For many African public intellectuals such as Steve Biko, Leopold Senghor, Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere and Kwame Nkrumah, political independence represented more than the transfer of formal authority from colonial administrations to newly sovereign states

As Western donors pull back and food insecurity deepens in the landlocked south-eastern African nation, the rise of a UK-registered Islamic charity is exposing both the necessity and the governance risks of a changing humanitarian order

This is a familiar pattern. International financial institutions socialise risk and privatise profit, while invoking development rhetoric to justify fossil fuel expansion in the Global South. Similar projects would be politically untenable in the Global North

The public confrontation between senior officials, the establishment of inquiries and the intense public debate surrounding the allegations all indicate that accountability mechanisms, although imperfect, are still functioning

Public budgets are unlikely to expand at the pace required to meet the escalating risks. A larger share of long-term capital will therefore need to come from private sources

If a commitment to youth-led initiative is to be taken seriously, it is imperative to include youth in decision making on where to direct investment, how to design curricula for skills training, which job markets to prioritise, including those that may not yet exist.

Zambia and Zimbabwe have each committed US$220 million to restarting the long-delayed $4.2 billion Batoka Gorge Hydropower Station near Victoria Falls

If the country is to move beyond crisis management, austerity must apply to all

As foreign banks retreat from the continent, local lenders are stepping up to fill the gap

The 99% are done waiting. Billionaire fortunes hit a record high and the G20’s effort on inequality has been deleted

As China enters a high-tech development era, Malawi positions itself to convert strategic partnership into industrial muscle, clean energy capacity and accountable governance

The controversial hirings have unsettled Malawi’s international partners, with funds critical for health, agriculture and infrastructure now at risk of suspension if donors conclude that accountability has been abandoned

For the economy to grow, it is imperative that the public and private sectors work together in a coordinated, transparent manner

In the past three years, Zambia has recorded a nearly 300% increase in international tourist arrivals, following the removal of visa fees

If the Department of State Policy Provisions Act is passed into law, the US will support Zimbabwe borrowing money from international lenders such as the World Bank

The state has tried the neoliberalism model in various forms for 31 years, and it has not worked

Endowed with a third of the world’s supply of them, the continent must push for actions that have the most benefits for its people

Thirty leaders from the continent met in Ethiopia to discuss a project to give 300 million people access to electricity

An international framework that prevents prolonged restructuring negotiations is required

But the financing models, which blend loans with private investments, could deepen African countries’ debt crisis