AFRICAphonie

AFRICAphonie Participates at 2014 African Creative Economy Conference, Morocco

AFRICAphonie was one of the African civil societies that participated at the just ended 2014 African Creative Economy Conference in Rabat, Morocco from 13th-15th November 2014.

Represented by its Executive Director, George Ngwane who is also a Member of the Cultural Policy Task Group in Africa, Thursday 13th of November was the official debut of the African Creative Economy Conference 2014, which ran at the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat until the 15 of November.

The State and Future of Freedom of Artistic Expression in Cameroon

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

Freedom of Expression by Cultural Practitioners is getting more and more stifled in Cameroon.  In November 2013, more than 1000 musicians gathered in an elective Assembly within their Association called Cameroon Music Association (in French SOCAM) and voted overwhelmingly for their President, composer and musician Ndedi Eyango.  Only two weeks in office as the newly elected President, Ndedi was dismissed by the Minister of Art and Culture (supervisory authority of SOCAM) on the grounds that  Ndedi Eyango has double nationality (American/Cameroonian). It is alleged that the Minister had her preferred candidate who lost the elections.  In spite of consultations by musicians to get Ndedi Eyango back as President, the Minister has dug her heels in and there is presently a legal battle between Ndedi Eyango and the Minister.