Wole Soyinka at Howard University: In Praise of Rwanda’s Kagame and in Defiance of Gambia’s Jammeh, Or Tearing a New one for African Leaders

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Abdoulaye Wade, Boko Haram, Congo, Gambia, Howard University, Laurent Gbagbo, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, Wole Soyinka, Yahya jammeh

At Howard University last evening (only my second time there for an event), Wole Soyinka ostensibly spoke on the theme of ‘Rwanda: Paradigm for a Continent.’  The scene was set by a call and response between the Howard administrator presiding over the event and the predominantly student audience, something that was a far cry from the staid environment at events at the New England liberal arts school I attended.

The Nigerian Wole Soyinka, one of the continent’s undisputed intellectual giants gave an extremely hard hitting talk, which was as much about Gambia being a blight on Africa’s image than Rwanda being its savior.  Keep reading for Soyinka’s thoughts and why his handling of a Q&A made me lose all respect for him, after a pretty good set of prepared remarks.

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The Lost Vision of a Democratic Socialist South Africa

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Alan Weider, ANC, Busboys and Poets, Jewish South Africans, Joe Slovo, Ruth First, South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, Umkhonto we Sizwe

As I promised yesterday, I got to Busboys and Poets to hear the Portland, Oregon based Alan Weider (not really sure what his background is beyond that) speak on his new book, Ruth First and Joe Slovo in the War Against Apartheid.  First and Slovo were prominent Jewish white South African communists (First was born in Johannesburg, Slovo immigrated from Lithuania as a youth).  Weider’s remarks wandered widely, so I won’t recount the event in too much detail, but he did make a bombshell allegation that may be worth reading on for.