The Glimmers of Hope in the 2025 Nelson Mandela Lecture
“The fight for Kenya’s and Africa’s soul is far from over. But for the first time in a long time, we, the people, are reclaiming who we are. We now remember what it means to fight for a better future. More importantly, we know what it feels like to win.” These words, the final paragraph of John-Allan Namu’s Nelson Mandela Lecture, delivered at the International Theatre Amsterdam on 16 February, preceded a standing ovation from the sold-out 500-seat main theatre. It was the first time such a large, and notably diverse, audience had attended this ZAM event, the fifth since 2019.
John-Allan Namu, the head of Kenya’s investigative journalism platform, Africa Uncensored, did not focus solely on winning. A significant portion of his lecture addressed the ongoing and historical horrors afflicting his country, from colonialism and torture at the hands of dictatorial security forces to the recent killings of protesting youth in Kenyan towns and cities. On a global scale, he condemned the persistent injustices of governance systems like Kenya’s, describing them as “mirrors of the countries that put them in place,” systems that “continue to prey on the public in our homes.” He also denounced the “failures of the international justice system” in holding murderous regimes accountable, specifically citing Israel, and emphasizing that “the powers that back these systems only respond to power and those who wield it.”
Uprightness
Nevertheless, the recent success of a large, educated, and youthful 'Gen Z' mass movement in compelling the Kenyan government to withdraw an exploitative tax bill—along with securing other concessions—has led Namu to believe there is reason for optimism. He noted that this shift is not only evident in Kenya but across the continent and even globally. He further observed a noticeable sense of increased 'uprightness' among young Africans, reminiscent of the qualities once embodied by icons such as Nelson Mandela and Kenya's freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi.
Noting that such uprightness is typically a “rare quality,” especially “in places dominated by systems designed to make ordinary people live lives of subservience,” he said it had been palpable in his country during the recent protests, where Kenyans held social media spaces “with hundreds of thousands of people speaking for 5, 10, 12 hours at a time” and, in doing so, “brought uprightness and credibility to a country starved of the same.” Africa’s youth, he said, “have shattered the illusion that we are destined to serve under systems that were never built for us. They refuse to inherit broken institutions or accept dishonourable leadership.”
Africa’s youth refuse to inherit broken institutions or accept dishonourable leadership
In the paragraphs leading up to the final words quoted in this introduction, Namu emphasised that “his instinct as a journalist” compelled him to “point out that there are no angels, and revolutions can be and have been stolen. We cannot go into this new age with our eyes wide shut.” However, he added that he had observed, internationally, a “growing awareness of the weight of history, the consequences of past and present injustices, and the need to reclaim dignity.”
Zwarte Piet
Perhaps surprisingly, Namu was not the only one during the full programme surrounding the Nelson Mandela Lecture to mention optimism amid the many present-day setbacks and challenges. Earlier that day, in the Koninklijke Foyer panel room, a discussion with anti-‘Zwarte Piet’ activist Jerry Afriyie had celebrated the success of his 11 years of activism against the racist stereotype of the servant figure in the Dutch tradition of ‘Sinterklaas’.
“Arguably the most successful campaigner in the Netherlands,” ZAM referred to Afriyie in the programme. Indeed, it is difficult to dispute this claim, considering that in 2014, the ‘Zwarte Piet’ figure remained ubiquitous in Sinterklaas celebrations across the Netherlands. At that time, many Black children were taunted as ‘Zwarte Piet’ both in schools and on the streets. Today, however, the offensive caricature has largely disappeared. “We will close our campaign on 5th December (Sinterklaas Day) this year, 2025,” Afriyie beamed, adding that future efforts to combat racism must build on the achievements of he and his fellow activists. “There is always more to do, but you recognise what has been accomplished, and then you move on,” he said. When asked if he had anticipated the success of the Kick Out Zwarte Piet campaign, he explained that he knew it would succeed “from the first time I spoke with someone who (initially) disagreed with us. Just talking, human to human, was so effective. From that moment, I knew that if we could engage with individual, ordinary people, we would get there.”
“I knew we would get there”
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, who later opened the main programme, expressed a sentiment akin to this when briefly interviewed on stage by presenter Ikenna Azuike. While acknowledging the weight of extreme right-wing populism, racism, and the rising tide of autocracy in Europe and the West, she also shared how she found inspiration in simple human connection—particularly through the many young and older individuals working in Amsterdam’s neighbourhoods to foster a sense of togetherness and community amidst diversity, "which was the dream of Nelson Mandela."
Power and money in Sudan
It was more difficult to see perspectives, or even a glimmer of hope, in the Sudan panel session titled ‘The Power and Money behind the War’ with experts Dr Suliman Baldo and Hager Ali. The two outlined how the country’s people—now numbering 11 million refugees—suffer under two warring armies and their international partners, such as the Emirates, Egypt, and Russia, who continue to fuel the fire in a quest for oil, gold, and other natural resources. Baldo strongly emphasised that neither the traditional army, based in Khartoum, nor the RSF militia, headquartered in Darfur, have the country’s interests at heart. “It is a war on democracy, too,” he stated.
The numerous examples of gold mines and other resources— including arms manufacturing sites— being appropriated by the two main parties in a robber-and-war economy, provided an answer to several audience questions about the alleged “ethnic” or “north-south” divisions as root causes of the war. Hager Ali explained that both sides attack and recruit civilians from different regions, meaning that clashes and massacres can sometimes appear ethnic. However, she clarified that ethnic sentiment has not been a driving force of the conflict. “It only becomes ethnic when people from a specific region join one of the armies simply to survive,” she said. She also pointed out that, since the independence of South Sudan, its capital, Darfur, has come to mirror the old dictator’s headquarters in Khartoum: both are now “bases of dictators” that oppress opposition, civil democratic activism, and the media.
The struggle for resources victimises civilians
Ali further explained that, while she advises governments and other international institutions in Europe and the West, it is difficult to find a way forward for a considered approach to the Sudan issue. "Everything is compartmentalised in the ministries and departments. They worry either about trade, terrorism, migration, or the war in Ukraine, but this is all interconnected," she said. As an example, the panelists pointed out that the gold Russia receives from Sudan breaches sanctions, fuelling the war in Ukraine, and that the war is also creating more migrants. Most refugees stuck in Libya and Tunisia are Sudanese. "In earlier uprisings against dictatorship, young people still felt they could chase the oppressors away. Now, they are asking themselves daily, 'What is the biggest risk to my life: staying here, or crossing the Mediterranean?'" The misery in Sudan, Dr. Baldo said, continues to increase for war victims, further exacerbated by US President Donald Trump’s recent cuts to humanitarian aid.
A new Russian base
The panel further noted that the establishment of a new Russian naval base near Khartoum is hardly raising any concerns in the West, despite its significance as a vital trade route to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and beyond. The experts also pointed out that similar neglect is befalling the role of fundamentalist Islamic jihadism in the Sudan war. “Sahel jihadis have been hosted by factions; bodies of Malian militants have been found on the Sudan battlefields,” they said.
A recent article by Sudanese author Jamal Mahjoub, published in the Dutch De Groene weekly, highlights a striking example of longstanding Western ignorance and flawed decision-making regarding Sudan. The piece points out that, in 2014, RSF warlord Hemedti was enabled to build up his army with 4.5 billion Euros from Europe—funds that were officially allocated to support his soldiers in efforts to prevent Sudanese migrants from leaving the country.
Activists and journalists battle on against all odds
Even in the darkest of nights, to paraphrase this year’s Nelson Mandela Lecture speaker, John-Allan Namu, there are those who think of the “approach of the morning” in Sudan. Panel moderator Leon Willemse, along with the two speakers, highlighted the existence of ‘emergency newsrooms’ and other civic activism groups that continue their battle against all odds. “These people should be supported,” said Hager Ali. “One of the reasons earlier uprisings against dictatorship in Sudan failed was that the international community immediately began engaging with the central government and traditional political parties, rather than with the democratic forces on the periphery.”
Love and struggle
Between the darkness and light this Sunday afternoon, Mandela’s message, “nobody is free until everybody is free,” echoed strongly. Several participants commented afterwards on how they felt inspired to carry on the fight for human equality and social justice in their own environments. The beauty of the performances of African love (Malaika) by Djuwa Mroivili and Ashley Stapelfeldt, and struggle songs (Stimela) by FraFraSound and Mthunzi Mvubu, together with the resilience-evoking photo exhibit by Western Cape-based photographer Gulshan Khan, and Syrian-Palestinian poet Ghayath Almadhoun’s Europe-focused poem ‘Ode to Sadness’ read by well-known Dutch author Adriaan van Dis, certainly helped instil new vigour for African and European solidarity and connections between democrats on both continents.
Kenya and the Netherlands
In the lead-up to ZAM’s Nelson Mandela Lecture, news emerged that a visit to Kenya by the Dutch King and Queen was being arranged for 18 to 20 March this year. The announcement quickly led to hundreds of emails from Kenyans to the Dutch government, a petition signed by 9,000 people calling for the visit to be cancelled, prime-time news coverage in the Netherlands focusing on the campaign, and a counter-campaign by Kenya’s Ruto regime, which accused “individual hackers” of conducting a “disinformation campaign” aimed at discouraging “international visits.”
In his lecture, John-Allan Namu commented on the controversy, stating, "This visit (…) could be seen as building President Ruto’s profile, or Kenya’s profile. The two ought to signify the same thing — that the net benefit is to Kenya. But because of what is happening in Kenya, they mean different things. I think that the royals should visit Kenya — but they shouldn’t shy away from addressing this contradiction, whether they do visit or not. Addressing this would lay bare who the royals, and implicitly, the people of the Netherlands stand with, and what they stand for. What the royals cannot be is incurious enough to ignore the people."
What are friends for?
He added that, as friendly nations and equals, “both the Netherlands and Kenya should have the space to offer advice or help to the people of each nation. (Therefore) Kenya should have the license to address the racial undertones of the shift in Dutch and indeed European politics directly.” He then spoke about the “dominant narrative around the violence surrounding the AFC Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv football match” recently, pointing out that this narrative “was so loud on the so-called savagery of pro-Palestinian supporters, yet far quieter on the race-baiting and provocations of the Maccabi fans,” while a young vlogger who had documented the evening “gave a much more nuanced picture of what took place.”
He encouraged the Dutch to ask themselves, "Why did the 'evil immigrant' narrative spread so easily in the wake of the violence?" He concluded this part of his speech by acknowledging, "Both as a Kenyan and as an observer of history, I understand why these conversations are difficult—especially when they come from those who do not share your citizenship, like me. But truly, what are friends for?"
See for John-Allan Namu’s lecture.
