THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Nov

25

2024

Tribute to Enos Ngutshane: From student revolutionary to national leader

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

JOVIAL RANTAO IN the annals of South Africa's liberation struggle, certain places become sacred ground, and certain moments become turning points. Naledi High School in Soweto stands as one such hallowed space, where in 1976, the seeds of revolution were planted in the fertile soil of youth resistance. It was here that Enos Ngutshane, a matriculant whose courage would shape history, penned the fateful letter to apartheid education minister Minister M.C. Botha that became the first formal challenge to the oppressive language policy. But when the minister's silence spoke volumes about the regime's intransigence, it became clear that stronger action…

Nov

23

2024

By TRACY-LYNN FIELD

Illegal mining clampdown in South Africa: treating desperate people like criminals is an injustice – legal scholar

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ILLEGAL artisanal gold mining in South Africa is in the spotlight again. Under Operation Vala Umgodi (“plug the hole”), South African authorities have since December 2023 been trying to disrupt the illicit gold mining economy by cutting off water, food and other supplies to the miners working underground. The operation is an attempt to “stamp the authority” of the state after a series of criminal incidents in 2021 forced the government to confront the illicit gold trade as a threat to national security. In my view, the government’s approach, which sees all artisanal mining through a criminality lens, is inappropriate…

Nov

22

2024

By ABBEY MAKOE

Be careful of foreign interference in SA’s stable democracy

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE controversial US NGO, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), is holding a conference in Johannesburg under the banner of democracy and associated freedoms. The conference began on November 20th and runs until November 22nd. The NED was established in 1983 during the Ronald Reagan administration and has since played a pivotal role in promoting US foreign policy and interests. It has a chequered history that includes sophisticated means of rebranding the image of the US both domestically and internationally. Thanks to a substantial war chest, the organization funds pro-Washington NGOs and has often been accused of playing a sly…

Nov

21

2024

By AMAKA EMORDI

Senegal’s elections were a triumph for democracy – what went right

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SENEGAL’S President Bassirou Diomaye Faye unexpectedly called a snap legislative election which was held on 17 November. Faye was sworn in as president in April after a tumultuous period, triggered when former president Macky Sall postponed a scheduled presidential election. Mass protests followed, exposing the fragility of Senegal’s democratic institutions. Sall eventually reversed his stance and elections followed. With the snap legislative election concluded, political scientist Amaka Emordi takes the temperature in the country. How important are these elections? Is democracy secure in Senegal? The recent electoral transition in Senegal and the legislative election reflect the critical importance of upholding…

Nov

20

2024

By JOHN TADEN; DANIEL BANINI and KINGSLEY AGORMOR

Ghana elections: swing voting is on the rise, shaping outcomes – a look at what’s driving this

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

GHANAIAN elections have become much more challenging for politicians. In the past, they have often been characterised as nothing more than an ethnic headcount. But since the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections, there’s been a growing share of swing voters. We discovered this trend in a study, which corroborates others. We define a swing voter as someone who has voted for a different party in the previous four presidential elections or one who has cast a split-ticket ballot during that period. As researchers of democratic developments on the African continent, we were interested in the increasing power swings on the…

Nov

19

2024

By CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

The stand-off at Stilfontein must be resolved peacefully and safely

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS Government, we have made a clear determination to deal with acts of criminality, whether they be cash-in-transit heists, extortion, illegal mining, gang violence, or related crimes. Illegal mining is a form of criminality that has caused a great deal of anger and anguish in communities. To address this problem, we set up an illegal mining task force involving various parts of the security cluster. We also deployed personnel from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support the work of the police. For over a month now, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other Government agencies have…

Nov

18

2024

By HARRO VAN ASSELT and ANNALISA SAVARESI

Shell’s legal victory is disappointing – but this is not the end for corporate climate litigation

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN the first ruling of its kind, the Dutch Hague District Court in 2021 ordered a fossil fuel company, Shell, to slash its emissions. This decision would have required the oil and gas giant to cut its emissions by 45% by 2030 (compared with 2019 levels) across its operations and beyond, including so-called “scope 3 emissions” – those arising from burning the fossil fuels Shell has sold. However, this landmark ruling – which inspired similar lawsuits worldwide – has been overturned. Shell appealed the decision and on November 12 2024, the Hague Court of Appeal found that no emission reduction…

Nov

17

2024

By ROUKAYA KASENALLY

Mauritius elections landslide – why voters were determined to get Jugnauth’s government out

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MAURITIUS’ opposition coalition – the Alliance of Change – won the country’s 10 November 2024 election by a landslide, taking all the seats in parliament. Its leader, Navin Ramgoolam, has been appointed prime minister. Mauritian politics scholar Roukaya Kasenally spoke to The Conversation Africa about what drove this outcome. What’s behind the opposition’s landslide win? The win by the opposition coalition was a clear sweep. No candidates from the outgoing government were elected; it’s what’s referred to as a 60-0. Mauritius uses the “first past the post” electoral model, where candidates with the highest number of votes are elected. Each…

Nov

15

2024

By SAM JONES

Mozambique in post-election turmoil: economic policies that could make a difference

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TURMOIL following presidential and parliamentary elections in Mozambique has been severe. Preliminary official results from the 2024 elections indicated a landslide win by the ruling party, Frelimo. These results are widely contested, with various reports of irregularities. Post-election squabbles are not new to the country. But this time feels different. The current protests have been more sustained and widespread than ever before. A week-long paralysis of economic activity called by Venâncio Mondlane, one of the opposition presidential candidates, has received widespread support, especially in the capital city, Maputo. Virtually all socioeconomic strata have participated, with up-market neighbourhoods adopting the panelaço,…

Nov

13

2024

By CHRISTIAN JOHN MAKGALA

Botswana’s election shock: analyst reflects on why voters kicked the ruling party out after 58 years

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE dramatic loss of power by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which had governed Botswana since independence in 1966, will go down in history as one of the biggest electoral upsets in Africa. Duma Boko (54), of the Umbrella for Democratic Change coalition, has replaced Mokgweetsi Masisi as the southern African country’s president. The Botswana Democratic Party’s share of support dropped to 31% in the October 2024 elections, giving it only four out of 61 constituencies. The Umbrella for Democratic Change claimed 36 seats. We asked University of Botswana historian and political economist Christian John Makgala for his insights. Briefly…