THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Dec

07

2023

“The Boy from Silvertown who shook Africa and the world with love, respect and humility”

TODAY we not only mourn the departure of a man but we celebrate the extraordinary life of Jermaine Craig - a beacon of love, humility, and unparalleled talent whose legacy transcends borders, touches hearts, and reshapes the very essence of sports journalism in South Africa and beyond. Jermaine's journey began in the humble streets of Silvertown, Cape Town - a boy with dreams as vast as the African sky, fueled by a passion for sports and an unwavering commitment to capturing the intricate tapestry of athletic triumphs and tribulations. Through his words, he painted the vivid portrait of South Africa's…

Dec

04

2023

By MATHEWS PHOSA

When A Dream Comes True

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, EDITORS CHOICE

DURING the famous Rivonia Trial of 1963 and 64 our first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela eloquently verbalized his dream for a post-apartheid South Africa. In it, he made it clear that he was willing to fight, and if necessary, die for the ideal of non-racial South Africa, free of any prejudices. That was his dream. Standing on the shoulders of hundreds of selfless struggle heroes, he achieved that ideal thirty years later, in 1994. His example has galvanized many people across the world towards the achievement of their goals. In the very recent past, we saw a young man…

Dec

02

2023

By The African Mirror

Henry Kissinger: history will judge the former US Secretary of State’s southern African interventions to be a failure

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

HENRY Kissinger, who sexed up the art of diplomacy in the eight years between 1969 and 1977, has died at the age of 100. In the obituaries that have been written, some laud Kissinger’s role in the shaping of East-West relations while he was in office as US Secretary of State. And many in their commentary on the decades beyond call him a “statesman”. PETER VALE, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria, and Visiting Professor of International Relations, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, University of Pretoria Radical critics have pointed to Kissinger’s ruthless…

Nov

30

2023

By The African Mirror

A legacy of love, laughter and dedication to the education of the masses

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SEBOTJA, or Jerry, as everybody called him, was a man of many characters and nicknames. Some called him Mahobe, Jacky Meier, Mjerere and many other names because he was many good things to many people. Affable, always ready with a smile, and speaking with a level of emphasis that made his contribution to any discussion difficult to ignore, you had to hear Jerry’s view, whether it was him explaining why the Buccaneers (Orlando Pirates Football Club) would win the league despite losing a string of games, or lately on the golf swings in the Limpopo fairways. Whether it was back…

Nov

30

2023

By The African Mirror

Umaru Shehu: Nigerian public health giant who played a major role in polio eradication

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

PROFESSOR Emeritus Umaru Shehu, who died on 2 October 2023, was born in Yerwa (Maiduguri), Nigeria, in 1930. Widely regarded as one of the country’s early leaders in public health policy and practice, he was the first public health physician in the northern region and remained active all his life. IDRIS MOHAMMED, Professor Emeritus, Gombe State University He will be remembered for his great work in eradicating poliomyelitis from Nigeria. He started the National Programme on Immunisation in 1995 and was the agency’s first chairman. His efforts, with others, culminated in Nigeria achieving polio-free status on 18 June 2020. The…

Nov

29

2023

By The African Mirror

John Hlatywayo: remembering a great Zimbabwean artist who was woefully neglected by history

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, EDITORS CHOICE

JOHN Hlatywayo, who has died at 96, was a great painter, sculptor and mentor. However, he is woefully neglected in the art history of Zimbabwe and southern Africa. Belonging to an early generation of Zimbabwean artists, Hlatywayo was overshadowed by international interest in the nation’s mainstreamed stone sculptors. Yet he was one of Zimbabwe’s most versatile artists. He could work with different media and produce intriguing conceptual pieces. But he was mainly drawn to portraying aspects of people’s daily lives. BARNABAS TICHA MUVHUTI, Postdoctoral Fellow with the NRF/DST SARChI Chair Geopolitics and the Arts of Africa and Global Souths research…

Nov

25

2023

By ABBEY MAKOE

A visa waiver policy for Chinese nationals will benefit sa more

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

METHINKS it is now time for South Africa to offer a new visa waiver policy for Chinese citizens, just like we did with Kenya and more recently, Ghana. I raise the two African nation’s examples to illustrate that a visa waiver policy can be implemented without hindrance whenever the political will exists. Bilateral relations between Pretoria and Beijing have developed exponentially since they were established 25 years ago by the Mandela administration following the dawn of democracy. Diplomatic ties between China and SA have since achieved leapfrog development. For example, there is ample evidence of increased political mutual trust between…

Nov

25

2023

By EDWARD MCALLISTER

The big topics that will define Congo’s election

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

As the Democratic Republic of Congo heads to the polls in December, much will come down to President Felix Tshisekedi's perceived performance running the giant Central African country of nearly 100 million people since 2019. Below are the key topics on voters' minds. THE ECONOMY Congo's economy grew 8.5% in 2022, one of the fastest in sub-Saharan Africa, driven by stronger mining output, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Tshisekedi successfully negotiated a $1.5 billion programme with the IMF in July 2021, the first since the IMF broke ties with Kinshasa in 2012 under Tshisekedi's predecessor Joseph Kabila. But despite its…

Nov

22

2023

By THABO MBEKI

“Put the Sudanese people first, silence the guns, and seek a negotiated end to this needless war.”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SUDAN is no stranger to humanitarian crises. Indeed, its recent history has been punctuated by episodes of drought, famine, and war-induced starvation. But never before have we witnessed a crisis at this scale. The African and international response to this disaster has been woefully inadequate. However, as all of us know, the African Union and the United Nations have a history of engagement in humanitarian crises in Sudan and in seeking to end violence against civilians. As long ago as 1989, the United Nations set up its first-ever humanitarian operation that crossed the frontline of an active war, to bring…

Nov

22

2023

By The African Mirror

300,000 Tanzanians were killed by Germany during the Maji-Maji uprising – it was genocide and should be called that

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

POLITICAL actors in Tanzania have in recent years demanded compensation from Germany for colonial atrocities committed in the early 20th century. In early 2017, the National Assembly of Tanzania stopped short of putting the label of genocide on the atrocities committed by German troops during the Maji-Maji uprising (1905–1907). KLAUS BACHMANN, Professor of Political Science, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities GERHARD KEMP, Professor of Criminal Law, University of the West of England During a visit to Tanzania recently, the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, asked for “forgiveness” and expressed “shame” for the colonial atrocities committed in what was then…