South Africa’s government has reversed its decision to implement a planned Value-Added Tax (VAT) increase, a move that has sparked significant political and economic debate. The proposed hike aimed to raise the VAT rate from 15% to 16% over two years, intending to address a projected R75 billion ($4 billion) revenue shortfall. However, the plan faced substantial opposition from various…
Herder-farmer clashes in Nigeria have escalated into a persistent and deadly crisis, with recent reports indicating that at least 56 people have been killed in such conflicts. These violent episodes are part of a broader pattern of intercommunal violence that has plagued the country for over two decades.
The root causes of these clashes are multifaceted, involving competition over land…
Zimbabwe’s land reform program, initiated in the early 2000s under President Robert Mugabe, remains a deeply divisive chapter in the nation’s history. While the policy aimed to rectify colonial-era land imbalances by redistributing land to Black Zimbabweans, its implementation led to significant hardships for both white commercial farmers and many Black farmers.
The…
In April 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) suspended the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), the political party of former President Joseph Kabila. The government accused Kabila and his party of supporting the M23 rebel group in the eastern region, a faction allegedly backed by Rwanda. The justice and interior ministries declared these actions as high treason…
On April 21, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a phone conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Putin emphasized the importance of addressing the “root causes” of the conflict and safeguarding Russia’s security interests.
This discussion reflects ongoing diplomatic…
Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has condemned its disqualification from the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections as unconstitutional. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ruled that CHADEMA was ineligible because it failed to sign a required election code of conduct. This decision came shortly after CHADEMA leader Tundu Lissu was charged with treason…
In a significant political development, General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the August 2023 military coup in Gabon, has been elected president with 90.35% of the vote, according to provisional results announced by the interior minister on April 13, 2025.
The election, held on April 12, 2025, is the first since the coup that ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba, ending over 50 years of Bongo…
