THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Jun

25

2024

South Africa’s foreign policy: a unity government must be practical in a turbulent world

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS South Africa navigates fundamental political change, it faces stark choices on foreign policy posture and priorities. The change has been brought about by the African National Congress’s loss of electoral majority, forcing it into a unity government. Based on my work over many years on South Africa’s foreign policy as well as reflections on the country’s role in Africa and the global south, I argue that the unity government must take a more nuanced approach to international relations. This approach must be based on a shared worldview. Developing that worldview may prove difficult because unity government members range from…

Jun

20

2024

By CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

“Today, I make a solemn commitment to be a president for all South Africans, to defend our Constitution and protect our democracy”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, EDITORS CHOICE

TODAY, we gather under this vast Highveld sky at the seat of our government, the Union Buildings, to witness before all South Africans and our honoured guests from various countries on our beloved continent and from far afield a fundamental rite of our democracy. In our brilliant diversity, we gather to affirm our solemn conviction that this country belongs to all who live in it, as articulated in the Freedom Charter almost seventy years ago. We gather here, as people born of the same soil across our nine provinces that make up a unitary South Africa, determined that by our…

Jun

20

2024

By JOLEEN STEYN KOTZE

South Africa’s unity government: 4 crucial factors for it to work

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

GOVERNMENTS of national unity built on power-sharing arrangements are common in Africa and elsewhere in the world. Now South Africa also has a unity government, following the 2024 general election in which no party won a majority. These governments foster stability through collaboration in grand coalitions. The premise is that in divided societies, stability can be achieved by elites working together in a power-sharing pact. Whether political parties call them coalitions or governments of national unity, these are generally expedient solutions designed to mitigate political conflict or instability. South Africa is not immune to the threat of political instability and…

Jun

19

2024

By SHAMIRA AHMED and MEHARI TADDELE MARU

AI can make African elections more efficient – but trust must be built and proper rules put in place

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TIME magazine has dubbed 2024 a “super election year”. An astonishing 4 billion people are eligible to vote in countries across the world this year. Many are on the African continent, where presidential, parliamentary and general elections have already been held or are set for the latter half of the year. Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role in many countries’ elections. In fact, it already does. AI systems are used in a number of ways. They analyse large amounts of data, like voter patterns. They run automated chatbots for voter engagement. They authenticate voters and detect cyber threats.…

Jun

15

2024

By NICOLAS BANCEL

June 16 uprising: how a massacre in South Africa led to Africa’s boycott of the 1976 Olympics

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS the world prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, can we maintain faith in the nonpolitical ethos of the event? The Montreal Olympics Games in 1976 stands out, among others, as a clear instance of the games being used for political ends. In 1976 Montreal became only the second French-speaking city to host the event since Paris in 1924 and security issues were high on the agenda. Just four years earlier the Munich games had witnessed the tragedy of the execution of the Israeli delegation by the Palestinian Black September commando. But apart from the withdrawal of Taiwan under…

Jun

14

2024

By ROGER SOUTHALL

Jacob Zuma: South Africans have five theories about why he’s still popular

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

A number of theories are being touted in South Africa about why and how former president Jacob Zuma retains his appeal as a leader. And why the party he formed – uMkhonto we Sizwe – to contest the recent elections managed to get 14.58% of the vote in the national elections and 45.35% in the provincial elections in KwaZulu-Natal to become the largest party in that province. This just over five months after its launch. But all the conjecture and explanations need to be treated with extreme caution: this is because nobody knows. Based on my five decades immersed in…

Jun

13

2024

By JOLEEN STEYN KOTZE

South Africa’s unity government: 5 parties that need to find common ground

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FOLLOWING South Africa’s historic 2024 general election, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has started a process to establish a government of national unity. This, after it lost its parliamentary majority. As a political scientist, I believe that five political parties, including those with the highest shares of votes, are key to constituting a unity government. This view applies even to those parties, such as the Economic Freedom Fighters, that have already shot down the idea of a government of national unity. In my view, attempts should be made to bring in smaller but significant political parties. The five are…

Jun

12

2024

By JOYCE BANDA

Time for G7 to make good on climate cash for Africa: Joyce Banda

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, EDITORS CHOICE

AS G7 leader, Italy must press member states to deliver on their climate finance promises to African nations bearing the brunt of global warming. Dr Joyce Banda is a former President of Malawi I recently joined world leaders in Azerbaijan at the Baku Global Forum. Yet again, western governments were reluctant to make financial commitments to help countries suffering the most from climate change to rebuild and recover. A decade ago, climate leadership meant building the foundations of global agreements. Today, it means delivering on them. This month’s G7 Summit offers that opportunity for host country Italy but as the…

Jun

11

2024

By ROGER SOUTHALL

Death of a liberation movement: how South Africa’s ANC became just a regular political party – with some help from Jacob Zuma

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE African National Congress (ANC), the party that’s led South Africa since the first democratic elections in 1994, has long considered itself a “liberation movement” – representing all South Africans, as the “voice of the people”. But its dismal performance in the 2024 elections (winning only 40% of the national vote) confirms that its transition from the status of a liberation movement to just a political party is now complete. There can no longer be a pretence that it alone represents “the people”. It is now simply the largest among a host of ordinary political parties doing what ordinary political…

Jun

07

2024

By ABBEY MAKOE

Whatever the coalition is formed, SA will triumph

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS South Africa stands at a political T-junction, figuring which way to go, many such as the DA’s leader John Steenhuisen dread a “doomsday coalition” whilst hordes of ordinary folks express cautious optimism. South Africa has never been here before. This is indeed unchartered territory, laced with uncertainty, trepidation as well as hope. For the first time since the dawn of democracy in April 1994, the electorate has ordered the political elite to share power at national level. After 30 years of solitary governance, the ANC has been given what in football can be described as a yellow card. It’s…