#Mozambique: I recently spent a week in Maputo, meeting with clients and my source network. Some key takeaways below, and a big thank you to everyone who took the time to meet and to chat. POLITICS—Frelimo is more repressive than ever as it faces the loss of almost all political legitimacy. It's also bolder than ever in its repression, indicating just how worried it is about its slippery grasp on power. Still, broad political and policy continuity can be expected..

I recently spent two weeks in #Zambia, mainly in Lusaka, meeting clients, conducting research, speaking to government officials. Here are some of my key takeaways 🧵🇿🇲 DEBT - this issue came up everywhere, and with good reason. Not only is it driving macroeconomic instability, but the government is nowhere near concluding a deal. And why? Because its largest creditor, #China, isn't happy with the terms laid out by the G20.

#SouthAfrica: Today the finance minister went back on the decision to exempt #Eskom from reporting expense regularities and the electricity minister lifted the state of disaster declared two months to deal with #loadshedding. These developments are good, but-- --it's alarming that they were made in the first place, because the first was an attempt to cover up the #corruption that we know to have occurred and the second would've simply opened the door to further corruption.

#Russia's whistle-stop tour of southern Africa included a visit to #Angola, despite President Lourenço's pivot away from the former Soviet power in recent years. A 🧵 on what's happened between the two countries lately and what it all means. #Angola in October 2022 became one of just a handful of African states to condemn Russia's invasion of #Ukraine, having previously abstained. Apparently this came from pressure from the EU (mostly Portugal). voaportugues.com/a/angola-vota-…