24 September 2022
South Africa/Traditional Justice: The Traditional Courts Bill has – after 14 years of controversy and amendments – finally been approved by Parliament and now only needs to be signed by the President to become law. The Bill does not include an opt-out clause, “all levels of the traditional court system must be explored before a litigant may appeal to (…) a formal State court”. This gives a lot of power to mostly male traditional leaders, “many with questionable legitimacy”, there is a danger of reinforcing patriarchy and the right to a fair trial may not be guaranteed. In the article’s author’s view, the Bill gives too “little room for indigenous laws to thrive”. “Lest we forget, the State is a colonial clone, since it retained colonial socioeconomic systems. It imposes European culture on Africans.”
https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-a-new-traditional-courts-bill-but-it-doesnt-protect-indigenous-practices-190938
23 September 2022
South Africa/Energy: In order to reduce reliance on coal and to counter notorious blackouts, the minister of Mineral Resources and Energy has signed three agreements with independent wind energy producers. Other such agreements are to follow.
BBC Africa Live 23 September 2022. 7:16
African newspapers: As the article’s author’s research into a Nigerian and a South African newspaper as well as her literature review shows, African media, just like their “western” counterparts, often “misrepresent Africa when reporting on diseases, and portray the west as superior and Africa as inferior.”
https://theconversation.com/african-newspapers-can-be-anti-african-too-what-my-research-found-190256
Uganda/Ebola: 3 more have died of the disease, so the total number of deaths is now 4. 11 cases have been confirmed and 7 other deaths are being investigated.
BBC Africa Live 23 September 2022. 17:38
South Sudan: According to a UN human rights panel, rape has become so common in the country “that many women are no longer bothering to report repeated sexual attacks”, seen also that there is no medical care for victims. Those “raped by armed forces while collecting firewood are threatened with death if they report it”.
BBC Africa Live 23 September 2022. 10:14