Project Features

Hard times as Madagascar hangs in political limbo A few months ago Tefy Edmond (30) had a steady job and a regular income as an employee in Madagascar’s then-thriving textile industry. But in November last year, Edmond slumped back into the ranks of the poor that make up 70% of the island’s 20-million inhabitants. "I lost my job when the American buyer did not want to extend the contract with the factory where I worked, due to Madagascar’s political crisis and economic instability," he says. The turmoil Edmond is referring to began nearly a year ago, in early 2009, when then-president Marc Ravalomanana was ousted by a 35-year-old media tycoon and former DJ, Andry Rajoelina. January 22 - 28 2010 Read More

SADC Tribunal goes on trial In November 2008, Ben Freeth and a motley crew of white Zimbabwean farmers, who took their government to the Southern African Development Community Tribunal in Windhoek in an effort to win back their land, wept in open court when they heard the judgment passed down. After months of stops and starts, the court unanimously found that the applicants who stood before them had been denied access to courts in their own country and that fair compensation was payable for the expropriated land. And, by a majority of four to one, the tribunal also ruled that the farmers had been discriminated against on the grounds of race. All of which added up to a clear violation of the SADC treaty. December 23, 2009 - January 7, 2010 Read More

The jewel loses its lustre Hailed for years as one of the most prosperous and well-governed countries on the continent, the global economic crisis has forced Botswana to rethink the way forward. Touching down in Maun, a small fishing village in the north eastern part of Botswana, it became clear the extent to which the expectations of the rest of the world lean on this dusty outpost, where only a few thousand people live. The recent decline in the diamond-mining industry could see Botswana lose its reputation as the exception to the rule of African nations. November 20-26, 2009 Read More

Delta fish dispute Increased tourism may help Botswana weather the storm brought on by the global financial crisis, but plans to increase the number of tourists going to the Okavango Delta will be met with fierce resistance from local people who live and work along the river’s banks. In Samochima, a village close to the north eastern border of Botswana, fishermen say the burgeoning tourism industry — which brings many visitors straight to the Okavango— needs far better regulation. November 20-26, 2009 Read More

Seething beneath the surface "Xenophobic violence could happen today, tomorrow or next week, who knows , " shouts Moriti Phasha inside his humid corrugated iron office in Brazzaville, a craggy informal settlement on the outskirts of Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, and the site of the first outbreak of xenophobic violence early last year. Phasha is a self-appointed community leader who handles more than 100 service delivery queries by Brazzaville residents each day. It’s been 18 months since last year’s violent attacks and Phasha says the community remains remorseless. October 23 – 29, 2009 Read More

Nowhere to run Rehema Shindano is 15 and the eldest of five sisters — refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo — who haven’t been to school for more than a year. Having fled their home when xenophobic violence erupted countrywide in May 2008, they now live in a plastic tent with their parents at the Blue Waters safety site in Strandfontein, Cape Town. Shindano’s family was among the 20 000 African foreigners in Cape Town displaced by the violence. Now they face the possibility of a second eviction. October 23 – 29, 2009 Read More

Africa's day trippers are just trying to survive Cross-border traders, who commonly refer to themselves as "pathfinders", have emerged from an era of marginalisation, stigmatisation and harassment to urge governments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to recognise them as citizens engaged in economic activities that will enable them to move out of poverty. Some of the problems that lead members of the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders' Association (SACBTA) into illegal activities are corruption, illiteracy among traders and lack of simplified trade. October 9 -15 2009 Read More

Traders of fortune The shops and shelves of the mammoth Dragon City trading centre, which stretches along Main Reef Road in Fordsburg, are teeming with everything from shoes and school bags to children's toys and bedding. Made-in-China cardboard boxes are stacked chest high, blocking walkways. Business is swift and security is tight here; the guards at the entrance are well armed. Khuram, who chooses not to give his surname, is from Pakistan. He works at one of the shops selling shoes and clothes imported from China. Most customers who buy from him at Dragon City - open seven days a week, but busiest on a Sunday - come from neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe. October 9 -15 2009 Read More

Agriculture is our way out Rodger Phiri has found his fortune in farming. While a good number of farmers in Africa has struggled to survive because of bad harvests, drought and poor-quality seed, Phiri is one of the few exceptions. Phiri benefited from the Zambian government’s fertiliser subsidy programme which paid for half of his and about 150 000 other smallholding farmers’ fertilisers. For delegates at the Food Agriculture Natural Resources and Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) regional dialogue, Phiri’s story is a shining example of how agricultural expansion can lead to economic development. September 18-23 2009 Read More

When smaller is better Everybody is calling for something radical to be done to revitalise agriculture on the African continent. Some are calling for a revolution in farming, while others are for an agricultural renaissance and yet others for a decade dedicated to agriculture. But political commitments have already been made by both African governments and their donor partners to boost agriculture growth to 6% per annum by allocating at least 10% of national budgets to farming. Good practices in countries such as Malawi and Burkina Faso illustrate that where political will is put into action, positive results emerge. We need to think hard about how to go about boosting agricultural output. September 18-23 2009 Read More

Food outlook improves Amid continuing farm invasions, Zimbabwe is somehow managing to slow the decline of its agricultural sector, the country’s once-robust economic mainstay. The food outlook has improved since last year and the number of people in need of immediate food aid has fallen. Fewsnet, the famine early warning system, said households can now afford essential grains, the prices of which are falling as supply improves. August 21-27 2009 Read More

Gardening for life With the back of her hand, she wipes beads of sweat from her forehead and adjusts the headscarf that protects her from the sun. It is mid-morning, but Maggie Mbovu has already put in a good few hours of hard work, tilling the soil of her community garden. Together with four other women, she has planted cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes, which will soon be harvested and sold through an organic vegetable marketing scheme initiated and managed by Abalimi Bezekhaya ("farmers of home"), an agricultural NGO. August 21-27 2009 Read More

A garden to the rescue Last year there were times when I had no food at all for days, says 80 - year - old Evelyn Mandizvidza. "Then I would just boil water and drink it while it was warm to fill up my stomach. My skin was hanging off me." Amid cautious optimism about the government of national unity, the most vulnerable Zimbabweans are not yet experiencing any benefits: day - to - day survival continues to be the issue. July 24 - 30 2009 Read More

Easing hunger pangs At no time in the history of the region has the importance of smallholder farmers – the home based farmer growing basic crops to feed his or her family – been more important. Millions of vulnerable people in Southern Africa have been affected by chronic food shortages, exacerbated by the global food price crisis. Poverty in the region – far greater in rural areas - has continued to exist because of lack of agricultural strategies aimed at small holder producers. July 24 - 30 2009 Read More

Angola aims to work the land Angola used to be the breadbasket of Southern Africa and a major exporter of bananas, coffee and sisal but three decades of civil war destroyed the fertile countryside, leaving it littered with landmines and driving millions into cities. Angola now wants to reduce its dependence on imports and encourage people to move back to the rural areas. June 19 - 25 2009 Read More

Malawi's fertile plan Four years ago, Malawi faced starvation. The harvest had failed and the country had to import huge amounts of food to feed its citizens. The Malawi government decided that this should not happen again. They devised a plan, central to which were small scale African farmers, some of the most marginalised. June 19 - 25 2009 Read More

Africa needs civil society Cooperation and collaboration were key buzzwords this week when representatives from Africa’s civil society sector and the Pan African Parliament (PAP) met in Midrand. Top of the agenda was the state of the continent’s integration process and increased citizen participation in policy making; issues both parties agree are needed to fast-track Africa’s development. May 29 - June 4 2009 Read More

Voices for the voiceless Civil society in Africa has a critical role in policy development, especially in promoting good governance. In the past two decades, its engagement in policy development has been based on its ability to network with different organisations and create relationships and activities that go beyond the development sector. The assumption is that it provided a vehicle through which the poor can have a better say in shaping policies to overcome poverty. May 29 - June 4 2009 Read More

Speak up, you’re through It is estimated that only about four million of Zambia’s 11.7-million population are able to use cellular phones as a means of communication, whereas much of the population in rural areas remains largely unserviced by the three commercial mobile-phone service providers. Thanks to satellite antennas and solar panels, the remotest areas in Zambia are being connected. April 9 - 16 2009 Read More

In deep water Natural disasters don’t recognise border posts. The floods that continue to sweep the region prove the point as they pour through Zambia, Namibia and Angola, displacing thousands of people; destroying crops, schools and homes; and carrying the threat of diseases such as cholera and malaria. Hydrologists fear there may be more rains to come. April 3 - 9 2009 Read More

Food for thought Solutions to the rising food crisis in Southern African countries are becoming more elusive. What's the price tag on hunger? A whopping $30 - billion. That is what is needed each year to feed the world's 5.7-million starving people - a number that's expected to grow to eight billion within the next four decades. Even in South Africa, which is usually used as a model country for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, 39% of the population is vulnerable to food insecurity, whereas 22% of children under the age of nine are stunted because of chronic malnutrition. February 27 - March 5 2009 Read More

Under a seal of quality Johannes Mkhari is a content man. A senior guide at Motswari Private Game Reserve in Timbavati, Mkhari and his colleagues are beneficiaries of a tourism concept that embraces the globally recognised fair trade principles. As a member of Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa (FTTSA), the reserve recognises ethics of fair wages, sustainable environmental practices, improved social services and investment in local economic infrastructure. Responsible tourism is changing lives. February 20 - 26 2009 Read More

Seeds of the future Inadequate education campaigns about genetically modified crops undermine the farmers' ability to make their voices heard. Genetically modified crops could play a major role in helping Africa feed itself; and yet there may be safety concerns associated with them. Biowatch conducted workshops to inform small scale farmers about the pros and cons of using genetically modified crops. January 23 - 29 2009 Read More

Malawi gives farmers a chance Millions of farmers are being helped to cultivate land to feed their families and even turn a profit. In a two-bedroomed iron house in the southern district of Phalombe, Malawi, Simati Matupa is watching the television he has just bought. Seated beside the 37-year-old farmer is his wife. The Matupa family had dreamed of owning a television set for a long time, but it was difficult because of a lack of money. But this year, after a bumper harvest, they decided the time had come. January 9-15 2008 Read More

The long wait for help Arriving at the showgrounds in Musina, Limpopo, near the Zimbabwean border, we were greeted by the sight of desperate men, women and children sleeping on nothing but cardboard. About 500 people, mostly Zimbabweans, have made this place a temporary home until they get asylum papers. December 19 2008 - January 8 2009 Read More

Greenprint for Survival Severe food insecurity afflicts at least 40% of people in Southern Africa, and rural communities are especially vulnerable. But a country such as Malawi, that has achieved high levels of food production, offers a blueprint for the region’s handling of this poverty- related scourge. November 28 - December 4 2008 Read More

Sowing seeds for the upswing Agriculture is the future of Africa, says Professor Richard Mkandawire, New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s (Nepad) agricultural advisor, and the only way to reach that milestone is to find sustainable solutions for the continent’s most pressing issues. Mkandawire is the winner of this year’s Drivers of Change individual award. October 31 - November 6 2008 Read More

Blueprint for a better future Read an analysis of the change4ever campaign responses that show that South Africans care about their country and are willing to take action to build a better life for all. October 3 - 9 2008 Read More

Social Insecurity The article highlights the plight of Alfred Nkhambule and fellow migrants who suffer because of lack of social security portability in the Southern African Development Community. September 19 - 25 2008 Read More

Watering Malawi’s farms Looks into the United Nations Irrigation scheme which promises to increase food security for small-holder farmers in Malawi. See the positive effects of treadle pumps. September 12 - 18 2008 Read More

From famine to food surplus In 2005, more than five million Malawians needed food aid; now Malawi has become a net food exporter - The article shows the excellent model for governments to use. September 5 - 11 2008 Read More

What would you change? Graça Machel, campaigner for children and women's rights; fashion designer, David Tlale; Editor of the Mail and Guardian, Ferial Haffajee step up eradicate poverty. August 29 - September 4 2008 Read More

Growing our own food Reports on the community efforts to deal with the food crisis including issues raised at the Public Panel Discussion on food security organised by the Trust in Johannesburg.. August 22 - 28 2008 Read More

Now you’re talking ... Gives insight into some of the outcomes of the 1998 "Speak out on poverty hearings" and the course to follow in ensuring that the voices of the poor are heard. July 25 - 31 2008 Read More

An overly civil society? Civil society in Mozambique has been gaining strength with the production of poverty report and some contributions taken on board by government. Read more for the different views. July 11 - 17 2008 Read More

The time is ripe A commentary by Dr Vusi Gumede that states that Africa needs home grown solutions to poverty. He says poverty is a "social construct" of human creation devoid of morals. June 22 - July 3 2008 Read More

Reeling from shock Finds a range of explanations for the attacks on foreign migrants in South Africa. Catarina Manungo shares her sad experience. June 13 - 19 2008 Read More

Drawing a line on poverty 'You will hear everyone saying 'food, can we have food?' It's about no food and no money to buy food. There is no work." That's the message Eunice Klaasens, a 63-year-old pensioner, hears on a daily basis when she works as a volunteer at a Catholic Welfare and Development community kitchen in Manenberg, an impoverished area of Cape Town. May 30 - June 5 2008 Read More

Suffer the wheat farmer South Africa faces a growing food crisis with declining domestic wheat production threatening to escalate food prices. Critics say the drop is because of a combination of factors, primary among them is government's decision to open up the domestic market to global forces. But transport and infrastructure problems also make it costly for farmers to use ... May 9 - 15 2008 Read More

Less conversation, more action While delegates at last week's SADC conference on poverty and development pulled up in taxis and luxury cars to the Mauritian conference centre, Linda Marie L'Acariate took a bus to work at the canteen of the Sacota textile mill, just outside the town of Rose Hill. May 9 to 15 2008 Read More

Poor traders need support Herbert Tshitangai (45), from Lilongwe, Malawi, crosses the border into South Africa every month to buy duvets, electric appliances, vehicle spare parts and stationery. This is the only way he can support his family. April 11 to 17 2008 Read More

Bread and butter matters For millions of people in Southern Africa - where more than 40% of the population is believed to survive on less than $1 a day - each day is shaped by the extreme conditions of hunger, disease and despair. March 7 to 13 2008 Read More

Decisive action approach A workshop held recently in Johannesburg encouraged delegates to share their experiences in the struggle to eradicate poverty in Africa. February 22 to 28 2008 Read More

Turning the tide The enclosure presents the most shade one can find in the sun-drenched village of Luangwa Boma in Zambia. Two Baobab trees nestle together, offering relief to the fishermen who come out of the river. December 21 2007 to January 3 2008 Read More

Imaginary borders Consider this hypothetical case: a Malawian-born, 18-year-old crosses rivers, mountains and borders and .nds himself in South Africa's gold mines. He gives his all for more than .ve decades until his body sags at almost 70. December 7 2007 Read More

Seasons of hunger The Breede River Valley in the Western Cape is known as a fertile farming area that hosts internationally renowned vineyards, picturesque fruit orchards and tourist farm stalls, but a visit to Ashton's Zolani township quickly scrapes away the lush veneer to reveal the reality of unemployment, poverty and hunger for many of its inhabitants. November 30 to December 6 2007 Read More

Making a difference one click at a time The traffic inter sections of our major cities have two permanent fixtures: there are the intrepid, streetwise vendors, who, ducking cars, can per suade you that the cheap sunglasses, cellphone chargers and many other wares they sell are the genuine articles. December 01 - 31 - 2007 Read More

A leader with integrity Attribute it to his yoga, but there is a sublime zen that surrounds former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano. The only fracture in his aura appears as we stand in his hotel elevator at the end of our interview. November 2 - 8 – 2007 Read More

Comfort for the poor Every day at work I am confronted by the faces, voices and sounds of the homeless of the inner city of Cape Town. They gather early in the morning at the St George’s Cathedral soup kitchen for a warm meal — for many their only meal of the day. October 26 - November 1 – 2007 Read More

Rating the impact of Aids The measure of devastation brought by HIV/Aids may be impossible to quantify in human and financial terms but, using tools such as the Household Vulnerability Index (HVI), it is possible to begin measuring the effects of the epidemic on households and communities. October 19 - 25 – 2007 Read More

Faith, funding and the poor I recently had the opportunity of being part of two interesting discussions that have been bearing on the debate about whether faith based organisations have the capacity to influence policy and, more generally, the religion-state relationship in South Africa.. October 12 - 18 - 2007 Read More

Water a pipe dream A swelling crowd of people has gathered at the rural health centre at Monte Xiluvo in Nhamatanda district in the central Mozambican province of Sofala. Most are mothers with young children who try to protect themselves from the gusty wind as they wait for their consultation with Caetano Mendosa, the nurse responsible for the centre. September 14 - 20 – 2007 Read More

SADC: think like a region The 2007 Africa Competitiveness Report — a joint effort of the WorldEconomic Forum, the World Bankand the African Development Bank— identifies low overall competitivenessas one of the main obstaclesto maintaining high growth levelsacross the African continent. August 3 - 9 – 2007 Read More

First-aid for aid While the developed world has not yet lived up to its commitment to give 1% of its GDP to the developing South, aid flows have increased since 2000, when the pledge was renewed at the United Nations Millennium Summit. July 6 - 12 – 2007 Read More

Shedding light on Africa With up to $80-billion in potential investment on the Congo River and the prospect of producing enough clean energy to light up the whole of Africa, the Grand Inga project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is as big as its name suggests. June 8 - 14 – 2007 Read More

Lets work together Civil society organisations and the Pan African Parliament (PAP) should realise that they “are not in contradiction” and that their relationship should be “complementary not adversarial”, Getrude Mongella, president of the PAP, said this week in an address at the parliament’s first consultative dialogue with African civil society organisations. May 11 - 17 – 2007 Read More

Constructing a continent Africa’s ills would vanish if the West and other partners poured billions of aid money into its coffers, conventional wisdom goes. But what this view overlooks is the inability of many African governments to implement projects designed, as the cliché goes, to make poverty history. April 20 - 25 – 2007 Read More

Agriculture hit by Aids HIV/Aids has proven to be the bane of our times since it started decimating humanity across the globe in the twilight of the last century, and it is expected to take an increasingly negative toll on the economies of the countries most affected by it. April 5 - 12 – 2007 Read More

Thirsty for basic services On a typical weekday in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, a group of women sit chatting under the shade of a tree a few metres away from a long, winding queue of 20- Litre plastic containers and buckets. At the head of the queue, a barefooted boy pulls a half-cut container with a rope from a handmade well and pours the water into one container after the other. March 23 - 29 – 2007 Read More

What is the Southern Africa Trust? Uniqueness is a quality many strive to achieve in order to set and maintain a position among competitors. But for the Southern Africa Trust, a southern Africa based organisation, it is not about being unique so as to compete, rather its being unique in approach and complementing existing efforts in the quest to overcome poverty in southern Africa. March 16 - 22 – 2007 Read More

A passion for overcoming poverty To drive social change that makes a real difference in the lives of people living in poverty in southern Africa, we need to transform the way we do business. Innovative attitudes and practices of organisations and individuals that create change, especially by developing and implementing policies and strategies to end poverty in southern Africa, can now be nominated for the Drivers of Change award. March 16 - 22 – 2007 Read More

Child migrants are falling through the gaps of bureaucracy Children are leaving their homes in increasing numbers in a desperate quest for survival. Some leave after being orphaned by Aids, others migrate to the cities to seek jobs and escape the food shortages caused by cycles of drought and flood. Many flee in the wake of political upheavals. February 23 - March 1 – 2007 Read More

The grass isn't greener on the other side Every year tens of thousands of children walk across borders and swim across rivers to escape poverty, abandonment and a lack of hope. Children as young as nine undertake terrifying journeys to cross borders illegal, convinced that life must be better elsewhere. December 21 - January 4 – 2007 Read More

Capacity Nepad's next goal Development projects that never get off the ground and well-meaning agreements that come to nothing are symptoms of inadequate capacity in African countries, which the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) plans to tackle. November 17 to 23 2006 Read More

Poverty reduction stalled As a considerable number of countries are now entering the second phase of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) process; questions around ownership, financing, civil society organisations’ participation and policy targeting continue to hinder the successful implementation of poverty reduction strategies in Southern Africa. October 27 to November 2 2006 Read More

A bid for prosperity Government and civil society organisations in Mozambique have come together to attempt to push back poverty caused by 15 years of postcolonial rule civil war. Civil society has formed itself into what it calls the G20, a group of (initially 20 but now more) diverse organisations. September 22 to 28 2006 Read More

Nepad's next moves There was little in the way of visible fanfare to mark the fifth anniversary of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) in July. Depending on where you stand, it could be five years of slow, laborious, but promising progress; or five years of a predictable diminishing of another continental project started with much hope and celebration. August 11 to 17 2006 Read More

Aid is not the only answer A year on from the Gleneagles summit — and governments, NGOs, multilateral organisations, civil society and the private sector are taking stock of what has been achieved in the past year. August 4 to 10 2006 Read More

Fighting poverty by another name It is not that Terezhinha da Silva does not like what she is doing. She would just prefer that it be given another name. “I dont like the phrase ‘fighting poverty’ or alleviating it. I prefer ‘programme for Development’ like they call it in Countries like Botswana July 28 – 3 August – 2006 Read More

Rules of engagement To suggest in the current highly charged political atmosphere that South Africans should become serious about engagement, would be regarded by some as outright dangerous. But the causes of the current tensions within the ruling alliance, between the governing coalition and opposition parties, and between coalition and many civil society organizations are precisely the reasons why we have to become serious about engagement. July 21 - 27 – 2006 Read More

Africa says it's time to deliver A veteran of 20 African summits Hassan Summon, Secretary of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity, this week declared that the Banjul gathering of the continent’s leaders was the best he’d experienced July 7 - 13 – 2006 Read More

Public matters There was a time Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Arned noted to his public servants last year, when those who had an interest in policy making would be given the same warning as people who like sausages. “ don’t look too closely at how they are made” June 30 – 6 July – 2006 Read More