Africa Daily

By BBC World ServiceNews

Africa Daily episodes

August 02, 2024 Is it the end of the road for former South African president Jacob Zuma?
“It’s unacceptable for a member who was a veteran and he was a former president, to have started a new political party. Of course he knew that he was violating the ANC’s rules” – Snuki Zikalala, president of the ANC’s Veterans League
The relationship between South Africa’s African National Congress and its former president Jacob Zuma appears to have come to an end.
Zuma was officially expelled by the party last month, following a disciplinary hearing.
It comes after he established Umkhonto Wesizwe Party, which claimed almost 15% of the vote at this year's national election.
On Thursday, the ANC’s Secretary General Fikile Mbalula reiterated that Zuma’s matter had now been finalized and that he was no longer the party’s member.
Although it’s not clear if Zuma will appeal, he earlier insisted that this was far from over.
Zuma is a popular but also controversial figure who’s known for staging sensational political comebacks.
Alan Kasujja sits down with two ANC veterans Tony Yengeni, who represented Zuma at his disciplinary hearing as well as Snuki Zikalala, a critic of Zuma’s.
To unpack all these political developments, Alan hears from Professor Daryl Glaser from Wits University in Johannesburg.
21 min
August 01, 2024 Where do Africa’s Gen Z's turn to for help with mental health challenges?
Hidden behind the fearlessness displayed by Kenyan youths during recent anti-government protests could be a mountain of mental health challenges.
A mental health expert says this is linked to the extra responsibilities young people are having to take up in a continent where the median age is 19.
But while mental health awareness is high among the youth, access to mental health services remains limited.
In this episode of Africa Daily Alan Kasujja talks to Tom Osborn- the founder of the Shamiri Institute which uses a peer-based model to support young people in navigating their mental health challenges.
He argues that the growth in activism among the youth – often honed on social media – is intrinsically linked to the mental health of young people.
We also hear from young people on their mental health experiences.
20 min
July 31, 2024 Why has an ambush in central Somalia raised concerns over weapon security?
Last year, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to lift Somalia's arms embargo, a decision that is now under scrutiny.
The embargo had aimed to limit weapon deliveries to the Somali government and security forces, preventing them from reaching warlords.
A recent ambush in Abudwaq, central Somalia, has some people debating whether lifting the embargo restriction was a mistake.
During the attack, a convoy of weapons transported by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) was intercepted by a clan militia, resulting in at least 10 deaths and the weapons reportedly falling into villagers' hands.
The government say they are committed to recovering these weapons before they potentially end up with Al-Shabaab.
Presenter: Mpho Lakaje. Guests: Samira Gaid and Abdishukri Haybe
20 min
July 30, 2024 Should African countries claim players who were born in Europe?
“Why were they born in Europe? Their parents were escaping the economic realities of Africa. We need to work on ourselves. We need to work more as Africa in order to keep this talent here” – Brian Wesaala, Football Foundation for Africa
In recent times, Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has been captivating football lovers around the world with his talent.
He played a critical role when his national team, Spain, won this year’s European Football Championship.
But Morocco and Equatorial Guinea are now claiming the 17-year-old megastar.
That’s because his mother is originally from Equatorial Guinea while his father is from Morocco.
So, today Mpho Lakaje sits down with Ntsako Mkhari, the anchor and reporter for South African TV news channel eNCA and Brian Wesaala, the founder and CEO of Football Foundation for Africa.
He attempts to understand if African countries should claim players who were born in Europe.
18 min
July 29, 2024 Why did a luxury watch manufacturer face ridicule on his road to success?
“A lot of people were mocking me. People would send pictures to my mum saying ‘is there something wrong with your son? We’ve seen him in traffic hawking watches’”.
For a lot of African people, luxury goods are synonymous with international brands. They believe that high-quality products can only come from abroad.
Today in the podcast, Africa Daily’s Muthoni Muchiri speaks with Anthony Dzamefe of Caveman Watches who quit his job working for a hotel collecting tourists to set up his own business. He ended up learning how to fix and then make quality watches – and now counts celebrities like Beyoncé and Angelique Kidjo amongst his clientele.
But at the beginning he says customers would reject his watches after they found out they were made in Ghana.
17 min
July 26, 2024 What can Africa expect from the Paris Olympics?
The Olympic Games officially open in Paris today.
Over three billion people around the globe are expected to watch the world’s best sportsmen and women compete for 329 gold medals in 32 sports over 18 days.
The continent will be fully represented with all 54 countries taking part. So, what can Africa expect from the games and who are the athletes to watch?
Peter Musembi has been finding out from Malawian swimmer Tayamika Chang’anamuno and Ugandan sports journalist Darren Darren Allan Kyeyune who’s covering the games.
21 min
July 25, 2024 Why are millions at risk of starvation in Tigray?
An investigation by BBC Verify has revealed that over 2 million people in the northern part of Ethiopia are at risk of starvation due to drought. The need for food aid has forced many to remain in camps for displaced persons.
The Tigray region is still dealing with the aftermath of a bitter two-year war with the federal government that ended in 2022.
BBC reporter Girmay Gebru led the investigation and spoke about what he uncovered with Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja.
15 min
July 24, 2024 How is Botswana building its first space satellite?
“The initial investment is quite high, but looking long-term into many development projects, I think it is an investment worthwhile” – Professor Otlogetswe Totolo
Botswana is building its very first space satellite.
Known as Bot-Sat-1, it is being developed by scientists and engineers at Botswana International University of Science and Technology in the town of Palapye.
The southern African country is looking to use images produced by this technology in town planning, mining, farming and other areas of commerce.
Alan Kasujja sits down with Prof. Otlogetswe Totolo and Dr. Dimane Mpoeleng who are at the heart of the project.
He tries to understand if the satellite is worth the millions of dollars spent to develop it.
16 min
July 23, 2024 Lenacapavir: could new HIV drug help end the pandemic?
“That will be a miracle on its own because when I started taking ARVs I began with 20 tablets.”
In June, the US drug company Gilead announced that a trial of its HIV drug Lenacapavir had got a 100% success rate.
The drug - a twice-yearly injection – can be used to protect people from catching the virus, but also to treat those who have it.
But the question of pricing remains – with people in poor countries unable to afford the current price tag of $40,000 per person per year. One analysis has suggested it could be mass produced as a generic drug for about $40 per person per year.
In this episode of Africa Daily podcast Peter Musembi speaks to Dr Moupali Das who oversees the development of HIV prevention drugs at Gilead – and also gets reaction with two people living with HIV.
21 min
July 22, 2024 An apartheid era mass killer tells his story- what can South Africa learn from the past?
‘The Apartheid Killer’ is the latest investigation from the BBC Africa Eye team. Filmed over four years, it tells the story of Louis van Schoor, an ex-police officer turned security guard who in the late 1980's terrorised and killed at least 39 people in the South African city of East London. All of his victims were black and the youngest was just 12 years old.
He was finally arrested in 1991. But was released from prison after just over a decade in jail.
More than 30 of Louis van Schoor’s killings are still categorised as ‘justifiable homicides’ by police today. In his version of events, he’d caught the people he killed breaking into the white-owned businesses he was employed to protect and says he acted “within the law.”
In today’s episode, Mpho Lakaje speaks to Marlene Mvumbi, the sister of a man murdered by van Schoor and the co-director of ‘The Apartheid Killer’ freelance filmmaker and journalist Isa Jacobson.
22 min

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