If sub-Saharan Africa is to have its own ‘Arab Spring’, we ‘need to organise ourselves not just on social networks but also within our own communities,’ writes Charles Nhamo Rupare.

Amidst an eight month battle over academic freedom in Malawi, Steve Sharra asks whether the roots of the crisis might lie much deeper, in the very nature of the Malawian public university in particular, and the modern African university in general.

Haiti opened the door to freedom over 200 years ago. Now, says Eduardo Galeano, it needs a solidarity that will make possible the rebirth of its sovereignty.

The Angolan government has championed the Kilamba social housing development as evidence of how it is dealing with an acute housing shortage. But Rafael Marques de Morais provides an insight into some of the companies - and politicians - who are making money from the development.

Cameroon's opposition parties said on Wednesday they would ask the Supreme Court to annul a presidential election because of widespread irregularities. Joshua Osih, vice-president of the main opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), said evidence of double-voting and a lack of ballot papers in some polling stations meant the results, which are due in coming days, could not be credible.

Black consciousness artiste Peter Tosh demonstrated to black people the world over that it is worthless living on your knees, according to Imrann Moosa. You need to hold your head up and look the oppressor straight in the eye. They will blink.

The occupation of Wall Street, which incited other occupations, indicates a crucial realisation that for too long society has been subordinated to capital, writes Richard Pithouse. The only realistic route to achieving meaningful change is sustained organising from below to shift power relations

Atunga Atuti argues that the proposed law will retain the National Security Intelligence Service as it exists today. The bill contains provisions that close the NSIS to public scrutiny in contravention of the constitution and empowers the agency to threaten basic freedoms

Addressing the closing session of the 2011/2012 parliamentary budget, the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, named 15 companies which he said led in tax payment in the country. However, Mr Pinda’s list did not only end up raising more questions than answers, but also helped to confirm a long held view that many big companies were not paying taxes, says the website

Egypt is still set to hold parliamentary elections according to schedule, despite heightened tensions in Egypt following a military attack on a Coptic Christian demonstration last Sunday that left 25 dead and hundreds injured. Some have expressed fears that the incident and its aftermath could further obstruct the long-delayed election process.

The World Bank has warned rich countries against considering cuts to development assistance at a time of growing fears over a potential global recession. 'The temptation is great when a crisis looms – as it does now - for rich countries to slash development assistance. This would be a grave mistake,' World Bank Vice President for Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili, said.

One of the post election violence suspects at the Hague, Uhuru Kenyatta, says that Raila Odinga, the Kenyan prime minister should take political responsibility for ordering a mass action after the announcement of presidential election winner in 2007 in which President Kibaki was declared the winner. Uhuru said that the violence could have been stopped had Raila ordered so.

As Parliament resumes, one of the motions lined up for debate is the proposed amendment to the Constitution to change the election date and the one-third gender representation clause. Already, the government has published the proposed amendments, and despite stiff opposition from lobbyists, religious groups, the private sector and the Constitution Implementation Commission, it is hell-bent on pushing them through, says this Daily Nation article. 'If the amendments go through, the government will have a set a very bad precedent, where it resorts to changing laws whenever it is faced with difficult choices.'

Namibia will have to pay more than half a billion dollars in duties if the country has not signed the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) by January 2014. The EU recently adopted a proposal to stop Namibia from enjoying duty- and quota-free access to its markets if the country refuses to commit to the controversial trade pact by then. The European Council still has to approve the proposal. Without preferential access, Namibia would have to pay an average of 19,5 per cent duties on all future exports to the EU.

Discontent with political leaders is mounting in Botswana, which has long been held up as a model of democratic governance in Africa. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party's (BDP) secretary-general Kentse Rammidi plunged his party into a crisis by his resignation recently, bemoaning a lack of internal democracy. Rammidi's decision followed a move by Labour and Home Affairs Minister Peter Siele to declare teaching, veterinary services and diamond sorting to be essential services.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams presented Robert Mugabe with a dossier of alleged abuses perpetrated against worshippers over the past four years. In response, the president delivered a history lesson on Anglo-Zimbabwean relations, detailed his own religious upbringing and reminded Williams that the Church of England is 'a breakaway group' from the Catholic church. Despite persistent rumours over the 87-year-old president's health, Williams commented: 'He's on top of things intellectually.'

For a man who thrives on giving the impression he is in total control, Robert Mugabe surprised many people on Thursday when he admitted he could not call for elections when he wants them. Addressing the ZANU PF Central Committee in Harare Mugabe said: 'We were looking forward to holding elections soon but I’m not in control of the mechanism that would lay the road to elections this year.' For months ZANU PF was adamant that elections would be held this year.

Food prices are likely to become more volatile in coming years, increasing the risk that more poor people in import-dependent countries will go hungry, the United Nations said in an annual report on food insecurity published on Monday. Global food price indices hit record highs in February and were a factor in the Arab Spring of unrest in north Africa and the Middle East. Prices have since eased but the UN report said economic uncertainty, low cereal reserves, closer links between energy and agriculture markets and rising risks of weather shocks were likely to cause more dramatic price swings in the future.

The poorest countries in Africa are not merely the victims of natural calamities. They are also ravaged by the continued denial of market access as promised in the Doha trade negotiations, say African trade diplomats. Almost six years ago at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Hong Kong ministerial meeting, the least-developed countries (LDCs) in the global trading regime, drawn largely from Africa, were assured that their industrial products will be given duty-free and quota-free market access in rich countries. Sadly, there are grave doubts now that these promises will be addressed at the WTO’s eighth ministerial meeting in December.

Malawi has said there is no reason to apologise to newly-elected President of Zambia Michael Sata over his deportation and declaration as a prohibited immigrant in 2007. Seventy-four-year Sata, elected President two weeks ago after beating a Mutharika-ally Rupiah Banda, on Saturday snubbed the Malawian leader’s invitation to attend the Comesa summit in protest against the Mutharika government and demanded for an apology concerning the 2007 quarrel.