THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Sep

29

2021

China ready to cooperate with Africa to make the pie of economic and trade cooperation bigger

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

CHEN XIAODONG THIS year, the CPC celebrated its centenary and delivered a great performance for the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping declared at the grand gathering celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC that China has fulfilled the first centenary goal. We have built a moderately prosperous society in all respects and brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty. We are moving forward with vigour toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. Common prosperity is an important feature of China's modernization. The CPC…

Sep

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption in South Africa. It shouldn’t be at their peril

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

NUMEROUS corruption scandals have been reported in South Africa in recent times. The extent of corruption in the country has been laid bare at the judicial commission probing allegations of state capture over the past three years. Corruption can impede a country’s economic growth, and undermine democratic principles, stability and trust. MONRAY MARSELLUS BOTHA, Head of Department & Associate Professor, University of Pretoria Whistle-blowing is one of the mechanisms used to deter corruption. It plays a role in encouraging accountability, transparency and high standards of governance in both the private sector and public institutions. Whistleblowers help combat criminal conduct and…

Sep

27

2021

By The African Mirror

Mapping the contours of Jihadist groups in the Sahel

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE Sahel region, an area covering 3 million sq km, has been a hotbed of Islamic Jihadi groups in recent years. FOLAHANMI AINA, Doctoral Candidate in Leadership Studies, King's College London Today, the region has no fewer than seven insurgent groups scattered in six countries. The area stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean and encompasses a dozen countries. These include Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. Jihadi groups have taken advantage of a number of underlying conditions, which fuel local grievances across the Sahel. These include endemic…

Dec

11

2020

By The African Mirror

Did Ethiopia’s attack on Tigray violate international laws?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN Ethiopia, the national army claims to have taken “complete control” of Mekelle, the capital of the dissident region of Tigray. But since the fighting started in November, there have been concerns for civilians in the region who may have been injured or displaced due to the conflict. EUGÈNE BAKAMA BOPE, Professor, Université de Lubumbashi What is known is that providers of humanitarian aid haven’t been able to reach civilians. There are also reports that hundreds of civilians have been killed. However, because parts of the region have been cut off from mobile phone and internet network, it’s hard to…

Dec

10

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigerians got their abusive SARS police force abolished – but elation soon turned to frustration

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FOR a brief moment in October, it seemed that youthful protesters calling to “abolish” a police force had succeeded. After weeks of mass demonstrations against police brutality, the government agreed to disband a widely hated police unit. SAMUEL FURY CHILDS DALY, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies, Duke University This was in Nigeria, not the United States. But the lessons from Nigeria have broad relevance for protesters elsewhere calling for major reforms to policing. In Nigeria, it took just three weeks of mass demonstrations for President Muhammadu Buhari to announce he would eliminate the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or…

Sep

24

2021

By The African Mirror

“Let’s eradicate inferiority complexes that bedevil the psyche of black people”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

MOSEBUDI MANGENA Mosibudi Mangena ON September 12, 1977, that is 44 years ago, the life of a then 30 year old Steve Bantu Biko was snuffed out in the cruellest manner imaginable. After being subjected to torture and beatings in police detention in Qheberha, he was transported naked on the bare floor of a bakkie to Kgoshi Mampuru Prison in Tshwane where he died a lonely death in a cell. He was murdered in this callous way for daring to demand freedom for the majority black population in this country. Bantu Biko was an ordinary young man born in the…

Dec

09

2020

By The African Mirror

What next for Ethiopia and its neighbours: Somalia and Eritrea

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FROM a historical standpoint, the current conflict in Ethiopia fits within an established political pattern. There have been power struggles between the centre and the border regions since the modern Ethiopian state was established in the late 19th century. NAMHLA MATSHANDA, Senior Lecturer, Political Studies, University of the Western Cape The Ethiopian state was built on the back of conquest. Regions that existed on the margins were incorporated into the Ethiopian imperial state. These regions were occupied by groups with vastly different cultures from those of the centre. For example the capture of the Harar city state in 1887 paved…

Sep

23

2021

By The African Mirror

Democracy delayed in Eswatini

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THREE months after Eswatini was convulsed by pro-democracy protests and the worst rioting in its history, King Mswati III’s hold on power is as absolute as ever, his defiance of demands for constitutional reform just as resolute. The protests, which began in June and degenerated into three weeks of frustration-fueled looting and arson across the country, have demonstrated just how entrenched the monarchy is – exposing the vulnerability of the opposition rather than the royal establishment. The government’s response to the unrest was to send troops into the streets, who together with the police, officially killed 27 people, although rights groups say…

Sep

22

2021

By The African Mirror

How big is the Islamist threat in Mozambique? And why are Rwandan troops there?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RWANDA has sent troops to Mozambique to assist the government in fighting against a four-year Islamist militant insurgency. Political scientist Phil Clark provides insights into the threat and why Rwanda is supporting Mozambique. PHIL CLARK, Professor of International Politics, SOAS, University of London Do the insurgents in Mozambique represent a new front of Islamic terrorism on the continent? Since 2017, jihadist militias in the northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado have mounted an armed insurgency against the Mozambican government. Their stated objective is to instil Sharia law across northern Mozambique. This is said to be in response to the region’s…

Sep

21

2021

By The African Mirror

Guinea coup has left west Africa’s regional body with limited options. But there are some

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE resurgence of power-seeking militaries in west Africa poses a serious threat to the hard-earned democratic progress made in the region since the early 1990s. The recent military coup in Guinea was the third in the region in a year. JOSEPH SIEGLE, Director of Research, Africa Center for Strategic Studies DANIEL EIZENGA, Research Fellow, Africa Center for Strategic Studies Just a few years ago, 14 of the 15 members of the Economic Community of West Africa States (Ecowas) were democratic leaning, according to data from Freedom House and the Center for Systemic Peace. Today, only 11 qualify, with others teetering…