THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Apr

11

2023

Mass protests in Kenya have a long and rich history – but have been hijacked by the elites

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

KENYAN opposition leader Raila Odinga and his coalition party, Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya, recently called for mass protests across the country. Odinga and his team have questioned the legitimacy of President William Ruto’s win in the country’s August 2022 election, and taken issue with the rising cost of living. The Conversation Africa’s Kagure Gacheche spoke with Westen K Shilaho, a senior researcher on African politics, who explores the evolution of political protests in Kenya. Author WESTEN K SHILAHO, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for PanAfrican Thought and Conversation (IPATC), University of Johannesburg What does the law say about political protest? The…

Apr

04

2023

By The African Mirror

Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina’s release and apology – a master stroke by Kagame

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RWANDA’S ministry of justice recently announced the pardon and release of Paul Rusesabagina from jail. Rusesabagina was involved in events portrayed in the 2004 Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda. In September 2021, Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years in jail over his ties to groups opposed to Rwandan president Paul Kagame. His release followed intense diplomatic talks between Washington and Kigali and was negotiated by Qatar. Author JONATHAN BELOFF, Postdoctoral Research Associate, King's College London While Rusesabagina’s release may be celebrated by his supporters in the west, it’s a bit more complicated within and for Rwanda. His pardon needs to be…

Apr

03

2023

By DOROTHY MABELEBELE

‘Big Brother SA, Africa needs you’

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

“WATER, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” This line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” comes to mind in this human rights month. A tidal wave of speeches about civil liberties and democracy were being made but they slip inexorably backwards and provided no succour to ordinary Africans. The sorry state of human rights in Africa was captured in a seminar held in Johannesburg recently. It was preceded by an address on the issue by South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa at a Human Rights Day event, a U.S. State Department report citing human rights…

Apr

06

2023

By The African Mirror

The new scramble for Africa: What it means for Africa’s human rights record

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MXOLISI NCUBE THE Russia-Ukraine war has widened the rift between the entrenched West and the emerging East and - as collateral damage - Africa’s already sordid human rights record will regress further. According to Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data, eight African states rank among the world’s 15 countries with the worst human rights and rule of law records as of 2022. Of course, such ratings are sometimes controversial, subjective and drafted with certain agendas in mind, but even that is on its own a strong indicator of how ordinary Africans are set to continue bearing the…

Mar

31

2023

By The African Mirror

Paul Mashatile, South Africa’s new deputy president, has a critical task: to bring back a sense of stability

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN a recent cabinet reshuffle President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Paul Mashatile, the deputy president of South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), as the country’s deputy president. The tradition in the ANC since democracy in 1994 has been for its elected deputy president to ascend first to the deputy presidency of the country, and eventually to become head of state. So Mashatile, an experienced politician, may also be destined for top office. Author SANDY AFRICA, Associate Professor, Political Sciences, and Deputy Dean Teaching and Learning (Humanities), University of Pretoria Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle took place in a climate of…

Mar

26

2023

By The African Mirror

The global civilization initiative: Fresh energy into human development

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RECENTLY, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), calling for respect for the diversity of civilizations when he delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting. This is the third major global initiative presented by China after the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. ABBEY MAKOE The political parties' conference was held by the Communist Party of China (CPC) ahead of US President Joe Biden's proposed second Summit for Democracy with the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia on March…

Mar

30

2023

By The African Mirror

ICC arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin: a king-size dilemma for South Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an international arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes regarding the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. Such acts are war crimes under two articles of the Rome Statute, which established the court. Author SASCHA-DOMINIK (DOV) BACHMANN, Professor in Law and Co-Convener National Security Hub (University of Canberra) and Research Fellow (adjunct) - The Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa, Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University- NATO Fellow Asia-Pacific, University of Canberra ICC arrest warrants against sitting heads of state are rare. Putin faces arrest…

Mar

24

2023

By The African Mirror

Putin and the ICC: history shows just how hard it is to bring a head of state to justice

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE arrest warrants issued recently by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his children’s commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, represent the first time officials of a permanent member of the United Nations security council have been indicted for a war crime. Author CATHERINE GEGOUT, Associate Professor in International Relations, University of Nottingham The charge is that they presided over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children from areas occupied by the Russian military. “There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes,” the ICC said in a statement on…

Mar

29

2023

By The African Mirror

The effectiveness of the legislature in advancing constitutional democracy

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THERE is a growing perception that the capacity of the South African state to govern the country effectively has been declining steadily and progressively in recent years. As the third component of the state, alongside the executive and the judiciary, the legislature cannot escape this assessment. MOSIBUDI MANGENA Despite this perception, it is also true that the South African state is not yet broken. It might be inching in that direction, but it is certainly not yet there. Elections have been held regularly and on time, removing any doubt as to the legality of those sitting in parliament and making…

Mar

02

2023

By The African Mirror

Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to “renew hope” for Nigeria – 5 ways he can achieve this

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE 2023 presidential election in Nigeria has been formally won – and lost. By mid-week Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the ruling All Progressives Congress had been declared the winner of the keenly contested presidential election with 36% of the 24,965,218 votes cast. His closest rivals were Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi. Abubakar got 29% of the votes cast while got Obi got 25%. Author AL CHUKWUMA OKOLI, SeniorLecturer, Security Sector Consultant-researcher, Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria, Federal University Lafia Atiku’s and Obi’s parties described the poll as a…