Research Disputes the View that African Women who Bleach their Skin are Vain and Irrational
Shingi Mtero, a lecturer at Rhodes University in South Africa who teaches a course on the politics of skin bleaching, argues that "in post-colonial Africa, there is still a premium on light skin. Whiteness is something that many Africans aspire to, and light skin still has social capital." Research suggests that banning bleaching products will not completely solve the problem of unsafe skin bleaching unless other measures are also put in place. Several African countries, including as Rwanda and Ghana, recently banned the use of skin bleaching products because they are dangerous.
SOURCES: CNN
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South Africa’s Water Woes aren’t Over
This time a year ago Capetonians were in a panic as the city clamped down on the use of water as the city became the world’s first major city to look like it was about to run out of water due to climate change. Compared with communities across South Africa, Cape Town can count on its clout to attract attention to its water woes. The number of international visitors to the city from rose 9.6% last year despite the drought. Meanwhile, residents of a rural area south of Durban have gone weeks without water, while villagers in the Eastern Cape say they are drinking dirty water after being bypassed by a new infrastructure project.
SOURCES: Quartz Africa
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[REVIEW] Astonishing Drama about the Power of Faith and Miracles as Rwanda’s Genocide Looms
Katori Hall’s astonishing play, dealing with the apparent visitation of the Virgin Mary to a trio of Rwandan schoolgirls in 1981, it explores the nature of miracles and it raises the spectre of mass hallucination. The play roots religious ecstasy in a world of political tension between Tutsi and Hutu that was to lead to Rwandan genocide in 1994.
SOURCES: The Guardian
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Oil has been a Blessing and a Curse for Angola
President Joao Lourenco is trying to diversify the oil-dependent economy by announcing the nation’s first diamond auction due later this month. He’s fired several of the former president’s children from top positions, including his daughter, who was running the state oil company Sonangol. Lourenco also reformed Sonangol, streamlining operations and regulations to make it easier for foreign investors to work in the oil sector. Economists say these changes should improve Angola's economy, and may even provide a model for other resource-rich African nations. But Lourenco’s critics say the reforms are cosmetic and haven’t brought benefits to ordinary Angolans.
SOURCES: VOA
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Can Falz Revolutionise Nigeria's Music Industry as Fela Did?
His rendition of ‘This is Nigeria’ put his political awareness on record, then Falz returned with his singles Talk and Moral Instruction on his fourth album comprising nine tracks. The songs criticised politicians, corruption, police brutality, prostitution, social injustice, and internet fraud. There was remarkable semblance, experts observed, between his return and that of Fela in the 1977. After nearly dying of torture for his song Zombie - a scathing attack on the Nigeria military, Fela returned stronger with two songs Coffin for Head of State and Unknown Soldier, which was a direct attack on the military president Olusegun Obasanjo.
SOURCES: Al Jazeera
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Foul Play in Ghana's Football Scandal
A Ghanaian undercover journalist has been shot dead while driving home, after a politician called for retribution against him. He was a member of Tiger Eye Private Investigations and had investigated corruption in Ghana's football leagues. The undercover report on cash gifts led to a lifetime ban for the former head of Ghana's Football Association.
SOURCES: BBC
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Tunisia Brought to a Standstill
Rail, bus and air traffic stopped in Tunisia and street protests drew thousands on Thursday as the huge UGTT union staged a one-day nationwide strike to challenge the government’s refusal to raise the salaries of 670,000 public servants.
SOURCES: Reuters
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Nairobi on High Alert
Kenyan police have warned the public not to panic after bomb experts on Thursday found an explosive in the Dusit office park which terrorists stormed on Tuesday in an attack that left 21 people dead.
SOURCES: IOL
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The Numbers Show that African Economies are on the Up
Sub-Saharan economies will cope with tighter global liquidity this year and grow faster than in 2018, albeit at a lacklustre rate compared to the commodity price boom heydays of a decade ago.
SOURCES: Business Day Live
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A Throwback Interview by Sade to Mark her 60th Birthday
Folasade Helen Adu, the artist better known as Sade was born to a British mother and Nigerian father, the songstress never intended to become a music icon. In her early days she went to fashion school in London, had a brief career as a model, and eventually formed the band Sade. The band found success with the instant classic 1984’s “Smooth Operator,” turning Sade herself into a music superstar and a reluctant fashion icon. In 1988, after three sold-out nights at Radio City Music Hall, the elusive pop singer sat down with Interview writer Vince Aletti for their 1988 November issue. She opens up about her love for dancing, the tabloids, Prince, and why she “would never go to the Limelight.”
SOURCES: Interview
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