Episodes
-
For the first time since the fall of apartheid in 1994, South Africa is now negotiating an uncharted political territory. It comes after the ruling African National Congress (ANC), a party that was once led by Nelson Mandela, lost its parliamentary majority. The organization received 40.18% in last week’s elections, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 21.81% and Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK) with 14.58%. Some attribute the dismal performance of the ANC to its fallout with former president Jacob Zuma who now leads the MK Party. At a press briefing on Wednesday, the ANC revealed that it was in talks with the DA, EFF and several other smaller parties. It said it also reached out to the MK Party, but hasn’t received any positive feedback. So, who will the ANC form a coalition government with? Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje explores various options with Dr. Hlengiwe Ndlovu from the Wits School of Governance and former diplomat Botsang Moiloa.
-
Teenagers are being actively targeted by the tobacco industry through the use of social media influencers and fruit flavoured products. That’s according to a report by the World Health Organisation which also says that around one in five adolescents in Africa are using tobacco.
So what should governments be doing to protect their young people? Especially those in southern Africa which benefit from growing tobacco as a crop?
For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi speaks to Vivian Joseph, a clinician and head of Southern African Youth Forum’s health cluster- who says governments need to toughen up their laws. And he also talks to Rachael Kitonyo Devotsu, a data expert, about the hurdles governments have faced as they try to do this.
-
“If we want to be a nation we should have our own narrative, we should have our own heroes.”
Alan’s guest on the podcast today is Mia Couto - one of Mozambique’s most famous authors who’s won numerous international awards during his decades-long career. But he’s so much more: a biologist, a critical thinker, the son of immigrants and, as a young man, a member of Frelimo - the independence movement which fought against the Portuguese colonial authorities. As the only ‘white guy’ in the room when he joined, he was told “we need poetry in our struggle”.
Now nearly 50 years on, he tells Alan how he’s become disillusioned with the ruling party – which has been in control of the country since independence. The country remains one of the poorest in Africa in terms of GDP despite its natural resources. He also talks about why it's been so difficult for the authorities to retain control in the northern Cabo Delgado province which has suffered a bloody insurgency since 2017 - and argues that Mozambicans need to remember their own narratives and heroes.
-
In today’s episode, Mpho Lakaje speaks to a 36-year-old South African man who uses a drug called Nyaope or Whoonga. It’s a type of black tar heroin often mixed with other powdered substances that include cleaning chemicals. But the problem of substance abuse and addiction isn't limited to one country - and the United Nations says it expects the number of people using drugs in Africa to rise 40% by 2030. Sierra Leone is also dealing with a drug commonly known as Kush, a psychoactive blend of addictive substances. Earlier this year, 23 people died and 20 others went blind after allegedly consuming poisonous alcohol in Kenya. And Malawi also has a concoction notoriously known as “God take me”. Presenter: Mpho LakajeGuest: Professor Adamson Muula
-
For many young people in Africa, traditional banking isn’t just a hassle, it’s a major roadblock.
Long lines, piles of paperwork and strict ID requirements mean many are left out in the cold when it comes to managing their money in bank accounts.
Digital banking platforms are trying to change this.
The idea is that they use technology to provide financial services for payments, loans and even investments, through online platforms and apps instead of traditional banks.
Africa Daily’s Muthoni Muchiri spoke to Kiiru Muhoya, CEO of Fingo Africa, about the finance challenges facing the continent's youth and how digital banking can open up the connection channels on the continent.
-
“Especially the woman, they cannot sing. They cannot go in front of the people and then sing and say ‘I am an artist’. It’s shameful.”
Today Alan enjoys a treat on the podcast: singer and activist Sahra Halgan came in to the Africa Daily studios in Broadcasting House along with her fellow musicians percussionist, Aymeric Krol, and guitarist, Maël Salètes, and they performed some of their music live for him.
Sahra has lived quite a life… She was a nurse during the Somali civil war in the 1980s before fleeing to France in the 1990s. But after years of building up her singing career abroad, she returned to her home city of Hargeisa in the self-declared republic of Somaliland in 2015 and founded its first cultural and music centre. The name of that club is Hiddo Dhawr - which means ‘promote or keep culture’ – which is also the name of her latest album, out this month.
Opening a club wasn’t without challenges; there is disapproval of musicians – especially female ones – from many sectors of Somali society. And even at the age of 55, Sahra's mother is still hoping that one day she’ll get a proper job!
-
"When I came to Northern Ireland, when I was walking on the streets of Derry, I could hardly see a black person. At that time, I think there were only three Kenyans, with me being the fourth person."
Lilian Seenoi-Barr is about to make history by becoming Northern Ireland's first black mayor. Ms Seenoi-Barr was selected by the SDLP party to become the next first citizen of Derry City and Strabane District Council but despite the support she received, she has also faced some backlash and racist abuse.
She was born in Kenya and left in 2010 to start a new life in Northern Ireland. She proudly comes from the Maasai tribe but since moving to Derry, she has been focused on building community and support for other immigrants.
Africa Daily's Alan Kasujja spoke to her about her journey and why she decided to become a politician. Presenter: Alan Kasujja. Guest: Lilian Seenoi-Barr.
-
Are South Africans ready for Wednesday’s national election?
“Since hearing that political parties will be launching their election manifestos, I decided to attend these events. I wanted to hear for myself which president would address our needs as college students. It’s my first time voting” – Thembeka Dliwako, South African voter
In today’s podcast, Mpho Lakaje sits down with 21-year-old Thembeka Dliwako, who will be voting for the very first time in her life.
In her country, she’s popularly known as “Nomarally”, loosely translated as, “The lady of the rallies”.
That’s because, in recent months she’s been doing something rather unusual.
She’s been traveling to different parts of the country, attending the political rallies of various parties, wanting to hear for herself what leaders have to offer.
Mpho also visits Johannesburg attorney, Oatlhotse Thupayatlase who voted for the first time back in 1994, in an election that marked the end of apartheid.
Is he still as excited about casting his ballot as he was 30 years ago?
Approximately 27 million South Africans are eligible to vote in the watershed general election on Wednesday.
-
For years, teachers and students at the Dandora Secondary School in Kenya’s capital Nairobi have complained of respiratory illnesses. They say they are caused by the toxic fumes given off by East Africa's largest dump site, the Dandora landfill, which is next to the school.
Despite being declared full in 1996, the landfill continues to receive approximately 2,000 tonnes of waste each day.
But now the head teacher of the school has decided to tackle the issue, and with students has been planting bamboo in order to combat the air pollution.
Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja spoke to school Principal Eutychus Maina who initiated this innovative solution when he fell ill soon after joining the school.
-
“Without the public outcry, the mass marriage would have gone on as planned.”
There’s been a lot of debate, claim and counter-claim in Nigeria this week over a proposed mass wedding of 100 couples in Niger state in the north of the country.
Concerns were raised that some of the girls involved were under the legal age for marriage, and a petition was quickly launched. The Women's Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye filed a court injunction to stop the ceremony. She’s since said that the wedding can go ahead but only after an investigation has taken place – and has offered the girls scholarships as well as gifts including sewing machines and rice. She said the girls would be closely monitored in their new homes after their marriages. Child marriages are common in the predominantly Muslim north, where poverty is higher than in the largely Christian south.
Alan Kasujja unpicks the controversy – and asks what it tells us about the marriage of young people in Nigeria.
Presenter: Alan Kasujja. Guests: BBC reporter, Azeezat Olaoluwa and gender and child advocate, Ayotomiwa Ayodele.
Updated 24th May to reflect Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye’s latest statement.
-
Kenyan President William Ruto is on a state visit to the US, the first by an African leader since Ghana’s John Kufour in 2008 and only the 6th state visit Biden has hosted since taking office in 2020
A state visit is the highest level of international visit, and its purpose is to confirm the good relationship between the countries concerned.
For President Ruto it's a significant display of his emergence as leading voice for Africa - particularly in the eyes of the West.
But some observers say that Washington is now playing catch up to Russia and China - which have both grown in influence on the continent in recent years - as well as newer entrants like Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia.
In this episode of Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja talks to Ambassador Martin Kimani, an international affairs expert and former Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations.
-
It’s expected to be a bruising election, with 70 political parties contesting for power. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress, and the official opposition, Democratic Alliance, are seen as the frontrunners. Former president Jacob Zuma’s Umkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP), are expected to give the ANC a run for their money, particularly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. But on Monday, South Africa's Constitutional Court barred Mr. Zuma from running for parliament, ruling that his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court disqualified him. Mr Zuma was convicted in 2021 for refusing to testify at an inquiry investigating corruption during his presidency which ended in 2018. But he remains the face of the MKP and will continue to campaign. Presenter: Mpho LakajeGuests: Dr. Bandile Masuku, Solly Malatsi and Adv. Dwight Snyman
-
During the recent floods in East Africa it became quickly apparent just how ill-prepared most cities across the region are in the face of heavy rains.
Some of the continent's major cities are located on the coast, and therefore at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. And meanwhile, a quarter of African cities are exposed to a high risk of drought.
The continent is home to 86 of the world’s 100 fastest growing cities, with 7 billion people expected to be living in urban areas by 2030.
In this episode of Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja talks to Benin’s former minister for Environment and Urban Planning, Luc Gnacadja, who's currently a consultant with the World Bank, about the capacity of African cities to withstand worsening and more frequent extreme weather events.
-
During Liberia’s two civil wars, it became normal for children to be abducted by armed groups, often drugged, and forced to fight. 250,000 people are estimated to have died in the conflict which continued between 1989-2003.
In 2006, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission - known as ‘TRC’ - to identity individuals linked to war crimes, but as of yet, no-one has been prosecuted. So after President Joseph Boakai recently signed an agreement to establish a war crimes court, people started asking whether the victims of war could finally get justice. For Africa Daily Alan Kasujja speaks to Adama Dempster, a human rights advocate who’s campaigned for the court to be set up, and the BBC’s reporter in Monrovia, Moses Garzeawu.
-
Male circumcision is deeply rooted in tradition and culture across many African communities but there’s a lot of controversy around the method that is used to remove the foreskin.
Some initiatives that promote voluntary medical male circumcision for the prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted infections have been successful, in Zambia in particular.
But the question remains, is this something that should be done on baby boys or in early adolescence, or is it something that should be left as a personal choice you make in adulthood?
Presenter: Alan Kasujja. Guests: Anthony Natif and Michael Aboneka.
-
“The irony and the tragedy at once is that all this happened while the international community are watching it. So I think this is the time to prevent the atrocities that happened in El Geneina from repeating itself in El Fasher.”
Last week a 216 page Human Rights Watch report said it had found evidence that a genocide may have been committed in the city of El Geneina in Darfur – and that ethnic cleansing had occurred. It said thousands of members of African ethnic groups – particularly the Massalit – had been killed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces or RSF in door to door raids and as they tried to flee the city. The vast majority of Massalits have now fled western Darfur.
But now there’s grave concern that a similar massacre could happen in the city of El Fasher – the only city in Darfur not under RSF control. Thousands of internally displaced people are living in the city after fleeing RSF attacks elsewhere. Our guest today describes this as jumping from 'hot water to hot oil' as the group’s fighters have completely cut off all roads and fighting is underway within the city.
The UN has called the situation “gravely concerning”, while the United States has warned of a large scale massacre if the RSF takes the city. But is anyone able or willing to stop it?
For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan @Kasujja talks to a resident of El Fasher and to Adeeb Yousif, the former governor of Central Darfur.
The audio for this episode was updated at 1500 BST on 16 May 2024
-
The Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill, drafted in 2021, was passed by parliamentarians in Ghana earlier this year. It imposes a prison sentence on anyone identifying as being LGBTQ+. This bill still needs to be signed by President Nana Akuffo Addo to become law.
He's waiting for the verdict of the Supreme Court who will hear two cases challenging the constitutionality of the law.
In today’s episode, Alan Kasujja speaks to Ghanaian film director Joewackle J Kusi about the challenges of making his film Nyame Mma which means Children of God.
It tells the story of Kwamena a young man who goes back to his home town for his father’s funeral. It leads him to revisit the romantic relationship he had with another man, Maroof.
Joewackle says the film had a screening at the beginning of March in Accra but since the new law was passed in parliament all plans to show the film are on hold and he doesn’t know when it will be seen again in Ghana.
-
“We’re creating a new generation of digital entrepreneurs that we like to call digital warriors… And this new generation they’re passionate about technology – they’re going to be the ones driving innovation in our country.”
Throughout its history, the island nation of Cape Verde has seen heavy emigration – especially at times of drought and shortages. It means that now there are many more Cape Verdeans living abroad than on the islands themselves.
And while the government acknowledges the benefits that have come with that – with its diaspora sending back much-needed foreign currency – it now wants to encourage young people to find opportunities on the islands by developing the country as a ‘digital hub for West Africa’.
On today’s Africa Daily Alan @Kasujja speaks with Pedro Lopes, Cape Verde’s minister for digital economy, as well as entrepreneurs Óscar Borges and Jael Alves Monteiro.
With special thanks to producer Anne Marie Borges.
-
Even though they see it as something that would benefit them… they would rather put that dollar into fertiliser which they really need to boost their yields.”
Recently on Africa Daily we’ve heard about different insurance schemes for farmers and whole countries to insure themselves against natural disasters. With an increase in extreme weather events due to climate change it’s become an area of growth.
But what are the limitations and difficulties? And can subsistence farmers, who already struggle to earn enough for their basic needs, really be expected to find money to insure themselves?
Alan @Kasujja speaks with Dr Saint Kuttu, a Senior Lecturer in Finance and Risk Management at the University of Ghana Business School, and Dr Betty Chinyamunyamu, CEO of the National Smallholder Farmers' Association of Malawi - NASFAM - which represents 130,000 farmers.
-
“My wish is that we hold free and transparent elections, so that the voice of the people can be heard for peace. Because governing a country with weapons is not normal.” – voter, Chad.
Interim president, General Mahamat Déby, has been declared the winner of this week’s presidential election with 61% of the vote. His nearest rival, former Prime Minister Succes Masra, came second with just 18.5% - and alleged the vote was rigged.
Deby took over from his father, President Idriss Déby in 2021,who had been in power for more than 30 years.
In conversations recorded before the winner was announced, Alan Kasujja discusses whether this election was a step towards a functioning democracy – or whether it was simply a way for the Déby family to keep hold of power.
- Show more
