Dorothy-Grace Guerrero and Firoze Manji (ed) (2008) China’s New Role in Africa and the South: A search for a new perspective. 
Blogging Africa
Review of African Blogs
Dibussi Tande (2008-04-30)
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/blog/47766
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One month after Nigerian passengers were kicked off a British Airways flight for protesting against the inhumane treatment of a deportee, the outrage has not subsided, particularly on the blogosphere where there are numerous petitions and articles calling for the boycott of BA.
Intellectualismo
http://intellectualismo.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/british-airways-apologize-to-nigerians-or-face-boycott/
Intellectualismo is among those calling for a boycott, arguing that it is in the interest of BA and the British to treat Nigerians with respect:
“The British government needs Nigerians. In the post 9/11 season of transatlantic flights decline, the Lagos-London route almost literally kept BA afloat. Presently there are daily flights from Abuja and Lagos to London respectively…
The British High Commission of Nigeria makes millions of Naira from visa applications (on a monthly basis, I dare say). Less then 20% of all applications are successful. For the unsuccessful, their application fees are not refunded. The High Commission generates an absurdly high amount of revenue from application fees alone, all their offices in Nigeria are self-sustained. Consequently they’ve been weaned off financial reliance on the Home Office.
The British High Commission has no qualms about issuing visas to looters and thieves, but when the common man applies they almost have to pry open his mouth and count his teeth to make sure they’re really his and he is not in fact stealing them. Despite this, many will continue to try their luck to migrate to the UK where they can be productive and enjoy the fruits of their productivity. Thousands of students will also apply to study in the UK because of the warped perspective of Nigerian employers who value UK degrees over locally obtained ones.
Needless to say, it’s high time Nigerians demand better treatment in this symbiotic if not equal relationship. We no longer live in colonial times where we have to fear offending the master.”
David Ajao
http://www.davidajao.com/blog/2008/04/25/top-cyber-crime-countries-in-afric/#more-306
David Ajao publishes excerpts from the 2007 Internet Crime Report which lists Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana as the worst offenders in Africa:
“The verdict is out: Nigeria is still among the top ten countries from which fraudulent credit card transactions and other forms of cyber-crime originate though USA and UK lead the pack. According to WikiNews:
‘The United Kingdom is listed second in a report on global cyber-crime statistics, behind the United States and ahead of cyber-crime “hotspots” Nigeria and Romania. The 2007 Internet Crime Report was released in April by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a joint operation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center.
It is interesting to note that 3 sub-Saharan African countries are listed among the top ten perpetrators with Nigeria taking the lead.
‘The 2007 Internet Crime Report cites the top ten countries by amount of perpetrators of online crime. In descending order, the top ten list includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Canada, Romania, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Russia, and Ghana…’”
The posting also includes a link to the complete report.
Cry Beloved Zimbabwe
http://crybelovedzimbabwe.blogspot.com/2008/04/results-are-non-negotiable.html
With the results of Zimbabwe’s twin elections still mired in controversy, Cry Beloved Zimbabwe rejects any talk of a possible government of national unity as a way out of the crisis:
“A lot of theories as to what Mugabe will do next have been doing rounds with the state's own propaganda machinery fueling the rumours ever since Mugabe and Zanu PF lost to Tsvangirai and MDC in the March 2008 harmonised elections. Lets make one thing clear here Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC won the elections they are the choice of people irrespective of the fact that the results from the presidential election are still to be officially announced, and that an illegal recount is taking place in 23 constituencies engineered to reverse the will of the people of Zimbabwe, nor the fact that the Mugabe's dogs of war have murdered 10 people and displaced 3000 arrested 500 MDC members and officials on trumped up charges. So this new talk written in Mugabe's propaganda mouthpiece, of a government of national unity headed by Mugabe should be discarded here and forthwith. Mugabe and his military junta have been behaving as if nothing happened, like as if no election took place, they cannot just brush events like the recent harmonised election like a non-event to suit their selfish needs.
[…]
Because MDC has refused to partake in the run-off that will only inflame a volatile situation Zanu PF is now changing its strategy. Now we hear that they want a government of national unity, based on what? They called the elections and lost what needs to be negotiated is the smooth transition of power to MDC the choice of the people. Even Zuma the South African Presidential hopeful's ideas of a negotiation between MDC and Zanu PF should be mooted, there is nothing to negotiate, we won the election, we are ready to govern. This whole idea of that Mugabe will steal this election and declare himself a victor rule for 18 months and then hand over power to Emmerson Mnangagwa who in turn will then instigate negotiations with MDC to resume the flow of international aid and perpetuate Zanu PF's stranglehold on Zimbabwe will be rejected by people of Zimbabwe and if needs be we will defend our vote violently.
Sports Kenya
http://sportskenya.blogspot.com/2008/04/changing-face-of-kenyan-football.html
On a much lighter note, Sports Kenya writes about the changing attitudes of Kenyan football fans towards local Kenyan clubs:
“I couldn't believe it the other day when I was walking in the streets and my fellow countrymen were talking about Mathare United and Tusker FC. Now what was more interesting was to find them actually naming players in both teams… I was amazed to read our radio personalities as well as our TV journalists are going to watch Kenyan football games live. Now that's progress !
It is good to see Kenyans are developing an interest in the local game. The challenge now goes to the teams to raise the quality of the game as well as develop some consistency. I also think the Stadia Management Board need get more stadia around the country back into playing fields. That way the game will actually reach its intended audience.
For those guys ( I might be a victim too) who usually follow foreign leagues with such intent, it's time we learnt to love our own.”
Free Thinking
http://mpayukaji.blogspot.com/2008/04/is-it-right-time-to-probe-mkapa-and-is_30.html
Free Thinking republishes a commentary from This Day which is calling for the prosecution of former Tanzanian President, Benjamin Mkapa, currently facing a series of abuse of office and corruption allegations:
“We used to laugh at Zambians when they were prosecuting their corrupt rulers-cum-looters. Now look! The same shame-cum-imbroglio is amidst us testing our tenacity and accountability…
Let’s face it point blank. Mkapa abused and misused the office of president… What precedent are we setting for current and future heads of state if we let Mkapa off-the hook…?
Silence is golden. But this is relative. There are issues that do not need silence. Mkapa has arrogantly and shamelessly maintained silence! Phew! Why shouldn’t he be presumed guilty because of his silence? … The right thing for [President] Kikwete to do is to distance himself and let Mkapa face the music…
On the same footing even the parliament should strike off the much touted immunity that Mkapa has so as to let the judicial process take its course…
Let us face the moment of truth as far as Mkapa's legacy and deeds are concerned.”
Scribbles from the Den
http://www.dibussi.com/2008/04/joe-la-conscien.html#more
Scribbles from the Den writes about the imprisonment of Cameroonian protest Singer “Joe La Conscience’ for campaigning against the recent constitutional amendment which scrapped presidential term limits in that country:
“At first glance, the story of Joe La Conscience is just another personal tragedy in good old Cameroon; the tale of an individual and his family paying a heavy price for his political activism. But deep down, this is a story about Cameroon, its government, its people and its future. It is a very telling snapshot of the reigning political climate in Cameroon and a good indicator of what the Biya regime’s so-called troisième mandat will look like...
Recent events have shown that in its bid to hang on to power at all cost, the Biya regime is, more than ever before, driven by an élan autoritaire or a dark authoritarian impulse which does not bode well for the country.
Extremists who for years have been itching for a head-on confrontation with “the forces of change” have finally gained a solid footing within the regime and are creating a deleterious political climate reminiscent of that which prevailed in the last years of the Abacha regime in next door Nigeria; a climate characterized by the emasculation of the civil society and organized political opposition, the muzzling of the press and persecution of journalists, the militarization of political life and the increasing use of martial language in regular political discourse, the isolation of potential catalysts for popular mobilization and political reawakening particularly artists, an increasing appeal to ethnicity, etc...
With no viable organized political force to stand up to Biya, it is now left to artists and other “lone wolfs’ to pick up the mantle for political change in Cameroon, usually with dire consequences as we have seen in the cases of Joe and Lapiro.”
* Dibussi Tande, a writer and activist from Cameroon, produces the blog Scribbles from the Den
* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org/
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can we get some african-american blogs from the u.s.?
john