A History in Fragments
The recent explosions in the Stade de France was one of the most surreal things to ever take place in a stadium built nearly two decades ago specifically to house history.
Blog
Sex, beer, and ndombolo
A Congolese writer whose work oscillates between gripping dystopia and humanist celebration.
The land grabs in Africa you don’t hear about
There's little doubt that Chinese and Arab interests are procuring land in Africa, but a careful review of the evidence suggests also point to local buyers.
Catching up with Noura Mint Seymali
A smallish woman from Mauritania, she rules the stage with a fiery intensity that only the most powerful divas can maintain.
A short history of helping far-off peoples
Humanitarian images have obscured the causes and political complexities of disasters, and undermined the agency of their victims—both symbolically and practically.
South Africa, Post-Trauma
To what extent has South Africa and South Africans failed to address the aftermath of Apartheid, the resonances of which can be felt to this day? To what extent are we living in a post-traumatic space?
We will send an insult to your mum
The Mathare Social Justice Center's activists work to shake off the menacing insults of forced evictions, tenure insecurity, police violence and increasing precarity.
The impasse in Zanzibar
After a tough election in Tanzania, won by the ruling party, a constitutional crisis looms in Zanzibar.
The Hooligans
A black coated Nylophor fence transverses the Union Building lawns the day #FeesMustFall marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The fence creating a ceremonial space for protest below and, at the top, the Union Buildings edifice with a tall sculpture of former president Nelson Mandela with his arms wide open in cruel irony. The […]
Asking for a friend
This week’s 20 questions from our friend: Can Idris Elba’s acting save the Netflix movie ‘Beasts of No Nation’? Why do African national teams do so well in FIFA age group competitions (Nigeria and Mali play each other in the Under 17 World Cup Final today in Chile) but fail so spectacularly at senior level? (A […]
What do they know of cricket
White South African cricket writers should stop commenting on cricket as if the game is apolitical or the national team is still as all-white as when the country was first allowed back into international cricket.
The failure in understanding the Congo
The new documentary film, "We Will Win Peace," skillfully debunks many myths behind conflict minerals in the Congo.