This is Africa

The passport, the database and the State: Who controls digital Zimbabwe?

Dr Blessing Vava — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:24:51 +0000

Zimbabwe’s shift to biometric e-passports masks a critical vulnerability: digital sovereignty. With foreign firms building the state's digital identity infrastructure, convenience risks becoming a new form of dependency. This article analyses the hidden geopolitical costs of outsourced technology and ask a defining question: who truly controls the digital Zimbabwean?

The post The passport, the database and the State: Who controls digital Zimbabwe? appeared first on This is Africa.

Wicknell Chivhayo and trying to own Zimbabwe’s conscious culture is ephemeral and futile

Takura Zhangazha — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:54:12 +0000

Zimbabwe’s cultural industry is confronting a deeper question than patronage: can art remain culturally independent when financially vulnerable creators receive cars, cash and other rewards from powerful benefactors? The debate exposes tensions between artistic survival, political influence and cultural ownership, raising urgent questions about whether Zimbabwe’s creative legacy can truly be bought.

The post Wicknell Chivhayo and trying to own Zimbabwe’s conscious culture is ephemeral and futile appeared first on This is Africa.

Olu Jacobs remembered: Nollywood’s elder statesman always acted for his country

The Conversation — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:31:34 +0000

Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, the Nigerian film producer and renowned actor, whose career spanned more than five decades, has passed away at 84. He belonged to that group of elders representing the best of Nigeria.

The post Olu Jacobs remembered: Nollywood’s elder statesman always acted for his country appeared first on This is Africa.

Remembering the argument for progressive national gender equality consciousness

Takura Zhangazha — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:23:26 +0000

Pan-African liberation once framed gender equality as foundational, yet modern policy has reduced it to a routine technicality while gender-based violence escalates. Addressing Africa's ongoing crisis requires reviving this consciousness—moving past superficial platitudes to educate both men and women toward a shared, decolonized national liberation.

The post Remembering the argument for progressive national gender equality consciousness appeared first on This is Africa.

When the Algorithm decides what we see: Who governs Africa’s digital democracy?

Dr Blessing Vava — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:50:06 +0000

Algorithms are now the unseen architects of African elections. As foreign platforms engineer civic realities through opaque feeds, the true democratic threat isn't just misinformation—it is the surrender of digital sovereignty. Africa must demand urgent algorithmic governance before the next ballot is cast.

The post When the Algorithm decides what we see: Who governs Africa’s digital democracy? appeared first on This is Africa.