Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa from April, 2012
South Africa: Netizens Weigh In on Fall of Controversial Politician
Netizens weigh in on the expulsion of the controversial South African politician and the former President of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Julius Malema, from the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Madagascar: Rare Deposit-Rich Land Sold to French-German Group
French group Rhodia and German company Tantalus announced the signing of a Letter of Intent to exploit a 300 km-long region filled with rare deposits [fr] in the Ampasindava peninsula in the North-West of Madagascar. The group expects to produce 15,000 tons a year within the next 18 months, a total...
Zambia: Former VP's Death Highlights State of Local Hospitals
Immediate past Vice President of the former ruling MMD government George Kunda died on 16 April 2012 at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in the capital, Lusaka. Despite mourning his death, netizens seized the opportunity to criticize the current status of health care in Zambia and highlight the need for reform.
Botswana: Botswana Forerunner for MDG7
Edmund Smith-Asante observes that Botswana is the only African country most likely to approach the MDG7 (achieving universal access to water by 2015): “Botswana currently experiences 89 under-five sanitation-related deaths yearly, the lowest on the African continent, saves 14 under-five lives annually with its current rate of investment in the...
Liberia: A Preface to Liberia’s Complicated Biography
Robtel Pailey discusses Liberia's complicated biography: “April 12, 1980 is often described as the beginning of Liberia’s end. I think of it as the preface to Liberia’s long, complicated biography, the beginning of our awakening. It was a day when our pomp and circumstance left a deafening echo; when we...
Portugal: Video of Guinea-Bissau coup protest in Lisbon
Youtube user MinisterioDaVerdade published a video of a large parade on Saturday by Guinea-Bissaun residents of Lisbon, and their Portuguese families and friends, protesting the military coup which took place April 12. Marchers occupied the streets of Lisbon's Baixa neighborhood. Signs read “We have a consensus: No to dictatorship” and...
Sao Tome and Principe: Memories of a Lonely Navigator
Follow the blog Odisseia nos Mares (Odysseys in the Seas) [pt] and navigate through the stories of Jorge Trabulo Marques – a retired Portuguese journalist and photographer who lived in São Tomé and Príncipe for 13 years during colonial times. Trabulo blogs on his memories of São Tomé, including lonesome...
Angola/Mozambique: Emerging Platforms for Artistic Production
Blog of African contemporary culture Dá Fala shared a call for proposals on Emerging Platforms for Artistic Production in Angola and Mozambique, to be published on an issue of Critical Interventions that will explore “recent scenarios of art platforms as extensions and articulations of state, private, and individual power”, and...
Mauritania: The Face of Modern Day Slavery
Although Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1981 and made the practice a crime in 2007, slavery is still a common phenomenon in the country. A CNN special report titled "Slavery's last stronghold" reveals that an estimated 10% to 20% of the population lives in slavery.
Kenya: Creating Alternative Initiation Rites to Womanhood without Cutting Girls
The Guardian.co.uk has released a video on female genital mutilation and the women and girls who are against this tradition and bringing on new alternatives to this initiation ritual. In the story, two young women refuse to be cut and married off in exchange for dowry, instead they are trying...
Senegal: An Innovative Way to Monitor the Presidential Elections
During the second round of the Senegalese presidential elections, journalist Papa Alé Niang of channel 2stv was able to give results trends as early as 9pm thanks to the work of monitoring team Sunu 2012. This project was devised and created by Cheikh Fall in 2008 and has proved an invaluable tool in monitoring practices during this campaign.
Botswana: Love in the Shadows
Love in the Shadows is a new book by Lauri, a writer and blogger living in Botswana: “For the first time I'm trying my hand at a thriller/romance. Here's the blurb: Songbird Kedi Taukobong is living her dream. Enormously successful as an Afro-pop musician, she travels the continent performing to...
Ghana: Shinning Light on Akan/Twi Movies
African Movie Critic shines light on Akan/Twi movies from Ghana: “I have always said local movies in both Ghana and Nigeria (e.g. Yoruba movies) ALWAYS seem to have a better story line. Why is that? Is it because the actors and actresses are able to perform better and let the...
Somalia: Hands Off Somalia
Hands Off Somalia is a campaign originally organised to oppose any upcoming corporate, political and military intervention in Somalia by the British government, which was signalled at their conference held on 23 February 2012.
Nigeria: Nigerian Bloggers and Tweeps #SavedOke
Nigerian bloggers fought for the legs and life of diabetic youth #Oke and won the battle to keep him alive through social media advocacy. The successful #SaveOke campaign was ignited by some Nigerian bloggers and tweeps – spearheaded by Linda Ikeji to save Oke’s life.
Mozambique: Police Detain Blogger During Mayoral By-Election
Mozambican human rights lawyer and blogger Custodio Duma was detained by the police during mayoral by-election in Inhambane, on April 18, allegedly due to taking photos. Five hours later, he was released. According [pt] to @Verdade newspaper, 53 citizens (mostly supporters of the opposition party, MDM) were arrested during the scrutiny....
South Africa: New Album by South Africa's Jazz Giant
Tete Mbambisa, one of South Africa’s jazz giants, has a new album titled “Black Heroes”: “Mbambisa’s career spans fifty years and he can be heard on numerous recordings by many giants of South African jazz. His 1976 album Tete’s Big Sound is a classic in the annals of local jazz....
Mauritania: The Plight of Two Slave Girls
Read Lissnup's blog post titled “Mauritania Slavery: The torment of Selama and Maimouna”: “At the age most girls are concerned with passing their school diploma, 14 year old Selama Mint Mbarek is already the mother of a son, born to her after being raped while serving as a farm hand...
Nigeria: Was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's Candidacy Symbolic?
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the only African and woman running for the World Bank presidency, has lost the race to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American physician. Should this have been the time for global governance values to triumph over the long-standing tradition of an American leading the institution?
Mali: New Interim PM and Microsoft Corp's Chairman for Africa C. Diarra's Thoughts on Crisis
As Mali names Microsoft Africa chief Cheick Modibo Diarra as interim prime minister, here are his latest thoughts (fr) on his personal website (also in Bambara) regarding the political crisis in Mali. Meanwhile, the military junta have arrested several members of the former government of ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure.
Zambia: On the Ban of Popular Cheap Spirit ‘Sachets’
Two years ago, a blogger called for the banning of the sale of very potent alcoholic spirits packaged in 60 ml sachets which have come to be known as “tujilijili”. Whether government officials saw the blogger’s appeal or not, at least the Minister of Local Government and Housing, Professor Nkandu Luo on March 15, 2012 did just that. Zambian netizens weigh in on the government's decision.
About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage
