African press review 15 November 2011

Change is on the menu of several African papers today - both political change and the wider, arguably more significant issue of climate change.

On the political front - one week from now - on 24 November - Gambian voters go to the polls to elect a President - and the Banjul daily The Point reports that all three candidates are now on the campaign trail.

"For the contesting political parties, our message is that they display a high sense of maturity and treat each other with respect. The Gambia’s political evolution has surpassed the era of politics of violence, character assassination, and mudslinging," says The Point.

"It will be a great blow to our democratic status when" - the paper's use of the word "when" is worrying - "when we hear of people being arrested or detained for merely criticising the regime. Or anyone gets sacked for merely being a sympathiser of the opposition."

The editorial suggests that all the contending parties should seize the opportunity to sell their plans and programmes to the electorate rather than stoop so low as to fuel the traditional acrimony that often mars elections in Africa.

It ends on a note of mischief with what it calls the politician's prayer - "May my words be ever soft and low - for I may have to eat them”.

In South Africa, there is a new twist in the long-running soap opera starring the ANC's beleaguered Youth League leader Julius Malema.

Last week, Malema was removed as President of the League and suspended for five years - after he was found guilty of provoking serious divisions within the ANC and bringing the party into disrepute. He says he plans to appeal against the ruling.

In its lead story; the Sowetan quotes an anonymous source as saying that "Malema is going to ask Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe for money to fund the League's programmes."

The story is fairly incoherent, but, the Sowetan says, it understands that Malema said he used his own money to fund Youth League programmes because there was no money.

It was unfortunate that Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi had died - Malema is alleged to have said - implying that he would have approached Kadhafi to fund ANC Youth League programmes - if the eccentric, old despot was still in power.

Curious and curiouser.

The celebrated Kenyan anthropologist Richard Leakey makes the front page of the Botswana daily The Monitor with a doom-laden prediction for the country's famed wildlife.

Speaking at the annual Kalahari Conservation Society dinner, Leakey warned that climate change will decimate the semi-arid country's rich and varied wildlife - which includes elephants, lions and a Noah's Ark of other wild creatures.

Over the next fifty years, Botswana will become drier and drier, Leakey is quoted as saying. Game reserves won't save the wildlife. Animals need the freedom to roam in search of food and water.

And - with insufficient water - the outlook for the country's human inhabitants isn't any brighter. Clearly, it is an issue that will not be confined to Botswana.

The Monitor's report doesn't include possible solutions. Though there is a useful suggestions among the follow-up comments from readers. Plant trees !

Later this month, South Africa will host a United Nations-sponsored conference on climate change.

The Mail and Guardian anticipates this with a recent story on how African farmers are struggling to access a programme meant to involve them in the fight against climate change.

The paper notes that Africa's farmers were meant to be among the main beneficiaries of the Clean Development Mechanism, which lets industrialised countries fund green projects in the developing world in exchange for credits toward emission-cutting targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

The reality is that the funding process is too costly and complicated for small farmers.

The Mail and Guardian reminds readers that climate change is already hitting Africa's farmers. For example, sugar production is falling in Mauritius, drought is devastating Somalia, and there is increased flooding in Malawi, Zambia and other countries.

Meanwhile, administrative and technical challenges scare off many farmers, even those who worry about climate change and want to adapt.

Leakey's 50 years warning may sound distant and remote - a long, long time away.

But - ask anyone over 50 years of age - me for instance - and we will assure you that 50 years is not forever. It's come and gone in the blink of an eye.