September 22
Lesotho: Lesotho Needs Constitutional Reforms to Help Gain Political Stability
Lesotho, a small country landlocked by South Africa, has been struggling to make constitutional reforms since the advent of coalition politics in 2012. It needs the reforms to… Read more »
September 19
South Africa: South Africa Has a New Education Law - Some Love It, Some Hate It
South Africa has a new law governing education. The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act changes several aspects of how schools are managed. It was introduced to address… Read more »
September 18
East Africa: Kenya's Femicide Cases - 'Declare a Crisis Now'
Ugandan athlete and Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei died in September 2024 after being set alight by a man she knew in Eldoret, Kenya. Cheptegei's murder was reported to have been about… Read more »
September 13
Kenya: Violence At the Kenya-Ethiopia Border - What's Driving Insecurity in the Region
Communal conflict is endemic in the vast arid region on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Fresh alarm has been sparked in both countries following a kidnapping and armed… Read more »
September 12
Sudan: Sudan Is Burning and Foreign Powers Are Benefiting - What's in It for the UAE
The United Nations has accused foreign players of prolonging the war in Sudan, making it harder for the country to find peace. The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and… Read more »
West Africa: Hustle Academies - West Africa's Online Scammers Are Training Others in Fraud and Sextortion
As the world becomes increasingly connected, digital fraud has evolved from a local problem into a global one. West Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria, is witnessing the rise… Read more »
September 10
South Africa: Steve Biko's Murder Exposed Deep Racism in How Medicine Was Taught and Practised in South Africa
In 1966, Steve Biko began studying medicine at the University of Natal in South Africa, the same year that the general assembly of the United Nations declared apartheid a crime… Read more »
September 09
South Africa: Sexual Violence in South Africa - Women Share Their Stories About the Dangers of Commuting On Minibus Taxis
Millions of people use minibus taxis to get around South Africa every day. These "pillars of public transport" (which are privately owned and run rather than operated by the state)… Read more »
August 22
Zimbabwe: Sex Sells in These Zimbabwe Take-Out Chicken Ads - Showing How Fragile Masculinity Is
Around the world, fast food advertising has been called out for sexualising and objectifying women's bodies. In South Africa in 2019, for example, one fast food chain was… Read more »
August 21
South Africa: South Africa's Competition Law Has Special Conditions for Company Mergers - Do They Benefit Society or Hinder Business?
Competition is a good thing. This is the common thread through global competition law, which aims to prevent monopolies - when one firm dominates a sector. Read more »
August 18
Nigeria: Sex and Alcohol in Nigeria - Marketing Tactics Send Dangerous Messages to Young Drinkers
Nigeria has a high rate of heavy drinking among young people. One study found that 55.8% of teenagers between 15 and 19 years old had engaged in binge drinking in the past month. Read more »
July 22
South Africa: South Africa Is Trying to Put a Stop to the Abuse of Its Intelligence Agencies - What Still Needs Fixing
South Africa's security laws are open to abuse by rogue intelligence operatives and politicians. These laws are meant to govern the conduct of covert activities by intelligence… Read more »
July 18
South Africa: 144 South Africans With Mental Disability Died in the Life Esidimeni Tragedy. Lessons From the Inquest Judgment
A South African high court ruling marks an important milestone in holding public officials to account for their decisions. Read more »
July 16
Nigeria: Suicide Bombings in Nigeria - Tactic Is Back After a Four-Year Break - Security Researcher Offers 3 Possible Reasons
Nigeria's first suicide bombing since 2020 took place in June 2024 with four coordinated attacks that killed at least 30 people. Read more »
July 09
Africa: Catching Online Scammers - Our Model Combines Data and Behavioural Science to Map the Psychological Games Cybercriminals Play
When fiction's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, needed to solve a crime, he turned to his sharp observational skills and deep understanding of human nature. He used this… Read more »
July 06
Kenya: Kenya's Protests Are Different This Time - 3 Things That Make It Harder for Government to Crush Them
On 25 June 2024, a youth-led protest primarily composed of Gen Zs, as they are popularly referred to, stormed Kenya's parliament. Legislators voted to pass the Finance Bill 2024 in… Read more »
July 02
South Africa: South Africa's 70,000kg Rhino Horn Stockpile Must Be Burnt to Prevent Illegal Trading
Despite a global ban on international buying and selling of rhino horn since 1977, the South African government and owners of private rhino reserves continue to stockpile it. A new… Read more »
June 30
Kenya: Violence Is the Language of the Kenyan State - 5 Strategies It Uses to Control Citizens
Since the early 2000s, Kenya has come up with legislative changes and thrown a tremendous amount of funding at a range of reforms to improve the relationship between police and… Read more »
June 27
Kenya: Kenyan Police Use Excessive Force Because They're Serving Political Elites, Not the Public - Policy Analyst
Public protests in Kenya have often been criminalised, leading to brutal police crackdowns. This played out in recent protests against the cost of living in Kenya, and amid an… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya's Protests Happened in Every Major Urban Centre - Why These Spaces Are Explosive
Kenya has a long history of protests. Mass protests took place during the colonial period and continued in the post-independence era. Read more »
June 26
South Africa: Shell Didn't Consult Communities Properly About Mining the Wild Coast - but How Much Legal Protection Do South Africans Have?
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal recently dismissed an appeal by Shell, Impact Africa and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to overturn a High Court judgment… Read more »
Kenya: Kenyan Police and Protests - Researchers On a Violent, Corrupt Security Force That's Beyond Reform
Kenya's police are being criticised for their violent response to protests over the past week against government proposals to raise US$2.7 billion in additional taxes. Read more »
June 25
Nigeria: Terror Attacks and Kidnappings Spread in Nigeria - Why Lagos Could Be a Target
Crimes that were previously associated with Nigeria's northern region - like kidnapping for ransom and terrorism - appear to be spreading to the south-west region, including Lagos.… Read more »
June 24
Kenya: Kenyan Protesters Have Taken to the Streets in Their Thousands - What the Law Says About Their Rights
Across Kenya, thousands of mostly young citizens are protesting against tax proposals tabled by President William Ruto's administration in its annual budget legislation. Using… Read more »
June 22
Kenya: Kenyan Protesters Driving Change From Screens to the Streets
Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024, initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an… Read more »