What May Scuttle Plans For Congo’s Billion Dollar Dam Project
Serious disagreements between groups of Spanish and
Chinese developers that want to build a 11,000-megawatt hydropower plant in the
Democratic Republic of Congo may scuttle plans for the $14 billion project. The
Inga III dam would be the biggest hydroelectric power station on Africa’s
second-longest river and provide electricity to Congo and other nations,
including South Africa.
SOURCE: Bloomberg
Doctors Association Set Up Crowdfunding Initiative in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) has set up a
crowdfunding initiative to appeal for donations from the public amid an ongoing
industrial action which commenced six weeks ago. This is geared towards
providing a way to help desperate medical personnel to ease the financial
problems faced by its members.
According to Tawanda Zyakada, a representative of ZHDA, the most recent issue
has been the withholding of October salaries for all doctors who haven’t been
reporting to work due to the fact that they are financially liquidated.
SOURCE: Venture’s Africa
Mysterious Vanishing of Cape Town’s Great White Shark
“Seal Island is probably the world’s most famous location for seeing great
white sharks,” says Chris Fallows, a well-known shark expert, photographer
and tour boat operator. After countless documentaries and Shark Week
appearances on the Discovery Channel, in 2019, Fallows is forcing himself to
talk about these awesome sharks in the past tense. The great whites didn’t just
disappear overnight. There has been a steady decline, then, most likely, a
dramatic collapse, says Stellenbosch University marine biologist Sara
Andreotti.
SOURCE: CNN
10 Things to Do in Malawi
Malawi is one of the most breathtaking places on earth. From her beautiful blue lake, to her ever-smiling, welcoming people, Malawi should surely be on your list of places to visit, and when you do, here are ten things we recommend you do while there.
SOURCE: AFRICA.COM
Coach Behind World’s Greatest Runners
Countless stars from Ethiopia throughout the last few decades
have trained under the tutelage of the Adilo family, who, as former athletes,
understand the slog. Thus, the brothers are constantly talking to their
athletes and consulting with each other to see how each individual is feeling
physically and emotionally.
“Our philosophy is structured around the athletes maintaining interest and
excitement in the training,” Adilo says. “So one day we might go to Entoto for
endurance training, but then we may drop down to [lower-altitude] Sebeta for
speed work.”
SOURCE: OZY
The two Side’s of Mining Ghana’s valuable Bauxite
Below the towering mahogany trees that blanket this lush mountainside, hidden beneath the brown-red soil, lie millions of tons of very valuable rock.
This world-renowned forest reserve, called the Atewa, is the source of three major rivers that provide water to 5 million people. It is also home to an estimated 165 million tons of bauxite, a sedimentary rock used to create aluminum products such as aircraft parts, kitchen utensils and beer cans.
SOURCE: Washington Post
Mozambique’s Filipe Nyusi Retains Power
Nyusi secured 73% of the vote in the presidential race, the National Election Commission (CNE) said on Sunday, while his party, the ruling Frelimo, also won big in the legislative and provincial contests.
His main rival Ossufo Momade, of former guerrilla movement turned main opposition party Renamo, trailed behind with 21.88% of the vote, CNE Chairman Abdul Carimo told a news conference.
SOURCE: Reuters
Kenya’s Agritech Startup Goes Pan-African
The high rate of waste and the lack of effective distribution are two major
problems plaguing the agribusiness value chain across African countries. A
startup tackling both issues has just bagged major funding.
Twiga Foods, the Kenya-based food logistics startup, has raised $23.7 million
in a Series B round led by US investment bank Goldman Sachs. The company also
raised an additional $6 million in debt. The latest funding follows a $10
million round last November.
SOURCE: QUARTZ
Nigeria’s Border Closure Impacts Trade Flow
Nigeria recently partially closed its border with Benin in an effort to stem the smuggling of rice. It then went on to close its land borders to the movement of all goods from Benin, Niger and Cameroon, effectively banning trade flows with its neighbours.
Border closures are not new in Africa. But Nigeria’s actions raise important concerns about the seriousness and prospects of regional integration in Africa.
SOURCE: Conversation
A piece of Finland in Uganda
When Ukko Liikkanen and Niina Prittinen first visited Uganda in 2013, they were not thinking of swapping the polar circle for the equator.
Now four years later the Finnish couple live in Entebbe, Uganda, permanently. They run a tour operating company, A Piece of Uganda Safaris, but there is another passion: Finnish sauna. The couple have built a sauna in the sweltering heat of the East African country.
SOURCE: BBC