THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Feb

23

2023

Bola Tinubu: Nigeria’s kingmaker who wants to be king

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

BOLA Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Nigeria, holds two traditional titles: Asiwaju of Lagos and Jagaban of the Borgu kingdom in Niger State, north-central Nigeria. The titles have similar meanings: leader and leader of warriors. Though he has held these titles for some years, they now bear more significance in the life of Tinubu, a former two-term governor of Lagos State, as he runs for president. Author OLAYINKA OYEGBILE, Journalist and Communications scholar, Trinity University, Lagos Widely believed to be the political kingmaker responsible for the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, Tinubu…

Mar

18

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s corporate whistleblowers don’t get enough protection: what needs to change

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

CORPORATE misconduct is difficult to detect and prove. This is because it is often hidden by a complicated web of transactions, misleading corporate records and convoluted company group structures. This is why corporate whistleblowers whose positions give them an inside track on misconduct are so important in exposing corporate crime and corruption. Author REHANA CASSIM, Professor in Company Law, University of South Africa But whistleblowers risk personal and financial risk by coming out. Whistleblower protection in South Africa lags behind international standards and inadequately protects whistleblowers in some respects. Given South Africa’s high levels of corporate corruption, whistleblowers deserve high…

Feb

22

2023

By The African Mirror

Paul Mashatile is set to become South Africa’s deputy president: what he brings to the table

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SOUTH Africa is set to have a new deputy president in Paul Shipokosa Mashatile, the deputy president of the governing African National Congress (ANC). He’ll replace the incumbent, David Mabuza, who announced he would step down. Who is Mashatile and what does he bring to the position? Author KEITH GOTTSCHALK, Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape Mashatile (61) is a veteran politician from the ANC, the party that has governed South Africa since democracy in 1994. He has occupied a dizzying array of posts and portfolios during his climb to the top. Mashatile has been continuously in party or…

Feb

20

2023

By ABBEY MAKOE

West must tone down their war cries, negotiate with Russia

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WAR-MONGERING, threats and gung-ho diplomacy dominated a gathering of Western leaders in Germany over the past weekend during which war - instead of peace – was given yet another chance to prevail. This year’s Munich Security Conference was, predictably, dominated by the war in Ukraine and how the West can continue to shore up Kyiv’s military to “acceptable NATO levels”. The conference was a global spectacle attended by delegates from more than 100 countries. Western heads of state, accompanied by diplomats and other officials, intelligence personnel and various strategic operatives intermingled with a single mission of revising and reviewing the…

Feb

18

2023

By The African Mirror

How to poll 93 million voters – the challenge of pulling off Nigeria’s presidential elections

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

NIGERIA's registered voters, which the Independent National Electoral Commission has put at 93.5 million, are expected to come out in their numbers in what will be Africa’s biggest election this year. They will be electing the president and members of the National Assembly on 25 February and governors and members of the State Houses of Assembly on 11 March. Author EMMANUEL REMI AIYEDE, Professor of Political Institutions, Governance and Public Policy, University of Ibadan To vote in the elections, Nigerian citizens must be at least 18 years old and must have collected their permanent voter’s card by 5 February. The…

Mar

12

2023

By The African Mirror

Peter Hain: Neil Aggett died fighting apartheid – South Africa’s rulers have betrayed the struggle

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

NEIL Aggett, the trade unionist and anti-apartheid activist who died in detention at the hands of police 41 years ago, was one of very few white South Africans who actively fought apartheid. He was only 29 when he died. He came from a community enjoying one of the most privileged existences on earth, with a black servant class attending to their every need. Yet he gave that all up because he believed every person – regardless of their “race”, religion, gender or sexuality – had the right to justice, the right to liberty, the right to equality of opportunity. He…

Feb

16

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigerian elections: Eight issues young people want the new government to address

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AS Nigeria prepares for the 25 February presidential elections, it’s interesting to consider what young Nigerians are expecting. There are plenty of them: 52.2 million people aged 18-35. That’s about 28% of Nigeria’s total population and more than the entire populations of Ghana and the Benin Republic put together. In spite of the prospects that this number holds, young people in Nigeria are largely marginalised from governance. Author TOPE SHOLA AKINYETUN, Researcher, Lagos State University of Education This election holds immense significance for young Nigerians, particularly in light of the current economic difficulties, insecurity and their exclusion from the political…

Feb

26

2023

By The African Mirror

Election observers are important for democracy – but few voters know what they do

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ELECTION observers keep watch over polls throughout the world. Their job is to support efforts to improve electoral quality and to provide transparency. In African countries, both local citizens and international observers have been deployed regularly since the 1990s. During several recent elections across the continent, however, questions have arisen about the competence and impartiality of observation missions. This has led to concerns about the future of observation, both in Africa and elsewhere. Authors THOMAS MOLONY, Senior Lecturer in African Studies, The University of Edinburgh ROBERT MACDONALD, Research Fellow in African Studies, The University of Edinburgh In 2023, more than…

Mar

11

2023

By The African Mirror

Tunisia’s president is targeting migrants to divert attention from serious domestic problems – a classic tactic

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TUNISIA’S president Kais Saied recently called for urgent measures against illegal immigration of sub-Saharan African nationals. He said they were a source of “violence, crime and unacceptable acts”. His comments were condemned by the international community and the World Bank paused talks over its future engagement with Tunisia. They also led to widespread protests in Tunisia while hundreds of migrants fled the country. Author JEAN-PIERRE CASSARINO, Visiting professor, College of Europe Moina Spooner, from The Conversation Africa, asked Jean-Pierre Cassarino, an expert on international migration in the Maghreb and Africa region, to shed light on migration to Tunisia and what…

Mar

09

2023

By The African Mirror

Who is Joseph Kony? The altar boy who became Africa’s most wanted man

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ELEVEN years ago, a documentary catapulted the name Joseph Kony onto the global stage. The controversial film Kony 2012 told the story of a Ugandan warlord whose forces are believed by the United Nations to be responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 people, the abduction of at least 20,000 children and the displacement of more than two million people Though most of the world hadn’t heard of Kony before then, Ugandans knew and feared him. The founder of the Lord’s Resistance Army unleashed a wave of violence across northern Uganda for two decades. Authors DENNIS JJUUKO, Doctoral Candidate,…