THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Jan

10

2025

Venâncio Mondlane is Mozambique’s political challenger: what he stands for

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WHEN people watched political debates on Soico TV, one of the most watched private channels in Mozambique, around 2010, they often saw a young forest engineer and bank employee who was able to brilliantly articulate the country’s problems. He was Venâncio Mondlane, a distant kinsman of Eduardo Mondlane, the first president of Frelimo (Front for the Liberation of Mozambique). Venâncio’s family supported the liberation movement that led Mozambique to independence from Portugal in 1975. His biting criticism, however, suggested that his sympathies were not with the ruling party. Today, Venâncio Mondlane finds himself at the centre of the worst political…

Jan

09

2025

By HENNING MELBER

Germany’s genocide in Namibia: deal between the two governments falls short of delivering justice

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN early December 2024 the German and Namibian governments concluded negotiations over a joint declaration recognising the genocide committed by the German empire in South West Africa. Germany ruled the country as a colony between 1884 and 1915. It was declared a mandated territory by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. On 19 December 2024, Namibia announced that the cabinets of the two countries had reached a landmark decision related to the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Genocide, Apology and Reparations between the Namibian and German governments. Germany concedes that the “abominable atrocities committed … from today’s perspective…

Jan

06

2025

By The African Mirror

Robert Sobukwe in his own words: new book shows the complexity of a formidable South African leader

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE book Darkest Before Dawn, edited by Derek Hook and Leswin Laubscher, presents readers with a portrait of a formidable and principled figure in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid who has, so far, received less attention than he merits: Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe. In bringing together public and private documents, the book bridges the divide between the personal and the political to produce a rich and complex representation of Sobukwe in his own words. The book is a collection of letters, speeches, articles, interviews and court testimonies, some previously unpublished, by Sobukwe. He was the founding president of South Africa’s…

Jan

04

2025

By NANCY MITCHELL

Jimmy Carter’s African legacy: peacemaker, negotiator and defender of rights

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WHEN historians and pundits praise Jimmy Carter’s achievements as the US president and extol his exemplary post-presidential years, they mention the recognition of China, the Panama Canal Treaties and the Camp David Accords. Almost no one mentions what Carter, who has died, achieved in Africa during his presidency. This is a serious oversight. When I interviewed President Carter in 2002, he told me: I spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than I did on the Middle East. The archival record supports the former president’s claim. Reams of documents detail Carter’s sustained and deep focus during his presidency on ending…

Jan

02

2025

By CAROLYN HOYLE and PARVAIS JABBAR

Zimbabwe scraps the death penalty – tracking the path to abolition

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ZIMBABWE hasn’t executed anyone who was sentenced to death since 2005. With the passing of the Death Penalty Abolition Act 2024 on 31 December, Zimbabwe has become the 127th country in the world to end the death penalty. This process began with the introduction to parliament of an opposition private member’s bill led by Edwin Mushoriwa, though some amendments were made by the government. Other countries, too, have been moving away from the death penalty. In Africa, only seven of the 55 states in the African Union are “actively retentionist”, meaning that they sentence people to death and have carried…

Dec

30

2024

By LLOYD G. ADU AMOAH

Ghana’s outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo failed to live up to expectations – a look at his time in office

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FOR the first time in seven years, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will end the year without Ghana’s presidency weighing on his shoulders. Ghana goes to the polls on 7 December. Whatever the outcome, Akufo-Addo has served two terms as president and will be retiring from a long political life. Akufo-Addo became president in 2017 with a pedigree in both modern and traditional statecraft. Three of his relatives – Edward Akufo-Addo (his father), J.B. Danquah and William Ofori-Atta – were among the architects of Ghana’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention. As a university student in the early 1960s,…

Dec

23

2024

By ADEM K ABEBE

The African Union has a poor record of protecting democracy. 2024 was no different

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has congratulated the military-led government of Gabon on a successful constitutional referendum. General Brice Oligui Nguema came to power through a coup d’etat in 2023. The new constitution is expected to provide the basis for the conduct of elections that will replace the military government with an elected one in 2025. Faki’s statement was notable for its omission. Under existing African Union frameworks on unconstitutional changes of government, coup leaders are not allowed to run in the elections marking the formal end of governments installed by coups. This is so…

Dec

17

2024

By PAUL KAGAME

Rwandan President Kagame announces F1 Grand Prix bid and celebrates FIA’s historic milestone in Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

I want to thank the FIA, under the leadership of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, for choosing our country as the venue for this meeting, as you mark your 120th anniversary. We are particularly honoured to host the prize-giving ceremony later this evening. For the very first time, the FIA General Assembly is being held in Africa. This is an important milestone, which signals the goal of the motorsport industry to connect directly with fans and aspiring drivers in Africa. All over the world, motorsport is recognized for its elite performance, focus on safety and cutting-edge technology. Behind these high standards, is…

Dec

17

2024

By ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

Across the continent, nations are rising, drawing strength from their history, their culture, shared aspirations

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TWO centuries ago, as profound upheaval was reshaping southern Africa, King Moshoeshoe charted a revolutionary path. While others chose conflict, he embraced dialogue. When faced with hostility, he responded with wisdom and courage. His vision transcended the challenges of his time – transforming this great land into a sanctuary of peace through diplomatic and moral courage. By welcoming displaced communities and building bridges across divides, he showed the world how diversity can strengthen the fabric of nationhood. The principles he embodied – human dignity, diplomacy, and the courage to embrace differences – lie at the heart of our shared aspirations…

Dec

14

2024

By DAVID MANDIYANIKE

Women in Botswana make up 54% of voters, but less than 10% of parliament: political parties can change that

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THERE’S a question that has consistently gripped Botswana’s politics: bomme ba kae? (where are the women?). It became even more urgent with the country’s 2024 general elections. Only 28 women stood for parliament out of 258 contestants, representing 10.85%. Only three women won their seats. This represents 4.92% of the 61 seats. It’s a drop from 5.26% in the 2019 elections. In Botswana, women make up 54% of the eligible voters. Yet few occupy the corridors of power, where decisions and policies that affect them are made. The country has been praised for being a model democracy. One of the…