Welcome to the first issue of The African.org. We hope you will find a lot of food for thought, comment and analysis about what is happening in Africa today and what it means for our future.
Many Africans are wondering about what is happening in Zimbabwe, now that there is a semblance of calm and political reconciliation. Zimbabwe has indeed been top of the agenda of our continent’s institutions and front page news for many months.
In our cover feature, we have chosen to take an in-depth look at Zimbabwe and the implications of the new dispensation. We ask the question whether Zimbabweans should now be looking back to the abuses committed in the past. Should crimes against opposition activists or anyone with divergent views be punished or should a general amnesty be proclaimed to make sure the country could look towards the future and not dwell on the past?
Another article on Zimbabwe looks at how ordinary Zimbabweans are going to have to learn to live in a normal society again – one where money is changed in a bank and not on the black market, where civil servants do their regular jobs and not resort to moonlighting and where the judiciary is respected.
To complete our coverage of the Zimbabwe situation, we take a look at the reform of the army and police force – undoubtedly one of the toughest issues the present interimgovernment needs to address.
In our feature on the recent South African elections, specialist commentator and analyst Prince Mashele looks at the outcome of the 22 April poll and what it means for the political future of the country.
Independent Algerian journalist Ghania Mouffok also gives us a tender and yet very incisive look at her home country, following the re-election of president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in presidential elections. In our regular feature “My Story�, researcher Issaka Souare gives his personal account of travelling in far northeastern Mali and meeting would-be illegal immigrants, hopeful to reach the shores of Europe, their imagined Eldorado.
We also take a look at the background of the crisis in Madagascar; Darfur following the indictment of President Omar Al Bashir and the misconceptions regarding the threat of climate change.
In our business section Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank (ADB) gives us his views and analysis on how the global economic crisis is affecting Africa and explains what institutions like the ADB are planning to do about it. Enjoy reading The African.org and please send any comments or suggestions to magazine@issafrica.org or to myself llouw@issafrica.org.
Liesl Louw-Vaudran
Editor