Anton Lever

Did you know that now Catherine Samba-Panza has taken office in Central African Republic, Africa has three female heads of state?

According to activists things are looking up, although women leaders remain the exception in African politics.

Looks like women are breaking into the “boys club” of the African presidency.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, or “Ma Ellen as she is affectionally know was the first in 2005 as the country emerged from 13 years of brutal civil war.

Joyce Banda stepped up in Malawi in 2012 after the sudden death of the president. Banda previously was the vice president.

And now there’s President Catherine Samba-Panza in the Central African Republic, a country torn apart by rebellion and sectarian violence.

It seems as though bad times have pried open the doors as each of these women has taken office amid crisis and transition. Countries like Mali have seen their first female presidential candidates.

Executive Director for the NGO Women Africa Solidarity, Oley Dibba-Wadda says that girls and young women are getting much-needed role models.

As African women break political “glass ceilings” at all levels of government, some are criticized for not doing enough for other women.

Discrimination remains, but the pool of qualified women is growing as more girls get to stay in school.

At least 16 African countries have passed parity laws. Countries like Rwanda reserve a percentage of parliamentary seats for women, while others like Senegal have set quotas for women on candidate lists.

The percentage of women in Senegal’s legislature doubled in 2012 thanks to the law.

A survey also found that a record number of women are serving as members of parliament worldwide.

The IPU (Inter Parliamentary  Union) report has found that more women last year were targets of political violence.  It says electoral violence – which includes intimidation, threats, physical assault and other aggression – acts as a deterrent to keep women out of politics.

Is Africa finally raising strong woman leaders and do you think women make better presidents than men?

The ICC was created by the Rome Statute which came into force on 1 July 2002 and is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Individuals will only be prosecuted for crimes against aggression as from 2017.

To date 122 are party to the Statute of the Court.

This includes all of South America, nearly all of Europe, most of Oceania and roughly half the countries in Africa.

Its proceedings may take place anywhere, although the Court is based in the in The Hague, Netherlands.

It is intended to complement existing national judicial systems.

It may however only exercise its jurisdiction when national courts are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute such crimes.

So far to date, most of the ICC’s cases are from African countries.

Charles Taylor was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment by the ICC for his part in the Liberian/Sierra Leonean war, last year.

At present before the court is the case of Kenya’s new deputy president, as well as Kenya’s new president, Uhuru Kenyatta.  His case follows in November.

Both are charged with crimes against humanity for violence that took place in the 2007 Kenyan elections.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is doing everything possible to stop the trials in Europe of Kenya’s leaders.

Although there are many instances of human rights abuses world-wide, many have complained that Africans are being targeted.

Or is it perhaps that Africa is more violent than any other place in the world?

What are your thoughts?

Again the people of Zimbabwean chose Robert Mugabe as their leader.

Mugabe was inaugurated last week Thursday.

It came as no surprise that Mugabe delivered a searing rebuke of Western countries, again.

This is now Mugabe’s fourth decade in power and maybe this time we’ll see a change within the country?

Seems foolish to continue to do the same thing and expect something different to happen, but this is exactly what Zimbabweans have done.

Or is it a case of better the devil you know….?

In a classically bold speech, Mugabe, who was sworn in for another five-year term at the age of 89, dismissed charges of voting fraud.

Mugabe also vowed to press ahead with black ownership of white and foreign-owned companies and attacked homosexuals.

He took the oath of office at a 60 thousand-seat sports stadium filled almost to capacity.

Four leading fast food chains delivered fried chicken portions, chips and fizzy drinks in take-out packages after receiving orders for 80 thousand portions.

Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe to independence in 1980, signed a declaration pledging to protect the rights of the people and promised to ensure “durable peace” in Zimbabwe, which has been plagued by political and economic turmoil in recent years.

According to the main opposition party (Movement for Democratic Change) it was a robber’s party and they did not attend the event.

Zimbabwe’s state election panel said Mugabe won a landslide victory in the July 31 elections with 61 percent of the presidential vote.

Although it seems impossible that things could change for the better, let’s hope and pray that it does, by some miracle.

Can you imagine being hunted for your organs and body parts just because of the colour of your skin?

This is the nightmare life of albinos in Africa. Albino body parts are believed to have magical powers of healing and are said to bring good luck. Consequently, during the past decade more than 1000 individuals have been murdered in Burundi, Tanzania and other African countries as their body parts are harvested and sold by witchdoctors for thousands of dollars in underground markets.

Furthermore, graves of individuals with albinism must often be sealed with cement and buried indoors so that they can be protected against grave robbers hunting for body parts.

So what is albinism? Albinism is a genetic condition also called achromia, achromasia, or achromatosis. It is characterized by a shortage in the production of melanin and by the partial or complete absence of color in the skin, hair and eyes. This inherited disease can be found in humans (affecting all races), mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians.

Even though it is a hereditary condition, in most cases, there is no family history of albinism.

Albinos have problems with vision as well as skin problems and are very sensitive to the sun. In certain parts of Africa, albinism is seen as a curse due to ignorance, wickedness and illiteracy.

African albinos are on the run and are hunted like wild animals by some mad men who believe their body parts contain supernatural powers.

Amazingly, humans can always find reasons to discriminate against each other. If your skin is too dark, you are not accepted and if, on the other hand, your skin is too light……..I rest my case.

Will we ever be able to accept each other for who God made us?