John Eligon
@jeligon
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Johannesburg bureau chief @nytimes.
Johannesburg
Joined April 2009
Daniel Chapo of the long governing party, Frelimo, has been declared the winner of Mozambique's highly disputed presidential election. https://t.co/Zz7AjXDpYT
nytimes.com
Daniel Chapo of the Frelimo party, which has governed the southern African nation for nearly 50 years, was declared the victor amid violence and widespread allegations of fraud.
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BREAKING: The end of an era in South Africa. The ANC, the party that led the defeat of apartheid and rose to power on the shoulders of Nelson Mandela, lost its full control of government after voters rejected it at the polls.
nytimes.com
The African National Congress received less than 50 percent of the national vote for the first time since gaining power 30 years ago, setting the nation on an uncharted course.
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And for a better understanding of the conditions in South Africa that have contributed to the disillusionment that has hurt the ANC, check out our analysis https://t.co/rN20WlB2tf
nytimes.com
We looked at how far South Africa has come in meeting its goals after 30 years of freedom.
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For now, read the story to get a better understanding of the party’s legacy and where things have gone wrong. https://t.co/ZBJTHtnkAt
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But the ANC always finds a way to rally South Africans to their side in the end. Part of its advantage has been the lack of inspiring alternatives. Some believe that may change this year with frustration at a breaking point and a slew of new parties. We’ll see next week.
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When I joined ANC volunteers on the campaign trail, we met an elderly woman who said she loved the party but was frustrated by corruption and its inability to improve their quality of life. “Maybe I won’t even go vote,” she told me, a once unthinkable option.
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Its luster as a heroic liberation organization (the oldest in Africa) that slayed a racist white regime has worn off for a population experiencing extreme economic hardship. This once international feel good story is now a cautionary tale.
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Next week will be the most important moment in South Africa since the end of apartheid. It’s a national election and it looks like the ANC (Nelson Mandela’s party) may lose absolute power for the first time. I explored the party’s challenges for @NYTmag
https://t.co/ZBJTHtnkAt
nytimes.com
The African National Congress has long rested on its legacy. But increasingly that isn’t enough to persuade voters to keep it in power.
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Very excited to share that I’ll be joining the @nytimes newsroom in London in the coming weeks. It’s been a dream and a privilege to work with @lauriegnyt & the Africa team, alongside @jeligon & João Silva here in Jo’burg. Thank you, and onward!
We’re thrilled to announce that Lynsey Chutel is joining the London newsroom as a general assignment reporter for the International desk.
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Some of our research from the @UCT_Institute quoted in the @nytimes this week. Very thought provoking piece @jeligon and team
nytimes.com
We looked at how far South Africa has come in meeting its goals after 30 years of freedom.
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In Eswatini, I met a radical communist who is fighting to overthrow King Mswati III, one of 2 ruling monarchs in Africa. But he faces a big challenge: His father is a soldier, sworn to protect the king from all enemies — including his son. https://t.co/ef1b3VIABN
nytimes.com
A student’s vow to overthrow one of Africa’s last ruling monarchs faces a roadblock: his own father, a soldier sworn to protect the throne.
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I remember years ago writing about how Kansas City set a record for homicides, and about the efforts taken to reduce gun violence there. So frustrating and angering to see that these records are still being broken. https://t.co/Uw361MTnAC
@juliebosman @kevinmdraper
nytimes.com
Homicides in Kansas City, Mo., increased last year, many of them attributed to arguments, officials say.
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Congrats to all my former neighbors in KC. Don’t have too much fun without me!
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Months before Pope Francis’s declaration, Bishop Mtumbuka delivered a fiery sermon accusing Western pastors of trying to bend the word of God to accept homosexuals as a way of attracting a larger pool of priests and other religious vocations. W/@jeligon
https://t.co/ny8vyfmWVR
nytimes.com
It is out of step with the continent’s values, many bishops say, and threatens to derail expansion in the church’s fastest growing region in the world.
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South Africans by and large criticize immigrants for causing major problems in their country. But @lynseychutel visited a border town near Zimbabawe and found a very different reality: a place where immigrants are not only wanted, but needed.
nytimes.com
People by the thousands risk crocodile attacks, robbery, drowning and arrest to cross the Limpopo River from Zimbabwe to South Africa, part of a booming migrant economy.
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A Thriving Border Town Undercuts South Africa’s Anti-Immigrant Mood @jeligon
nytimes.com
People by the thousands risk crocodile attacks, robbery, drowning and arrest to cross the Limpopo River from Zimbabwe to South Africa, part of a booming migrant economy.
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Using Dance to Tell the Story of Mozambique’s Struggles @jeligon
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Who is the King of the Zulu nation? After a bitter battle last year, we thought we had the answer. But now a judge has said the current King was unlawfully handed his throne ... so the drama continues.
nytimes.com
King Misuzulu’s claim to the throne in a storied monarchy has been the subject of a bitter family feud. The drama has captivated a nation that is home to about 14 million Zulus.
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