Working �with� instead of Working �for�

‘Historians examining the de-colonisation process after World War 11 have shown little inclination to examine the political motives and individual psychologies of those who attached themselves to African causes and leaders in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Africans were often suspicious. Michael Faber and the late Robert Oakeshot were two Britons who appeared as devils incarnate in the eyes of most indigenous Europeans during the run-up to Zambia’s Independence in 1964.’

I have been chewing over this comment since coming on it in an obituary for Michel Faber. I have also been relating it to Tshekedi Khama’s comment, culled from Mary Benson’s biography, that ‘whilst the pre-Independence British Administration had definitely worked for us, it had not worked with us.’ These two comments brought me back to the remarkable number of white/black combinations that were such a feature of mostly the 1960s all of which were notably  ‘with’ rather than ‘for’.

Editor's Comment
Masisi should avoid diplomatic tensions

Mokgweetsi Masisi’s recent spats regarding the supposed involvement of Eswatini and South Africa in accommodating former president Ian Khama have sparked concerns about the potential ramifications on diplomatic relations. While transparency is valued, it must be accompanied by strategic communication to mitigate unintended consequences.President Masisi’s comments during a diplomatic heads meeting have drawn attention to the delicate balance...

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