Thought Leadership - The African Mirror

May

2023

Sudan: the longer the conflict lasts, the higher the risk of a regional war

THE 2019 Sudan uprisings that ousted long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir and installed a military-civilian transitional government gave hope that the northern African country could finally transition to democratic rule. The country has been ruled by the military for most of its independence since 1956. Author MAY DARWICH, Associate Professor of International Relations of the Middle East, University of Birmingham But Sudan’s bumpy transition to democracy has come to a complete halt. The country now faces the worst conflict in its history as a full-blown civil war – with external entanglements – looms. The Sudanese armed forces and a paramilitary force…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Paul Kagame could be president of Rwanda until 2035 – what’s behind his staying power

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RWANDA’S ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), recently concluded its 16th congress. This also marked 35 years of its existence. The centre piece, however, was the election as chairman, yet again, of the country’s president Paul Kagame. With 99.9% of the votes – 2,099 of the available 2,102 votes – Kagame was re-elected and put on course to potentially run for yet another electoral term in 2024. Author DAVID E KIWUWA, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Nottingham The constitution allows Kagame to seek re-election until 2035. That’s a long way off and he has not indicated when…

Sep

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

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Being a public servant is a noble calling and the greatest of all professions’

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

AYANDA DLODLO IT is indeed significant that the theme of this year’s Public Service Month in South Africa is: “The Year of Charlotte Maxeke – a resilient public service responsive to the coronavirus pandemic”. Honouring the life of Ma-Maxeke is particularly befitting during this time of socio-economic distress, and uncertainty since her life’s journey shows us the true meaning of resilience and what it means to selflessly commit to a life of service to the people. This year’s Integrated Public Service Month reminds us that as we join our efforts to combat corruption, build the capacity of the State, fight…

Jan

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…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Farewell to a truly fearless, dynamic and driven ethical leader

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

BONANG MOHALE WHATSOEVER thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. – Ecclesiasticus 9:10 It is Walter Payton who reminds us that, “remember, tomorrow is promised to no one.” It was only on Tuesday, 10 November that I was talking to Tata Thembekile “Kimi” Makwetu, congratulating him on yet another global recognition and about the SENS announcement that The Bidvest Group Limited was preparing to release, and seeking his sign off. He had accepted a non-executive director role, which was to…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Fear dominates the lives of Nigerians: the consequences are dire

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IS Nigeria a failed state? Former president and would-be elder statesman Olusegun Obasanjo seems to think so… well, almost. On October 1, 2020 – the day Nigeria marked 60 years of independence from colonial rule – the former president claimed Nigeria is fast drifting toward a failed and badly divided state… WILLIAM HANSEN, Professor of Politics, American University of Nigeria Of course, Obasanjo’s statement is self-serving. The political class refuses to accept any responsibility for six decades of venal governance. In blaming President Muhammadu Buhari, Obasanjo conveniently ignores his own eight years as president, during which time civilians inherited the…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Tanzanian election leaves a highly polarised society with an uncertain future

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

KARUTI KANYINGA, Research Professor, Institute for Development Studies (IDS), University of Nairobi WHEN Tanzanian voters went to the polls on October 28, the incumbent President John Pombe Magufuli and his party Chama Cha Mapinduzi showed all the signs of being confident about victory. This confidence resulted from the way in which Magufuli has governed Tanzania since he assumed office in October 2015. His style has been one of intolerance, populism and a no-nonsense ‘bulldozer’ attitude. He pursued this approach in the run up to the elections too, effectively fencing off the opposition. By the day of the poll, the opposition,…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Good governance is the lynchpin for African progress

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

ABDOULIE JANNEH COVID-19 has joined the climate emergency at a time when Africa is facing what Mo Ibrahim calls “a crisis in leadership and governance.” This crisis seems all the worse when we define governance as the delivery of goods and services that citizens legitimately expect their governments to deliver. Citizen’s expectations relate to the promotion and support of human rights and participation, safety and rule of law, socio-economic opportunities and human development. In view of the very mixed progress made so far in meeting these entirely reasonable expectations, the permanent question is how to apply Africa’s abundant wealth in…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

I HAD A DREAM…

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

VUSI MAVIMBELA whispers into the ear of Ramaphosa and Mbeki: ‘Save the ANC and the Country’ Dear Cyril Ramaphosa and Thabo Mbeki, I had a once-in-a-lifetime dream yesternight. As a Marxist social scientist, I do not believe that dreams are divine revelations on the road to a Damascene emancipation. I think most of one’s dreams are latent thoughts buried under one’s subconscious mind. They often come out handy when one has to be reminded that one is choking because one is not sleeping properly, or when one who is fast asleep needs to be alerted that they need to empty…