Museveni: How to win friends and influence the youth
Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s septuagenarian president, has been speaking about the strategy he uses to win over young people on social media – including those who “abuse me, saying you are very stupid”.
His strategy, he said, was to stay engaged in robust debates so as to convince his critics.
“I don’t have to fight with these children to win them over, and when I send messages to answer them when there were 10 who were attacking me, only six remain, four answer back saying the old man has made a good point.”
Mr Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986 and will stand for a sixth term in next year’s election.
Among those planning to run against him is musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine, 38, who is popular with the youth.
In Poetry
“You worry too much young manÂ
Yoweri wants to reach out to you, young manÂ
Heâs old enough to be your father or grandfather, young manÂ
Yet you disrespect him, young manÂ
Yoweri has ruled since 1986 and most of you werenât born thenÂ
So there has to be some things he knows that you donât, right?Â
But does he know how long he has left?Â
Who are you, young man? Â
Find out and maybe youâll do more with your life.”Â
Guinea’s top court clears Alpha CondĂ© third term bid
Guinea’s constitutional court, the highest in the West African country, has approved 82-year-old President Alpha CondĂ©’s bid for a third term in next month’s election.
The court also approved 11 other candidates, including the main opposition challenger Cellou Dalein Diallo.
There have been months of protests against Mr CondĂ©’s re-election bid after he pushed through a constitutional change in a referendum in March which allowed him to stand for a third term.
At least 30 people are reported to have died from the protests.
Mr Condé was first elected in 2010 and got re-elected in 2015.
On Tuesday Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari had called on West African leaders to stick to their constitutional term limits – which he termed as a source of crisis and political tension in the region.
In Poetry
Some people believe itâs time for you to stop being their presidentÂ
In local parlance/pidgin, they say âWe want make the president step downâÂ
âBut Alpha kon dey do like say him wan rule foreverâÂ
11 candidates running against you but what chance do they haveÂ
People tried to protest your third term bidÂ
But it was farewell to life, they bidÂ
Mandela’s lawyer George Bizos dies aged 92
Renowned South African human rights lawyer George Bizos has died. He was 92 years old.
Mr Bizos rose to prominence as a lawyer who represented the Rivonia Trialists, including Nelson Mandela.
He also played an integral role in drafting South Africaâs constitution.
Mr Bizos played a part in many of the key moments which formed South Africaâs democracy.
Born in 1927 in Greece, Mr Bizos arrived in South Africa as a World War II refugee with his father in 1941.
He wanted to study medicine, but his application was rejected, so he opted for a law degree. And that ignited his political activism, as a ferocious opponent of apartheid.
As a lawyer, Mr Bizos represented many high profile political activists. He was part of the team of lawyers at the Rivonia Trial which saw Mr Mandela and other top ANC colleagues sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964.
Mr Bizos is credited with adding the crucial words “if need be” to Mr Mandelaâs famous speech at the trial, in which he said he was prepared to die for the struggle.
In his later years Mr Bizos led the enquiry into the Marikana Massacre that saw the killing of 34 mine workers by South African police in 2012.
South Africaâs President Cyril Ramaphosa said it was a very sad moment for the country, that Mr Bizos would be sorely missed, but that South Africans would forever remember his contribution to democracy.
In Poetry
Mandela on the struggle for freedomÂ
Couldnât do so without the help of peopleÂ
And you, George Bizos came into the sceneÂ
Maybe prior to doing so, you just had a passion for what you didÂ
And that paved way for the opportunities you saw and tookÂ
Being the lawyer to the one-time President of South AfricaÂ
It must have been a lot, Â
You must have had to bear with a lot of oppositionÂ
You were prepared to give your life for the things that matteredÂ
The struggle, and what notÂ
Good night, George!Â
Ivory Coast party threatens to boycott elections
Ivory Coast’s former ruling party, the Democratic Party of Cote d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally, has threatened to boycott October’s general elections if conditions to make them fair and transparent are not met.
Its executive secretary Maurice Kakou Guikahue said the party wants the electoral commission changed.
He said the party’s presidential candidate, Henri Konan Bedie, will be formally presented to delegates on 12 September in Yamoussoukro, the country’s political capital.
Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara is running for a controversial third term in the polls.
Former President Laurent Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro were barred from vying because of a new rule that blocks those convicted of a crime from seeking electoral positions.
In Poetry
It’s Ivory coasting as she shouldÂ
Being ruled by people who she wonders if they have her people in mindÂ
Is it the position or the need to serve the people?Â
What exactly drives these presidential aspirants?Â
The need to overthrow a long-standing president or an overwhelming need to serve the peopleÂ
Itâs the latter for meÂ
Iâve seen leaders come and go, yet, I donât feel like Iâve evolvedÂ
A few cosmetic displays of city lights and night life and good roadsÂ
But the policies, my mind, doesnât always follow suitÂ
I know you want to make me look beautifulÂ
But I want to feel beautifulÂ
You donât have to fight over me, fight for your peopleÂ
Iâll always be here but you wonâtÂ
Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege put under UN security
Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege has been placed under the security of United Nations forces in Democratic Republic Congo after death threats against him.
Dr Mukwege won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in treating rape victims in the conflict in eastern DR Congo.
He was threatened after calling for justice over serious human rights violations in the country’s eastern region.