Derek Chauvin, 44, a white police officer at the U.S Minneapolis Police Department has now been caught up in the labyrinthine issue of geopolitics involving Sub-Saharan Africa and the world’s largest economy at a time when China’s growing influence in the region is irking the Trump Administration.

The Floyd Murder’s Global Ripple Effect

Chauvin is presently facing up to 40 years in prison for murdering George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed and cuffed black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin, a 19-year veteran at the Police department now unwittingly finds himself thrust on the global stage epitomizing a negative racial caricature that pigeonholes the white race as being predators of people of color, particularly towards members of the black race.

With Sub-Saharan Africa being the second most populous continent on earth with an estimated population of 1.2 billion people and disproportionately black, this May 15 incident happening 14,108 km away rekindled a strong feeling, that the US under the leadership of Donald Trump has an uphill task navigating the issue of race relations globally.

Africa: Talking Truth to Power

Unlike in the past when the leadership of the African continent courted diplomacy and behind-the-scenes engagement as a strategy of resolving sticky issues revolving around the super power, this time round, the continent has embraced the unprecedented mode of talking truth to power, a probable indication of how low the fortunes of the US have sunk on the continent.

“The paternalistic attitude being displayed by President Donald Trump towards emerging nations has muddied the warm diplomatic relations that hitherto existed and Africa is following the cue by calling out an Administration that has intent of shunning the rest of the world as it perpetrates an inward looking foreign policy referred to as America First, which is unilaterally and isolationist in nature,” said Dr. Godfrey Muriuki, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

‘Africa Demands a Full Investigation into this Killing’

For now, within Africa, Chauvin’s sordid action is being interpreted as a manifestation of the endemic, entrenched and institutionalized racism, prevalent within US, that victimizes people of black color.

With the chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, condemning the murder saying, “The AU Commission firmly reaffirms and reiterates its rejection of the continuing discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the United States of America.”

While, Kwesi Quartey, a top AU official saying “This is one too many. We may be black, but we are people too. Africa demands a full investigation into this killing.”

An emboldened, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo also spoke up loudly on Twitter, writing that:
“Black people the world over are shocked and distraught by the killing … it cannot be right that in the 21st century the U.S., this great bastion of democracy, continues to grapple with the problem of systemic racism.”

“We stand with our kith and kin in America in these difficult times, and we hope that the unfortunate, tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how America confronts head on the problems of hate and racism,” Akuffo-Addo added.

South Africa Calls for ‘Amicable Solution’

South Africa’s ruling party the African National Congress (ANC), while deploring the rising racial discrimination in the US, is calling for “an amicable solution” to what is turning out to being a racial impasse with the ongoing protests and riots.

“It’s deplorable that almost 70 years since racial segregation was abolished in America, people of color are still routinely slaughtered for the color of their skin,” the party remarked in late May.

China vs. USA in Africa

Close watchers of the sub-Saharan Africa say the change of attitude towards the US is driven in big measure by the emergency of China as the biggest trading partner in the region. In 2009 China supplanted the US as Africa’s biggest trading partner. In 2019 China-Africa trade hit the $170 billion mark which was a big contrast compared to the US trade with sub-Saharan Africa for the same period which registered $39 billion.

And there is a reason for this seismic change of fortunes. China’s approach towards Africa has eternally been trade oriented. The region morphed to became one of the top destinations for Chinese investment after Beijing introduced the so-called “Go Out” policy in 1999 which, encourages private and state-owned business to seek economic opportunities abroad.

China has for example expanded African railways across the region from Kenya in East Africa to Nigeria in West Africa; currently its building a massive hydropower plant in Angola, in addition to building Africa’s longest railway connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti; it has also built the headquarters of the AU in Addis Ababa and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS in Abuja.

US Approach to Africa

In contrast, the US has instead viewed Africa as a battlefield where it can confront its enemies, whether its terrorists after 9/11 or the Soviets during the Cold War, or presently the Chinese brands ascendancy. Invariably, other States have taken a cue from China and as a result Sub Saharan Africa has copious suitors to choose from.

An exemplar is the Africa-India trade which grown 10-fold from US $5.3 billion in 2001 to $62 billion in 2018, — making India Africa’s fourth biggest trading partner, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
Russia also is readying itself to have a piece of the action in Africa.

From October 23 to 24, 2019, the first Russia-Africa Summit was held on in Sochi, Russia, co-hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took place. A total of 43 heads of state or government were in attendance. Putin emphasized “state sovereignty” and willingness of Russia to offer aid or trade deals “without political or other conditions”, saying tongue-in -cheek that “an array of Western countries are resorting to pressure, intimidation and blackmail of sovereign African governments,” adding Russia was well suited to help African states .

‘S**thole Countries’

Worsening relations between the US and Africa was a condescending statement made by President Trump in January 2019 during a meeting with lawmakers in the Oval Office to discuss the terms of a potential bipartisan deal to resolve the status of 800,000 young immigrants protected from deportation by the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, where he derogatorily refereed to Africa states as “s**thole countries,” indelibly cementing the perceived American view of Africa.

When immigration from African countries came up, Trump reportedly complained, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” He then suggested bringing immigrants to the United States from Norway, a country that, many observers noted, is overwhelmingly white.

Awkwardly, Trump had announced an expanded travel ban in early February of that year, affecting nearly a quarter of Africa’s 1.2 billion people — including Nigeria, the continent’s biggest economy and its most populous nation. This helped create a lingering perception that people of Africa extraction were been singled out.

Pompeo’s Mission to Salvage Africa Ties

Seen as a last ditch effort aimed at mollifying Africa, the Trump Administration sent U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later that same month as part of his first foray into sub-Saharan Africa ostensibly to convince its leaders to shun Chinese investments and, instead, look to Washington and American companies for collaboration.

He traveled to three countries, namely Senegal, Angola and Ethiopia where he ironically offered zero investments, initiatives or assistance, sending a mixed signal of the true intentions the US has with Africa.

Ever since January 20, 2017, when Trump became arguably the most powerful man on the planet, Africa has had no reason to count the US as a reliable partner and its diplomatic representative Pompeo and his predecessor Rex Tillerson have visited fewer than ten African countries — a decline from the nearly two dozen African states visited by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who served under President Obama for four years.

Indeed, the unraveling of the Floyd incident only strengthen the perception in the minds of Sub Saharan Africans that so long as Trump is the US President, the African race remains vulnerable and discriminated against. This is not a good omen for a country that seeks to re-gain its glory in a region with some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

L'articolo Murder of Black Man in US Strains Fragile Relations with Sub-Saharan Africa proviene da InsideOver.

South Africa is having a gold problem, and it’s not a shortage or excess, but rather gangs who carry out ‘gold raids.’ The groups loot mines and smelt houses, and even take hostages, Engineering News & Mining Weekly reported.

Higher Prices Draw More Gangsters

Gold prices are at record highs, making mining operations prime targets for bandits. In 2019, Minerals Council South Africa reported 19 armed raids, up from 10 the previous year.

“These incidents are almost always associated with intimidation and physical abuse of staff and contractors, and have also included hostage taking,” read a report from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. Last year, two fatalities were recorded.

The bandits are typically armed to the teeth with AK-47 and R6 assault rifles, moving in groups of 15 or 20 raiders. In December, a raiding party target Gold Fields Ltd.’s South Deep mine and made off with $500.000 worth of stolen goods. 

South Africa’s Government is Failing to Act

The problem is two-fold, caused first in part by the soaring price of gold. Another factor is the lack of a proper government response. Under former President Jacob Zuma corruption, bribery, and crime became commonplace even with the ranks of government officials. Eventually, honest law enforcement authorities gave up, as Bloomberg reported.

“Mining companies are being attacked by thugs and armed gangs and there is a lack of police response,” said Neal Froneman, chief executive officer of Sibanye Gold Ltd, the nation’s largest producer, which was also the target of a failed raid in January. “It eventually has a knock-on impact into society: it’s lawlessness, it’s anarchy,” Froneman added.

South Africa’s Horrific Overall Crime Stats

The anarchy plaguing the South African gold industry is reflective of society overall. The state’s murder rate is at a 10-year high and crime is up across the board, therefore it is easy to imagine robbers taking advantage of a lucrative honeypot like gold miners.

“The fundamental problem is police are not getting on top of organized violent crimes,” said Gareth Newham, head of the justice and violence prevention program at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. “We are seeing a deterioration in our policing capacity.”

At an administrative level, police and courts were thinned under Zuma’s administration. As a result, the government simply does not have the manpower or resources to get a handle on its gold problem.

Zuma’s Government Weighs Possible Task Force

Minister of Police Bheki Cele met with industry representatives in October and discussed plans to create a task force to focus on violence targeting the gold industry.

Gold companies have also tried to increase their security details, both in number and in training. Guards for Sibanye now undergo combat training and have armored vehicles. But they are often outmatched by the gangs who wield automatic weapons and don’t hesitate to use them.

“It’s military precision in terms of planning and execution,” said Nash Lutchman, head of security for Sibanye. “No smelting plant is going to have sufficient manpower and fire power to defend an onslaught from 20 or 30 attackers.”

The Gold Raids are Hurting South Africa’s Economy

The crimes aren’t only hurting gold companies, but also the South African economy in general, notably investment opportunities, said Minerals Council CEO Roger Baxter. If the government can’t protect can’t protect the industry, it sends a telling signal to other foreign businesses that may consider doing business there. Any business should look to be profitable and profit is a beacon to gangsters who are better equipped than the police.

“The lack of resources and capacity within the SA Police Service to prevent these violent assaults, which are largely driven by organized crime, is a major threat to the industry and places the lives of innocent people at risk,” Bader said.

“The impact of illegal mining and product theft on the industry and the country has risen to unprecedented levels and costs the country significantly,” he continued. “The mining industry is under siege and this detracts from production, employment and investment.”

What’s the Next Step to Stop the Lawlessness?

While companies continue to staff more security details on their own, the Mineral Council is also optimistic that the government might finally take action. President Cyril Ramaphosa also addressed the problem more broadly in his State of the Nation Address this year. He plans to create special law enforcement divisions to counter the gold gangs. Although he referred to “construction and other businesses,” it’s a good bet to infer he was speaking to the gold industry. 

The problem is not new and the government is not ignoring it, as indicated by Cele’s meeting and Ramaphosa’s address. While it is understandably a top priority for gold companies, it remains to be seen how the government will prioritize it among a global economic crisis and the current coronavirus outbreak. 

L'articolo Military-Style Gangs Terrorize South African Gold Industry proviene da InsideOver.

Africa seems to be withstanding the coronavirus pandemic despite earlier predictions that its population would be wiped out into desolation. Unlike in the European world where most cases are locally transmitted, most cases in Africa have been imported.

Which African Countries Have Been Hit Hardest By Coronavirus?

The most affected countries are Egypt which is located on the top of the continent and South Africa which is found on the southernmost part of the continent.

In Egypt the total number of infection as of March 19 was 256 with around 60% being foreigners, while the number of deaths was 7. In South Africa confirmed cases on the same date stood at 150 with 0 deaths being reported . Statistically that means 3 deaths in every 100 infected people in Egypt.

Comparing this with data from other continents, the UK which is less affected compared to other European countries has 3,944 confirmed cases and 144 deaths, translating to 4 deaths in every 100 people. In Spain out of 17,395 infected people, 800 have died, meaning 5 deaths in every 100 cases. In Asia, Iran has reported 18,407 cases and 1,284 deaths, translating to 7 deaths in every 100 cases.

Are African Cases Being Under Reported?

Of course it is possible that cases in Africa are being under reported because of lack of resources or healthcare systems that can enable tests to be carried on the scale of developed countries. But still, looking at the recovery rate in African cases in comparison to those of countries outside the continent, Africa’s rate is remarkable.

For instance in Egypt out of the 256 confirmed cases, 28 people have fully recovered. While in the UK out of 3,269 confirmed cases, only 65 have recovered fully. That’s a recovery rate of 11% and 2% respectively. Britain being a developed country one would have expected the recovery rate to be high.

Nevertheless it is worth noting that the situation is being dictated by a number of factors which greatly favor Africa despite its weak infrastructures.

One such factor is the weather. According to Professor John Nicholls of the University of Hong Kong in an interview with AccuWeather “Three things the virus does not like: 1. Sunlight, 2. Temperature, and 3. Humidity.”

“Sunlight will cut the virus’ ability to grow in half, so the half-life will be 2.5 minutes and in the dark it’s about 13 to 20 minutes,” he explained . He also pointed out that the higher the temperature the better for stopping the spread of the virus.

“The virus can remain intact at 4 degrees or 10 degrees for a longer period,” Nicholls argued in reference to Celsius temperature measurements. “But at 30 degrees then you get activation. And high humidity, the virus doesn’t like it either.”

‘High Temperature and High Humidity Significantly Reduce the Transmission of Influenza’

This line of argument is supported by findings of a research recently commissioned by the National Key R & D Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.”high temperature and high humidity significantly reduce the transmission of Influenza,” wrote Jianguyan Wang of Beihang University , Ke Tang of Tsinghua University and Kai Feng and Weifeng Lv both of Beihang University.

“In the early dates of outbreaks, countries with relatively lower air temperature and lower humidity(e.g Korea, Japan and Iran) saw severe outbreaks than warmer and more humid countries (e.g Singapore , Malaysia and Thailand) do,” the four experts said.

Putting this in the context of African climatic conditions, South Africa which is one of the most hit countries is more vulnerable because of its varied climatic conditions than most other countries in Sub Saharan Africa. It also has lower average temperatures than other countries within the range of its latitude.

Winter temperatures may reach the freezing point in high altitude places such as Gauteng which is the epicenter of the current outbreak. In summary the country’s summer starts from November to March , Autumn from April to May and winter from June to August. Meaning it could see a spike in cases of infections in the coming months as cold weather moves in.

Africa Has the Youngest Overall Population in the World

According to UNDP’s “Africa’s defining challenge” report of 2017, Africa has the youngest population in the world. This makes age another factor favoring Africans in this crisis.Young healthy people have a lower risk of contracting the virus and, even if they do, their symptoms are usually milder.

A report by the US Centers for Disease Control published this month shows that the rate of hospitalization of people with coronavirus increases with age. Those of the age group (0-19) were hospitalized at the rate of 1.64%, (20-44) at the rate of 17.5%, (45-54) at the rate of 24%, (55-64) at the rate of 25.3%,(65-74) at the rate of 36.5%, (75-84) at the rate of 44.6%, and those above 84 at the rate of 50.8%.

The low rate of hospitalization in certain categories is because young healthier people tend to display milder symptoms than older people . For instance in Egypt a study conducted by the University of Toronto revealed that the number of coronavirus cases could even be higher than the official figures being released by the government.

The explanation for this is that Egypt has a young population, which the lead researcher said “could result in a lot of mild infections that might not be detected even with widespread transmission , particularly if there isn’t active testing and case finding happening in the country.”

Youth Complacency About Coronavirus Can Be Fatal

However, Prof Patrick Vallance Chief Scientific Advisor to the British Government although agreeing with this hypotheses has warned young people not to be complacent for many of them are ending up in the ICU with Covid-19.

“I think the data on that is pretty strong now, and it certainly is the case that the majority of those that end up dying sadly are people who tend to be either in the later part of their lives, usually quite elderly,” he said. “But there are also some young people who have ended up in intensive care or who have ended up with severe cases of the disease around the world.”

Perhaps HIV presents the biggest problem to Africa in the fight against coronavirus. This is because the virus damages body cells in the immune system and weakens the ability of the body to fight everyday infections and diseases.

The immune system is the body’s defense system. When a harmful invader like a cold or flu virus, or the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 gets into the body, the immune system mounts an attack, known as an immune response. This attack is a sequence of events that involves various cells and unfolds over time, said a team of experts from Harvard Medical School.

Africa’s Added Challenge: High HIV Rates

Almost 70% of 34 million people living with HIV viruses around the world are located in Africa. Furthermore, around 90% of HIV positive children in the world live in Africa.

While The CDC notes that the risk from immune suppression is not known, the history of other viral respiratory infections shows that “the risk for people with HIV getting very sick is greatest in people with a low CD4 cell count and people not on HIV treatment.” In relation to this, the Academy of South Africa recently revealed that HIV positive people are eight times more likely to be hospitalized with pneumonia caused by Influenza.

Without proper healthcare these vulnerable people are at a very high risk of serious complications from the coronavirus. South Africa with its high HIV positive population is highly susceptible to the pandemic. 20% of people living with HIV are in the country. In places like KwaZulu-Natal Province almost 60% of women living ni poverty are HIV positive. And according to Center for Strategic and International Studies 4,500 new cases are reported every week. The best course of action would be to make ARV drugs easily available and to provide them with adequate health care.

L'articolo Africa has an Edge in the Ongoing Fight Against Covid-19 proviene da InsideOver.

As the world endeavors to tackle climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions it’s very critical for world economies to shift their consumption of energy from fossils fuels in order to meet the globally agreed climate goals laid down in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Africa’s Response to Climate Change

Therefore, more than 25 organizations, networks and community resistance groups from Africa and around the world, in a communiqué signed by the group called on African governments to prevent the proliferation of coal, oil and gas in Africa and to ensure efforts to address fossil fuels match those which have helped reduce the danger from nuclear weapons.

In a recently concluded Africa Energy Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change, Energy, and Energy Finance in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia attended by representatives from different NGOs which includes MELCA-Ethiopia, Oil Change Africa, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, the deCOA Lonize Campaign and Power Shift Africa demands the urgent need of African governments to upscale their efforts and strengthen their response to climate change.

“The group criticized the deliberate proliferation of coal, oil, and gas in Africa, contrary to scientific evidence and highlighted the contradiction between planned fossil fuel expansion and globally agreed climate targets,” read the press statement.

IPCC: Sub-Saharan Africa is Particularly Vulnerable to Negative Effects of Climate Change

Although Sub Sahara Africa emits 2 to  3 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions from energy and industrial sources, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that the continent is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Indeed, the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods have already worsened in many parts of Africa and its bad effects will increase in future.

The activists noted that the rapidly rising threats of fossils fuels as the major driver of climate change crisis in Africa also deserved the same efforts that match the magnitude and the speed at which weapons of mass destruction are confronted.

The group specifically called on African leaders to: “put an end to fossil fuel development; to manage the decline of existing production of oil, gas, and coal; and to rapidly initiate a transition to clean and safe renewable sources of energy that fully supports access to energy for those who currently lack it.”

They also asked them to “publicly condemn and reject the double standards advanced by fossil fuel companies and their allied interests, who result in the discriminatory treatment of Africa and her peoples.”

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Need to Go Down By At Least 25 Percent by 2030

According to 2019 emission gap report indicated that by 2030, emissions would need to be 25 per cent and 55 per cent lower than in 2018 to put the world on the least-cost pathway to limiting global warming to below 2˚C and 1.5°C respectively. Alvin Munyasia, from Oxfam International says that all coal must end immediately, and all other fossil fuels phased out by 2050 – with rich countries ditching them fastest to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees.

“No new coal power plants should be built anywhere, and the last existing plant needs to be closed in wealthy countries at the very latest by 2030 and in all countries by 2040,” he insisted.

Additionally, the advocacy group further called on their African leaders to fast-track and rapidly initiate a transition to clean and safe renewable sources of energy that fully supports access to energy for those who currently lack it.” They also ask them to “publicly condemn and reject the double standards advanced by fossil fuel companies and their allied interests, who result in the discriminatory treatment of Africa and her peoples.”

Access to alternative sources of clean energy is vital for African countries towards the realization of Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development .Mohamed Adow, Director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa highlighted the fossil fuel industry as an existential threat to Africa and the world – and to have chance of meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to below 1.5C degrees, international cooperation is required to prevent the proliferation of coal, oil and gas, at the scale and speed required to stabilize the Earth’s climate.

“African countries investing in fossil fuels risk creating stranded assets, and an un-managed and disorderly transition from fossil fuels. We can either intentionally develop new ways to meet our energy needs without increasing our emissions or altogether lose the window of opportunity to ensure a safe climate and a sustainable future.”

Consistent Climate Change Policies are Sorely Needed

The 2019 UN environment emission gap report further indicates that to attain a significant global energy sector transition requires consistent climate change policies that concord well with the Paris agreement goal. This will require huge investments to between US$1.6 trillion and US$3.8 trillion per year globally on average over the 2020–2050 to improve global energy systems.

In this regards, Omar Elmawi, Coordinator for the deCOALonize Campaign, mentioned that Sub- Sahara Africa present huge opportunities for renewable energy. “The abundance of renewable energy like wind, solar and geothermal makes it possible for Africa to leapfrog dirty fossil fuels like coal that countries in the west had to rely on for their development.” Omar said.

But some African countries have already made substantial progress in tapping into vast renewable energy to power their economies. South Africa has developed the largest wind energy while Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya are following suit with both wind and solar energy generation thus increasing competition to fossil fuels.

As the world embraces the energy transition away from fossil fuels to low-carbon solutions, there is potential to disrupt existing power dynamics .Nthabiseng Matsoha, Earthlife Africa’s Researcher and Energy Policy Officer says that it’s high time the continent’s renewable energy potential benefited ordinary people. This is especially important as we move towards a ‘just transition’ to a decarbonized world. Community ownership models should be explored, to not only benefit but to empower.

L'articolo African NGOs Call for Reduction in Coal, Oil and Gas at African Union Summit proviene da InsideOver.

Since poaching rhino horns became a well organised international trade several years ago, its tempo and drive has resembled a military operation. Current figures show that two to three African rhinos are poached in various locales across Africa every day. This has been the statistical norm for five years now. Elsewhere, particularly the Sumatran (Indonesian) and other vulnerable subspecies remain on the cusp of extinction. The war being waged for the horns of the Black and White African rhinoceros, however, gives rise to the bulk of statistics.

In South Africa and various other responsive regions across the continent, numbers are rising in some private and state reserves. Thanks to some innovative and intense responses from government and private foundations, this is a war where the good guys are making headway, yet the situation remains fraught. A new film starring actress Shannon Elizabeth, has outlined the nature of the illegal trade in rhino horn, while giving a clear glimpse of future challenges. Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War lays bare the alarmingly established trade in poached rhino horn, documenting the illicit product’s journey from the African veld to the murky trafficking backrooms of China and Vietnam.

Success comes in spite of poaching pressure

Despite some initially dire statistics – where often smaller, private reserves around South Africa were completely cleaned out of resident rhino in targeted attacks – the effort to conserve rhinos has had some notable successes. A decade ago, approximately 20,800 rhinos were roaming the earth. Today, overall rhino numbers have gone up to around 29,500 – a substantial increase in population numbers.

Loss of genetic diversity – with the Northern White rhino subspecies declared functionally extinct in 2018 – remains a large concern for future population stability. The simple numerical impact of over ten years of intense, organised poaching, has also made for a desperate backdrop to rhino survival. It does often seem, however, particularly in South Africa, where the government together with polished conservation organisations have worked in tandem to safeguard rhinos, that the good guys can win.

South Africa has brought Southern White rhino numbers up from a mere 100 individuals circa 1920, to around 20,000 today. Similar success stories dot this landscape, with the Indian and Nepalese authorities also presiding over the rise of Greater One-horned, or Indian rhino numbers. From as few as 200 individuals, that species numbers around 3,550 animals today. In South Africa, statistics show that the larger reserves like Kruger National Park – in reality, a transnational park sharing a massive conservation area with neighbouring Mozambique – offer poachers the most opportunity. Where land is expansive and outposts distant, poachers operate with greater impunity.

Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War has been praised as the first top-to-bottom, comprehensive recording of the rhino horn trade in all of its grisly reality. Both a shocking expose for many removed from the African bush, as well as an alarm call for the future, the film has galvanised further public support for rhino conservation. Rhinos across Africa are often subject to VIP treatment from armed guards, who trail individuals day and night in order to protect them. Stroop makes it plain that in this dire reality, that kind of paramilitary conservation simply has to intensify.

The film opened the Rotterdam Wildlife Film Festival in October 2018, and both as a documentary and expose, has won rave reviews wherever it’s been screened. Perhaps most revealing for some viewers, the movie clearly shows how middlemen and other traders in Asia play on the limited prospects or existing poverty of the poachers who do the killing. A complex, nuanced trade, the film reveals why it is so difficult to tackle rhino poaching from a single entry point.

Is the fight for rhinos’ survival succeeding?

“iJob ijob” is a common refrain in South Africa, and it essentially denotes resignation. One’s job is one’s job and whatever one must do to make money is just the way it is. Very often, removed from an educated understanding of the implications of poaching as well as any of the financial benefits of conservation, local illegal hunters are dazzled by the thousands of dollars paid for rhino horns. Far removed from Asian middlemen halfway across the world, locals do the dirty work, pass on horns to furtive, interloper agents, who then ship the horns along various routes to their Asian destinations.

The reality of rhino poaching is a complex and sometimes heartbreaking story of mixed players in the game. Successfully addressing the various actors in the rhino horn war necessitates social overtures, persistent education and criminal prosecution. Future conservation needs to be a diverse, intense and intelligent drive if rhinos are to keep recovering in numbers. The rise of a massive Asian middle class has brought the desires of traditional medicine to the forefront of trade, resulting in the current constant war on the world’s rhinoceros.

The future survival of all rhino species hinges largely on two main approaches. It will take state of the art, military grade protection of rhinos on the ground, along with an intensive educational drive directed at consumer countries, notably China and Vietnam, as well as towards the local communities from where poachers are drawn. Only the slow changing of mindsets can enable a future where the currently intense pressure on rhinos can be relieved.

If a statistical gain is indicative of “winning” the war, then it’s fair to say that the good guys are on top right now. That rosy pronunciation, however, comes against the backdrop of consistently intense poaching pressure and an unabated demand from Asia. A great challenge too is the constant need for funding when, in Africa at least, authorities often have diverse pressing social situations to address. The current situation of organisations pushing for the maximum government contribution, while topping up from private coffers as needed, seems set to remain the model for rhino survival going forward.

L'articolo Are We Winning or Losing the War Against Rhino Extinction? proviene da InsideOver.

At least 10 people were killed in an artisanal gold mine collapse in Burkina Faso last week.

The collapse occurred in Sideradougou, Western Burkina Faso on the 14th, in a region that sees frequent “deadly” landslides.

“About 10 bodies have been found after the slide. The death toll can still rise since the exact number of persons underground in the mine is unknown,” an eye witness said.

The news comes a month after a similar landslide in Chad left 30 people dead. The illegal gold mine, located in the Tibesti region, near the Libyan border, is part of a surge of legal and illegal mining in Africa as global investors rush to profit from Africa’s minerals.

On October 2, another landslide, at a shuttered Kampene gold mine, in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, killed at least 16 people. Whether illegal or legal, the mining industry in Africa is widely unregulated. Landslides frequently cause collapses, due to old-fashioned, unsafe health and safety and environmental practices.

Speaking on the collapse, Auguy Musafiri, Governor of Maniema province, said: “There was an accident at the Kampene mine, and for the moment we were able to get 16 bodies from the site of the landslide.”

“What surprises us is that the activities continued in this mine, which had been closed by the provincial division of mines.”

In February this year, five decomposed bodies which had earlier become trapped in a gold mine collapse in Tappita, Liberia, were recovered. Local reports claimed that, lacking specialised machinery, local miners had been using their bare hands to excavate the earth.

In South Africa, last year, seven miners were killed at a South African gold mine in Gauteng, run by mining-giant Sibanye-Stillwater. Shortly after, the congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) picketed the headquarters of Sibanye-Stillwater in Johannesburg.

Thamsanqa Piet Matosa, NUM president, said: “If safety measures had been implemented, this incident would not have happened. We believe Sibanye could have done more. We are here to remind the Chamber of Mines to ensure that mining companies observe the law. Miners have the right to be safe.

“These people [Sibanye-Stillwater] are into profits. They have no respect for workers. Some have never been underground to see the conditions of work. It is neglectful to send people who are not properly trained underground just to make profits.”

In 2013, Ghana began conducting arrests and deportation of illegal foreign miners (most of whom where Chinese) operating small-scale mines in the nation’s gold-mining regions. As in Burkina Faso, gold mining in Ghana is a growing industry. One of the world’s top ten gold producing country last year, Ghana produced 100 tonnes of gold in 2018, up from 85 tonnes the year before. In Burkina Faso, gold production went up from more than 46 tonnes in 2017 to almost 52 tonnes in 2018.

To tackle the small-scale and artisanal mining problem, the Ghanaian government released a headline in 2018 that read: “Ban on small scale mining to be lifted soon.” On December 17 2018, it would remove its temporary ban on small-scale mining.

Some of Ghana’s big-scale licenced mines are owned by world giant gold mining companies, for example, Newmont Mining Corporation and AngloGold Ashanti. Yet Ghana is still dependent on its small-scale mines. Drs Gabriel Botchwey and Gordon Crawford, political scientists, wrote last month that: “Artisanal and small scale mining accounts for 35% of Ghana’s total gold production.”

“For many years, small-scale mining suffered benign neglect from the state which focused on large-scale mining. Local financial institutions also remained uninterested, and very little was done to advance production technology.

“The [mining] sector is rife with corruption,” they continued. “Closing off foreign involvement in small-scale mining in the face of extremely low local investment and high unemployment is unlikely to work. … The [Ghanaian] government may have to shift its focus. Instead of trying to ban the activity, it should allow it, and accompany this with better regulation”

Small-scale mining in Ghana was illegal until 1989. Its current ban was implemented in 2017, because of the uncontrollable spring of “informal and illicit” small-scale mines, known in Ghana as “galamsey”. Currently, less than 30% of small-scale mines are estimated to be formally registered in the Gold Coast.

In addition to lifting the ban on small-scale mining, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised to issue a “comprehensive roadmap” that will “permanently address the illegal mining phenomenon.” It promised to fix environmental problems caused by small-scale mines, including reclaiming and re-afforesting mined-out areas, restoring impacted water bodies, and supervising the awarding of mining licences and permits.

When the Kampene gold mine collapse occurred earlier this month, Governor of Maniema province, Auguy Musafiri, revealed surprise that a formally shutdown mine was still in in-clandestine operation.

Socialists and political scientists have named international corruption to be the primary obstacle behind improving Africa’s unsafe mines. African governments would do best to think about how much more profit is to be made should they better regulate their small-scale and large-scale mines. Less deaths, less accidents, less arrests and less environmental disasters all equal long-lasting profit.

L'articolo Unsafe Conditions and Death in Africa’s Legal and Illegal Mines proviene da InsideOver.

African leaders must decline attending “begging meetings” in Japan, China and the rest of the world, a Kenyan professor has said.

Professor Makau Mutua, the board chair of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission, labelled the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) a disgrace last month.

“TICAD is a disgrace to Africa. When will Africa stop these begging meetings?” he asked in a tweet.

“We should be ashamed of our leaders. Let’s make Africa an attractive destination for investment so we can stop begging. I can’t understand how African leaders can celebrate this atrocity! SHAME!”

Over twenty African leaders were present in 2019’s TICAD event last month. The triennial event is co-hosted by the Japanese government and the African Union.

A month after the 2019 TICAD summit, three new terminal buildings were opened at Malawi’s Kamuzu International Airport. The buildings were completed thirty-seven years after Japan built the original airport. In a PR piece distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan claimed that:

“The opening of the three new terminal buildings and the installation of the radar surveillance system are expected to contribute significantly to the airport’s operational efficiency; expanding its passenger handling capacity from 50 to 500 people per hour, as well as greatly improving the safety levels of the aircraft.

“Japanese companies … have played an important role in this project. They actively transferred technology to the Malawian people at the construction site. They have even organized study tours for local students in the neighbouring areas.

“Malawian government officials highly appreciated this project and said they would look forward to seeing more travellers coming to Malawi.”

In the same month, the East Asian nation said that it wanted to “re-orient” its relationship with Africa by focusing more on business.

“Japan wants the public and private sectors [in Africa] to be closely linked and hopes that they can, together, make efforts to develop Africa,” Japan’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hiroshi Karube, said.

“The priority of TICAD 7 is to strengthen relations between Africa and Japan, but also to involve the private sector in Africa’s development.”

In 2016, at TICAD 6, Japan pledged $30 billion for Africa’s development. Most of that money was invested in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria.

“Japan’s slow investment in French-speaking countries can only be justified by language problems,” the ambassador continued.

Although Japan claims that its economic focus in Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa is due to “language problems”, the three nations are Africa’s biggest economies. Ahead of TICAD 7, Japan’s Foreign Ministry refused to release the names and number of African guests due to appear at the three-day summit. Japan Times reported that this was due to fear that China would pressure African guests to cancel their appearance at the summit.

The competition between Japan and China over Africa is akin to the race among European nations for the colonisation of Africa. It is East Asia’s neocolonialism of Africa under the guise of investment. This period of Africa’s neocolonial history with East Asia follows Africa’s history with the West, under the Washington Consensus, when Africa borrowed massively from the World Bank and the IMF. To keep imperial control over Africa, both organisations would force the continent to privatise its institutions, and to allow Western companies to head these now-private markets.

Japan, however, denies imperial strategies. “Japan respects the African population,” Mr Karube stated.

Speaking on the Democratic Republic of Congo, he said: “The DRC defines it politics, and Japan has no rights, no intention to give directions. However, if we are consulted, we are always ready to contribute. Japan will support the economic development of the DRC in the implementation of its own policies. Japan will only start considering assistance when a specific request is made by partner countries.”

Shinichi Takeuchi, head of the African Studies Center at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies said: “Africa is an important region both politically and economically. That perception is now shared by top political and business leaders of the world. A huge market will certainly be formed in Africa.”

But the view of Africa among the international community cannot continue to be one of imperialist domination. The West has already built its wealth on the domination, colonisation and enslavement of Africa. African leaders must find a way to avoid a third era of (neo)colonisation under new colonialist leaders.

Perhaps by making Africa an attractive destination for investment, especially among millennials, Generation Z and people of African descent worldwide, the continent can continue to promote Pan Africanism, offering opportunities to groups of people who have little economic power in a failing, capitalist global system.

L'articolo African Leaders Pressured to Stop “Begging” The West proviene da InsideOver.

Last month saw the upsurge of xenophobic attacks in South Africa where businesses owned by immigrants were destroyed and looted by a gang of machete-wielding youths who also injured and killed several foreigners.

The attacks continued despite the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, calling for the arrest of those involved and warning that the violence could trigger retaliatory attacks against South Africans living in other countries.”There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries. We are against xenophobia. These attacks are completely against the rule of law,” he added.

Alarmed by the situation, US President Donald Trump through Twitter, threatened the South African government with sanctions by saying, “These barbaric attacks by South Africans are very disappointing, its time we put South Africa under strong economic sanction. First, it was the white minority, now it the African. Either Cyril gets his people in line or we pull out all our investments and they learn.”

What was so ironic about the xenophobic outbreak was that it happened on the eve of the Africa World Economic Forum in the capital, Cape Town. The forum provided the best platform for South Africa to showcase its commitment to greater integration and trade with the rest of the world. It was, therefore, a shame that it was overshadowed by the actions of a bigoted gang.

However, it is not the first time xenophobia has swept through the country once hailed as a rainbow nation because of its diverse population. Ever since the African National Congress took the reigns of power from the white minorities, there have been repeated cases of xenophobia. The first known case was in 1994, the same year the country had its first election to end apartheid and to usher in a black government led by Nelson Mandela. Since then, attacks targeting foreigners and their businesses have been on the rise.

Most South Africans carrying out these attacks have justified their actions by claiming that the immigrants mainly from Nigeria and Zimbabwe, have taken over their jobs, and their economy leaving them with nothing. They also accuse the immigrant whom they derogatorily refer to us “Kwerekwere”, of being drug dealers, prostitutes, and robbers.

The truth is that economic hardship is one of the major factors behind the attacks. Over half of the country’s population, who are mainly black, live in poverty in slums scattered in major cities. Many of them are jobless and the few that have been employed complain of being paid very little money. It is situations such as these that have forced South Africans to direct their anger towards immigrants.

The economic hardship can be attributed to apartheid policies which marginalised black South Africans. According to a report by World Bank on the root causes of economic struggle in South Africa, one of the main factors behind poverty in South Africa is racial inequality. Although racial segregation ended in 1994, South Africa remains the most racially unequal country in the whole world. Figures released In 2017 showed the rate of unemployment among black South Africans as 31.4 %, while among white South Africans it was 6.6%.

This inequality in the labour sector is because black people are considered less skilled compared to other races, and therefore stand very little chance of securing well-paying jobs. For a very long time, they were excluded from the workforce and restricted from education. While the white people were taught reading, languages and mathematics, Africans were taught to become unskilled labourers to bar them from competing with the white people for high-paying jobs. The effect of this was that at the end of Apartheid, South Africa had a high skilled economy which relied heavily on educated white people, and a large underclass of unskilled black people who could only find jobs in mines and factories.

As white people began to retire and others moved to Europe, there were not enough skilled South Africans to take over the main sectors of the economy. This presented an opportunity for skilled Africans from other countries to migrate to South African to feel the gap. The repercussion followed almost immediately in the form of xenophobia by the South Africans who felt foreigners were taking over their jobs.

Most disenchanted South Africans have directed blamed their economic problems on the leaders who took over from the white people. Although the leaders are credited for fighting for the freedom of South Africans, they failed to address historical injustices which would have created an equal society. The blame has squarely been on the shoulders of the country’s first African President, Nelson Mandela. Even though the critics accept that he succeeded in championing for racial harmony, they believe that he failed to empower black South Africans economically.

Among those who held this view was Mandela’s his ex-wife Winnie Mandela, who told a London newspaper, “Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for black people. Economically, we are still on the outside. The economy is very much ‘white’. It has a few token black individuals, but so many who gave their lives in the struggle have died unrewarded,” The critics feel that Mandela was duped into a deal which only favoured and protected the interests of the white people. He appeared to have focused too much on the political side of the negotiations without giving much consideration to the economic aspect that could have addressed some of the racial inequalities.

Unless concrete steps are taken to correct inequalities caused by years of apartheid, South Africa will still see spates of xenophobic attacks. High and persistent unemployment, especially among the young South Africans, is one of the major concern. This can be solved through the creation of jobs, increasing labour demand and raising the productivity of the labour force. But that would be meaningless unless more education opportunities are availed to South Africans so that they can gain the essential skills. Another issue that needs to be addressed is that unequal distribution of land. Most of the country’s wealth and land are still held by very few South Africans, namely white people.

L'articolo Addressing Historical Injustices is Key To Preventing Xenophobia in South Africa proviene da InsideOver.

Dusk breaks in South Africa as droves of young topless Zulu girls, donned in traditional costumes, make the journey across the plains. The sun slowly climbs to the top of the clear skies as the scantily clad – mostly underage – girls reach their final destination. They will queue and wait for their turns in the blistering heat to have an elder woman verify that they are still virgins. Some undergoing the virginity test are as young as 7 and others are as old as their 30s.

Once it is the girl’s turn, she must lie on the dusty ground on a mat – her legs spread apart – as an elder woman examines her. Any modesty or shame must be left behind; oftentimes, there is a swarm of people gathered to watch as the girl is assessed. The old woman searches to see if the hymen is still intact. Other signs that may also be considered are firm bottoms and breasts, and a flat stomach. It is also claimed that a virgin can be identified by simply the way in which she walks.

In her paper, Virginity Testing: Managing Sexuality in a Maturing HIV/AIDS Epidemic, Anthropologist Professor, Suzanne Leclerc-Madlal described the grading system. To receive an “A” grade, “the color of the labia should be a very light pink, the size of the vaginal opening should be very small, the vagina should be very dry and tight, and the white dot or white lacy veil (hymen) should be clearly evident and intact” and the girl should “look innocent”.

Those graded with a “B” had a labia that is “a deeper shade of pink than those of the ‘A’ grade virgin, the vaginal opening slightly bigger, the vagina not so tight, and the vaginal walls slightly lubricated. The white dot and lacy veil are said to show evidence of ‘being disturbed’ ”. This suggests that sex or abuse may have occurred.

Girls who are consigned to a “C” grade have a “vagina that is ‘too wide and too wet’. No evidence of a white dot or veil can be found, and the girl’s eyes betray her as someone ‘who knows men’.”

Once a girl has passed the virginity test, a coloured dot will be pressed on to her forehead and she will be issued with a certificate of virginity. Cheering and elation will erupt amongst the masses for another proclaimed virgin.

Rooted in strong societal and familial influence, the girls are happy to be regarded as “chaste” and thousands proudly take part in the ceremony every year. Once all the girls have undergone the virginity test, there is dancing, singing, eating, and celebrations all around – attended by both men and women from the community.

The highpoint of the virginity test is the ability to take part in Umhlanga or the Reed Dance ceremony that occurs annually. Thousands of underage girls and women will travel to perform in front of the King of the Zulu nation, Goodwill Zwelithini.

As part of the ceremony, the girls dance while topless in traditional attire, which includes colourful sashes, chains and beads, and mini skirts that reveal their bare bottoms. Each girl will take a long reed, which they will carry above their heads and then place near to the King. If her reed breaks before, her virginity will be discredited.

The King revived the dance ceremony in 1991 to encourage Zulu girls to remain virgins until they are married, and as a preventative measure against HIV/AIDS.

Supporters of the virginity test attest that it is the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies along with the HIV/AIDS virus, which is widespread in these parts. Estimates are that around one third of Zulu women are infected with the disease. Yet opponents of it have argued that it could make these girls more vulnerable to rapes due to the mistaken belief that unprotected sex with a virgin can cure AIDS. With rape being a worrisome problem in South Africa, women rights groups estimate that a woman is raped every 26 seconds in the country.

More controversially, scholarships were introduced by the state to young South African women who could prove that they were virgins. In 2016, the mayor of a rural town in KwaZulu-Natal awarded these “maidens’ bursaries” to 16 teenage girls so that they could study at university. He said that it was an effort to tackle the growing teenage pregnancy and HIV rates.

These scholarships triggered a nationwide debate and uproar, and eventually the country’s commission for gender equality ruled that it was unconstitutional stating, “Any funding by an organ of state based on a woman’s sexuality perpetuates patriarchy and inequality in South Africa.”

L'articolo Controversial Zulu Virginity Test And Topless Dance Ceremony proviene da InsideOver.

Three people have died in South Africa after attacks on foreign-owned stores. Another person is currently being treated for smoke inhalation. In the attacks, black South Africans began looting and burning businesses and properties that belong to immigrants.

The President of the Nigeria Union South Africa, Adetola Olubajo said: “Late in the evening of Sunday, September 1, a group of violent locals suspected to be Zulu hostel dwellers besieged Jules Street in Malvern, Johannesburg, [and] looted and burned shops/businesses.

“The mob also looted several shops that were around the vicinity suspected to be owned by foreign nationals.” According to Mr. Olubanjo, over 50 shops and businesses were looted and burned overnight, totalling a loss of millions of rands.

“The means of livelihood of people were looted and destroyed by fire overnight which has left many Nigerians traumatised,” he continued. “Nigerian-owned businesses were seriously affected. A car sales business owned by a Nigerian [was] among the several businesses set ablaze over the night.

“Although the police said that many people had been arrested in connection with the unnecessary attacks, the looting and burning of foreign-owned businesses continued till Monday morning,’’ he added.

The tension between black South Africans and black African immigrants has been escalating for decades in democratic South Africa. White South Africans retained control of most of the country’s wealth after apartheid, in what is called “white monopoly capital”.This has led to massive economic inequality between white and black South Africans, as poverty and unemployment stagnates the economic growth of South Africa’s black populace.

The End of Apartheid?

Foreigners are scapegoats of economic inequality in the country. In February 2017, a group from Pretoria, called the Mamelodi Concerned Residents, staged a march against alleged illegal immigrants in the country. In a flyer distributed in Johannesburg, the capital city, the group protested against South Africa’s lax immigration policies.

“Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Pakistanis etc. are not our countrymen,” the flyer read. “Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Pakistanis etc. bring nothing but destruction; hijack our buildings sell drugs, inject young South African ladies with drugs and sell them as prostitutes. How is that helping us? They have destroyed beloved Johannesburg and now they are destroying Pretoria.”

This demonstration led, all month, to attacks and looting of the homes of Malawians, Nigerians and Somalians, some of whom fought back.

During the February 2017 violence, Abdirazak Osman of the Somali Community Board of South Africa said: “We have been trying to endure the challenges we face in this country but it seems the people are running out of patience and have decided to fight back.”

Xenophobia against foreigners has a history dating back to the end of apartheid in South Africa. The majority of South Africa’s anti-immigrant violence, has taken place in Johannesburg. Many immigrants have been shot, burned alive, chased away or forcibly transported to police stations to be deported. Immigrants are routinely accused of having no legal papers, transporting drugs, stealing South African women and bringing crime into the country.

Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekulu, the King of the Zulu Nation widely known for his lavish spending, in a tactic similar to those used during the Rwandan genocide, likened South Africa’s immigrants to “lice” and “ants” and told them to “go back to their countries”.

“We are requesting those who come from outside to please go back to their countries,” he said during a public speech.

“The fact that there were countries that played a role in the country’s struggle for liberation should not be used as an excuse to create a situation where foreigners are allowed to inconvenience locals.

“I know you [South African nationals] were in their countries during the struggle for liberation. But the fact of the matter is you did not set up businesses in their countries,” he said.

Following the recent South African attacks against Nigerians, Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyema tweeted: “Received sickening and depressing news of continued burning and looting of Nigerian shops and premises in #SouthAfrica by mindless criminals with ineffective police protection. Enough is enough. We will take definitive measures.”

South Africa’s government continues to meet decades of anti-immigrant violence with inaction, prompting criticism that they are creating a “new apartheid“, using foreigners as scapegoats for the country’s economic inequalities.

Xenophobia in Ghana

In Ghana, xenophobic attacks against immigrants is also rising. Last month, Nigerian traders were attacked by Ghanaian traders, after the Ghanaian Parliament barred Nigerian retail traders from trading in the country.

Dr Joseph Obeng, president of the Ghana Union of Traders Association, said: “These foreign retailers have found a loophole in our retail laws and are capitalising on that…We will not sit down and watch them take over our market.”

“If a Ghanaian sells something in the market for $7, a Nigerian will come in and sell it for $4, then take that money back to Nigeria,” an InsideOver source from Ghana explained.

L'articolo South Africa’s Government Scapegoats Immigrants for Economic Problems proviene da InsideOver.