| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Editor's note
|
|
Kenya’s media has been in the spotlight given its controversial role in the 2007 poll that ended in violence and over 1 000 deaths. George Gathigi provides insights into how people think it performed this time. And as far as how voters cast their ballots, Yvonne Rowa Woods argues
that both opposition leader Raila Odinga and incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta exploited ethnic affiliations. Their supporters also demonstrated a stubborn fixation to vote along tribal lines.
The outcome of the latest no confidence vote in President Jacob Zuma – the eighth since he became president in 2008 - has laid bare the fact that the governing ANC is a fractured party. Mashupye Herbert Maserumule argues that the ANC’s failure to set itself apart from its ethically compromised leader has given the opposition precious ammunition. And Roger Southall examines
the outcome of the vote from the perspective of party loyalty versus personal conscience.
|
|
|
Top stories
|
George Gathigi, University of Nairobi
Kenya has just gone through a charged campaign period, followed by a contested election result. The media has been out in force covering it all. But did they do a good job?
| |
Yvonne Rowa Woods, University of Adelaide
Despite concerns about corruption, the high cost of living and a stagnating economy, Kenyans may have handed Uhuru Kenyatta a second term.
|
Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand
The motion of no confidence against South Africa's President Jacob Zuma showcased tension at the heart of South Africa’s democracy. Should MPs have the right to vote according to their conscience?
| |
Mashupye Herbert Maserumule, Tshwane University of Technology
South African President Jacob Zuma, should be worried about the outcome of the no confidence vote in him. His legitimacy in the ANC and the country has plummeted.
|
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Keith Gottschalk, University of the Western Cape
The huge hype ahead of the vote of no confidence in President Zuma made the result anti-climactic. However, the fact that the motion was defeated by only a 21 vote margin is unprecedented.
-
Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand
Even if President Zuma wins the no confidence vote, the consequences for the ruling ANC are dire. A loss would see it further divided and weakened ahead of the 2019 elections.
-
Chukwuma Al Okoli, Federal University Lafia
Attacks by Fulani herdsmen on communities in West Africa are increasing in number and in sophistication. Regional and national authorities must respond promptly to arrest the threat.
-
Amanda Gouws, Stellenbosch University
All three female contenders for the presidency of the ANC and South Africa have strong liberation struggle credentials and have also contributed to democracy. But, are they up to the job?
|
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Justine Davies, King's College London
To tackle the increasing burden of diabetes in Africa, health systems on the continent need to be strengthened.
-
Marc Mendelson, University of Cape Town
New reports that stopping antibiotics when you feel better is better for you could do more harm than good. But it has reopened the debate on how long antibiotics should be used.
-
Agnes Binagwaho, University of Global Health Equity
Rwanda's vaccination programme for girls against HPV, the most common sexually transmitted disease was a huge success, thanks to implementation science.
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Sarobidy Rakotonarivo, University of Stirling; Neal Hockley, Bangor University
Conservationists need to assess costs which allow for the adequate compensation of communities on protected lands, whose livelihoods are deeply entwined with forest use.
-
Sarah Durant, Zoological Society of London
Many mammals depend on large areas and trans-boundary conservation for their survival. When this is obstructed it can have a catastrophic impact on animal populations.
-
Kevin Winter, University of Cape Town
Early warning signs of a pending drought are difficult to recognise but cities will have to be better prepared for prolonged changes in weather patterns, so that it can respond quickly.
|
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Misheck Mutize, University of Cape Town
The idea that South Africa must look towards the International Monetary Fund to rescue itself from the prevailing crisis must be dismissed.
-
Sean Flynn, American University
An alternative to an open fair dealing right, or as a clarification, South Africa's copyright law could be amended with a specific provision to protect modern Internet uses.
-
Lorenzo Fioramonti, University of Pretoria
South Africa's 14 point plan to achieve economic recovery lacks detail and vision of how the country is going to get itself out the prevailing economic crisis.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Stacey Vorster, University of the Witwatersrand
The Andy Warhol exhibition embodies so many of the contradictions, complications and conflicts in both art and society in contemporary South Africa.
-
Keymanthri Moodley, Stellenbosch University
The contentious book documenting Nelson Mandela’s last days that was pulled of the shelves left many unanswered questions. Judgement must be suspended until it's content is made public.
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Julien Benoit, University of the Witwatersrand
The Moschops fossil was discovered in South Africa in 1911 and a new study of a complete skull shows how its dense braincase protected the brain and sense organs during head-to-head combat.
-
Amr Aswad, University of Oxford
Massive online DNA databases can be used as a resource to discover viruses -- even if the data had not been explicitly collected for that purpose.
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
