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Is South Africa - the continent's most advanced nation - going the way of Zimbabwe?
The outcome of general elections in South Africa between May and August next winter will be determined by the mood of the land on whether property rights enshrined in the 1996 constitution are to be scrapped and white farms seized by blacks as happened in Zimbabwe in the 1980s.
The electoral contest will be between the sitting president Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, of the African National Congress (ANC); Mmusi Aloysias Maimane, leader of the moderate Democratic Alliance and the radical Julius Sello Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
Mr Malema champions white farm land seizures, and while his popular support is still slight, it has nearly doubled among the impoverised majority. The moderate Mr Maimane, who is expected to increase his second place support, just as President Ramaphosa is expected to win, may well make the growing EFF and its leader, Mr Malema, the king the vote is close. And that support will likely be traded for white land seizures, or “land reform” as it is referred to in polite company.
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Drones over Africa would bring e-commerce to all, everywhere - if only we get rid of red tape
Dubai-based Aramex wants to keep the continent's e-commerce ball on the hop by using aerial drones to get products to customers almost anywhere in the vast hinterland of Africa.
Aramex Nigeria, part of Arab international express, delivery giant, has an annual revenue of US$1.8 billion as well as being the first Arab company to be listed on the NASDAQ.
Now Aramex Nigeria's managing director, Faisal Jarmakani, sees drone delivery as the way forward in a country with burgeoning electronic sales and an insatiable demand for e-commerce products.
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China brings trade not aid to Africa and Africans like it more than the West's nothingburgers of 60 years
In the beginning there was the Marshall Plan, when the US spent US$12 billion to put a ravished Europe back on its feet after World War II. It worked splendidly.
So if it worked in Europe, why not Africa? Of course, American economic engagement abroad was intended for recovery of well ordered societies rather than the development of primitive post-colonial cultures of hunter-gatherers and day labourers without electricity, running water or even birth certificates.
But all was optimism in 1954 when US President Dwight Eisenhower amended the Mutual Security Act, and created foreign aid that we have today. Sadly, there is universal agreement today, that after 60 years, the high hopes of yesteryear have failed to materialise - certainly nothing like the success the Marshall Plan had in Europe.
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EUs regulatory imperialism puts African products at risk as exporting world bows to European norms
At one time it was the United States that sat on its high horse demanding that deals between foreigners in foreign lands conform the US rules or be banned from US markets.
Ten years ago, Swiss forwarding giant Panalpina felt compelled to withdraw from its Nigerian domestic business after being caught by American authorities of paying a "facilitation fee" to a Nigerian official.
The vast US market was too good to lose, so Nigeria was dropped after the incident that cost Panalpina more than US$15 million on legal and consulting fees.
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Mediterranean & Africa
Trade Specialists |
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