Afrika Focus

Editorial

2021-03-29T05:40:31+00:00

The delicate Tissue being woven between Africa and China

2021-03-29T05:40:29+00:00

The Myth of Zheng He: Kenya-China Encounters in Yvonne Owuor's The Dragonfly Sea

2021-03-29T05:40:27+00:00

The year 2005 marked the 600th anniversary of Zheng He’s first voyage on the Indian Ocean and the 50th anniversary of the Bandung Conference. In the same year Mwamaka Sharifu, a girl from Lamu island in Kenya, also a descendent of sailors of Zheng He’s fleet (1405-1433), was awarded a scholarship to study in her “home country”. In 2019, the novel The Dragonfly Sea by the Kenyan female writer Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, which incorporates the story of Mwamaka Sharifu, was published
by Alfred A. Knopf. By using the concept of “fictive ethnicity”, proposed by Balibar, and “push back”, as articulated by Ruth Simbao, this paper tries to explore how the history of Zheng He is adopted and narrated to construct, blur or refute boundaries of nation and ethnicity in The Dragonfly Sea. It also investigates how fictional writing, both aesthetically and culturally, intervenes and responds to the dominant discourses surrounding “China-Africa” by exhibiting the ambiguity and nuances within. It shows that an epistemological and discursive fracture exists between Africa and China that leads to a binary construction of the myth of Zheng He, which might be effective to some degree but runs the risk of repeating nation-state and ethnic configurations.

KEY WORDS: ZHENG HE, CHINA-KENYA LITERATURE, FICTIVE ETHNICITY, THE DRAGONFLY SEA

From watchdog to lapdog: political influence of China on news reporting in Malawi

2021-03-29T05:40:26+00:00

The arrival of China in Malawi has been characterised by a growing sense of uncertainty among academics who have expressed concern over the intentions of the superpower in the country. There are fears that China would like to extend its influence to Malawi as part of a broader push to increase its influence in global politics and economics. That push is in part exercised through the media. This study analyses the perception of Malawian journalists on news media reports of Chinese activities in Malawi. It uses content analysis to understand how the mediascape had changed from 2001-2007 when China had not yet established diplomatic relations with Malawi, and the period from January 2008-2020 in which diplomatic relations with China have existed. The article examines the shifts in journalistic representations of China in Malawi and develops prompts and probes from which journalist interviews were conducted.

From the content analysis, it appears that from 2001-2007, Malawian media, especially The Daily Times, was very negative about China, uncritically reproducing Western representations of China. This changed after January 2008 when the press leaned towards an acknowledgement of Chinese activities.

Through interviews journalists have indicated that the Chinese government offers certain opportunities such as exchange visits to journalists, making it difficult for them to bite the hand that feeds them. This ‘soft power’ is backed up by the repressive power of the Malawian government that uses intimidation to force journalists to report in their favour, thereby helping to create a positive image for China in Malawi. Journalists report that the significant shifts in journalistic representations of China have been mirrored by changes in the conceptualisation of journalistic roles in Malawi’s mediascape.

KEY WORDS: SOLUTION JOURNALISM, CONSTRUCTIVE JOURNALISM, CHINESE MEDIA, AFRICAN JOURNALISM CULTURE

Beyond Silencing the Guns: China and a new Metaphor for Peace and Security in Africa

2021-08-05T06:15:58+00:00

The author presents the tentative results of ongoing research into a new paradigm for peace and security in Africa. The empirical foundation of the research is the result of a triangulation of research methods that involved literature study, reflexive journaling and thematic analysis. The discussion aims to determine how China can contribute to the renewal of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). The aim is achieved by discussing and analysing the current APSA, including the challenges experienced, as well as the policy commitments and security activities of China in Africa. The research concludes that China is building a military intervention capacity to protect its interests in Africa. However, a new metaphor is needed that will bring solutions to the peace and security challenges of Africa. In this regard China can play an important role in assisting the APSA to focus on issues such as social transformation, capacity building for socio-economic development, and education aimed at peace and security.

KEY WORDS: PEACE, SECURITY, CHINA, AFRICA, MILITARY INTERVENTION

Rethinking the political economy of Chinese-African agricultural cooperation:

2021-03-29T05:40:20+00:00

This paper explores the Chinese agricultural technology demonstration centers (ATDCs) in Africa, a recent evolution of Chinese-African agricultural cooperation often recognized as a representative example of South-South cooperation. More specifically, the study observes the development of the ATDCs in Africa, through a literature review, and indicates major limitations in ATDCs research. This paper proposes a new political economy approach that accounts for place and space, which are crucial lenses for the analysis of ATDCs in Africa. The reconsideration of spatial relations takes into account the importance of the local territory, where operations are based, as an active constituent in China-Africa agricultural cooperation.

KEY WORDS: SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION, AGRICULTURE, DEVELOPMENT, CHINA, AFRICA

The Democratic Republic of the Congo-China's Deals on Construction of Roads in Exchange of Mines

2021-03-29T05:40:18+00:00

After 32 years of dictatorship regime and a decade of various armed conflicts, the newly elected DRC government in 2006 was expected to receive US$4 billion from the traditional Western donors for reconstruction and development to help cement peace. Based on the issue of the lack of trust in the public institutions, the West failed to provide its promised aid following its conditionality. Alternatively, Joseph Kabila approached China to secure his cinq chantiers. Without prior conditionality on good- governance and human rights, China agreed to provide its financial support valued at US$ 9 billion in exchange for mines.

Using historical and comparative methods, findings reveal that the Chinese presence in the DRC goes back to the colonial era of the 19th century. The conditionality for financial support seems inadequate for post-conflict countries in need of reconstruction. Also, the Chinese non-interference policy as an alternative to the western approach needs to be transparent.

KEY WORDS: CHINESE POLICY, CINQ CHANTIERS, DRC, MINING DEALS, WESTERN CONDITIONALITY

The impact of Behaviour Change Intervention (BCI) on adolescent HIV risk reduction in selected schools in Northren Malawi

2021-03-29T05:40:16+00:00

Introduction: We conducted a study to explore the impact of adolescent exposure to HIV and AIDS behaviour change Interventions (BCI) on their HIV risk reduction and sexual behaviour change in some selected secondary schools in the district of Mzimba, district of Nkhata Bay and Mzuzu city in Northern Malawi.

Methods: We used mixed methods in a descriptive survey design triangulating both quantitative and qualitative approaches, with questionnaires and focus groups as instruments for data collection. Adolescent boys and girls [n = 552], were randomly sampled to participate in the quantitative component. For qualitative focus groups we sampled participants purposively. We analyzed quantitative data through multiple regression analysis. On the other hand qualitative data was analyzed through thematic content analysis.
Results: Multiple regression analysis indicated that exposure to BCI did not impact risk reduction [Beta = -.082, p= .053, p > .05]. Qualitative focus group findings showed that proximate correlates such as: early sexual debut, lack of condom use, drug related sex, multiple and concurrent partnerships drive infection. Distal structural factors in socio-cultural, gender disparities and poverty were also noted drivers of sexual risk taking in the study area.
Conclusion: Studies aimed to inform HIV prevention through top-down design of models involving primary beneficiaries are vital for the registering of positive outcomes in HIV programming for young people. Apart from identifying factors driving high HIV incidence in the study area, the study informed an intervention to test the efficacy of a risk reduction behavioural model [RRBM] developed and designed with input from adolescent participants.

KEY WORDS: ADOLESCENT, HIV AND AIDS, BEHAVIOUR CHANGE, RISK REDUCTION, MALAWI

Efficacy of the Ekiti State Anti-grazing Law. Key Stakeholders' Perspectives

2021-03-29T05:40:14+00:00

The study examines the perceived efficacy of the Ekiti state Anti-grazing Law (EAGL) as a strategy for managing farmers-herders conflict among stakeholders. Quantitative information was obtained from 148 crop farmers and 73 Fulani pastoralists selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure, while a total of five Focus Group Discussion sessions and In-depth Interviews were also conducted. Analyses of results were carried out using frequency counts mean t-test and Tobit regression. A significant proportion (82.4%; 90.4%) of crop farmers and herdsmen, respectively had a high level of knowledge of the EAGL, perceived the EAGL to have substantial limitations (97.3% crop farmers; 100.0% herdsmen) as measures adopted for conflict management, with poor consultation and mobilization of stakeholders as the most rated factor. Also, 70.3% of crop farmers, but only 8.2% of herdsmen rated the efficacy of the EAGL as high. Farmers and herdsmen were significantly different in their perceived limitation (t =12.44) and efficacy (t = 11.84) of the EAGL. Years of experience (β = 0.102), farm size (β = 0.0001), herd size (β = -0.112) and perceived limitation (β = 0.228) and being a crop farmer (β = 6.689) were predictors of the perceived efficacy of the EAGL. A robust stakeholder analysis and engagement is advocated for the sustainable management of conflicts and commons in future interventions.

KEY WORDS: PERCEIVED EFFICACY, CROP FARMERS, HERDSMEN, CONFLICT

The devil is in the detail. Disclosing the impact of religion on the milk system in Ethiopia

2021-03-29T05:40:12+00:00

The influence of religion within food systems in developing economies has been understated in scholarly studies. With its different Christian, Islamic, and traditional faiths, Ethiopia offers a promising field for investigating the impact of religion on the milk system, the most important animal protein source in Ethiopian diets. In a first chapter, we investigate how the presence of a religious fasting period influences household milk intake in the country. The second and third chapter explore how milk producers have adapted to the demand seasonality caused by religious fasting practices in two different major milk production areas. In the two final chapters we investigate if and how religious ties facilitate milk transactions. This dissertation concludes that religious fasting practices have a clear impact on milk consumption and production in the country, thereby creating considerable market inefficiencies. Furthermore, we find evidence of market coordination problems along.

KEY WORDS: COORDINATION PROBLEMS, DEMAND SEASONALITY, ETHIOPIA, MILK SYSTEM, RELIGION

Wit-Zwart in Zwart-Wit. Samen en toch apart

2021-03-29T05:40:10+00:00