Emily Nkanga, Unyọñ Ufọk
During the second Olympic Games in 1904 in St. Louis, USA, African athletes were still excluded from official competition. However, they did participate in a kind of shadow games, “athletic events for savages.” In a retrospective in this issue, sports historian Francois Cleophas recalls this “unique spectacle” in which spectators witnessed how the “savage tribes” had to pelt each other with stones in one of the events. After African American runner Jesse Owens mocked Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Games...
During the second Olympic Games in 1904 in St. Louis, USA, African athletes were still excluded from official competition. However, they did participate in a kind of shadow games, “athletic events for savages.” In a retrospective in this issue, sports historian Francois Cleophas...
The answer to that question reveals the surprising story of a 1904 marathon – and exposes the history of racism and white supremacy that characterised the Olympics in its early days. The first modern Olympic Games was held in 1896 in Greece. This was at the height of European colonialism and there is no record of Africans participating. It was only after the second world war, in the late 1940s, that African countries began to join the Olympic movement in significant numbers, as African independence...
The answer to that question reveals the surprising story of a 1904 marathon – and exposes the history of racism and white supremacy that characterised the Olympics in its early days. The first modern Olympic Games was held in 1896 in Greece. This was at the height of European...
How many meanings does colour have? What is its hidden power? And what do artists do with that? For readers of ZAM, the True Colours exhibition is, as far as African artists are concerned, a feast of recognition. Over the years, ZAM has published some of the works of Otobong Nkanga, Buhlebezwe Siwani and Zanele Muholi. The exhibition features works from the collection of the AkzoNobel Art Foundation . Under the inspired leadership of Hester Alberdingk Thijm, art was acquired over the past 30 years....
How many meanings does colour have? What is its hidden power? And what do artists do with that? For readers of ZAM, the True Colours exhibition is, as far as African artists are concerned, a feast of recognition. Over the years, ZAM has published some of the works of Otobong Nkanga,...
While most of his iconic images have returned to South Africa, some remain in European institutions. Ernest Cole was an acclaimed apartheid-era South African photographer who died in exile in New York 34 years ago. The recent return of vintage Cole images to South Africa from Sweden needs to be seen in the context of a recent wave of repatriation of valuable African heirlooms. The Cole saga is not yet over, involving a tussle over rights of ownership of his remarkable legacy. This is a close-up...
While most of his iconic images have returned to South Africa, some remain in European institutions. Ernest Cole was an acclaimed apartheid-era South African photographer who died in exile in New York 34 years ago. The recent return of vintage Cole images to South Africa from Sweden...
They are from Egypt, Sudan, South Africa and the DRC and Farren van Wyk, who is also ZAM’s photo- and webeditor, is one of them. Check out the amazing photography of 4 of the 5 winners Ahmed Khirelsid, Tshepiso Moropa, Kriss Munsya and Farren van Wyk. The winners of the 13th cycle of CAP were announced on Saturday 6 July at the international photo festival Rencontres d’Arles in France. The prize is directed at photographers who engage with the African continent or its diaspora. The five winning...
They are from Egypt, Sudan, South Africa and the DRC and Farren van Wyk, who is also ZAM’s photo- and webeditor, is one of them. Check out the amazing photography of 4 of the 5 winners Ahmed Khirelsid, Tshepiso Moropa, Kriss Munsya and Farren van Wyk. The winners of the 13th cycle...
When Christian missionaries established schools in different parts of East Africa, they constructed the narrative that Black hair was unsightly, ungodly and untameable . In many postcolonial schools this still seems to be the norm. My love-hate relationship with my hair started when I was six years old and my mom chopped off my hair a few days before I joined grade one. I remember crying and pleading with her while equally asking why I couldn’t just go to school with my long hair. Eventually, she...
When Christian missionaries established schools in different parts of East Africa, they constructed the narrative that Black hair was unsightly, ungodly and untameable . In many postcolonial schools this still seems to be the norm. My love-hate relationship with my hair started when...
Read the French version here . From a one-eyed to a blind horse: How hopes for change in the Sahel turned into a nightmare For decades, villagers and city dwellers in the Sahel countries of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso had hoped for change in their “dust and pollution” riddled lives, tyrannised as they were by corrupt governments, French uranium exploitation and gangster jihadis who stole their cattle and abducted their sons. When, in the 2020s, earnest-looking military colonels and captains stood...
Read the French version here . From a one-eyed to a blind horse: How hopes for change in the Sahel turned into a nightmare For decades, villagers and city dwellers in the Sahel countries of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso had hoped for change in their “dust and pollution” riddled...
Read the French version here . “We must not replace a one-eyed horse with a blind horse” Sunday April 21, 2024 . Agadez, in central Niger, is a large urban area with houses mostly built of ochre earth. There are very few trees here in this poor town, located more than 900km northeast of the capital. In the evening, the city is full of young idlers, drug addicts, and sex workers. Many of them are migrants. “These young people come from other regions to look for gold in the desert! Unlucky and...
Read the French version here . “We must not replace a one-eyed horse with a blind horse” Sunday April 21, 2024 . Agadez, in central Niger, is a large urban area with houses mostly built of ochre earth. There are very few trees here in this poor town, located more than 900km...
Read the French version here . The disillusionment for all of us Sominé Dolo Hospital in Mopti, central Mali, Friday May 17, 2024. It is 7PM. Everything is black here. The lights are out due to the now almost continuous power cuts. The loudspeakers of the large mosque in downtown Sevaré let out the shrill cry of the muezzin calling for Maghreb evening prayers, but heads are not bent in prayer and devotion in this hospital establishment, the main health facility in the northern centre of the...
Read the French version here . The disillusionment for all of us Sominé Dolo Hospital in Mopti, central Mali, Friday May 17, 2024. It is 7PM. Everything is black here. The lights are out due to the now almost continuous power cuts. The loudspeakers of the large mosque in downtown...
Read the French version here . Brute force in the countryside and tyranny in the cities “We are not here for power. We have a twelve-month program in which we will resolve small logistical problems while respecting human values.” After Captain Ibrahim Traoré announced with these words his takeover of power in Ouagadougou on September 30, 2022, he was immediately congratulated by Yevgeny Prigozhin (then still alive), founder of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, since re-baptised the Africa...
Read the French version here . Brute force in the countryside and tyranny in the cities “We are not here for power. We have a twelve-month program in which we will resolve small logistical problems while respecting human values.” After Captain Ibrahim Traoré announced with these...
Read the English version here . D'un cheval borgne à un cheval aveugle : Comment les espoirs de changement au Sahel se sont transformés en cauchemar Pendant des décennies, les villageois et citadins des pays sahéliens du Mali, du Niger et du Burkina Faso espéraient un changement dans leurs vies « pleines de poussière et de pollution », tourmentés qu'ils étaient entre gouvernements corrompus, exploitation française de l'uranium et djihadistes gangsters qui continuaient de voler leur bétail et...
Read the English version here . D'un cheval borgne à un cheval aveugle : Comment les espoirs de changement au Sahel se sont transformés en cauchemar Pendant des décennies, les villageois et citadins des pays sahéliens du Mali, du Niger et du Burkina Faso espéraient un changement...
« Il ne faut pas remplacer un cheval borgne par un cheval aveugle » Dimanche 21 avril 2024 . Agadez, au centre du Niger, est une grande zone urbaine dont les maisons sont pour la plupart construites en terre ocre. Il y a très peu d'arbres dans cette ville pauvre, située à plus de 900 km au nord-est de la capitale Niamey. Le soir, la ville regorge de jeunes oisifs, de toxicomanes, et de travailleuses du sexe. Beaucoup d’entre eux sont des migrants. « Ces jeunes viennent d’autres régions pour...
« Il ne faut pas remplacer un cheval borgne par un cheval aveugle » Dimanche 21 avril 2024 . Agadez, au centre du Niger, est une grande zone urbaine dont les maisons sont pour la plupart construites en terre ocre. Il y a très peu d'arbres dans cette ville pauvre, située à plus de...
Read the English version here . La désillusion pour nous tous Hôpital Sominé Dolo de Mopti, centre du Mali, vendredi 17 mai 2024. Il est 19 heures. Ici, il fait sombre, les lumières sont éteintes à cause des coupures de courant désormais presque continuellement. Les haut-parleurs de la grande mosquée du centre-ville de Sevaré laissent échapper le cri perçant du muezzin appelant à la prière maghrébine du soir , mais les têtes ne semblent pas à la prière et à la dévotion dans cet établissement...
Read the English version here . La désillusion pour nous tous Hôpital Sominé Dolo de Mopti, centre du Mali, vendredi 17 mai 2024. Il est 19 heures. Ici, il fait sombre, les lumières sont éteintes à cause des coupures de courant désormais presque continuellement. Les haut-parleurs de...
Read the English version here . Force brute à la campagne et tyrannie dans les villes «Nous ne sommes pas là pour le pouvoir. Nous avons un programme de douze mois dans lequel nous allons résoudre de petits problèmes logistiques dans le respect des valeurs humaines.» Après que le capitaine Ibrahim Traoré ait annoncé par ces mots sa prise de pouvoir à Ouagadougou le 30 septembre 2022, il a été immédiatement félicité pour son action par Eugène Prigojine (alors encore vivant), fondateur du groupe...
Read the English version here . Force brute à la campagne et tyrannie dans les villes «Nous ne sommes pas là pour le pouvoir. Nous avons un programme de douze mois dans lequel nous allons résoudre de petits problèmes logistiques dans le respect des valeurs humaines.» Après que le...
William Ruto has gravely misjudged the nerve of his countrymen. The man who narrowly sailed to Kenya’s presidency in 2022, is trying to shove a sketchy legislative proposal down Kenyan throats. The Finance Bill 2024 aims to raise 346 billion Kenyan shillings to service debt and fund development and has been met with public outcry and widespread protests. The movement to #RejectFinanceBill2024 is being led by media-savvy, urban Gen-Z youth. The demonstrations, which escalated on June 20 with...
William Ruto has gravely misjudged the nerve of his countrymen. The man who narrowly sailed to Kenya’s presidency in 2022, is trying to shove a sketchy legislative proposal down Kenyan throats. The Finance Bill 2024 aims to raise 346 billion Kenyan shillings to service debt and fund...
Kenya protests: Gen Z shows the power of digital activism - driving change from screens to the streets Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024 , initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an increase in an array of taxes and levies for Kenyans. The mass protests , initially organised in the capital city, Nairobi, have spread across the country. Demonstrations have taken place in almost every city and major town....
Kenya protests: Gen Z shows the power of digital activism - driving change from screens to the streets Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024 , initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an...
This past week was the week of Kenya’s youth, which came out in thousands on the streets of Nairobi to reject austerity, new heavy taxation, and government corruption. What follows is reporter Ngina Kirori’s diary of the protests. Tuesday, June 18 Today is the day that sets the wheels in motion. Citizens are planning to occupy Kenya’s parliament to protest the proposed high taxation that threatens to burden even further the many who are already struggling financially. The dress code for the...
This past week was the week of Kenya’s youth, which came out in thousands on the streets of Nairobi to reject austerity, new heavy taxation, and government corruption. What follows is reporter Ngina Kirori’s diary of the protests. Tuesday, June 18 Today is the day that sets the...
How dismissals and promises didn’t end corruption at Nigeria’s main marriage registry After Taiwo Adebulu had investigated the extortion and systemic corruption at the Ikoyi marriage office in Nigeria, and his story for ZAM made waves in Nigeria, the government announced they would put a stop to the corruption. A few years later, it is back with a vengeance. My phone had been overloaded with responses after I first published my Ikoyi marriage registry story. A veritable online frenzy from Nigerian...
How dismissals and promises didn’t end corruption at Nigeria’s main marriage registry After Taiwo Adebulu had investigated the extortion and systemic corruption at the Ikoyi marriage office in Nigeria, and his story for ZAM made waves in Nigeria, the government announced they would...
In her award-winning thesis, Rachel Dubale reveals how Ethiopian social communal practices that secure financial resources dissolve, as urban development projects rise. In February 2024, Rachel Dubale won Leiden University’s Africa Thesis Award. Dubale, currently in her 20s, completed her research master’s degree in African Studies at Leiden University in 2023. The motivation for her research, titled “They think we can eat the condominium.” Chronicles of Economic, Social and Political Practices in...
In her award-winning thesis, Rachel Dubale reveals how Ethiopian social communal practices that secure financial resources dissolve, as urban development projects rise. In February 2024, Rachel Dubale won Leiden University’s Africa Thesis Award. Dubale, currently in her 20s,...
Ammar Abdallah and Ahmed Khirelsid, both from war-torn Sudan, are on the short list for the Contemporary African Photography Prize 2024. Their images show a poignant reality that seems to escape the world's attention. A story of immense brutality and displacement. The 5 winners of CAP 2024, out of the 25 photographers nominated with ZAM editor Farren van Wyk amongst them, will be announced on 5 July, 2024. Ammar Abdallah, ‘Home’, 2024 It's almost two days without food, and my body and mind feel...
Ammar Abdallah and Ahmed Khirelsid, both from war-torn Sudan, are on the short list for the Contemporary African Photography Prize 2024. Their images show a poignant reality that seems to escape the world's attention. A story of immense brutality and displacement. The 5 winners of...
Journalists threatened and forced into exile, opponents murdered by clandestine commandos, espionage. Coordinated by Forbidden Stories, the RWANDA Classified project began with the mysterious death in January 2023 of journalist John Williams Ntwali. Continuing his work, 50 journalists from 11 countries reveal a system of transnational repression deployed by Paul Kagame’s regime, far from the model country and safe haven for refugees portrayed in Western media. How a dictatorship hides its terror...
Journalists threatened and forced into exile, opponents murdered by clandestine commandos, espionage. Coordinated by Forbidden Stories, the RWANDA Classified project began with the mysterious death in January 2023 of journalist John Williams Ntwali. Continuing his work, 50...
