Today, let’s talk about Zimbabwe. It’s a country in southern Africa. For the last 37 years Zimbabwe has been led by President Robert Mugabe. On Tuesday, 93 year old Mugabe finally resigned, bringing an end to his ruthless rule.
Following the news, there was wild jubilation on the streets of Harare, the county’s capital. Zimbabweans could hardly believe that finally they were free from the man that the majority of people in the country detested.
Mugabe only resigned because he was about to be impeached. Two days earlier he was thrown out of the ruling party ZANU-PF and dismissed as its leader. His wife Grace Mugabe was also expelled from the party and is facing prosecution.
The plague is a disease that killed millions of people across Europe during the Middle Ages. It became known as the Black Death.
It appears the killer disease is back. This time it is in Madagascar, which is a holiday destination island off the coast of south east Africa. Since August, 124 people have been killed by the deadly disease. A total of 1,133 people have been affected by the outbreak of the disease. According to the latest WHO analysis, there is a ‘very high risk’ of the disease spreading.
Nearby countries and overseas territories; including South Africa, Ethiopia, the Seychelles, Tanzania, Mauritius, La Réunion, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, as well as the Comoros Islands, which are a small group of islands near Madagascar, have all been put on alert.
Recently, we heard the sad news that Cecil the lion had been killed by an American poacher in Zimbabwe. Dr Walter Palmer, a dentist and a father of two from Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, is now begging forgiveness. He said he didn’t know he was breaking Zimbabwe law by killing the defenceless African lion, or for that matter that Cecil had been coaxed away from the game reserve he lived on.
Recently 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped from their school dormitory in Chibok in north eastern Nigeria. They were taken in the middle of the night by the Islamist military group Boko Haram.
The dreadful drama that took place on April 14th has caught the world’s attention. So far the Nigerian government has done little to rescue them.
Category: Nigeria / Boko Haram / Kidnapped girls
Africa’s newest country South Sudan has adopted English as its official language. Why? Because its new leaders believe English will make them “different and modern”.
After decades of civil war, the widespread learning of English will present some serious challenges for a country brought up learning a form of Arabic. It represents a major change after decades of Arabisation and Islamisation by their former rulers in Khartoum, Sudan. The predominantly Christian and African south by opting for English as its official language has taken a bold decision, as most of the country’s education system is very short of resources and most people are illiterate.
Edward Mokole at the Ministry of Education: “From now on all our laws, textbooks and official documents have to be written in that language. Schools, the police, retail and the media must all operate in English.”
Category: Africa / South Sudan / Learning English
South Sudan has been celebrating its creation as a new independent East African nation. The new country celebrated in Juba, its new capital, on Saturday 9th July 2011, raising its flag before tens of thousands of its cheering citizens. The country has finally managed to break free from Sudan following a bitter 50-year struggle involving civil war.
“The eyes of the world are now on us,” said South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, who was inaugurated during a scorching midday ceremony. Kiir stressed that the people of South Sudan must advance their country together, and unite as countrymen first, casting aside allegiances to the dozens of tribes that reside there.
With the creation of the new territory, South Sudan will for the first time be linked with sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda and Kenya are already laying strong economic ties with their northern neighbour, an oil rich country that may one day ship its oil to a Kenyan port, instead of through the pipelines controlled by Khartoum, capital of Sudan.
Category: Economic / Geography / South Sudan
It started in Tunisia when one young unemployed man set himself on fire in a stance against unemployment, price rises and poverty. Sidi Bouzid’s death created a revolution in the country that forced regime change. In fact, the sudden flight of President Ben Ali revealed how weak his dictatorship was.
Tunisia, known for its tourism, had been slammed by the UN for its state brutality of beatings and sleep deprivation. Interim control has now passed to Rachid Ghannouchi who returned from exile in London. The Tunisian revolution marked the start of a new era in the Arab world.
Category: North Africa / Arab countries / Regime Change
Less than one hundred years ago Africa was still being colonised by the western imperial powers. Large parts had still yet to be discovered. The British Empire was nearing its peak with red covering many countries on the new map of the African continent. France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Belgium all had colonies there. Yet today where are they all?
Having kicked out their imperial western masters and gained their independence today’s African leaders have turned their backs on the west. Instead they have set their eyes firmly towards the east. China has emerged as the new Asian tiger – or should that be dragon. Hungry for raw materials, land and energy China has for a number of years now been quietly doing massive amounts of new business all over the African continent.
Thousands and thousands of Chinese have been relocated to Africa to organise and deliver many precious raw materials. China desperately needs them due to its own shortage of raw materials. Over the last decade a staggering 750,000 Chinese have resettled in Africa. Many more are coming. Africa is rapidly becoming a new Chinese colony or satellite state.
Should Zimbabwe be allowed to resume diamond sales? That’s the question delegates from 70 countries at talks in Israel recently had to decide. The organisation that controls the international diamond trade failed to find an answer after allegations of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe’s mines.
Members of the watchdog, known as ‘the Kimberley Process’, said discussions had been ‘clouded’ by the arrest and imprisonment of a human rights activist. Farai Maguwu had alleged that forced labour, rape, torture and harassment were being used to develop Zimbabwe’s new lucrative Marange diamond mines.
Zimbabwe’s ability to export Kimberley certified diamonds – ‘the Kimberley Process’ - was suspended after the army seized control of Marange, allegedly massacring up to 200 miners two years ago. The country has accused the west of trying to hold back its economic development.
The diamonds from the Marange field could see the country become one of the world’s top six exporters of diamonds and generate US$1.7bn a year. But human rights groups want Zimbabwe to remain banned from selling “blood diamonds” - those which are used to fuel a conflict.
Category: Zimbabwe / Blood Damonds / Kimberley Process
Football fans worldwide are gearing up for this year’s 2010 football World Cup, which is being held in South Africa. In what could be called ‘the greatest show on earth’ the best teams in the world are ready to compete in what will be the 19th Football World Cup.
The opening ceremony in Johannesburg on June 10th will include a concert featuring hot international acts including; the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys and Shakira. It will also feature appearances by popular African artists and appearances by past and present football legends. The concert takes place at the newly-renovated Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Jerome Valcke from FIFA said: “We are thrilled to have a concert of such magnitude and performing talent raise the curtain on the first FIFA World Cup in Africa.” ‘The beautiful game’, as it’s also known, will actually kick off in Johannesburg on Friday 11th June. Matches will be played across South Africa including Cape Town, Durban, Kimberley, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria.
Category: South Africa / World Cup / Football
