Eco-labels are marketing tools that allow manufacturers and retailers to attract additional customer preference by highlighting their products' environmental qualities. A consumer may be incentivised to purchase products that declare themselves “environmentally friendly” or “organic” but Rishal Bipraj asks: can these labels be trusted?

There is a good reason why the people of East Africa, despite their many hardships, feel optimistic about the future. Mozambique, presently one of the poorest countries in the world, is poised to become the biggest exporter of coking coal in the world. In addition exploration companies claim impressive discoveries of natural gas and oil off the east African coast in recent months.

The future of South Africa’s water security is heavily reliant on Lesotho as a source. For that reason it is imperative for South Africa that the political and socio-economic stability in the mountain kingdom prevails. At the moment both are under strain.

An international task force comprised of leading academics and multi-disciplined experts has been convened to analyse how illicit financial flows contribute to poverty. Looking specifically at the abuse of tax, they seek to reveal how this affects the enforcement of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) across the globe.

Isn’t it just awesome how some words can endure over time, even undergo changes in meaning and become dominant in the everyday vernacular? One such word is “awesome,” which has become almost the universal default word  for when someone wants to describe something that has impressed or inspired them. Who would have thought that, at one stage, it mainly carried a religious connotation.

There is still a cloud hanging over South Africa’s hosting of the 2013 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) football tournament, despite sports minister Fikile Mbalula’s assurances that the national government is committed and ready to deliver on its promises. The impasse over cities’, including Johannesburg and Cape Town, willingness to host the tournament, remains a huge concern.

Their first loss of the season, and the individual brilliance and passing skills of Sonny Bill Williams of the Chiefs, saw the DHL Stormers lose the top spot in the Super Ruby log. That honour currently belongs to the Chiefs after Williams produced a moment of sheer brilliance to break the deadlock in Bloemfontein against the Free State Cheetahs.