Governance and democracy

Former white commercial farmers in Zimbabwe who had their land expropriated under the fast track land reform programme in the early 2000's have accepted government's offer of an interim payment of RTGS$53m (R238m at current exchange rates).

In 2000 Zimbabwe expropriated land from white commercial farmers without compensation and distributed it to landless black people and the connected elite, who now own multiple farms.
 

For 64-year-old Ben Gilpin, a white former commercial farmer in Zimbabwe, the country's fast track land reform programme – which started in 2000 and led to the displacement of approximately 3 500 white commercial farmers – has been nothing but traumatic.

In a matter of months, Gilpin lost some 25kgs due to stress
 

Canada strongly believes the greater participation by women in peacekeeping will pave the way for a more enduring peace.

On behalf of the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs), will attend a meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network in Windhoek, Namibia, on April 10 and 11, 2019.
 

On 1 April 2019, the Board of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) approved an institutional support grant of $4.8 million to the African Union (AU) to accelerate the momentum of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), which received its 22nd ratification on 2 April, bringing the agreement into force.

Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa has been lowered to 2.3 percent for 2018, down from 2.5 percent in 2017.

That is according to the April 2019 issue of Africa’s Pulse, the World Bank’s bi-annual analysis of the state of African economies released on Monday.
 

The Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture is expected to continue on Thursday when head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Robert McBride takes the stand.

Inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, postponed McBride's testimony on Monday because the commission's legal team failed to duly notify people McBride is likely to implicate in his testimony.
 

Business confidence is at its lowest level this year, according to the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry's latest business confidence index.

The index dropped 1.6 points to 91.8 in March, the lowest level since the start of the year. The index was 95.1 in January and 93.4 in February.

The figure is also 5.8 points lower than the 97.6 reported in March last year.
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa says that government is getting to the root of Eskom's troubles and is making headway in terms of keeping the lights on and turning the embattled power utility around.

Ramaphosa was addressing business leaders at a meeting at Beyerskloof Wine Estate in Stellenbosch on Tuesday.
 

A shortlist of candidates who will potentially head up a new investigative directorate within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), is currently being vetted for approval. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during his State of the Nation address in February that the directorate would be established following a request from National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi.