Mehari Taddele Maru | 24 Mar 2020 | Mail & Guardian Covid-19 has now hit more than 40 African countries, with almost 2 000 confirmed cases as of March 23. So far, the coronavirus has been slow to spread across Africa, but there are several factors unique to the continent that could make it difficult to reduce the rate of infections — and make the pandemic more deadly … [Read more...] about Covid-19: Why it is so difficult for Africa to ‘flatten the curve’
Archives for March 2020
Rwandan man who breached coronavirus lockdown order eaten by crocodile
ANA Reporter | Mar 26, 2020 | The Independent Online Johannesburg - A Rwandan man who breached government’s instruction to stay at home during the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown to go fishing, has been killed and eaten by a crocodile, the New York Post reported. Alice Kayitesi, the mayor of the southern Kamonyi district, confirmed the incident, which took place in the … [Read more...] about Rwandan man who breached coronavirus lockdown order eaten by crocodile
What Happens in Sudan Doesn’t Stay in Sudan
Will Khartoum Become the Center of a New African Order or an Appendage of the Gulf? Michael Woldemariam and Alden Young |July 19, 2019 | Foreign Affairs It’s the end of an era in the Horn of Africa. After three decades in power, Sudanese strongman Omar al-Bashir fell in April. Mass antigovernment protests erupted, and a military coup soon followed. Now the remnants of … [Read more...] about What Happens in Sudan Doesn’t Stay in Sudan
The world before this coronavirus and after cannot be the same
Ian Goldin and Robert Muggah | March 27, 20200 | The Conversation With COVID-19 infections now evident in 176 countries, the pandemic is the most significant threat to humanity since the second world war. Then, as now, confidence in international cooperation and institutions plumbed new lows. While the onset of the second world war took many people by surprise, the … [Read more...] about The world before this coronavirus and after cannot be the same
In Africa, social distancing is a privilege few can afford
If you live in a township, make a living in the informal sector, or travel on a crowded bus, how do you self-quarantine? Karsten Noko|22 Mar 2020 | Aljazeera The COVID-19 pandemic has already permeated all aspects of life. While optimists hope it will force us to rethink inequality and global access to healthcare, the realists believe the net effect of the pandemic … [Read more...] about In Africa, social distancing is a privilege few can afford
Learning to Live With Despots
The Limits of Democracy Promotion Stephen D. Krasner |March/April 2020 Issue | Foreign Affairs Throughout its history, the United States has oscillated between two foreign policies. One aims to remake other countries in the American image. The other regards the rest of the world as essentially beyond repair. According to the second vision, Washington should demonstrate … [Read more...] about Learning to Live With Despots
The Weakness of the Strongman
Power Grabs by Putin and Xi May Bode Well for Democracy’s Future Adam E. Casey and Seva Gunitsky |March 23, 2020 | Foreign Affairs Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his support for a constitutional change to allow him two more terms in office. When these terms end in 2036, he will be 84 years old and—if he makes it—the longest-ruling leader … [Read more...] about The Weakness of the Strongman
The coronavirus and Africa: Exposing our vulnerabilities and inequalities
Ayesha Jacub | 22 Mar 2020 | Mail & Guardian As Africans we are no strangers to large-scale human loss. Memories of the HIV epidemic weigh heavily on our collective psyche. We remember what it was like to lose large groups of our community to a virus while the world scrambled to find treatments. Our doctors know how health systems and staff can crumble under the pressure … [Read more...] about The coronavirus and Africa: Exposing our vulnerabilities and inequalities
Zimbabweans’ survival strategies
Kudzai Mashininga |12 Mar 2020 | Mail & Guardian oseph Mbano* keeps the contact details of every fuel attendant he meets. He’s made friends with about a dozen of them, hoping to be tipped off when fuel is available in Harare, so that he can fill up one of his family’s two vehicles. They can no longer afford to keep both cars on the road; getting petrol for one … [Read more...] about Zimbabweans’ survival strategies
More African countries confirm first Covid-19 cases
Thirty African countries are now treating nearly 400 patients with Covid-19 David Lewis |16 March 2020 | Business Day Nairobi — Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma pledged to donate more than 1-million coronavirus tests to Africa on Monday, as more African nations confirmed their first cases or shut borders amid fears of the disease's impact on fragile … [Read more...] about More African countries confirm first Covid-19 cases