THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - The African Mirror

Feb

19

2021

What a real state of the nation address would say about South Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

EVERY year in February South Africa’s president delivers a state of the nation address. One theme which is never addressed is the state of the nation. STEVEN FRIEDMAN, Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg The address, given this year by President Cyril Ramaphosa, marks the opening of parliament. Every year, it is treated with expectation way out of line with its importance and is followed by loud disappointment. No talk could possibly live up to the hype which envelops it and, despite the name, it is actually an outline of the government’s plans for the year. This is rarely…

Jul

30

2021

By The African Mirror

Joe Gqabi: “The enemy has struck us a blow”

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

GERALDINE FRASER-MOLEKETI GERALDINE FRASER-MOLEKETI AT comrade Joe Gqabi’s funeral on August 9th 1981, the President of the ANC, OR Tambo, addressed those gathered to mourn: “to say that the enemy has struck us a blow is to tell the truth. He was a positive loss because he was the type of leader who knew how to follow. He was the type of operative who yielded results. He was a leader who in his sector produced results. And it is the test of leadership to be able to produce intended results. Joe Gqabi passed this test with great distinction.” As we…

Feb

18

2021

By The African Mirror

Zuma’s defiance is a grave moment for South Africa. But it’s not a constitutional crisis

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE attempt by former South African president Jacob Zuma to destabilise the country’s constitutional order, and defy the rule of law, does not constitute a constitutional crisis as some have claimed. RICHARD CALLAND, Associate Professor in Public Law, University of Cape Town It is, nonetheless, a grave moment for modern South Africa and its fledgling democracy. A former president who, as the Constitutional Court has pointed out, has a particular responsibility to respect the constitution even out of office, has chosen to defy an order from the highest court. This, while attacking the legitimacy of the judiciary and the Commission…

Feb

17

2021

By The African Mirror

What Tanzania’s COVID-19 vaccine reluctance means for its citizens and the world

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TANZANIA’S health minister said earlier this month that the country has no plans to procure COVID-19 vaccines. Moina Spooner, an editor with The Conversation Africa, asked Catherine Kyobutungi to explain Tanzania’s COVID-19 response and why it’s problematic. CATHERINE KYOBUTUNGI, Executive Director, African Population and Health Research Center Why has the decision been taken not to vaccinate? Tanzania has had a unique approach to controlling COVID-19. Only a few months into the pandemic last year, the president of the country, John Magufuli, declared Tanzania COVID-free following three days of national prayers. He has since refused to impose a lockdown, re-opened schools,…

Jul

28

2021

By The African Mirror

New Development Bank a breath of fresh air

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ABBEY MAKOE BRICS Bank, commonly referred to by the markets and industry alike as the New Development Bank (NDB), is proving to be a worthy multilateral lending vehicle particularly in the wake of the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic. Established in 2014 and kick-started its operations a year later from its headquarters in Shanghai, China, the NDB is the brainchild of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). Established in 2006, BRICS seeks to improve the global South relations to a point of economic self-reliance and broader solidarity in matters of common interest from all spheres of life including international…

Feb

16

2021

By The African Mirror

What African countries can expect from Biden: and what they should ask for

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

PRESIDENT Joe Biden delivered his first public statement on US foreign policy last week. Africa was not mentioned. Does this suggest the continent will be absent from the new administration’s considerations? JOHN J STREMLAU, Honorary Professor of International Relations, University of the Witwatersrand I think not. Firstly, the day after his speech, the new president addressed the 34th Summit of the African Union (AU), which was meeting virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He reiterated his commitments to active diplomacy and multilateralism in concert with the AU. All US efforts would be consistent with America’s core democratic values, which are…

Jul

27

2021

By The African Mirror

Tunisia’s Islamist ‘chameleon’ contests what he calls a coup

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ANGUS McDOWALL and TAREK AMARA TUNISIA’S Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi has quickly emerged as the main opponent of President Kais Saied's efforts to reshape the country's politics, branding his dismissal of the government as a coup. On Monday morning, hours after Saied -- a political independent -- shut down parliament and deployed soldiers around it Ghannouchi waited outside, demanding to be let in. "I am 80 years old and throughout my life I have fought against volatility," he said. Ghannouchi, head of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party which has played a role in successive coalitions, has come to personify Tunisian…

Jul

25

2021

By The African Mirror

Violence in South Africa: an uprising of elites, not of the people

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

FROM time to time, South Africa is rudely reminded that its past continues to make its present and future difficult. It does not always recognise this reality when it sees it. STEVEN FRIEDMAN, Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg The latest – and most shocking – reminder is the violence which followed the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma. The mayhem devastated KwaZulu-Natal, the home of Zuma and his faction of the governing African National Congress (ANC), and damaged Gauteng, the economic heartland which also houses hostels in which working migrants from KwaZulu-Natal live. The violence was seen as…

Jul

24

2021

By The African Mirror

Ghana’s style of democracy has recently shown cracks. Here’s how to fix it

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE sight of soldiers in Ghana’s parliament on January 7, 2021 was a first for the country. What brought the institution to this point – now the subject of an inquiry – was a scuffle between parliamentarians from the governing party and the opposition, over the election of a Speaker and two deputies. In the end, an opposition candidate was – for the first time – elected as Speaker. KADERI NOAGAH BUKARI, Research Fellow, Department of Peace Studies, University of Cape Coast I have studied several conflict and resolution situations in Ghana. And in my view, what happened in parliament…

Jul

22

2021

By The African Mirror

The spirit, life and art of Tsepo Tshola, pastor of South African pop

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

I grieve to start this way. No sooner had I struggled to find some means to say my goodbyes to Mabi Thobejane and Steve Kekana, than South African music lost singer and composer Tsepo Tshola. DAVID COPLAN, Professor Emeritus, Social Anthropology, University of the Witwatersrand These three masters of the nation’s musical soul were famous, but not celebrities. Because they never acted like that. Complex personalities and talents, they all possessed that son-of-the-soil joviality that made them ever accessible and “simple” in the reverent way South Africans use that adjective. I remember, in 1978, during one of my many research…