Ailing 82-year-old Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika handed in his resignation on live TV in one of his few public sightings in the last six years. Since he had a stroke in 2013, the leader, who was initially seen as a saviour, became an absentee president whose four terms in office were mired in corruption and allegations of vote-rigging.
Politics and Society
Politics and Society Is Africa ready for an uprising that will move her forward?
The hashtags #AlgeriaWakesUp and #SudanUprising have been important signifiers of the fact that Africans as a people are tired of old, ineffective regimes that do not bring about change and that Africa as a continent needs young leaders.
Politics and Society Portraying Rwanda’s genocide as an encounter with hell
Stories about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda have been evolving as descent narratives telling about journeys through hell.
Politics and Society Why is the Botswana government denying the large scale of elephant poaching in the country?
A report by Elephants Without Borders show that the poaching of elephants in Botswana has increased sharply in recent times. This follows certain changes in policy by President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s administration.
Politics and Society Belgium apologises for kidnapping African mixed-race children
About 20 000 children born to Belgian settlers and African women in the 1940s and 1950s were forcibly taken to Belgium until the independence of each of its three colonies. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has apologised for these kidnappings and the subsequent treatment of these children
Politics and Society A new language doesn’t hamper kids learning. Other things do
The ability of multilingual children to learn and advance academically from pre-primary has little to do with their English proficiency.
Politics and Society Do Zimbabwe’s private schools have a problem?
A recent photograph posted under a series named “Extreme Reading Challenge” by one of Zimbabwe’s top private schools has had widespread reaction. The question that arises, says Mako Muzenda is: “Has the private schooling system done anything to dismantle its colonial legacy?”
Politics and Society Boeing apologises 26 days later for Ethiopian Airlines crash in the worst airline scandal in years
After first blaming the pilot of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302, Boeing has publicly accepted responsibility for the error that caused the crash.
Politics and Society The poetry of police slogans in Africa
Police slogans are one of my favourite sources of reading material. Maybe it is because of their inherent contradictions – it is as if they are saying, “I do the opposite of what I say.” Let’s look at some of the police slogans from across Africa and how these fit with their actions.