In South Africa, the Republic of Congo, Kenya and Benin the spanking of children at home and schools has been prohibited under the law. There are many African parents who see this kind of discipline as a necessary and traditional part of raising children. But there’s also a younger generation of African parents who say spanking left them traumatised, unable to speak up and unable to think independently. They don’t want this for their children and have decided on a different parenting style. Afri...
Mar 20, 2023•21 min
Tropical Storm Freddy ripped through Mozambique and Malawi killing more than 200 people. Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has called the devastation from the storm a national tragedy. Whereas the storm hit both countries, Malawi and its commercial capital Blantyre have been worst affected. Residents there died in landslides as their homes crumbled into flood waters. So, why has the storm been so devastating? And what lessons can be learned? #AfricaDaily
Mar 17, 2023•17 min
When Jonathan Paye-Layleh began reporting for the BBC in 1993, Liberia was in the middle of a civil war. Jonathan filed stories from the besieged capital Monrovia, and from areas held by insurgents. Over the following decades, he reported on peace talks, a second civil war and elections. The country has changed immeasurably in the past 30 years. Whereas Liberians still face their problems, the country is now peaceful and people have an eye to the future. As Jonathan retires from journalism, he r...
Mar 16, 2023•19 min
“The more money you have, the more of a man you are. The more power you have, physical strength, political power. It’s all about dominating. We need to change this narrative because that’s not what makes a man” In this episode, Mpho Lakaje visits three fathers across Johannesburg in an attempt to understand what it takes to be a solid father. He sits down with Tumelo Mpanza, who is raising his son as a single parent. He speaks to Onkgopotse Motlhanke who has to juggle between running a business,...
Mar 15, 2023•20 min
“I have a home now. A second home. In the United States I didn’t feel like I had a home but I feel like Ghana is a safe place to live. They treat you like a human being over there.” At the beginning of this month, a special ceremony took place in Washington DC – when two of the last three remaining survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre - Viola Ford Fletcher, now 108, and her younger brother Hughes Van Ellis, 102 - were both given Ghanaian citizenship. During the massacre a white mob destroyed and...
Mar 14, 2023•15 min
Africa’s biggest and most respected film festival - the biannual FESPACO recently took place in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou. Films from across the continent were screened and there was strong competition for the festival’s top prize- the coveted Golden Stallion of Yennenga. Burkina Faso has been dealing with a decade long insurgency and around 40% of the country is no longer controlled by the government. Jihadist attacks continue to increase with dozens of civilians and soldiers killed ev...
Mar 13, 2023•19 min
On Thursday, a draft law was tabled in the Ugandan parliament which would criminalise anyone identifying as LGBTQ+. If passed the law could mean ten years in jail for people who say they are gay. The bill also threatens landlords who rent premises to gay people with a prison sentence. It is the latest sign of rising homophobia in a country where homosexual acts are already illegal. So, what would life look like for LGBTQ+ people in Uganda? And why are some politicians so keen to pass the new law...
Mar 10, 2023•22 min
On the 5th of February this year, the who’s who of the global music industry gathered at a venue in Los Angeles, for the 65th Grammy Awards ceremony. Among those in attendance were three South African musicians, Wouter Kellerman, Nomcebo Zikode and Zakes Banwtini. They were nominated in the Best Global Music Performance category, along with several other artists. Surprise! Surprise! Their song, Bayethe, bagged the award. As they touched down at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, the...
Mar 09, 2023•20 min
The internet is becoming a more important part of life. Not only are people using it to communicate and search for information, but also to earn money. But not everyone is online. More than 2.7 billion people around the world are without regular internet access. In most countries – and here on the continent – women are making less use of the internet than men. There are many reasons behind this, from internet access and affordability, to a lack of privacy and safety online. So, what can be done ...
Mar 08, 2023•17 min
Countless reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International and human rights groups have detailed allegations of inhumane conditions inside Egypt’s prison cells. The government refutes the claims, saying they’re politically motivated and based on fake accounts. But it’s also refused to give numbers for the amount of people locked up. It’s now opened some new ‘correctional and rehabilitation complexes’ to house political prisoners amongst others. It says they have state of the art technology, ...
Mar 07, 2023•21 min
Think of the Seychelles and what springs to mind? White sandy beaches, coral reefs, 5 star resorts, nature reserves? What you probably don’t think of is heroin ghettos; shattered lives; mothers burying their sons. 10% of the Seychellois population uses heroin - the highest per capita usage in the world. So what’s being done – and will the government’s ‘War on Drugs’ help or harm? Akwasi Sarpong speaks to a former heroin user, Joseph Fady Banane – known as Fady – who’s put together a documentary ...
Mar 06, 2023•17 min
The head of Nigeria’s electoral commission, Mahmood Yakubu, declared Bola Tinubu the winner of the presidential election this week. It’s been an election fraught with problems. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said technical glitches meant the electronic voting system, used for the first time at national level, delivered results slower than expected. And now the losing candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have called for the election to be rerun, saying early results show ...
Mar 03, 2023•18 min
In early February this year Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, gave a speech against illegal immigration, in which he said black Africans were threatening the social balance and culture of Tunisia. Whatever the intent, it resulted in a surge in racist attacks and abuse, with dark skinned Africans no longer feeling safe in the north African country. Mpho Lakaje hears from one of those now living in fear – a student who describes threats of violence. He also speaks to a social researcher about how h...
Mar 02, 2023•20 min
The footballer – who died in Turkey’s earthquake – was a supporter and regular visitor
Mar 01, 2023•15 min
All over the world, as life expectancy increases and people grow older, more people will have to deal with cancer. The good news is that treatment has improved and over the last 40 years global survival rates have improved dramatically. But what about when people don’t have access to medical care or preventative screening because of shortages of experts or facilities? Last year Kenya’s National Cancer Taskforce compiled a report which called for the training of more oncologists and other experts...
Feb 28, 2023•17 min
In January prominent human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko was shot dead in front of his family at their home in Eswatini. He was a fierce critic of King Mswati III and had travelled worldwide to advocate for democracy in his country. Shortly after his brutal killing, rumours began spreading that he was murdered allegedly by King Mswati’s regime. But Eswatini’s authorities have told Africa Daily, they had no reason to harm him or any other activist. They say they have now launched an investigation....
Feb 27, 2023•19 min
“The country has spent so much training us – and yet we are still wallowing in joblessness right now.” According to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, only around 1,000 out of the 5,000 medical students who’ve graduated in the past five years have found jobs as doctors. And yet the World Health Organisation says Kenya has a shortage of medics – and needs more if it’s to deliver the healthcare the population needs. So what exactly is the reason behind qualified doctors not bein...
Feb 24, 2023•16 min
There are just a few more days to go until millions of voters in Nigeria have their say on who they want to be their next president. The field of presidential candidates is crowded and dominated by men. Despite women representing half of the population, the number of women being elected to political office in Nigeria remains low. Women represent around 5% of federal lawmakers and a woman has never been elected a Governor. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been speaking to young people in Lagos who...
Feb 23, 2023•13 min
Nigerians are heading to the polls on Saturday and security is a priority issue for many people. The incoming government will be faced with varying security challenges in different parts of the country. And violent attacks have increased in many places over the past decade. But one attack last year – on the Catholic Church in Owo – shook the country. More than fifty people were killed in the previously peaceful region. So, what have we learned in the months since the attack? And how is the commu...
Feb 22, 2023•19 min
According to the World Bank 4 in 10 Nigerians live below the national poverty line. Skyrocketing food and energy prices over the past 12 months have made life for many there much harder. So with the Nigerian presidential and parliamentary elections just days away, Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja decided to visit a food bank in Lagos to look at how the most vulnerable are being helped to feed themselves.
Feb 21, 2023•18 min
It’s the start of a big week in Nigeria. On Saturday people go to the polls in presidential and parliamentary elections. Alan is in Lagos to find out how young people are feeling ahead of the votes. Are they looking for change? And what are the big issues motivating them to make their voices heard? #AfricaDaily
Feb 20, 2023•21 min
In nine days polls open for Nigeria’s presidential and parliamentary elections. It’s one of the most hotly contested elections in years and the stakes are high. One of Nigeria’s most important demographics is young people. The country has the largest number of young people anywhere in the world- over 60% of Nigerians are under the age of 30. But do young Nigerians fell they have the power to change their country? Do they feel their voices will be heard in this election? Africa Daily’s Alan Kasuj...
Feb 17, 2023•13 min
Rearing cattle is a way of life for many people across the continent. And for almost as long as people have farmed cattle, there have been cattle rustlers. But as the available weaponry has increased in recent years, they have become increasingly deadly. In Kenya, more than 100 people have been killed by bandits in the past six months. The government has now launched a joint military and police operation in the worst hit areas. But will it be enough to bring them under control? #AfricaDaily...
Feb 16, 2023•16 min
On first weekend of February this year, there were violent clashes in the town of Shashamene in Ethiopia. It was due to a division in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. But how could a doctrinal argument in one of the oldest Christian churches in the world lead to bloodshed? The answers lie somewhere in the long history of church and state relations in Ethiopia, and in the rise of ethnic nationalism. And this is a story as much about the current state of Ethiopian society, as it is about the theolog...
Feb 15, 2023•20 min
Last week, the Pope visited South Sudan alongside leaders of other Christian denominations. He told leaders there that they could not remain neutral and told bishops that they must raise their voices against the abuse of power. Thousands lined streets to see him and many of the people who made the long journey, said the Pope’s presence could lead to change. But South Sudan has faced decades of conflict, both before and after becoming independent in 2011. So, can his visit make a difference? Afri...
Feb 14, 2023•19 min
More than half of people across Africa are involved in agriculture in one form or another. For a long time it was seen as a more traditional pursuit – a way to get by. But younger people are looking at agriculture as a business opportunity. The African Development Bank says millennials are transforming the sector across the continent. Driven by entrepreneurs sharing their journey on social media – farming is getting a bit of a make over. So, what does it take to make a agri start-up succeed? #Af...
Feb 13, 2023•17 min
In May 2022, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema submitted a bill to end capital punishment to parliament. Seven months later, he signed legislation that officially abolished the death penalty. On Wednesday he went even further, announcing that 390 inmates who were awaiting execution, would now serve life sentences. Zambia follow in the footsteps of Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Chad and Sierra Leone, who took the decision in the last two years to abolish the death penalty. But m...
Feb 10, 2023•17 min
Last month, Kenya’s Vice President Rigathi Gachagua told local authorities in the central region that they should limit all towns in their area to one bar each. He says the drastic measure is needed to save the youth from alcoholism. But while many people agree the area has a real problem with drinking, not everyone thinks this will help. And bar owners are up in arms about the impact they’re already feeling on their businesses – even though most haven’t yet been closed down. For today's Africa ...
Feb 09, 2023•16 min
Journalists in Somalia work in a tough environment. The country has suffered from decades of conflict and political upheaval. Journalists often risk their lives to tell these stories. But women in the media face additional barriers, put in place by people who don’t think they should be working at all. Bilan Media – an all-female journalism operation – is hoping to change all that. They are disrupting the male dominated industry and believe they are able to tell a better range of stories from all...
Feb 08, 2023•16 min
Sometimes a story catches the imagination of a nation and really gets people talking. That’s certainly the case in Ghana – after a woman took her boss to court last month for reneging on a deal in which he promised to pay her rent and buy her a car if she had a sexual relationship with him. When it all went sour, he took the car back. It’s all got people discussing what the workplace is like for young women starting their careers and the shocking power imbalance in the workplace. Many Ghanaian w...
Feb 07, 2023•17 min
