Greatest African sporting nations - from top to bottom:


Kenya leads - others follow.


http://www.greatestsportingnation.com/global-cup-2012/Continent/africa
___




Top Positions Points % Chg
1 Kenya 1227 22.4
2 Ethiopia 777 14.2 1
3 South Africa 703 12.9 -1
4 Ivory Coast 340 6.2 5
5 Zambia 300 5.5
6 Egypt 276 5.0 4
7 Equatorial Guinea 275 5.0
8 Mali 194 3.5 3
9 Tunisia 190 3.5 -5
10 Senegal 162 3.0 -2
11 Ghana 150 2.7
12 Nigeria 146 2.7 -5
13 Cameroon 130 2.4 -1
14 Morocco 110 2.0 -9
15 Gabon 107 2.0
16 Sudan 85 1.6 -1
17 Dem. Rep. of Congo 70 1.3 5
18 Botswana 65 1.2 -5
19 Algeria 65 1.2
20 Uganda 30 0.5 -4
21 Eritrea 25 0.5 -4
22 Zimbabwe 18 0.3 -1
23 Burundi 10 0.2
24 Central African Republic 6 0.1 -10
25 Mauritius 5 0.1
26 Guinea-Bissau 3 0.1

HumbledbYGrace: who isn't into Politics? Its amazing that people who didn't study Political sciences or anything related to politics become PMs. Our former Prime Minister was a secondary language teacher but he made it to the top.

I don't even vote, I just feel its no use, my vote makes no difference on who will lead us, just accept whatever they throw our way.

You don't vote? But there will not be change if you don't vote. I think anyone can get into politics, as long as they know how to choose teams. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, a mere actor/bodybuilder became governor - a step very close the assuming the main office. Problems start when leaders surround themselves with bad teams or yes men.

Please vote

andrewza:


Yes it is a surprise, her reason is that she is fed up with promises and wants action.

SA is very democratic, just the choices generally seem week you basically got no good options.

I know. It's a good democracy, but you'll be closer to perfect democracy once the opposition gets stronger...

See its elections next year. Explains the new party. Cutting it thin though - they should be campaigning already.

In the US, there are also other smaller independents, but it's largely a two-horse race between democrats and republicans. It's good on the one hand. But it's bad on the other. Obama's administration talks to a specific section of the population, that's in a specific class. So you find that Republican voters have in recent years been made to be in the minority; although there are more red states than blue ones. There's a bit of division now, in places along racial lines

andrewza:

this is a new one, a lot of the small parties in SA just waste space on the paper. I mean there is the dagger party that goal is to legalize weed.


This party because of it's leader and open support from desmond tutu may draw away a lot of those ANC votes. The stronger the opposition the better, has it stands now the ANC is a dictor of the majority.

The weed party gets votes?

I do agree about the strong opposition. It's like if there's a monopoly market. The customers suffer higher prices and lack of choices. Same with political parties. I suppose people will first have to decide if they need to not vote for the ANC, before they move to someone new...?

HumbledbYGrace: I love the Lady Mmamphela Ramphela, I just hope that the promises her party is making becomes reality.

IMO I hate politics with passion, I have seen how people are manipulated others.

Oh, that's the UCT/World Bank woman. Surprised she'd get into politics. Guess that's what politics is about - manipulation. Even if you don't get involved, you will still be affected. So maybe the best thing to do is to vote and make the best-considered choice you can make. That way, there will be a degree of control.

I don't think the politicians in Africa will mature democracy. It's the people that can do that. Assuming there's no cheating at the ballot box.

andrewza: SA has a new political party

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-06-24-agang-launch-what-south-africans-say/#.UchXCPmmjTA

Thousands of people gathered at the Tshwane Events Centre on Saturday to celebrate the launch of South Africa’s newest political party, Agang SA, founded by Dr. Mamphela Ramphele. Here’s what some of them had to say about it. By JESSICA EATON.

Two hours before Mamphela Ramphele was due to take the stage at the Tswane Events Center to launch Agang officially, thousands gathered on the lawns and bleachers. Shading their faces from the blazing sun with party paraphernalia and South African flags, fans from as far as Bloemfontein and Kimberley waited in anticipation to hear more about the country’s newest political party.

It became clear, speaking to individuals in the crowd, that dissatisfaction and disappointment with the existing political options had attracted many in Saturday’s audience – people who had come in search of plans, not promises. South Africans, tired of lofty liberation language and a focus on the past, had come to support a woman with an agenda for the future.

After Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu had expressed his support for Agang on Friday, many were curious to find out if the new party had already attracted any other household names to its fledgling structures. While there were no other big names unveiled by Ramphele, it was clear that she had already won over many of the South Africans in attendance.

Here’s what a handful of those present, including some Agang volunteers, told Daily Maverick.

Desmond Moeng, Agang SA volunteer

“I decided to get involved because Mamphele says 20 years is too long; you can’t take 20 years to change South Africa to be what it can be. South Africa has recourses - so many resources - so why should we always give them away? Why are those people in government just eating our money? We pay taxes, but they take the money. What are they doing with it? The education system - they keep on saying it’s better, but then they have just reduced the pass rate to 30%. That is not better. Agang is going to focus more on health, on education, on the police services, and as I say, 20 years is too long. Someone who is going to vote for the ruling party as a young person – well, I would classify that person as something else. Someone who doesn’t understand what the politics are and what the government should be doing.”

Onida Peter, Agang volunteer

“I’m only 17… I am here to hear Dr. Ramphele’s speech because I really admire her. I admire her charisma and her courage. You know how most of the people who actually fought in Apartheid are very quiet now, but she is very out there; she is speaking for us, and that’s why I came. I love the fact that she is a woman - it shows so much courage. Our Cabinet is full of males. This is actually quite different from most other party rallies, because it is a great mixture of different kinds of people, different races and different age groups and different gender lines. That’s what is really nice.”

Bukeke Mhqaqa, Agang SA supporter

“I want to join Agang. Agang is a Sotho word which means ‘build the nation’ or ‘to build’. And let me talk about building the nation: it means it’s time for whoever is a citizen of South Africa. As you can hear or see, people are not happy, and I am one of those who are not happy. It came to a situation where we really needed a change in South Africa. I’m feeling good. I really feel good about everything that is happening. It’s what I really want, it’s what I really need.”

Rachel George, American supporter of Agang SA

“I’m here with my friend Karabo Motsola, who is the daughter of Moeketse Motsola. He is involved in the party. What I hope to see is what I have already seen: a lot of general excitement from young people about the foundation of the party and lots of fun singing and dancing, of course…I think I’m excited about another option for South Africans, just being able to have an alternative to what’s already there and to the corruption and difficulty of the government we currently have. I think giving people a choice is what allows for a true democracy.”

Rajiv Sahadeo, Agang SA supporter

“I hope to hear her plans for all the promises she made, because those promises are promises we have all been crying for. And I hope that there are plans behind the promises to prove that she is doing something real, not like other politicians have been doing.” DM

Read more:

But South Africa's always had lots of parties? It's just that the ruling party's been strong?

HumbledbYGrace: don't know how to answer that but I am a christian

Oh, I asked because of your name. That's all.

Hezron Lorraine: This thread is an exact replay of what we have in the military basde thread.
@naijapikin.u really didn't think u'd start this thread without dm(no names mentioned) from the other thread following you.

It doesn't have to be. There have been snippets of hope and insightful chat. Snippets though.

HumbledbYGrace: Another Nigeria-South Africa-Ghana love-hate thread Mtcheeeeeeeeeeew

Hey Humbled, out of interest - are you religious?

1yorooba: For Africa specifically, Obasanjo and Mbeki had a decent plan.

I guess, but I thought their plan was more philosophical than practical. In the main, it was about the idea that Africa could revive itself. I found it exciting - was a newbie on the continent around those days and read a lot on it.

The present union is getting there, but in my view, because of Africa's inability to pull in one direction on some things. It doesn't get as far. If it's not tribalism, it's the francophone-anglophone thing. If it's not that, it's about regions etc.

Maybe africa to seek unity on the basis of a course like economic growth - instead of assuming unity based on blackness. Seems blackness doesn't mean automatic unity - same applies for whiteness. But If you look as Europe, their union is stronger. They are united by socio-economic principles. Africa on the other hand can't even make a decision to move milk from the barn to the kitchen...yet the continent is always talking about unity.

Nothing for Egypt (I looked) - so

Cape Town

Nigeria's mini-bikini parade: overseas

That Africans are a happy lot - totally undersold by African governments, who have failed to market themselves.

Parades....

The DRC...

(already posted South Africa's Bikini parade lol )

Happy people. We only hear about the war.

Africa's food issues.

Stats for 2012. Not shared enough with the public, I believe.

This is just a food-per-million people chart, which talks to population sizes and growth.

It's a chart that's close to my heart.

It's interesting about the story of the coin that I posted.

I know that there was some speculation that Monomotapa and the Great Zimbabwe traded with ancient China.

I then looked at old ancient china-africa trade routes. The coin may change what we actually know about Ancient China-Africa trade.

I can't help but smile a little when I look at today's Africa-China relations. I wonder if China has always been a neo-partner, as opposed to a colonizer. They come with a "partnership" philosophy to Africa today. In the past, they used to trade with Africa, but they never colonized it.

Interesting.

Given China and Africa's not-so-rosy corruption perception index, I wonder what this story will look like in the end, and what African government choose to or not to reveal.

Tumisang:

We were separated from each other and isolated from the rest of the continent. Most us didn't even know where Africa was let alone the stories of each country. We are learning, do bear with us - please?

We do know about Mali's story, thanks to Thabo Mbeki.

Yes, and of course there was Olusegun Obasanjo, who worked with him. It was turning out to be a beautiful story of self-discovery for the continent. They were making sure that people knew their history. I think that their departure was a setback in many ways.

No, I am not accusing you of anything. I am just saying I learnt about these things at the same time as my South African group did. Not in a bad way...

Another story that is hardly told, which is close to my heart is that of Africa's relationship with ancient China.

A story that is repeating itself today. A coin was recently discovered

Look at this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11531398

Could a rusty coin re-write Chinese-African history?
By Peter Greste
BBC East Africa correspondent, Mambrui, Kenya

Hehe - sitting with my cousin now, and she just told me to post this:

About Nigeria's growing love for bubbly.

Bottoms up!

I'm not sure if this is hidden, but my cousin asked nicely...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/08/nigeria-champagne-sales-growth-second-highest

Wanted to say:

The Lebombo bone is the oldest mathematical artefact in the world. Discovered in a Swaziland or South African cave (can't remember).

Most probably used by the San people.

Totally hidden truth...

Amazing, isn't it? Oldest mathematical artefact is in Africa.

So, why should we find it hard to believe that Timbuktu was once at the forefront of science, astronomy, medicine etc.

Hidden truth that needs to be spoken about more...

NaijaPikinGidi: Zuma rock, Niger State.

Ah I've been there!

And then, there are the San people of Southern Africa, whom I believe were one of original "versions" of modern man.

Their story of civilization is hidden away behind untruths.

They are viewed as ancient, but I will show you something interesting in a sec...

There's the story of the Mali empire, for example. With Mansa Musa who was the Bill Gates of the day.

Now, Mali is sold as a backward country.

Totally untrue.

What do you guys think about African civilisation?

Is it a story that is told as often as it should?

And former South African president Thabo Mbeki's African civilization story - Monomotapa.

He tried to get it told, but it's still undersold. Not sure why.

A bit of great Zimbabwe. Africa's hidden civilisation story. Not told as often as it should. And then some people say the place was built by aliens or the Chinese; and not by Africans

In fact, this story of African civilisation is virtually unknown to a lot of Africans. I was surprised when I was in South Africa that a lot of them learnt about Great Zimbabwe at the same time as I did. Never been to Mali, but I wonder if they know about Mali's story...(just thinking out loud)

NaijaPikinGidi:

He lives across these mountains.

That's a nice picture. Where is that?

Another nice hidden truth that I love, Africa's contribution to Western Civilisation.

Forgotten today.

http://www.theperspective.org/africacontribution.html

A better picture of chapman's peak.

Undersold.

NaijaPikinGidi:

Hypothetically ... me and my neighbour.

You're speaking in riddles. What's the big secret? Just say it.

Truth - Africa is undersold.

Roads you have to drive before you die. Chapman's Peak!


http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/roads-to-drive-before-you-die/