Africa: A Continent Without Democrats

By Reuben Abati

The second wave of democratization in Africa, beginning in the 80s, and the gradual establishment of democracy as the new normal in the continent brought much hope and excitement. As we have seen in the recent intervention by the military in Zimbabwe, coup d’etats have become unpopular and unacceptable in the entire continent in deference perhaps to dominant global politics. 

*Mugabe and Museveni

In the past two decades, there have been many electoral transitions across the continent indicative of a pattern of democratic consolidation. In reality, however, mercenaries of democracy, dictators and a military culture dominate African politics. The form of governance may have changed, but the form of politics has remained seemingly unchangeable. We are forcefully reminded of this by certain recent developments across the continent. In Burundi, President Pierre Nkurunziza has just ensured that the officials of a football team, which rough-tackled him during a football match last year, have been sent to prison. Nkurunziza, a graduate of Sports Education (1990), loves to play football, even as President. He owns a football team, Haleluia FC, and a choir, “Kameza gusenga” which means “pray non-stop”.

I See Buhari Going The Jammeh, Mugabe, Zuma Way

By Reno Omokri

The news that the South African President, Jacob Zuma was resigning with immediate effect came as a bolt of lightning on Wednesday the 14th of February. It was a Valentines Day special for all of Africa.

*Ex-President Zuma and President Buhari

Apparently, to stave off a vote of no confidence on him by his own party, the African National Congress (ANC), Zuma, quit the stage while the ovation was lowest. In the space of just s little over a year, Africa got rid of some of its worst performing leaders (if you can call them that). First Jammeh, then Mugabe, and now Zuma. 

Mugabe: Sleeping With The Dragon-Queen

By Dare Babarinsa

Finally, Robert Mugabe is separated from power. One impertinent journalist was said to have once asked the perennial president: “Mr Mugabe, when are you going to say bye-bye to the people of Zimbabwe?”

He replied: “Where are they going?”

*Robert and Grace Mugabe 

 Finally the people of Zimbabwe, who once regarded him as the ultimate hero, left him. It took a non-coup by the Zimbabwean military and the nudging of South Africa to convince Mugabe that the game has ended and it was time for the big masquerade to return to Igbale, the portal of the dead. What years of diplomatic isolation and protests by fractious opposition could not achieve, Grace, Mugabe’s graceless dragon-queen achieved. She wanted a dynasty and sought the hero to make her the queen after his long reign must have ended. She worked hard to change the tide of history using the old weapon of bottom-power to her advantage. She failed.

Lessons From Robert Mugabe’s Fall

By Georgina Asare Fiagbenu

We have just witnessed the end of the Presidency of President Mugabe. It is very interesting that today we refer to him as the former leader of Zimbabwe when a few weeks ago he was still President of that country and legally had more months to rule.

*Robert and Grace Mugabe 

During the last few weeks of Mugabe's rule, there was so much coverage about him than any other African leader. Getting attention on channels like BBC, CNN and Reuters is not for nothing. News on Robert Mugabe sells like tea to the British and beer to the Germans.

I am not sure that they are interested in him because he is the oldest President in Africa. It appears the West was looking forward to the day Mugabe will leave for them to ensure the reversal of some of his unfavorable decisions.

Robert Mugabe: Freedom Fighter Or Dictator?

By Kwaku Tafari

Last Friday, I was invited to deliver a lecture on the topic Mugabe: Freedom Fighter or Dictator at Futa Square in Nima. It was an educative session. I want to share the bullet points I touched on here. I further explained the points during the lecture though. Follow and read more on the points raised. Thank you.

1.      Amilcar Cabral stated in his book Unity and Struggle that “In all our studies, history is best qualified to reward all research.” On this basis let me take you slightly into history.

2.    It was Kwame Nkrumah, the one who knows that stated that “Those who would judge us merely by the heights we have achieved would do well to remember the depths from which we started.”

3.    Once upon a time, there lived a happy people called Matabeleland with their great king called Lobengula Khumalo. Matabeleland was named after its people, the Ndebele. Other ethnic groups include Tonga, Kalanga, Venda, Khoi Sani, Twana, Xhosa and Zulu.

4.    One fine afternoon, a group of free-booters led by Cecil Rhodes, (a man who had the reasoning that “the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race”. He therefore advocated vigorous settler colonialism, describing the country’s black population as largely “in a state of barbarism” and advocated their governance as a “subject race” and was at the center of moves to marginalize them politically. He is a White Supremacist and “an architect of Apartheid) visited Matabeleland with some few drinks (snaps), mirror, gun and gun powder and 100 British Pounds and presented it to the king.

The Robert Mugabe In Most Of Us

By Martins Oloja

This week I have had to deepen my understanding of why Master Jesus had to be angry with (religious) hypocrites of his time. Jesus is introduced to us in the scriptures as a calm, cool and collected teacher, preacher and healer until he encounters hypocrisy and speaks angrily about hypocrites. In the account in Matthew 23, Jesus who for the first time shows that he can lose his cool too, pronounces a series of woes on the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees. 

*Mugabe

He condemns the Pharisees’ lack of spiritual values, as shown by the arbitrary distinctions they make. For example, they say: “If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is under obligation.” They thus show their moral blindness, for they put more emphasis on the gold of the temple than on the spiritual value of Jehovah’s place of worship. And thus, they “have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice, mercy and faithfulness.”​ (v-16-23).

Emmerson Mnangagwa: Profile Of Zimbabwe's New President

*Emmerson Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe,
Grace Mugabe 

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the man known as "the crocodile" because of his political cunning, has finally achieved a long-held ambition to succeed Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe's president.

Mr Mugabe, 93, resigned amid a military takeover and mass demonstrations - all sparked by his sacking of Mr Mnangagwa as his vice-president.

"The crocodile", who lived up to his name and snapped back, may have unseated Zimbabwe's only ruler, but he is still associated with some of worst atrocities committed under the ruling Zanu-PF party since independence in 1980.

One veteran of the liberation struggle, who worked with him for many years, once put it simply: "He's a very cruel man, very cruel."

Emmerson Mnangagwa Sworn In As Zimbabwean President

*Emmerson Mnangagwa being sworn in as
Zimbabwe's president in Harare
-Nov 24, 2017

Emmerson Mnangagwa has been sworn in as Zimbabwe's president in a ceremony at a packed stadium in the country's capital, Harare.

It follows the dramatic departure of Robert Mugabe after 37 years of authoritarian rule.

The former vice-president's dismissal earlier this month led the ruling Zanu-PF party and the army to intervene and force Mr Mugabe to quit.

Mr Mnangagwa, who had fled the country, returned from exile on Wednesday.

The opposition is urging Mr Mnangagwa, who has been part of the ruling elite, to end the "culture of corruption".

Grace Mugabe: The Fall of Africa’s Most Hated First Lady

           By Sisonke Msimang

I spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe in the mid-2000s, as the head of a human rights organization that worked across Southern Africa. Even at the height of the political turmoil in 2008, when opposition figures were assaulted in the aftermath of a stolen election, I was often struck by how deeply respectful Zimbabweans were of their president. Many people were obviously unhappy with Robert Mugabe’s leadership. Still, it was not unusual to hear people reference his role in the independence movement, to point out his clear intellectual gifts and his efforts to advance education.

*Grace Mugabe 

They had no such respect, however, for his wife. Grace Mugabe did not have a history in the liberation movement. She had done nothing for Zimbabwe under colonialism — she was too young. Ms. Mugabe instead inspired disdain. The narrative, universally accepted across the country, was that the shy young typist had stolen Mr. Mugabe’s heart and then corrupted him. Mr. Mugabe was a good man turned bad; Ms. Mugabe was the temptress who led him to his downfall.

And in a way, she ultimately did. In the wake of the military takeover of Zimbabwe’s government last week, the announcement that Robert Mugabe is no longer in charge of the country, his subsequent refusal to step down and his ultimate resignation, there is much uncertainty in the country. What is clear is that Grace Mugabe was at the center of the discontent that sparked the surprise coup; the goal, in removing the 93-year-old Mr. Mugabe, was to ensure that she would not ascend to the presidency after his death.

End Of The Road For Robert Mugabe

By Anthony Akinola

Had Robert Mugabe bought into the philosophy of Muhammadu Buhari regarding the place of the spouse of a serving political leader, he probably would have held on to his job until God decides to remove him, Were the place of Grace Mugabe to have been in the kitchen and the other room, just as that of Aisha Buhari is in Nigeria, those desperate to succeed Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe might have tarried a little bit. But because ambitious Grace Mugabe was all along eyeing the position of her husband, those who resented such an affront have conspired to bring an end to the 37-year rule of 93-year old Robert Mugabe.

*Robert and Grace Mugabe

Mr. Mugabe, described as “brilliant, intelligent and nasty” by a British commentator, became leader of Zimbabwe after successfully leading a revolt against the regime of Ian Smith in 1980. His emergence from the trenches to lead his people received the enthusiasm and endorsement of fair-minded people who believed it was absurd for the minority white population to be ruling the majority black population as the case was in former Rhodesia. Mugabe was received warmly wherever he went, hailed by all and sundry as a war hero.