Archive for March, 2008

Voting with their stomachs

(March 28th, 2008)

Zimbabwe has gone from being a net food exporting country to one with a critical food shortage — all of which will play into Sunday’s presidential election. Marketplace’s Africa correspondent Gretchen Wilson talks with Kai Ryssdal about the nation’s crisis.

(Full story)

audio   economy   elections   food   human rights   Marketplace   stories   unemployment   Zimbabwe

Loads of hope and food for Zimbabwe

(March 27th, 2008)

Overwhelmed by hyperinflation, food is one of the only things with real value in Zimbabwe. Gretchen Wilson reports from a lot in Johannesburg, where passengers are loading a bus to capital city Harare with food.

(Full story)

audio   economy   food   Johannesburg   Marketplace   South Africa   stories   trade   unemployment   Zimbabwe

Third World export: security guards

(March 26th, 2008)

The number of civilian contractors killed in Iraq last year rose 17%. Not all of them were Americans. Private security firms are increasingly using third-country nationals to support the war. Gretchen Wilson reports from Namibia.

(Full story)

audio   economy   human rights   Marketplace   military   Namibia   oil   South Africa   stories   unemployment

Private security firms look to Africa for recruits

(March 17th, 2008)

Namibia’s independence war ended nearly 20 years ago, but the experience gained by many soldiers during the conflict has made the country a fertile hunting ground for private security companies seeking recruits for the world’s 21st century wars.

(Full story)

economy   human rights   IRIN   military   Namibia   South Africa   stories   unemployment

Zimbabwe’s new ‘empowerment’ law

(March 11th, 2008)

Listen to this story TEXT OF STORY Scott Jagow: The presidential candidates may find it daunting to come up with an economic plan people will embrace. Imagine if they were running for president in Zimbabwe. Inflation there is more than 100,000 percent. The incumbent, Robert Mugabe, is pushing a campaign theme of “economic empowerment.” He [...]

(Full story)

audio   economy   elections   food   Marketplace   small business   trade   unemployment   Zimbabwe