THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Jun

10

2023

UNISA must be purged of corrupt elements if it is to survive

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE appointment of the Independent Assessor, Prof Mosia to investigate the state of UNISA following the Ministerial Task Team Report in 2021 was widely hailed as an opportunity to make an objective assessment of the university, the challenges it faces and the changes it needs to make to preserve the integrity of its academic programme, quality assurance and financial sustainability. Nothing could be more disappointing than this report. Independent Assessors Report failed to answer the fundamental question: In what direction is the University travelling under the new VC Prof Lenkabula? The failure of the report to deliver on these expectations…

Jun

11

2023

By The African Mirror

Ethiopia: how a lucky village in Tigray survived the devastating war

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

JAN Nyssen, Ghent University; Biadgilgn Demissie, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB); Emnet Negash, Ghent University; Hailemariam Meaza, Mekelle University; Sofie Annys, Ghent University; Tesfaalem Gebreyohannes, Mekelle University, and Zbelo Tesfamariam, Mekelle University The war waged by the Ethiopian Federal Government and Eritrea against the Tigray regional government, which lasted from November 2020 to November 2022, caused massive devastation. Multiple war crimes were reported and there were claims of genocidal intent. A starvation campaign led to the death of at least 300,000 civilian victims. One of the places that managed to escape the destruction was the Dabba Selama village. Located in…

Jun

09

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa has changed its electoral law, but a much more serious overhaul is needed

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed into law a change to the country’s electoral act to allow individuals to contest national and provincial elections independently of political parties. The change follows a June 2020 constitutional court judgment that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional because it didn’t allow independent candidates. Author MASHUPYE HERBERT MASERUMULE, Professor of Public Affairs, Tshwane University of Technology But in my view, the change corrects one wrong by creating another, especially concerning the principle of proportionality. For instance, it does not matter how many votes independent candidates get. Once they have reached the electoral threshold to…

Jun

06

2023

By The African Mirror

Russia-Africa relations key in the drawing of a new world order

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RELATIONS between Russia and the African continent have always been cordial and mutually beneficial. This trend has stood the test of time and continues to this day. ABBEY MAKOE Historically, Russia can pride itself in that it has never colonised Africa, not even an inch. When the West was involved in the “Scramble for Africa” between 1833 and 1914 when WWI broke out, the Soviet Union was assisting Africa’s liberation movements to win their battle against the “New Imperialism” of the time. Although in 1970 only ten percent of the African continent was under formal European control, by 1914 the…

Jun

06

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s role as host of the BRICS summit is fraught with dangers. A guide to who is in the group, and why it exists

BRICS NEWS, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SOUTH Africa will host the BRICS summit in August 2023. The event could offer the country an opportunity to exercise leadership in the BRICS’ efforts to reform the arrangements for global economic governance and in supporting sustainable and inclusive development in Africa and the Global South. However, the opportunity has morphed into an international challenge because Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court, has indicated that he will attend. South Africa could face the wrath of its BRICS partners if it fulfils its international obligation and arrests him. On the other hand, if it…

Jun

06

2023

By The African Mirror

Eusebius McKaiser played a transformative role in talk radio in a democratic South Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SOUTH African broadcaster, author and political analyst Eusebius McKaiser passed away suddenly on 30 May 2023 at the age of 45. News of his death reverberated through media channels. Tributes bore witness to the impact of his voice and the enduring significance of radio as the medium through which many first encountered his outspoken, insightful commentary. McKaiser blazed a trail that helped inform public debate in contemporary South Africa. Author SISANDA NKOALA, Senior Lecturer, Cape Peninsula University of Technology Radio in South Africa has long been acknowledged as a significant arena for engaging in meaningful public discourse. This is extensively…

Jun

04

2023

By The African Mirror

West African countries show how decades of working together build peace, and stop wars breaking out

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AFRICA is often portrayed as a continent ravaged by war, terrorism, poverty and political instability. But over the past five decades few violent conflicts have occurred between states. In Europe, for comparison, there have been more than 25 inter-state conflicts since 1945. It’s true that Africa has seen 214 coups, the most of any region; 106 have been successful. Out of 54 countries on the African continent, 45 have had at least one coup attempt since 1950. Author ABUBAKAR ABUBAKAR USMAN, Researcher, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) West Africa, a region of 16 independent states, has experienced 53…

May

30

2023

By MACDONALD DZIRUTWE

Explainer: What to expect from Nigeria’s new president Bola Tinubu

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

NIGERIA'S new president Bola Tinubu faces a litany of problems, including widespread violence, double-digit inflation and industrial-scale oil theft. His victory is being challenged in court by his two main rivals in February's election, and analysts say he may need to reach out to opponents to help heal a divided nation. Here is how Tinubu proposes to address problems that many Nigerians believe worsened under his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, on whose party ticket he ran. HOW DOES HE PLAN TO FIX THE ECONOMY? Tinubu says he will build on Buhari's public infrastructure programme to create jobs and remove legal limits on government…

May

27

2023

By KEITH GOTTSCHALK

Corruption in South Africa: former CEO’s explosive book exposes how state power utility was destroyed

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ONE repeated theme of the memoir Truth to Power: My Three Years Inside Eskom, by Andre de Ruyter, former CEO of South Africa’s troubled power utility, Eskom, is that “negligence and carelessness had become cemented into the organisation”. Dirt piled up at even the newest power stations until it damaged equipment, which stopped working – and some equipment disappeared beneath a layer of ash. Integrity had been displaced by greed and crime: Corruption had metastasised to permeate much of the organisation. As a political scientist who has, among other topics, followed corruption and kleptocracy, this book ranks among the more…

May

25

2023

By KEITH GOTTSCHALK

60 years of African unity: what’s failed and what’s succeeded

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AFRICA Day this year marks 60 years since the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The anniversary begs the question: How much of the vision of the OAU’s founding fathers has been realised 60 years on? What would not be there but for the efforts of the organisation and its successor the African Union? Author KEITH GOTTSCHALK, Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape There were two competing visions lobbying at the founding. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s president, in his Africa Must Unite speech, argued the pan-African case for continental federalism, for a Union of African States, with one…