The following was originally published in Education News, penned by Zimbabwe Minister of Education David Coltart: Despite massive challenges including political interference and lack of human resource capacity, Zimbabwe has seen change in one of its most fundamentally-critical sectors, change that has come about as a direct result of international support. More must be done, [...]

Concern is building in Zimbabwe over the fate of a human rights activist who has been missing for roughly a month, with many fearing the worst. Paul Chizuze has been missing since the 8th of February and since his disappearance and in the name of open protest, freedom of expression and civility, his friends and [...]

Zimbabwe Minister of Education David Coltart is unequivocally on a mission. And his mission is particularly unique here in Zim – it is supported on both (if not more) sides of the proverbial aisle. It is common knowledge that education is a pillar of infrastructural stability, allowing a nation and its respective citizenry to develop [...]

After a number of accidents, attacks by militants, and political scandals, is Shell’s honeymoon with Nigeria coming to an end? Some recent events and transactions indicate a shift in the Dutch company’s strategy in the country, opening a window of opportunity for new operators.

To describe the recent discovery of natural gas deposits off the Southern coast of Mozambique as “transformational” might be an understatement.  Until recently, this East African country of about 23 million people had a paltry annual GDP per capita of $1,000 with 70% of the population living below the poverty line.  Now, with the announcement [...]

Though much of the article contains practical, obvious advice for seasoned investors, Jim Jones has an interesting piece in Business Times on the tactics of managing political risk for mining in Africa. The choice of country is clearly defined by geology. But, as Leon pointed out, mutual security depends on legal structures. He said Botswana [...]

According to a recent piece published in the Financial Times, oil production in Angola has struggled to keep up pace, dropping to 1.65 million barrels per day, down from 1.85m b/d in 2010.  Although the African nation makes up only 2% of global oil production, back in 2008 Angola became the largest supplier of crude [...]

It’s become a familiar exercise in many Sub-Saharan resource states – a popular leader comes to power by coup, revolution, and sometimes, by vote, promises sweeping social change and the eradication of poverty by tapping a greater share of the resource wealth, revokes and reissues a variety of licenses and rights, hangs onto power for [...]

Foreign policy used to be a craft practised by diplomats and statesmen. No longer.

Sir Richard Branson recently denied a report in a leaked US embassy cable that he bankrolled a diplomatic effort to sweeten the exit of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, writes Alex Duval Smith in the Independent. A confidential memo released by Wikileaks says that in July 2007, Branson was due to hold a secret meeting with South [...]