Why some find Julius Malema's views on Zimbabwe so provocative

South African political rabble rouser Julius Malema was in Zimbabwe over the weekend. During and immediately after his brief visit he ruffled a lot of feathers in his host city as well as at home. It is clear that he finds Zimbabwe's 'revolution' inspiring for his own battles, but what he means as praise for Zimbabwe sometimes comes out sounding as mockery. Still, his views are partly provocative because they offer a a view of the events in Zimbabwe that is diametrically opposed to the dominant South African and western narrative of the country as a 'failed state' that South Africa should carefully avoid emulating.

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What South Africa's 'Zumaville' could learn from Zimbawe's growth points

There's a raging controversy in South Africa about the perceived favoritism in bringing 'development' to the president's rural home, Nkandla. Almost the entire debate is about whether or not the planned 'development' is being done there because it is the president's home. There is almost no discussion in the South African media about whether the project really is likely to meaningfully and sustainably result in an improvement in the lives of the people of the area. Zimbabwe's experience with rural 'growth points' suggests that the proposed 'Zumaville' scheme is not the way to 'develop' an area.

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Zim white farmers' Pyrrhic South African court victory

A few score white Zimbabwean farmers who had land expropriated from them by the government have won a protracted, convoluted court battle to have a government property sold to pay towards compensating them. One big problem: their victory is in a South African court. That foreign court's freedom from the influence of the Zimbabwean government's clutches is one reason such a judgement could be delivered in their favour, and be possibly actionable. But it is also why the ruling is of very little use to the majority of white farmers' search for compensation, or to their overall plight.

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Jacob Zuma embarrassed before his SADC peers by 'penis art'

The furore over the painting of South African Jacob Zuma with his penis hanging out of his trousers seems to be gradually dying down in South Africa. But there is likely to be lasting harm done to Jacob Zuma's stature, with subtle but likely long-lasting and debilitating implications on his standing in the SADC region, and in particular on his role as facilitator in Zimbabwe's long-running political impasse.

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Dalai Lama, Tutu: why are Zuma, South Africa more intimidated by China than Sata, Zambia?

Tibet's Dalai Lama is not going to attend his pal South African Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu's 80th birthday after all this week. After waiting for months with no news on his visa application, he saved a tiny bit of his pride by announcing that he was calling off his visit, several days after he would have begun it. China's strong disapproval of such a visit was expected, but what is surprising is the apparent weakness of the South African government to stave off foreign pressure. This seems even more apparent in light of recently elected Zambian president Michael Sata being willing to criticize Chinese business practices in his country despite its heavy reliance on Chinese investment. Where is South Africa's foreign policy backbone?

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More good news for Zimbabwe's tourism

Zimbabwe scared away a lot of tourists during its lost decade of awful international publicity and sharp economic decline. Tourism may be far from back to its previous heyday but neither are they as they were at their worst. Many factors are working to restore some of Zimbabwe's old tourism glory. Apart from increasing positive indicators within Zimbabwe, tourism-related troubles such as those in next door Zambia may also help to drive more tourists back towards Zimbabwe.

READ MORE - More good news for Zimbabwe's tourism

Zimbabwe-influenced Julius Malema stirs the land reform pot in South Africa

The controversy-loving Julius Malema has just been re-elected as president of the youth wing of South Africa's ruling ANC party. He wasted no time in raising the hackles and fear of many by reiterating a call for radical land reform, even if it is to be without compensation. For both his detractors and opponents, the experience of Zimbabwe looms very large for South Africa in this debate.

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Mugabe's side lost the latest SADC battle before it even formally began

Regional body SADC has just held its latest meeting on the never-ending crisis in Zimbabwe. Analysts are going crazy over trying to interpret the detail of the resolution that was issued on how close or far Zimbabwe is to being ready for its next election. Predictably both sides of the Zimbabwe impasse are spinning the statement to paint themselves as having got the upper hand. But as far as the overall, multi-pronged battle to shape opinion on the deadlock in Zimbabwe was concerned, the Mugabe government scored many own-goals.

READ MORE - Mugabe's side lost the latest SADC battle before it even formally began

Thank God neither Trevor Manuel nor any other African will be the next IMF chief

Former IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn allegedly carelessly and violently let his pants (or towel) down in a New York hotel room, and the rest is history. Poor rich Kahn had to resign his job in the ensuing storm of controversy, and the IMF has begun the process of replacing him. Who will be his successor? Will someone from the global South have a shot at the job for the first time?

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With a Tsotsi heading ESKOM, should South Africans worry?

Zimbabwe and South Africa are neighbouring countries who share much in common and whose fates are inextricably linked, despite tensions from time to time. What happens in one country affects people and events in the other.

So it was with some initial alarm that one read the headline Tsotsi named Eskom chairperson. 

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Attitudes to foreign investment: South Africa vs. Zimbabwe

U.S. based retail giant Walmart has just won the South African regulatory authority's go-ahead to buy a major stake in one of that country's biggest chains. There are concerns about what effect such a big new global player in the retail industry will have on employment and the ability to stay in business of small players in the retail value chain. The regulatory body says it has taken these issues into account in the conditions it has laid down for the entry of Walmart into South Africa.

The very different approach to foreign investment of neighbours South Africa and Zimbabwe is striking. 

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