Keep the phones on
COVID-19 presents an unprecedented threat, but a campaign by South Africa's security forces attempting to grind defenseless people into dust does not guarantee success.
Politics
Pentecostal promise and a South African dream deferred
Public anxiety grows over “prosperity preachers” who have dominated the religious landscape in South Africa and across the continent.
The People vs 4G internet and other corona stories from Kenya
This crisis has further emphasized the neglect of Kenya’s poor by the government, and is therefore “a wake up call that we are on our own.”
Quand le monde s’effondre
Au crépuscule du règne de Ouattara en Côte d’Ivoire.
Homesick: Notes on lockdown
We know what will happen with this new virus, and so I cannot blissfully self-isolate.
Why is Israel in Africa?
A new book explores the rationale of Israel’s efforts to expand its influence on the African continent.
Fear and loathing in the time of COVID-19
Coronavirus and the problematic perception of migrants as health threats.
From cholera to corona: The politics of plagues in Africa
What lessons can we learn for today from the 2008-09 cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe?
The Green Generation
Why we need to make climate action our daily duty.
Can we end the chocolate industry’s labor abuses?
A new effort to block chocolate imports from Cote d’Ivoire to the US brings attention to cocoa’s problematic supply chain.
Algeria’s forgotten revolutionary history
In the 1960s, Algiers was a beacon for worldwide liberation movements. What happened to its rebellious spirit?
What lies ahead?
The coronavirus pandemic places moral, economic, and political questions before us. Only two answers remain: socialism or barbarism.
When things fall apart
The demise of Alassane Ouattara’s presidency in Cote d’Ivoire.
Cameroon in conflict with itself
The use of a singular narrative to explain the divisions within Cameroon belies the reality that both anglophones and francophones are complicit in the conflict.
Democracy needs dissent
In a ruling party-dominated Tanzania, opposition parties are flawed but remain critically important.
The “China virus”
The coronavirus COVID-19, just like Ebola, reminds us what happens when crisis ignite deep-rooted stereotypes. Yet viruses, or any disease for that matter, do not see color. Nor do they recognize states borders and ethnic enclaves.
Young South Africans are set up for failure
With 7.9 million young South Africans out of work or with very little education or training opportunities, who looks out for their aspirations?
Impounded sandwiches
One major historical function of the police in South Africa remains: to manage the poor.
Point of order
How Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters drive political conversations in South Africa.
Decolonization’s borders
Recent restrictions on refugees — and the limited protests against them — reflect the degree to which many South Africans see “xenophobia” as legitimate hate.