February 16, 2023
South Africa: Water Cuts in South Africa Are Hurting Hospitals and Clinics - There's an Increased Risk of Infections
South Africa is a water scarce country. Changing rainfall patterns and the escalating electricity crisis are making the situation worse. Treating and distributing water requires… Read more »
East Africa: Ilemi Triangle Spat - How Resources Fuel East Africa's Border Conflicts
For decades, African states have grappled with numerous interstate border disputes, especially in resource-rich regions. In east Africa, most of these conflicts are as old as… Read more »
Tanzania: Tanzania Is Ruled With Impunity - Four Key Issues Behind Calls for Constitutional Reform
Tanzania's president issued a statement in June 2016 announcing a ban on political rallies outside campaign periods. The ban was unconstitutional. Read more »
Africa: Leo Frobenius Made African Rock Art Famous, but Is Tainted By Racism and a Lack of Understanding
Leo Frobenius was a largely self-taught German ethnologist (someone who studies societies and cultures) who undertook numerous expeditions. One of them, from 1928 to 1930, was to… Read more »
Africa: Covid-19 Restrictions Unexpectedly Reduced Islamic State Violence - Political Science Experts Explain Why
World leaders and policy experts at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic feared that the health crisis might make the world more dangerous. They worried specifically that terrorist… Read more »
Africa: Loneliness Is Making Us Physically Sick, but Social Prescribing Can Treat It - Podcast
Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly becoming societal problems, as they contribute to polarization and affect our physical health. Mental health professionals,… Read more »
February 15, 2023
Nigeria: Nigeria's Election - Six Dangers of Mixing Religion With Politics
One of the issues that has generated great concern among voters in the run up to the Nigerian presidential elections is religion. Read more »
Cameroon: Jean-Paul Zé Bella - the Cunning Cameroonian Soldier Who Became a Global Music Legend
One of Cameroon's most influential music stars - Jean-Paul Zé Bella - passed away on 15 January at the age of 71 after a battle against cancer. The singer and drummer was a… Read more »
South Africa: Hunger in South Africa - Study Shows One in Five Are At Risk
Everyone is vulnerable in some way, whether it's to natural disasters, chronic diseases or hunger. But some are more at risk than others because of what they are exposed to… Read more »
Africa: Antibiotics Are Being Inappropriately Prescribed for Covid, Increasing the Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance - Research
Antibiotics are drugs designed to treat infections caused by bacteria (for example, skin infections). They don't work on infections caused by other microbes such as viruses… Read more »
Africa: Invisible Trillions Book Review - Global Capitalism Operates Beyond Rule of Law, Threatens Democracy
Secrecy has become as important for corporations as transparent and taxable profits used to be, according to Raymond W. Baker in his new book Invisible Trillions. Global… Read more »
February 14, 2023
Somalia: Al-Shabaab Attacks in Somalia Affect Communities As Far As 900KM Away - Aid Agencies Need to Take Note
Policymakers tend to assume that the effects of conflict are felt only where violence occurs. As a result, humanitarian aid, protection efforts or asylum policies largely focus on… Read more »
Africa: When Two Elephants Fight - How the Global South Uses Non-Alignment to Avoid Great Power Rivalries
An African proverb notes that "when two elephants fight, it is the grass underneath that suffers". Read more »
Africa: What Is Mondiacult? 6 Take-Aways From the World's Biggest Cultural Policy Gathering
Culture's status in global society got a major boost in 2022 when it was recommended to become its own sustainable development goal. This happened at the Unesco World Conference on… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Budget Plans Open Door for Growth but Only If High Interest Rates Don't Derail Them
When Zimbabwe's finance minister Mthuli Ncube presented the national budget for 2023 to Parliament in November 2022, he placed high emphasis on a raft of initiatives designed to… Read more »
February 13, 2023
Nigeria: Nigerian Elections - Eight Issues Young People Want the New Govt to Address
As Nigeria prepares for the 25 February presidential elections, it's interesting to consider what young Nigerians are expecting. Read more »
Senegal: Dakar's Clandestine Taxis Are Essential for Daily Travel - but They're Illegal
Africa's major cities are growing at a rapid pace. In Dakar, Senegal's capital, for instance, the population has almost doubled in 20 years, reaching 4 million inhabitants today. Read more »
Africa: Advantages and Challenges of Anti-Covid Nasal Vaccination - The Promises of a French Approach
Contrary to the widely shared popular belief, the primary purpose of current vaccines against Covid-19 is solely to protect against serious forms of the disease in order to prevent… Read more »
February 12, 2023
South Africa: AKA - Slain Rapper Was a Once-in-a-Generation Pop Culture Sensation
AKA, South Africa's most recognisable name in hip-hop, was gunned down - with his friend, celebrity chef Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane - outside a restaurant along Durban's popular night… Read more »
South Sudan: South Sudan's Oil and Water Give It Bargaining Power - but Will It Benefit the People?
South Sudan has long been one of east Africa's most unstable states. But surging external interest in its resources and the diplomatic agility of its rulers are again underlining… Read more »
Africa: How Valentine's Day Gifts Have Changed Over the Centuries
For Valentine's Day, some couples only roll their eyes at each other in mutual cynicism. The capitalisation of love in the modern world can certainly seem banal. Read more »
Africa: African Researchers Are Ready to Share More Work Openly - Now Policy Must Make It Possible
Librarians are the curators of creativity. They collect success stories and share it with the world. Traditionally, the success was from published authors, which libraries shared… Read more »
February 10, 2023
Tanzania: Tanzania Has Ditched School Rankings. It Should Replace Them With Something More Useful
While announcing the results of the 2022 Certificate of Secondary School Examination, Tanzania's National Examination Council did not provide school rankings for the first time in… Read more »
South Africa: Parks Versus People? Challenges Facing the South African Capital's Greening Efforts
Urban green spaces have recently been getting more research attention because of the benefits they offer. Read more »
South Africa: Radio in South Africa Turns 100 - and Collides With Podcasting and Streaming
This year marks 100 years since radio was introduced in South Africa, through "the first experimental broadcast at the Railway Headquarters in Johannesburg" on 18 December 1923. Read more »