THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Dec

07

2020

Why Kenyans should reject latest round of proposed constitutional changes

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

KENYA'S Building Bridges Initiative, which seeks sweeping amendments to the 2010 Constitution, is driven by a pact between President Uhuru Kenyatta and a seasoned opposition stalwart turned governmentally, Raila Odinga. The proposed amendments target at least 13 of the 18 chapters in the Constitution. DR WESTEN K SHILAHO, SARChI, African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, University of Johannesburg The pact, sealed with a handshake in March 2018, followed shortly after yet another acrimonious presidential election which had pitted the two against each other. Previous elite pacts have never enhanced Kenya’s democracy. The ostensible goal of the Building Bridges Initiative is to…

Sep

18

2021

By The African Mirror

The anger that boils

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

VUSI MAVIMBELA I often visit my small rural town of Vryheid whenever I get the opportunity to do so. That is where I grew up and attended primary and secondary school. Every time I leave the town back to Johannesburg, I am thoroughly depressed and I depart with my heart in my mouth. Over the recent decades, I have seen the continuous deterioration of neighbourhoods, infrastructure and the orderly and structured existence in many communities around the country. To see it first hand in the neighbourhood where my youthful consciousness was formed seals the reality of our country for me.…

Sep

17

2021

By The African Mirror

Shadow states are the biggest threat to democracy in Africa: fresh reports detail how

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE capture of democratic political systems by private power networks is arguably the greatest threat to civil liberties and inclusive development in Africa. That’s the conclusion of two new reports that address the issue of threats to democracy on the continent. NIC CHEESEMAN, Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham The first report is published by Ghana’s Centre for Democratic Development. It focuses on the capture and subversion of democratic institutions in Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria. These case studies reveal that even in more democratic states such as Benin and Ghana, ruling parties can “hijack” democracy and appropriate its…

Sep

15

2021

By The African Mirror

Tribute to Yusuf Grillo: Nigerian art activist, scholar and bridge builder

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

NIGERIAN contemporary visual artist and scholar Yusuf Grillo died on 23 August 2021, aged 87 years. Art scholar Sule James explains Grillo’s influence and impact on art on the continent. SULE JAMES, Research Associate, University of Johannesburg Who was Yusuf Grillo? Yusuf Grillo was not only an artist but also an administrator, educator, and mentor to other artists. He was born in 1934 to the family of Yinus Ventura Grillo and Kalia Grillo in Lagos. His grandfather had returned from Brazil to his African homeland after the abolition of the slave trade. Grillo was identified in Yoruba culture as Omo…

Sep

14

2021

By The African Mirror

Race and capitalism: no easy answers, but posturing will get South Africa nowhere

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IT is likely that historians will conclude that there was no one reason why the recent riots and looting of supermarkets, shops and warehouses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, South Africa’s two most economically important provinces, caught up so many generally law-abiding citizens in their slipstream. There were seemingly numerous dynamics at play, from the sheer poverty of numerous black citizens through to the manipulations of social media by supporters of former President Jacob Zuma, angered by his arrest. ROGER SOUTHALL, Professor of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand However, one explanation which has been touted in various quarters has been that…

Jan

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Davos 2021: to achieve a ‘great reset’, we can’t count on the same old globalists to lead the way

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE 51st World Economic Forum starts on January 25, but with a major difference. Whereas this is famously the annual gathering at the Davos ski resort in Switzerland of global leaders from business, government and civil society, this year’s event will take place virtually because of the pandemic. JONATHAN MICHIE, Professor of Innovation & Knowledge Exchange, University of Oxford Inevitably, the event for the 1,200-plus delegates from 60 countries aims to respond to the apocalyptic events of the past 12 months. “A crucial year to rebuild trust” is the theme, built around the “great reset” that World Economic Forum (WEF)…

Jan

26

2021

By The African Mirror

A tribute to Thivhileli Mutobvu

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RUDZANI NEMUTUDI HE was the archetypical example of someone you could confidently describe as quiet, cool, calm and collected; with all the adjectives perfectly justified. Like a thief under night-cover, the cruel sting of death has once again caught us off-guard to rob us of one truly committed and deeply inspirational of our leaders. In Thivhileli Mutobvu we have lost a shining beacon of our hope, one whose well-rounded character embodied those finest of elements that we should always remain proud of as a people. Honesty, humility, hard-working ethic, and respect can all be employed to describe Mutobvu without a hint of…

Sep

10

2021

By The African Mirror

Guinea has a long history of coups: here are 5 things to know about the country

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ON September 5, officers of an elite special forces army unit overthrew the 83-year-old Guinean President Alpha Condé in a coup. The nation of 13 million is now under the control of junta leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who has dissolved the government and made a series of pronouncements. These include an assurance of calm to the vital mining sector. SUSANNA FIORATTA, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Bryn Mawr The coup was greeted by celebrations on the streets. It has also received the backing of opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo. But there is a lot of uncertainty as to what happens next.…

Jan

24

2021

By The African Mirror

Tribute to a friend and Comrade

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RAPU MOLEKANE RAPU MOLEKANE A lot has been said about the character, stature and values that Comrade Jackson Mthembu emulated, lived up to and embraced. A lot of these traits has to do, I dare say, with our upbringing and training. Growing up within the Christian families and finding training, exposure and been steeped in the Contextual and Liberation Theology which was tempered with the Marxist theory. It became very clear very early on that something was very wrong with the society, the community and country we lived in, and that something needed to be done to change it. It…

Sep

09

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Our call-to-action to every South African is to vaccinate to reduce the rates of infections, hospitalisation and deaths’

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

DAVID MABUZA WE are honoured to be joined by leaders in business, sport, and the creative sectors in our society in a collaborative partnership to encourage and mobilise our communities to vaccinate. As we navigate the tribulations and devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are inspired by the voices and messages from our artists, our sporting heroes and heroines, as well as leaders of various sporting bodies and cultural organisations. In unison, they are all calling on everyone to vaccinate. We have partnered in our collective commitment to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic by ensuring that we reach out…