News stories by Servaas van den Bosch, page 5

Southern African trade ministers have pledged to sign a significantly scaled down economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) before the end of 2010. Could this be the conclusion to years of divisive negotiations?

Six months after failing to reach a binding agreement on climate change, negotiators are meeting in Bonn to try to get the process back on track. But deep disagreement over measuring developing countries' emissions and finding funds for adaptation to climate change remain unresolved.

A landmark court case, alleging that HIV-positive women were forcibly sterilised in Namibian state hospitals begins in Windhoek's High Court on Jun. 1. Human rights groups claim the practice has continued long after the authorities were notified.

A landmark court case, alleging that HIV-positive women were forcibly sterilised in Namibian state hospital begins in Windhoek's High court on June 1. Human rights groups claim the practice has continued long after the authorities were notified.

A proposed irrigation scheme promises greater food security for Namibia, but should the 10,000 hectare Katondo Farm Project be completed, it could threaten the health of the Okavango River.

Pensioner Makena Makanga slowly savours a piece of manketti fruit unaware that the tree it came from will soon be chopped down and mulched along with the rest of her forest to make way for a massive agribusiness project.

Leaders rallied behind the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) at its 100th birthday bash on Apr 22, adamant that it remains the region’s best shot at economic sovereignty. Details on how to accomplish this, however, remain sketchy.

In the driest capital city south of the Sahara, water engineers are 'banking' ground water to meet future demand, but the enormous costs might sink the project before water can be harvested.

Southern African governments must regain control over the negotiations on the trade deals known as economic partnership agreements (EPAs). Issues earmarked as deal-breakers should be resolved before talks to a full EPA are continued. These include limiting the EPA to a goods-only agreement and the EU dropping its demand for reciprocity.

Plummeting revenues from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) could cause severe financial difficulties in the region, economic experts warn. To make matters worse, the organisation is split over the future of its tariff pool that largely bankrolls the national budgets of its poorer members.