14 March 2023
Malawi: Tropical storm Freddy’s known death toll in the country has risen to 99, 85 of them in Blantyre. In the ten southern region districts most concerned by the heavy rains and strong winds, a state of national disaster has been declared.
BBC Africa Live 14 March 2023. 5:00
Nigeria: In conformity with a supreme court order, the central bank now says that old banknotes will remain valid until end 2023. The 10th of February deadline for the use of the old notes had caused a severe cash shortage, as far too few new notes were available, and some of the ensuing protests had turned violent.
BBC Africa Live 14 March 2023. 5:47
Sexual abuse of girl children: Victims, instead of understanding and support, often get blame when they tell about abuse. In Nigeria, the article’s authors conducted in-depth interviews with 11 adolescents former victims of sexual abuse or molestation. “Children should be encouraged to speak up, be provided with safe spaces to do so and be assured of protection.”
https://theconversation.com/child-victims-of-sexual-violence-arent-heard-or-understood-nigerian-study-198602
Diseases that come with droughts: The article gives an overview of diseases that, although not caused by droughts, can come with them. It distinguishes food-borne diseases (incl. cholera, dysentery, salmonella, hepatitis), water-born diseases (incl. cholera, dysentery, typhoid, rotavirus), vector-borne diseases (incl. West Nile virus, St Louis encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, chikungunya, dengue) and zoonotic diseases, where the risk of spill-over may increase (e.g. Nipah virus, Ebola, monkeypox/mpox).
https://theconversation.com/droughts-bring-disease-here-are-4-ways-they-do-it-201031
Rwanda: From today Tuesday onward, the selling of meat that has not been refrigerated for at least 24 hours is prohibited.
BBC Africa Live 14 March 2023. 7:09
Burundi: A month ago, two leading members of Burundi's Association of Women Lawyers and three more human rights activists were arrested for “rebellion and undermining state security” and for possibly financing terrorism. The charges are baseless, say Amnesty International and other international and national NGOs, symptoms of a “worsening climate for civil society” in the country.
BBC Africa Live 14 March 2023. 13:49
13 March 2023
“The elder who fails to condemn wrongdoing with his firm voice will flee the repercussions with his weak limbs”
BBC Africa Live 13 March 2023. 4:33 Proverb of the day. A Yoruba proverb sent by David George in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Namibia: Vice president and deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been named by the president as the candidate of Swapo party (in power since independence) for next year’s presidential elections. It is thus very likely that Namibia will have a woman president as of next year.
BBC Africa Live 13 March 2023. 7:46
South Africa: Doctors have joined in a strike of public service workers who are, since last Monday, demanding better pay. Military personnel have been deployed to hospitals in areas worst affected by the strike (Sebokeng, Thelle Mogoerane, Bheki Mlangeni) so as to “stop the intimidation of workers and to ensure hospitals can remain operational”, workers having been “violently barred from entering and patients in need of care (…) turned away” by strikers. According to the health minister, at least four deaths have directly resulted from the strike. Later today Monday, a labour court ordered the strike to stop. “Health workers are regarded as providing essential services in South Africa and are prohibited from striking.” Authorities are happy with the ruling and are, on its basis, now planning to implement a no-work no-pay policy should the strike not end.
BBC Africa Live 13 March 2023. 5:55
BBC Africa Live 13 March 2023. 10:14
BBC Africa Live 13 March 2023. 12:49
Neil Aggett et al.: He was only 29 years old when tortured and killed in police headquarters on John Vorster Square. Neil Aggett was a doctor and trade unionist who fought apartheid. Today, “many thousands of freedom struggle activists like Neil have been betrayed by the governing African National Congress (ANC) politicians who have looted and brought the country nearly to its knees.” According to the article’s author, setting things right starts with saying “no”.
https://theconversation.com/peter-hain-neil-aggett-died-fighting-apartheid-south-africas-rulers-have-betrayed-the-struggle-201499
Africa/Islamist violence: According to ACLED data, 2022 saw 6,859 episodes of violence involving militant Islamist groups in Africa (40% in central Sahel, 37% in Somalia, 14% in the Lake Chad basin, 6% in northern Mozambique, 2% in Sinai), plus 22% in comparison to 2021 resulting in 19,109 deaths – plus 48%, with deaths of civilians up by 68% to 7,220. Obviously, intimidation of locals into compliance takes precedence over the winning of hearts and minds. With militant groups becoming increasingly resilient, adept at generating revenue (combining “looting, extortion, control of mining sites and trade route domination”), “(a) more comprehensive and contextualised response is needed” where “government legitimacy, political will, control of corruption, investment in development activities and the mitigation of human rights abuses” are essential.
https://theconversation.com/militant-islamist-violence-in-africa-surges-deaths-up-nearly-50-events-up-22-in-a-year-200941
Nigeria: Urbanisation is progressing rapidly. While 53% of 213 million are estimated to presently live in urban areas, this percentage is expected to rise to 70% by 2050. This implies many challenges. Family planning is one important tool for “preventing unsustainable urbanisation and urban poverty”.
https://theconversation.com/nigerias-cities-are-growing-fast-family-planning-must-be-part-of-urban-development-plans-199325