Month: April 2024
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Mukwasha Goes to Christmas
Click or not: Mukwasha Goes to ChristmasMukwasha (son-in-law), proverbially known as the money tree, is a Zimbabwean species known for his endless male abilities, from knifing bulls and stoning cobras to writing off budget deficits for the whole family tree. This Is Africa goes back in time to assemble the ultimate mukwasha playlist. …
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More Dambudzo Marechera Letters – To Karen, Flora, Amelia and Samantha (Part 1)
Click or not: More Dambudzo Marechera Letters – To Karen, Flora, Amelia and Samantha (Part 1)Dambudzo Marechera channelled his Oxford swag, Rastaman aura and leftist virtue signalling to chat up White writer-types. His stated preference for White girlfriends has been brought up by critics who accuse him of misogyny towards Black women and disconnect from the African image. What’s race got to do with it? …
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INTERVIEW| TRACE TV co-founder Claude Grunitzky chases his next big idea
Click or not: INTERVIEW| TRACE TV co-founder Claude Grunitzky chases his next big ideaClaude Grunitzky documented the urban culture scenes of different regions with his early media venture, TRACE TV. As lockdown put new emphasis on decentralised work culture, the Togolese-American journalist and businessman rolled out his new idea, TRUE Africa University, to empower the young African entrepreneurs going it alone. He shares insights into his work in… …
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Alick Macheso is the Last of the Last – He Could Use More Ambition
Click or not: Alick Macheso is the Last of the Last – He Could Use More AmbitionLeader of the People’s Band, Alick Macheso, is the humble hero of the workingman and the Harare scene’s most obvious father figure after the death of Oliver Mtukudzi. With more aggression than retrospection, he can take Sungura to new frontiers. …
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The Njerama Files – Interview with Paradzai Mesi (Part 1)
Click or not: The Njerama Files – Interview with Paradzai Mesi (Part 1)Njerama Boys recorded 11 albums between 2000 and 2019. Their legacy rests on a prolific peak decade, boasting no less than five pure classics between 2002 and 2008. Onai Mushava (OM) recently rang the king of bohemians, Paradzai Mesi (PM) for his side of one of the truly complex stories of second-generation sungura. …
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Zanu PF Plays Up Chilling Effect
Click or not: Zanu PF Plays Up Chilling EffectAs Zimbabwe’s election season heats up, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu-PF is playing up the chilling effect through violence, public incitement of followers, weaponisation of Covid-19 measures and disruption of opposition candidates’ rallies. Under the Mnangagwa administration, Zanu-PF has continued using its control of a precarious economy to endanger, patronise and intimidate citizens. …
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How the Blockchain Lost Its Soul
Click or not: How the Blockchain Lost Its SoulCypherpunks developed cryptocurrency to limit the power of states over individuals. As governments turn to crypto-deterrence and cyberwarfare, the blockchain’s founding propositions of private space and individual freedom are being done away. …
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Jive TV Launch – Zimbabwe Replaces TV Monopoly with Sweetheart Licenses
Click or not: Jive TV Launch – Zimbabwe Replaces TV Monopoly with Sweetheart LicensesZimbabwe is making gestures to loosen the government chokehold on airwaves inherited from Rhodesia and maintained in the 42 years of independence. But broadcasting licenses have been selectively awarded to Zanu PF politicians, oligarchs, state enterprises and the army. New television stations are merely the latest horsemen of Zimbabwe’s airpocalypse. …
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Kendrick Lamar, Black Mecca and Hip-Hop Pan-Africanism
Click or not: Kendrick Lamar, Black Mecca and Hip-Hop Pan-AfricanismKendrick Lamar recently visited Ghana, promoting his new album and reportedly shooting a documentary. State officials celebrated the visit in the context of Beyond the Return, Ghana’s tourism and repatriation campaign. As Mr. Duckworth swaps his wrecked Audi for the Accra trotro, conscious hip hop’s commitment to Pan-Africanism is deep as ever. …
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OBITUARY| Alex Magaisa Was an Exception to Zimbabwe Discourse’s Toxic Rules
Click or not: OBITUARY| Alex Magaisa Was an Exception to Zimbabwe Discourse’s Toxic RulesZimbabwean public intellectual Dr Alex Tawanda Magaisa died on Sunday, June 5, aged 46. He was best known as a prolific columnist on Zimbabwe’s ongoing democratic struggle in mainstream media and for his widely discussed The Big Saturday Read …