Africa Daily

By BBC World ServiceNews

Africa Daily episodes

October 25, 2024 Why have Mozambique’s politics got so deadly?
The killing of two high-ranking members of the Podemos political party in Mozambique has sent shock waves through the country.
Elvino Dias and Paul Guambe were murdered in a hail of bullets in the capital Maputo in the early hours of the 19th of October.
The leader of the Podemos party, Venancio Mondlane has accused the ruling Frelimo party of being behind the killings, a charge the government denies.
The murders happened ten days after the country voted in national elections, a process that the government says was free and fair, and which opposition parties say was marred by election rigging. Frelimo won the election with 70% of the vote, and Podemos came second with 20%.
So at a time of political tension, Africa Daily's Mpho Lakaje examine how this double murder could affect the political landscape of Mozambique.
Guests: Dr Jussuf Adam, an academic in Mozambique who studies the contemporary history of his country, and Dr Edson Cortez, Director of the Public Integrity Centre, a civil society organisation in Mozambique.
20 min
October 24, 2024 What’s at stake in Botswana’s general elections?
President Mokgweetsi Masisi will be looking to secure another term in office when his nation votes in a national election next Wednesday.
His predecessor and former boss, Ian Khama, is also in the picture.
He won’t be running for office, but he’s throwing his weight behind the Botswana Patriotic Front, an opposition party he helped to establish.
The southern African nation, which has a population of over two million people, relies heavily on diamond mining to drive its economy.
While it’s known for being one of the least corrupt nations in Africa, it currently faces all sorts of economic problems.
Presenter: Alan Kasujja
Guests: Mmapula Molapong and Professor Zibani Maundeni
16 min
October 23, 2024 What can Africa’s young anti-graft activists learn from South Africa’s ex-Public Protector Thuli Madonsela?
Professor Thuli Madonsela was South Africa’s Public Protector from 2009 to 2016. She’s famous for taking on former president Jacob Zuma over his misuse of public money. She received death threats for doing her job.
Abideen Olasupo, is Nigerian and belongs to the next generation of anti-corruption activists who believe Artificial Intelligence will empower young people to hold those in public office accountable. He’s developed ‘My AI Factchecker’, a tool which allows people to verify the factual accuracy of information.
They were brought together at the recent One Young World summit in Montreal, Canada.
So what can the new generation of corruption activists learn from someone like Thuli Madonsela? And is AI going to be a help or hindrance for the next generation? They answered these questions and more in a discussion with Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje.
21 min
October 22, 2024 How are domestic workers surviving Lebanon’s conflict?
"We tried so many shelters, and we were like rejected. It’s like, it’s not for migrants, it’s not for migrants!”
Lebanon is caught in a devastating conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, a powerful Shia Muslim political party and armed group.
Critical infrastructure, including hospitals, residential buildings, and shelters, has been destroyed, displacing over a million people across the country.
Among those most affected are Lebanon’s roughly 250,000 migrant domestic workers, primarily from African and Asian countries including Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Sierra Leone. Many of these workers, who were already living in precarious conditions under the Kafala system which leaves them heavily reliant on their employers, have now been made homeless and are desperately seeking shelter, food, and safety.
For Africa Daily, Muthoni Muchiri speaks with Mariam Bai Sesay, a former domestic worker and Enu, the deputy director of Egna Legna Besidet, an organisation that provides legal aid, housing assistance, and food relief to the workers.
19 min
October 21, 2024 What's the impact of secret drinking in Somali border towns?
"From time to time my parents will ask me: 'Hey why do you look like this'?... But they'll never ask me directly because I try my best to conceal it."
In Somalia, alcohol is completely banned because of Sharia law. It’s also frowned on by many people on religious grounds. Those caught using it are arrested and fined or imprisoned – and dealers caught with large amounts are named and shamed on TV.
But its sale is also highly lucrative in a country with high unemployment – meaning there are plenty of people willing to risk smuggling and selling it. Smugglers have to drive hundreds of kilometres from Ethiopia trying to evade Al Shabaab militants and clan militiamen in order to get the alcohol to Mogadishu. But on the way they pass through border towns where there’s increasing concern about the impact of drinking.
For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi speaks with a young drinker and Yusuf Warsame, a community leader from Galdogob – a town on the border with Ethiopia.
21 min
October 18, 2024 How can Africa tackle its growing hearing loss crisis?
Today Africa Daily's Mpho Lakaje sits down with multi-award winning South African musician Nhlanhla Mafu of the popular Afro-pop group, Mafikizolo.
Our guest shares her journey with hearing loss, which has been devastating to her, considering the nature of the industry she's in.
This comes as Africa is facing a growing hearing loss crisis, affecting 49 million people and costing the continent $27 billion each year.
The World Health Organisation predicts this number could rise to 54 million by 2030.
Key causes include a shortage of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists, limited access to hearing aids, and untreated diseases due to unequal healthcare.
So, what's the solution? How best can African countries respond to this crisis?
Presenter: Mpho Lakaje. Guests: Dr. Mukara Batamuliza Kaitesi and Nhlanhla Mafu.
23 min
October 17, 2024 What’s the harsh reality for Gambia’s returning boat migrants?
“He is the reason my father sacrificed everything we had - just for him to throw it all away and come back!”
Gambian migrants frequently risk their lives to reach Europe in hopes of a better life, only to be sent back home. These returnees don’t just face the disappointment of a failed journey - they often return to a cold reception from families and communities.
Families often sell their personal belongings, land and even livestock, sacrificing everything to fund these dangerous journeys.
BBC Africa Daily’s Muthoni Muchiri speaks to Gambian filmmaker Cherno Jagne, whose short film ‘The Backway’ dives into this emotional and often overlooked side of migration.
17 min
October 16, 2024 What’s it like to return home to Omdurman in Sudan?
“They made me, a woman who’s over 80, crawl the street in front of soldiers laughing and shouting and hurling abuse.”
Today on the podcast we hear stories from the people of Omdurman from the BBC’s Mohanad Hashim, who was born and raised in the city.
Sudan has been embroiled in a war since the army and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (or RSF), began a vicious struggle for power in April 2023, leading to what the UN has called one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. It says more than 20 thousand people have died, with millions becoming refugees.
Just over a month into the war - in May 2023 – the RSF took military control of Omdurman. But in February this year the army recaptured it, giving Mohanad the opportunity to return to his home city for the first time in three years with a BBC team.
For Africa Daily, he tells @mpholakaje of his response to finding his home and city in ruins – and of hearing tales of brutality and pain from family, friends and neighbours.
19 min
October 15, 2024 How do abortion laws affect young women in Africa?
Before you listen to this episode, please be warned we will be discussing incidents that are highly distressing. Some of the explanations could upset some listeners.
Abortion laws vary across Africa, leading to many cases of unsafe abortions.
Sub-Saharan Africa records over 6 million unsafe abortions annually according to the African Institute for Development Policy.
The maternal death rate from unsafe abortions in Africa remains among the highest globally, underscoring the urgent need for clearer laws and better access to safe care.
In Uganda, abortion is illegal unless the mother’s life is at risk, which has meant that many there resort to unsafe terminations.
Despite significant funding for post-abortion care, women and healthcare workers in Uganda remain reluctant to seek or offer help due to societal and religious pressures.
Activist Moses Odongo, whose 14-year-old cousin Christine died in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy, talks to Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje about what happened to his cousin.
19 min
October 14, 2024 Why are cases of unsafe abortion so high in Africa?
Before you listen to this episode, please be warned we will be discussing incidents that are highly distressing. Some of the explanations are graphic and could upset some listeners.
Today Mpho Lakaje sits down with Gaopalelwe Phalaetsile who had a horrifying experience when she went for an abortion facility in Johannesburg.
It came after she was raped in 2009 and opted not to keep the baby.
She explains to our presenter why women risk their lives by opting for an unsafe abortion even though terminating a pregnancy is legal in South Africa.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions in the world, contributing to around 7% of maternal deaths in the region.
In countries like Egypt, Madagascar, and Congo, abortion is completely illegal.
On the other hand, South Africa, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau permit the termination of pregnancy within certain time frames.
22 min

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