Similarities in the tale of Nigeria and South Africa as generators and politicians bellow in the dark

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Tue 28 Feb   The one and only time I have been to Lagos, Nigeria, was in 2005 as an impressionable young man. I think I described it back then as New York on acid or cocaine of the variant that was consumed in the eighties in the Big Apple. Think peak Michael Douglas in a Lamborghini Countach on a potholed highway. A buzz of energy, colour circling around decaying, decrepit and incomplete buildings from the end of the 20th century, infrastructure projects from the mainland to Victoria Island. I loved it, the chaos spoke of many stories from its independence in 1960 to the many false promises of all its democratically elected leaders and dictators along the way. It’s a history that I am once again enjoying as I reread Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Over the weekend, Nigerians once again headed to the polls to decide whose promises can best be believed. There are about 18 different parties promising to kickstart its economy, which much like South Africa’s, has run aground over the past decade and dragged down the prospects for the sub-Saharan African region as a whole. Everyone trumpets East Africa and other nodes as new centres of growth for the continent but South Africa and Nigeria are the behemoths — their prospects matter most. The countries are at a similar crossroads with their politics. Critically, both need an injection of confidence in their policymakers, who’ve made a brouhaha about their respective economic promises, but have failed to deliver. The private sector alone will not save us, except to provide generators to bellow in the dark. (What a winning bet — generators and solar.) The calamitous end to Andre de Ruyter’s leadership of Eskom, amid almost 120 consecutive days of load-shedding, is a warning as to just how deep our problems go. Ron Derby | Editor-in-Chief [@RonDerby]( [I don’t have a legal duty to end load-shedding, says Ramaphosa]( Power supply is the remit of municipalities, not the president or national government, Ramaphosa has said in court papers Join thousands of South Africans who want a more just South Africa. Read past party lines, past the bluster and the distortion. Get the best reporting, analysis and commentary that is factual, balanced and fair with uninterrupted access to all Mail & Guardian content online. Plus - Preferential access to Mail & Guardian events - Get daily conversation starters straight into your inbox - An invitation to join the newsroom’s Review session on Friday mornings - Lend your expertise and experience to the stories we tell [// Read more]( Articles labelled as Premium are only available to subscribers. [CLICK HERE]( to subscribe Already a subscriber? [SIGN IN HERE]( [A grid collapse or blackout would be catastrophic, says Andre de Ruyter in court papers]( The maligned former Eskom CEO challenged the notion that it was foolish to shut ageing power stations and focus on procuring more renewable capacity Join thousands of South Africans who want a more just South Africa. Read past party lines, past the bluster and the distortion. Get the best reporting, analysis and commentary that is factual, balanced and fair with uninterrupted access to all Mail & Guardian content online. Plus - Preferential access to Mail & Guardian events - Get daily conversation starters straight into your inbox - An invitation to join the newsroom’s Review session on Friday mornings - Lend your expertise and experience to the stories we tell [// Read more]( [Ramaphosa calls urgent cabinet meeting as more Eskom corruption is exposed]( The meeting will take place on Monday night on the energy state of disaster as as anticipation builds over a cabinet reshuffle Join thousands of South Africans who want a more just South Africa. Read past party lines, past the bluster and the distortion. Get the best reporting, analysis and commentary that is factual, balanced and fair with uninterrupted access to all Mail & Guardian content online. Plus - Preferential access to Mail & Guardian events - Get daily conversation starters straight into your inbox - An invitation to join the newsroom’s Review session on Friday mornings - Lend your expertise and experience to the stories we tell [// Read more]( Recommended Reads [Is it time to ‘demilitarise’ Nigeria’s elections?]( Nigeria’s leaders need to get replace the military with police whose mission is to protect, not prey on, the public Join thousands of South Africans who want a more just South Africa. Read past party lines, past the bluster and the distortion. Get the best reporting, analysis and commentary that is factual, balanced and fair with uninterrupted access to all Mail & Guardian content online. 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Plus - Preferential access to Mail & Guardian events - Get daily conversation starters straight into your inbox - An invitation to join the newsroom’s Review session on Friday mornings - Lend your expertise and experience to the stories we tell [// Read more]( Pic of the day Over 400 000 security forces patrol the area during the general election in Lagos, Nigeria on February 25, 2023. (Photo by Emmanuel Osodi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa