· February, 2012

Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from February, 2012

Zambia: Neighbors Help Celebrate AFCON 2012 Victory

  17 February 2012

Zambia’s victory over Ivory Coast in the finals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2012) co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea has been celebrated by Zambians and neighboring Southern African nations alike.

Guinea: The Indifference Towards Women with Disabilities

  16 February 2012

Boubacar Sanso Barry wrote for the site Yanous [fr]: “Example of the indifference and the negligence in Guinea towards disability issues: It is almost impossible to find an organization that is capable or likely to concern itself with the lives of disabled people, or that would think to tackle those...

Senegal: Reasons Behind the Pre-Election Turbulence

  14 February 2012

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade was elected head of state in 2000 and has decided to stand for a third term even though that should not be allowed under the constitution. Many Senegalese are protesting the decision to allow him to stand.

Madagascar : Crowdsourcing Information about Cyclone Giovanna

  13 February 2012

Cyclone Giovanna was expected to make landfall on February 13th at 23h00 local time in Madagascar. Malagasy Bloggers  have set up  a citizen reporting  platform  to crowd source information during the storm.  If you have any relevant information regarding the cyclone, you can share those with mutliple channels: via  SMS...

South Africa: Virgin Active Caught in Racism Row

  9 February 2012

South African newspapers ran a story recently about a South African woman who was racially abused in public at the Virgin Active gym in Morningside, Johannesburg. The story has caused a public outcry on social media which resulted in Virgin Active re-opening the investigation into the incident.

Swaziland: The Hypocrisy of King Mswati III

  7 February 2012

Richard Rooney discusses the hypocrisy of King Mswati III of Swaziland: “King Mswati III of Swaziland is being hypocritical when he expresses disappointment at individuals who continue to plunder state resources for personal benefit. That’s because he is the biggest plunderer of state resources and he has bled his subjects...

Gambia: International Chef Talks About Working in the Gambia

  7 February 2012

Kathryn interviews Jonathan Groves, the executive chef at Ngala Lodge in the Gambia: “Have you ever cooked for 900 people for a wedding and have 1,500 turn up! No, unsurprisingly, me neither. Jonathan Groves, the superb chef at Ngala Lodge has.”

Africa: Do You Need a Handbook For Bush Flying?

  7 February 2012

“Low timer pilots handbook to bush flying?,” Bush Pilot in Swakopund asks: “I was wondering if any of you would be interested in an e-book that has all the information about the where's, how's and what's of the job hunt in Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania (and also some other information I...

Ghana: Three ICT Books Launched

  7 February 2012

Three ICT books have been launched in Ghana, Seth Bokpe reports: “THREE books on Information Communication Technology (ICT) have been launched in Accra to enhance the teaching and learning of the subject in educational institutions.”

Uganda: What Lies Beneath the Cloak of Exclusivity?

  6 February 2012

The formation of a Facebook group called ‘Mzungus in Uganda' has stirred up controversy and a heated debate on Facebook. Mzungu is a term commonly used in southern, central and eastern Africa to mean a white person. The group's description reads, "This is a group for all the Mzungus living in Kampala…to share your likes, dislikes, advice or interesting (or boring) stuff…."

Africa: Highs and Lows of the 2012 African Cup of Nations

  6 February 2012

People unite around their national football teams in Africa more than anywhere else in the world. In the fervour surrounding the 2012 African Cup of Nations, there are two points that attract the attention of bloggers. The first is the absence of the usual great nations of African football and the second is that of the complicated issue surrounding bonuses.

Zambia: Netizens Weigh in on Labour Minister, Chinese Quarrel

  6 February 2012

This is a roundup of reactions from Zambian netizens following a public quarrel involving the Labour Minister Chishimba Kambwili, the Chief Medical Officer of the Chinese-run Sino-Zam Friendly Hospital in the mining region of the Copperbelt and the Chinese ambassador to Zambia.

Africa: 2012 Cup of Nations Delivers Many Surprises

  6 February 2012

The first round of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations has been full of surprises as tournament favourites, such as Senegal and Morocco, have already been eliminated. Tweets from around Africa show how the whole continent has been captivated by the tournament.

Mozambique: All Aboard the Musical Marrabenta Train!

  6 February 2012

Southern Mozambique hosts one of the continent's best kept secrets, the Marrabenta Festival, an event which celebrated five years this month. Highlight of the Festival is a musical train journey in which musicians and revelers travel to the outdoor finale, picking up people along the way.

About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage

Zita Zage
Zita Zage is the Anglophone Africa Editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Jean Sovon
Jean Sovon is the Francophone Africa. Editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.

Dércio Tsandzana
Dércio Tsandzana is the Lusophone (Portuguese) editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.