07 avril 2022
Sudan: A 19-year-old is the latest and – since the coup d’état in October – 94th victim of security forces during protests. On Wednesday, “(p)olice also stormed a hospital in the capital, Khartoum, and fired tear gas inside the wards”.
BBC Africa Live 07 April 2022. 8:21
Nigeria/Women’s rights: In a ruling hailed by rights campaigners, “(a) Nigerian court has ordered the government to enforce the country's gender policy which stipulates that 35% of appointments in public offices be reserved for women.”
BBC Africa Live 07 April 2022. 6:23
Water security: The UN has just published its first assessment of water security in Africa. The results are not good, only Egypt, Botswana, Mauritius, Gabon, and Tunisia reach a level of water security that is slightly above the global average. In the UN’s definition, 10 indicators determine water security: drinking water access, sanitation access, access to hygiene facilities, per capita water availability, water use efficiency, water storage infrastructure, wastewater treatment, water governance, disaster risk and water dependency on neighbouring nations & water resources variability.
https://theconversation.com/worrying-insights-from-uns-first-ever-assessment-of-water-security-in-africa-179577
South Africa: The country’s no-fee policy for schools is not enough – budget allocations are mostly far from adequate and the poorer schools have few opportunities to raise extra funding. So they perform less well and become less and less attractive.
https://theconversation.com/south-africas-no-fee-school-system-cant-undo-inequality-178559
Sudan: 13 politicians and others who, before the October 2021 putsch, had been “accused of plotting to disrupt the transition to civilian rule” have been acquitted. All 13 are linked to Omar al-Bashir, one of them was the head of his National Congress Party (NCP).
BBC Africa Live 07 April 2022. 17:15
06 April 2022
Tax dodging: Tax avoidance, tax evasion, corruption and offshore accounts enable companies and rich individuals to reduce their tax bills. According to an IMF study, tax avoidance may cost developing countries 213 billion USD a year. Tax havens have terrible effects on developing countries – and help the transnational companies make good profits. The article takes Nigeria and Zambia as examples. Better regulation is necessary.
https://theconversation.com/how-multinationals-avoid-taxes-in-africa-and-what-should-change-179797
South Africa & Water: Though there have been good rains almost everywhere in the country this year, that does not mean that the water problem has been solved for the long run. First of all, average water consumption is unsustainably high. Also, there is an urgent need to “improve the overall management of water resources and address the deteriorating infrastructure, poor water and sanitation service delivery and water pollution.”
https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-had-lots-of-rain-and-most-dams-are-full-but-water-crisis-threat-persists-178788
Somaliland: 5,000 businesses are said to have been destroyed in Friday evening's fire at the central market of the capital Hargeiza. The country has asked for 2bn USD in international aid to help the concerned families.
BBC Africa Live 06 April 2022. 16:57