Comments on: A bad year for African governance?

By: Bahar

Bahar — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 06:38:32 +0000

John, thank you so much for such a wonderful artilce! You made me live through it. Looking forward to many more, Bahar (MC/MPA2011, HKSG

By: Themba Zweni

Themba Zweni — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:05:48 +0000

I read this article by accident as I was going through Afrimap website and I do not regret bumping on you sir. This is a beautiful piece and I wish would been there with you to witness such magificence. I follow the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Awards with passion and just can’t resist mentioning the fact that South Africa has made huge strides in a number of areas when you compare to the other African compatriots! I wish the Index would also cover the North Africans especially Egyptians.

By: sid

sid — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:49:35 +0000

My personal experience of the common people of Southern Africa (Angola, Namibia, SA, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and Botswana) is that they have just about every positive attribute that one could wish for. Honest, humble, hardworking, friendly, helpful, good at what they do, hospitable etc etc. As you rise up the social scale, particularly for those in government employ, you find arrogance, laziness, incompetence, dishonesty, obfuscation and just plain “couldn’t give a damn” starting to appear.

I’ve not met any of the leaders (those alive to day anyway), but based on the lack of Mo’s award it seems like all the “bad” traits peak and culminate at the head of state.

This reinforces the old quote “Africa; good people, bad leaders”. Will the leadership ever change? I certainly hope so.

By: MLH

MLH — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:33:28 +0000

have no doubt it would do us all a lot of good to see how much more relaxed Africans are over-border. We really are so obsessed with ourselves. I’ve noticed that at markets, it is always people from further north who are friendly and kind.

By: Census lo-Liyong

Census lo-Liyong — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:11:25 +0000

This article is great,im pleased that Mo Ibrahim Foundation decided not to honour any president as there was none worthy, it shows that there is a lot of deliberation on the candidates. Im from South Sudan and believe the change starts with us. There are other leaders in Africa, just not Presidents, being a good president is the result of good governance & a government working towards change. Sadly that is lacking in most of our countries. Some of us are too ashamed to name our presidents because of the brutality they have caused us, yet they are still in power. Sharia law was imposed from my birth in 1983, followed by the civil war & still our struggle in the autonomous govt. Yet these leaders still stand, with 5million dead in the whole Sudan. It hurts me, my whole lifetime, not the future I want for my children.

In the lighter note, there is always the humour side of Africa, that’s how some of us survived through our war. We are the most diverse continent, so much to discover about ourselves, why wait for the west to make us a tourism destination, lets start by touring our individual countries before we cross the oceans. – imagine the possibilities!!

By: MFB

MFB — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:21:48 +0000

The fact that the Mo Ebrahim prize was given to the former boss of a one-party state essentially run by multinational mining companies says all that needs to be said about the Mo Ebrahim prize and those who make propaganda for it.

As to the governance of Africa, who the hell really cares if some right-wing sleazoids dole out prizes for the noisiest bumsucker for Europ-American imperialism?

By: david hurst

david hurst — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:14:08 +0000

This seems more about, disjointedly, the author and his cocktail parties than South Africa. Perhaps more interesting is the question of whether it is getting better or worse, and what will be these awards for next year, or next decade. Real questions, seeing as Mugabe is an old issue, and none, post 2010, addressed.

By: gumrol

gumrol — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:51:07 +0000

What a great read. Thanks Jon

By: wanarua

wanarua — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:28:53 +0000

The most decisive article i have read in south african media for a very long time.even piers Morgan will agree jon has written a world class stuff.Africa is a continent that requires generational and behavioral change.rarely do you see even independent media journalists laying bare facts for this fat cats infested governments.I love it.facts and accuracy is what we want to read.
Wanarua,
Melbourne,Victoria,OZ

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:42:56 +0000

Wonderful article Jon – thank you for saying it like it is. Africa is so achingly special, diverse and just simply beautiful. That should be the focus – preserving it, in all its diversity,not destroying it. May 2010 produce leaders who actually get that.