The 'Ethiopian Spring': "Killing is not an answer to our grievances" By René Lefort

Ethiopian PM, Hailemariam Desalegn attends African Summit in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa January 2016.

There is every sign that Ethiopia is plunging into a crisis whose scale, intensity, and multiple and interdependent drivers are unprecedented since the founding of the regime in 1991. The Ethiopian leadership remains in denial. The long meetings of its ruling bodies have culminated in a report on 15 years of national “rebirth”, in which it awards itself good marks, whileacknowledging the existence of a few problems here and there.

ISS Today: East African Community must use its leverage in Burundi By Stephanie Wolters

Journalist Jean Bigirimana has been missing since 22 July. Two weeks after his disappearance, his colleagues at Iwacu – Burundi’s only independent newspaper – received news that a body had been found in the Mubarazi River outside Bujumbura.

Within 40 minutes, a team of Iwacu staff set out to investigate. Three days later they found a body, then a second. Neither turned out to be Jean. The authorities later buried the bodies, unable to identify them.

Jean is still missing. So are hundreds of other Burundians, mainly young men. Their families are unsure where to turn for information. Some are too scared to ask the authorities to investigate. Thousands more are detained, many of them illegally. Torture is common.

Opinion: Only a ‘Zuckerberg’ can afford to eat fish

 

Last week’s widely circulated images of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg tearing delicious deep-fried African Tilapia fish with ugali in at Mama Oliech Restaurant in Nairobi set social media on fire.
As the youthful, casually dressed billionaire swallowed the last lump of ugali and licked his fingers, his pictures from the historic lunch had made a million laps across the globe and thrust Lake Victoria Tilapia on top of the world.

Photos: 1st Day of September 2016 Umkhosi woMhlanga Reed Dance at the Enyokeni Palace, KwaNongoma, Kwazulu-Natal

 King Goodwill Zwelithini's daughter leads thousands of young women to present their reeds to the king.

Thousands of maidens  gathered at the Enyokeni palace in KwaNongoma in northern of KwaZulu-Natal, to participate in the 30 second annual reed dance from yesterday September 10, 2016.

They carried their reeds for about 3 kilometres to the Palace to present reeds before his Majesty Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini.
Maidens came from across the province and neighbouring countries, including Swaziland  to  participate in this year's ceremony. More pics after cut...

Reuben Abati "Between The Journalist And The Spokesperson"

 

In the past few weeks, my colleagues who have taken over as spokespersons for the Muhammadu Buhari government and the All Progressives Congress have found themselves in the line of fire, as they are accused of destroying their old reputation as truth-tellers, courageous journalists and activists of the Fourth and Fifth Estates of the Realm.

Article: The heritage of hair: stories of resilience and creativity By Rosabelle Boswell

 

 

 Cutting edge anthropological analyses suggest that contemporary hair styling is about “fashioning futures”, since African identities are “works in progress that refuse to be impoverished by dichotomies”.
However hair is also about the past and, specifically, cultural heritage. It is both tangible and intangible, a palpable thing that has long term symbolic value. As a changeable part of the human body, hair has long been modified for aesthetic and other ends. But skewed power structures entrenched by racism and sexism have meant that women, and particularly women of colour, have borne the brunt of stereotyping and prejudice. Even so, hair reveals the diversity of human history and cultural creativity.

Photos: From Moretele Park Tribute Concert at Mamelodi, Tshwane, South Africa

 Zonke

The festival features 100% local music, with various genres ranging from jazz, pop, traditional and dance catered for. More pics after cut....

Photo: 38 dead, 92,000 left homeless by Niger floods

More than 26,000 livestock have been lost and more than 9,000 homes destroyed, the UN said, citing government figures. File photo
Image by: REUTERS

 

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the deaths, up from a previous government toll of 14, followed torrential rains in August.
More than 26,000 livestock have been lost and more than 9,000 homes destroyed, the UN said, citing government figures.
Authorities and NGOs have already given out aid to more than 50,000 people, the UN added, with many of the homeless sheltering in schools and public buildings.

Photos: Afrobeat Star, Seun Kuti At the International Arts Festival (Arts Alive) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

 Afrobeat star and son of Fela Kuti was at the Ats Alive International Arts Festival on Sunday September 4 2016 at the Zoo lake in Johannesburg, South Africa hosted by the City of Johannesburg Council. Seun Kuti showcased his emergence as a coming legend in afrobeat and thrilled the crowd with some of his popular hits such as IMF and Fela's ever green, Follow Follow. More pics after cut.....

Photos: LAYLIZZY SHUTS DOWN MOZ WITH AKA

                                                                  Dumskie

This sold out show took place at Coconuts which is one of the biggest concert venues in Mozambique and it is with no doubt that the two (AKA and Laylizzy) had a whole load of fun doing what they do best on stage. As very much expected, it is quite evident that they smashed their set as the word around the performance trended on social media for quite some time, both in Mozambique and in South Africa when AKA posted up videos of them performing. More pics after cut........

Photos: Annual reed dance opened SADC summit in Swaziland

Dozens of thousands of "maidens" braved the baking hot sun, which according to Swaziland meteorology services, raised the temperature to above 30 degrees Celsius.

The spirited traditional display -- the annual reed dance -- was witnessed by South African President Jacob Zuma, Botswana President Ian Khama, Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi, Namibian President Hage Geingob in the royal capital Lobamba.

Photo: Gabon parliament set ablaze after Bongo declared winner

 

Angry protesters torched Gabon's parliament Wednesday after President Ali Bongo was declared winner of what he claimed was a "peaceful and transparent" election, but which the opposition said was fraudulent.

It only took a few minutes for the announcement to sink in before several of Libreville's poorer neighbourhoods erupted in anger, with thousands of people taking to the streets to express their fury.

As gunfire crackled across the city, at least six people were admitted to hospital with bullet wounds, AFP reporters saw. Several of the wounded said they were shot by security forces.

According to official results made public shortly after 1500 GMT, Bongo won Saturday's presidential poll by just 5,594 votes, taking 49.80 percent to 48.23 percent for his rival Jean Ping, a veteran diplomat and former top African Union official.

Photos: MeeT 2016 Idols SA top 16 contestants

 Amanda Kunene (22) from Durban North she lives with her mother, twin sister and younger sister. She is currently studying towards an Honours Degree in Music at the University of KwaZulu- Natal. She hopes Idols will help her land a recording deal and be more involved in the entertainment industry. More after cut

Photo: Creative space: Artists celebrate Jozi's downtown dreams By Gemma Hart

The Bag Factory was initially inspired by the early Triangle and Thupelo workshops in the late 1980s founded by David Koloane and Robert Loder.
They are now celebrating their baby's 25th birthday.
"David and Robert wanted to recreate a permanent creative environment which would benefit artists of all races," says Aysha Waja, a curator at the Bag Factory.
The notion of ''learning through exchange" remains at the core of its practice.
''The location is central. It is just outside the CBD and gives a sense of everyday engagement with the city, while also providing a space for reflection," she says.

Photo: AYIDSA Official Launch Of its 2016 Heritage Week on 23th September 2016

The Association of Yorubas in Diaspora South Africa (AYIDSA) presents its 2016 Heritage week with the Theme: Rekindling The Trail Blazing Attribute of Yoruba People and Nation on 23th September 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa.