On Monday Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the recently retired president of the West African state of Liberia, was awarded a $5 million prize for what appears to be a remarkably simple act – that of leaving office at the end of her term. Now that presidents-for-life are the exception, smooth transfers of power are not unheard of in West Africa. In December 2016, in Ghana, the former foreign minister Nana Akufo-Addo defeated the incumbent President John Mahama. It was the third time since 2000 that Ghanaians have voted a government out of office in a peaceful and clean election.
In the tiny state of Gambia, President Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled for 22 years and promised to remain in power "for a billion years", was defeated at the polls by a political exile who had been working as a supermarket security guard in London.
It is worth mentioning these success stories because the general impression of the continent is one of political and economic gloom. This is an understandable reaction to the high spirits of a few years ago when the slogan was “Africa rising”, a tale of huge growth prospects, investment potential and spreading democracy.
Like all grand narratives this obscures as much as it reveals. One of the reason for gloom is that three big economies of sub-Saharan Africa – Nigeria, South Africa and Angola – are also among the most sluggish. Partly this is due to the decline in the oil price, which has affected Nigeria and Angola, but also due to corruption and weak government, notoriously affecting Nigeria and now the hot topic in South Africa, where President Jacob Zuma is being forced out of office by the ruling party, the African National Congress.
There is a parallel with South Africa's neighbour, Zimbabwe, also ruled by a liberation movement turned party, ZANU-PF, but one which became a vehicle for the ambitions of long-term President Robert Mugabe. The army stepped in last year to force Mr Mugabe to resign, an outcome which was so clearly necessary that African leaders chose to turn a blind eye to the military coup.
The tanks on the streets may in the end prove to be more of a palace coup. The army moved into action after Mr Mugabe's wife Grace secured the dismissal of the civilian politician closest to the security forces, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mr Mnangagwa is now in power, and promising to hold elections this year. His task is to revive the economy without challenging the interests of the securocrats.
A better way of looking at Africa than the binary narratives of “Africa rising” versus “failed states everywhere” is to focus on a couple of distinct geographical areas. In West Africa, there is a strong sense of the importance of elections and vote monitoring, perhaps reflecting the fact that Ghana was a pioneer in achieving independence, in 1957. This is not true everywhere, of course: in Cameroon, President Paul Biya, in power since 1982, shows no sign of retiring.
In southern Africa the problem is different: liberation movements which have become ruling parties are growing old and tainted with arrogant cronyism. We can see this in Zimbabwe, in South Africa where President Zuma faces charges of corruption and abuse of power, and in Angola, where the family of Jose Eduardo dos Santos, president for almost 38 years, became notably wealthy.
In Angola, Mr Dos Santos, who led Angola through long civil wars, concentrated power in his hands and weakened the ruling party, the MPLA. But as his health declined, the temptation to put one of sons in his place as his successor proved a step too far, and the party took back control. His successor, Joao Lourenco, a general with a clean reputation, is trusted by the military to protect their business interests even as the public finances collapse. The new president must sort out the economy when oil production is set to decline next year.
Mr Zuma has no doubt been watching the fate of Mr Dos Santos, first with envy and then with some trepidation. On retirement the Angolan president was given a golden handshake in the form of legal protection from future prosecution. But the new president has been quick to remove his predecessor’s daughter, Isabel - said by Bloomberg to be the richest woman in Africa - from her post as head of the state oil company.
Mr Zuma would no doubt like legal protection for himself and his family. But that would be hard for South Africa to swallow. It still has an independent judiciary, which is determined not to be cowed by big men. In this respect it stands out. With the media focus on South Africa, there is a temptation to judge the whole continent by what happens there. If the Zuma transition is a success, the continent will be rising again. If it fails, Africa will be finished. This is another simplistic narrative.
Due to its history, South Africa is different from other countries and perhaps its governance structures are more resilient. Instead of seeing the whole continent through a South African lens, it is always worth looking at other countries where people are pushing for reform and progress is happening, albeit slowly and not without setbacks.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
