THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Feb

26

2023

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,…

Feb

14

2023

By The African Mirror

AKA: slain South African rapper was a once-in-a-generation pop culture sensation

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AKA, South Africa’s most recognisable name in hip-hop, was gunned down – with his friend, celebrity chef Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane – outside a restaurant along Durban’s popular night spot Florida Road on 10 February. Author SANYA OSHA, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town It’s reported that AKA was killed in a cold-blooded shooting, a recurring theme of gangsta rap culture. The ghastly manner of his death, apparently an orchestrated hit as captured by CCTV footage, is a first in the South African music industry and has had international reverberations. The 35-year-old AKA was born…

Feb

11

2023

By The African Mirror

Ghana’s Nkrumahist parties keep splitting – a threat to their strength in the 2024 election

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

POLITICAL parties are not always completely united, as most classical political scientists argue. Dissenting opinions and the scramble for party apparatus tend to trigger internal schisms and factions. If these aren’t managed well, parties can split. A notable example is the recent emergence of splinter parties from the Justice and Development Party in Turkey. Author BAFFOUR AGYEMAN PREMPEH BOAKYE, PhD Student, University of Delaware In Ghana, all three of the country’s main political traditions have experienced internal conflicts and sometimes party splits. The Danquah-Busia-Dombo, Nkrumahist and Provisional National Defence Council/Rawlings traditions differ in terms of ideology. The Provisional National Defence…

Feb

09

2023

By DAMILOLA AGBALAJOBI

What I like and hate about Nigeria’s election campaigns – political scientist

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ELECTION campaigns are an important aspect of the democratic process in Nigeria. They give voters a chance to learn what a candidate or party stands for. In Nigeria, according to the Electoral Act 2022, election campaigns start six months before the election. The country goes to the polls in February and March this year, so campaigning began on 28 September 2022. Author DAMILOLA AGBALAJOBI, Lecturer, Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University The last day of campaigns for the presidential and national assembly elections is 23 February 2023 and the last day of campaigns for the governorship and state assembly elections is…

Feb

08

2023

By The African Mirror

Link between crime and politics in South Africa raises concerns about criminal gangs taking over

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (Gitoc) released in September 2022 argues that South Africa has increasingly become a centre of organised crime, transcending national boundaries. The picture emerging from the report is that there are organised networks inside and outside the state that enable, facilitate and exploit opportunities for private gain. Or, they exercise unfair advantage in economic activity in the public and private sectors, using coercive methods. Some actively go about sabotaging critical infrastructure to benefit from this. Author SANDY AFRICA, Associate Professor, Political Sciences, and Deputy Dean Teaching and Learning (Humanities), University of…

Feb

05

2023

By The African Mirror

South African Tourism wants to sponsor football club Tottenham Hotspur – is it a good idea?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SOUTH African Tourism (SA Tourism) is reported to be planning to spend US$52 million (about R900 million) to sponsor UK football team Tottenham Hotspur over three years. The proposal gives the country branding on the club’s kit, backdrop branding in interviews, advertising on match days, partnership status, local training camps and access to tickets and stadium hospitality. Football has a massive TV viewership and can attract big spending and big eyeballs. But is it an effective way to market a country? And is it money well spent? Brendon Knott researches nation branding and football. We asked him four questions. Author…

Feb

01

2023

By The African Mirror

The IOC must protect Russian and all athletes against geopolitics

ATHLETICS, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Ukrainian government are at each other’s throats over the inclusion of Russian and Belarussian athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics in 18 months. ABBEY MAKOE The IOC has stated its willingness to let athletes from the two countries heavily involved in the Ukraine war participate “under a neutral flag” at the games in France. In the aftermath of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the IOC recommended that Russian and Belarussian athletes should be “indefinitely suspended” in international competitions. Russia was swiftly barred from participating in the UEFA games and the FIFA…

Feb

01

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s dysfunctional universities: the consequences of corrupt decisions

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

WHAT happens when those responsible for managing universities cannot trust each other to act with integrity? In a nutshell, as I discuss in my new book, Corrupted: A study of chronic dysfunction in South African universities, dysfunction is the consequence. This is the situation playing out in some South African universities – sometimes with fatal results. In early January 2023, a protection officer who was guarding Fort Hare University vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu was shot dead in an apparent assassination attempt. The shooting has been linked to ongoing investigations into corruption at the university. Author JONATHAN JANSEN, Distinguished Professor, Stellenbosch…