Role of the media in moving Africa forward and vision for Africa in 2050 hotly debated

March 21, 2009 – The sixth session of the Promise of Leadership Dialogue was a fiery one, with participants hotly debating the role of the media in Africa, and perceptions of the continent in Africa itself and abroad, before the Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Achmat Dangor wrapped up the conference with the seventh session, entitled “Africa 2050: Looking to the Future”.

Jump to sections:
Session 6: “Media and Society”
Session 7: “Africa 2050: Looking to the Future”
Reflections

Session 6: “Media and Society”

The first of the afternoon sessions, “Media and Society”, followed the same format as the morning sessions, with a panel discussion, followed by discussions by smaller groups of delegates around tables.

Beeld editor Tim du Plessis, African Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellow Eric Charas, African Leadership Initiative (ALI) and award-winning journalist Dele Olojede and columnist Xolela Mangcu comprised the first panel, which was moderated by ALI Fellow Funmi Iyanda.

Iyanda got what turned out to be a heated debated started, speaking about what she said was African media’s unwillingness to cover Africa and African stories.

Olojede responded by saying that it was hard for Africans to cover Africa as practical difficulties of moving around Africa meant that, ironically, it was easier for the international media to cover the news in Africa.

Du Plessis, however, argued that newspapers were interested predominantly in covering news from the country the newspaper was situated in.

“Newspapers in Britain,” he said, “deals with news about Britain.”

In order to cover the news in Africa, Du Plessis said, media needed to be free from political constraint.

Charas said that not only should the media be free from constraint, people shouldn’t have to pay to have access to truth.

Mangcu said that as a columnist in South Africa he’d been fortunate to write what he wanted, without fear of constraint, while acknowledging that media organisations are often owned by big business.

He argued that the media is becoming irrelevant as a catalyst for change – Jacob Zuma, he argued is predominantly vilified in the South African media and yet remains enormously popular.

Olojede responded by saying that this was as a result of the fact that access to information in South Africa was no longer restricted, meaning people were now free to make their own decisions.

After intense debate around issues including the value of news, the importance of the truth, the need for media organisations to be free from influence and the intrinsic social responsibility media are committed to, the first afternoon session of day two moved to the table-based discussion.

At these, delegates were asked to look at the following questions to help guide them in their deliberations:

1. What is your personal view of the role that the media has/has not played in facilitating the current perception of the continent?
2. Do you think that Africa is failing itself in the way it engages with the media? Why?
3. Should Africa’s media be free and independent? Is it failing Africa?
4. What role could the media play in facilitating a better environment for socio-economic growth and facilitating the continent delivering on the promise of leadership?

Topics in the debate included:

• The need for African media to tell more African stories, particularly positive stories coming.
• South African media has been unhelpful by creating a perception of backwardness, which reflected negatively on the rest of Africa.
• There is a need to be able to regulate the veracity of content in the new media space.
• The influence of media on the youth.
• A lack of local content.
• There is a public demand for tabloid-style content.

Download a document detailing the discussion themes from this session (in PDF format).

Session 7: “Africa 2050: Looking to the Future”

The Nelson Mandela Foundation’s CEO, Achmat Dangor, closed off the Promise of Leadership Dialogue, acting as the moderator for the last panel discussion, which looked at the topic “Africa 2050: Looking to the Future”, before closing the dialogue.

The panel comprised of head of Microsoft Africa Cheick Modibo Diarra, social activist Graça Machel, business leader Bobby Godsell, businessman Nkosana Moyo, CEO of Local Organising Committee for the Fifa 2010 World Cup Danny Jordaan and ALI Fellow Leslie Maasdorp.

Introducing the panel, Dangor looked to 2050 and wondered what it would be like to see what vision Africans would have of the continent in the next 40-odd years.

Machel said that she would like to sit down with young Africans and get them to value their history and heritage. Future leaders, she said, need to embrace their African identity. In addition, Machel highlighted the issue of gender equality as key to an Africa that’s thriving in 2050, before discussing the necessity for future leaders to embrace the values of compassion and empathy.

Maasdorp said that he would like to tell all young Africans that a future in which Africa continues to struggle as a continent is not set in stone and that no achievement had ever been realised without a vision and without a struggle. Maasdorp pointed to Africans as Africa’s greatest resource.

Diarra said if he had the opportunity to “put something into the heads of Africans” he would want them to conceive and embrace an Africa that is at peace with itself and with others, and an Africa where our competitive advantage is its people, and those people have a high standard of living.

Creating a different ideology for itself and the world was crucial, said Godsell, in order to drive Africa through the challenges it faces. Godsell discussed the ideologies of communism and capitalism, both of which have flaws. Creating an ideology that neither undermined the “I”, emphasised by capitalism, nor the “we”, stressed by communism, was key to realising a positive vision of a future Africa.

Moyo said young Africans needed to take themselves seriously – a process that must start today. In addition, said Moyo, Africans must look at the landscape today to “put together a blueprint” of the future we want as Africans. Rigorous self-analysis was also a key attribute towards a brighter future, Moyo said.

Jordaan pointed to the contradictory view some people have who “love Africa, but hate its people”. It was this view, said Jordaan, which would have to change if Africa is to realise its potential. Jordaan said it was crucial that the leadership lift the people as it climbed.

In closing, Dangor stressed that this dialogue was the first of many Promise of Leadership Dialogues. He said that this is an African initiative and that the Foundation would learn from this dialogue to make future events world-class.

“What we need to do is to find ways of promoting more dynamic interactions,” said Dangor. More must be done, he added, to pass on the baton to young leaders.

“We also have to develop the art of listening to one another,” he said.

Dangor said that there would be consequences as this process unfolded, as this initiative would be challenging the status quo.

Reflections

Romeu Rodrigues – CEO CETA Construction group Mozambique and ALI fellow

What strikes me the most about this session was the statement that Africa needs to create its own media. We must stop complaining about the likes of CNN and Sky News. We need our media so that we can influence our regions and therefore our continent. We need a media that will have a positive influence on our country.

Maruping Mongwedi – head of the young people’s leadership programme at Deloitte’s

This was my favourite session, the panellists were really vibrant. The session was facilitated well and it really got to the heart of the issues.

Chris McConnachie – law student and President’s Award recipient

The dialogue has been amazing. I have attended many student-based conferences before and there you would be lucky to see even one of the people who have attended this one. I have also enjoyed the plenary sessions because of the opportunity to really engage with the topics.

Judy Tsutsa – consultant for Youth Venture and volunteer for Young Mothers Empowered

I enjoyed Ali Mufuriki’s discussion of leaving a legacy. This is a great platform for leaders and social entrepreneurs. There aren’t enough structures that build leaders, especially women leaders.

Gareth Nolan – Architecture student and President’s Award Recipient

I like that there is a youth representative at every table. I have been to similar functions and I have not often heard the youth’s points put forward so strongly. This is vital if we are to bridge that gap in terms of our problems and our leaders. The topics have been very good and well thought out. They have worked as a jumping off point to change.

Darryl Pitt – Ashoka, social entrepreneur organisation

It’s been fantastic. It’s always great to see such participation from the audience. We would like to see more young people attend these events, so they take the knowledge and impart it to their peers.

Isaac Shongwe – ALI fellow

It’s great start to something good. Next year I want to see more action.

Busiswa Nxazonke – third-year business student at CIDA City Campus

It was a great event. It was a great platform for young people to engage in dialogue with the older generation. I especially enjoyed the looking into the future session; it was relevant to create the plan in order to move forward.

John Hope Bryant – founder and CEO of Operation HOPE

It was extraordinary. It’s the best way to honour Nelson Mandela. It’s not a day off, but a day on, helping others. Being the change we want to see in the world.

Funmi Iyanda – director, Ignite Media Nigeria

It’s a great start to what might become a policy definition project in Africa. I enjoyed the last session because it was defining a future for Africa. The panellists approached the issues from different perspectives.

Leslie Maasdorp – vice-chairman of ABSA Capital and Barclays Capital

For me, I enjoyed hearing the young voices, fresh voices, of people who are not contaminated yet by limiting structures such as institutions and legislature. They have such passion and energy and think out of the box. In the media session, I sat with people who were telling me all about new media such as MXit and Twitter which have the power to reach the youth.