“Tribalism” is a taboo word, but it’s hard to think of a better one to describe what motivates the Zimbabwean government’s treatment of the Ndebeles. The dirt-under-the-rug attitude cannot continue indefinitely. This is how a people get erased from a culture.
Politics and Society
Politics and Society A year without Mandela – the healing of a broken home
It is a year today since South Africa and the world lost the presence of a giant moral and political figure. We often don’t speak ill of the dead. But when his legacy’s halo begins to show cracks, how are those who are expected to celebrate it, regard it?
Politics and Society Slavery in Africa is still alive
You would think that a continent which was on the receiving end of the terrible trans-Atlantic slave trade of the 16th to 19th centuries would have learnt its lessons. Not so for Africa, where Maafa (Swahili for “great disaster”), as the slave trade used to be called by some African scholars, is still alive albeit in a slightly different shape
Politics and Society Racist Nobel laureate selling his medallion
Nobel laureate James Watson is having to auction off his Nobel Prize medallion because his income plummeted following his statement that Africans are less intelligent than Westerners
Politics and Society Steve Biko family attempts to stop auction of his post-mortem report
Family of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko have gone to court to try to stop the auction of his post-mortem report
Politics and Society New SADC Tribunal a setback for democracy
Closed borders, increasing acts of xenophobia and the absence of popular participation mirror the failures of SADC to live up to its aspirations. Yet it re-introduced a weakened Tribunal, with serious implications for the citizens of the 15 member states
Politics and Society Nairobi’s “unacceptable” hemline division
The viral videos and recent #MyDressMyChoice protest highlighted the problem of men stripping women in public for dressing in ways they disapprove of. Njoki Wamai explains the invisible line that runs through Nairobi regarding “unacceptable” hemlines
Politics and Society Angélique Kidjo criticizes West’s coverage of Africa
Angélique Kidjo didn’t mince her words in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Politics and Society Namibia holds Africa’s first e-vote
Namibia is making history today as it chooses a new president through Africa’s first electronic elections