Africa Rise And Shine

Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has announced he will no longer pursue a two-year extension of his presidential term, bowing to domestic and international pressure after clashes in the capital Mogadishu. Tensions have been rising in the horn of Africa nation since Mohamed's term lapsed in February, as he and leaders of Puntland and Jubaland, two of Somalia's five semi-autonomous states, failed to agree on how to conduct elections. In a televised address to the nation Mohamed popurlay known as Farmajo, said he would inform the parliament on Saturday of his decision. For more on this, Lulu Gaboo spoke to Matt Bryden, Horn of Africa Expert....

A new Human Rights Watch report says Israeli authorities are committing crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution against Palestinians. The report, A Threshold Crossed: Israel Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution, was launched at a virtual briefing in New York this Tuesday. The report's findings are based on what the Non-Governmental Organisation calls an overarching Israeli Government policy to maintain the domination of Jewish Israeli's over Palestinians and grave abuses committed against Palestinians living in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem. As Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports, the rights group has called for the international community to reevaluate its engagement with Israel and adopt an approach centered on human rights and accountability...

South Africa's ruling African National Congress President, Cyril Ramaphosa, will finally appear before the State Capture Commission later this morning. Ramaphosa's appearance before Commission Chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, will be in two-parts. For the next two days he will testify as the leader of the governing party and next month will give evidence as the President of the country and the Deputy President during the Jacob Zuma administration. Ntebo Mokobo has more...

The South African Embassy in the United States has marked Freedom Day by honouring women's rights activist Charlotte Maxeke in addition to America's contribution to the Global Anti-Apartheid Movement. Maxeke became the first black South African woman to receive a university degree courtesy of a scholarship to study at Wilberforce University in Ohio, a private historically black university that today claims Maxeke as their daughter. It is also where she studied alongside writer W.E.B. du Bois and where she would meet her future husband before returning to South Africa. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports…

Kenya's Judicial Service Commission has nominated Justice Martha Koome to become the country's Chief Justice, an appointment that would make her the first female to hold the position. The commission announced Koome's nomination on Tuesday, days after a televised interview process was concluded. Sarah Kimani has more from Nairobi…

More than 15 years after Uganda discovered oil, it is now preparing to make history as one of Africa's largest oil producers, with a target of 230 000 barrels a day. As Channel Africa's James Shimanyula reports, Uganda's main markets for its oil will be in two continents, Asia and the rest of Africa…

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde government is now ready for work after it was inaugurated on Monday in the National Assembly. The inauguration followed the approval of its program by 410 Members of Par;liament out of the 412 as part of meeting during the presentation of the 15 pillar program that targets four sectors. Channel Africa's Jean Noel Ba-Mweze reports from Kinshasa…

French oil and gas company, Total, has confirmed that it has removed all of its personnel from Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado that worked on the mega project amounting to $20 billion. Milton Maluleque reports from Maputo...

Eleven years ago, Wealth Migrate embarked on a crowdfunding project in South Africa which was only launched in 2013 as there was no regulation then. In 2015, Wealth Migrate formed the African Crowdfunding Association to try to get the industry regulated in South Africa and Africa and has been working with 24 platforms and the regulator since then. In the last three months, the company was awarded the very first licence to crowdfunding in South Africa and Africa.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has announced that Kenya will not shut down Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps but rather seek solutions. Grandi who was in Kenya to ascertain the refugee situation in the region added that the government of Kenya would continue to provide hospitality to refugees, but that it wants a strategy in place on how to manange the camps. This comes after Kenya's High Court suspended the move by government to shut down the camps that hold hundreds of thousands of refugees from war-torn neighboring countries. Kenyan Authorities have insisted the refugee camps pose a security threat. To get a sense where the discussions are in as far as the future of the two camps is concerned, Zikhona Miso spoke to Irungu Houghton, Head of Amnesty's International Kenya Office, listen…

Twenty-seven years ago South Africa successfully transitioned from the apartheid regime into a democratic republic without disintegrating into civil war. According to author and entrepreneur Ian Fuhr, South Africa is the country it is today because of the countless sacrifices of many South Africans who fought tirelessly to overcome the brutal apartheid system. This Freedom Day, Fuhr urges all South Africans to commit to becoming anti-racist, as he believes that racial polarisation is still very real and it isn't taken seriously. To discuss this further, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Ian Fuhr...

South Africa is marking 27 years of freedom at a time when the impact of COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating with respect to a whole range of human rights especially social, economic and cultural rights. Gender based violence remains a big challenge for governments all over. In South Africa efforts have been put in place to address it and highlight the pandemic but women are still economically impacted through Gender Based Violence. This year's freedom day is celebrated under the theme "valuing our freedom in difficult times". For more on this, we are joined by Executive Director at Mosaic, Tarisai Mchuchu-Macmillan.

South Africa's Nonhlanhla Masina from the African School for Excellence in South Africa is representing Central and Southern Africa in the final round of the Cambridge International Schools Dedicated Teacher Awards. Masina will face winners from other regions of the world while the public votes on the global winner. Masina is also recognised as Mail & Guardian top 200 young South African for her work in education. She co-founded the school in the Gauteng Province in 2013. For more on this, Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Nonhlanhla Masina from the African School for Excellence in South Africa....

As South Africans celebrate Freedom Day today, we're reminded that South Africa is the country it is today because of the countless sacrifices of those who fought tirelessly to overcome the brutal apartheid system. A South African project, Indlulamithi Scenarios 2030, has worked with a wide cross section of society to ask what a socially cohesive South Africa would look like, and whether it is possible to achieve it by 2030. In doing so, they have drawn up different scenarios, each evoking a picture of the country under different levels of social cohesion. For more on this, Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Xolelwa Kashe-Katiya, Executive Committee member at Indlulamithi SA Scenarios 2030...…

MTN Group has officially submitted its bid for a license in Ethiopia's telecommunications sector. The bidding process has been closed with only two international companies expressing interest. Only one State owned telecom company Ethiotelecom currently enjoys a monopoly in the country. The decision to liberalise the sector was made by Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, after he assumed power in 2018. Coletta Wanjohi reports from Addis Ababa:

United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Monday pressed Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, for troops from Eritrea involved in the Tigray conflict to be withdrawn "immediately, in full, and in a verifiable manner," a statement from his office has said. In a phone call with Ahmed on Monday, Blinken expressed his concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country's Tigray region. Blinken is especially concerned of the growing risk of a famine in the Tigray region, his spokesperson said. Meanwhile, Blinken will today make a virtual visit to Kenya and Nigeria where he is expected to hold bilateral talks with leaders from both countries. Sarah Kimani has more...

A man has been arrested in the UK, in relation to on-going investigations into the Eskom fraud case. Michael Harry Lomas is wanted in South Africa and has appeared in court in London. Laura Makin-Isherwood has more...

More than 2 million students in South Sudan are expected to return to their Primary and Secondary schools on the third of next month. The return to class comes after staying home for one year, following the government's decision to loosen Covid-19 lockdown rules. However, measures of social distancing, hand-washing and wearing face masks, are still in place. To tell us more, here is James Shimanyula with more…

April 24 marks World Meningitis Day and this year's theme is 'Take Action, #DefeatMeningitis'. The day helps to raise awareness about meningitis, as it continues to be a major global public health issue causing up to 5 million cases each year, including epidemics of new strains that spread between countries and across the world. For more on this, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Dr Nasiha Soofie, Medical Head at Sanofi Pasteur Vaccines…

The Mozambican Government has updated the number of displaced people as a result of the terrorism in Cabo Delgado and instability in the central part of the country. Over the past month, more than 60 000 people have fled the terrorist violence in Cabo Delgado and the central area of the country. Milton Maluleque reports…