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Books > Humanities > History > African history > General
John Kent has written the first full scholarly study of British and
French policy in their West African colonies during the Second
World War and its aftermath. His detailed analysis shows how the
broader requirements of Anglo-French relations in Europe and the
wider world shaped the formulation and execution of the two
colonial powers' policy in Black Africa. He examines the guiding
principles of the policy-makers in London and Paris and the
problems experienced by the colonial administrators themselves.
This is a genuinely comparative study, thoroughly grounded in both
French and British archives, and it sheds new light on the
development of Anglo-French co-operation in colonial matters in
this period.
This is the first study of constitution making during a critical
decade of British rule in Kenya to be based on a thorough
examination of archival sources. Such sources include secret police
and intelligence reports, records of the planning and negotiations
leading to the imposition of the three constitutions, and British
cabinet records. These allow for a more complete appreciation of
the forces that produced the specific constitutional dispensations.
For example, the book provides the fullest and most authoritative
account of the first Lancaster House conference of 1960. The
account indicates that the constitution that emerged, as with the
negotiations of 1954 and 1957, was not the result of inter-racial
bargaining. Rather, each constitution was imposed by Britain after
acceptance by some political groups, though not all. Such partial
acceptance proved fatal to the constitutions of the 1950s. The book
illustrates this reality as well as highlighting the importance of
African agency in the overthrow of the Lyttleton and Lennox-Boyd
constitutions and in the emergence of the very different
constitutional order that resulted from the Lancaster House
conference. Britain and Kenya's Constitutions, 1950-1960 is an
important resource for scholars in African studies as well as those
researching the history of British decolonization in Africa.
Poverty-related problems facing Africa are not only overwhelming
but are also monumental and worrisome. Some of Africa's poverty
problems are self-inflicted and have increasingly become
systemically chronic, while others are externally instigated. This
book focuses on an aspect of those problems that are principally
internal to Africa--the issue of corruption. The book picks out
Zambia as a case study. Thus, the efficacy of the legal and
institutional framework for fighting corruption in Zambia is
examined. As an authoritative text on Zambian jurisprudence, this
book brings out critically and analytically incisive legal
perspectives. The book also makes reference to closely related
developments in other jurisdictions. Weaknesses in the legal and
institutional framework in Zambia are identified, and the book
spells out proposals to strengthen the framework. "The book is an
excellent attempt to set the record straight on the otherwise often
confusing present situation in Zambia vis-a-vis the established
legal and institutional mechanisms, which sometimes appear to
compete against each other. This seems to work against the very
raison d'etre or objective for which they were instituted. The book
attempts to provide some solutions on how this could be avoided or
overcome. ... It is a highly recommended work for people in other
countries, especially developing ones, who are also involved in the
fight against corruption to draw lessons from Zambia's attempt to
rid itself from this scourge." - Dr. Mpazi Sinjela, LL.B (UNZA),
LL.M, JSD (Yale) Dean, WIPO Worldwide Academy; Professor,
(Visiting), Lund University and Raoul Wallenberg Institute
(Sweden); Co-Director and Professor, Masters Degree Program in
Intellectual Property, University of Turin, (Italy)
In My Own Liberator, Dikgang Moseneke pays homage to the many
people and places that have helped to define and shape him. In
tracing his ancestry, the influence on both his maternal and
paternal sides is evident in the values they imbued in their
children - the importance of family, the value of hard work and
education, an uncompromising moral code, compassion for those less
fortunate and unflinching refusal to accept an unjust political
regime or acknowledge its oppressive laws. As a young activist in
the Pan-Africanist Congress, at the tender age of fifteen, Moseneke
was arrested, detained and, in 1963, sentenced to ten years on
Robben Island for participating in anti-apartheid activities.
Physical incarceration, harsh conditions and inhumane treatment
could not imprison the political prisoners' minds, however, and for
many the Island became a school not only in politics but an
opportunity for dedicated study, formal and informal. It set the
young Moseneke on a path towards a law degree that would provide
the bedrock for a long and fruitful legal career and see him serve
his country in the highest court. My Own Liberator charts
Moseneke's rise as one of the country's top legal minds, who not
only helped to draft the interim constitution, but for fifteen
years acted as a guardian of that constitution for all South
Africans, helping to make it a living document for the country and
its people.
Bill Nasson's South Africa at War, 1939-1945 is the first history
of South Africa's involvement in World War II to appear for a very
long time. It is written by one of South Africa's leading
historians, who has specialised in writing the history of war. With
characteristic brio, erudition and good humour, Bill Nasson tells
an illustrated story of South Africa at war against Nazi Germany,
its unpreparedness at the start, its surprising success in rising
to the challenge, and the huge impact the war had on South African
society and on expectations of change. It explores the impact, both
immediate and in a wider historical context, of the 1939-45 crisis
upon the Union and its divided and often volatile society. Touching
on a broad range of experiences and events - military, political,
economic and social - here is an evocative portrayal of a largely
neglected episode in South Africa's modern history.
Dr Jacob Chikuhwa continues with his academic analysis of both the
political and economic developments in Zimbabwe. Supported by well
researched historical narrative and economic data, Zimbabwe: The
End of the First Republic examines the triumphs and tribulations of
the Zimbabwean national project leading to the adoption of a
home-grown constitution and the July 31, 2013 elections. Although
the war of liberation led to Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, it
has not established democracy, functioning health and education
systems and equal opportunities for Zimbabweans. What Zimbabweans
experience is decay of infrastructure with very little in the state
coffers despite abundant natural resources. The theme on economic
performance focuses on numerous failed economic blueprints that
began with the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme during the
early 1990s. The haphazard land-reform programme and the
exploitation of mineral resources take centre stage. While Zimbabwe
is poised to supply 25% of world diamond output, the way tenders
are being awarded for the diamond mining has highlighted the need
for accountability and transparency. Before the coalition
government was formed in 2009, the country had gone from being one
of Africa's strongest economies to one of its weakest - as
Zimbabweans grappled with hyperinflation, mass unemployment and
widespread poverty. Although the Short Term Emergency Recovery
Programme brought some semblance of economic stability, the way
indigenisation and economic empowerment are being carried out make
investors shun the southern African country. Chikuhwa's economic
study focuses on how corruption and a lack of transparency and
accountability in Zimbabwe's governance have intensified social
problems, crime and poverty, and have alienated the IMF and World
Bank as well as potential foreign investors. This study, rich in
statistical data and heartfelt commentary, will serve as a useful
introduction for those studying Zimbabwe's recent history and
economic development and entrepreneurs looking for investment
opportunities.
Van al die gebeure in die Kaapkolonie gedurende die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog het die teregstelling van Hans Lötter, asook dié van kmdt. Gideon Scheepers, die meeste emosie onder Afrikaners ontketen. Lötter en sy mederebelle in die Kolonie het die verbeelding van die plaaslike bevolking aangegryp en die Britte maande lank hoofbrekens besorg. Sy gevangeneming, verhoor en teregstelling deur ’n Britse vuurpeloton op Middelburg, Kaap, het groot woede en verontwaardiging veroorsaak en hom verewig as Boeremartelaar in die Afrikaner-volksoorleweringe. Nou word sy boeiende verhaal vir die eerste keer volledig vertel.
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