Posts Tagged ‘south africa’
Madagascar must agree amnesty for Ravalomanana, says Sadc
Marc Ravalomanana. Photo: US State Dept
Madagascar must agree new amnesty laws by the end of February to pave the way for the return of exiled former leader Marc Ravalomanana, the South African foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday. After a meeting of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) in Cape Town, the regional bloc insists the country must adopt its road map to end its political stand-off.
ANC celebrates 100 years
South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) party celebrates 100 years on Saturday. It was founded on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein. ANC National Spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said the centenary is a “test of loyalty” for the ANC which demonstrates how far the party has gone over the past 100 years.
Interview: ANC Spokesperson Jackson Mthembu
Swazi king wants slice of South African bailout cash, say activists
King Mswati III of Swaziland, 2006. Photo: Amada44
Swaziland’s King Mswati III has allegedly demanded a quarter of South Africa’s bailout money to his country as a commission. Swazi pro-democracy activists told RFI on Saturday that the king was “arrogantly” trying to behave like a “consultant to his own country” in brokering the 2.4 billion rand (231 million euro) loan.
Interview: Lucky Lukhele, Swaziland Solidarity Network
“The king is now demanding 25 per cent of the entire thing [the bailout], saying that he has helped the country to secure it,” says Lucky Lukhele, a spokesman for the Swaziland Solidarity Network.
Lukhele claims that he learned of the king’s 400 million rand (57.8 million euro) commission from high-level contacts who attended a Tuesday cabinet meeting.
S.Africa sets out its stall ahead of Durban climate change conference
Construction of the Medupi power plant in Lephalale, South Africa, April 2009. Photo: Eskom
Delegations from South Africa, India, China and Brazil rounded up a meeting in Durban on Sunday focused on climate change. It was the second such meeting this year and comes ahead of November’s UN climate change talks. The four nations were expected to adopt a common strategy and decide how they will negotiate their position with world’s richest economies.
Interview: Edna Molewa, South Africa’s Minister for Water and Environmental Affairs
African mediators want Libya truce, says Zuma aide
Jacob Zuma and Moamer Kadhafi. Photo: Elmond Jiyane, GCIS.
Top-level African Union mediators will call on both sides in Libya’s conflict to lay down their arms on a mission to the divided country starting Sunday, an adviser to South Africa’s Jacob Zuma tells RFI.
Interview: Jacob Zuma’s international relations special advisor Lindiwe Zulu
Africa-France business conference kicks off
The Column of Quinconces, in Bordeaux
The second Africa-France business conference starts in Bordeaux on Wednesday, described by some as the African Davos. It aims to bring together 100 African and 100 French firms to foster new business ties.
Coming just after the Nice summit, which saw French President Nicolas Sarkozy acknowledge the importance of African economic powerhouses such as South Africa and Nigeria, this conference sees companies from across the continent gather in what is traditionally the wine capital of France.
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