POLITICS-SOUTH AFRICA: ANC Meeting Promises ‘A Better Life for All’ by 2012

By the end of its five-yearly national conference on Friday, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) reflected a party that had sealed its grip on power.

ENVIRONMENT: Energy Trading in Southern Africa

‘'Energy trading'' is the buzzword amongst government policymakers in the 14 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and from arcane policies have resulted more secure and plentiful power supplies for business and residential electricity users.

POLITICS: South Africa Welcomes the Hope of Peace in Congo

South African leaders have welcomed the hope of peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lambasted the possibility of war with Iraq and maintained their support for Zimbabwe, but said it was necessary to deal with the political and fall-out dogging this ‘'sister country''.

POLITICS-SOUTH AFRICA: ANC to Attract More Women Into its Leadership Ranks

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has mooted an unprecedented change in its constitution to attract more women into its leadership ranks.

LABOUR-ZIMBABWE: Workers Ignore Calls for General Strike

A general strike called Tuesday to protest Zimbabwe's deteriorating economic situation was ignored by most workers across the southern African country.

ECONOMY-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Accommodating Tourism during the Holiday Season

The opening this week of Botswana's new showcase convention centre in the capital Gaborone is one indication of Southern African nations' push to accommodate tourism during the key December holiday month.

RIGHTS-ZIMBABWE: Famine Worsening the Health of People Living with AIDS

An acute shortage of food is worsening the health of people living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, health officials have warned.

RIGHTS-SWAZILAND: Deadly Abuse-AIDS-Gender Rights Equation

A deadly equation is gradually being understood in the socially conservative society of Swaziland: that sexual abuse contributes significantly to the spread of HIV, and is rooted in a lack of women's rights.

ENERGY: Fuel Shortages Hurt Zimbabwe

Queues of up to one kilometre have resurfaced in the Zimbabwean capital Harare as desperate motorists jump from one petrol station to the other in search of the scarce commodity. But many still go empty-handed.