On the occasion of my 28th birthday in March this year, the message from my mother was slightly different from that of years gone past: “Happy birthday son. You know I’m now eagerly anticipating the day you bring someone home and of course, also looking to hold your child in my hands.” From where I […]
Levi Kabwato
@LeviKabwato is a social and political commentator. His other areas of interest include media management, journalism, media freedom, freedom of expression in cyberspace, creative writing and radical philosophy.
Posted inNews/Politics
Malema is out but his message is the in thing
I was at Mbare township’s netball complex on Saturday April 3 2010 for ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s rally. Mbare is Zimbabwe’s oldest high-density suburb and is also one of the areas that suffered tremendously from the Robert Mugabe regime’s shameful Operation Murambatsvina or Operation Get Rid of Filth, which left thousands of Zimbabweans […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Will the real pharaoh please stand up
The resignation of Egypt’s cabinet this week shows the paralysing complexities surrounding the process of transition to democracy in post-revolution societies in the Arab world. Only in Tunisia, the country that ushered in this huge wave of change in North Africa, has the transition to democracy been relatively smooth, albeit accompanied by some challenges. It’s […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Is SA the next Zimbabwe?
The simple answer is, no. I’ve attempted to answer this question once before, in 2009. My argument at the time was that South Africa had a strong Constitution, which ensured the country stayed on democratic course. Unlike Zimbabwe, post-apartheid South Africa has endeavoured to consolidate democracy by empowering independent institutions such as the judiciary. Soon […]
Posted inNews/Politics
How to lose goodwill and anger a republic
I attended President Bingu wa Mutharika’s second-term inauguration at a packed Chichiri Stadium in Malawi’s commercial capital, Blantyre in May 2009. His party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had led one of the most successful election campaigns in the political history of Malawi, amassing an unprecedented parliamentary majority. Mutharika’s first term was nothing like that, however. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
No country for young men and women
Last month renowned scholar Mahmood Mamdani wrote “An African Reflection of Tahrir Square” where he linked the Egyptian uprising to the 1976 Soweto uprisings. “Ordinary people stopped thinking of struggle as something waged by professional fighters, armed guerrillas, with the people cheering from the stands, but as a popular movement with ordinary people as key […]
Posted inNews/Politics
No world peace until premium placed on humanity
In June 2006, The Guardian carried an interesting story about young and radical British rapper Aki Nawaz, also known as Aki-Stani or Propa-Gandhi. The story was prompted by two record label executives threatening to resign if Nawaz went ahead to release his group’s album, All Is War (The Benefits of G-had). The album itself was […]
Posted inNews/Politics
My problem with Morgan Tsvangirai
Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday embarked on a regional tour to seek support from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in finding a lasting solution to the multi-faceted but mainly political crisis in his country. He is reported to have met with leaders in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique. Last week, Tsvangirai threatened, […]
Posted inLifestyle
Redefining the male species
Last weekend I attended a men’s conference at my local church, Rivers Church in Sandton. Every year, the church brings men of all kinds of background and basically tries to challenge them into becoming the best men they can be to their families, communities, cities and countries. The conference is called “Heroes” and this year’s […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Emperors celebrate in birthday suits
Two presidents. Two birthdays. One month. One region. This is the story of presidents Robert Gabriel Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Brightson Webster Ryson Thom, otherwise known as Bingu wa Mutharika (Malawi). Mugabe was born February 21 1924. Mutharika 10 years and three days later. Last week, the pair celebrated their birthdays, Mugabe his 87th and […]