THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Sep

26

2024

The UN Security Council must be reformed as a matter of urgency – Ramaphosa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THIRTY years ago, South Africa was born as a new nation; equal, united and free from apartheid. We adopted a new constitution as the birth certificate of our new nation. Our first democratic elections brought the tyranny of apartheid to an end, a system that this General Assembly declared to be a crime against humanity. In adopting Resolution 2202 A (XXI) in 1966, the United Nations was a beacon of hope in our quest for justice. The great wave of solidarity of the peoples of the world led by the United Nations turned the tide against apartheid. Today democracy flourishes…

Sep

25

2024

By MIKE MULLER

Egypt’s fears about Ethiopia’s mega-dam haven’t come to pass: moving on from historical concerns would benefit the whole region

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

A new round of angry exchanges has broken out between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). On September 1, Cairo wrote to the UN Security Council to protest against Ethiopia’s continued filling of Africa’s second-largest reservoir and bringing two more power-generating turbines into operation. Egypt sees any new infrastructure development on the Nile as a potential threat since the river is the source of over 98% of the country’s water. Egypt calls this a violation of international law and Ethiopia’s obligations to “prevent significant harm”. Ethiopia’s policies, it says, could result in an existential threat to…

Sep

24

2024

By ABBEYMAKOE

China, Africa building bridges towards shared future – Chinese ambassador to SA

BRICS NEWS, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AT the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in Beijing, 51 African heads of state or their delegations attended in person, signifying the importance of the occasion amidst the rapidly changing international world order. Also present were the African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. FOCAC is one of the few geopolitical platforms that symbolize the changing landscape of global affairs, alongside BRICS. South-South relations have finally awakened from a long slumber. United in purpose, the Global South has begun to speak in unison without fear of reprisals, recognizing the strength…

Sep

20

2024

By CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

SA President pays warm tribute to ex cabinet minister Pravin Gordhan: “His was a life fruitful in service”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE poet Rabindranath Tagore said: ‘We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.’ Today we bid farewell to a humble servant of the people, Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan. For all his achievements, despite his immense contribution to this country, Pravin was at all times a humble human being and activist. It was his humility as a person and as a leader that made him great. It was his unwavering belief that a political activist must serve no other cause than the cause of freedom that made PG exceptional. It is that which makes great all true servant…

Sep

20

2024

By JENNA RUSSO

Sudan’s civilians urgently need protection: the options for international peacekeeping

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN September 2024, the United Nations’ independent fact-finding mission to Sudan issued its first report. Citing grave human rights violations amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the report called for the immediate deployment of an independent and impartial force to protect civilians. Nearly 18 months after the outbreak of fighting, the humanitarian situation in Sudan has become dire, with nearly 25 million people in need of assistance. Is the deployment of a peacekeeping presence to protect civilians feasible or even advisable? Jenna Russo, whose research focuses on the protection of civilians in armed conflict settings and the UN’s…

Sep

19

2024

By CHURCHILL OTIENO

“Africa should reinvest its anti-corruption recoveries into building a resilient media ecosystem”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WHEN states and societies fail to foster strong, independent media, we do not just lose the capacity to inform—we open the doors to false information, disinformation, and manipulation to take centre stage. A weakened media does more than just starve democracy; it erodes the very structures that hold society together. The struggles of media businesses today are not just a concern for those of us in the profession—these struggles are a societal problem. When we as media professionals falter, people's lives are impacted, trust is eroded, and the cohesion of our communities begins to unravel. At The Africa Editors Forum…

Sep

17

2024

By OSCAR GAKUO MWANGI

Violence at the Kenya-Ethiopia border: what’s driving insecurity in the region

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

COMMUNAL conflict is endemic in the vast arid region on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Fresh alarm has been sparked in both countries following a kidnapping and armed attacks on police and civilians in Kenya’s Marsabit county, in the extreme north of the country. Oscar Mwangi Gakuo, who has studied the roots of conflict in the border region, sets out the context. What is the history of the tensions along the Kenya-Ethiopia border? Marsabit County is Kenya’s largest, covering an area of 70,961 square kilometres. This is roughly equivalent in size to Sierra Leone or the combined size of…

Sep

15

2024

By CHRISTA KULJIAN

Steve Biko’s murder exposed deep racism in how medicine was taught and practised in South Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN 1966, Steve Biko began studying medicine at the University of Natal in South Africa, the same year that the General Assembly of the United Nations declared apartheid a crime against humanity. As a young man, and a leading thinker, philosopher and activist, Biko made an indelible mark on the resistance against white minority rule and the racist system of apartheid. At a young age, Biko understood colonial thinking, racism and white supremacy and he knew how destructive they were to society and to individuals. In his book I Write What I Like, which has served as a guide for…

Sep

13

2024

By MOKY MAKURA

When 1 does not equal 54!

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MOKY MAKURA I have a friend, who for the sake of her privacy, we will call Imani. When we were in our 20s, everyone wanted to date Imani. She was attractive, intelligent and had a great personality. Imani enjoyed the attention, but she was also very strategic about it; her rent was paid, she went on trips and had an extensive wardrobe of designer clothes, shoes and bags. Without judging her morals, she knew her value and used it to get what she wanted, on her terms and in her backyard. Imani in her heyday reminds me of Africa today.…

Sep

09

2024

By ABBEY MAKOE

Dr Phophi Ramathuba – the Premier with a mission, and vision

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

LIMPOPO Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba is a leader on a mission to improve the lives of her people. She exudes confidence in her approach to work, and her commitment to bringing foreign investment to the sprawling Limpopo province is palpable. Premier Ramathuba was part of President Ramaphosa’s official state visit to China, the world’s second-biggest economy. She also attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a three-day global affair held in the Chinese capital Beijing and attended by an estimated 50 African heads of state. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also attended the FOCAC 2024 summit, which was ground-breaking for…