At the time of writing, eSwatini was burning – literally and figuratively. The country, which has the dubious distinction of being Africa’s sole absolute monarchy, was engulfed in protests by... 

It’s Journalism 101 time this week – well, mostly – and I will cut to the chase: what is the difference between reporting and journalism? The two are not perfect synonyms. Reporting, or simply the... 

At the time of writing, Africa was in mourning, following the breaking of the news that Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s President from 1964 to 1991, had breathed his last in a Lusaka military hospital.... 

Gwede Mantashe is a jolly good fellow. And a reasonable one too. But events of the past couple of weeks betray a smallanyana (read ‘smallish’) flaw on his part: an inability to read his boss’s... 

Fathers of pan-Africanism such as the late Kwame Nkrumah, who wished for the day when Africa would be truly united, must have been pleased as they witnessed from the Great Unknown the coming into... 

American political scientist Bernard Cecil Cohen famously wrote in 1963 that “the press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in... 

It has been about eight years since Islamic extremists stormed an upscale shopping mall in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, killing 62 civilians and five soldiers before they were subdued. But images... 

Conventional wisdom has it that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. But a Ghanaian youngster has proven also that one man’s trash can be another man’s means of mobility – literally.... 

In a few days, we will be celebrating a day that is dear to those who cherish our great continent. Well, for us in Mzansi, ‘celebrate’ is not quite the word: we the wafanyakazi will be at the... 

Former Gauteng Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku was a rising star in the ruling African National Congress. That was until a major scandal around the procurement of personal protective equipment for... 

Bonginkosi Madikizela’s claim to fame is that he is the leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape and the MEC for Transport and Public Works in that province. But he is currently... 

Lesotho became the first African country to legalise the cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2017. Now – four short years later – a few other countries have followed in its... 

African countries have been beneficiaries of deep-pocketed China’s ‘generosity’ for yonks. Even South Africa, the most developed country on the continent, has been a beneficiary, having received a... 

Remember Chris Maroleng? He is pretty much out of the limelight these days, and the only time he gets to grace our telly screens is when a journalist wants soundbites to embellish a story about... 

Gwede Mantashe is a South African politician who served as the national chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC). He is also a former chairperson of the South African Communist Party and... 

An epidemic of gigantic proportions is sweeping through Africa, and some experts say it is more devastating than HIV/Aids. It is good old obesity, and that it is shaping up as a major crisis is... 

At the time of writing, Africa was in mourning. News of the passing of Tanzania’s 61-year-old leader, John Magufuli, had just broken. His robust crusade against corruption in high places from early... 

So, Patrice Motsepe is the new czar of the beautiful game on this continent, having assumed the presidency of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) a fortnight back. Although he mounted a... 

Mahamadou Issoufou is not a household name on these shores. But he is definitely a remarkable fellow, if the bestowal on him of the 2020 Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership is anything to go by.... 

As a Covid-19 survivor, it breaks my heart to realise that there is so much superstition and scepticism around vaccines designed to combat this disease, which has had such a horrific impact on both... 

‘Clean energy’ has become a buzzword across the globe, including in our sub-Saharan Africa neck of the woods, where the International Renewable Energy Agency is projecting renewables will comprise... 

Air pollution levels tend to rise in lockstep with a country’s economic development, which is often accompanied by an increase in the number of emissions-belching industrial enterprises. But a new... 

Initiatives such as government’s push against gender-based violence – which culminated in the launch, about a fortnight ago, of a fund to tackle this scourge – are clearly indicative of the overall... 

Before the madness in Tigray started playing out last year, most of the news coming out of Ethiopia was such that all of us would be proud to be African. A case in point was Prime Minister Abiy... 

Kenyans are due to elect a new Parliament and a new President only in August 2022, but the frenetic itinerary of Deputy President William Ruto – who has made no bones about his intention to take a... 

Voting in Uganda has come and gone, and Yoweri Museveni – the 76-year-old former rebel who shot his way to power in 1986 – remains ensconced in State House, amid opposition accusations that his... 

So many labels can be pinned onto Donald Trump. But two recently acquired ones – ‘former President of the US’ and ‘erstwhile Twitter user’ – give me a hell of a lot of satisfaction. With his... 

Much stink was kicked up in May last year when American George Floyd died at the hands of a police officer in a clearly racist incident. The din of condemnation was universal and among the more... 

Queen Elizabeth II popularised the Latin phrase annus horribilis – which means ‘horrible year’ – when, back in 1992, she delivered a speech marking the fortieth anniversary of her ascension to the... 

Bad news abounds these days – ranging from dictators who are clinging on to power by hook or crook to death on a wide scale as a result of Covid-19 and sagging economies, with the attendant impact... 

The bad news keeps piling up. Just when we thought we would see no further depressing headlines than those related to the toll that the coronavirus pandemic continues to take on lives and... 

Donald Trump is such a sore loser. But, despite his bizarre claims that he was cheated out of victory, he will have to make way for Joe Biden as the new White House occupant, come January 20. I’m... 

The predictions were dire. Owing to Africa’s weak health systems – which the continent’s well-heeled elites are known to eschew in the same way one would stay clear of the plague – millions upon... 

One of the major talking points in Africa currently is the fatal shooting by the Nigerian military of 69 young men and women demonstrating against the excesses of a police unit set up to combat... 

In a few days, Americans will cast their ballots in an election that will either extend Donald Trump’s rule by another four years or see him leave the While House as the first one-term President... 

US news weekly Time’s eagerly awaited 100-strong list of the world’s most influential people in various fields of endeavour was released late last month. Proving that our continent is coming into... 

The past few years have witnessed the departure of a few African Big Men who had dominated the political landscape in their countries for decades. The most notable are Angola’s Jose Eduardo dos... 

Kenya has quite a high profile in Africa. It owes this visibility to several factors: it is East Africa’s economic powerhouse, its tourist attractions – which are patronised by visitors from across... 

The Covid-19 pandemic has had multiple impacts. Apart from hundreds of thousands of deaths, many economies are now shadows of their former selves, while scores of people have joined the ranks of... 

The ‘black tax’ phenomenon is as common in Mzansi as it is elsewhere on the continent. This is where societal values demand that individuals who ‘have arrived’ – nay, who are fortunate enough to... 

There is much depressing news around these days, from the havoc that the Covid-19 pandemic is wreaking on countries – in the health, economic and social senses – to tyrants continuing to ride... 

I have always admired the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas). Unlike the regional body in our neck of the woods, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), it does talk –...