THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Sep

26

2025

Paul Biya at 92: will defections weaken his grip on absolute power in Cameroon?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

CAMEROONIANS go to the polls in October 2025 in what some people hoped might be a break from the country’s troubled recent past. They thought that President Paul Biya (92) might stand aside to allow a transition. Three years ago, I was one of those who expressed optimism about the 2025 poll. But I was wrong. Biya is set to run yet again for an 8th term. He is already one of Africa’s longest ruling presidents, behind only Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Nguema. Biya is on the cusp of achieving a lifetime presidency since taking office in 1982. In July 2025,…

Sep

23

2025

By TEREFE GEBREYESUS

Ethiopia’s two bids at democracy have failed: what it will take to succeed

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ETHIOPIA has attempted to transition to democracy twice. First, in 1991, a new government overthrew a dictatorial military regime. Second, in 2018, when Abiy Ahmed took over as prime minister after protests against a repressive government. In both attempts, there was optimism and excitement. But both failed. Can Ethiopia still get it right? In a recent article, I tried to answer this question. I examined four preconditions that scholars of democratic transition identify. These are: economic growth over a considerable period political elites committed to tolerance, compromise and respect for democratic rules and practices independent political institutions International organisations, such…

Sep

20

2025

By JANET REMMINGTON

Travel as activism: 6 stories of Black women who refused to ‘stay put’ in apartheid South Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FOR black people living in South Africa during apartheid, simply moving around the country was a fraught activity, let alone crossing its borders. This was especially the case for black women, who were “rock bottom of the racial pile”, as South African writer Lauretta Ngcobo expressed it. Coming to power in 1948 and ruling for over 40 years before democracy in 1994, the white-minority apartheid government took various race-based policies to extremes. An emphasis was on trying to control movement, keeping the black majority “in their place”. From the 1950s, the state extended pass laws, targeting black women. It also…

Sep

19

2025

By IDRIS MOHAMMED

Why bandit amnesties are failing in Nigeria’s northwest

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

NIGERIANS were glued to their screens when more than 270 schoolgirls kidnapped by bandits from their dormitory in Jangebe, Zamfara State, were released and paraded before the cameras. Government officials rushed to claim victory, presenting the girls’ return as proof that dialogue with so-called “repentant bandits” could restore peace. Yet the truth, whispered by community members who met the girls at dawn in Gusau, the state capital, was far more sobering. This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Idris Mohammed The children were released – not because the gunmen planned to lay down their weapons – but because…

Sep

18

2025

By DINA WAHBA and FRANZISCA ZANKER

Refugee protection in Egypt: what’s behind the return train to Sudan

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

A special train left the Egyptian capital of Cairo for Aswan, a town close to the border with southern neighbour Sudan, in July 2025. The train, publicised by the Egyptian government as shiny, air-conditioned and free of charge, runs a weekly service. It is transporting Sudanese refugees who are willing to go back home. Sudan, however, has been in the midst of civil war since April 2023. The train arrives in Aswan after around 12 hours. Travellers then continue via bus or ferry into Sudan. Little is known about what happens when travellers arrive in the country. As of mid-2025,…

Sep

17

2025

By JOACHIM DE WEERDT; GOWOKANI CHIJERE CHIRWA; JAN DUCHOSLAV; JOSEPH NAGOLI, and LARA COCKX

Malawi can end hunger after the 2025 elections if bold steps are taken to transform food systems

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MALAWI has a history of peaceful democratic transitions. Since the advent of multiparty politics in 1994, power has regularly shifted between rival parties. Citizens and institutions have upheld electoral democratic norms, from respecting term limits to rerunning elections after irregularities. Yet, democratic elections haven’t translated into economic prosperity, nor into strong economic institutions. Malawi remains the world’s poorest conflict-free nation. At the last count in 2019, 70% of Malawians lived below the international poverty line of US$2.15 per day. More than half of Malawi’s residents are deprived in many overlapping ways. Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Malawi has also…

Sep

13

2025

By JOVIAL RANTAO

SA Health Minister leads by example, showing why politicians must use the services they oversee

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE photograph tells a story more powerful than a thousand policy documents. There, in the corridors of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital - the largest hospital in the Southern Hemisphere - sat South Africa's Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi in a wheelchair. He's dressed not in the tailored suits of political power, but in the humble uniform of every public hospital patient: striped green and white government-issue pyjamas topped with a light blue gown. A white cotton wool patch covers his right eye, testament to the surgery he has just undergone. Around him, the dedicated staff of Bara smile with quiet…

Sep

12

2025

By PROF JJ TABANE

Bridging the skills gap: Tackling Africa’s skills mismatch crisis. Africa needs a new approach.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS we stand at a pivotal moment in Africa's economic development, it is impossible to ignore the growing skills crisis that threatens to undermine our progress. This is what occupied the minds of delegates at this week's inaugural Industrial Skills Week held in Lusaka, Zambia. The gathering was presented with the alarming statistics that surveys indicate that over 75% of African employers express concerns about the inadequacy of job applicants’ skills, while the continent’s universities continue to churn out graduates whose skills are misaligned with market demands. This disparity—referred to as the skills mismatch—represents one of the most significant barriers…

Sep

12

2025

By AMANUEL TESFAYE; CLEMENT SEFA-NYARKO; JOHN MUKUM MBAKU; and OLAWALE BESTOYIN KAREEM

Should African countries lower the voting age to 16? Views from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE UK is moving to lower its voting age from 18 to 16. The new legislation takes effect ahead of the country’s next general election in 2029, and is aimed at boosting its democracy. The move has ignited global debate: should 16-year-olds be trusted with the ballot? For African countries, where young people make up the majority of the population but often feel shut out of politics, the question is especially pressing. We spoke to political researchers from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria for their views. Authors Amanuel Tesfaye, Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki; Clement Sefa-Nyarko, Lecturer in Security, Development…

Sep

12

2025

By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Can Boniface Mwangi, a political outsider, become Kenya’s next president?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

KENYAN activist Boniface Mwangi is charting a totally new path in a bid for Kenya's highest office. Rather than playing up ethnic affiliations or charming voters with an expensive campaign, the popular social activist hopes to secure the support of Gen Z and Millennials, who spearheaded nationwide protests in 2024, in a run against corruption and poor governance. Mwangi is building his presidential campaign around empathy, honesty, and the ability to "orchestrate" talent. The self-styled "orchestra leader" affirmed that his role will be to ensure the musicians produce harmony. “I'm seeing myself as an orchestra bandleader and in an orchestra.…