William M. Gumede at PostGlobal

William M. Gumede

South Africa

William M. Gumede is Associate Editor at Africa Confidential. He is Research Fellow at the School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He recently released the bestselling book Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC. Close.

William M. Gumede

South Africa

William M. Gumede is Associate Editor at Africa Confidential. more »

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Environment Archives



February 3, 2007 3:23 AM

Abandon Kyoto; Don't Be In Denial

Abandon the Kyoto Protocol agreement immediately in favor of a new international agreement that sets higher targets for greenhouse emissions.

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April 23, 2007 9:19 AM

Africans Don’t Even Have Dirty Fuel

It is true that the poor in developing countries are the least to blame for global warming, but yet will suffer the most from it. Yet many government sceptics in developing countries think that if the West alone reduced their greenhouse emissions and energy consumption, the dragon of climate change would be slain. In this argument the developing world won’t need to do anything – a fallacy.

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April 23, 2008 10:52 AM

Africa Hungry for Better Leadership

Serious food shortages and inflation, which in some places have spawned unprecedented riots, protests and marches across Africa, are due in part to bad local leadership and lack of democracy. It appears the African and developing countries worst hit by the crippling food shortages are those governed the most autocratically. Some African countries produce staple food for export, yet their people go hungry. This is similar to that phenomenon where some African countries export oil, but their countries' citizens experience oil shortages. In other cases, some African countries produce staple food surpluses, but neighboring countries have shortages. Regional African political institutions have not only been found wanting in dealing with crises such as the meltdown in Zimbabwe, but are also failing to steer food from countries with surpluses to those experiencing shortages. Furthermore, the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa are also now increasingly stunting food production, and in some countries many small farmers are too ill to produce food. Wars between and inside countries are still stilting African farming, although there are thankfully fewer such wars in recent years.

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