Author: Editorial Staff

IN a stark wake-up call at the 2023 School of Politics, Policy and Governance graduation ceremony in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, and Kenyan activist, Boniface Mwangi, emphasised the pressing need for transformational leadership in Africa. They argued that the continent’s future prosperity hinges on decisive action to reshape its political landscape. Obiageli Ezekwesili, a prominent advocate for good governance and economic development, shed light on the persistent challenge of poor leadership affecting Africa’s economic growth. Ezekwesili underscored the urgency of implementing structural changes in African politics, urging leaders from various sectors to unite…

ONE of the world’s top 10 wine producers, South Africa owes some 9 percent of its GDP to the wine sector – but the industry remains dominated by the white minority. A training academy for young South Africans from disadvantaged backgrounds aims to change that. ‘Let me smell this one … I think I’m smelling clove?’ Okuhle, 23, doesn’t sound entirely sure as he sniffs the glass in front of him. He admits he sometimes struggles to identify the rarefied aromas of fine wine. ‘I must say, it is hard to try and smell what you’ve never eaten. When you talk about gooseberry…

THE 1966 World Cup is remembered as England’s only triumph on football’s greatest stage. A gleeful Bobby Moore is the cover image of this heroic tale and Geoff Hurst steals the final act with a hat-trick in the climactic 4-2 victory over West Germany. The 1966 World Cup, then, is England’s story. Or so it would seem. This article tells another story, remembering ’66 for the absence of an entire continent. No African team featured in England that summer as the continent united in boycott to protest FIFA’s eurocentrism. Global politics, not just football matches, were being contested at this…

WHEN the megaphone called out for the daily Islamic prayers, the nonbeliever grabbed his prayer beads and ambled through the streets to join others at the mosque in Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city. Formerly a Muslim, he now identifies as an atheist but remains closeted, performing religious obligations only as a cover. ‘To survive as an atheist, you cannot act like one,’ said the man, who spoke to The Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity over fears for his safety. He said he narrowly escaped being killed by a mob in 2015 after some people found out he had…

FRENCH investigative judges filed preliminary charges on Friday against former President Nicolas Sarkozy for his alleged involvement in an attempt to mislead magistrates in order to clear him in a case regarding the suspected illegal financing from Libya of his 2007 presidential campaign. The preliminary charges accuse Sarkozy of ‘benefitting from corruptly influencing a witness’ and ‘participating in a criminal association’ in order ‘to mislead the magistrates in charge of the judicial investigation into suspicions of Libyan financing of his election campaign,’ according to a statement from the financial prosecutors’ office. Sarkozy has denied any involvement. His lawyers said in…

IN a significant political development, President Macky Sall of Senegal has officially dissolved members of the government through a decree issued on October 6, 2023, according to a communique released on Friday. The announcement came via a statement from the Secretary-General of the Presidency, Oumar Samba Ba, who confirmed that President Sall had ‘terminated, by decree dated October 6, 2023, the functions of the ministers, members of the government.’ As part of this major political shakeup, President Sall has made the decision to establish a new government under the leadership of the current Prime Minister, Amadou Ba. While specific details…

THE economic trajectory of Africa in 2023 remains a subject of debate and analysis. Depending on whom you ask and when, the continent’s growth projection appears to sway between upward and downward trends. However, one consistent thread throughout the year has been the notion of Africa experiencing a marginal economic slowdown. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been on the same page in projecting less optimistic figures for Africa’s economic prospects. According to the World Bank’s latest September Africa Pulse report, economic activity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is anticipated to have further decelerated, dropping from…

IN a significant development, the IMF has announced a new chapter in its commitment to sub-Saharan Africa, with IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva revealing that the region will soon have a ‘stronger voice’ on the global financial stage. The news comes ahead of next week’s crucial IMF and World Bank meetings in Marrakesh, Morocco, marking the first time such meetings have taken place on the continent since 1973. Georgieva, who chairs the IMF executive board responsible for the institution’s daily operations, declared the institution’s intention to appoint a third representative from sub-Saharan Africa to the board. This decision is poised to…

RUSSIA will start delivering its grain to African countries within a month to six weeks, the Interfax news agency cited Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev as saying on Friday. ‘We are now finalising all the documents. I think that within a month – or a month and a half – they will start,’ Interfax quoted Patrushev as saying. President Vladimir Putin told African leaders in July he would gift them tens of thousands of tons of grain despite Western sanctions, which he said made it harder for Moscow to export its grain and fertilisers. ‘We will be ready to provide Burkina…

SOUTH Africa’s anti-apartheid hero Desmond Tutu could have chosen practically any car in the world when billionaire Warren Buffett offered to buy him a vehicle. But in 2008, the archbishop picked a modest Toyota Corolla with manual transmission over the luxury BMWs and Mercedes Benz favoured by government ministers. He gave the cash left over from the US investor’s present to the poor. The Desmond Tutu Intellectual Property Trust, which manages his legacy, has put the old car on show along with his books and possessions in honour of Tutu’s 92nd birthday, which he would have celebrated on Saturday. ‘We…