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Zambia has made quietly impressive progress since the advent of multiparty democracy in 1991. Although its levels of corruption have remained high and there have been a number of highly controversial elections, the country has consistently pulled back from the brink. But, things appear to be heading south as President Edgar Lungu increasingly displays dictatorial tendencies, argues Nic Cheeseman.
At the 2017 World Economic Forum on Africa, Oxfam presented a paper about the role the “human economy” can play in inclusive growth on the continent. The organisation has done commendable work in highlighting global inequalities but, warns Jason Musyoka, it runs the risk here of distorting the grassroots concept of “human economy” to placate an elitist crowd.
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Zambian President Edgar Lungu has been criticised for turning the country into a dictatorship.
Reuters/Rogan Ward
Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham
The world's media, which has in the past found Zambia uninteresting, are suddenly paying more attention to the country, for all the wrong reasons.
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Politics + Society
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Waheeda Amien, University of Cape Town
Although South Africa has taken steps to rid itself of the apartheid-era view of marriage as only heterosexual and monogamous, discrimination against religious marriages persist.
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Business + Economy
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Jason Musyoka, University of Pretoria
Oxfam’s efforts to find solutions to the world's inequalities are welcome but its wrongful use of “human economy” and repackaging it as a concept from high up might do more harm than good.
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Education
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Jess Auerbach, African Leadership University
It's important to shift educational discourse in and around Africa in a more equitable, representative direction.
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Environment + Energy
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Mariola Acosta Francés, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); Edidah Lubega Ampaire, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); Laurence Jassogne, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Tanzania and Uganda have improved gender integration in agriculture policy. But a lot still needs to be done in the allocation of resources and transformation.
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