Stories that have crossed my desk in recent days with brief commentary as applicable:
I think there is no getting around it. ANC Youth League president Julius Malema is a South African politics version of Rasputin: it is seemingly impossible to kill his career, even by self-inflicted wounds.
Obvious But It Probably Had To be Said Department: Kenyans approving the country’s new constitution represents a beginning of what will likely be a difficult process, not the end of one.
Post-1994 Rwanda is in the eyes of many a glorious story of reconciliation. But that’s largely because the attention span of most people when it comes to Africa lasts precisely as long as the news cycle spits out the news. The reality is that as the years have passed Paul Kagame’s rule has grown increasingly draconian. He’s pretty much assured himself of winning another term in tomorrow’s elections. A few other African countries, including South Africa, are beginning to pay attention to Rwanda’s increasingly authoritarian leanings.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is uneasily watching the lingering political stalemate in Madagascar.
Finally, a story I promise I will be following up on soon: There are hints that a media crackdown is pending in South Africa. This is alarming stuff and may be the biggest fight for South Africa’s democratic values — and keep in mind what a staunch defender of South Africa as a success story I have always been.