Not long ago, the hashtag #WhatWouldMagufuliDo? became a rallying cry across East African and continental social media, as ordinary African citizens hailed the astonishing first 100 days of Tanzania’s new President John Magufuli. Has he managed to maintain this impressive streak of leadership or are his ‘true colours’ becoming evident?
Peter Fabricius
Politics and Society Mozambique: devolution or revolution?
The internationally mediated new peace talks between the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) – its official parliamentary opposition as well as its enemy on the battlefield – began with great fanfare in Maputo on Thursday last week, but were suspended indefinitely just two days later.
Politics and Society The LRA rising again?
For 30 years, Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have been spreading appalling terror in northern Uganda, eastern Central African Republic (CAR), western South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Is it possible they will rise again to cause more destruction?
Politics and Society The resource curse comes to Mozambique
Mozambique, which was poised to take off as the world’s third-biggest natural gas producer, is instead now teetering on the brink of a major sovereign debt default, which is threatening to jeopardise its eagerly anticipated gas-fired boom.
Politics and Society Africa going nuclear?
On a continent that has too often been cavalier about the future wellbeing of its people, it’s encouraging – at least from the development perspective – that South Africa is not alone in planning to build nuclear reactors.
Politics and Society Will the Pan African Parliament ever be worthy of its name?
Will the Pan African Parliament (PAP) ever live up to its intended ambition to be a real continental legislature? Or will it remain forever a glorified talk shop; a display of faux democracy?
Politics and Society A turning point for Libya?
That the head of Libya’s optimistically named Government of National Accord (GNA) could only arrive in the country on 30 March via a military operation – and remains holed up in Tripoli’s naval dockyard – obviously did not look like a good omen.
Politics and Society SADC cracks the whip in Lesotho
The tiny, landlocked mountain kingdom of Lesotho has been giving the region a chronic migraine, way out of proportion to its size, for a long time. Last week the Southern African Development Community (SADC) finally had enough and put its foot down
Politics and Society New Year crash in Chinese stock market is a bad omen for Africa
Christine Lagarde is clearly a diplomat in addition to being the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After meeting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja last week, she scoffed at suggestions that she had come to negotiate an IMF loan for the country, hit by a major revenue shortfall caused by plummeting oil prices.