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Contents

NEW AFRICAN The bestselling pan-African magazine, founded in 1966 DECEMBER 2008 ISSUE 479 WWW.AFRICASIA.COM

10

Barack Obama Hope is everywhere

Yes, we can! The poll of polls said it all, weeks before Election Day. But no one expected the massive landslide it turned out to be – Barack Obama’s 364 electoral votes to John McCain’s 174. Simply incredible! And with that, America and the world got its first black president of the uSA – a victory that has brought hope to every corner of the world. We have a 21-page historic souvenir issue here.

34

60South Africa Land issue bites the dust DRCongo Wars without end?

One of the most important and emotive issues of South Africa’s liberation struggle, the land question, has officially bitten the dust – albeit temporarily. Blacks will have to wait a lot longer to get any traction on the issue.

How does one explain the cyclical wars in Eastern DrCongo? Simple! The Tutsi insurgents are encouraged by the “return of white patronage”, and rwanda has its hands in the pie.

Letters 4 Your news and views

Cover story: Barack Obama 10 The reason to believe 14 Hope is everywhere! 18 This is our time 22 World rejoices 24 Long walk from slave market to the White House 28 Barack’s hope, Bush’s horror

Under the Neem Tree 32 One in the eye for West African slavers

Features 34 South Africa: Land issue bites the dust 38 South Africa: Things fall apart in the ANC 42 Sierra Leone: One year of Koroma 44 Ghana: Fit for a king 46 Kenya: On the mend 50 Nigeria: At last, something is happening in Lagos 54 Zimbabwe: Does power-sharing have a future? 57 Banking: Ecobank’s historic celebrations 58 UN/Africa: Whose fault is it? 60 DRCongo: Must there be wars without end? 64 Zambia: Banda rules, Sata feels cheated 66 Libya: Lockerbie, a fishy tale

Guest Column 70 A historic event worth commemorating Diaspora 74 Lewis Hamilton makes Formula One history 78 Where are the Afro-Latinos?