Africa Is a Country

Chiskop

Chiskop

By
Sean Jacobs

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUe83JKeXAI&w=480&h=295]

In his book, “Murder in Amsterdam,” about the death of the Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004, the writer Ian Buruma provides this description of Dutch football: “Proud of their superior skills, their multicultural makeup, the almost mocking manner of their free-flowing play, maddening the players of more prosaic teams, like Germany … In their playful individualism, their progressive daringness, they know they are the best. And sometimes they are.”  Buruma goes on to describe what happens when thinks go wrong for the team. But I want to stick to this beautiful memory. Think Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Robin van Persie, and, of course, Arjen Robben.

Here Robben scores the goal that takes his club, Bayern Munchen past Manchester United to the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. Commentators in South Africa may imitate their German colleague when Robben takes charge of a game for the Orangemen. “Wunderbar. Perfek. Perfek.”

Further Reading

Not exactly at arm’s length

Despite South Africa’s ban on arms exports to Israel and its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Palestine, local arms companies continue to send weapons to Israel’s allies and its major arms suppliers.

Ruto’s Kenya

Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for—a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.

Between Harlem and home

African postcolonial cinema serves as a mirror, revealing the limits of escape—whether through migration or personal defiance—and exposing the tensions between dreams and reality.

The real Rwanda

The world is slowly opening its eyes to how Paul Kagame’s regime abuses human rights, suppresses dissent, and exploits neighboring countries.

In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

Depois de uma eleição histórica e em vésperas de celebrar os 50 anos de independência, os moçambicanos precisam de perguntar se os valores, símbolos e instituições criados para dar forma à “unidade nacional” ainda são legítimos hoje.