Too early to speak of an ‘African Spring’, but the leaves of protest are budding.
"For weeks, large numbers of people across Mozambique have been protesting the results of the presidential elections, as seen here in Maputo. The elections, held on October 9, were reportedly won by Frelimo with 70% of the vote. Protesters sing the national anthem, bang pans, blow whistles, and hold up signs. They are responding to Facebook calls from presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who fled the country and is widely considered the true winner of the elections. Police have not hesitated to use tear gas and live bullets during the demonstrations. Approximately 60 people have been killed, hundreds injured, and many arrested. The Constitutional Council announced that it will release a revised final result on December 23."
- Barbara Bosma and Sigrid Spinnox report for ZAM.
If you look carefully, you might find a short news item or a modest report here and there, but that is all. Established international media hardly seem to pay attention to the protest movements in several African countries. What explains the fury of a mostly Gen Z activist-fuelled rebellion? What opportunities exist for the widely-heard desire for a future free of government violence, self-enrichment, and abuse of power? How do still mostly Western-backed regimes manage to make a mockery of the conditions attached to that support, such as ‘good governance’ and ‘fair elections’?
Enough is enough, say participants in mass protests in Mozambique, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda. It is too early to speak of an 'African spring.' It is also questionable whether such generalising labels do justice to the often-diverse characters of resistance. Yet the commonalities are significant and deserve to be analysed and understood in depth by activists, solidarists, policymakers, and media practitioners.
Our team liaises with those involved in protest movements and closely follows developments on social media. What is striking is how much the good guys use these media as a barometer of resistance, a space for mobilisation, and a showcase of a growing desire for positive change.
