Links for August 10

Reuben Abraham gives gives an account about the flaws of Micro finance:

One of the key fetishes in the international development arena of late is the celebration of entrepreneurship among the poor in developing countries. The assumption seems to be that the poor could successfully run these small micro-businesses, if only the slightest amount of help could be offered, including financial help.

South Africa's former deputy health minister has said she was sacked for doing her job.

Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge said she had been fired for going on an unauthorised trip to a Spanish Aids conference and for criticising hospital conditions.

Ghana: Lessons from Botswana’s Diamond Production

While former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan told Ghana’s Parliament that Accra should not “look to the discovery of oil as the panacea to the nation’s problems,” a lot of Ghanaians believe oil will be a magic potion to resolving poverty.

Kenya: Rules for 50 Women Seats

The Government has set new rules for nominating 50 new women MPs to Parliament.

The Bill seeking to increase the number of MPs by creating the 50 special seats for women and increasing the number of constituencies from a minimum of 210 and a maximum of 250, was presented in Parliament by Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, Ms Martha Karua.

Ghana: Hydro-Power Crisis Getting Worse

Ghana is undergoing its worst power crisis since 1998. People here currently have an average of only 12 hours of electricity a day, and, with insufficient rain to keep its hydropower stations functioning, the situation is likely to deteriorate, affecting individual livelihoods and the economy as a whole.

Kenya: Bharti, Reliance, Tata Eyeing Telkom Stake

India's Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and the Tata Group are bidding for 51 per cent in state-owned Telkom Kenya, a Mumbai-based paper, the Economic Times and Business Standard, has said.

Representatives of the Indian companies are in Nairobi to participate in a bidders' conference, the Economic Times newspaper said, citing unnamed sources.