ENVIRONMENT: Pollution Takes a Backseat in Congo

Yellow flames from oil rigs light up the night sky, helping Richard Vuadi guides his boat as he sets out to cast his nets along the Democratic Republic of Congo's coast. Oil rigs that dot the horizon have polluted the water, so much that fishermen say they pose health risks.

EDUCATION-SOUTH AFRICA: From Blackboard to SMARTboard

The electronic board in front of the class flickers, and a periodic table is projected onto the screen. "Do you all know what this is?" booms a voice from the loud speaker. "Yes!" the students chorus, as any typical class would.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Ostrich Industry (Almost) Free to Resume Exports

The ostrich industry in South Africa has welcomed Tuesday's announcement by Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza, declaring the country free of avian influenza. However, it warned that this did not translate into an automatic resumption of ostrich product exports.

ECONOMY-MAURITIUS: A Duty Free Island in the Making

The island of Mauritius in the south-west Indian Ocean wants to become a duty free shopping paradise in a bid to attract tourists. But there are concerns that this development strategy might come at a heavy price.

POLITICS-DRC: Making Order Out of Chaos for the 2006 Election

Over recent days, thousands of people have queued at voter registration centres in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to ensure they can participate in a landmark poll scheduled to take place by Jun. 30 next year.

ECONOMY-SOUTH AFRICA: In Search of Afro-Gucci

The names alone are evocative - Stoned Cherrie, Black Coffee, Sun Goddess - and the clothes they're stitched into even more so.

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Aid to a Region Plagued by Hunger

Aid agencies have welcomed an announcement by the European Commission (EC) that it will donate an additional 5.4 million dollars to help meet food requirements in Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland.

ECONOMY: Nigeria Woos South African Investors

A three-day conference which took place this week in Johannesburg has highlighted the possibilities for increased trade between South Africa and Nigeria.

DEVELOPMENT-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Regional Calls to Think BIG

To some, the introduction of a basic income grant (BIG) in South Africa is an unimaginable luxury - and the idea of implementing BIG in other, poorer African states simply laughable.

ECONOMY-SOUTHERN AFRICA: A Thumbs Up from Business

A survey issued this week has revealed optimism about business prospects in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

RIGHTS-SOUTH AFRICA: Not Quite the Welcome Mat

They are trends that show little sign of abating: the influx of refugees and economic migrants to South Africa, and the extent to which these persons become the target of xenophobia.

POLITICS-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Room for Improvement in SADC, Say Activists

Southern African leaders came under pressure from civil society this week to tackle a host of issues ranging from drought and poor governance to gender inequalities and AIDS.

RIGHTS-ZIMBABWE: Whither Civil Society?

As Zimbabwe has slipped deeper into political and economic turmoil over the past five years, the role of civil society in helping the country to address its problems has come under increasing scrutiny.

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Fences Not the Only Barrier for Cross-Border Park

The Pafuri-Banyini pan in South Africa's north-eastern Kruger National Park teems with game. Elephant bulls amble among clumps of marula trees and impala leap gracefully across the grassland, where buffalo graze.

HEALTH-NAMIBIA: "If I Could Only Warn Women Not to Get Married…"

"When my father died my uncle and his wife came and took all our stuff. They even took away our television," said an eleven-year-old orphan in Namibia, describing a tradition that allows relatives to take land, livestock, furniture and even clothes from bereaved families.

HEALTH-MOZAMBIQUE: Preventing History From Repeating Itself

For children in Mozambique who are orphaned by AIDS, burying parents may simply signal the start of their battle with the pandemic. All too often, these orphans also find themselves amongst those most at risk of contracting HIV.

DEVELOPMENT-SOUTHERN AFRICA: “We Are Raising the Alarm Now”

Images of skeletal children in Niger, wasted away by malnutrition, have featured prominently in the media over recent weeks. Amidst efforts to alleviate this suffering, however, there are fears that the crisis in Niger may undermine donor willingness to tackle problems elsewhere on the continent – notably in Southern Africa.

CULTURE-SWAZILAND: Sugar Daddies – The Bitter Truth

"People who don’t know me see this stylishly-dressed young woman driving a nice car, and they think, ‘Isn’t she lucky? She has a rich man as a lover to give her things’," says Angela Shabalala as she manoeuvres her blue BMW sedan onto a highway leading to the Swazi capital, Mbabane.

FINANCE: Emigrants Boost Zimbabwe’s Parallel Economy

It is enough to distress any new emigrant. Sending money back home is, for many Zimbabweans working in neighbouring South Africa, a frustrating, complicated and costly exercise.

RIGHTS: South Africa Urged to Stop Abusing Eviction Policy to Clean Up Cities

The South African government faces a dilemma. It has to evict people living in unacceptable housing conditions because of health and security risks, yet it is unable to provide enough adequate alternative accommodation - due to the backlog in low cost housing projects.

ECONOMY-SOUTH AFRICA: Classic Memento Today, Cliche Tomorrow

Elongated, wooden carvings of giraffes have become the classic souvenir of a trip to Southern Africa. But, curio sellers in Johannesburg are worried tourists may soon become bored with them.