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Against the ropes – the other Mandela
Our collective imagination around Nelson Mandela can do with more interrogation, says Kagiso Mnisi.
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The Ugandan government is touting a sweeping controversial anti-pornography legislation that outlaws revealing clothing and covers issues related to pornography, including child pornography, pornographic publications and even suggestive music videos. Ugandan Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon Lokodo said: "Put on a miniskirt but please don't expose your thighs, your buttocks and your genitalia. Finished."
With the new rhetoric many Western leaders are throwing, the narrative surrounding colonialism will eventually be shaped according to what the colonisers say, and not according to the experiences of Africans, the victims of the crimes. When the legacies of colonialism are pinned down to roads and hospitals, what becomes of the painful experiences, and stories of Africans who still bear its brunt? The definition and yardstick of civilisation really needs to be revisited and contested.
The question of population control in relation to economic growth in Africa continues to be a subject of interesting conversations. Some people have argued that birth control methods have taken away Africa’s capability to develop its economies. The question though is which comes first, a population boom or economic growth which enables a population increase?
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When Dennis Kimetto broke the marathon world record in 2014, people started speculating about the possibility of running the distance in less than two hours. This sparked an ‘arms race’ among sports companies, vying for the top athletes to attempt that feat wearing their gear. On 6 May 2017, Nike’s three chosen athletes attempted the sub two-hour marathon.
When Nigeria’s State Security Service arrested Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the modern secessionist group Indigenous People of Biafra, many thought that agitation for the defunct Republic of Biafra would be silenced. Instead, the struggle has been re-awakened.
For some in Cameroon, you are either Anglophone or Francophone, either a victim or a benefactor of linguistic privilege. However, for Monique Kwachou and other ‘citizens of the 11th region’ who straddle the linguistic divide, the last several months have been a period of considering the complex colonial legacy of their identity.
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As the global spotlight falls on demographic changes today - in honour of World Population Day - South Africa can boast about having made strong policy strides in combatting HIV. A new plan to introduce condoms in schools is promising but many doubts have been raised about its implementation.
Today the world celebrates World Population Day. As we commemorate the day we debunk some of those myths around oral contraceptives.- The question of population control in relation to economic growth in Africa continues to be a subject of interesting conversations. Some people have argued that birth control methods have taken away Africa’s capability to develop its economies. The question though is which comes first, a population boom or economic growth which enables a population increase?
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Local aphrodisiac herbs have been around for a long time, but in 2016 a short documentary about a Lagos-based herb seller who invented hilarious names for her products went viral. While the industry continues to boom, the question of how effective and safe these herbal concoctions are remains unanswered.
In the pursuit of being ‘good sexual partners’ for men, many women abuse their vaginas. At best, the measures they resort to add little to their own personal pleasure; at worst, they place women in harm’s way, says Kagure Mugo.
Why LGBT organizations should give “pre-marital classes” to couples wanting to be in lifelong partnerships on a continent that does not allow for gay relationships.
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Hours of heavy rainfall, which led to heavy flooding, might portend a major deluge in Africa's sprawling commercial nerve centre, Lagos, given its lake-side position and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, writes Valentine Iwenwanne.
Our collective imagination around Nelson Mandela can do with more interrogation, says Kagiso Mnisi.
The people of Maiduguri and surrounds have faced death and loss but their spirit seems indomitable, says Linus Unah.
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The success of the recent sit-at-home protests by pro-Biafran secessionist groups in South-East Nigeria is an indication that the issues that led to the civil war of 1967-1970 have not been addressed.- As the global spotlight falls on demographic changes today - in honour of World Population Day - South Africa can boast about having made strong policy strides in combatting HIV. A new plan to introduce condoms in schools is promising but many doubts have been raised about its implementation.
Though several African countries have adopted legal frameworks to end early marriage in the wake of the first African Union Girls Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, in November 2015, the slow rate of reduction and rapid population growth are making progress difficult, writes Linus Unah.
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Ghanaian filmmaker Arthur Musah was interviewed by TIA on his latest documentary film One Day I Too Go Fly which is about four African youths from different countries and socio-economic backgrounds as they pursue knowledge at America's premier technological university - the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Musah follows the lives of these African students during their four years in MIT. In this interview we get to know Musah's motivation and his experience filming these individuals both in MIT and also in their countries.
After 93 days of a government-imposed Internet ban, access was restored in April to the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. While the country’s crisis is far from resolved, time without the distraction of the Internet has helped Monique Kwachou see several things differently.
The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) is a bit of a slouch at taking credit for its achievements. But those in the know appreciate that the world would be much poorer without ITM’s input, particularly in the fight against diseases like HIV and Ebola. Indeed, ITM has been making valuable contributions to global health for the last century. Veteran Kenyan journalist Wycliffe Muga recently interviewed Roeland Scholtalbers, the Head of Communications at ITM, on the research institution’s work in Africa.
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Professor Tomohiko Sugishita doesn't believe in drive-by kindness. Starting from when he was a newly-minted medical doctor taking care of the medical needs of 2 million Malawians at the height of the HIV epidemic in 1995, Professor Sugishita has always believed in sinking deep roots into a community and helping it help itself. He recently sat down for an interview with veteran Kenyan journalist Wycliffe Muga and opened up about what lit his fire for medicine, his long years of medical practice in Africa and why he has come to believe in the "unlearning process".
The year 2016 was full of surprises. The biggest ones (Brexit, Trump’s election, Jammeh’s exit) were delivered via the ballot box. Democracy may yet have more surprises in store for us in 2017. As the Director of the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at the University of Gothenburg, few people on the planet study democracy and its effect more closely than Professor Staffan I. Lindberg. He spoke to Wycliffe Muga, a Kenyan journalist and political commentator, on what V-Dem’s work reveals about democracy in Africa, why people are now more open to “I can fix this” politicians and much more.
The AU Commission chairperson candidates talk about their vision and priorities for the continent.
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Heterosexual South African women are the least sexually satisfied in the world according to the Victoria Milan dating website. According to the survey, the overwhelming majority of South Africans were having sex less than once or twice a week.
Three Kenyan men who stripped and attacked a woman have been sentenced to death. The death sentence was imposed after the three were convicted of robbery with violence. Death penalties are still passed in Kenyan courts, but no executions have actually been carried out since 1987. The convicted men will instead serve out the rest of their days in jail. Could the ruling serve as a deterrent?
A 10-year-old girl Mitchell Mucheni has reportedly been killed by a lion just metres from her home in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. Mucheni had gone to relieve herself when the lion pounced on her. A report had been made to the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, police said.
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Africa as a continent can only move forward when its leaders consciously decide to implement policies that benefit their individual countries as a whole. The Karanga shoe factory in Tanzania is under refurbishment, and it will create much needed jobs.
Louis Vuitton has again met with criticism this time from South Africans, after turning the culturally significant Basotho blanket, into the latest fashion trend for men. For the Basotho, the blanket signifies a sacred ritual and normally does not go for more the R1,000 ($77) much less than the Louis Vuitton hefty price tag of R33, 000 ($2,553).
The Scottish Government will hand out free sanitary products to those in need as part of a pilot project in Aberdeen in what is essentially the first national government-sponsored effort of its type. Several African countries are on the path to establishing sanitary dignity by providing free sanitary products to low income girls and women. However, there is need for a comprehensive policy framework to tackle the availability of the products and the lack of education and sanitation infrastructure.
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