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22 October 2018

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Tanzanian Tycoon Safe and Sound

Mohammed Dewji who was kidnapped a week ago in Tanzania's economic capital Dar es Salam, has returned home unharmed. Dewji took to social media to thank people for their prayers and told authorities that his abductors spoke a Southern Africa language, confirming suspicions that the kidnappers were foreigners.

SOURCES: Al Jazeera, Times Live

A Grandmother’s Advice Works Wonders in Zimbabwe

Forced by a shortage of mental health professionals and the pressing need of combating depression, a psychiatrist trained 400 grandmothers to go around communities and provide free evidence-based talk therapy. Grandmothers spoke the locals’ language, which turned out to be the key to the program’s success.

SOURCES: Quartz Africa

Tech-savvy Kenyan Restaurant Embraces Crypto-currencies

Betty's Place specialises in "nyama choma", a lip-smacking goat meat barbeque that is a firm favourite amongst Kenyans. Located in the rural town of Nyeri, about 150km outside the capital, Nairobi, it is one of the few businesses in the country that allows customers to pay with not one but two crypto-currencies - Bitcoin and Dash.

SOURCES: BBC

Homecoming for Athlete who Highlighted the Oromia Protests

Feyisa Lilesa who made global headlines with an anti-government gesture at the Rio Olympics finish line returned from exile over the weekend after sports officials assured him he will not face prosecution. The Ethiopian runner’s return from the United States came several months after the new prime minister took office and announced sweeping political reforms. He received a warm welcome at the airport from the foreign minister and other senior officials.

SOURCES: VOA

Rallying Around FGM

According to UNICEF at least 200 million women and girls around the world have been affected by FGM. In Somalia alone, 98% of women and girls have undergone it - the highest rate on the planet. Donor Direct Action partners with The Galkayo Centre in Puntland Somalia. This group has been ending FGM for almost two decades.

SOURCES: CNN

International Arrest Warrant Doesn’t Affect this President’s Plans

Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has been travelling freely around the world despite an eight-year-old international warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes and genocide, human rights lawyers have found. A project to document the travels of Bashir has called in question a key component in international law after repeated failures to arrest him.

SOURCES: The Guardian

Endangered Black Rhinos Die in Chad’s National Park

Two of six critically endangered black rhinos relocated to Chad in May have died, Zakouma National Park’s management said, undermining efforts to restore their population in Chad after a nearly 50-year absence. Before the transfer of the six rhinos from South Africa in May, the species had not been seen in Chad since 1972, mostly as a result of rampant poaching.

SOURCES: Reuters

Is the DRC’s Mega Infrastructure Deal Coming Together?

Two groups of investors have been given a four-week deadline to submit a joint proposal on the development of the multibillion-dollar Inga 3 hydropower plant. By November 10, the groups must hand over a joint proposal that includes a financial model and timeline, according to the accord. The government will then negotiate an “exclusive collaboration contract” with the single consortium that will enable the co-developers to consider themselves the project’s “prospective concessionaires”, it states.

SOURCES: Business Day Live

No Surprises in Cameroon Results

Incumbent President Paul Biya has won the 2018 Presidential Elections by a landslide victory, securing his seventh term in a 36-year rule. Biya acquired 71.28% of the votes, with Maurice Kamto coming in as runner up with 14,23%. Turnout plummeted in separatist-hit regions, with 3,590,681 out of 6,667,754 registered voters voting.

SOURCES: CGTN Africa

The only African Nation to have ever Competed at the Lacrosse World Championships

Uganda is hoping they can help grow the sport across the continent. Head coach Peter Ginnegar told the BBC that his players can compete physically with the world's best but in years to come.

SOURCES: BBC

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