A few days ago, I received a copy of a letter in my inbox, sent on 2 April 2020 from the Minister of Finance and Economic Development of Zimbabwe, Prof. M. Ncube, to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. The letter paints a dramatic picture of the Zimbabwean economy. It looks like it could collapse, if Zimbabwe receives no help....
Numbers can be confusing. How we use or misuse the numbers equally so. Still, I think we can talk about the number of people dying from COVID-19 without forgetting the number of people dying from malaria, every year, year after year. Let us at least not forget how the world works....
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Zimbabwe on 18 April celebrated its 40th Independence Anniversary. This normally involves a lot of festivity, but not this year. And to be honest, there is not a lot for ordinary Zimbabweans to celebrate. ...
Bhutan is a tiny landlocked country in the Himalaya mountains, bordering China to the north and India to the south. Leadership to manage the Corona challenge comes both from the King and from the government....
It seems like a year ago, but it has actually just been one month since I met with Botswana's former President, Festus Mogae, in his office in Gaborone. One issue was his leadership during the time when Botswana had the highest percentage of HIV-positive citizens in the world - close to one in five. ...
Zimbabwe's President Mnangagwa has decided on a 21-day lockdown. How will a country and a people having to manage multiple crises manage such a situation? Human rights activist Thandekile Moyo takes us through the options in this article first published in "Maverick Zitizen"....
The corona virus has finally also reached the city of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Streets that are normally overflowing with cars and motorcycles are now deserted, empty. My close friend, Shrishti Rana, has kindly sent me a report, putting the virus into perspective....
President Mugabe was toppled in November 2017. President Mnangagwa was elected new President in June 2018, according to the Electoral Commission. But nothing seems to have changed. Poverty continues to be a killer virus. What will happen if/when the Corona virus also hits the country?...
President Trump has blamed the Chinese for the virus. This is where it all started of course, but for Trump this is also a way of not taking responsiibility, as always relying on blaming others. How does this look from a Botswana perspective is my contribution today....
On 13 March, the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that all Danes travelling abroad should return to Denmark. I was in Botswana, on my way to Zimbabwe, but decided to cancell this part of the trip. Here is my account of the days before I returned....