03 June 2022
South Africa/Economy: The country’s economy has been in a bad state for quite some time. In 2019, it even entered into recession, i.e., there were two consecutive quarters with negative growth. Then Covid with its strict lockdown hit. Another shock came from the riots in July 2021 in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Then came the recent major infrastructural damage from heavy rains around Durban and in the Eastern Cape. And the last shock came from the war in Ukraine which pushed up already high prices of food. Sluggish growth, inflation, extremely high unemployment, especially among the young present formidable challenges for macroeconomic management. The article’s author recommends first, to address the energy crisis; second to create labour-intensive employment, in agriculture and tourism most of all; third to create nurturing conditions for youth to realise entrepreneurial ideas, favouring small and medium enterprises vis-à-vis bigger firms; fourth to provide funding for small and medium enterprises; and finally to intervene against rising prices of essentials.
https://theconversation.com/south-africas-economy-has-taken-some-heavy-body-blows-can-it-recover-183165
Nigeria/Gas pipeline to Morocco & Europe: The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has got the go-ahead for the construction of a gas pipeline that is to provide gas to 15 West African countries, to Morocco and on to Spain and the European Union. The costs are not yet known, nor where the funding will come from.
BBC Africa Live 03 June 2022. 8:51
Rwanda: In Kigali, electric motorcycle taxis are to be driven by women in future. A first batch of 120 women have just graduated from a 3-months course in driving and maintenance. The project on the one hand wants to reduce pollution, on the other, it challenges stereotypes against women. So far, of the 35,000 motorbike taxis registered in Kigali most are driven by men.
BBC Africa Live 03 June 2022. 13:12
South Africa: There has been a surge in violence in the first 3 months of this year: according to the police minister, murders were up by 20%, kidnappings had more than doubled, (reported) rapes were up by 10,000.
BBC Africa Live 03 June 2022. 13:56
02 June 2022
Only certain refugees are welcome: Ukrainian refugees were made to feel very welcome recently, though there were many – an exception were the African immigrants to Ukraine who were refused entry into neighbouring states. Very evidently, black Africans’ “humanity is worth less than other groups.” For one thing, the pain of others elicits more emotional, more empathetic reactions “when the sufferer is perceived to be of the same in-group.” Racist stereotypes reduce the possibility of connecting humanely and as equals. “What does it mean to witness your own dereliction ignored while others are aided?” Healing from trauma “begins with another seeing our pain and responding to it in a way that communicates that we matter.”
https://theconversation.com/disparities-in-global-empathy-why-some-refugees-are-more-welcome-than-others-184171
Hunger in South Africa: Though enough food is produced, “just over a quarter of the population are still food insecure”. Over a quarter of the country’s children suffer from stunting (being short for one’s age because of long-term undernutrition). Hunger and malnutrition, partly caused by dietary and lifestyle changes, are widespread and need to be dealt with urgently. Undernourishment and micronutrient deficiencies are forms of malnutrition, but so is over-nutrition, thus overweight and obesity. The article deals with the different forms & the reasons of malnutrition and makes recommendations what measures could & should be taken.
https://theconversation.com/south-africas-hunger-problem-is-turning-into-a-major-health-crisis-183736
Somalia: On the basis of a balkanized tribal political system created about two decades ago, the process which produced the new parliament and president Hassan was “profoundly corrupt”. Will the new president now “dare to introduce a transformative agenda”? If not, reconciliation and development will remain out of reach. The president’s first appointments – “sectarian” – point in the wrong direction. The article’s author lists the most important aspects of the political system that need to be changed. Hassan’s first real test will be the nomination of his Prime minister.
https://theconversation.com/somalias-election-raises-more-questions-than-answers-183833
Elections – a global comparison of their quality: A research report makes an “assessment of the quality of national elections (…) based on nearly 500 elections across 170 countries.” The article focuses on the USA that finished bottom amongst liberal democracies, but there is a table in it with the results for the 170 countries. In Africa, Cape Verde has been ranked first, South Africa second, Namibia third, Burkina Faso fourth and Ghana fifth. At the bottom end, we find Equatorial Guinea as second-to-last, the Central African Republic next-to-last and Comoros last.
https://theconversation.com/elections-a-global-ranking-rates-us-weakest-among-liberal-democracies-183573
Gabon/Ill-gotten-wealth/France: Sonia Rolland “has been charged with receipt of embezzled public funds” for accepting a 750,000 USD worth Paris apartment as a present from deceased Gabon president Omar Bongo. The former Miss France says she had no idea about the source of Omar Bongo’s funds.
BBC Africa Live 02 June 2022. 5:49
Congo-Kinshasa: Bintou Keita, the UN secretary general's special representative for DRC, said that ending the M23 insurgency required “a strong military response on M23 aggression or attack; a political response by regional mechanisms; the government’s program of disarmament and reintegration of rebel groups.” Last week’s fighting displaced almost 100,000. The UN operation in eastern Congo – the largest globally with 15,000 soldiers – has been going on for more than 20 years. More than 100 rebel groups are active in eastern Congo.
BBC Africa Live 02 June 2022. 9:35
Nigeria/Boko Haram: Ansaru, a 2012 breakaway Boko Haram faction mostly active in Nigeria’s north-west and centre-west is making a comeback. It has often been engaged in abductions and has links to “bandits” and other violent extremist groups. It confirmed its allegiance to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) at the beginning of 2022. “Ansaru’s ‘hearts and minds’ approach to winning community support is perhaps the most threatening trend.” A sort of humanitarian approach including the distribution of food, clothing and cash plus the provision of essential public services in places where the state fails to do so and sometimes also the protection from “bandits” is instrumental in building a sustainable presence and facilitates recruitment.
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/ansarus-comeback-in-nigeria-deepens-the-terror-threat
Côte d’Ivoire/Cocoa: High cocoa yields are best insured by natural soil fertility in virgin forests. Fertility lessens after 5 to 10 years and pushes cocoa farmers to clear more virgin forests – sometimes even in national parks. Logging companies and illegal timber traders who remove trees to make way for cocoa plantations also profit. And the environment suffers. If deforestation continues at the present rate, experts think that the country’s forest cover will have disappeared by 2034.
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/shady-cocoa-farming-at-the-root-of-cote-divoires-deforestation
UK/Rwanda/Asylum seekers: Several asylum seekers who have been notified that they will be deported to Rwanda have gone on hunger strike – they say that, for them, deportation is worse than death.
BBC Africa Live 02 June 2022. 11:53
Guinea: A 19-year-old who participated in protests against the increase in petrol prices – the biggest demonstrations yet since the junta took over – was shot dead by security forces in Conakry
BBC Africa Live 01 June 2022. 16:31