George Ngwane

[Book Review] "Messing Manners” by Mathew Takwi

Why we are where we are
Being a Review of the poetry book “Messing Manners” by Mathew Takwi during the book launch at the Hotel Serena Douala on 9th December 2014

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

Right from the illustration on the coloured glossy cover of the book “Messing Manners”, the writer sets his thematic agenda.  A beautiful street with posh buildings is being littered by the mess emanating from our social, sexual and political bad manners.  It only takes the sole and conspicuous effort of a woman to use the broom of the poet to, in the philosophical note of the author “sweep self clean and in neatness swing his blessed broom round society for better sanitation”. 

The poet’s forty-five poems written in seventy-nine pages in a high quality paper book can be divided into three Categories: (i) Poems of piety (ii) Poems of protest and (iii) Poems of praise.

An African Governance Report III: Elections & the Management of Diversity

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. (2013). An African Governance Report III: Elections & the Management of Diversity, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: UNECA, 2013.

A Report Review by Mwalimu George Ngwane (Presented at Hotel Sawa Douala on 2nd December 2014).

Introduction
In the past three months, I have been solicited to do book reviews for three different publications. The common thread that runs through them is Governance.
I am honoured and humbled to be here to review this Report and wish to thank the organisers for placing confidence in my task to share my thoughts on the latest African Governance Report whose focus is “Elections and the Management of Diversity”.
Like I mentioned earlier the three publications I have had the opportunity to review all dwell on the theme of Governance.  This indicates the importance and impact Governance has on the lives of both leaders and citizens especially in Africa.  Governance still remains an inclusive democratic architecture which is informed by what Environmentalists call “Thinking Globally and Acting locally”. Governance still remains a development entitlement that speaks to the welfare, sustainable livelihood and economic empowerment of the common weal.