Malawi has re-written its aviation history this week when the country witnessed its first all female flight deck crew flying Malawian Airlines flight from Blantyre to Dar-es-Salaam. The company’s maiden all-women operated and supported flight is being celebrated across the continent.

South African politician and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has come under fire on social media for over her comments defending colonialism saying the system, and its legacy wasn’t bad in its entirety. There’s been a major uproar over the comments forcing Zille to issue an apology. In 2008, a British-born South African columnist, David Bullard, caused an outrage writing an article in the Sunday Times saying South Africa should be grateful for colonialism. The column was heavily criticized, seen as racist and extremely offensive.

Accomplished Kenyan writer, Ngugi wa Thiong’o delivered a public lecture at Wits University, South Africa. The writer discussed the relationship between culture, language and colonisation, and argued for the preservation and inclusion of African languages in learning institutions. Thiong’o also reiterated the importance of learning the mother tongue and local cultural histories, and ended by saying “if you know your mother tongue, and add it with all other languages, that is empowerment”. We couldn’t agree more

This is Africa last year featured the artwork of one of Nigeria’s most talented hyper realistic artists, Martins Lawrence Akande. Akande recently bagged a prestigious award, the International Galileo Galilei Prize in Italy, which is one of the most valuable and significant prizes given to artists. The artist says he’s honoured to receive the recognition, and hopes the award will be an inspiration to artists across Nigeria and the continent especially those that share similar dreams. Akande’s remarkable realistic pencil drawings continue to draw immense praise. Congratulations to the artist.

The curtain came down on the 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition held in Cameroon after 15 absorbing days of soccer action. Hats off to the Super Falcons of Nigeria who won the competition after defeating the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon by a goal to nil in the final. Nigeria won a record eight title.

A tragedy has hit Mozambique with reports that at least 73 people died and 110 were injured after a oil tanker exploded in the small village in Tete province. The tanker was transporting fuel from the port city of Beira to Malawi and overturned on the way. The catastrophe has shocked many and numerous messages of commiseration continue to be shared on social media. Our heartfelt condolences to the deceased and a speedy recovery to the injured.

Today we celebrate a remarkable story, the election of Ilhan Omar as the first Somali-American legislator in the U.S. The former refugee who fled the Somali Civil War and spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp will serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives. We celebrate Omar’s inspirational achievement, a story of determination, hard-work and hope.

University of Cape Town campaigners involved in the RhodesMustFall movement are surely on cloud nine following the approval of the permanent removal of Cecil John Rhodes’ statue from the university campus. The permanent removal of the Rhodes statue was unanimously approved by Heritage Western Cape’s Built Environment and Landscape Committee.

A crowdfunding initiative to support Jake Amo the five year-old from Asempanaye, in Ghana who has become a social media sensation because of his iconic image is gathering momentum. The campaign team has set a $20,000 target, and the money will be used “to support Jake’s education and many other children like him,” Solomon Adufah the artist who worked with Jake told ThisisAfrica.

Eureka! We found the origin of the pensive looking African boy meme. If you have been searching and wondering about the origin of the famous meme of a young African boy seated at a desk, with a pensive look on his face, frantically writing on a piece of paper, your search is finally over. The boy’s name is Jake. The picture is currently amongst one of the continent’s most famous and widely shared memes and it was taken by Carlos Cortes, an award winning photographer and shared by Ghanaian artist, Solomon Adufah.