Democracy In The Making, Or More Of The Same?
Fifteen days after Cameroon’s presidential election concluded, the country’s Constitutional Council unsurprisingly declared that 85-year-old Paul Biya had been re-elected for a seventh seven-year term. Now wearing the crown of ‘Africa’s oldest dictator,’ the end result was really never in doubt. But despite winning with a miraculous 71% of the vote, President Biya’s external legitimacy […]
Zimbabwe new monetary measures: Living a lie, face collapse
Dollarisation is a simple monetary arrangement which the political classes have contrived to misunderstand, and consequently, Zimbabwe, which never actually completed the process of dollarisation, unwittingly abandoned it and in its place brought about what I term a “dollar-exchange regime”. So deep-seated is the misunderstanding of dollarisation, there is the absence of an awareness of […]
Madagascar Elections – 36 Candidates, 4 (Ex-) Presidents, and a Lot of Money
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet its elections rank among the most expensive. Back in 2013, when 33 candidates competed in Madagascar’s presidential elections, it was something of a record for the country. In the run-up to that vote, much discussion centred on the sheer logistics of having so many […]
Open Letter To The President Of Zambia – In Defence Of Prof. PLO Lumumba From Chinese Chicanery & Tomfoolery Of African Leaders
Open Letter To The President Of Zambia His Excellency President Edgar Lungu, State House, Independence Avenue, LUSAKA RE: In Defence Of Prof. PLO Lumumba From Chinese Chicanery & Tomfoolery Of African Leaders Your Excellency, Prof. PLO Lumumba is one of my best friends. Yesterday, I had lunch with him as we discussed his trip to […]
As president, here’s what I want for Zimbabwe: a healthy opposition
September is the first month of spring in Zimbabwe. The jacaranda trees that line Harare’s avenues will soon flower into a sea of purple. Last November their blossom formed the backdrop to the people taking to the streets and demanding change. This year, following our democratic election in July, it shall welcome a new era […]
Mnangagwa Cabinet: technocrats without reforms will fail
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s new cabinet, in which over a dozen ministerial level officials were reshuffled or removed, is a mixture of new faces, technocrats and some experience, as well as political loyalists. At least the deadwood is gone, well most of it. Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube symbolises meritocracy – the embrace of technocrats and […]
May and Merkel backing Mnangagwa is bad news for Zimbabwe
On August 28, British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, for a one-day working visit. This visit was part of a three-nation tour of South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria designed to strengthen Britain’s trade ties with African nations. During the course of her visit, May made a brief appearance on South […]
Uganda’s Bobi Wine embodies the rise of African youth
They call him the Ghetto President. The Ugandan singer and activist Bobi Wine, born in a Kampala slum and now a member of parliament, is facing charges of treason. The accusation stems from an incident in which protesters allegedly threw stones at the motorcade of the actual president, Yoweri Museveni. But Mr Wine’s real crime […]
We want technocrats, but we don’t want them
CABINET speculation season is upon us and, once again, Zimbabweans are demanding the appointment of technocrats into Government. As if they voted for them. Newspaper headlines are calling for these so-called technocrats. Social media is lining up a list of preferred technocrats. One would think voters actually voted for such candidates in large quantities. They […]
Burundian Experience Offers Insights for the Zimbabwe Opposition
The important lesson for Zimbabwe’s opposition from what happened in Burundi in 2010 is that participation is key. Despite what may look like injustice, it is good for the Zimbabwean opposition to stay within decision-making institutions such as the national assembly in order to counter any move that would otherwise lead to devastating consequences such […]
