Global Voices » South Africa

‘Africa Is A Country’ Blog Challenges West's Idea of Africa

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:31:47 +0000

This isn't another blog about “famine, Bono, or Barack Obama,” warns the blog Africa is a Country in its description on Facebook.

The ironically titled blog aims, among other things, to do away with the the narrative told and retold by western media that Africa is “a perpetual sob story”, Africa is a Country founder Sean Jacobs told Global Voices.

At the same time, Jacobs said, the blog is a collective of scholars, writers, artists, filmmakers, bloggers, and curators who together produce online commentary, original writing, media criticism, short videos, and photography that is working to reimagine Africa as a community.

The founder of the Africa is a Country blog, Sean Jacobs. Photo courtesy of Sean Jacobs.

We recently caught up with Jacobs, a media and international affairs scholar who currently teaches at The New School in New York, to talk about the blog.

Ndesanjo Macha (NM): Will you briefly tell us about yourself?

Sean Jacobs (SJ): I was born in Apartheid South Africa and grew up in a working class coloured township in the city. I am very much a product of segregation, anti-apartheid student movements, affirmative action and the euphoria represented by political freedom in South Africa. I went to the University of Cape Town (still very white at that time) on a scholarship and worked briefly as a journalist before I came to the US as a Fulbright Scholar in the mid-1990s [...]

I returned to South Africa at the end of my studies as I felt I would miss out on the experience of working there while democracy was still fresh. So, in 1997 I got hired by the Institute for Democracy in South Africa, an organization which played a central role in South Africa’s political transition. [...]

In 2001, I came to New York City to take up a graduate fellowship at The New School. I eventually settled in New York City and got married.

I suppose I consider myself an African immigrant in America now (I have two children who were born here) and while I keep up with specifically South African politics, I have also come to care more for how the continent and its people is represented in media here. That’s where Africa is a Country came into the picture.

NM: What is Africa is a Country?

SJ: Africa is a Country is a blog that developed over time — and I want to emphasize this process as it wasn't always clear what it would be become — into a collective of scholars, writers, artists, filmmakers, bloggers, and curators who together produce online commentary, original writing, media criticism, short videos, and photography that deliberately challenge and destabilize received wisdom about the African continent and its people in Western media (that definition includes “old media,” new social media as well as “global news media” like Al Jazeera).

Our main outlet at present is the blog, though we've collaborated with film festivals, print publications and co-hosted public events. We also count as part of our community people who read or comment on our site each day. We've sourced some blog posts and eventual regular contributors from amongst our readers.

NM: Why “Africa is a country”? Isn't Africa a continent?

SJ: Of course we don’t literally believe Africa is a Country. The title of the blog is ironic and is a reaction to old and tired images of “Africa.” As one of the core members of the collective, Neelika Jayawardane, explains in the “About” section on our Facebook page, the blog is that and more. That is, Africa is a Country is also about constructing a kind of “country.” One where the “nation” operates outside the borders of modern nation states in Africa and its continental and conceptual boundaries. So, yes, the blog announces that Africa is indeed a “country,” an imagined community whose “citizens” must reinvent the narrative and visual economy of Africa. I hope that makes sense.

NM: How did you come up with the title of the blog?

SJ: I can’t pinpoint the exact source or moment. It was definitely a mix of factors. There were countless instances of celebrities, politicians (including some who denied immediately that they had said so) who would make the mistake of talking about “the country of Africa” or be very vague of where they traveled when they visited the continent or who exactly (a country, a people, a city, etc) they were describing. In other cases, some journalists implied that Africa was a country in their writings or reporting. But there was something else I did regularly. While blogging as Leo Africanus, I started writing the words “Africa is a Country” in one or other incredulous post about some clearly misdirected reporting from and about Africa. One day I decided to just rename the blog Africa is a Country. It helped that the title attracted more people to show a sudden interest in or reading the blog or that searches for “Africa is a country” led to us.

NM: Who are other authors involved in creating content for the blog?

SJ: Currently the collective consists of about 30 core members and a fluid cast of contributors. So we’re a mix of graduate students, professors, activists, development workers, writers, journalism students, art critics, novelists, photographers, activists, filmmakers, a DJ, and a film curator, among others. [...]

NM: What kind of readers visit your site and where do most of them come from?

SJ: We now have more than 11,000 Facebook “Likes,” close to 20,000 Twitter followers, and average between 7,000-10,000 hits per day on the blog, which has had over three million total views since we made the name change. Readers come from all over, though a fast reliable internet connection helps. So most readers live, work or study in the United States and/or Europe. On the continent, most of the readers come from Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.

NM: What are your greatest achievements with the blog so far?

SJ: That’s for our readers to decide. Again, let me drew on something Elliot and wrote down recently when asked the same question: We feel that global, by definition that’s usually Western, media — with few exceptions — have shown themselves time and again to be utterly unable to cover the continent in the depth and detail it demands, still less with any appreciation for Africa as a site of astonishing cultural and artistic production. Africa is a Country aspires to offer an international-scale corrective to this, not in terms of patronising “positive” news stories or PR-style neoliberal boosterism, but through the sustained daily work of presenting and engaging critically with the cultural and political life of Africa and its diaspora. [...]

Of course, not everything we do is hardcore: Something we are very excited about is the launch recently of a page on the blog titled “Football is a Country.” We've managed to convince some excellent writers, photographers, film makers and bloggers to commit themselves as contributors and we’re hoping to expand on it.

NM: What is most read post so far?

SJ: The most read post on the blog thus far has been by Elliot Ross on Kony 2012.

But I also want to mention a number of other excellent posts (and I am going to have to leave some posts out of this list, though that does not make them less deserving): There’s Boima Tucker’s explorations on DJ culture and Jeremy Weate's “When Kim Kardasian Came to Lagos and “419ed the 419ers”. Separately, we’ve featured a number of interviews such as Zachary Rosen’s interview with artist Toyin Odutola, Corinna Jentzch’s interview with the German photographer Gregor Zielke, Amkelwa Mbekeni’s interview with Bongeziwe Mabandla and historian Dan Magaziner’s interview with the author of a book on Marcus Garvey.

Video: Shop Assistants Beat South African Woman Accused of Shoplifting

Joey Ayoub — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:39:19 +0000

Mother of four Esther Mankge, 49, was filmed begging for mercy while two alleged staff members of a local shop in Limpopo, South Africa, beat her with ropes, belts, a broom and a rubber hammer after accusing her of shoplifting, the South African Human Rights Commission reports.

Mankge described the events saying that she was not only brutally assaulted, but she was wrongly accused of the crime in the first place:

I hadn’t bought anything but a woman accused me of stealing panties and hit me in the face. I cried and asked them to call the cops if I had stolen something.

In a statement released last week, Isaac Mangena of the Commission was reported as saying:

It was very shocking to see such ruthlessness knitted out to a human being, and a woman for that matter. Indeed we are seeing this dark trend in our community whereby women and the elderly are being abused, are being kicked and all those kinds of things.

Below is a video posted on YouTube by Daily Sun showing the staff members beating Mankge:

The video has since sparked national outrage. South Africa's African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) has called for a boycott of all regional branches of the store. ANCWL's provincial secretary, Maleke Mokganyetji, declared:

We are calling on progressive women and men to protest against all regional branches of the store during any time of the day. Our message to the store is, ‘You strike a woman, you strike the rock’.

Nhluvuko Masocha Shabangu commented on eNCAnews’ Facebook discussion forum saying that:

Point of correction. It didn't go viral [because] other people's pain entertains us but it went viral because awareness had to be raised about the brutality that takes place behind security doors, that these animals who call themselves humans in their attack lack the mercy to even consider that this is an elderly woman. They just beat her like a dog. Sies! The only person who finds this act amusing is that bish behind the camera. Ntli!

But the outrage was not limited to South Africa.

Nigerian blogger Musibau Lyabo lamented the events on BekkyBlog.com:

There are times when we think Africa is really shifting from its backward mentality, then things like this makes one think otherwise. Why do people resort to jungle justice in this time and age? Do they feel the government and laws put in place are not adequate enough?

This post was proofread in English by Georgi McCarthy.

African Presidents Active on Social Media

Rakotomalala — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:51:06 +0000

Dapa Arnaud gives a list of the 10 most active african presidents [fr] on social media. At the top of the list is president Paul Kagame in Rwanda:

In place since 2003, the president of Rwanda is the most active on the internet. According to the Ecofin agency, Paul Kagame interacts with many users on Twitter through his account @PaulKagame. His personal website named “The Journey Continues, Dukomeze Imihigo” is also one of the most visited websites in the country. His presence is also quite strong on other social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, Flickr or YouTube.

The State of Torture in the World in 2013

Theodora Rowlands — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:52:59 +0000

On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]:

“A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to Italy, by way of South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Bolivia. From authoritarian regimes to democratic countries, none are exempt from criticism on the topic. In 2013, torture remains as endemic, omnipresent and multi-faceted as ever”.

African Nations Cup Anthem Celebrates Peace

Theodora Rowlands — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:51:13 +0000

On Afrik.com, Mansour Loum discusses “Sela Sela”, the song that was selected as the official anthem of the 29th edition of the 2013 African Nations Cup. The cup took place in South Africa, from January 19 to February 10, 2013. Loum explained that [fr]:

With lyrics in English and Bantu, “Sela Sela” is a song about the celebration and joy shared by all peoples, breaking the barriers that present an obstacle to peace and unity.

Pope’s Resignation Echoes in Africa

Jane Ellis — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:10:03 +0000

The announcement by Pope Benedict XVI of his intention to resign with effect from February 28, 2013 provoked many reactions in Francophone Africa, both in traditional media and on social networks. The predominant feeling was that of admiration for the Pope combined with the wish that certain African leaders would follow his example.

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Photo Catholic Church (England and Wales) on Flickr, licence CC by-nc-sa/2.0

Varied opinions, with underlying admiration

In a well-reported article from Togocouleurs blog entitled ‘Must the Pope Die Pope?’, Charles Lebon wrote that [fr]:

La nouvelle est tombée ce 11 février comme un coup de tonnerre dans un ciel serein. Ce coup aurait été moins violent si c’était le décès du pape, qui, dans ce cas et trop souvent prévisible, obligeait les journalistes à attendre sous les fenêtres du saint homme en agonie avec micro, camera et bougie. Mais ce n’était pas le cas. Il s’agit de la démission du souverain pontife au sens de : « renoncer à sa charge ».

The news hit on February 11 like a thunderclap in a quiet sky. The shock would have been less violent if they had announced the death of the Pope who, on this occasion, as on many others, made journalists wait under his windows in agony with a microphone, camera and candle. But this was not the announcement that was made. It was actually the resignation of the reigning pontiff, in the sense of: ‘renouncing his burden’.

Diery Diallo’s blog quoted Father Jacques Seck of Dakar [fr] :

Je dis que je suis heureux que le Saint-Père (Pape Benoît XVI) ait pris cette idée personnellement. Les hommes de Dieu que nous sommes (…) ne sont pas des fonctionnaires qui travaillent. Je suis heureux que le Saint-Père à la tête de l’Eglise nous donne l’exemple. Les évêques, Cardinaux, Pape, ne sont pas des fonctionnaires, quand ils ne peuvent plus ils cèdent la place aux autres », a réagi Abbé Jacques Seck sur les ondes de la Rfm. Rappelons que le Pape Benoit XVI a annoncé sa démission de ses fonctions de Pape pour le 28 février 2013. Il a donné comme raison, son âge avancé qui ne lui permet plus d’exercer le ministère Pétrinien.

I say that I am glad that the Holy Father (Pope Benedict XVI) has taken this step personally. Men of God such as we [...] are not functionaries with a job. I am pleased that the Holy Father as the head of the Church has given us the example. Bishops, Cardinals, the Pope, are not functionaries, when they can no longer go on, they give their place to others.” reacted Father Jacques Seck on the airwaves of RFM. Let us remember that Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation from his papal duties would take effect on February 28, 2013. As reason, he gave his advanced years which no longer allow him to fulfil the duties of the Holy See.

On the facebook page of Radio France International, a widely-listened to station in Francophone Africa, many reactions were posted [fr] during a programme dedicated to this event:

Many Africans seem to wish their leaders would be inspired by the courageous act of Pope Benedict XVI. Source photo:
commons.wikimedia.org

From Conakry in Guinea Hilal Sylla [fr] wrote that:

Pour peu que cela ait du sens, cette démission de Benoit XVI me renvoie au Film culte sur l'église et les illuminatis. Une façon de dire que l'église n'a plus de force dans un monde dominé par tant de perversion. Une question : la fin du monde n'est-elle pas proche?

Although it doesn’t make much sense, Pope Benedict’s resignation reminds me of the popular film about the church and the Illuminati. A way of saying that the church no longer has strength in a world dominated by so much perversion. One question: Is the End of the World nigh?

For Samuel Azabho [fr] from Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

Cette démission est normale par le fait de l'age. son pontificat est positif dans la mesure où il est le précurseur de la lutte contre la pédophilie. je pense qu'il était un homme de décision. Et celui qui doit venir après lui doit relever le défis de l'avenir de l'église catholique et de toute l'humanité peu importe sa race et ses origines.

This resignation is not unusual because of the matter of his age. His papacy was mainly positive in so far as it was the precursor of the fight against paedophilia. I think that he acted as a decisive man. And whoever follows him must be up to the challenges in the future of the Catholic Church, and of all humanity, no matter his race or origin.

From Yaoundé, Ben Mbele remarked that [fr]:

nous pouvons cependant dire ke le pontificat de benoit xv1 n'a pa été un fleuve trankil, de son discours sur l'islam et la violence en passant par le scandal des prêtres pédophiles et enfin du débat sur le mariage gay,au demeurant notons ke la décision salutaire de benoit xv1 fera un précédent car il lancera le débat sur la modification du droit canon en matière du mandat du pape, personnellement il ne faut pa trop attendre du nouveau pape en matière d’émancipation sur certains sujets car la plus part des cardinaux actuels ont été nommé par benoit xv1 et jean paul 2 eux très conservateurs.

However, we can say that the papacy of Benedict XVI has not been plain sailing, from his speech about Islam, through the scandal of paedophile priests, finishing with the gay marriage question, for all that, we note that the salutatory decision of Benedict XVI will set a precedent because it will launch a debate on whether Canon Law regarding the Pope’s mandate should be modified, personally I don’t think we should expect too much from the new Pope regarding emancipation of certain groups of people because most current cardinals were named by Benedict XVI and John Paul 2, and are very conservative.

Alpha Ulrick Marcellus from Brazzville, in Congo thought that [fr]:

La décision du Pape est courageuse. Il ne démissionne pas mais il renonce, il renonce au ministère pétrinien. Une décision qui n'est pas facile à prendre. Son pontificat a été à mon avis celui des grandes épreuves, des discours aux vérités sans détours et choquant. Benoit XVI à donné le meilleur de lui-même, dans la direction d'une Église en conflit avec un monde de plus en plus excentrique. Pour le futur Pape plaise à Dieu de choisir celui qui est apte, valide à prendre des décisions courageuses contre les déviations que le monde légalise pour préserver l'intégrité de la foi et de l'Église.

The Pope’s decision was courageous. He did not resign, but renounced, he renounced the Holy See. Not an easy decision to take. In my opinion, his papacy was one of great trials, of shocking and hard-hitting speeches about truths. Benedict XVI has given the best of himself, for a Church in conflict with a world becoming more and more eccentric. Let us hope that, for the future Pope, God chooses the one who is best-suited, capable of taking courageous decisions against the deviations that the world legalises, to preserve the integrity of faith and of the Church.

The BBC also broadcast special programmes about Francophone Africa, which were played by local radio stations. The BBC’s facebook page about Africa has more than 17,000 fans [fr]. During the programme about this resignation, Africa Live on February 16, many Africans gave their points of view. Michel Djadji Anigbe from Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, wrote that [fr]:

Relativement à la décision de démission du Pape, son motif me laisse perplexe et pantois. Comment un grand intellectuel tel que lui a pu accepter ce pontificat avec tous les sacrifices que cela demande. Surtout avec ce que son prédécesseur, le vénérable Pape Jean Paul II , a fait du sien. De plus, son argument est trop facile avec le scandale qui nous a été servi par l'affaire de son majordome. Et quand on sait aussi que le Vatican n'est pas ignorant et étranger à tous ce qui passe actuellement dans le monde.

Relative to the Pope’s decision to resign, his motive leaves me perplexed and speechless. How could a great intellectual like him have accepted this papacy with all the sacrifices which that demands? Especially with what his predecessor, the venerable Pope John Paul II, had achieved with his. What is more, his argument is too simplistic regarding the scandal of this business with his majordomo. And when you also realise that the Vatican is not ignorant of or a stranger to what happens in the world today.

Didier Didou Mady posed an interesting question [fr]:

Le rejet de la démission du Pape est-il envisageable au regard du droit canon? Quoi de plus normal que les touristes au Vatican visite à la fois le pape et l'ex-pape. Difficile d'avoir un pape infatigable!

Is the rejection of the Pope’s resignation conceivable with regards to Canon Law? What could be more normal than tourists at the Vatican visiting the Pope and the ex-Pope at the same time? It is difficult to have an indefatigable Pope!

An Example for some African leaders?

Africa has many badly run countries. Is this linked to the fact that on this continent we also find heads of State who have been in power the longest?:

Robert Gabriel Mugabe, 89, in power in Zimbabwe since 1980
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, 71, head of Equatorial Guinea since 1979
Paul Biya, 80, leader of Cameroon since 1982
José Eduardo dos Santos, 71, president of Angola since 1979
Denis Sassou Ngesso, 80, leader of Congo from 1979 to 1992 and continuously from 1997

Many Africans have commented on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI by relating it what has happened on their own continent. Josiane Kouaghe from Cameroon wrote [fr] on his blog:

Passés ces moments de disputes, les vraies questions s’imposent. Et les comparaisons ne tardent pas à suivre. «Ah…Il me rappelle Nelson Mandela. Tu te rappelles, en 1999, quand il a démissionné après seulement cinq ans? », demande Éric Ntomb, 64 ans, à son ami. «Tu parles Éric. C’est la même chose avec le pape. Il n’est là que depuis 2005. Si seulement nos dirigeants africains pouvaient faire comme lui», répond l’ami en poussant un long soupir. L’ami dit haut ce que des millions de personnes pensent bas. Et je vous arrête. Ne dites pas que le pape a démissionné parce qu’il est un homme de Dieu. Non! Il dirigeait le plus petit et puissant État du monde.

After these disputes, the real questions make themselves felt. And the comparisons are quick to follow. “Ah, he reminds me of Nelson Mandela. Do you remember, in 1999, when he resigned after only five years?” Eric Ntomb, 64, asked his friend. “Now you’re talking Eric! It’s the same thing with the Pope. He’s only been there since 2005. If only our leaders in Africa could do the same as him”, answered the friend with a deep sigh. The friend said out loud what millions of people think deep down. And I am stopping you! Don’t tell me that the Pope resigned because he is a man of God. No! He was leading the smallest and most powerful state in the world.

Josiane Kouagheu then reviewed the list of African presidents who resigned their duties voluntarily:

Ahmadou Ahidjo of Cameroon in 1982
Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal in November 1980 at the age of 74
Julius Nyerere, of Tanzania, in November 1985

However, by far the most famous of all African leaders to leave power voluntarily was unquestionably Nelson Mandela, in 1999, a fact which has invited these comparisons between Mandela and Pope Benedict XVI.

10 Best African Food Blogs

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:14:21 +0000

MyWeku compiles a list of 10 best African food blogs for 2013: “There are seemingly a million food blogs out there, but only a handful showcase African food. Even so it has still been a struggle to pick 10 of our favourites for this year (2013).”

South Africa: Local Device for Selling Prepaid Mobile Services

Ndesanjo Macha — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 11:33:53 +0000

Zafir Khan shows how cloud computing is enabling entrepreneurship in Africa: “Nomanini, a startup based in South Africa, built a device that enables local entrepreneurs like Vuyile to sell prepaid mobile services in their communities. The Lula (which means “easy” in colloquial Zulu), is a portable voucher sales terminal that is used on-the-go by people ranging from taxi drivers to street vendors. It generates and prints codes which people purchase to add minutes to their mobile phones.”

Africa's Tainted Global Media Coverage

Joel Gilbourd — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:42:52 +0000

The #Kony2012 campaign led by the Invisible Children NGO certainly contained a few over-simplifications about Africa. This prompted a counter-campaign #WhatILoveAboutAfrica aimed at rectifying these ‘stray shots'.

The Kony 2012 campaign poster. Public domain

Inaccurate media descriptions of Africa are not a rare phenomenon - even if the comedy of errors has steadily declined over the last few years. The misrepresentation of the continent in the media is not a trivial subject, as Professor Charles Moumouni explains [fr]:

La mauvaise représentation de l’Afrique dans les médias occidentaux n’est ni un
phénomène nouveau, ni un phénomène exceptionnel. Elle fait l’objet de préoccupations depuis les années 1970, notamment dans le cadre des discussions sur le Nouvel ordre mondial de l’information et de la communication (NOMIC). Mais l’image que propagent les médias occidentaux de l'Afrique est d’autant plus préoccupante qu’elle influe négativement sur les efforts de développement de l'Afrique

Poor representation of Africa in Western media is neither a new nor an exceptional phenomenon. It was already a subject of concern during the 1970s, notably in the context of discussions about New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO). But the image of Africa currently being propagated by Western media is all the more concerning as it adversely effects African development efforts.

African media itself, however, is certainly not immune from criticism of this sort. Several initiatives have emerged, in recent years, to help improve the accuracy of African media. The African Media Initiative and Media Monitoring Africa are just two examples.

Here is a summary of the gems, errors and other inaccuracies in global media coverage of Africa and in the African media itself:

Global media coverage of Africa

Canada – RDC: ”Stephen Harper enters Africa's heart of darkness”

This was the title given to a CBC news article concerning the Canadian prime minister's visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during a summit of the International Organization of the Francophonie. Although the title refers to Joseph Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness, it also evokes an outdated, condescending vision of black Africa as a savage, dangerous land. The article adds:

It's the most wretched country on the face of the earth.

The article makes it seem as though prime minister Harper ought to be given a medal for his courage in visiting the DRC.

Israel – “Sub-Saharan Africans are not rapists”

Slate Afrique explains the context of this original (to say the least) headline [fr]:

Les noirs ne sont pas des violeurs. Tel est le message que veulent faire passer des demandeurs d'asile Africains subsahariens en Israël. Ces derniers sont pointés du doigt par l'opinion publique israélienne à la suite d'un cas de viol très médiatisé, ayant impliqué quatre demandeurs d'asile érythréens en Israël. Pour contrer une stigmatisation des noirs, un centre d'aide aux travailleurs étrangers a aidé des Africains à rédiger des «lettres ouvertes au peuple israélien», rapporte le quotidien israélien Haaretz le 20 mai.

Blacks are not rapists. This is the message that asylum-seeks from sub-Saharan Africa want to make heard in Israel. Israeli public opinion had been pointing the finger at sub-Saharan asylum-seekers after a highly publicized rape trial implicated four Eritreans. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported on 20 May that to counter the stigmatization of black people, a support center for foreign workers has been assisting Africans in preparing “open letters to the Israeli people”.

France – Confusion between Guadeloupe and Madagascar for I-télé

The clashes in Guadeloupe between the Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon [note: leading body for trade unions and social movements] and security forces coincided with the most intense political crisis in Madagascar. The two events were so close to each other in time, in fact, that I-télé (a cable-TV news channel in France) compiled the following little montage in which the commentary confuses the events in Guadeloupe with those in Madagascar [fr]:

USA – DRC: “Orphaned, raped and ignored”

This is the title of an article by journalist Nicholas Kristof about a 9 year-old child that was the victim of gang rape in the DRC. As Laura Seay explains in a translation on Slate Afrique, this article raises several ethical issues [fr]:

Après de violentes polémiques, Kristof posta une réponse sur son blog dans laquelle il promettait de ne pas le refaire, tout en réfutant les critiques affirmant qu’il mettait l’enfant en danger en l’identifiant. Il reconnut cependant qu’imprimer son nom violait la politique du Times, même s’il avait reçu l’autorisation d’une femme qui jouait le rôle de tutrice de l’enfant. Difficile d’imaginer un rédacteur en chef, quel qu’il soit, laisser une telle «bavure» se produire dans un article concernant une victime occidentale de pédophilie.

After several forceful debates, Kristof posted a reply on his blog in which he promised not to do it again – all the while refuting criticism that he had endangered the child by identifying. He recognized, however, that the publication of the child's name violated the policy of The Times, even if he received permission from a woman playing the role of the child's guardian. It is difficult to imagine an editor in-chief that would have allowed for such a ‘blunder’ to occur in an article concerning a Western child-abuse victim.

African media

South Africa – Rape-victim indirectly identified in an October 2012 report

Musa Rikhotso reports that:

A story sourced from Sapa entitled, “Sentence Slashed over rape of Stepdaughter” (The Star, 10/10/2012, p.7). The article names a Limpopo man, whose sentence was reduced from life imprisonment to 1- years for raping his 15-year-old stepdaughter; in so doing, failing to protect the identity of the rape victim.

Senegal – “Senegalese repatriated from the Ivory Coast”

During the height of the crisis in the Ivory Coast, the Walfadjiri-l'Aurore ran the headline “Senegalese repatriated from the Ivory Coast take it out on [President] Wade“:

Page 2 of a Senegalese daily containing an article about the crisis in the Ivory Coast- public domain

Le Post explains that this was an error [fr] because:

justement ces hommes et femmes reprochent au gouvernement de n'avoir pas été “rapatriés” mais bel et bien d'avoir du rentrer par leurs propres moyens.

these men and women criticized the government precisely because they had not been “repatriated” but had been simply required to return by their own means.

Petition to Release Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo and Wife Liu Xia

Oiwan Lam — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:30:28 +0000

Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, launched a petition calling for the Chinese Communist Party New Leader Xi Jinping to release the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo and his wife Liu Xia. The petition says:

…send a clear message to the Chinese government that the continued detention of the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and his wife—in clear violation of their rights to freedom of expression and due process of law—will not be tolerated by the international community.

Voting for the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa

Rakotomalala — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:16:43 +0000

An annual competition has been launched for the public to vote for the seven best natural wonders of Africa, with the voting currently underway. The competition is organized by global grassroots endeavor Seven Natural Wonders and at this point includes 12 sites from across the African continent.

Discover the shortlist and other suggested contenders which didn't make the cut this year.

The Okavango Delta, Botswana

Hippos bathing in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, the world's largest inland delta by John on Wikipedia CC-license-by

The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta, created from the rains that fill the Okavango River. The Namibian government has plans to build a hydropower station which would regulate the Okavango's flow, but environmentalists fear that this project could destroy most of the fauna and flora in the Delta.

The Red Sea Reef, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its Reef stretches over 1,240 miles along the coast of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea and contains more than 1,100 species of fish.

Anthia goldfish in the Red Sea from Wikimedia commons. Image in the public domain.

Mount Kenya, Kenya

Mount Kenya wall by Radu vatcu (CC BY-3.0)

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. It was covered by an ice cap for thousands of years. The Mount Kenya ecosystem provides water directly for over two million people. The park receives over 16,000 visitors per year.

The Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Local people on the Avenue of the Baobabs, Morondava, Madagascar. Image on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

The Avenue of the Baobabs is located between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in the Menabe region in western Madagascar. Baobab trees, up to 800 years old, stand about 30 meters in height and this particular species is endemic to Madagascar. The site was present in the news recently because it was victim of a wild fire that burnt down newly planted trees around the giant trees.

The Stone Forest of Bamaraha, Madagascar

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve in Madagascar. Image on Wikipedia (CC BY-3.0).

Tsingy de Bemaraha is a nature reserve located near the western coast of Madagascar in the Melaky Region. This National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the main attraction is the stone forest that is composed of limestone needles originating from erosion patterns from groundwater and winds.

Zuma Rock, Nigeria

Zuma Rock near Abuja by Jeff Attaway on Flickr (CC-BY-2.0).

Zuma Rock is a 725 meter high monolith found in Nigeria on the road out of Abuja. Its nickname ‘Gateway to Abuja’ is derived from this road.

The Peak of Furnace, Réunion Island

Eruption at the Peak, April 2007 on FlickR by zatiqs (CC BY-NC-SA).

Le Piton de la Fournaise (The Peak of Furnace) is a shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

The Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

Aldabra Island, Seychelles on FlickR by Johny Shaw (CC-BY-2.0).

Aldabra is the world's second largest coral atoll and forms part of the Seychelles. Aldabra is almost entirely free of human interference and is home to the world's largest population of giant tortoises.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Kibo on Mt Kilimanjaro by Chris 73 (CC-NC-BY).

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world at 5,895 meters. The current shrinking and thinning of Kilimanjaro's ice field is similar to other glacier retreat in mid-to-low latitudes across the globe. At the current rate, Kilimanjaro is expected to become ice-free some time between 2022 and 2033.

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

A young male lion at the hunt in Ngorongoro Crater by Brocken Inaglory on Wikimedia (CC-BY-3.0).

The Ngorongoro Crater is a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera located in the west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania. The crater plays host to almost every individual species of wildlife in East Africa, with an estimated 25,000 animals within the crater.

The Serengeti Migration, Tanzania

Wildebeest crossing the river by Stefan Swanepoel in Wikipedia (CC-BY-3.0).

The Serengeti migration is the longest and largest overland migration in the world. Each year, the great wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro area of the southern Serengeti of Tanzania in January to March, when the calving season begins; some 750,000 zebra precede the migration of 1.2 million wildebeest.

The Sahara Desert

Camels in Guelta d'Archei, Ennedi, north-east Chad. Image on Wikipedia (CC-BY-2.0).

The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world. The desert encompasses, at least in part, the countries of Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Tunisia. The southern border of the Sahara is marked by a band of semi-arid savanna called the Sahel.

Bloggers’ suggestions

A number of natural wonders were omitted from the shortlist, so a few bloggers have added their own suggestions via their blogs. A slight controversy was the fact that a few countries were featured several times while others were not mentioned at all, despite having worthy candidates.

The Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe

The Victoria Falls at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe is already selected as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Swimming at the edge of Victoria Falls in a naturally formed safe pool, accessed via Livingstone Island. Image on Wikimedia Commons, released into public domain by Ian Restall.

Blyde River Canyon, South Africa

The Blyde River Canyon is located in Mpumalanga and forms the northern part of the Drakensberg escarpment. It is 16 miles (26 kilometers) in length and is on average around 2,500 feet (762 meters) deep. The Canyon consists mostly of red sandstone.

The Weeping Face of Nature located in Blyde River Canyon. Image by Ptosio on Wikipedia (CC-BY-3.0).

Feel free to add any sites that you feel were omitted in the selection process in the comments section below.

Africa is a Woman's Name

Ndesanjo Macha — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:53:31 +0000

MyWeku shares a documentary titled “Africa is a Woman's Name“:

Synopsis: The lives of three extraordinary African women from different social levels and origins determined to bring about radical transformations in their day to day realities: Kenyan attorney and reputed lawyer Njoki Ndung’u, Puthi Ragophala the committed school principal of a remote South African village and Zimbabwean housewife-entrepreneur, Amai Rosie.

Coalition of African Nations Agrees to Send 3,300 Soldiers a year to Northern Mali

Rakotomalala — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:02:24 +0000

Seven African nations of ECOWAS namely Nigeria, Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo have agreed with Malian government [fr] to send 3,300 soldiers a year to Northern Mali to take back control of northern Mali from Islamist fighters. Other nations outside the ECOWAS might also send in troops.

A New Start for Barack Obama in Africa?

Jane Ellis — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:42:05 +0000

With Barack Obama re-elected to the Presidency of the United States for four years after the election of November 6, 2012, Africa is reviewing his legacy[fr]. This following his four years at the head of an America more concerned with the economic crisis than international relations, especially within the African continent. The expectations of Africans were great, but many think that the second term of President Obama will enable him to have a wider margin of manoeuvre on African issues.

U.S. President Obama walks with Malia, Michelle and Sasha following, during their visit to Cape Coast Castle, Ghana via pd2020@sbcglobal.net on FlickR (CC license-NC-BY)

Adrien Hart wrote on Slate Africa that the African legacy of President Obama is rather mixed. He explained [fr]:

Visiblement peu à l’aise pour endosser l’habit du « gendarme du monde », il a géré les affaires du monde en bon père de famille, sans faire de vague. Ses détracteurs lui reprochent un manque flagrant de leadership, ses partisans mettent en avant son humanité et rappellent que Ben Laden a été éliminé sous son mandat.

Avec lui, l’Amérique est devenue moins arrogante. Mais a-t-elle gagné en popularité dans le monde musulman et en Afrique? Pas sûr.

Bien sûr, concernant l’Afrique, Obama a essayé de se rattraper. En août 2010, il a reçu à la Maison blanche plus d’une centaine de jeunes Africains pour discuter de leur « vision de l’Afrique pour les 50 ans à venir », critiquant implicitement la génération des indépendances.

Visibly ill at ease to act as the “world’s policeman”, he managed world affairs like a good father, without making waves. His critics accuse him of a lack of leadership, his supporters highlight his humanity and remind us that Bin Laden was eliminated under his mandate.With him, America has become less arrogant. But has it become more popular in the Muslim world and Africa? This is not so certain.Certainly, as far as Africa is concerned, Obama has tried to catch up. In August 2010, he received more than a hundred young Africans at the White House to discuss their “vision for Africa for the next 50 years”, implicitly criticising the generation of independence [ed. note: African leaders that came right after the colonial period]

However, many found there were extenuating circumstances for him. RFI reported that Nadine Gordimer, winner of the Nobel Prize of South African Literature, thinks that one term is not enough [fr] to solve the world's problems:

Dans un grand pays avec autant de problèmes, difficile de les régler tous en un mandat. Mais je pense qu'il a eu la bonne approche. Sa philosophie et son énergie vont globalement dans le bon sens. Et bien sûr, les Etats-Unis sont très importants pour le reste du monde. S'ils éternuent, c'est le monde entier, nous autres, qui attrapons une pneumonie. Je pense aussi qu'il a les bonnes idées en matière d'égalité, matérielle et dans les esprits.

In a large country with so many problems, it is difficult to sort them all in one term. But I think he had the right approach. His philosophy and his energy are going in the right direction, globally speaking. And, of course, the United States is very important for the rest of the world. If they sneeze, it's we in the rest of the world who catch pneumonia. I also think that he has the right ideas regarding equality, both practical and of consciousness.

Obama giving a speech in Accra, Ghana, 2009 by L'expressmu

These critics are harsher on Obama’s strategy in Africa. Gene Healy of libertarian thinktank the Cato Institute described the militarised action of the American administration in Africa:

Four years ago, few could have predicted that one of President Obama's legacies would be increased militarization of U.S. foreign policy towards Africa – but that seems to be the case. [..]
Promiscuous war-making leads to unintended consequences. For example, U.S. intervention in Libya stoked the civil war in Mali, as Tuaregs serving in Gadhafi's army joined the fight after the dictator's fall.
It's not clear that our expanded military presence in Africa serves any pressing U.S. national security need.

The Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Henri Lopès, thinks that the expectations placed by Africans on Obama’s policies were unjustified. On RFI, he stated [fr]:

Il ne faut pas se faire d'illusions. Obama est le fils d'un Africain, mais Obama est américain. Son élection est historique dans un pays qui a connu l'esclavage et la ségrégation. Mais sur le plan de la politique, il s'agit de grands calculs d'intérêts.

We must not delude ourselves. Obama is the son of an African, but Obama is American. His election is historic in a country which has known slavery and segregation. But on the field of politics, it’s a question of large-scale calculations of interests.

At Kogelo in Kenya, the woman that Barack Obama considers his grandmother, Mama Sarah, picked out these criticisms. Stéphanie Braquehais told of how she experienced the victory of her ‘grandson’:

Sourire en coin, elle répond aux questions avec vivacité et humour. A chaque déclaration, elle plisse les yeux et donne parfois un coup de coude à son voisin. A aucun moment, elle ne dérive de son propos. “C’est Dieu qui a permis cette victoire”, elle refuse de parler « politique » et compte bien se rendre aux Etats Unis pour l’investiture.

With the hint of a smile, she answers questions with liveliness and humour. After each statement she squints, sometimes nudging the person beside her. At no time does she deviate from her script. “It’s God who has allowed this victory” [she says], she refuses of speak ‘politics’ and intends to go to the United States for the inauguration.

The election of Barack Obama for a second term still appeals as much to young Africans. In Madagascar, bloggers rose at dawn to follow together the election outcome live onscreen. Here is the video of this meeting by jiviard [fr]:

Even though the disappointment felt at Obama’s legacy in Africa is certainly tangible, the political convictions of Obama seem to converge with those of the majority of Africans. The ‘chemistry’ felt is not due to his family ties with Kenya but rather to a geopolitical pragmatism and common interests to defend, as underlined by [fr] Adrien Hart:

Obama, comme les Bush avant lui, n’a pas vu venir en Afrique l’«ogre chinois». Les Américains, tout comme les Européens, n’ont pas anticipé non plus la menace croissante des «fous de Dieu» en Afrique [..]Obama n’a rien pu faire pour contrer l’avancée des Chinois et des islamistes. Mais l’Afrique votera-t-elle en novembre pour son adversaire Mitt Romney, républicain, mormon et surtout immensément riche, sûrement trop riche? Sûrement pas. Oui, Obama a déçu. Mais l’Afrique ne veut pas qu’il parte. Sans lui, cela serait pire.

Obama, like the Bushes before him, did not see the ‘Chinese Dragon’ coming to Africa. The Americans, just like the Europeans, did not anticipate either the growing threat of ‘God’s fanatics’ in Africa. [...] Obama could not have done anything to counter the advance of the Chinese and the Islamists. But will Africa vote in November for his opponent, Mitt Romney, Republican, Mormon and above all immensely rich, surely too rich? Surely not. Yes, Obama has disappointed us. But Africa doesn’t want him to leave. Without him, things would be worse.

Former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola Sacked

Richard Wanjohi — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:39:29 +0000

Last Friday 19 October, 2012, former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola was dismissed. The move came after a hearing against him found him guilty of accepting bonuses and not declaring among other charges.

BattingwithBimal reported the announcement:

Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola has been sacked with immediate effect after being found guilty on all nine charges that he was accused of during his disciplinary hearing. Majola has been found guilty of misconduct, accepting bonuses, not declaring them to the board and wrongdoing around travel claims.

The former chief executive was also asked to appear before chairperson Karel Tip for the verdict, but chose not to.

Gerald Majola – Image courtesy of www.sportslive.co.za

When Majola, who was given an opportunity to tell his side of the story, and his legal team failed to arrive last Friday, the disciplinary chairperson issued the findings on sanctions, and all of them were agreed to by CSA. The decision in finding Majola guilty has finally brought an end to a three-year long investigation, in which Majola and 39 other staff members were paid a total of R4.7 million (then US$ 671,428) in bonuses after hosting a highly successful Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa in 2009.

SportsLeader Reader Blog for Mail & Guardian Online had an interesting post on how one cricket fan gives a perspective of the fall-out on the game in South Africa over the Gerald Majola issue:

I was seven years old; I remember Clive Rice and his team being paraded around Kolkata with garlands around their necks. Millions of Indians took to the streets to welcome the South African cricket team. I had no idea what cricket was, we grew up in a soccer home, Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool were the teams we idolised. This was something new to many South Africans, but many of us took the cricketers to heart. They were from our country, we had a team.

Forward a few years, we were lucky to host the IPL. South Africa showed the world how to do it, at short notice we hosted a magnificent tournament. But something wasn’t right; murmurs of secret bonuses, palace coups were appearing in the media. Our beloved game was being dragged through the mud; the Gauteng Cricket Board lost its rights to host the Proteas. Cricket was in a shambles and we could all see it except the powerful men and women at CSA. Cricket always seemed to be the sport that united us.

Cricbuzz also reported this as follows:

Despite being informed that the hearing would go on even if Majola and his team were not present, they opted to not show up for the disciplinary hearing after indicating that they understood the consequences.On the 19th of October 2012, a sanction handed down by Advocate Karel Tip SC stated that Mr Majola is dismissed from his service with CSA with immediate effect. That decision has finally put an end to a three year long chapter that involved R4.7 million (at that time US$ 671,428), an amount which was paid to Majola and 29 other staff members during the 2009 IPL that was held in South Africa.

This brings an end to Gerald Majola's ten-year reign, making him one of the longest serving CEOs in the cricket world. In his time, South Africa never won any major trophies in ICC but was able to host the Cricket World Cup in 2003 and also the Indian Premier League games in 2009, gaining a wider global audience and extensive television coverage.

The CSA will be recruiting a new CEO to replace Gerald Majola when they meet on 27 October at their annual general meeting.