Sub-Saharan Africa
The future of Africa is often regarded in a strangely unimaginative and pessimistic way. Yet Africa today is full of diversity, economic potential and innovative development.
However, the continent faces numerous challenges. As a liberal foundation, we believe that sustainable development depends on strong democratic institutions. Through our activities, we therefore promote liberal policies such as human rights, the rule of law, innovation, digitalisation and free trade.
From our offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Harare, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Abidjan and Dakar, we support partners in several African countries in advocating liberal values and implementing democratic structures.
News
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Black Tuesday in Kenya as Gen Z overrun parliament, and police kill 14
Fourteen people were killed and Parliament torched as stalwarts of President William Ruto passed controversial tax law which has provoked a popular uprising among young Kenyans. Tuesday June 25, 2024 was no ordinary day in Kenya. Gen Z protestors were staging the fifth of their “seven days of rage” hold-out against Ruto government’s hard-line stance on Finance Bill 2024. In 35 of Kenya’s 47 counties, they poured out in the streets in their thousands, shouting down the government, burning and looting properties associated with ruling party MPs.
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The heavy price and sacrifice of human rights
Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, widely known by his stage name Bobi Wine, visited Johannesburg to attend the screening of his Oscar-nominated documentary film “Bobi Wine – the People’s President”. The film recounts Bobi Wine’s participation in the 2021 Uganda presidential election that resulted not only in long-term strongman Yoweri Museveni’s fraudulently clinging to power but also a brutal crackdown on the political opposition.
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Tanzanian Maasai voices in transformative bid to tackle early marriages and GBV
In an unprecedented move, traditional female circumcisers have dumped their tools and joined hands with women and powerful male elders to end risky traditional practices. They now favour transformative socio-economic empowerment, a decision that is changing the face and fate of women and girls in their community.
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ANC loses majority after 30 years
On May 29, 2024, South Africa held elections 30 years after the abolition of apartheid. For many older South Africans, 1994 marked the beginning of a new era: the path to political enfranchisement, the first participation in democratic elections, and the liberation of the black population from decades of oppression, made possible by the leadership of Nelson Mandela and his party, the African National Congress (ANC).
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Fateful elections in South Africa
On May 29, 2024, South Africa will head to the polls to decide the future composition of both the national parliament and provincial governments. This election is historically significant as it marks the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections and occurs amidst substantial political and social upheavals. For the first time in three decades of democracy, polls suggest that the ruling ANC, once famously led by Nelson Mandela, could lose its majority after 30 years of uninterrupted power.
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A beacon of hope or a failed project?
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative stands as a beacon of hope for the continent, signalling a significant step towards economic integration and prosperity for its youthful population. Launched on January 1, 2021, AfCTA aims to spur industrialisation and prosperity in Africa through intra-Africa trade by eliminating 97% of tariff lines on goods and services.
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Rwandan genocide commemoration: What should we be asking?
Memorialisation of significant historical moments, especially those that shifted perspectives on humanity, will and should find their space in people’s minds throughout time. April 7th marks the start of the Rwandan People’s 100-day period of national mourning to commemorate the atrocity that befell their country and tore at the very social and cultural fabric of their identity.