South Africa is one of the most developed countries in Africa. In fact, its natural and intellectual resources are far richer than some European countries.

Since its inception as a new democratic country in 1991, the country has scored a number of progresses in governance and in building its democratic institutions. Many countries, especially those in the African continent hoped to learn from South African experience and looked up on South Africa to be the role model in building a democratic society.

Reporting on Africa has become so outrageous in some media that it’s less about serious reporting and more like paparazzi-style journalism, says Frances Mensah Williams.

It has been said that facts are a series of accepted falsehoods and I’ve remembered this definition many times when listening to ‘facts’ and statements made about Africa, often delivered with great authority and little hesitation.

At a conference I recently attended, the point was made by a senior media practitioner that it is not the media’s responsibility to portray Africa positively.  Sensitive to criticism that the media should somehow be sprucing up Africa’s image, his view was that they can’t portray negative events other than as they are – ‘It is what it is’, he said.
 

It was on Tuesday, the 14th of June 2011. For some strange but homely reasons yet unknown to me, I dreaded the dawn of this day like a bug.

Nigerians, especially those who have had anything to do with entities such as the High Commission or Embassy would immediately sympathize with me, even before knowing what my ordeal might be, if they come to realise that I had an appointment to acquire the new e-passport.
 

I’d like to start by congratulating Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan for winning the Nigerian Presidential elections.

The April 2011 National Assembly and Presidential elections in Nigeria were praised by international bodies including the Commonwealth who said that the elections “discarded the notion that the country can only hold flawed elections”.

The chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, former Botswana President Festus Mogae said: “The April 2011 elections marked a genuine celebration of democracy in Africa’s most populous country and a key member of the Commonwealth.”