THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Jun

12

2026

TANZANIA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS: “It is time for us to take charge and realize our full potential.”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

GREETINGS from the snow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Greetings from the great plains of the Serengeti, where the wildebeest migration rights one of nature's oldest and most magnificent stories. And greetings from the Spice Island of Zanzibar. Tanzania and Russia share a longstanding partnership that spans more than 66 years. In December this year, our two countries will commemorate 65 years of diplomatic relations. Certainly, we do not take this milestone for granted. We treat it as an enduring testament of strong commitment to a mutually beneficial partnership that seeks to uplift the lives…

Jun

11

2026

By LUKE SINWELL; TERRI MAGGOTT, and TREVOR NGWANE

South Africa’s anti‑migrant campaigns use the language of democracy: why that’s dangerous

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ANTI-MIGRANT campaigns in South Africa are increasingly being framed as acts of community protection. Protesters present their efforts as a response to community concerns about crime, unemployment and failing public services. Leaders of these campaigns claim that weak border controls, ineffective immigration enforcement and undocumented migrants have contributed to deteriorating living conditions in many communities. These campaigns are framed as “clean-ups”, “community protection,” or removing “illegal foreigners”. But this is using democratic language to justify othering. It can legitimise the exclusion of migrants by casting them as outsiders, which could increase the probability of violence. In 2024, the March and…

Jun

11

2026

By ALAN HIRSCH

Anti‑foreigner violence in South Africa is easily sparked: what hasn’t been done to deal with it

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THREATS and deadly conflict over migration are spreading fast in South Africa. This is hugely worrying and could result in widespread injury and killings, as it has in the past. The region’s investment prospects could be dimmed too, due to perceptions of political instability. The need for effective responses is real and urgent. The death toll, while disputed, is rising, and reports of marches, threats, sacking of dwellings and violence are widespread across South Africa. Anti-foreigner hysteria is being driven by online campaigns that appear to be highly organised. They include the use of fake information and graphics. It is…

Jun

08

2026

By CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

“We expect foreign nationals to respect our laws. We therefore need to respect them ourselves.”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

OVER recent months, South Africans from every walk of life have raised concerns about migration and illegal immigration. These concerns are being expressed in our communities, our workplaces, our schools, our clinics and across social media platforms. Many South Africans are asking difficult but legitimate questions. They are asking whether our borders are secure. They are concerned about jobs. South Africans are raising these matters because they are concerned about pressure on public services. They are concerned about safety, security and the rule of law. These concerns are real. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to be addressed. South…

Jun

05

2026

By MATHATHA TSEDU

Farewell to Souleymane Diallo, a firm, steady link in Africa’s unbreakable chain of solidarity in the struggle for media freedom

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IT was around 2 am in the morning, and I was still awake for reasons that are not immediately important. A WhatsApp message popped into The African Editors Forum group from Cheriff Sy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It was in French, and I somehow couldn’t open and copy to use Google to translate. I could see it was about Souleymane Diallo, our common friend from Guinea Conakry and I could discern that it said something about Canada. So I thought Diallo would have been honoured in Canada, but I asked Cheriff what it was all about. Cheriff immediately responded, telling…

Jun

03

2026

By The African Mirror

Memory is an Antidote Against Forgetting

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ON an October day in 1988, a comrade of mine who was part of our leadership echelon in the underground in Swaziland sent an urgent message requesting to see me. As it was often the case with the treacherous underground working conditions in that country, we agreed to meet under the cover of darkness on the evening of the same day at a venue in Mbabane. I primed my pistol and holstered it securely on my belt. I put a few hand grenades in a holding panel in the inside of the driver’s door and set out on a drive…

Jun

02

2026

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

In Conversation with Channel Andrews on African mobility, diaspora identity, and the border contradictions shaping continental integration

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WHEN Togo announced in May that it would become visa-free for all African passport holders, the decision was widely welcomed across the continent as another milestone in Africa’s long-running push toward freer movement and deeper integration. The measure, announced by President of the Council Faure Gnassingbé during the Biashara Afrika 2026 forum in Lomé, positioned Togo among a growing number of African countries easing entry restrictions for fellow Africans as governments seek to align border systems with the ambitions of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Authorities said the policy was intended to strengthen African integration, improve the free…

Jun

01

2026

By TSWELOPELE MAKOE

2026 Elections: No vote, No escape

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has officially launched the 2026 Local Government Election season, and that matters more than some people are treating it right now. Because the IEC is not just announcing another voting cycle — it is activating one of the only national moments where political power is temporarily redistributed equally. It is the only institution that still forces the country into a shared moment, where the rich, the poor, the powerful and the forgotten all carry one equal voice. And in a country like South Africa, that moment matters more than words can describe.…

May

30

2026

By JOVIAL RANTAO

The Earth Took Back Its Diamond: Farewell to Baldwin Ndaba – 1961-2026

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ON a beautiful, crisp winter morning in Kimberley, the city came to pay its dues. The Northern Cape sky - pale and wide and unforgiving in the way only the Karoo fringe can be - stretched above the mourners who gathered to say farewell to Baldwin Ndaba. The air carried that particular stillness of a Highveld winter: cold, clear, honest. It was the kind of morning Baldwin would have noticed. He noticed everything. He had come home. After a week of tributes - journalists and editors, university friends and comrades, sources who trusted him and rivals who respected him -…

May

30

2026

By BAYO ONANUGA

BOLA TINUBU: The man who took the bullet for Nigeria to survive

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WITH politicking intensifying ahead of the January 2027 election, opposition politicians have escalated their campaign of misinformation and calumny to diminish the impact and achievements of this administration over the last three years. Two years ago, when the administration was struggling to deal with the unintended consequences of its historic reforms, the campaign would have made sense. But not anymore, as the administration can rightly claim bragging rights for what it has achieved against all odds and why the international community is applauding it for putting Nigeria irrevocably on the path of growth and development. The impact of the three-year-old…