THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Nov

09

2023

Whose job will AI replace? Here’s why a clerk in Ethiopia has more to fear than one in California

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ARTIFICIAL intelligence is changing the world – and one of the main areas it will affect in the short-to-medium term is the workforce. AI algorithms imitate real-world systems. The more repetitive a system is, the easier it is for AI to replace it. That’s why jobs in customer service, retail and clerical roles are regularly named as being the most at risk. NIUSHA SHAFIABADY, Associate Professor in Computational Intelligence, Charles Darwin University That doesn’t mean other jobs won’t be affected. The latest advances in AI have shown all kinds of creative work and white-collar professions stand to be impacted to…

Nov

04

2023

By The African Mirror

Some African governments are spending millions to spy on their citizens – stifling debate and damaging democracy

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, EDITORS CHOICE

GOVERNMENTS around the world use surveillance technology to monitor external threats to national security. Some African governments are also spending vast sums on mass surveillance of their own citizens. They are using mobile phone spyware, internet interception devices, social media monitoring and biometric identity systems. Artificial intelligence for facial recognition and car number plate recognition is another digital surveillance technology in their growing toolkit. TONY ROBERTS, Digital Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies I recently led research which found that governments in Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Malawi and Zambia were collectively spending over US$1 billion a year on these digital surveillance…

Nov

04

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenya’s courts were under political pressure: how a constitutional reform empowered judges

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

CHANGES to Kenya’s constitution in 2010 on the independence of the judiciary created room for judges to act as guardians of the electoral process. THALIA GERZSO, Postdoctoral Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science Before this, the law gave Kenya’s presidents considerable influence over courts’ actions. Historically, the judiciary was not an independent branch. It was categorised as a governmental department working under the authority of the attorney general. The president was responsible for appointing judges. For instance, Daniel Moi, who was president from 1978 to 2002, systematically appointed loyalists. The close links between the government and the judiciary…

Nov

01

2023

By MATHEWS PHOSA

“The Regression of Democratic gains is a sign of a state collapse”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS we celebrate the life of one of South Africa’s great legal minds we are, unfortunately, witnesses to a world at war, not only on one front but tragically so, on two. Old divides have resurfaced, and historical geopolitical positions are being entrenched. Across the globe divides are deepening and, in the process, innocent bystanders become the victims in conflicts where there are no winners. The former Chief Justice Pius Langa became known for his measured approach to judgements, clothing his carefully worded views with a strong measure of ubuntu, but also encouraging his esteemed colleagues on the highest bench…

Nov

01

2023

By The African Mirror

King Charles in Kenya: despite past tensions, the visit is a sign of a strong relationship with Britain

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

KING Charles’ visit to Kenya this week is the British monarch’s first to a Commonwealth nation since his coronation in September 2022. The visit comes during the country’s 60th anniversary of independence from Britain. POPPY CULLEN, Lecturer in International History, Loughborough University By choosing Kenya, the British government and monarchy seek to highlight the importance they attribute to the East African nation. It also shows other Commonwealth members that a republic can have a positive relationship with Britain. Some Commonwealth states like Jamaica are contemplating removing the king as head of state. King Charles’ visit is meant to celebrate the…

Oct

24

2023

By The African Mirror

Hamas-Israeli conflict: what’s at stake for Egypt

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS the Israeli-Hamas crisis continues, a great deal of focus is shifting to Egypt. Egypt shares a border with both Israel and Gaza – the narrow strip of Palestinian territory which is currently under blockade following the violent attack against Israel by Hamas, a radical Islamist organisation that has controlled Gaza since 2007. OFIR WINTER, Senior Researcher, Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University Moina Spooner, from The Conversation Africa, asked Ofir Winter, who studies Egyptian politics and the Arab-Israeli conflict, to provide insights into what the new war means for Egypt and the role it plays. What’s been…

Oct

18

2023

By The African Mirror

Don’t agonize, organize! Don’t mourn, organize!

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

KWAME KARIKARI IN 2000, the Norbert Zongo Centre and the Media Foundation for West Africa instituted the International Festival of Freedom of Expression. But the organization of the very first event was rudely aborted by the security agencies of the government of President Blaise Compaore. The organization of the first Festival was both a statement of protest and a declaration of the struggle for freedom of the press and of expression. It had been planned as an international protest against the gruesome murder of Norbert Zongo. And it was, above all, to demand justice for this heinous crime against a…

Oct

16

2023

By MATHATHA TSEDU

“Our mission was to keep the lights on, fight corruption and save the SABC”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MATHATHA TSEDU THE SABC is not only our national public broadcaster, but it is also a National key point. As such security at the SABC is an important issue. In many countries, the security is done by the Defence Force and it is not unusual to find a military tank ala Gaza, parked outside a national broadcaster. MATHATHA TSEDU When I was appointed as a member of the Interim Board of the SABC by President Gedleyihlekisa Zuma in 2017, the corporation was almost on its knees. Our arrival was not shorn of drama as the then Minister of Communications, Faith…

Oct

13

2023

By The African Mirror

Jerry Coovadia remembered – a champion of science, children and compassionate public health

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

DEEPLY saddened as we in the South African health community were by the loss of Professor Jerry Hoosen Coovadia on 4 October 2023, I reflected on what he had come to mean in my medical career and in my life. “Prof Jerry”, as we called him, was an internationally renowned South African paediatrician, public health and justice activist and clinician scientist. He made a lasting impact on child health and the response to HIV in South Africa and the region. He died, aged 83, at his home in KwaZulu-Natal, leaving his wife, Dr Zubeida “Zubie” Hamed. LINDA-GAIL BEKKER, Professor of…

Oct

12

2023

By The African Mirror

Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup – Palestine and Western Sahara will be burning issues

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE 2030 men’s football World Cup will be co-hosted by three countries across two continents after Morocco, Spain and Portugal’s successful bid was selected by Fifa, the sport’s world governing body. For the north African country of Morocco, this represents a milestone after five unsuccessful bids. It becomes just the second African and second Arab country to host the prestigious tournament – after South Africa in 2010 and Qatar in 2022. MAHFOUD AMARA, Associate Professor in Sport Policy & Management, Qatar University But there’s a bigger picture. The news can be celebrated as a symbol of reconciliation among three historically…