. But with the right approach, Singapore could be at the forefront of Asian engagement - even supplanting China.This week, the government of Singapore will be hosting its third Africa-Singapore business forum. The forum will bring African private and public sector leaders to Singapore to discuss investment opportunities across the continent.  But the forum could also serve a more strategic purpose by encouraging a broader evaluation of Singapore's relationship with the continent. 

China's trade with Africa will total almost US$300 billion this year.  Many African leaders draw many lessons from Singapore, and in addition, Singapore does not pose a strategic threat to Africa, and in fact, attracts admiration., with many African countries wanting to become the Singapore of Africa.

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Zambia's President to appear in public amid concerns over health.

Zambia's President Michael Sata plans to address the nation next month as he officially open parliament, a move intended to contradict reports that his health has led to a power struggle within the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party.

Sata was last seen in public on June 19 when he met visiting Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao.

Immunity for sitting African leaders condemned.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Africa as well as international ones working on the continent, have opposed the recently-adopted Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights by the African Union (AU) member heads of states in June.

The protocol extends criminal jurisdiction to the African Court, and offers immunity to serving heads of states and all senior government officials during their term of office for serious crimes. The African Court was

Why human trafficking is still rampant in South Africa.

“Very often a person will accompany the trafficker willingly as they are being deceived into believing that there is a job waiting for them at the other end, at the destination. Exploitation, 99 per cent of the time, is for money but sometimes it is for getting the services of a person: using the person as a domestic help, farming, forced labour.”

Alek Kuhudzai, who is responsible for refugee rights at the Agency for Refugee Education, explains that

Why securing African ports is the key to containing Illegal ivory Trade.

While there are effectively unlimited numbers of poachers and consumers fueling the lucrative illegal ivory market, a new report suggests that nearly all the ivory shuttled from Africa to Asia—the biggest market—is confined to as few as 200 shipping containers a year.

This "transit or supply chain is the single greatest point of vulnerability in the illicit ivory system," says Adam Roberts, CEO of Born Free, an anti-poaching group based in Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, the group issued what it calls a "landmark" study on how illegal ivory is moved from Africa

China sees new potential in Africa.

Africa’s steadily improving situation with regard to governance (there are still many problems, but steadily less war, steadily more free elections, and so on), and a technological landscape and future that will allow Africa to leapfrog many aspects of the rich life that the rich world takes for granted. And national resources are just icing on the cake.

As is frequently remarked upon, and as a book review in this week’s Economist touches upon, China has a very deliberate and ambitious strategy of investment in Africa. For sure, China’s drive into Africa is mainly motivated by natural resources. But this is merely the catalyst of a broader phenomenon, as China sees a lot of potential in Africa.
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South Africa narrowly avoids recession with modest growth.

The South African economy narrowly dodged recession by growing 0.6% in the second quarter over a year ago, the country's statistics authority said Tuesday.

The latest quarterly assessment of South Africa, the continent's most advanced economy, offered little good news even as growth elsewhere in Africa is accelerating.

The pain in the country's key mining sector, after a five-month strike in the platinum zone earlier this year, has rippled through the economy. The industry's contribution to the economy declined by 9.4% in the second quarter, having shrunk by 24.7% in the first quarter. Full Story here