Rebel groups and violent conflicts are far too common in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the heart of this violence are continuing wars that are fuelled by the country’s vast mineral wealth, with various groups taking advantage of the anarchy to plunder copper, cobalt, gold and diamonds. Between 1994 and 2003, millions of people were killed or forced to flee from conflicts that continuously leave death and destruction in its wake. DR Congo has had and still has its fair share of rebel group...
May 31, 2022•17 min
In their quest to try and find ways to control what they are calling an “overpopulation” of its elephants, Zimbabwe recently held a summit, in the hopes to garner support to lift the ban on the ivory trade. Zimbabwe says it’s sitting on an ivory stockpile of more than 130,000 tonnes which could net them more than half a billion dollars and which in turn could help develop the country with building of schools, hospitals and roads. They also believe the funds could help sustain conservation work. ...
May 30, 2022•15 min
Over the last month or so, two successive floods have hammered South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal province. More than 400 people have lost their lives, and roads, bridges and schools are amongst the infrastructure damaged in what has been described as the biggest natural disaster of post-apartheid South Africa. But why has the region been so badly impacted by this flooding? Is this the ‘new-normal’ because of climate change? And what can be done to protect people from future catastrophes? Africa Daily...
May 27, 2022•17 min
In April, the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal experienced a period of heavy rainfall. It caused flooding that killed more than 400 people. Many are still unaccounted for and tens of thousands were made homeless. In recent days, the rains have returned putting more people in danger and without homes. But why has the flooding been so devastating? Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje has travelled to the province to find out. Host: Mpho Lakaje @mpholakaje #AfricaDaily
May 26, 2022•16 min
“I lost a schoolgirl. Eleven-year-old. My first-born daughter. She was just killed in cold blood – simply because of her ethnicity.” Marsabit in Kenya is a frontier district which borders Ethiopia. Because it’s arid, water is scarce – and over the years the two main communities living there have clashed over resources and politics. But now the violence has reached a new level: with children and city dwellers killed. There’s concern that weapons and disputes are being imported from across the bor...
May 25, 2022•13 min
Despite it being a regular bodily function, menstruation isn’t often talked about. But it’s something that is causing huge problems for many women on the continent. It’s estimated that one in ten girls miss school while they’re on their period And the cost of sanitary products can make them too expensive for many. At the end of this week, World Menstural Hygiene Day is encouraging us all to think of it as just a normal fact of life. Campaigners are calling for an end to the stigma and taboo So, ...
May 24, 2022•17 min
Doormen hassling you, endless questioning and a ban on visitors. These are the challenges faced daily by single women renting in Egypt. And this is after they've managed to clinch a deal with an amenable landlord. Many refuse to let to single women, arguing it could damage their building’s reputation or ruffle its other residents’ moral feathers. And boyfriends? Out of the question. So, why is it so hard for single women to rent in Egypt? Two 24-year-old women, Menna and Fatma, talk to Alan abou...
May 23, 2022•15 min
“None of the politicians are close to decision making today”. When Guinea’s army toppled the sitting – and unpopular – president Alpha Conde in September last year, people celebrated in the streets. Even opposition politicians expressed a cautious welcome – and supported a transition to civilian rule of over a year or more. But now, eight months on, the army has said it needs 36 months before it hands over power. It’s also banned all political protest and clamped down on opponents. So what can t...
May 20, 2022•16 min
They say necessity is the mother of invention… and that seems to be the case for one entrepreneur in Zambia. The country’s reliance on imported foreign fuel has led to years of price hikes and shortages at the petrol pumps – which lead in turn to panic buying. But Mulenga Mulenga kept his head and switched on his brain – using the crises as inspiration for finding a new source of fuel. It’s currently small-scale with his company producing hundreds of litres of petrol a day from waste plastic – b...
May 19, 2022•15 min
Hundreds of US troops could soon be returning to Somalia after President Biden approved their deployment. It's nearly 18 months since American forces left, which was the decision of former President Trump. In that time, the militant group al-Shabab is said to have gained strength and attacks against government and peace keeping forces have increased. It has been a busy few days in Somalia, with a new president - Hassan Sheikh Mohamud - elected on Sunday. So, what do these latest developments mea...
May 18, 2022•15 min
“Is she qualified? Absolutely. Is she a good leader? Absolutely.” In the run up to Kenya’s presidential election in August, the two main candidates - Raila Odinga and William Ruto – have been making a lot of noise about making sure that ‘women are at the decision-making table’. So as deadline day approached today, most people expected them both to choose a woman as their running mate. This would have meant Kenya’s first ever female vice-president. But after a weekend of intense negotiations Will...
May 17, 2022•14 min
Preparations are underway in South Africa for the coronation of Misuzulu Zulu as the new king of the AmaZulu tribe. There was high drama when his succession was announced last year on television – after one of the royal family members stood up and questioned the recognition of the new king. Chaos ensued. But now – as he prepares to ascend the throne, Africa Daily looks at the part monarchies play across the continent – and whether they’re a force for good. “The Republic of South Africa as we kno...
May 16, 2022•15 min
If all goes to plan, Somalis will wake up to a newly elected president on Monday morning. But they won’t have had the chance to vote for them. Their leader will be chosen by members of parliament gathered at secure location in Mogadishu airport. And those MPs were chosen by clan elders and local parliaments – not by popular vote. It means that the election process is being watched just a closely as the result. So, how exactly does it all work? #AfricaDaily
May 13, 2022•18 min
On Sunday, members of parliament in Somalia will gather in a hangar at an airport outside the capital Mogadishu. They’re meeting to decide who will be the next president. The MPs themselves were only sworn in last month, after elections were postponed for more than a year. But even with a vote about to take place, most Somalis won’t get to cast a ballot. The electoral system in Somalia is unique, with clan elders appointing MPs, who then select the president. In the first of two episodes look at...
May 12, 2022•19 min
Maryben Omollo is the CEO Greenseal Limited, a cleaning and pest control startup in Kenya. But it’s a business with a difference… only employing and supporting single parents. Maryben faced harassment and struggled to find work after she got pregnant and the father left her. She faced depression and even attempted suicide. But her mental health has improved and she’s now set up her business and is helping others in a similar situation. She’s now been named one of Africa’s top 40 under 40 entrepr...
May 11, 2022•15 min
After European nations imposed sanctions on Russia, many are looking to Africa for an alternative energy supply. But while this could be an opportunity for some countries, it also highlights global inequalities when it comes to access to electricity. Alan hears from an energy expert who says funding is needed for developing renewable technologies – and from a legal expert who’s helped countries negotiate energy deals with foreign countries. “Did you know Africa’s total installed energy capacity ...
May 10, 2022•13 min
"You know the African way of raising kids and raising men - we are taught you should keep it all to yourself, don't open up." Male suicide rates far outnumber female rates in Africa – that’s according to the WHO. Some health experts put this down to the stigma that surrounds men's mental health, which discourages men from speaking up and seeking help before their problems get too difficult to manage. But several men across East Africa are now trying to change this - and open up a conversation ar...
May 09, 2022•15 min
In recent weeks, Botswana’s former president, Ian Khama, has visited Zambia, Eswatini and Zimbabwe – having meetings with presidents and kings. Since November 2021, he’s been living in exile in South Africa – after being charged with crimes including the unlawful possession of firearms and receiving stolen property. He says the case is politically motivated. So is he working to build up support as he fights the case? And can Botswana’s current president, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, persuade Sou...
May 06, 2022•16 min
In what appears to be its most significant attack on an African Union base in Somalia in years, Al-Shabab claims to have killed 173 Burundian soldier in a camp 160km north of Mogadishu. But there’s confusion over how many people died. A high ranking Burundian officer has been cited in the press as saying 30 lost their lives, while an official statement from the government said just ten were killed. What is clear is that it will trouble the AU at a time when Somalis were meant to be concentrating...
May 05, 2022•13 min
“The judge tells you: ‘are you really going to put your brother into prison for a monkey?’.” Around two weeks ago a Congolese man was arrested by the Ugandan authorities. They allege that he was caught with 122 endangered African Grey Parrots. He’s currently awaiting trial. His arrest follows an investigation involving a number of agencies. Africa Daily meets some of the conservationists involved – as well as others monitoring the activities of smugglers online. Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@Kasujja...
May 04, 2022•15 min
Each day, Africa Daily brings you fresh stories thanks to journalists from across the continent. Their ability to get to the bottom of what’s going on depends on whether they can work freely and safely. But this isn’t always guaranteed. To mark World Press Freedom Day, Alan is talking to two colleagues in countries where press freedom appears to be moving in different directions. Many journalists in Tanzania feel that reporting has become less difficult since President Samia Suluhu Hassan came t...
May 03, 2022•20 min
This weekend Mwai Kibaki - Kenya’s third president after independence - was buried amid great pomp and ceremony. He’s fondly remembered by many for his policy of introducing free primary education for all children. It rapidly led to 1.3 million more children entering schools. But nearly 20 years on, many parents say they have to pay hidden fees – and that the scheme actually lowered standards. Alan Kasujja speaks to parents and an education analyst to get their thoughts. “You can find classes of...
May 02, 2022•15 min
Like many people across the continent, Ghanaians have seen the cost of living rising in recent months. And from Sunday they will have to budget for a new tax on some transactions. An ‘e-levy’ of 1.5% will be applied to mobile money payments, bank transfers and remittances over 100 cedis ($13). The government says the tax will raise nearly a billion dollars this year alone. And that the funds will be used to build roads, fund education and support young entrepreneurs. But some people are worried ...
Apr 29, 2022•15 min
In mid-April two family members in Mbandaka in the north-western Equateur Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo died from the virus within days of each other. This was the country’s 14th outbreak since the very first one back in the 70s when it was discovered. So much has changed and improved in the fight against this virus since the worst outbreaks in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, which left tens of thousands of people dead in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. It’s believed that on ...
Apr 28, 2022•14 min
On April 27, 1994, South Africans went to the polls to elect a new president. Among them were millions of Black citizens who had never voted because of the apartheid system that prevented them from having a say in their country’s political space. That election would see Nelson Mandela, the anti- apartheid fighter, become South Africa’s first democratically elected and the country’s first Black president. The fight against apartheid was long and bloody. Many political activists disappeared while ...
Apr 27, 2022•17 min
“We are the country which has refused to take the many turning points that have been offered to us either through very painful points in our past or through opportunities.” Most of Kenya’s elections over the last 20 years have involved some level of violence and protests. The worst was in 2007 when at least 1,000 people were killed and more than half a million displaced. So it’s not surprising that many in Kenya are looking ahead to the upcoming elections in August with a sense of nervousness. J...
Apr 26, 2022•16 min
Many countries in Africa have ended restrictions and lockdown measures put in place during the height of the pandemic. In South Africa, which had the highest number of Covid-19 cases on the continent, this is a welcoming move for many industries; especially the hospitality sector. According to figures, nearly 400, 000 people in the restaurant industry lost their jobs at the height of the pandemic. And the unemployment rate is said to be at a staggering 35.3%. So with all that the country has fac...
Apr 25, 2022•14 min
Several nations in Africa have decided to relax their lockdown mandates. In Namibia, you are no longer required to wear a mask in public and visitors don’t have to provide negative PCR tests. In South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa officially ended the lockdown, two years after it was imposed – and started a transition process away from mandatory facemasks in public. But it’s clear Covid-19 is still very much with us. Total cases currently stand at 8.6 million, with over 170 thousand deaths across the ...
Apr 22, 2022•12 min
Street hawkers are a common sight, plying their trade on streets across Africa. From fruit and vegetables to gadgets and clothes – they sell it all. But in Tanzania, ‘Machingas’ - petty traders - have been evicted from their stalls and told they need to go to official markets. They were given one month’s notice. President Samia Suluhu Hassan says the street traders pay no tax, block up congested roads and take customers from formal shop owners who DO pay tax. But the Machingas say the move has l...
Apr 21, 2022•11 min
He’s got millions of fans and sold millions of records. Since 2009, Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnmuz has entertained legion of fans. First in his native Tanzania, then soon enough his popularity spilled across the rest of East Africa before he took on the rest of Africa and the world. His catchy tunes, often sang in Swahili, have captured fans beyond those who speak or understand the language. From his humble beginnings in Tandale, a low-income neighbourhood in Dar es Salaam, to Netflix where...
Apr 20, 2022•14 min
