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Kenya
Very few countries in Africa can stand shoulder to shoulder with Kenya, in terms of general popularity to tourists from far-flung places. Kenya simply outshines most because it is blessed with a vast array of natural beauty spots, mountain ranges, beaches, wild animal reserves, moorlands reminiscent of European highlands and abundant bird life ...
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Ghana
Ghana may be a late comer in the league of Africa’s most sought after tourist destination, but it is no less alluring than, say, Kenya, South Africa or Zimbabwe. The eastern region of Ghana is a rich blend of dramatic landscapes, historic relics and traditional cultures. The region is dominated by Lake Volta, one of the world's largest man-mad ...
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07 Feb (TBA) Zimbabwe strike action looms
Zimbabwe's civil servants are expected to embark on a nationwide strike on Monday after last-ditch efforts between the unions and the ministry of Public Service failed to agree a pay deal.
Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro told the press over the weekend that the government's new offer had been rejected by workers because it was "insufficient".
Civil servants earn on average a paltry $150 (R1100) a month. They are demanding as much as $630 (R4900) a month.
Teachers, doctors, nurses and other civil servants told the fragile unity government last Friday that they would down tools.
Schools, hospitals, government offices and other state services such as courts are expected to shut down on Monday and it is not known how long the strike will last.
Analysts said the Zimbabwean government has been financing expensive overseas jaunts for politicians, while salaries for civil servants remained depressed.
Last year, the government spent $20-million (R156-million) on overseas trips, compared to the $4-million (R31-million) it offered civil servants.
The government is the biggest employer in Zimbabwe with about 150 000 employees.
Reports in the country say thousands of underpaid civil servants have decided to join the stayaway - regardless of consequences. The strike comes at time when the unity government was at its weakest.
Meanwhile, a report released last week by a Russian investment house said failure by Zimbabwe's coalition partners to solve outstanding issues from their power-sharing deal is holding back foreign investors from returning to the country.
The report by Renaissance Capital, titled "Zimbabwe: 2010 outlook: Cementing the turnaround" says the global political agreement (GPA) signed by President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara leading to formation of the government of national unity last February was the best viable option for the country.
But Renaissance said failure to implement the deal in full has become an impediment to investors.
"Politics remains the key determinant of external funding for government - specifically, how quickly the respective parties can resolve their
outstanding issues," the report said, adding; "Political tensions have also
limited the inflow of funding from external sources, specifically the West, however Zimbabwe did receive its general allocation from the IMF ($510mn), under liquidity support measures to combat the global credit crunch."
The investment house does not see the unity government completing the constitution-making process in time to hold elections by 2011. Renaissance also feels that the country's political environment is still volatile.
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 07 Feb (TBA) Nigeria's ailing president expected to hand power to vice-president
Nigeria's ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua (pictured) is expected to hand power over to his vice-president Goodluck Jonathan, according to reports attributed to his adviser, Abba Aji.
In an interview with the BBC Mr Aji apparently said that president Yar’Adua who is in a Saudi Arabia hospital would write a letter, formally informing the Senate he is on "medical vacation", - thus paving the way for his deputy Mr Jonathan to become acting president.
The president's allies have previously resisted calls for him to step aside although he has been in a hospital in Saudi Arabia since November. Mr Yar'Adua is suffering from an inflammation of the lining around the heart and has long suffered from kidney problems.
Nigeria's powerful state governors have said they believe Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan should be acting president.
Mr Aji, did not say when Mr Yar'Adua would write the letter but he said there would be no "undue delay".
For weeks, Nigeria has been beset with rumours and hoaxes over whether the president is alive or dead. Newspapers said the president was brain dead - or struck dumb.
Political tensions have been high - government business has stalled and legislation been frozen and cracks have appeared in the uneasy peace in the oil-producing Niger Delta.
Analysts said the first signs of a split emerged in Nigeria's cabinet recently, when Information Minister Dora Akunyili urged her colleagues to admit that the president was no longer fit to govern. But she was apparently shouted down in the cabinet meeting.
The federal high court has ruled that there is no constitutional requirement for the president to hand over power when he is abroad receiving medical treatment.
But he now appears to have given in to all the pressure.
Observers say Nigeria's split between the mainly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south has complicated the issue.
Northern power-brokers may be reluctant to see Mr Yar'Adua, a northerner, hand over power to Vice-President Jonathan, from the south, before the next scheduled presidential elections in 2011.
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