ANGOLA: No Law to Stop Domestic Violence

Teresa Barros’ problems started last year with the death of her baby.

HEALTH-MALAWI: Women’s Group Sues Govt Over Abortion Rights

An influential women rights organisation in Malawi, Women in Law in Southern Africa-Malawi (WILSA-Malawi), is suing the government of Malawi for preventing women from accessing safe abortion.

ZIMBABWE: Urban Residents Left Behind by Dollarisation

Cash-strapped residents of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city are digging in their heels and refusing to pay utility bills despite the municipality teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. At the heart of the dispute are dismal service delivery and the conundrum of using multiple currencies in an economy that boasts world record inflation.

ZIMBABWE: Who Speaks for the People on New Constitution?

"Are you still unemployed? Take charge and complete the change. We the people shall write our own constitution," read the many bright posters now adorning street walls, lampposts and rubbish bins in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

ZIMBABWE: Little Interest in Trade Fair Despite Political Changes

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) was until a few weeks ago - and for the first time since its inauguration half a century ago - on the verge of being postponed because of a lacklustre response from exhibitors to what was once southern Africa's premier showcase of trade opportunities.

POLITICS-SOUTH AFRICA: ANC Scores Another Victory: Now Deliver, Voters Say

As results of South Africa's fourth democratic elections held on Apr. 22 come in, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is poised to return to power in the 400 seat National Assembly. The party is also on course to emerge as the governing party in all but one of the nine provinces. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, is likely to take the Western Cape.

SOUTH AFRICA: Activists Ask Government to Integrate Men and Boys in Gender Policies

Gender activists are calling on the new South African government to improve the country’s gender legislation. Current gender policies focus on women, ignoring the rights, roles and responsibility of men and boys, they say.

SOUTH AFRICA: Election Will Not Bring an End to Political Turmoil

South Africa's fourth democratic election will not bring an end the political turmoil that has beset the country since 2007 when former president Thabo Mbeki suspended the country's head of public prosecutions and was replaced by Jacob Zuma as leader of the ruling ANC.

SWAZILAND: Govt Pleads for More Time On Free Primary Education

"This demonstration is close to my heart because the cause we’re fighting for affects me directly," said Thabile Ngwenya, a teacher at a rural primary school teacher in central Swaziland.

HEALTH-SWAZILAND: TB: ‘Indeed We Have a Problem’

The Swazi government's slow response to a fast-growing tuberculosis epidemic has eroded the possibility of controlling it.

WATER-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Strengthening River Basin Management

Many of the adverse effects of floods which swamped northwest Botswana in early March could have been avoided if the Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM) had an early warning system in place.

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Climate Change to Shrink Agricultural Production by Half

Environmental researchers predict Southern Africa will be hit heavily by climate change over the next 70 years. Agricultural production is projected to be halved - a development that will threaten the livelihoods of farmers in a region where 70 percent of the population are smallholder farmers.

SOUTH AFRICA: Communities Draft Health Map to Push for Better Services

The quality of South African public health services cannot improve if community-based organisations (CBOs) are not given a greater role in shaping, developing and implementing national and provincial health policies.

SOUTH AFRICA: Thousands of Traders Might Lose Jobs as Market Turns into Mall

Hundreds of traders at the Early Morning market in Durban fear the municipality’s plans to turn the area into an upscale shopping mall that will cost them their livelihoods. The redevelopment is one of many currently underway in South Africa’s urban centres to upgrade city infrastructure for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Q&A: Joint Responsibility for Changing the Global Economy*

African trade ministers who met in Addis Ababa at the African Union (AU) in March urged world leaders to "place African economic development at the centre of international efforts to build strategies towards the recovery of the global economy'' ahead of the G20 summit in London.

AFRICA: Developing Stronger Protection Against Gender-Based Violence

When heads of districts describe efforts to fight sexual violence as a waste of resources, it raises questions about the leadership’s commitment to deal with the matter.

RIGHTS-SOUTH AFRICA: Migrants Don’t Vote

In May 2008, South Africa was rocked by the worst xenophobic attacks that the country has ever seen. Less than a year later, the issue is almost invisible from the national election campaign.

TRADE-AFRICA: EPAs Negotiations Trudging Along Slowly

Talks between African countries and the European Union (EU) on the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) have stalled over a series of contentious issues that several countries want negotiated before they will sign full EPAs.

HEALTH-SWAZILAND: 'Role Models in the Community'

She is popularly known as sitjifiri (beautiful and well-kempt woman in SiSwati). Sylvia Khuzwayo travels across the Shiselweni region in the southern part of the Kingdom of Swaziland, giving testimonials to communities on her experience of living with HIV.

GENDER-ZIMBABWE: Religion and Poverty Force Girls into Early Marriages

While her peers get ready to go to school each morning, 14-year-old Matipedza (not her real name) of Marange district in Manicaland has to stay behind to prepare breakfast for her 67-year-old husband.

NAMIBIA: Tens of Thousands Displaced by Flooding

Namibia is experiencing flooding on a scale last seen nearly 50 years ago. The northern parts of the country are the worst hit.