THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Dec

09

2020

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…

Dec

07

2020

By The African Mirror

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)…