Blogger, journalist, lawyer, digital activist and new media consultant. Ndesanjo Macha is interested in the relationship between social media and development in the developing world, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa.
Macha was formerly, Global Voices’ Sub-Saharan Africa Editor. Follow me on Twitter: @ndesanjo
Latest posts by Ndesanjo Macha from August, 2007
Africa: Leave Africa alone
Communist Socks and Boots lashes out against One Laptop Per Child: “It based on the wrong assumption that kids will take it with them to hunt, or use it in their clay-wall classes. Or that they will need easy translation from English to local languages.”
Zambia: Donor money for cars and iPods
Most people in Zambia want cars and iPods, writes Positively Zambian, but because of donor money available they set up organizations, which claim to fight poverty.
South Africa: Who will follow Google to South Africa?
Vinny expects more Internet companies to move to South Africa in the near future: “South African Internet usage has grown 120% in the past year, and it won’t be long until you see eBay, Yahoo & the others follow Google & Amazon’s recent foray (Amazon’s Cape Town office built EC2)...
South Africa: Creepy confession
Crimexposouthafrica writes about Juan Uys, the man who was leading the campaign to turn away tourists: “After months of having denied it, Uys told the Cape Times he had been behind the Crimexposouthafrica.net website that urged tourists not to visit the country until the government acted to curb crime.”
Nigeria: Mountains of garbage
Nigeria Health Watch: “Things have never been this bad. Our epileptic industrialisation is leaving problems we cannot cope with. If I told my son that as early as 1970s a refuse disposal van drove past our neighborhood in the campus of the University of Nigeria Nsukka collecting refuse, and that...
Nigeria: Investing in the future
Oro writes an update about Ajengule Project in Nigeria: “This was followed by the ICT Capacity Building component of the program which was anchored by Korean Internet Volunteers (who were sent by the Korean Agency for Digital Opportunities and Promotion, to help PIN on the project). The first training segment...
Nigeria: Chevron to face trial over murder in the Niger Delta
Black Looks reporting about the trial of the oil giant, Chevron: “After waiting 8 years, Chevron oil company is finally being brought to trial in the US over the murder of villagers in the Niger Delta in 1998 and 1999.”
Cameroon: Summit Magazine changing the media landscape
Dibussi discusses the second issue of the Cameroonian magazine, Summit Magazine: “Unlike the maiden issue which focused exclusively on people, the second issue diversifies considerably with articles on tourist attractions such as village of Bakingili at the foot of Mount Fako and the legendary Menchum falls. It has also a...
Tanzania: suspension of opposition member of parliament
Ned discusses the suspension of a popular opposition MP in Tanzania: “Following a decision to turn down Hon. Zitto Kabwe’ private motion to form a select committee to probe among other things Hon. Nazir Karamagi’s (Minister for Energy & Mineral) decision to sign a mining development agreement (MDA) with the...
Tanzania: Buy a calendar to support a school
Support the School of St. Jude in Arusha, Tanzania, by ordering their 2008 calendar: “A School of St Jude calendar is the perfect gift for that person for whom it is impossible to buy anything – Aunty Madge has enough Body Shop loofahs! And this is a great way to...
Sierra Leone: Early election results in Sierra Leone
Results to be announced soon. Here are the early results: “93% of the of polling stations have reported their results APC (All People’s Congress) is ahead at 44%, SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) follows close behind at 38%. This is not a huge surprise I guess; everyone expected these two...
Kenya: New Women's Bank
Bankelele writes about a new Women's bank in Kenya: “Women’s Bank: They may not have been able to get special seats in Parliament, but women can count on having their own bank when the Kenya Women's finance trust converts to a commercial bank, probably in 2008. Having a women’s only...
Zambia: challenges and solutions for independent broadcasters
Vincent Maher is live-blogging from Africa Media Leadership Conference 2007: “Daka, telling the personal narrative of his radio station, emphasizes that audience research is the most important thing in starting a new radio station. In the rural areas, he jokes, if a man doesn’t own a radio and a bicycle...
Tanzania: The making of the movie, Bongoland II
If you can make a movie in Dar es Salaam, then you can make a movie anywhere: “First there are production and logistical issues. The production issues were easily resolved because we had anticipated those and planned for them. What we did not anticipate are the issues beyond our control…traffic...
Africa: Is East Africa a literary desert?
Are there writers in East Africa?: “For many years we were made to believe that East Africa was a literary desert. Taban lo Liyong said it and regional publishers vindicated him. And they kept him vindicated for many years but we all knew it was an excuse to invest solely...
Africa: Web 2.0 and African civil society
Gathering stories about web 2.0 in African civil society: “As part of this, I wanted to get an update from Kabissa members and others in African civil society about their use of blogging and other social networking tools – remarkably, there are not that many case studies available despite the...
Uganda:Let us live in peace
Black Looks posts a press release from Sexual Minorities Uganda: “n a landmark case, we, Ugandan lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people assembled at the High Court of Uganda two months ago to reinforce our right to privacy, dignity, and property. There were no charges against us. We...
Ghana: educating new generation of leaders
Sanaga posts a video from TEDGlobal: “I've already mentioned Ashesi University on this blog. The latest speech of Patrick Awuah at TED Global is now available and I couldn't pass on the opportunity to share it here.”
Ghana: energy crisis
Odzagba writes about energy crisis in Ghana: “The lights finally went off this evening after nearly a week of constant electricity… except for some 10 minute blackouts now and then. :) According to the energy minister, the water level in the Akosombo dam has “risen marginally” and some 50 megawatts...
Ethiopia: the next big thing
The next big thing in Ethiopia: “So what is the next big thing? The next big thing is all about trusting each other, working together and building grass root movements in every locality of Ethiopia. I will repeat my creed of the past. OLF, UEDF, CUDP, SEPC and the many...
Zimbabwe: Rigging Zimbabwe's 2008 elections
Mugabe has started rigging next year's elections: “Even though they plan to rig the election as usual, they want to give the result a semblance legitimacy by polling the largest number of votes. Some of the stages of the plans have already been implemented, the events in the past 3...
