Political Systems

On le présente comme un des héritiers de feu Cheikh Anta Diop, chercheur et homme politique sénégalais, défenseur de l’antériorité de la civilisation nègre et militant panafricaniste. Théophile Obenga parle toujours du panafricanisme avec la conviction qu’il s’agit d’une exigence qui deviendra réalité. «Nous arriverons à l’Etat fédéral panafricain. C’est ça le destin africain», clame-t-il. [Pambazuka]

It’s just been a few weeks since Nelson Mandela was taken off the United States terrorism watch list. No doubt so that they too could join in the celebrations of this living icon, without the embarrassment of hoisting up a revolutionary. [Pambazuka]

Wole Soyinka was addressing a conference on the issue of the ‘brain drain’ from African countries. He remarked on how many of the speakers before him had lamented the flight of millions of Africans to the West and how apparently desperate were these speakers, who included African heads of state, to reverse the trend so that the bright young minds and their skills could be retained on the continent. [Pambazuka]

Ce 18 juillet 2008, Nelson Mandela fête ses 90 ans. Un événement dont le symbole dépasse la simple matérialisation du temps qui passe. Marquer cette étape, c’est magnifier la vie et l’œuvre d’un homme qui a fini d’entrer dans l’Histoire. Par Tidiane Kassé. [Pambazuka]

Dieu-Donné WEDI DJAMBA argues that the march toward democracy in Africa is not only under threat by dictators using dictatorial means to stay in power, but also by democratically elected leaders who use democratic processes to cement their hold over power. (more…)

Article by Horace Campbell about the 30 years commemoration of the historic battle of Cuito Cuanavale, when Angola, Cuba, the forces of SWAPO and the ANC joined forces to defeat the apartheid army. Although the ANCs visit to Angola was much publicized thousands of youths in Southern Africa do not know what happened at Cuito Cuanavale and the linkage between the decolonization of Southern Africa and this historic battle. [Pambazuka]

A cover story on John McCain and the International Republican Institute. While keeping an eye on Bush’s War on terror and Africom, we should not forget the International Republican Institute, which had a hand in the Venezuela coup and the toppling of Aristide. The IRI operates in about 40 African countries. By Mukoma wa Ngugi. [The Progressive Magazine]

To convey the reasons and effects of xenophobia in South Africa and its effect on the working class, Thandokuhle Manzi and Patrick Bond take a microscopic look at Cato Manor Township, one of the sites where the attacks took place. [Pambazuka]

Let us speak truth to power, but let us also speak the existential truth of our people’s world to the negotiated truth of the diplomatic world. Our collective efforts, Yash Tandon continues, will lead to a new vision of a better world, one that is fair, just, peaceful and bountiful to all the peoples of the world. [Pambazuka]

Achille Mbembe réagit pour Africultures et Le Messager de Douala aux manifestations violentes de xénophobie que connaît actuellement l’Afrique du Sud. Il y a moins de dix jours, tout semblait encore, du moins en apparence, indiquer qu’à Johannesburg était en train de naître une forme de fusion culturelle inédite, soubassement d’une modernité afropolitaine. [Africultures]

Dans « La natte des autres », Joseph Ki-Zerbo terminait son propos comme suit : « L’homme patient finit par plumer un œuf. Plumer un œuf, telle est la finalité du développement. » En fait, l’historien avait déjà indiqué les voies et moyens pour plumer l’œuf lorsqu’il notait que « pour l’Afrique d’aujourd’hui, trois conditions majeures semblent s’imposer pour un développement endogène : L’intégration de l’espace africain, la recherche participation-action, la démocratie »[Pambazuka]

Chido Makunike looks at the various competing interests in Zimbabwe, the MDC, ZANU PF, Mugabe and the West in relation to what the Zimbabwean are hoping to get out of democracy. [Pambazuka]

In this Chris Hani Memorial Lecture, Jeremy Cronin traces the differences between the ANC and Zanu-PF as liberation movements and as parties in power. He argues that while Zanu-PF succeeded in demobilising a militant population the ANC did not, and as a result the ANC is being held in check by the people of South Africa. [Pambazuka]

Mawuli Dake looks at the ways in which women are being locked out of the democratic processes in Ghana and argues that societies “cannot claim to be committed to the principles and ideals of democracy and the universal values of equality” if groups within are marginalized.
[Pambazuka]

The challenges confronting Africa’s democratic experiments are many and complex and include entrenching constitutionalism and the reconstruction of the postcolonial state, writes Femi Falana. [Pambazuka]

Daryl Braam examines the langauge attitudes and perceptions of a local primary school community in the Western Cape towards the official national policy of additive bilingualism. [Full Text Article, pdf]

Timothy Perry interrogates the efficacy of PanSALB as a protector of language rights, evaluating in particular the degree to which PanSALB may, or may not, inadvertently lead to ethnic competition or ethnic conflict; and the degree to which its tribulations evince any authoritarian tendencies of the parties in power.
[Full Text Article, pdf]

Il n’est pas certain que l’extrême personnalisation du conflit et la diabolisation de l’un des principaux protagonistes - Robert Mugabe en l’occurrence - aient aidé en quoi que ce soit à clarifier les enjeux de la lutte sociale et politique en cours au Zimbabwe. Anylse d’Achille Mbembe publié par le quotidien Le Messager de Douala (Cameroun) et Africultures. [Africultures]

As the world waits to see what will happen in Zimbabwe, Patrick Bond argues that lessons should be taught and retaught about the dangers of elite transition between a voracious, corrupt, violent and divisive set of rulers, and an incoming crew who might not withstand the blandishments of local power-sharing and global economic seduction. [Pambazuka]

Barack Obama, de par la vision, le discours, le style et la méthode, est en train d’imprimer à cette campagne les marques d’un profond mouvement de renouveau, un mouvement total et intégral, une véritable refondation, ou, à tout le moins, la définition d’une toute nouvelle géopolitique planétaire. Par Mamadou diop. [Pambazuka]