One of the most popular series of talks on South African radio on current events is Red Metrowich’s Africa Survey, broadcast weekly on Springbok Radio. A selection of these talks broadcast over the past two years has now been made and published in this book. The talks range over the whole spectrum of life and events in the complex and controversial continent of Africa: from the results of experiments in socialism as seen in Tanzania’s Ujamaa villages through the human tragedy of Africa’s millions of displaced refugees  to the agonies of civil upheaval in Angola and Mocambique or a political coup d’etat in Chad.

To these and many other subjects pertinent to the African scene today, Mr Metrowich brings the insight and in-depth analysis of more than two decades of intensive study of African affairs. Perhaps the value of these reproductions of broadcast talks lies in the fact that although the facts presented by Mr Metrowich are the product of many hours of research and study, the assessments he delivers are in a concise and easily readable form. This book will provide background on the African affairs for the average reader who does not always have the time nor perhaps the inclination to wade through in-depth articles or books but who would nevertheless like to study the broad details of events which right now are moulding his future and the destiny of his children and grandchildren.

The division of this book into its four sections (Social and Economic Trends, Africa in the International Arena, Political Africa and Southern African Developments) indicates the wide canvas on which Mr. Metrowich paints the contemporary African scene. His views on the more news catching events of Africa such as the prospects of the current detente movement, possible developments in Mocambique and whether there is a future for Rhodesian policies as propounded today make absorbing reading. But the reader with a sincere interest in Africa and its future will find, as well much of interest in the author’s survey of socio-economic developments such as urbanization and the population explos9on which are equally as important to the Africa of tomorrow as are the political developments about which we hear so much every day.