Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from November, 2011
South Africa: Sci-Fi Novel “Zoo City” to Get Film Adaptation
South African science fiction novel “Zoo City” will soon be a movie: “After winning several literary awards and garnering global acclaim for its clever originality, South African author Lauren Beukes’ science-fiction novel, Zoo City, recently saw its film rights awarded to producer Helena Spring (Red Dust, Yesterday, The First Grader),...
Côte d’Ivoire: Bloggers React to the ICC Warrant Issued for Gbagbo's Arrest
Kouamouo writes that the ICC has issued a warrant today to arrest former Ivorian president Gbagbo [fr]. In the comment section, Akpe wonders why Gbagbo has to be sent to Europe and not tried in Côte d’Ivoire.
DR of Congo: Citizens Organize Unofficial Polling as They Await Election Results
Colette Braeckman writes in her blog [fr]: “Congolese citizens have become experts in election monitoring; they are grabbing pens and notepads, going from one voting polls to the other and sharing the results they observe to friends via SMS.”
Zambia: Netizens Weigh in on Fight Against Corruption
Since the Patriotic Front won this year's election, Zambia has been heading in a new direction. What seems to be of great interest is the single-minded focus of the new government in dealing with corruption.
Togo: Another Tragedy Strikes the Togolese Football World
Nadege Mambe mourns the third tragic loss [fr] for the Togolese football world in 5 years. After the plane crash in Sierra Leone that took the live of the Minister of Sports 5 years ago and the attack of the team bus in Cabinda by Angolese separatist guerillas in 2010,...
Madagascar: Exiled President Returns as a Government of National Unity Forms
Andrianjorar reflects on the recent return of exiled former president Ratsiraka in Madagascar [fr]. In the meantime, a government of national unity headed by PM Beriziky has been formed [fr] but its final composition is still disputed regarding the attribution of several key ministries.
Understanding the Implications of the Kidnappings of 6 Westerners in Mali
The Wal-Asat blog attempts to figure out the implications of the recent slew of kidnappings in Mali. Didier François highlights the mysterious background and activities [fr] of the two kidnapped Frenchmen while AllAfrica points out the poor regional coordination between the nations combating this issue.
Zambia: Cash Dug Out From Ex-Minister's Farm Shocks Nation
Zambia’s investigative units recently dug out nearly US$ 466,000, buried in the ground at a farm belonging to former minister, Austin Liato. Zambians on various social networking sites have reacted to these and other disclosures of suspected corrupt activities with a sense of shock and anger.
Video: Plural+ 2011 Awards Young Filmmakers
Youth from around the globe were awarded in New York for their thought-provoking short films showing their proposals for making society more peaceful and multicultural by addressing the topics of diversity, migration and social inclusion.
DR of Congo: How Will the Elections Unfold?
The presidential elections in the DRC are scheduled for November 28. The stakes are evidently high, given the history of civil conflict. Many observers have highlighted the major events during the campaign, and attempted to forecast how the elections will unfold.
Mozambique: Poetry on trees
The Mozambican literary collective Movimento Kuphaluxa has shared on Facebook and on its blog a series of poems exhibited on the city of Maputo's historic acacia trees. Some well-known writers like Mia Couto are featured (FB link), but most poems are from younger writers.
Mali, Niger: Tuareg Voices Barely Heard Over the Sounds of War
Since the start of the war in Libya, many security and political experts have warned against potential Touareg threats in Mali and Niger. Is it a real threat or mere speculations? For the moment, the only place to hear the voices of the Tuareg is on the internet.
Kenya: Meet Kenyan Innovator Daniel Njuguna
John Karanja blogs about Kenyan innovator Daniel Njuguna who has managed to integrate his mobile phone with home made appliances and gadgets that perform a number of domestic functions: “This innovation is a precursor to what has been described as the internet of things where appliances and gadgets will soon...
Kenya: Mapping Mobile Money
Mapping mobile money in Kenya: “CrowdPesa is a Web and Mobile application with a mapping system that allows businesses to locate themselves in a map and facilitate users to find the location of the nearest financial service on their mobile phone.”
Zambia: Should “Tujilijili” be Banned?
Zambian Economist asks his readers, “Should Tujilijili be banned?”: “Tujilijili is a strong alcohol sold in a sachet for about K1, 000 [Zambian Kwacha] per sachet. The alcoholic content is over 40 per cent, equivalent to whiskey and other known spirit brands like vodka and brandy.”
Nigeria: Investigating Perceptions of Blackness, Gender and Place
Sokari blogs about the Nigerian artist Toyin Odutola: “The Nigerian-born, American-raised artist employs a painstakingly thorough creative process that uses rudimentary tools – ballpoint pens, ink and paper – to investigate perceptions of ‘blackness’, gender and place.”
Ethiopia: Online Platform to Discuss Sustainable Technologies
GreenTech Ethiopia is an online platform to learn about and discuss environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies suitable for the Ethiopian context.
Ghana: Startup Weekend Accra
Mac-Jordan blogs about Startup Weekend Accra: “Startup Weekends are 54-hour events where developers, designers, marketeers and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups! Startup Weekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs find out if their startup ideas are viable.”
Ethiopia: Is Ethiopian Blogosphere the Smallest in the World?
Markos wonders whether the Ethiopian blogosphere is the smallest in the world: “A few months ago Joern and I made a little research and we found out that Ethiopia had less than 20 bloggers in the country. This is rather shocking stats compared to 160,000 (July 2008) Bloggers in Egypt....
Mozambique: More striking security guards
After the fateful G4S strike earlier this year, more security guards are on strike in Maputo. @Verdade newspaper photographer Miguel Mangueze tweeted a photo of a sign from the protest, depicting the Portuguese head of the company SOS, who they allege deprives them of pay over the holidays.
Kenya: Life in Dadaab, the World's Largest Refugee Camp
Around 75 percent of all refugees are believed to reside in countries neighboring their own, and this is particularly true in Kenya, where approximately 450,000 people inhabit the world's largest refugee camp.
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