South Africa: Power to the people | by Bobby Peek

South Africa: Power to the people | by Bobby Peek

Bobby Peek tells how the struggle for environmental rights is intertwined with the one over access to energy After decades of struggle, South Africa finally gained its democracy in 1994. This included the delivery of a constitution that guaranteed people a new...
Zimbabwe: A tale of two Chinas | by Khadija Sharife

Zimbabwe: A tale of two Chinas | by Khadija Sharife

‘The last time I spoke to my mum, she said “mwanangu tichiri musango” – meaning my son, we are still in the bush,’ said ‘China’, a Zimbabwean civil society activist based in South Africa.In late March this year, China’s mother was forced to flee...
The new scramble for Africa | by Conn Hallinan

The new scramble for Africa | by Conn Hallinan

Are we witnessing a new “scramble for Africa?” Conn Hallinan presents his view of the current resource scramble for oil and other energy sources led by the United States, linking it to the war in Libya, rivalry with China and the African Contingency...
Dexia and bailing out the banks | by Michael Roberts

Dexia and bailing out the banks | by Michael Roberts

The large Belgian Bank, Dexia, went bust over last weekend.  It provides a lot of pointers about the role of banking and how it fits into this crisis.  Dexia was bailed out before at the height of the financial crisis in 2008.  Then the Belgian and French governments...