Charity group Oxfam has released a report saying that while supermarkets around the world have been cashing in during the COVID-19 pandemic, workers who produce food continue to conduct "modern slave labor." The report titled "Not in this together," revealed that workers are getting less and less of the price of the products on sale in the supermarket. In South Africa for instance, OXFAM found that in 2020 workers received only 1% percent of the sales price of the grapes they produce. For more on the report's findings, Lulu Gaboo spoke to OXFAM's global campaign lead, Rachel Coulbourne.

South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa has brought forward the closure of schools for the winter holidays by a few weeks, as the country battles to curb the rise of new Covid-19 infections. Schools will start closing on Wednesday, and are expected to be all closed by the end of the week. The country, the worst-hit by the pandemic on the African continent is in the grip of a "third wave" of infections, with fears that it could eclipse the previous two waves. For more reaction on the school closure, Lulu Gaboo spoke to Wycliffe Otieno, Chief of Education at the United Children's Fund in South Africa.

Pressure is continuing to pile up on health workers in South Africa's hospitals in the Gauteng province, which is currently the pandemic's epicentre in the country. This is despite President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent announcement that at least 1 200 beds have been added in the province. Medics from the South African National Defense Force have also been enlisted to assist. More from Fikile Dikolomela-Lengene, a nurse and deputy president of the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union.

Dr Kometsi Mokuele heads up Sunset dentistry in Fourways, Johannesburg. He heads up 2 other branches in Soweto and Sebokeng and will be opening another one in Midrand. Dr K, as he is affectionately known is passionate about community building. He is permanently servicing pro-bono the Johannesburg children's home among other projects. He speaks to Amanda Matshaka on Life by Design about his passion for giving back and his SA Heroes Awards 2021 nomination.

South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment affairs has refused to give authorisation to Turkish powership company- Karpowership, blocking the energy company from provinding emergency power to the debilitated South African grid. The application was dismissed on environmental grounds. Karpowership was named as a major winner in a government emergency power tender designed to help ease crippling power cuts. For analysis on this we are now joined on the line by Professor Mark Swilling, the Co-Director for Centre for Sustainability Transitions at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa....

The humanitarian sector has a key role to play in addressing the climate and environment crises that affect people's lives and livelihoods around the world every day. This means walking the talk in integrating climate smart approaches into its work and greening its own operations. This is according to the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, which has invited humanitarian organisations from around the world to sign what is called the: "Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organisations". For more on this, Elizabeth Lediga spoke to Dr. Catherine-Lune Grayson, a Policy Advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross...

The South African Medical Association, SAMA has again made an appeal to government to consider recently graduated doctors who are unemployed to complement the nation's frontline-workers in the battle against the third wave of the coronavirus. SAMA says the reasons advanced by government that the budget is not enough to absorb the 200 doctors - is not acceptable. The association argues the country needs all hands on deck to counter the third wave and points to the deployment of SANDF medics in some parts of Gauteng - which has recorded a record 10 806 new infections. Nationally 17 493 cases were reported in the last 24-hours.

Nomantande Precious Yeki speaks about the positives derived from the events of June 16, 1976…

How youth can benefit from agriculture Nomantande Precious Yeki speaks about how youth can benefit from organisations dealing with assisting young farmers to excel in agriculture. Is there hope for young farmers?

South Africa has made a firm call for the UN General Assembly to move the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform to text-based negotiations.South Africa says the current composition of the Council is antiquated. The statement was made as member states took a consensus position in endorsing an oral decision by the President of the Assembly to continue the negotiation process into the 76th session which commences in September under new leadership.Some members, led by Germany, earlier raised objections to the technical rollover decision over concerns that it did not explicitly move the process to text-based negotiations which has been a key demand of certain member states.

Kenyan Deputy President, William Ruto, has for the first time announced that he will contest next year's Presidential Election, on the ticket of his newly-formed political party, United Democratic Alliance.The rare and surprise announcement, comes more than three years after Ruto was politically abandoned by Kenyatta.

Mozambique has again called for sanctions against Zimbabwe to be lifted. The call was made at a ministerial session of the SADC-European Union political dialogue, where Mozambique asked Portugal to help lift economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Mozambican nationals, who fled the civil war in the 80, have raised concern about the blocking of their South African identity documents. They say they have been living in Lilydale east of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga for over two decades. They allege that the refugee status granted to them in 1992, has been cancelled, and that they are now regarded as illegal immigrants.

The first South African Entrepreneurs Job Creators Survey report has been released providing key insights into the pivotal role women entrepreneurs play as job creators. The findings indicate a deep commitment into job creation amongst South African entrepreneurs with 90 percent reporting job creation as an important consideration in starting their business. For more on the findings, Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu spoke to Dr Linda Zuze Research director at Lioness Africa.

South Africa's sneaker brand Bathu recently earned itself a spot in Brand Africa 100's Top 10 Most Admired brand. The ranking is the most authoritative survey and analysis on brands and underlying businesses in Africa.The sneaker brand has also unveiled its CSI project where it plans to donate school shoes to disadvantaged children. For more on this, Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu spoke to Bathu founder Theo Baloyi.

Eswatini has become one of the first African states to move towards clean energy production with an aim to lower carbon emissions and reduce its energy dependence on neighboring countries like South Africa and Mozambique. The project will create a number of employment opportunities in the tiny Kingdom with a population of just over 1 million people. The government has sourced some of the funds used to set up the Lavumisa and Edwaleni Power Stations from within its governing structures. The country aims to also have biomass energy production in the near future. Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Eswatini's Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Peter Bhembe.

A spate of gruesome murders in the Zimbabwean rural areas are giving security authorities sleepless nights as solutions appear to be scarce. This is so, as more Zimbabweans are now desperate and resorting to crime to survive in a country with almost zero employment rate. Spirituality and beliefs are also driving some of the killings although authorities now believe some murders are as a result of gender-based violence that increased during the COVID-19 lockdowns.Zimbabwe has been experiencing more than 70% increase in murder or homicide cases each year from 2010 owing to a number of reasons such as rituals.Partial killing have also been recorded due to gender-based violence especially during the Covid-19 lockdowns.More from Channel Africa correspondent, John Cassim, reporting from Harare, Zimbabwe…

South Africa, together with India, South Korea and Australia, have been invited as guests to the G7 Leaders' Summit which takes place from tomorrow in Cornwall in the United Kingdom .The G7 summit takes place amidst an unprecedented global pandemic, compounded by the climate emergency and rising geopolitical rivalries. It serves as an occasion for South Africa to establish a more assertive climate diplomacy at the centre of its international relations strategy. Saliem Fakir the Executive Director at the African Climate Foundation weighs in on the summit.

Life By Design's change maker of the week is the Founder & CEO at Being Iconic Magazine, a women for women magazine that focuses on Women Empowerment, Inspiration, Trends and that celebrates and support women entrepreneurs.

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee- SASCOC- has unveiled the official kit for Team South Africa ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in Japan. The games will start on July 23rd after an initial postponement due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Kit sponsor Mr Price Sport has partnered with four, young, emerging local designers from KwaZulu-Natal Province to design bold on and off the field wear for the Olympic and Paralymic teams.

Malawi President, Lazarus Chakwera has appointed four new commissioners of the Electoral Commission, following an order by the High Court last week. The order was also in line with the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeal that some of the commissioners were unduly elected by then president, Peter Mutharika and needed to be replaced.

Germany has rejected calls for reparations from Namibians over colonial-era killings that Berlin has recognised as genocide, saying the $1.3 Billion financial aid it was offering was on a "voluntary basis". German foreign minister Heiko Maas acknowledged that over the years there had been calls for reparations from countries including Greece and Poland over Nazi-era massacres. His comments came after Germany for the first time recognised that it had committed a genocide against Namibia's indigenous Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908. As part of a deal with Namibian negotiators after six years of talks, Berlin also offered a financial programme of $1.3 billion. However, Germany pointedly did not qualify the financial sum as "reparations".

Zambia's Constitutional Court is expected to deliver judgment today on whether President Edgar Lungu is eligible to contest the August 12 general election. A petition was brought forward by NGOs in the country seeking a nullification of President Lungu's nomination for election as President, as he has already served two terms as the country's president. Earlier, the Court dismissed an application by three foreign-based Zambian lawyers, Professor Chaloka Beyani, Melvin Mbao, and Cephas Lumina, who wanted to join the matter as friends of the court.

Climate change will be high on the agenda at the upcoming G7 Summit in the United Kingdom this weekend. President Cyril Ramaphosa has been invited and is expected to raise issues of financial support for developing nations tackling the effects of climate change. In a pre-Summit telephonic conversation with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday, the topic was among some of the global issues that will be discussed over the weekend. The UK will also host the UN Climate Change Conference - COP26 in Glasgow in November.

The UAE Ambassador to South Africa Mahash Alhameli has confirmed that his country has ratified the extradition treaty with South Africa that will ensure that the Guptas are brought back to South Africa, to answer to allegations of state capture. This comes as South Africa' National Prosecuting Authority announced that it had asked Interpol to assist with arrest warrants for Atul Gupta, Rajesh Gupta and their wives. The Guptas are believed to have fled to UAE in early 2018 as criminal investigations for alleged corruption was accelerated. Although some Civil Society Organisations have welcomed UAE's confirmation of its ratification, they believe more still needs to be done to make sure that the Guptas are brought back to South Africa. One such Organisation is the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation which will be staging a picket at the UAE embassy in Pretoria on thursday.

The Zimbabwean community of Dinde village is lobbying African governments to help force the Zimbabwean authorities to respect their constitutional rights. This as a Chinese-owned investment company known as Beifa Investments is reportedly forcing hundreds of families out of their homes, to make way for a coal-mining project in the area. Local communities in the area, which is in northwest Zimbabwe, are concerned that the planned project will violate their relatives' grave sites and also cause environmental damage

Aid groups have expressed concerns over the plight of about 6,000 displaced people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri Province. Deadly attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces have forced people to flee multiple displacement sites. ADF simultaneously attacked displacement sites and villages near the towns of Boga and Tchabi, killing 57 civilians

Vuyani Nkalitshane is a passionate maths genius who helps high school learners with Maths in his community. Nkalitshane is tutoring grade 9 and grade 10 learners from various high schools in Elliot and Cala in SA’s Eastern Cape Province. Nkalitshane is of the perception that, in order for learners to excel in mathematics, they need to grasp it from the lower grades. He is nominated for SA Heroes Awards 2021.

The crucial wage negotiations at South African power utility Eskom have collapsed. In an unpreced ented move, Eskom management pulled the plug on the talks and declared a formal dispute with unions at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, CCMA.

June is World Infertility Awareness Month, a time dedicated to heightening awareness regarding numerous infertility issues faced by couples across the globe. This includes problems related to female as well as male fertility. During this month, several myths regarding infertility are debunked and a lot of options are brought forward to those who may want to conceive.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing criticism over a growing humanitarian crisis in the east of the country as thousands of people who fled Goma after a volcanic eruption lack shelter, food, and drinking water. Mount Nyiragongo erupted on May 22, sending lava streaming down a hillside, which left a trail of destruction and killed dozens of people. Nearly 400,000 people in Goma, the capital of North-Kivu province in the eastern DRC, have had to flee.

Marking the country's legacy of racial violence, Joe Biden became the first sitting US President to commemorate the massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma a site where hundreds of black Americans were slaughtered by an armed white mob a century ago. His visit to the scene of the crime 100 years later followed a proclamation issued by the White House earlier in the week, calling on Americans to commemorate the tremendous loss of life that occurred over those 2 days in 1921 and to celebrate the bravery and resilience of those who survived. Biden used the occasion to highlight efforts in various Republican-run states to place restrictions on voting rights, tapping Vice President Kamala Harris to lead his administration's fight back.

The Pan African Parliament was abruptly suspended after MPs plunged the house in chaos for a third consecutive day. The members clashed yet again over the electoral system with the southern Caucus pushing for the change to rotational leadership similar to the African Union process. The Eastern and Western Caucauses adamant that there is no authority, which allows the impromptu change. The matter was worsened when a Southern MP attempted to read an apparent response from the AU.

The appeal hearing of Vital Kamerhe, the former Chief of staff to DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, continued on Tuesday at the Makala main prison in Kinshasa. Kamerhe who's also the Union for the Congolese Nation leader, is currently in prison serving a 20 year sentence for embezzlement of public funds.

There have been mixed reactions in Africa after Germany formally recognized the atrocities committed against the Herero and Nama ethnic groups in today's Namibia at the beginning of 20th century as "genocide". Some 60,000 Herero and around 10,000 Nama people were killed by German troops between 1904 and 1908 for rebelling against Germany-which was then a Colonial master. Berlin's move to recognize the crimes as a "genocide" came after over five years of negotiations between Germany and Namibia to address their difficult history. While the Namibian government has welcomed Germany's announcement as a step in the right direction, members of the affected communities are not happy with the agreement. They say they have been left out of the negotiations.

As Zimbabwe attained the one million mark of people who have received the COVID-19 vaccination doses, concerns are beginning to grow, as doses diminish. Zimbabwe launched its COVID-19 vaccination program in February using donated doses from China, Russia and India and promised to purchase more worth $100 million. Meanwhile government remains silent on the matter despite media reports that people are being turned away from vaccination centres.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, has for the first time, criticized five judges of the country's High Court for rejecting a constitutional reform plan now known in the country as the Building Bridges Initiative, BBI. As James Shimanyula reports, in their ruling, the judges described the BBI as irregular, unlawful and unconstitutional.

In a few short months the United States has vaccinated millions of Americans, allowing the country to relax mask mandates and start vaccinating adolescents. But America's success has been met with anger from other countries - many of which are still being ravaged by Covid-19 and struggling to vaccinate their populations. The World Health Organization says more than 75% of all Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in just ten wealthy countries. Nick Harper reports from Washington…

There have been mixed reactions in Africa after Germany formally recognized the atrocities committed against the Herero and Nama ethnic groups in today's Namibia at the beginning of 20th century as "genocide". Some 60,000 Herero and around 10,000 Nama people were killed by German troops between 1904 and 1908 for rebelling against Germany-which was then a Colonial master. Berlin's move to recognize the crimes as a "genocide" came after over five years of negotiations between Germany and Namibia to address their difficult history. While the Namibian government has welcomed Germany's announcement as a step in the right direction, members of the affected communities are not happy with the agreement. They say they have been left out of the negotiations.Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Yarukeekuro Ndorokaze , a Member of the Herero Community in Namibia....

What is an African, who is an African and how can Africa Day be commemorated in a meaningful thoughtful way. These are some of the questions panelists sought to answer at a discussion held in Soweto in South Africa to commemorate Africa Day. The day marks the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity 58 years ago. Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu was there and filed this report.

Africa needs at least 20 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the next six weeks. This was revealed yesterday by the World Health Organisation, during a virtual press briefing on Covid-19 in Africa. W.H.O Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti appealed to countries that have already vaccinated their high-risk groups, to significantly expand and bring forward their pledges to share doses…

The plight of workers at South Africa's state owned arms manufacturer Denel has been laid bare with the disclosure by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan in parliament earlier this week that the company last paid full salaries a year ago. Gordhan told Members of Parliament that currently, Denel owes its employees half a BILLION rand in unpaid salaries.

Zimbabwean youth say they are determined to help their country regain the breadbasket of Africa status. As more and more young people look to agriculture as they find it difficult to secure jobs in their trained professions. Some have gone into commercial tobacco farming, others into maize production. The SABC visited Baldwin Mazongo - a young famer who has ventured into potato seed production in Mazowe district, north of the capital Harare.

For the first time in history, a judge has held a corporation liable for causing dangerous climate change. The court at The Hague in the Netherlands has ruled that oil giant Shell Plc must reduce its CO2 emissions within 10 years. This historic verdict has enormous consequences for Shell and other big polluters globally.

An African business magazine, African Business, has released its June cover story featuring its exclusive ranking of Africa's Best Brands. This year's ranking was released during a virtual event from Uganda organised by Brand Africa, founders of the "Brand Africa 100: Africa's Best Brands". According to the publication, African brands retained their 13% share of the Top One-hundred most admired brands in Africa during a year defined by the pandemic which brought the world to a halt, as markets having to adapt to a new reality... Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Principal at Africa Brand Leadership Academy spoke to Khumbelo Munzhelele and started by explaining the significance of this business ranking...

The President of Mozambique and President-in-Office of the Southern African Development Community, Filipe Nyusi is today hosting the Extraordinary Summits of the Troika of the SADC Organ plus Mozambique and the Double Troika of the SADC.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has urged Libya's unity government and European Union (EU) countries to act to protect migrants making the dangerous crossing in the central Mediterranean Sea. Calling for urgent reform of current policies and practices on search and rescue that too often rob migrants of their lives, dignity and fundamental human rights.

The Pan African Parliament sitting in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa has been postponed due a suspected positive covid 19 case. Members were expected to vote in new leadership today. The house needs to elect a new bureau which consists of one President and four vice-presidents who will represent all five regions on the continent. The fourth ordinary session of the fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament opened at the PAP precincts in Midrand on Monday.

The Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) is an independent international forum which facilitates conversations with the African Union. Recently CoDA brought together scientists, researchers, community leaders and civil society in a virtual meeting to look at Africa's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. After the virtual meeting, which was led by former Nigerian President Olesegun Obasango who is the chair of directors of the forum, the participants decided to establish an Independent Task Team on Africa's Equitable Access to vaccines and Vaccinations. This task team aims to look at ways the African Union and other pan-African institutions can work together to facilitate equitable access to vaccines. CoDA's executive director Souad Aden-Osman says that this initiative comes about in an environment where African countries are struggling to access Covid-19 vaccines.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu's eligibility to contest in the August polls is being challenged through a petition brought forward by some Civil Society organisations, Chapter One Foundation and Legal Resources Foundation in Zambia. They are seeking a nullification of President Lungu's nomination for election as President in the August 12, 2021 elections as he has already served as President for two terms. For more on this, Zikhona Miso spoke to our correspondent in Zambia, Arthur Davies Sikopo…

Zimbabwe has introduced typhoid conjugate vaccines into routine childhood immunization to curb the epidemic. The Southern African nation becomes the third nation in the entire world to have done so, according to the World Health Organisation. For a country that has been affected by water borne disease outbreaks in the past and killing hundreds of people, this move will save the lives of nearly six million citizens.

Masego Madzwamuse is a policy research expert by day leading the Southern Africa trust as its Chief Executive Officer. However, her life doesn't stop in research development and policy analysis. Her passion project is her fashion label which she has called Bola Nangabe, boasting a line of African print kimonos, caftans and accessories. Travelling throughout Africa Masego developed a passion for African fabric and prints and saw the potential to use the tool of African fashion to confront issues around economic empowerment and social justice. This week being the last of celebrating Africa month, we speak to Masego on the significance of Africa's unique textile and fashion industry....

The UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN-Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, concludes her visit to Mozambique, today. The visit stems from the need to strengthen the partnership and cooperation relations between Mozambique and UN-Women.

In marking Africa Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today launched a tool which seeks to promote International Humanitarian Law - the rules and principles governing armed conflict, commonly referred to as IHL. The ICRC's African Customs in War Tool is the outcome of a research examining the historical relationship between Africa and IHL. The ICRC recognises that much more still needs to be done to promote IHL in Africa. For more on this initiative, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to ICRC legal advisor from the Pretoria Regional Delegation, Tamalin Bolus.

Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo says African countries must be encouraged to develop the capacity to produce their own vaccines. He says the covid 19 pandemic has shown that there is a need to hasten the process of regional and continent integration. He was speaking at the opening of the Fourth Ordinary Session of the fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament, P.A.P. The week-long meeting is taking place at the PAP precincts in Midrand, South Africa, under the theme: " Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want.

The UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN-Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, is on a working visit to Mozambique. The visit concludes tomorrow (Wednesday). The visit stems from the need to strengthen the partnership and cooperation relations between Mozambique and UN-Women as well as with the different partners with a view to gender empowerment and the promotion of peace and security.

Delegates from around the world are meeting virtually to reflect on how well have countries included equity enhancing strategies to protect the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two-day virtual summit on May 17-18 includes global policy makers, business leaders and health care providers among others. For more on this event Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Joy Phumaphi from the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health - which is the co-host of the meeting

The world is currently facing a shortage of 900 000 midwives, who are meant to save and protect pregnant women and newborns. This is revealed in the 2021 State of World's Midwifery report launched today. The report is produced by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the United Nations Population Fund and the World Health Organisation. For more on its findings, Channel Africa’s Zikhona Miso spoke to the ICM's Chief Executive, Dr. Sally Pairman...

One of the 14 Filipino crew members in quarantine at the Durban harbour in South Africa after testing positive for COVID has had to be rushed to hospital due to breathing problems. The vessel, which was bringing rice from India, docked on Sunday. This comes amid concerns around a COVID infected traveller from India who recently entered South Africa. It is not yet known which variant of the virus they contracted. To make sense of this development, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso earlier spoke General Manager at the Durban Port, Moshe Motlohi...

Kingdom of eSwatini finding path to economic recovery through reforms, encouraging private sector investmentThe Kingdom of eSwatini is finding a path to economic recovery through reforms and encouraging private sector investment. Last year, eSwatini unveiled an economic recovery plan which looks to projects that, with government enablement, and with a clear view of their value, are set to bring in revenues and create jobs. The Minister for Commerce, Industry, and Trade, Senator Manqoba Khumalo explains the interventions that he believes will see eSwatini beyond recovery to significant growth...

Fuel prices in South Africa went down at midnight, which is a turnaround from last month's across-the-board price increase. Petrol will be cheaper by around 9 cents per litre, with diesel at 30 cents per litre drop, and illuminating paraffin down by 23 cents. Petrol prices in South Africa are higher than they've ever been before with the various levies and taxes imposed on every litre of fuel sold.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has expressed concerns over the humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado in Mozambaique, following the latest attack that has forced at least 30,000 to flee their homes.

Rwanda's President, Paul Kagame, says African governments and administration around the world need to spend more on public health and primary health care. He was speaking at the Friends of Multilateralism's roundtable on the work of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response .The virtual gathering of Heads of State was co-chaired by Former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark and Former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced the end of the most recent Ebola outbreak, three months after the first case was reported in North Kivu. The latest flare-up was the DRC's 12th since the disease was first identified in 1976. While this latest outbreak is over, the World Health Organisation stresses that there is a need for continued vigilance to prevent the virus from returning. Jane Rabothata has more…

We also look at the last Africa Tourism and MICE Masterclass held in March 2021 which was hailed as successful. Africa Tourism Partner’s Chief Executive Officer, Kwayke Donkor, tells us why and touches on the key outcomes of event…

The global mining company Anglo American has celebrated three successful years of stellar educational outcomes in South Africa, following the launch of its educational programme with the support of the country's Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga. In spite of the significant impact of Covid-19 on education in South Africa last year, Anglo American's education programme continues to make an impact on the learning outcomes of nearly 70 - thousand learners in schools around its mining operations in the country. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Zaheera Soomar, Global Lead for education programmes at Anglo American. Listen...

With various news headlines and conflicting views around the COVID-19 vaccine, there is a clear call for the need to revive a conversation around the effectiveness of immunizations on the global population - even beyond the pandemic. World Immunization Week - celebrated every year in the last week of April - aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to South African clinical virologist Dr Ramokone Maphoto about the importance addressing vaccine hesitancy in the fight against COVID-19. Listen...

At least five people were killed in sporadic protests in Chad against the junta that took power after the death of President Idriss Déby-Itno a week ago.Derby’s killing has left his son in charge, the first change of power in more than three decades for the central African nation. In a televised speech following the protests, the late President's son, 37-year-old Mahamat Idriss-Deby, who heads the transitional Military Council, promised to organise "an inclusive national dialogue" within an 18-month transition period.Will the protests derail the transitional process?Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Noufal Abboud, Executive Director of The Nordic Centre for Conflict transformation…

Human Rights Watch says Cameroonian President, Paul Biya's recent directives to improve oversight and investigate misappropriation of Covid-19 funding requires additional safeguards.It says the call for greater oversight was apparently spurred by the government's ongoing negotiations for a new multiyear loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). HRW says the sudden desire to account for Covid-19 money is a positive sign that the IMF and Cameroonian government are paying greater attention to transparency and accountability as they negotiate a third loan since the start of the pandemic. More from Sarah Saadoun, HRW Senior Business and Human Rights Researcher

Rotary International Zone 22 held a virtual two-day online Centennial Conference this past weekend, which was attended by hundreds of delegates from around the world.Rotary is an organisation of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service.Dr Nkosana Moyo, founder of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies, an Africa-wide think-tank, was a keynote speaker of the session on Community Economic Development at the conference, where he unpacked how Africa can emerge stronger after COVID-19.Moyo has more…

Aid organisations have called on governments to give a single day's military spending to fight global hunger. More than 250 Non-Governmental Organisations including World Vision, Oxfam and Save the Children, published an open letter calling upon all governments to urgently increase aid to stop over 34 million people from being pushed to the brink of starvation this year. A year since the United Nations (UN) warned of famines of biblical proportions, rich donors have funded just 5% of the UN's $7.8 billion food security appeal for 2021.For more on this, Channel Africa’s Zikhona Miso spoke to Parvin Ngala, Oxfam's East Africa Regional Director…

The South African Department of Water and Sanitation has appointed 24 Cuban engineers to enhance and improve efforts on water delivery and related services. However, government has been criticised for allegedly ignoring locally trained and unemployed engineers. In defence, the department’s spokesperson Sputnik Ratau says the highly qualified Cuban specialists would assist as advisers at the provincial and local level throughout the country. For reaction to government's move Zikhona Miso spoke to Chief Executive Officer of the South African Institute of Civil Engineering, Vishaal Lutchman and Herman Mashaba from the political party ActionSA.

Today marks World Book Day, annually celebrated on April 23. The campaign seeks to recognise and promote the benefits of reading books, publishing and copyright. Last month, South Africa's Sports, Arts, and Culture Ministry announced that government has reserved $98 million to equip existing libraries with better resources and build 26 new ones. Alef Meulenberg of the non-profit organisation Afrika Tikkun, says ensuring that the country has more and better libraries is essential. In an interview with Channel Africa’s Lulu Gaboo this morning, Meulenberg explained the benefits of reading, and said he hopes governments plan translates into action. Listen…

Regions of the globe will later this year all come together to deliberate on a just transition to a circular economy, an economic model which will help the world reduce air pollution. The 2021 edition of the landmark World Circular Economy Forum will be held in Toronto, the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario, from September 13 to 15 . The event will focus on the cross-cutting issues and topics that are central to economic recovery and the circular transition. For more on how a circular economy actually works, Channel Africa’s Jane Rabothata spoke to Jocelyne Tsonang who is a member of the Executive Committee of the African Circular Economy Network based in Cameroon...

In marking world earth day, environmental activists are yet again warning that air pollution creates a perfect condition for more emerging infectious diseases to occur. According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution kills seven million people every year. WHO has also notes that despite temporary improvements in air quality last year as a result of so-called lockdowns in response to COVID-19, by September air pollution had returned to pre-pandemic levels. Jane Rabothata reports...

Spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund, James Elder, says there's a serious protection crisis for children in Ethiopia's Tigray region, with severe and ongoing violations taking place. Elder has just returned from a mission to the conflict-hit region where he witnessed extensive destruction to the essential service systems, which many children rely on for survival. In an interview with Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo, Elder also reiterated the call for warring parties to engage in peaceful dialogue, arguing that a lot is at stake. Listen…

The conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region has entered its fifth month with no clear end in sight. More than a million people have been displaced as clashes continue, and the situation remains volatile. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is gravely concerned about the impact of the violence on children. UNICEF Spokesperson, James Elder, has just returned from a mission to Tigray spoke to Channel Africa’s Lulu Gaboo and described what he witnessed.

The Trade Law Centre or Tralac says members of Africa's new free trade area should complete their tariff reduction schedules and finalise essential rules of origin by July 2021 to start trading. Tralac further points out that state parties need to update their tariff book with the codes and descriptions of the products on offer. It says trade is only possible once the rules of origin have been agreed upon. Tralac was hosting a virtual update on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.

The 9th Annual Fabulous Women Awards will again shine the spotlight on South Africa's outstanding women later this year. The awards, which are the brainchild of award-winning businesswoman and philanthropist Pontsho Manzi started in 2013 through her Fabulous Girls Foundation. Manzi's foundation has been helping and inspiring young people, particularly girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to dream beyond their current circumstances. For more on what to expect from this year's awards on the 7th of August, here is Senamile Mhlongo, Fabulous Woman Awards spokesperson.

A new research by Amnesty International lays bare the devastating consequences of statelessness in Zimbabwe, where hundreds of thousands hoped to live in a country where they are treated equally, regardless of their political affiliation or ethnicity. The organization interviewed descendants of migrant workers who settled in Zimbabwe pre-independence, as well as survivors of the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s. The two groups have been locked out of citizenship by a cruel combination of discrimination and bureaucracy. For more on their plight, here is researcher at Amnesty, Lloyd Kuveya

Malawi's once ruling Democratic Progressive Party-DPP, has called on President Lazarus Chakwera's election to be declared null and void after the country’s Electoral Commissioners were removed from office. Chakwera this week fired Malawi's two Electoral Commissioners-Jean Mathanga and Linda Kunje, on the basis that they had been declared incompetent by the Constitutional Court. The Court had blasted the commissioners for their handling of elections that were first held in 2019. The judges scrapped the vote and ordered a re-run which was then won by Chakwera. The DPP contends that Chakwera has ceased to be a legitimately elected president because the election that elected him into office was presided over by an unconstitutional body. But according to Malawian Political expert Ernest Thindwa, the opposition's argument does not hold water...

Almost half of women in some 57 countries do not have the power to make choices over their healthcare, contraception, or sex lives. This is according to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), released on Wednesday. The report highlighted that addressing the appalling situation requires much more than a disconnected series of projects or services, stressing that real, sustained progress largely depends on uprooting gender inequality and all forms of discrimination. Jane Rabothata reports... UN State of World Population report

Djibouti's veteran ruler Ismail Omar Guelleh has been re-elected for a fifth term as president with more than 98 percent of the vote. This is according to provisional results announced early on Saturday, after the election in the tiny but strategically important country was boycotted by the main opposition. About 215,000 citizens were registered to vote in the ballot pitting Guelleh, 73, against a little-known businessman widely seen as posing scant threat to the strongman, who has been in power since 1999. For more on this, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Hafsa Halawa, Political Adviser and Analyst on the Horn of Africa.

The Southern African Development Community - SADC, has held a two-day extraordinary troika Summit in Maputo, Mozambique to deliberate on measures to address terrorism in the host country. The meeting came after Islamic State-linked insurgents late last month attacked the strategic town of Palma. The country has seen continued terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado Province over the past few weeks, leaving many people dead or injured. For more on this, Channel Africa’s Lulu Gaboo spoke to Piers Pigou, Crisis Group's Senior Consultant for Southern Africa.

Around 1 in 8 countries globally spends more on debt repayment than on education, health and social protection combined. This is according to a new report by the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF. The child agency is concerned about children living in countries with high debt burdens and limited resources for social services, arguing that they are unlikely to ever break free from poverty and deprivation. For more on the report here's Mathew Cummins, UNICEF's Regional Advisor for Social Policy in Eastern and Southern Africa.

South Sudan kicked off its vaccination drive on Tuesday with health workers getting their first dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine at Juba Teaching Hospital. The first person in the country to be vaccinated against the virus was the Minister of Health Elizabeth Achuei. Over several months, partners of the global COVID-19 vaccine facility, COVAX have supported governments, particularly in low-income countries including South Sudan, to prepare for the vaccination roll-out. For more on South Sudan's national vaccination drive, Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke to Helen Ryeng, spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund.

The UN child agency, UNICEF is calling for speed and simplicity to remove barriers to the acquisition, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally. UNICEF is concerned that at the current rate, there is simply not enough vaccine supply to meet demand. While some nations have secured enough doses to vaccinate their populations several times, other countries have yet to receive even their first batch. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to UNICEF's senior spokesperson, James Elder.

he Jack Ma Foundation's flagship philanthropic program spotlighting and celebrating Africa's entrepreneurs has launched its third annual edition, opening applications to all aspiring participants in 2021. The Africa's Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition identifies, supports, and inspires the continent's outstanding entrepreneurs across all sectors making a difference in their local communities. Participants will go through several rounds of evaluation panels, leading up to the Grand Finale, for a chance to win a share of the one-point-five million US Dollar grant funding. For more on the competition, Tracey Boomgaard spoke to Zahra Baitie, Head of Partnerships & Programs, for the ABH Prize Competition.

If women were taken more seriously, they could add 10% to Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025. This is according to a 2019 report on gender inequality in Africa, produced by management consulting company, McKensy. Although issues around women empowerment were on the spotlight on International Women's Day, conversations should be ongoing. With this in mind Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Lerato Thahane, partner at legal firm Bowmans South Africa, about the role of female lawyers in the workplace.

This year's World Sleep Day on the 19th of March was commemorated with the theme 'Regular Sleep, Healthy Future". The theme highlights the importance of sleep as a pillar of health, connecting regular sleep to healthier physical and mental state in the future. Given that we are all being impacted by the COVID pandemic, sleep is even more important now as it has also been found to boost a person's immune response to illnesses. For more on the importance of sleep, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Paul Galbraith, a counselling psychologist based in Johannesburg.

Over 450 million children live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability. This is according to the Water Vulnerability Index released today by the United Nations child agency, UNICEF. The new data reveals that Eastern and Southern Africa has the highest proportion of children living in areas of high water vulnerability, with more than half of children - 58 per cent - facing difficulty accessing sufficient water every day. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke to UNICEF's Dr Samuel Godfrey.

COVID-19 has increased the digital divide in South Africa, and it's up to the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector to bridge the gap. The growing importance of ICT in all domains of social life will contribute to the rising inequality and marginality of the country's excluded citizens. Exclusion from information technology affects, among other things, obtaining of better career and educational opportunities. Emma Murray, Managing Director for Africa Market at International Facilities Services, an ICT company discusses this further.

More than two-thousand journalists in Zimbabwe have been included on the COVID-19 vaccination priority list. The media practitioners are currently being vaccinated alongside frontline health workers with the Sinopharm vaccine donated recently by the Chinese government. Jane Rabothata spoke to some of her colleagues in Zimbabwe who took the bold step to get vaccinated, and filed the following report.

A new report released by the global Red Cross Red Crescent movement documents an "invisible wall" which has blocked migrants from accessing basic services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now preventing them from accessing vaccines. The report shows that - while lockdowns and other measures were designed to control the spread of COVID, in many contexts they inadvertently increased suffering among migrants. For more on the findings of the report, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Ezekiel Simperingham of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Fostering female entrepreneurship and inclusion across Africa is on the spotlight today as we Mark International Women's Day, annually observed on 08 March. The Jack Ma Foundation's Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative mostly known as Africa's Business Heroes, ABH, is a great representation of women's economic empowerment. As a climax to ABH competition 2020, the Jack Ma Foundation last year gave out 1-point-5 Million US dollars to 10 outstanding African entrepreneurs, where women stood at the fore front with 50% representation among the Top 10 finalists. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Zahra Baitie, Partnerships and Program Manager for the Jack Ma Foundation's Africa's Business Heroes prize.

One in two schoolchildren, or 388 million children worldwide, ate a nutritious meal in school every day until the COVID-19 pandemic closed classrooms and ended a decade of growth for school meals programmes. This is revealed in a new report by the United Nations World Food Programme released today. WFP is calling for global action to get coverage back to pre-pandemic levels. More on the findings of the State of School Feeding Worldwide report, from WFP Regional Programme Policy Officer, Kai Roehm

The Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC is appealing to all parties to the conflict in the Central African Republic to allow necessary goods and supplies to reach people in need. According to the NRC, the main route into the country is still largely disrupted, driving up food prices and hampering the timely delivery of humanitarian supplies. More than 200-thousand people have been displaced by the latest outbreak of violence in C.A.R which UN officials, rights groups, and local residents say is partly fueled by a culture of impunity in the country. For an update on the situation in the country Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to the NRC's country director David Manan

The wait for the matric class of 2020 at South Africa's independent schools is finally over. The Independent Examinations Board has recorded a 98.07% matric pass rate for 2020, a slight drop compared to the previous year's 98.82%. Experts say the 2020 academic year will go down as one of the most difficult one since the dawn of democracy in South Africa due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown which had an unprecedented impact on the academic year, as well as the conduct, administration and management of the matric exams. St David's Marist Inanda, situated in Sandton north of Johannesburg, achieved a 100% pass rate, with a 97% bachelor degree pass. Luke Lawson is one of the top achievers with 8 distinctions.

The global medical aid agency, Doctors Without Borders or MSF is concerned about the humanitarian situation of more than one million people who are internally displaced in Burkina Faso. MSF says the arrival of those displaced in host areas has increased the demand for water, healthcare, food and shelter. The situation in the city of Barsalogho is said to be particularly severe. MSF's Deputy Program Manager, Ahmad Samro speaks about some of the challenges they face...

The World Health Organization has issued interim recommendations for the use of the Oxford University and pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. The UN health body says the interim guidance has been developed on the basis of the advice issued by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, SAGE at its recent extraordinary meeting. To shed some light on this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Dr Joachim Hombach, Executive Secretary of SAGE at the WHO

With COVID19 disrupting schooling for billions of students across the globe, education ministries and NGOs have been scrambling to respond with alternative learning measures. Sadly, tens of millions of children will not be reached - because of lack of access to the internet and other resources, including a power supply. In marking World Radio Day -annually observed on 13 February, we reflected on how radio education has gained renewed importance as an effective reliable and highly personal medium for fueling learning. For more on this, Zikhona Miso spoke to Kristine Pearson of Lifeline Energy, an organisation that designs solar and wind up media players and radios for classroom and group listening

The COVID-19 pandemic has put e-commerce at the forefront therefore accelerating digital banking. Economists say the growth of ecommerce has also contributed to an increase in digital financial services and consumers' banking and spending habits have had to rapidly evolve to navigate the landscape of a disrupted economy, which has necessitated the migration to digital consumption. Nhlanhla Mahlangu reports.

Since October last year, the World Trade Organisation has been debating a proposal initiated by India and South Africa to waive obligations under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPS agreement to make COVID-19 technologies, including vaccines, quickly accessible across the world. During the TRIPS council meeting last Thursday, developed nations like the US, Canada and the UK continued to oppose movement on the proposal. However, civil society organisations and health activists around the world have vowed to intensify their advocacy in support of the TRIPS waiver. Jane Rabothata reports..

The second wave of COVID infections and the postponement of school opening have once again fueled debate about online education in South Africa. It has also been reported that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is looking into regulations and policies it can follow to open online public schools. However, Keith Michaels, CEO of Lebone Litho Printers, believes the local education sector cannot entirely switch-off one method of learning and teaching to move to cyber classrooms. Michaels shares his views on how best can government integrate technology and education for the benefit of all of the country's learners.

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation Dr Tederos Ghebreyesus has stressed the need to maintain adherence to COVID-19 public health measures to prevent the virus from spreading and mutating, which could possibly render vaccines ineffective. He was reacting to South Africa's announcement that it is suspending the rolling out of the AstraZeneca vaccine, after a study revealed that the drug was minimally effective at preventing mild to moderate disease caused by the new variant in the country. Ghebreyesus also says this development indicates the need to quickly scale up vaccinations before people are exposed to new varriants of the coronavirus. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata reports.

The global medical organisation, Doctors Without Borders, and health activists are rallying behind South Africa and India's motion for a waiver on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. If granted by the World Trade Organisation, the custodian of the legal instrument, the TRIPS waiver will help open up access to COVID-19 vaccinces much easily even to poor nations. In support of the TRIPS waiver, activists this week delivered demands to embasies, target the opposing countries publicly and stressing on need for urgency in reaching consensus. The COVID concious protests comes at a critical time when the World Trade Organisation - the custodian of TRIPS is due to meet again tomorrow. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Rehad Desai of the C19 Coalition.

HIV advocates will be intensifying their work to ensure that women and young girls have access to Dapivirine, a vaginal ring designed to prevent HIV infection. This, following recommendation by the World Health Organisation on the use of the ring as an additional prevention choice for women who are substantially at risk. The announcement came recently at the HIV Research for Prevention virtual conference. Jane Rabothata has been attending the conference dubbed HIVR4P and filed the following report.

South Africa has received its first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines, coming from India. The one million doses of the AstraZenica vaccine also called Covishield are directed to frontline workers, who are prioritised in the first phase of the national vaccination programme. Addressing the nation last night, president Cyril Ramaphosa said it is in the interest of the country to ensure that as many people are vaccinated so that population immunity can be achieved. Jane Rabothata reports.

The Constitutional Court in South Africa has ordered former President Jacob Zuma to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and give evidence. The court has also declared that Zuma cannot invoke his right to remain silent as he had initially threatened. The former president was also ordered to pay the commission's legal costs and those of the two counsels.

Around 120-thousand women of childbearing age are part of the more than half a million people displaced by conflict in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province. This is according to the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA. Along with several regional directors of other UN agencies, UNFPA's Dr Julitta Onabanjo visited the province in December to assess the humanitarian situation. In a recent press briefing regarding findings of the joint UN mission, Dr Onabanjo described what they witnessed in Carbo Delgado as harrowing, with extreme concern for women and children...

Malawi has issued an appeal for 14.2 billion dollars to fight hunger which has affected 2.6 million people. The 2.6 million people who will receive support include people in rural areas with low levels of crop production and those in urban areas who have lost income to Covid-19 pandemic.

Uptake of HIV prevention medication Pre-exposure prophylaxis or PReP is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, with Kenya and South Africa leading regional growth. More than 517-thousand people on the continent have been initiated on Prep, but scientist call for greater improvement on rolling out the drug. This is one of the important advances in HIV science, announced at the HIV research for prevention virtual conference. Jane Rabothata has more…

This is according to an analysis of data from 38 African countries between 2003 and 2018. Findings of the study have been presented at the 4th HIV Research for Prevention virtual conference which kicked off on Wednesday.

African countries are not on track to reach the 2030 targets for HIV testing and condom use. This is according to an analysis of data from 38 African countries between 2003 and 2018. Findings of the study have been presented at the 4th HIV Research for Prevention virtual conference which officially kick-started today. Jane Rabothata reports...

Scientists around the globe are this week meeting to reflect on vaccine investment for HIV, and the road towards additional prevention tools for the virus. The 4th HIV Research for Prevention conference which officially starts today, this year convenes virtually for the first time due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers will also shed light on how efforts and knowledge gained in the quest for an HIV vaccine have helped speed up the development of the desperately needed vaccine for COVID 19. For more on the deliberations here's one of the conference chairs, Pontiano Kaleebu - Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute.

The world's mega-rich have already recouped their losses to Covid 19, while billions will live in poverty for at least a decade. This is according to a new report by the global charity, OXFAM which demonstrates how the pandemic is eroding progress made in addressing poverty. The Inequality Virus report reveals that the one-thousand richest people on the planet recouped their COVID-19 losses within just nine months. Jane Rabothata has more

The month of January is dedicated at promoting veganism as a healthy eating option. The month is therefore dubbed veganuary, which is a global challenge to eat more plant-based food and cutting out animal products from your diet for the first month of the year. Experts however do acknowledge that going vegan can be a very tough decision to make, especially if you are coming from a diet with meat in it. For more on this, Lulu Gaboo spoke to South African Ironman Champion and plant-based athlete, Kyle Buckingham.

Gym chain Virgin Active supports Women's Healthy Weight Day which is observed today. The day acts as a reminder for women to celebrate their body and to think about what healthy weight means for their unique characteristics or circumstances. Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Nikki Cockcroft, Global Chief Marketing and Technology officer at Virgin Active South Africa.

The United Nations is deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian crisis and escalating violence forcing thousands to flee in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province. More than 565-thousand people have fled their homes and villages due to attacks by non-state groups. Last December, UN Regional Directors for Eastern and Southern Africa visited the country to assess the plight and needs of displaced populations as well as of host communities. Lola Castro, Regional Director of the UN World Food Programme in southern Africa and the Indian Ocean states elaborates on what they've found.

According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC mounting humanitarian operations in several parts of the Central African Republic are at a standstill due to ongoing election unrest and heightened insecurity. As a result, about 2.8 million people are without access to life-saving assistance. Repeated attacks against humanitarian workers have forced many international organisations to close field offices and repatriate staff to the capital, Bangui. For more on this issue here's the NRC's Tom Peyre-Costa....

While attention remains focused on developing a vaccine for Covid-19 globally, scientists continue to battle to develop a vaccine for HIV, a virus that has plagued countries for decades. So far Covid-19 has resulted in over two-million deaths worldwide and severely crippled economies. The focus on developing a vaccine for Covid-19 has raised concerns over the neglect of HIV interventions. There are fears that a hidden crisis may be brewing especially in countries like South Africa. Nevertheless, the HIV fight will be in the spotlight during the HIV Research for Prevention Conference, due to be held virtually later this month. Jane Rabothata reports

The vilification of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities in Uganda could lead to heightened violence, stigma, and discrimination against them and reduce their access to HIV and other essential services. This is a concern raised by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, following a recent media interview, where President Yoweri Museveni described being LGBT as a "deviation". Just over a year ago, the country also made headlines for trying to revive anti-LGBTQ legislation dubbed the "Kill the Gays" bill. For more on this issue, Samora Mangesi spoke to Aeneas Chuma, interim Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa....

This time last year, swarms of desert locusts began spreading across countries in the Horn of Africa, devastating crops and people's livelihoods. An emergency campaign of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO appealed for urgent action to avoid a desert locust plague and a looming humanitarian crisis. Speaking to Charlotta Lomas, FAO' s senior locust forecasting officer, Keith Cressman reflects on efforts to tackle the swarms.

The World Food Program has appealed for 204 million US Dollars to help feed starving Zimbabwean over the next six months. The appeal comes at a time when the most recent data show that at least six million Zimbabweans are at risk of starving by March 2021. Simon Muchemwa reports from Harare.

A purpose-built telecommunications entity that seeks to make a difference in the lives of ordinary South Africans has been launched. Taxicom Mobile is a wholly black owned mobile network operator founded by Joel Mafenya, a South African entrepreneur and investor .He elaborates.

A new generation of desert locust swarms is threatening agricultural livelihoods and the food security of millions of people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, despite intense efforts to control the pest throughout 2020. This is according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. FAO maintains that while much has been achieved, the battle against this relentless pest is not yet over in the region. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to FAO's Senior Locust Forecasting Officer, Keith Cressman.

A new report by the UN child agency, UNICEF reveals that 320-thousand children and adolescents were newly infected with HIV in 2019. The report warns that that children are being left behind in the fight against HIV. With the new global public health crisis COVID-19, service delivery for HIV has been disrupted in one third of high burden countries. Jane Rabothata has more....

While many of us look forward to saying goodbye to this year, so that we begin afresh in 2021, this may not be the case. The reality is that COVID-19 does not end when 2020 ends. So how do we welcome the holidays, with a mind-set of realism, yet, with an approach that gives us space and time to refresh, in a meaningful and safe way? To help us answer this question Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Dr. Ashika Pillay who is Medical Doctor and wellbeing coach in South Africa..

The UN child agency, UNICEF, has issued a record six-point-four billion US dollar emergency funding appeal for 2021. With a thirty-five percent increase over funds requested this year, UNICEF's fresh appeal is a reflection of expanding humanitarian needs globally amidst protracted crises and the COVID-19 pandemic. For more on this issue, Lulu Gaboo spoke to UNICEF's Regional Chief of Communication for Eastern and Southern Africa, James Elder.

Two young South Africans have developed an innovative safety app that helps parents monitor who picks up their children from school. The startup app, PasswordKid came out tops in the innovative pitching den that was part of the second edition of the Tech for Safety Summit, convened by Uber in Sandton in October. This year's summit sought to come up with solutions to some of Africa's most pressing safety-related concerns, which have been complicated and made worse by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Jane Rabothata reports.

The largest gathering of women and girls in Africa was convened this week virtually for three days, addressing many of the challenges of the continent's women and girls. The summit had over three-thousand-five-hundred registered attendees, with more than a hundred sessions on health, economy, education, safety and the environment. One of the sessions' panelists was Juma Baldeh, a young Gambian who created HackathonGirls, an initiative that seeks to build the next generation of the country's women in technology.

A BBC Africa Eye investigation has revealed the existence of a secretive but thriving illegal market for babies and young children in Kenya. For over a year, a team of undercover investigators infiltrated a series of child trafficking rings that extend from the slums of Nairobi to one of the country's biggest hospitals. Led by reporter Njeri Mwangi, the investigation uncovered evidence of new born babies being stolen from their mothers and sold on the streets of Nairobi for as little as four-hundred US dollars.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR today marks the anniversary of the #IBelong Campaign to Eradicate Statelessness. Launched in November 2014, the campaign aims to end statelessness within ten years, by identifying and protecting stateless people. Through legal advocacy and awareness-raising, UNHCR works with governments and partners around the globe towards achieving the Campaign goals. For more on this initiative Samora Mangesi spoke to UNHCR representative in South Africa, Leonard Zulu.

The Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, is profoundly concerned about escalating tensions in Ethiopia, a country already contending with mass displacement and widespread humanitarian needs. The NRC says rising hostilities in the Tigray region threaten the immediate safety of hundreds of thousands of people. In a statement on Wednesday, the NRC's Secretary General said that while the world focuses on the U.S. elections, regional leaders and the broader international community must remain alert and work actively to prevent Ethiopia from sliding further into conflict. NRC' Regional Advocacy Manager, Jeremy Taylor has more..

The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC says clashes, climate shocks and COVID-19 are driving more Sudanese into poverty and threatening the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of people who were already reeling from decades of conflict. According to the ICRC it is estimated that around a quarter of the 40 million Sudanese need immediate humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, the risk of renewed clashes in parts of Darfur and eastern Sudan remains as tensions simmer, despite the signing of the peace agreement in Juba. For more on the situation in the country, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to ICRC spokesperson, Crystal Wells.

Months of conflict followed by torrential rains have created a deepening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan's Central, Western and Eastern Equatoria states. The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC is concerned about the many people forced to the bush saying they need urgent assistance. The ICRC calls on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to prevent human suffering and ensure the protection of civilians and their property. More from the ICRC's head of sub delegation for the Equatorias in South Sudan, Amro Ibrahim.

The recent approval of an immunotherapy cancer medicine for a wider range of cancers offers renewed hope for South African patients battling the dread disease. Immunotherapy is an innovative new form of treatment that enlists the body's own immune system to fight cancer. It is one of the most exciting developments in the oncology field and can reduce the need for major treatments such as chemotherapy. Cancer patient Jo-Anne Cogan, who was diagnosed with stage-four metastatic lung cancer in 2018, spoke to Lulu Gaboo about how this breakthrough cancer treatment has changed her life.

A new investigation by BBC Africa Eye has uncovered an audacious global pyramid scam run from Europe, using smart-phones to cheat ordinary people across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Crowd1 describes itself as "the fastest growing crowd marketing company in the world" and produces social media videos that show members buying new cars and enjoying luxury holidays. Although the scheme appears to have made a fortune for a handful of European scammers, many of them Swedish, it has left behind a trail of debt and poverty in countries including South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. For more on the ugly truth behind the shiny surface of Crowd1, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke South African journalist Ayanda Charlie, who was involved in the six-month long investigation. Crowd1 documentary -BBC Africa Eye

The COVID-19 pandemic could threaten global food security, if urgent action is not taken. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, which aims to mitigate the immediate impacts of the pandemic while also strengthening the long-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods. FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol details the plan and calls for a global coordinated response to the crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of many conferences in South Africa, with a potential economic cost of billions of Rand. For the Water Institute of Southern Africa, WISA, which holds a conference every two years, cancellation was not an option. Like many planned events, the solution is a fully virtual event that will be held from December 7 to 11. The WISA conferences form a dual purpose of raising awareness on water challenges and generating vital revenue. For more on this event here's WISA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lester Goldman.

Founded in 1945, the United Nations has been best known for peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance, amongst other things, and has reached every corner of the globe. Even during this current difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN has been instrumental in helping countries respond to the crisis that has claimed millions of lives and crippled economies. In South Africa for instance, two months after the virus hit the country, the UN launched a 136 million US dollar funding appeal to assist up to 10 million people in vulnerable communities facing various risks. Nardos Bekele-Thomas is head of the UN in South Africa.

Countries around the world are not doing enough to reduce common risk factors associated with chronic diseases, leaving populations vulnerable to health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. This is one of findings of the latest Global Burden of Disease study, published last week in The Lancet Journal. The study involved more than five-thousand international researchers, looking at people in two-hundred countries. To discuss what the picture looks like in Africa, Samora Mangesi spoke to Dr Ali Mokdad, Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

The past few months have taken a deep emotional and mental toll on South African frontline medical professionals who continue to work under conditions of incredible stress and uncertainty. This is according to Data from the Essential Medical Guidance platform, which is used by more than 25-thousand healthcare professionals , including half of all registered doctors in the country. According to Dr Yaseen Khan, CEO at EMGuidance, a survey conducted in July revealed that the mental toll on medical professionals was worsened by pervasive misinformation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the longstanding neglect of mental health services for refugees and migrants. This, according to rights group Amnesty International. The organization says the international community has broken the promise, enshrined in international law, to ensure the highest attainable standard of mental health for everyone. Iain Byrne, Amnesty International's Advisor on Economic and Socio-Cultural Rights, elaborates.

While many countries around the world have begun opening their borders, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people travel, and the hospitality industry is forced to respond to changing customer needs. In the past, holidays and travel were considered well-handled and high quality if people had high levels of human contact, lots of personal interaction from tourism suppliers and hotel staff, and lots of face-to-face care for instance. This has all changed and people want as little interaction with others for fear of catching the virus, giving rise to automated systems and touchless travel. For more on this new traveling norm Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Neil Markowitz, founder and MD of Newmark Hotels - a group that manage a portfolio of hotels across Africa and overseas…

This past Friday marked World Food Day, annually observed on the 16th of October, in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1945. The day this year came as the world continues to fight the COVID-19 global pandemic which has exposed the fragility of food systems and threatens to push millions more people into hunger. According to FAO, even before the pandemic, Africa had the highest global prevalence of undernourishment and the fastest growth in the number of hungry people compared to other regions. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to from FAO's Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel.

In marking World Food Day this past Friday, Dr Heather Sedibe-Legodi from the South African University of Pretoria highlighted Africa's under-nutrition crisis, urging everyone to make child nutrition their responsibility. According to Sedibe-Legodi , with the current increasing rates of malnutrition, infant mortality and food insecurity, the future of the continent's child is at stake. Dr Sedibe-Legodi spoke to Channel Africa and she shared her insights.

There's a lack of representation when it comes to relationships that involve disabled persons in popular media. This is a concern raised by Thembelihle Ngcai, who at a very young age was diagnosed with a rare degenerative neuro-muscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy. The 26 year old has penned down a personal essay to legitimise the struggle that disabled women face in finding partners. In a recent interview with Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata, Ngcai pleaded with society at large to normalise disability.

The global pharmaceutical company, MSD, has entered into non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with two leading generic manufacturers to expand patient access to doravirine, a medication used to treat HIV. According to the joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, 38-million people were living with HIV worldwide at the end of 2018, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. Under the MSD agreement, more than 80 countries will have increased access to doravirine. For more on this Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Neren Rau, Director Policy and Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa at MSD.

Sudan has been hit by devastating floods, the worst seen in decades. More than 600-thousand people have been impacted across 17 of the country's 18 states, with homes destroyed and farmland damaged just ahead of the harvest season. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is calling for urgent funding to support Sudan, a country already facing alarmingly high rates of hunger and food insecurity. More from Dominique Burgeon, the Director of FAO's Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, who has just returned from a mission to Sudan .

As Tanzania gears up for elections later this month, opposition parties are hopeful that they will cause an upset and secure a shock victory in the polls that many observers believe will be closely contested. The East African country goes to the polls on October 28 to elect a President, members of parliament and councillors.This will be the country's fifth general election since the reintroduction of the multiparty system in the country in 1992 while President John Magufuli has pledged a peaceful and credible process, the election comes amid concerns of narrowing freedoms and increasing authoritarianism.

A new report is highlighting the urgent mental health needs of those who have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, from medical staff, to volunteers, community workers, social workers, dead body handlers, community leaders and many others. The report by the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement covers seven countries including South Africa. For more on it's findings, here's Ida Anderson of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Africa.

Dis-Chem, a leading corporate retail pharmacy group in South Africa, has rolled out anti-body testing for COVID-19. The tests seek to determine if a patient had Covid-19 infection and whether the patient has anti-bodies. The anti-body test results will be made available by SMS and/or e-mail directly to the patient within 24 to 48 hours. For more on this issue here's Dis-Chem's National Clinic Manager, Lizeth Kruger.

On Sunday - the11th of October - South Africans across the country will celebrate their unique green spaces and gardens in every shape and size. Created by gardening app Candide, Garden Day is a growing movement uniting people in their love for plants and flowers since 2016. On the day the movement will host its first Virtual Garden Day Gathering with a host of events. For more on this campaign, here's Garden Day Flower Crown Ambassador and Gardener, Kobus Pieterse..

According to the South African National Editors' Forum, SANEF, the country's media has done very well in ensuring that ordinary people are given a voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as highlighting the great impact of the disease on people. However, in a recent interview with Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata, SANEF's secretary-general - Mahlatse Mahlase - raised concern on the lack of scientific reporting of the virus, noting that this has to do with a shortage of specialist health and science reporters in newsrooms. She says the media sector has also been dealt a severe blow by the pandemic, through job losses...

The United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme has won the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas. The prize worth ten million Swedish crowns, or around one-point one million US dollars will be presented in Oslo on the 10th of December. The Rome-based organisation says it helps some 97 million people in about 88 countries each year and that one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. WFP`s Gerald Bourke reacts....

Gardeners in South Africa will come together on Sunday to reap the rewards of their hard work and to relish in the beauty of their gardens. This year, Garden Day is especially relevant as over the past few months, South Africans have turned to their green spaces to find solace and balance. There have also been stories from around the world on how gardening took off and supported people during lockdown. Jane Rabothata spoke to some gardeners in the country and filed the following report

Although young people in South Africa do have great ideas, they are struggling to drive their businesses to excel due to the lack of knowledge around the proper management of finances. This is the view of a young entrepreneur in the country who is passionately working to help small, medium and large enterprises to reach their full potential, thus helping the country address its unemployment crisis. Betty Makhaya is co-founder of B&E Consultants, a one-hundred per cent black owned company.

Inspirational young people from Burundi, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania are designing solutions to help their communities confront COVID-19. This is in response to a digital innovation challenge by the UN child agency, UNICEF and partners. More than 80-thousand youth aged 14 to 35 have taken part in the challenge. Jane Rabothata spoke to the top five young participants in Malawi with the best ideas, and filed the following report...

The health and rights of women, children and adolescents will be on the spotlight on 29 September during the Accountability Breakfast- a global virtual event hosted by the Every Women Every Child, EWEC movement and partners. The event will build on outcomes from the recent "Lives in the Balance" COVID-19 summit, and bring together a wide range of stakeholders to call for change during the pandemic and beyond. For more on the objectives of the meeting, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Joy Phumaphi from EWEC. Accountability Breakfast 2020

Today marks World Pharmacist Day, which is observed annually on the 25th of September. The day focuses on the role pharmacists play in improving health on a global scale. When it comes to pharmacists, many probably think of the person behind the counter that examines prescriptions and dispenses medication. However, these health practitioners actually do far much more than that, as explained by Lucky Mbatha - a pharmacist with the Dis-Chem group in South Africa.

While it is not easy covering a new pandemic, as seen with COVID-19, the South African media is applauded for its remarkable efforts in educating the public and keeping them informed about the virus. In April, a global study revealed that the country ranks as the second in the world that reports on the coronavirus accurately - beaten only by Singapore. President Cyril Ramaphosa also recently noted that the media has played a key role in combating COVID-19, in part by exposing wrongdoings around the country's response to the pandemic. Jane Rabothata compiled the following report

The UN child agency UNICEF is calling for governments in Eastern and Southern Africa to urgently and safely re-open schools as the costs of continued school closures escalate across the region. UNICEF cites lost learning, rising violence and child labour, as well as forced child marriages as some of the consequences of schools being closed. The agency's call to safely re-open classes follows scientific evidence which shows children are not super spreaders of Covid19, and are the least affected by the virus in the region. For more on the region's plans to resume learning, Channel Africa's Lulu Gabo spoke to UNICEF's James Elder.

Jerusalema, a global hit single produced by Limpopo-born musician and record producer Master KG, featuring vocalist Nomcebo Zikode, continues to reach greater heights across the globe. The South African hit has taken over the world and became a source of joy during a pandemic. The song is so popular that even YouTube videos about Jerusalema dance challenges are doing impressive numbers. Master KG has more....

The economic impact of public health measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic is having a devastating effect on communities affected by conflict and displacement. This is according to a new report by the Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC. Titled Downward Spiral, the report is based on a survey of 1,400 people affected by conflict and displacement in eight countries, and more detailed surveys and needs assessment in a total of 14 countries. For more on the findings of the report, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to the NRC's Tom Pyre-Costa.

The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) say they will picket outside the South African Airways (SAA) headquarters in Johannesburg to demand that funding be made available for the airline.The unions say Treasury and the Public Enterprises Department should explain where funding for the Voluntary Severance Packages will come from. SAA is in danger of liquidation as the airline's future remains uncertain ahead of this morning's creditors' meeting.Meanwhile, the Department of Public Enterprises has called for patience from all South African Airways workers, unions and creditors over the funding of the airline.The department says it is aware of a planned picket by NUMSA and SACCA to demand that funding be made available. SAA is in danger of liquidation as the future of the airline remains uncertain. A creditors' meeting is set for this morning while government considers several proposals from potential strategic equity partners.Department spokesperson Sam Mkokeli says government's priority is to save the airline and the jobs of all SAA employees.

Mali's popular opposition movement has rejected a charter for a transition government backed by the ruling army officers who overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in a coup last month. The military government backed a charter for an 18-month transition government after a three-day forum with political parties and civil society representatives. The charter also proposed the transition be led by either a military or civilian leader, which leaves open the possibility that military officers who seized power could remain at the helm for another 18 months until elections are organised.For more on this Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Malian Journalist Mohamed Salaha.

Community health workers in South Africa are pleading with government to put their lives first, as the country continues to battle with the COVID-19 pandemic. These frontline responders who are often the first to engage with the public, have been struggling to access personal protective equipment or PPE, leaving them exposed to the virus. In an interview with Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata, one community health care worker from Stretford Clinic in Orange Farm, in the South of Johannesburg, explained how they are also stigmatised on the ground. Thando Mthembu also associated this challenge with not having the right PPE to gain acceptance in communities.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC is calling for global attention to the situation in Northern Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, where attacks have largely gone unnoticed for years. The ICRC maintains that while the world focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts cannot be forgotten, as they continue to drive tremendous suffering. The ICRC also calls on warring parties in Cabo Delgado to respect International Humanitarian Law - the rules that govern conflicts. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to ICRC Africa Spokesperson Crystal Wells, who began by explaining that the crisis is neglected.

A breakthrough cancer medicine offers renewed hope for South African patients battling this dreaded disease. Manufactured by MSD, a global pharmaceutical company, KEYTRUDA has been approved for the treatment of lung and bladder cancer. The official announcement was made during a webinar on Tuesday morning. Although the approval of the immunotherapy is welcome news, experts say continued research is needed with the aim of expanding the cancer types that can be treated. Doctor Ormondi Ogude, a medical oncologist in the country elaborates on the drug.

South Africa has made progress on the gender rights front since its first democratic elections, but a lot of work remains to be done. Although the support of men is crucial to create an equitable society, women's involvement is vital, too. This is according to Onyi Nwaneri, human rights lawyer and Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit organisation Afrika Tikkun. Ms Nwaneri spoke to Teddy Sibiya sharing her views on the role women ought to play to empower themselves and others..

A breakthrough in the treatment of lung and bladder cancer was officially announced this morning during a webinar hosted by global pharmaceutical company, MSD South Africa. A medicine used to treat certain kinds of skin and lung cancers has been shown to be effective in a wider range of diseases, which has exciting implications for the fight against cancer.For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Prof Bernado Rapoport, from the Medical Oncology Centre in Rosebank.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has submitted before the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein that he acted within his constitutional rights to review Public Protector's remedial actions. Zuma wants the SCA to reverse the Pretoria high court decision which ordered him to pay personal costs of his litigation. He says he was concerned about the constitutionality of the Public Protector's Thuli Madonsela's recommendation in the State of Capture report.

Madagascar has one of the highest chronic malnutrition rates in the world. The current global COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the situation due to decreased access to nutritious food, which is essential to ensure adequate growth, particularly in children. In late February 2020, just before the coronavirus outbreak reached Madagascar, Nadia Samie-Jacobs, from the UN child agency's Africa Services Unit traveled to the island nation and compiled the following report...

The United Nation's World Food Programme has warned that as conflict and the coronavirus escalate in the Democratic Republic of Congo, millions of lives could be lost unless the international community steps up with more help. According to the most recent nationwide data, about fifteen million people are suffering emergency hunger. Killer diseases such as malaria and cholera also compound the hunger challenge. Jane Rabothata reports.

Small locally owned businesses are facing immense challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and supporting them is critical to the well-being of entrepreneurs, communities and the nation's economy. It is for this reason that Leigh Tobin, an award-winning social media strategist in South Africa has decided to create Best Little Guide, a convenient new online platform to help people discover locally made products and services. Tobin tells us more about the initiative.

More than 600 incidents of violence against healthcare providers, patients and medical infrastructure have been recorded during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC. The release of this new data by the aid agency coincides with World Humanitarian Day, observed annually on the 19th of August to celebrate people helping people. The ICRC is concerned that the crisis has put healthcare workers in harm's way at a time when they are needed the most. ICRC spokesperson Crystal Wells explains.

Gabon's President Ali Bongo has promised new jobs for young people in his state of the nation address to mark 60 years of Gabon's independence. The oil-rich country gained its independence from France in 1960 and has been ruled by the Bongo family dynasty since 1967, when Omar Bongo came to power. As the country celebrates the 60 years milestone, questions are still lingering as to whether the West African country has ever made a clean break from the former colonial ruler in light of the French influence which still permeates much of Gabonese life.For more on the significance of Gabon's independence anniversary Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Professor Douglas Yates, an expert on Gabon.

In the first of its kind, a new study reveals a range of tactics that South Africa's food and beverage industry deploys, putting profits before people and undercutting critical public health initiatives. The article published in the International Journal of Public Health, maps additional major industry interference techniques which include lobbying government officials and influencing scientific research. Reacting to the findings, the Healthy Living Alliance says the study highlights the urgent need for transparency to expose undue influence on public health policy in the country. For more on this issue,Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke to Lawrence Mbalati from HEALA..

South Africa has recorded a COVID-19 recovery rate of 80% - translating to over 466-thousand recoveries. This is above the global recovery rate of about 63%. This comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would move to level 2 of the lockdown from midnight on Monday.

Election season in the United States kicked into high gear yesterday with the start of the Democratic National Convention that will lead to the formal naming of Joe Biden as Democratic nominee for President. But the in-person event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with thousands of festive delegates coronating their pick has largely been shelved due to the coronavirus with both Joe Biden and his Vice Presidential pick Kamala Harris due to accept their nominations virtually for the first time in history.

Despite the easing COVID19 restrictions in South Africa, many companies are continuing to allow their employees to work remotely. This shift has had an impact on the traditional idea of the office. In recent months, Workshop17, a leading flexible workspace provider in the country - has seen an increase in enquiries from large corporates and smaller businesses alike looking for more flexible workspace options.

Boys must not be left out of the conversation about women's rights and there must be continuous engagement with them while they are young. This is a passionate plea by Dr Claudine Hingston from the Management College of Southern Africa, MANCOSA. This as women continue to face challenging times amid the coranvirus pandemic, not only having to contend with the scourge that has taken thousands of lives but also facing an increase in domestic violence. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata recently spoke to the Durban Based academic about efforts to involve the boy child in fighting gender based violence.

The Human Sciences Research Council's BRICS Research Centre in collaboration with the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and AUDA-NEPAD yesterday hosted an e-symposium on the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative on the African Continental Free Trade Area's infrastructure development, under the 'new normal' posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The e-symposium sought to discuss BRI strategies to accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area infrastructure development .To disuss this further, Samora Mangesi spoke to Dr. Vuyo Mjimba, Chief Research Specialist in the Africa Institute of South Africa program in the Human Sciences Research Council..That was Dr. Vuyo Mjimba, Chief Research Specialist in the Africa Institute of South Africa program in the Human Sciences Research Council speaking to Samora Mangesi.

As one of South Africa's few black, female financial services executives, Tlalane Ntuli's inspiring life journey shows how powerful gender balanced leadership teams can be; for companies, and the communities they serve. South Africa celebrates women in the month of August. Yalu Chief Operations Officer, Ntuli has been dominant in the finance sector and possesses strong leadership skills which she developed when she was the Head of Growth on the FNB Life Executive Committee. Yalu is a distributor of the Yalu Credit Life Insurance Plan, insured by Old Mutual Alternative Risk Transfer Limited, a registered long-term insurer. The brand launched in South Africa in 2018, offering consumers new ways to understand, manage and pay for their Credit Life Insurance policies. Ntuli spoke to Samora mangesi explaining more about YALU CLI..

Unlike HIV, transmission during pregnancy does not seem to be the route of COVID infection from mother to child. This is according to Dr Susan Louw, a medical health practitioner from the National Health Laboratory Service in South Africa. As cases of the coronavirus continue to rise dramatically in the country, pregnant women are experiencing heightened anxieties about their vulnerability to the infection. In an interview withJane Rabothata on some of the burning questions around the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy, Dr Louw explained why expectant moms are not necessarily likely to develop the severe form of the respiratory virus.

According to health experts, available evidence suggests that pregnant women are at no greater risk of becoming seriously unwell than other healthy adults if they develop COVID-19. However, it remains a difficult period for expectant mothers as the world continues to battle an unprecedented public health crisis. With more than half a million confirmed cases, South Africa is now in the middle of a "COVID -19 storm", and the health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has warned that the peak for infections will likely continue into September. Our reporter Jane Rabothata spoke to a couple of pregnant women in the country's epicentre province, Gauteng asking them how they are coping during this pandemic, and filed the following report.

The benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh the risk of possible transmission of COVID-19 from an infected mother to the newborn. This important message is highlighted as the world this week observes Breastfeeding Week, which seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of exclusively breastfeeding for the initial 6 months of a child's life. As cases of the coronavirus continue to surge, pregnant women and nursing moms are worried about the impact of the virus not only on their health but also on newborn babies. Jane Rabothata reports…

The UN child agency, UNICEF in South Africa has launched a Tippy Tap challenge to mobilise young people against surging COVID-19 cases. The challenge is for young people to construct a 'Tippy Tap', a simple hand-washing facility that uses very little water and is easy to make. An estimated 2 million households in South Africa do not have a hand-washing facility, according to latest government statistics. For more on the challenge that runs until August, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to UNICEF's Janine Meyer...

Doctors Without Borders or MSF has noted that during South Africa's hardcore lockdown, women and young girls missed out on crucial sexual reproductive health care such as safe abortions and family planning. This as hospitals and community health centres had misinterpreted national guidelines sent by the Department of Health, which saw the termination of pregnancy for instance, being regarded as an elective procedure. In one MSF project, Kgomotso Care Center (KCC) located in Rustenburg in the North West Province, a woman was robbed the right to safe abortion as she could not access the centre on her appointment date. This is one sad example of the consequences of the discontinuation of essential services during the lockdown. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata recently spoke to a safe abortion care provider with MSF, Kgaladi Mphahlele.

Over the last three to four decades, people have not paid that much attention to disinfectants and hand sanitisers because we have never been attacked by a pandemic like COVID-19. However, in the face of the current public health challenge, such hygiene products have become critical in the fight against the virus. In the early days of the pandemic, supermarket shelves in South Africa, like in many countries were cleared of anything that said 'cleaning or disinfection' on the label. Although these products are now back on shelves in abundance, there are concerns that some are not up to standard. Weighing in on what to look out for when purchasing surface cleaners is Burt Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer of biotech and disinfectant company Biodx...

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated international travel restrictions have turned the spotlight on the need for Africa’s hospitality industry to pay attention to the domestic travel market right on its doorstep. According to the 2019 Jumia Hospitality Report Africa, the industry contributed eight-point-five-percent to the continent’s GDP in 2018, largely from spend on leisure travel, majority of it coming from international travellers. Minor Hotels Regional Director for Africa, Mark Havercroft, discusses potential ways in which the hospitality industry in Africa can ensure it is ready to capitalise on this new and willing domestic travel market…

As the South African government is prioritising the curbing of the spread of Covid-19 by enforcing restrictions, there's concern that similar efforts to support the mental health of people during this time is not being given enough attention. Studies have shown that South Africans are stressed, fearful and lonely during the lockdown. As a result, Mygrow - an online personal development platform has come up with a 30 Day Wellbeing Jumpstart Challenge to help individuals cope with the hurdles of the pandemic. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Mark Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Mygrow.

Desperate to help themselves and their loved ones, Ghanaians were falling for the tricks of conmen, paying exorbitant amounts for the clinically untested COVID cures. This is what the investigative journalist told Channel Africa in a recent interview with Jane Rabothata...

Africa has a serious problem of fake medicines, and with the emergence of COVID-19, opportunists have been exploiting the pandemic - claiming to have a cure for the novel coronavirus. In Ghana, an investigation by the BBC has exposed a COVID-19 scam that could cause more harm in the West African nation's fight against the virus. For more on this issue here's a BBC documentary by undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

The emergence of COVID-19 in Africa has seen many people including pharmacists and herbalists rushing to produce all sorts of medication, claiming that their products can cure the deadly virus that has so far resulted in over thirteen-thousand deaths on the continent. In response, the World Health Organisation has cautioned countries against endorsing and using products purporting to cure Covid-19 that have not been subjected to clinical trials. The BBC's Anas Aremeyaw Anas, went undercover to expose fake coronavirus cures in Ghana, where confirmed cases of the virus are now approaching 25-thousand. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to the investigative journalist about the documentary he produced called "Corona Quacks" which uncovers an underworld of quack doctors and conmen exploiting the coronavirus pandemic. BBC Africa Eye documentary on fake covid cures

As the Covid-19 lockdown measures in South Africa impacts individuals and companies across the spectrum, prompting job losses and reduced working hours, municipalities are now seeing a serious decline in revenue from water sales. The Water Institute of Southern Africa, WISA however warns that proactive interventions to address "the elephant in the room" are already overdue, arguing that municipalities are under pressure to continue providing water services, which is key to the country's fight against COVID-19. Speaking to Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata, WISA's Neil Macleod explained that consumer non-payment of water services pose catastrophic results for the water scarce nation.

A conflict without borders continues to play out in the Sahel region displacing tens of thousands of people. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) conflict is not the only danger people face; climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are also affecting the lives of millions. The ICRC says humanitarian action alone is not enough to meet the needs of people affected, arguing that there also needs to be a drive for development to find a lasting solution to the crisis. For more on the situation in the Sahel, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to the ICRC's Halimatou Amadou.

Africa is significantly off track to achieve the Zero Hunger target in 2030, even without considering the impacts of COVID-19. This is one of the findings of the latest UN report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, co-authored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and partner agencies. For more on the report's key findings, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to senior economist at FAO, Cindy Holleman.

Health systems in both rich and poor nations are massively struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the services for mothers, newborns, young children and adolescents are crumbling. This is according to a new report by a Panel of senior global health experts, which provides an overview of estimated impacts from COVID-19 on these vulnerable groups. The report by the Independent Accountability Panel, launched today shows that the pandemic is making a bad situation worse. For more onthe key findings of the report, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Joy Phumaphi, co-chair of the Panel and former Assistant Director General of the World Health Organisation.

The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA projects that another two-million women and girls will potentially undergo Female Genital Mutilation in the next decade if there are no interventions to put an end to harmful practices now. The agency is concerned by the limitations and restrictions to movement which come with the COVID-19 response, disrupting sexual reproductive health services and community programmes. UNFPA recently launched its State of the World Population report, which shed lights on the harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage, which remain a big problem globally. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Justine Coulson, UNFPA's East and Southern Africa Regional Director.

Stigma based on fear and misinformation is contributing to the ongoing COVID-19 community transmission in many countries. This is a concern raised by the CORE Group Polio Project. The CGPP is a multi-country, multi-partner initiative that has been helping polio affected countries eradicate the disease. The CGPP is now is working to shape context-specific responses to growing cases of COVID-19 social stigma in a number of countries. For more on the work of the CGPP in South Sudan where it's becoming harder and harder to fight the pandemic, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to the country Secretariat Director, Anthony Kisanga....

Re-booting Africa's industrialisation to generate national wealth and create jobs, along the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, took centre stage recently at a webinar on Africa's integration. For more on this Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Martin Bwalya, Head of Industrialisation at AUDA-NEPAD ,the development agency of the African Union. She began by asking him about the purpose of the Webinar.

The health system in which South Africa is dependent on to fight COVID, is deeply flawed in so many ways. This is according to a recently released report by the global charity OXFAM. Nurses are the backbone of South Africa's national healthcare system representing 77% of the public sector's human resources. However, according to the OXFAM report, the country as a whole face poor health outcomes due to failure to care for those on the front lines. Jane Rabothata reports...

As many as 12000 people could die per day by the end of the year as a result of hunger linked to COVID-19. This is a warning by the global non-profit organisation Oxfam. In a new briefing published this week, the charity reveals the world's ten worst hunger hotspots - places such as Venezuela and South Sudan where the food crisis is most severe and getting worse as a result of the pandemic. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Mthandazo Ndlovu Hlahla from OXFAM South Africa..

A group of scientists that were stranded in the Dr. Fridtjof Nansen marine vessel when the Covid 19 hit in March, have finally been able to fly back to their home countries. The scientists from Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia and Spain were half way through a voyage off the coast of northwest Africa, when countries closed their borders in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, the Nansen is the only vessel to fly the United Nations flag. It has been conducting deep-sea research since 1975. For more on this Channel Africa’s Samora Mangesi spoke to Merete Tandstad, Nansen Programme Coordinator at FAO..

At least 81 people in Ethiopia have been killed in massive protests that erupted following the killing of popular musician and activist Hachalu Hundessa. The 34 year-old singer-a prominent figure of the Oromo ethnic group-was shot dead while driving to Addis Ababa on monday. In the days following his death, demonstrations broke out in the country's capital Addis Ababa before spreading throughout several parts of the Oromia region, where Hachalu is from. Hachalu was laid to rest yesterday. For more on this Channel Africa spoke to Yared Hailemariam , Executive director of The Ethiopia Association for Human rights.

The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in South Africa is dramatically rising daily, almost reaching 200-thousand. With this we have also seen online stories of people who claim to not be showing any symptoms of the virus but still having their test showing positive. Meanwhile, many offices have resumed work but what has been a sore topic is the stigma around the virus. For more on stigma around COVID-19 in the workplace, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Devan Moonsamy, chief executive officer of the ICHAF Training Institute, a Technical Vocational Education and Training College in the country.

South Africans are urged to ask Medical Aid companies to fund Continuous Glucose Monitors for all type 1 Diabetic members in the country. This through a campaign dubbed #cgm4all, led by SA Diabetes Advocacy: a social media initiative to get medical aids in South Africa to start funding this life-changing technology. Diabetes is the leading comorbidity in the Covid19 pandemic, and also the leading killer of women in South Africa. Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Kirsten De Klerk from Bete It, one of SA Diabetes Advocacy's members.

The Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, Dr Ayodele Odusola, this week handed over personal protective equipment (PPE) to Dr Bandile Masuku, Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of Health in the Gauteng province of South Africa. As the country eased its lockdown regulations, the number of cases has been increasing as expected. With this, the need for PPE is also increasing, therefore, this donation aims to support the Provincial efforts in responding to COVID-19. Dr Odusola explains

The Nigeria High Commission in South Africa says 167 Nigerians who were stranded in South Africa following the outbreak of the corona virus in March have been safely evacuated. For more on how the process went, here is the Nigerian ran Consul General to South Africa, Godwin Adama..

Foreign donor nations have pledged $1.8 billion at a conference hosted by Germany to help Sudan ease an economic crisis hampering its transition towards democracy after the fall of former leader Omar al-Bashir. The pledges come after Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who has been leading Sudan under a transitional power-sharing deal with the military since Bashir's overthrow last year, warned that without foreign support, instability could spread through a volatile region in east and north-eastern Africa. For more on this Channel Africa’s Samora Mangesi spoke to Jonas Horner, the International Crisis Group's Horn of Africa Project Deputy Director.

The United Nations World Food Programme this week announced a massive rise in the number of hungry people it plans to assist around the world. The food agency notes that the devastating socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to push millions more people into food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries. For its life saving work, WFP is appealing for four-point-nine billion US dollars for the next six months. More from WFP spokesperson, Gerald Bourke

Unfair labour practices and the poor treatment of healthcare workers in South Africa have compromised the quality of health care in the country. This is according to a new report by the charity OXFAM. The report launched on Tuesday reveals that country's healthcare system has been ill-prepared for shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. More from Inequality Programme Manager at OXFAM South Africa, Dr. Basani Baloyi.

In this difficult period in South Africa, the chairman of Moving Ahead Development Agency, Tshepo Mokoena has decided to celebrate his 55th birthday by turning the spotlight on those who do not have the luxury to celebrate birthdays. Mokoena will today cut his cake and donate essentials, which include sanitary towels at Takalani Children's Home in Soweto, South of Johannesburg. Through his agency, the philanthropist has been empowering young people and communities at large in various ways. He spoke to Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo about his social development work in the country.

With the globe currently faced with the COVID-19 pandemic that is affecting every aspect of life, there are concerns that more people will be driven to substance abuse, or left vulnerable to drug trafficking. In marking International Day on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, annually observed on the 26th of June, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) appealed for solidarity to stop the increasing illicit drug threats to poor and vulnerable groups. Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to UNODC Regional Representative in Southern Africa, Zhuldyz Akisheva.

Delegates attending the COVID-19 online summit are calling for urgent action to mitigate the devastating effects of the pandemic on the health and wellbeing of women, children, and adolescents. The summit, which is taking place over two days, from 1 July, 2020, is being jointly hosted by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and CORE Group. Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to PMNCH chair Dr Helga Fogstad.

Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea have agreed to temporarily withdraw their militaries from their disputed border and give way to a commission of experts to map out their frontiers. Defense ministers from the two countries are meeting in Yaounde after skirmishes killed at least 7 people along the disputed border. Moki Kindzeka reports from Yaounde that Equatorial Guinea has also accepted to temporarily stop the construction of a border wall it was building to stop Cameroonians and West Africans from illegally entering its territory…

The United States has called on the United Nations Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran that was due to expire in October in order for the Middle Eastern country to start behaving like a "normal nation". That was the message delivered by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after Washington earlier circulated a draft resolution to indefinitely extend the arms embargo which was set to end under this year under the 2015 nuclear deal signed with world powers.

South Africa has called on the UN Security Council to respect the African Union and continental efforts led by AU Chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa to find a solution to the GERD dispute between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The meeting was convened at the request of Egypt that warned the Council that the dispute had the potential to further destabilize the region. The Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been a politically charged issue for months between Ethiopia, the builder of the dam, and Sudan and Egypt over access to water resources.

South Africa has the highest femicide rate in the world and is also becoming the most violent state against queer people. Through arts, one young black woman, Banzi Mavuso is inspiring unity and power within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community. Mavuso has directed and produced a film called Gang 888 which seeks to provide a social commentary on the murders of black women and black queer people in South Africa. She spoke to Samora Mangesi about her her advocacy work.

Close to half of women are feeling more anxious, overworked or ill because of increased unpaid care work caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is according to a survey by the global charity group, OXFAM. More than six thousand women and men were surveyed several weeks into a pandemic that has made millions sick and led to the closure of schools, nurseries, and support services. For more on this issue here's Oxfam spokesperson Ruth Oloo.

Africa's rates of progress are insufficient in meeting the Sustainable Development Goal of every child having a legal identity, including birth registration by 2030. Currently, the under 5 birth registration on the continent stands at 52 per cent. With the emergence of COVID-19, there are now concerns that the crisis may reverse gains in improving birth registrations. It is against this backdrop that the UN Child agency, UNICEF and the African Union recently launched the "No Name Campaign" which seeks to accelerate children's right to a legal identity. Samora Mangesi spoke to UNICEF's Mirkka Mattila from Dakar, Senegal

It has been almost three months for most countries, especially in Africa since they went into lockdown in response to COVID-19. While heads of states were forced to act swiftly, and understandably so, had no time to figure out the "perfect response" - it is now time for leaders in the region to take a pause and reassess initial steps. This is according to Executive Director of the African Population and Research Center, Catherine Kyobutungi, who believes that the input of diverse voices in society is now needed to forge a way forward. Jane Rabothata reports.

For the many South Africans who went from paycheck to no check when the lockdown was implemented, corporates in the country stepped up in an effort to provide some relief. Insurance companies, internet service providers and telcos offered a range of benefits and discounts. Banks have offered up to three-month payment holidays, which come to an end very soon. It may look like a welcome breather on the surface, but consumers need to take a moment to think this through and carefully consider the implications. For more on this Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Reagan Mitchell, managing director of WealthyMe, a financial services provider.

For months now, COVID-19 has forced children into a new, unusual reality - staying at home. It has been a difficult period for children as they try to make sense of this sudden change in the way of life, attributed to the virus forcing them indoors, and for many, still not even going to school. But what is their understanding of the coronavirus? Nadia Sammie-Jacobs of the United Nations Children's Fund spoke to children in South Africa and compiled the following report.

The passing of laws to end child marriage resulted in blocking thousands of child marriages and enabling second chance education for girls. However, these gains made over the years are in jeopardy in the age of COVID-19. As part of commemorations for Day of the African Child on June 16, the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA and two other UN agencies highlighted the threats posed by the pandemic in progress made towards protecting women and girls from violence and harmful practices. To reflect more on the main concerns, Samora Mangesi spoke Julie Diallo, Program Specialist, Gender, for UNFPA Eastern and Southern Africa.

The theme for this year's Day of the African Child is "Access to a Child-Friendly Justice System in Africa". Sharing her thoughts on the campaign this year, Catherine Kyobutungi of the African Population and Health Research Center says it is an opportunity for the continent to re-examine its societies and the inequities that exist. Kyobutungi says inequities, especially in the education system are currently made more visible by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every year since 1991, Day of the African Child has been commemorated in memory of the young activists who were killed during the 1976 Soweto uprising in South Africa. This annual commemoration on June 16, this year comes at a very difficult time as children across Africa - and indeed the world - remain confronted by a host of threats due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The unprecedented disruption in education is one major challenge that the world's children are faced with. In a continent like Africa, where online learning is impractical in many communities the consequences could be even worse. To reflect more on this issue Lulu Gabo spoke to James Elder of the UN child agency,UNICEF.

As South Africa continues to observe Youth Month, which falls annually on the month of June, we are shining the spotlight on an inspiring young process engineer making a real impact right now in the fight against COVID-19. Phola Kula works at BIODX, a biotech and disinfectant company where she is helping to produce the world's first 100% natural organic disinfectant. Channel Africa's Lulu Gabo spoke to Kula about her contribution to combating COVID-19.

The fight against COVID-19 continues to drawing attention to the vital importance of clean water, and a safe and hygienic environment. The Hlanganani area in South Africa's Limpopo province is one of many communities across the country still denied the basic human right - access to potable water. In response to the water challenge, the Nelson Mandela Foundation in partnership with the AECI chemicals group will this week deploy automated water filtration systems and Hippo Rollers in Hlanganani. Channel Africa's Lulu Gabo spoke to the chief executive officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang and Mark Dytor who is the AECI's chief executive.

In the past 20 years, keeping mothers and children alive has been one of the great public-health success stories. Child death rates have almost halved, and maternal death rates are down by over a third. However, health experts are concerned that the global COVID-19 pandemic threatens to erode those gains. For more on the impact this global health emergency is having on women and children, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Catherine Kyobutungi from the African Population and Health Research Center.

Sudan has reported over six thousand confirmed cases of COVID-19, making the country the hardest hit in East Africa. The arrival of the virus is worsening problems in the country already dealing with a very difficult economic situation and political transition. On Tuesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Doctors Without Borders' first joint humanitarian aid flight landed in Sudan's capital, Khartoum bringing personnel and supplies to help respond to the COVID-19 crisis. For more on the situation in the country Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to ICRC's Jessica Barry.

It's Youth Month in South Africa and we are shining the spotlight on a young, ambitious and intelligent woman known as Senamile Masango who is a nuclear scientist, ploughing back to disadvantaged communities. She is a founder of the Women in Science and Engineering in Africa foundation. Under the foundation, Masango runs a successful sanitary towel drive, mentorship programs and encourages young people to take an interest in science studies. She spoke to Samora Mangesi about her passion and efforts to uplift others..

According to a new report by the Norwegian Refugee Council, Cameroon once again ranks as the world's most neglected crisis. The NRC report published today lists the 10 most neglected displacement crises globally, to shine a spotlight on these forgotten emergencies. Other countries of concern include the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is second on the list, and Burkina Faso - a newcomer to this year's list. More from the NRC spokesperson for Central and West Africa Tom Peyre-Costa….

New data shows that only a fraction of agricultural research funding in Africa is being used to transform food and farming systems. As many as 85% of projects funded by the Gates Foundation - the world's biggest philanthropic investor in agri-development - are limited to developing industrial agriculture, or increasing its efficiency. This is one of the key findings of the Money Flows report released today, produced by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) and partners. Fore more on this, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Professor Olivier De Schutter, co-chair of IPES-Food....

With millions more people this month returning to work under level 3 of the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa, there are growing concerns over business preparedness to keep employees safe. Companies are urged to equip themselves to avoid further disruptions due to staff contracting COVID-19. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Dr. Jedd Myers, Managing Director of OccuFit -the company that is equipping businesses to return to work safely.

The UN child agency, UNICEF is working with the South African Department of Social Development to address the situation of children in the country at this critical time. The COVID-19 lockdown has made children more vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and psychosocial distress. In addition, school closures and restrictions on movement has disrupted children's routines, while also placing additional responsibilities on parents and caregivers. On Friday 05 June, Channel Africa's Teddy Sibiya spoke to UNICEF South Africa's Chief of Child Protection and Social Policy, Mayke Huijbregts about efforts to assist children.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is appealing for around three billion US dollars to urgently scale up its global response to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19, and assist the world's most vulnerable people amid the pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the movement has supported national societies to increase their health care services, community engagement and pandemic preparedness activities. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata recently spoke to Crystal Wells of the International Committee of the Red Cross....

The global medical aid agency has partnered with local sewing shops in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC to manufacture reusable face masks, in response to COVID 19. Wearing masks is one of the prevention measures to limit the spread of the disease in the context of the pandemic. Confirmed cases of corona virus in the DRC have now reached the 4000 mark, with 85 deaths. Jane Rabothata reports

The software company Microsoft has partnered with Broadreach - a social impact group of businesses - to create and implement data-driven solutions to improve the management and delivery of health programmes in underserved regions around the world. In South Africa's Kwazulu Natal province, the partnership has helped an estimated 340-thousand people access HIV treatment. During the COVID-19 crisis, Broadreach moved quickly to repurpose its existing platforms to help government and key leaders respond to the pandemic. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Amrote Abdella, Regional Director of Microsoft's 4Afrika

The MTV Staying Alive Foundation and its partners have announced a 60-part mini-series to raise awareness in the global fight to flatten the COVID-19 curve. Set in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Cote D'Ivoire during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, MTV Shuga Alone Together will depict every aspect of life during the pandemic over the next three months. The developing story is available for streaming and sharing across online platforms. More from the South African based cast member, Mamarumo Morakane who plays the character Dineo.

Africa day was celebrated this week on the continent in various ways, but one thing is for sure, whenever there is a celebration - there is food. As part of celebrations on 25 May, the African Culinary Library (ACL) collaborated with various African Chefs to create a virtual culinary experience boasting the uniqueness of African cuisine. To find out more, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Bodibe Sebolai, Chief wine lover at ACL and Chef Vusi Ndlovu

South Africa's BrownSense Group is today launching a first of its kind e-commerce and procurement platform in aid of connecting entrepreneurs to clients across the continent and the globe. Consumers can now benefit from the safety and convenience of buying 100% proudly South African products via brownsense.africa while local businesses will get an opportunity to access global markets. Head of Marketing and Insights at the BrownSense Group - Keitumetse Diseko elaborates on what brownsense.africa is about.

To close off Africa Month celebrations, Brand South Africa and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, in association with Constitution Hill, will host the Play Your Part Africa Live Stream Concert this coming Saturday, the 30th of May. The concert will take place at the Women's Jail at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, and will feature a number of top musicians from the continent. To talk more about the upcoming concert, Samora mangesi spoke to Mpumi Mabuza, GM Stakeholder Relations at Brand SA.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected a lot of industries in South Africa. While some measures have been put in place to help some industries, the entertainment and event sector remain the most affected. Livelihoods have been suddenly shattered, and hunger has become frighteningly real for professional entertainers. In light of this, Hope Project SA has been born to assist artists and events people. For more on this initiative Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke project co-founder, Hayley Bennett-Freidin and Usisipho Nyeti, who is an artist.

Up to 8-million South Africans are expected to return to work following President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement that the country will move to level three of the lockdown in June. Ramaphosa, however also urged those who can work from home to continue doing so. South Africa has been on lockdown for two months now in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen infections in the country rising to over 24-thousand and 524 deaths. To reflect more on how the world of work might look like as more companies resume operating, Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo spoke to Lusanda Raphulu, Head of Employment and Benefits at law firm Bowmans

Popular South African marathon runner, Nolene Conrad, is finding reason to smile during the Covid-19 lockdown as her newly launched online coaching business takes off and a food fundraising campaign to assist struggling athletes gains momentum. Born in Bishop Lavis, in Cape Town, Conrad is no stranger to seeing people in poverty. She is playing her part by rallying her sporting community to help those in dire. The athlete spoke to Channel Africa's Mosibudi Makhura about the fund and began by explaining how it came about.

Armed conflict has displaced over 600-thousand people under COVID-19. This new figure is revealed in a recently released report by the Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC. The report derives this figure from displacements in nineteen countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo recording the highest number as clashes between armed groups and the country's military continue. The NRC's Tom Peyre-Costa elaborates further on the key findings of the report.

Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and his wife Rachel, are giving back to South Africa via their foundation, which is aiding the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple were due to launch the foundation later in the year, but the novel virus outbreak has seen the couple fast-track the delivery of personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks to hospitals in his native home province of the Eastern Cape and his new home Cape Town. Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso recently spoke to Rachel Kolisi

In celebration of Africa Day, the global music streaming service Deezer revealed Africa's top streamed artists for 2020. To celebrate music from across the continent, music fans can also stream the new dedicated 'Africa Unites' playlist. Speaking to Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi, Deezer's Music Editor for Africa, Sotiris Moldovanos explained why they chose to do it on Africa Day.

Children are said to be accounting for only one per cent of the global COVID-19 infection rate, with deaths being extremely rare. Although these stats may be reassuring considering the South African government's decision to reopen some grades next month, there are concerns around the safety of the school environment during the pandemic. However, in as much as there's uncertainty on the reopening of schools, educational psychologist Dr Tshepiso Matentjie says COVID-19 and the nationwide lockdown itself may have presented psychological challenges for children. Dr Matentjie spoke to Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi

Thousands of South Africans earn a source of income from collecting waste glass for recycling, a practice which helps protect the environment. However, the COVID-19 lockdown and ban on alcohol has seen recyclers struggling to make money, and severely affecting the glass recycling industry. The Glass Recycling Company, TGRC, is the official organisation dedicated to ensuring every South African realises the value of recycling glass and actively embraces this practice. To reflect more on how this difficult period has affected the sector, Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo spoke to TGRC Chief Executive Officer, Shabeer Jhetam

Employees in South Africa will return to work psychologically crippled, and this will destroy more companies than the lockdown itself. This according to Mark Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Mygrow, an online personal development platform, focusing on Emotional Intelligence. Prior to Covid-19, large scale studies showed that the workforce in South Africa was already struggling, with low employee engagement levels. Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo recently spoke to Mark about this.

Tens of thousands of people are at risk as COVID-19 reaches crowded displacement camps in South Sudan. This is according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC. South Sudan has now recorded over four-hundred cases of COVID-19 and six people have died. For more on the situation in the East African nation, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to ICRC spokesperson Crystal Wells.

The decision to begin a phased reopening of schools from 1 June in South Africa has been received with mixed emotions. On Tuesday evening, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshega announced that matriculants and grade 7 pupils will be first to resume classes. The country has been on a lockdown for almost two months in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has seen the nation becoming the epicenter of the pandemic on the continent. In the following report Jane Rabothata, looks into how parents and learners are reacting to the reopening of schools.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 on small business has already been the focal point of much concern and debate globally. In South Africa, while government has introduced debt relief funding to assist small businesses from any economic ramifications of the COVID-19 crisis, many do not qualify. Meanwhile, the country has transitioned into a stage four lockdown, in which a lot of small enterprises remain prohibited from operating. For more on how entrepreneurs can mitigate the effects of Lockdown, Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke to Mark Tomlinson, Chief Innovation Officer of independent digital media agency Hoorah.

Businesses in South Africa are rallying behind aid organisations responding to the growing scourge of COVID-19. To this effect, Standard Bank has recently up-scaled its donation to the national Red Cross Society, providing up to 95-thousand US dollars . The funding enables the organisation to continue with its humanitarian activities which include providing hot meals and sanitary packages to vulnerable households. Jane Rabothata has more.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex, people in South Africa continue to face extreme discrimination, violence and inadequate healthcare. As a result, the LGBTI community is often reluctant to seek medical care. To promote inclusivity, the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia took place on Sunday. For more on the challenges faced by the minority group, Channel Africa's Samora mangesi spoke to transgender representative Getty Myeni.

World Bee Day is commemorated annually on May 20 to raise awareness on the importance of bees as one of the pollinators of our crops. With the population of bees declining globally, ensuring that they survive is very crucial. In making a big buzz on the day, Candide -a free community gardening app that connects gardeners, launched #PolliNationSA. The initiative seeks to recruit a minimum of 100-thousand South Africans to become bona fide bee protectors. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo spoke to Marketing Lead at Candide, Shani Krige.

Health experts are urging people living with diabetes to manage their condition well to reduce the risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Diabetic people are also encouraged take strict preventive measures to avoid contracting the virus, and ensure that they have adequate stock of their medication in the lockdown period. South Africa has more than four million people living with diabetes and with the country undergoing a lockdown, they are now more prone to facing challenges like high levels of stress and anxiety. Dr Hemant Makan from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg shares some tips to stay healthy during this difficult period

There are growing calls for governments in Africa to ensure the continuity of routine essential health services while responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Experts fear that the region may face multiple disasters if all efforts solely focus on coronavirus. Some of the services under serious threat include testing and treatment for HIV, as well as family planning. Jane Rabothata reports.

South Africa's Johannesburg Stock Exchange - the JSE - has welcomed the Satrix SA Bond ETF, to the main board of the JSE in its first virtual listing, and the first ETF listing in 2020. The Satrix SA Bond ETF is the sixth local Bond ETF to list on the JSE - thus opening up even wider choice for investors in search of debt exposure, in a single instrument. The JSE's Business Development and Exchange Traded Products, Adele Hatting elaborates further on this issue…That's Adele Hatting, Business Development and Exchange Traded Products at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange talking to Zikhona Miso.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange has put in place a relief program for its market participants negatively impacted by lockdown restrictions imposed to fight the COVID- 19 pandemic. Whether big, medium or small, businesses are struggling to survive, as they struggle with cash flow problems due to trading inactivity. Channel Africa spoke to the Chief Executive Officer at JSE, Dr. Leila Fourie on this..That's Dr. Leila Fourie, CEO at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, talking to Thuto Ngobeni.

As health practitioners across the globe remain hard at work, testing and treating COVID-19 patients, they are urged not to neglect their own health. The International Council of Nurses recently revealed that at least 90000 healthcare workers worldwide are believed to have been infected with coronavirus amid reports of continuing shortages of protective equipment. Among the frontline workers who have been infected is Vincent Madaray who hails from South Africa but currently working in Duba, a city in the United Arab Emirates . In an interview with Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata, the recovering nurse said he could have better taken care of his own health.

Half of the African countries do not yet have widespread community transmission of COVID-19. However, concerns remain for the region as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to escalate. Among the one billion people in Africa, a new WHO study predicts that if no containment measures are put in place, up to 26 per cent of the population could be infected in the first year, and up to 190-thousand people could die. The findings were presented this week during the WHO Africa Media Leader virtual press conference held with the support of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. Jane Rabothata reports.

The escalation of armed hostilities at the moment when Covid-19 arrives, is a catastrophic cocktail poised to trigger chaos in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a warning by the Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC. Speaking to Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata about the situation, Maureen Philippon- who is the NRC Country Director in DR Congo, maintains that the Congolese people need peace and stability during the pandemic more than ever before.

The United Nations in South Africa has launched an emergency appeal for more than a hundred and thirty million US dollars in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The appeal came on the eve of a gradual relaxation of measures under the 35-day nation-wide lockdown that saw the closure of borders and strict social distancing regimes to curb the spread of the pandemic. Despite being an upper middle-income country, nearly half of all households in South Africa struggle to meet their basic food needs. The situation is set to worsen in the country as COVID-19 forces many people out of jobs. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke the UN Resident Coordinator Nardos Bekele-Thomas.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is causing widespread concern and economic hardship for consumers, businesses and communities across the globe. The pandemic has disrupted businesses and thrown the economic outlook into uncertainty. Analyst say the automotive sector has not been spared and its continuity is thus critical. For more on this, Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu spoke to Dr Martyn Davies, Automotive Industry Sector Leader, at Deloitte Africa .

Gender-related violence will increase to 31 million additional cases if the lockdown continues for six months in low and middle income countries globally. That’s been revealed in a recent study by the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA. The UN agency is therefore urging governments to ensure continued services for gender-based violence (GBV), whilst fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. UNFPA’s Michael Ebele, reflects on how efforts to control the virus may fuel GBV.

Prime Minister of Lesotho Tom Tabane has relaxed the nationwide lockdown as the COVID -19 virus remains undetected in the tiny Kingdom. Addressing the nation on Tuesday, Tabane said borders remained closed for the time being, and condemned reports of illegal crossings from virus-hit South Africa. Lesotho went into lockdown late last month to protect itself from a potential spread of the virus from South Africa, which entirely surrounds the mountain kingdom and has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa. For more on Lesotho’s latest move in relation to COVID-19, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to a journalist in Lesotho, Rose Moremoholo

More than 47 million women could lose access to contraception, leading to 7 million unintended pregnancies in the coming months due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. This, according to data released by the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA. The research reveals the enormous scale of the impact COVID-19 is having on women as health systems become overloaded, facilities close or only provide a limited set of services to women and girls. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Michael Ebele, UNFPA Humanitarian Specialist for East and Southern Africa.

In the COVID-19 era, everything must be seen through the lens of the pandemic. With only a decade left to achieve the sustainable development goals or SDGs, there's concern that the battle to control the spread of coronavirus might reverse progress made in realizing the 2030 agenda. Re-establishing awareness of the SDGs which include poverty alleviation, provision of quality education and job opportunities is Dr Cobus Oosthuizen, the Dean of Milpark Business School in Johannesburg, speaking to Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata.

In light of the increasing incidence of COVID-19 local transmissions, PPC South Africa has donated three mobile clinics to the country's department of health.The cement maker is encouraging industries to help support government in attempts to fight COVID-19, arguing that public-private partnerships are critical in this difficult period. The city of Tshwane has started using the mobile clinic, reaching vulnerable communities where people may be struggling to access health facilities. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to PPC South Africa's managing director Njombo Lekula.

MyHealthTV.com last week hosted an interactive webinar on the capability of the African State to withstand COVID-19 and independently deal with post COVID-19 reconstruction. The webinar was attended by stakeholders from government, The United Nations Development Programme, academia and civil society. Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke to Dr Ayodele Odusola, Resident Representative of the UNDP in South Africa.

Partners in Sexual Health, PSH is urging the government of South Africa to include sanitary towels in food parcels that are being distributed across the country. The Cape Town based civil society group is concerned about the neglect of Sexual and Reproductive Health services during the lockdown period, which leaves many young people vulnerable. PSH today embarked on a door-to-door COVID-19 screening, simultaneously distributing Dignity Packs that contain sanitary towels and male condoms in an attempt to remind people to keep healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to PSH CEO Patsy De Lora....

The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting every person on earth, and the humanitarian and development sectors are not spared. Lockdown restrictions have resulted - among others- in slowdowns of deliveries, other widespread emergency measures and border controls. All of this poses an immediate threat to the United Nations' efforts to provide vital assistance to end hunger and malnutrition around the world. Malo Meshack, the representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in South Sudan explains to FAO’s Andre Vornic, how his team has adjusted to this new reality.

The first and former republican president of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, today turns 96. During his reign he played a critical role to the liberation struggle of many Southern Africa countries including South Africa. Speaking to Channel Africa in an exclusive interview, he said his long life is due to the grace of God.

In response to COVID-19, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS has partnered with household essentials maker, Reckitt Benckiser to help protect people living with HIV across Africa. The partnership hopes to reach approximately 220-thousand individuals across 22 countries on the continent with Hygiene packs. The market value of these products is around two million US dollars. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to RB's Regional Director for Africa, Russell Taylor..

Today marks the start of World Immunization Week, which aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. The campaign this year comes at a very difficult time, as the globe battles to control the coronavirus pandemic, with no vaccine yet developed. Meanwhile, there are growing concerns over a neglect of other health issues that continue to threaten children, especially - as the world focuses attention on COVID-19. For more on the significance of immunization in the era of a major public health emergency, Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo spoke to a virologist in South Africa, Dr Ramokone Maphoto.

In a new report released this week, the United Nations World Food Programme, WFP and other partners warn that COVID-19 will double the number of people facing food crises unless swift action is taken. According to projections, the number of people facing acute food insecurity stands to rise to 265 million in 2020. The estimate was announced alongside the release of the Global Report on Food Crises, produced by WFP and 15 other humanitarian and development partners. For more on issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to spokesperson for WFP in Southern Africa, Gerald Bourke

Operation Hunger is calling on all South Africans to support the #FeedAFamily campaign which seeks to reach out to vulnerable families affected by the spread of the COVID-19 virus. With the country now deeper into the extended lockdown and many people without any income, Operation Hunger is seeing an increased number of families in need of assistance - whom under normal circumstances are able to feed themselves. The organization which is focused on development, nutrition and relief has a history of positive action in the fight against malnutrition in South Africa's homes, schools and communities at large. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Interim CEO at Operation Hunger, Sandy Bukula.

Widespread uncertainty about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to take a toll on the mental wellbeing of many South Africans. Employers are facing severe financial constraints, with some struggling to pay employees' salaries. However, as the country moves deeper into the lockdown period, employers are encouraged to take whatever measures are reasonably available to them to help safeguard the mental health of their workers. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Nadine Mather, Senior Associate at law firm Bowmans.

The Covid-19 outbreak has set off the first recession in the Sub-Saharan Africa region in 25 years - this according to the latest Africa's Pulse, the World Bank's bi-annual analysis of the state of the region's economies. The report focuses on the economic impact of Covid-19 on the Sub-Saharan Africa's economies. It includes economic growth and poverty projections, as well as policy recommendations for countries in the region facing this new global shock. To discuss this further Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke to Cesar Calderon, Lead Economist at the World Bank Africa Region.

According to the World Bank, almost 42% of South African households are single parent households, where the breadwinner is a woman. This percentage is even higher amongst poorer communities. Therefore, coronavirus could have more of an economic impact on women rather than men. For more on some of the factors may result in woman being affected the most by the pandemic, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to John Davenport, Chief Creative Officer of PR and media company Havas.

The government of South Africa has indicated its intention to use cell phone data in the fight against COVID-19. The idea is to use location-based services to easily find recent contacts of coronavirus patients in a bid to control the spread of the disease. Worried citizens have had to be assured that there won't be any spying on anyone. Many mobile network operators also had questions around the legality of contact tracing. For more on the feasibility of this strategy in the COVID-19 fight, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Livia Dyer, Partner at the law firm Bowmans.

Its business unusual in South Africa, much like many parts of the globe as citizens have been requested to endure a further 14 days on lockdown. During this time, the Johannesburg based Market theatre has initiated a social media campaign under the hashtag - TheatreWillRiseAgain. The campaign sees audiences being treated to dramatic monologues and solo performances by artists from the comfort of their homes. The videos are also a walk down memory lane of some of the contemporary works that the Market Theatre has staged over the years. More from the Market Theatre's artistic director, James Ngcobo....

As South Africa and the globe alike continues to find ways to minimise COVID-19 cases, the private sector, entrepreneurs and ordinary people are also doing their bit to fight the pandemic. Non-profit organization - Imbumba foundation which is known for successful campaigns like #Trek4mandela and #Caring4Girls has added its name to the list of foot-soldiers during this time. The foundation is seeking to bring relief to those have limited access to water and hygiene products during this period via their new #SoapForHope initiative. More from Founder & CEO of Imbumba Foundation, Richard Mabaso

More than 364 million schoolchildren are now missing out on school meals which they depend on, and that number is set to rise in coming days and weeks. The United Nations World Food Programme, WFP, recently launched a groundbreaking map showing how the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting children's school meals globally. The map provides daily on-screen updates on school closures and the number of children no longer receiving school meals as a result. . For more on the issue, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to WFP's Lola Castro...

The World Health Organisation is urging countries to lift COVID-19 measures slowly and with control. As Spain enters its second month of lockdown, some restrictions have been eased, allowing those who cannot work from home - such as people in the construction and manufacturing industries, to return to work. WHO has however acknowledged that while some nations are considering the relaxation of measures, others including the African region are tightening interventions to curb coronavirus as it gains a foothold. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata reports.

Some companies in South Africa have already applied to have coronavirus-related brands registered. The country's Trademarks office has received applications for the brands Covidban, Corona Guard and Corona Care. According to a specialist in intellectual property law at Webber Wetzel, this is not a complete supprise as there are always opportunists rushing to register a trade mark, and this time they are seeking to benefit from the biggest news story of our time. Specialist in intellectual property law at Webber Wetzel, Bernadette Versvelt explains.

Meraki Research a market research company based in Johannesburg, South Africa is monitoring the mental health of South Africans during the 21-day lockdown period. The company says the study is vital in keeping track of what South Africans are feeling daily, and find out whether citizens are fearful or hopeful, and on what these feelings are based. For more on this, Channel Africa's Thuto Ngobeni spoke to CEO at Meraki Research, Frances MacMahon.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance - says the crisis caused by Covid 19 pandemic is not just a challenge to public health, but to global democracy. The Institute says the destruction of life that has been caused by the pandemic has prompted governments the world over to assume emergency powers which raises the spectre of long-term damage to constitutional democracy in particular and the rule of law in general.

Although exemptions to restricted movement during lockdown in South Africa include seeking medical care and purchasing medicine, the reduced availability of public transport and reprioritising of healthcare resources may mean access to healthcare services is practically curtailed. It is believed that telemedicine can offer some reprieve, by allowing patients to consult with healthcare practitioners without either patient or provider travelling or leaving their homes. This is a totally compliant lockdown solution which has recently been given a limited stamp of approval by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. For more on this kind of healthcare practice, Channel Africa's Amanda Matshaka spoke to Erwyn Durman from the law firm Webber Wentzel.

The African Union Development Agency together with various partners will on Monday the 13th of April conduct a webinar and launch a learning management system as part of the response to COVID-19. The AUDA-NEPAD COVID19 response seeks to contribute to efforts to boost local production of essential medicines to combat COVID-19 in Africa. It also seeks to galvanise African governments and private sector players on the continent to develop the Pharmaceutical sector and discuss best practices to combat COVID-19. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Amanda Matshaka spoke to Dr. Janet Byaruhanga is Senior Programme Officer for Public Health at the AUDA-NEPAD Agency.

Today marks World Health Day, which comes at a time when the globe is faced with a public health crisis of unprecedented proportions. COVID-19 is not only claiming tens of thousands of lives, but also testing healthcare systems all over the world, and people's health in general. Interestingly, the emergency is also forcing people to be more cognisant of simple hygiene practices such as regular handwashing to keep them free of disease, while forcing others out of unhealthy habits such as reducing or quitting smoking which makes the more vulnerable. For more on this, Channel Africa's Amanda Matshaka spoke to Racey Muchilwa from the pharmaceutical company Norvatis South Africa.

Even with coronavirus, humanitarian work has to continue in Africa where the needs have already been huge, from people displaced by wars that continue unabated to preventable child killer diseases such as cholera and measles. With this in mind and racing against time, aid agencies are adapting their operations to help governments in Africa scale up interventions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. Africa has been the continent least affected by the pandemic so far, but if measures to contain the virus are not taken immediately, it could be more devastating for the region's people and health-care systems. For more on this, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Crystal Wells of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The mounting threat from the coronavirus, COVID-19 is the latest challenge facing battered health services in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a report released this week, UNICEF says ongoing efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country have diverted attention and resources from already weak healthcare facilities which are dealing with several deadly endemic diseases. For more on the situation in the DRC as it now battles with COVID-19 Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to UNICEF's Simon Ingram.

Over a thousand South Africans remain stranded abroad by all the travel restrictions and lockdowns which governments have been frantically imposing in response to COVD-19. The traveller's have been pleading for assistance from diplomats in the nations where they are stuck, with mixed results. They have now appealed to South Africa's International Relations and Co-operation minister, Naledi Pandor to help them get back home, ChrisMarie van Heerden is among many South Africans stranded in Vietnam.

Sierra Leone has overturned a ban on pregnant girls attending school, in a victory for human rights activists who had fought against it for five years. The decision follows a judgment last December, by a top regional court that ordered the immediate overturn of the ban, which effectively barred tens of thousands of girls the right to finish their education. The West African country introduced the ban in 2015 after a rise in rape, abuse and poverty during the deadly Ebola outbreak fuelled a spike in teenage pregnancies.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has urged citizens to stay disciplined to help overcome the coronavirus outbreak as the number of cases and deaths rose. Tebboune says the government is still able to handle the situation despite a fall in energy earnings which is the main source of the state's finances. The North African country is planning to spend $100 million to import equipment including 100 million masks from China in addition to a local production of 90,000 masks per day.

Children usually rejoice during a break from school, assuming it will be a chance to slack of. But this is time, with the spread of the new coronavirus which has forced governments around the world to impose a lockdown in response, more than a billion children out of school are going through a severe test. This as they are trapped in their homes, with visiting their friends or going to the movies not even an option. To reflect more on this difficult period for children and what parents can do to help, Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo spoke to James Elder of the UN child agency, UNICEF.

Lesotho is among the few African countries that have not yet confirmed a case of COVID-19. The country however, relies on South Africa to help with testing as it does not have the capacity to do so. The mountain Kingdom this week joined many other nations into a lockdown, amid some Basotho not convinced that coronavirus is real. A top official in the country may have also caused further confusion around the virus through remarks about HIV treatment possibly helping cure COVID-19. More from a journalist in the country Rose Moremoholo.

Since 2000, the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI has proved instrumental in responding to both long-term disease transmission as well as responding to rapid outbreaks. Gavi helped facilitate wider access to 300-thousand investigational doses of the recently approved Ebola vaccine. To reflect on the work of GAVI in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic that has brought the world to its knees, claiming tens of thousands of lives, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Managing Director of Country Programmes at Gavi, Thabani Maphosa

It was a chaotic day in Lesotho, as the mountain kingdom tried to enforce a three weeks lockdown to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The stay-at-home order came into effect on Monday and is scheduled to last until the 21st of April. The tiny country has not confirmed any case of cronavirus so far, but it is landlock by South Africa which is battling an increase of confirmed cases, now sitting at over 1300 and three deaths. For more on how Basotho reacted to DAY 1 of the lock down, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to a journalist in the country - Rose Moremohlo - who described a disorganized situation made worse for people who still have to provide essential services, due to transport curfews...

Lesotho has joined many other nations in declaring a lockdown which came into effect at midnight and scheduled to last until the 21st of April. The mountain kingdom landlocked by South Africa has not recorded any confirmed cases of COVID-19. The country relies on South Africa to help with testing as it does not have the capacity to do so. For more on how Basotho are responding to prime minister Tom Tabane's decision to also institute a lockdown. Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo spoke to a journalist in the country, Rose Moremoholo.

South Africa today woke up into a new reality, the first day of the 21 day- national lockdown to help contain the spread of COVID-19 cases. Sadly, the country this morning reported its first deaths related to coronavirus, one at a public hospital and one at a private hospital. While many citizens are obliged to stay at home, those providing essential services have been allowed to continue going to work. As part of those still providing essential services, Channel Africa's morning current affairs team shared their experience driving to work on day one of the Lockdown. Here's Luyanda Maome the producer and reporter Jane Rabothata.

South African based financial services group, Momentum Metropolitan, has partnered with Government and the National Department of Health to provide financial support for the various initiatives aimed at preventing and containing the impact of COVID-19 . The country currently sits with over 700 confirmed cases of COVID-19, amid government imposing stringent measures to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Jwalane Thulo spoke to Damian McHugh, Executive Head of Sales and Marketing at Momentum Health Solutions.

Health professionals are encouraging South Africans to find ways of boosting their immune systems in order to reduce their vulnerability to viruses including COVID-19. Research has shown that people who don't get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Dr Robert Daniel, a Specialist Ophthalmologist in the country.

As the world intensifies efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN child agency, UNICEF is warning against a repeat of the mistakes of the big Ebola outbreak in West Africa. After the 2014-2015 outbreak, the number of children under-five who had died from other illnesses was more than the number of children who died from Ebola. This was due to the overwhelming of health facilities, which meant children could not find care for preventable diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Gabriele Fontana, UNICEF's Regional Advisor for Health in Eastern and Southern Africa..

Save the Children South Africa, is calling on parents, guardians and caregivers to be extra cautious to ensure that children are protected from COVID-19. Children are particularly vulnerable because they like to touch and taste the world around them. They often do not understand health advice and tend to have weaker immune systems than adults. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Steve Miller, CEO of Save the Children South Africa....

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc globally, the UN child agency, UNICEF, says its work to provide children with health, education and nutrition has never been more critical. The agency however maintains that it is counting on donors to continue supporting its mission for those most vulnerable. Hundreds of millions of children have been forced to stay away from school, with South Africa adding to the numbers this week, following government's announcement of early school closure as one of the measures to curb the spread of the virus. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Gabriele Fontana, UNICEF's Regional Advisor for Health in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Early school holidays can wreak havoc with childcare arrangements and many working parents having to make urgent plans in order to ensure that their children are looked after. On Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a state of disaster which enables the country's Government to introduce far-reaching measures to deal with COVID-19. One of the measures introduced by Ramaphosa is the closure of all public schools from today until 14 April. So how should employers treat the absence of working parents who are forced to look after their children ? To help us answer this question, Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Lusanda Raphulu, Head of Employment and Benefits Practice at the law firm Bowmans.

Parents and Early Childhood Development practitioners in South Africa are frustrated by the order to also close ECD centres in compliance with president Cyril Raphosa's announced measures to stem the outbreak of COVID-19. Ramaphosa has prohibited gatherings of more than 100 people and has also ordered the early closure of schools for the first term, until the Easter weekend. For the first time, ECD centers and partial care facilities will also be shut down. Elaborating on concerns around this move is Abram Kgari, from Khomanani Early Development Forum in Randburg, north west of Johannesburg..

The UN child agency, UNICEF, is supporting the ongoing deployment of extra capacities from government and NGO partners to the 25 most vulnerable districts across Zimbabwe. They aim to reach nearly twenty-thousand acutely malnourished children with life-saving support. Zimbabwe is facing a food crisis that has seen international appeals for humanitarian assistance. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata has more....

The locust invasion in parts of East Africa is an under-reported emergency that threatens food, health and jobs for millions of people. Over-shadowing the crisis is the deadly coronavirus pandemic that's bringing the global community to a standstill. However, the United Nations and international aid agencies are warning of a looming catastrophe, if the locust plague continues to receive little attention. Jane Rabothata reports.

The South African government will be receiving donations from at least two countries to help address concerns around the coronavirus. Sixteen cases have been confirmed in the country so far. The newly recorded cases were of patients who recently travelled from countries including Turkey, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. The United States and Germany have both pledged money to South Africa in a bid to curb the spreading of the virus…

Togo's National Assembly has summoned opposition leader Dr. Agbéyomé Kodjo to the National Assembly for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government of Faure Gnassingbé. Agbéyomé, who continues to contest the February 22 Presidential election results, is being accused of endangering state security by appointing a Prime minister and a Minister of foreign affairs. Kodjo received 18% of votes in last month's election compared to Gnassingbé's 72%of the vote. For more on this, Channel Africa spoke to Professor Aime Gogue, Togolese political commentator, and one of the presidential candidates in last month's election. He says the government wants to silence Kodjo through trumped- up charges.

Four outstanding young people have won the Commonwealth Youth Awards for innovative projects that are delivering sustainable development in their countries. The awards recognise exceptional contributions by young people whose ventures are helping their countries achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Research suggests that South Africans may be at greater risk of heart disease and stroke due to the country's "chronically stressed" economy. A study conducted by Harvard University found that nations with poor performing economies are more likely to suffer from heart-related illnesses, which puts SA firmly in the red zone. In the last 30 years, cardiovascular disease rates are estimated to have increased by over a 100% in developing countries where economic growth has typically been poor.

South Africa's women are less likely to own a business, be employed or promoted in the workplace.This must change according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who has committed to focusing on ensuring the economic inclusion of women in South Africa and the continent as Chair of the African Union.

The Africa Centre For Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, is urging African countries to increase their efforts to combat the coronavirus, whose cases on the continent are now on the increase. The Africa CDC says as of the 10th March, the continent had 101 confirmed cases of Covid-19 cases.

More than 800 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in more than 30 US states, prompting several to declare states of emergency. The governor of New York has announced a one mile containment zone in the city of New Rochelle.

More than 300 journalists from 54 African countries gathered in Casablanca Morocco, for the third edition of the Panafricaines. Held under the theme -Climate emergency, African media, actors of change, the two day meeting discussed various initiatives to adapt to climate change including actions carried out by governments or associations from different regions of the continents to mitigate its effects. Maura Ajak a journalist from South Sudan Catholic radio network spoke about how climate change affected her country which experienced unprecedented rainfall and flooding, affecting thousands of people last year.

Former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe says, women are likely to be the hardest hit by the deadly Corona Virus that has to date claimed more than 3300 lives. Motlanthe was delivering the keynote address at the 4th International Women's Day Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Meanwhile, some private hospitals in South Africa have put contingency measures in place following a confirmed case of the virus in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng Provinces.

South Africans living in China says they are afraid of returning home after reading threatening messages on social media from South African citizens in the country. This after, it was announced at the weekend that more than 150 South Africans living in the Chinese city of Wuhan would be repatriated within 10 days. The expatriates will be quarantined for 21 days as a precautionary measure. While many are elated to be returning home, some have opted to remain in China, as a result of the stigma attached to the virus.

Guinea Bissau's political crisis continues to escalate following the failure by the two presidential candidates to agree on the outcome of December's election. While former Prime Minister and military General Umaro Sissoco Embalo was declared winner of the election by the country's electoral commission, the ruling party has rejected the results and is challenging them in the Supreme Court. Despite a pending Supreme Court's decision on a request to annul the election results, Embalo has already sworn himself in as president, while the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde which enjoys a majority in parliament has also installed a rival president who has since resigned.

The new Government in South Sudan faces a daunting array of challenges that will test its unity. That was the message from the head of the UN's mission to that country in a briefing to the Security Council where recent political progress was welcomed by a wide array of the Council's membership. But a precarious humanitarian situation and outstanding issues around transitional security arrangements and the needs of returning displaced persons and refugees could further undermine the Government's capacity moving forward.

South African packaged goods company, Tiger Brands is addressing student hunger in the country's universities, through an initiative named Plates4Days. Launched 10 years ago, the initiative supports over four-thousand students monthly, providing them with food hampers is designed to sustain them for a full month. Although the pogramme is serving an immediate need of ensuring that students receive sustenance, the bigger conversation that Tiger Brands is advocating for, is finding comprehensive solutions to food security at tertiary institutions. For more on this issue, Jane Rabothata spoke to Tiger Brands' Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Mary Jane Morifi...

The global medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders or MSF plans to scale up response in north-western Syria's Idlib province, as tensions reach a new peak. So far more than 948,000 people have been displaced by bombing and shelling on Idlib province since December last year, according to the UN. The camps for displaced people are overcrowded and water and sanitation facilities are inadequate for the large numbers of people, raising the risk of water-related diseases. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Borie La Grange, Director of Communications for MSF Southern Africa.

Aid agencies are warning of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in East and Horn of Africa if funding to tackle the escalating locust invasion isn´t secured now. The region is home to over 14 million people displaced, the majority of whom rely on humanitarian aid to survive. Funding is already short of what is needed to support these communities, without the current locust threat. For more on how the locust plague is worsening the situation, Channel Africa's Zikhona Blom spoke to Ulrika Blom of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Uganda.

The South African Department of Education maintains that it has no intention of changing their course of action when it comes to the rolling out of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Schools, and there would be no opt out for parents who disagree with CSE. Heralded as a champion for CSE, the department's Dr Granville Whittle yet again rubbished claims that CSE seeks to teach pupils how to have sex. Whittle spoke at the recent launch of the Because We Can, youth- driven initiative in Cape Town where he vehemently urged the public to seek clarity on CSE. Jane Rabothata reports..

Zimbabwe's worsening food and broader economic troubles are taking a devastating effect on children. According to the UN child agency, UNICEF, 1 in 3 children in the country are malnourished, which is affecting their growth and development. Manicaland province in the east of Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of malnutrition. UNICEF teams recently visited the area where they witnessed the daily struggles people face not knowing where the next meal will come from. Jane Rabothata reports..

Despite the progressive policy commitments that Southern Africa governments have made to offer young people universal access to Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights information and services, there is slow progress in meeting young people's SRHR. For example, the unmet need for family planning is above 60 per cent in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. In response, a unique coalition of SRHR organisations and faith organisations have developed a joint campaign to promote young people's access to SRHR services in eight countries in the region. The campaign dubbed Because We Can was launched in Capetown on Thursday, and to find out more on this,Zikhona Miso spoke to Patricia de Lora, founder and CEO of Partners in Sexual Health

Governments in Africa are yet again urged to prioritise empowering the youth by advancing their Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights, in order to achieve national economic transformation and development. With that said, young people themselves have made it clear that they are taking the lead in promoting SRHR services. Young leaders across Southern Africa gathered in Cape Town this week, for the launch of a two year regional campaign dubbed Because We Can. Jane Rabothata attended the launch and filed the following report.

“Cooperation between countries can help speed up efforts to win war against drug abuse”

The chorus of calls for apartheid-era crimes to be dealt with is growing louder in South Africa. Some victims and families of those who died at the hands of apartheid police feel the Truth and Reconciliation Commission did not give them recourse and justice. One such victim is Carla Motau - an ANC struggle veteran who lost her husband, Peter, in Swaziland. He was killed in a 1986 Vlakplaas operation. She says while the man who led the operation sought forgiveness from her - there were others involved who weren't held accountable.

The World Health Organization has said it's working in collaboration with the Democratic Republic of Congo's government to prepare the country face any corona virus outbreak. The DRC hasn't recorded any corona virus related case since the outbreak started in China few weeks ago, although people use to travel between the two countries for business and this has created fear among Congolese.

A delegation from the African Union Advisory Board on Anti-Corruption is on a working visit to South Africa to undertake an evaluation mission on the implementation of Anti-Corruption measures. South Africa is a State Party to the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. The Convention requires State Parties to pass legislation and adopt mechanisms and other measures in the fight against corruption and related offences. Members of the board are engaging with various stakeholders involved in anti-corruption work, as part of the implementation review of the Convention in South Africa.

Economic experts have revealed Africa requires more than $2.5 trillion in order to achieve the SDGs in accordance with the African Union's Agenda 2063. This was revealed at the 6th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development taking place in Vic Falls, Zimbabwe. As the conference was slowly coming to an end, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNECA, made a plea for African leaders to be accountable.

Malawi's ruling Democratic Progressive Party -DPP, and the opposition United Democratic Front -UDF, have formed an alliance ahead of elections slated for May, which the winner is set to achieve a threshold of 50-plus-one majority of votes. This comes after the Southern African country's parliament set May 19 as the date for fresh presidential elections, and after a constitutional court nullified last May's ballot results, which incumbent President Peter Mutharika narrowly won. The leaders of the two parties-DPP's Peter Mutharika and UDF's Atupele Muluzi, say they are driven by common values to improve the quality of lives of Malawians. Channel Africa spoke to Jimmy Kainja, Malawian Political Commentator and Human rights activist, who says it was necessary for the two parties to work together for the greater good of the country.

Senate Democrats in the United States are preparing a detailed request of $8.5 billion in emergency funding to combat the coronavirus after complaints that the administration was caught flat-footed in its response to the epidemic. While 57 cases have been confirmed in the United States with zero fatalities, the Centres for Disease Control has alerted Americans to begin preparing for the spread of the virus in the countries. But President Donald Trump hit back at the criticism on twitter, saying the United States was in great shape.

Human Rights Watch says the government of Rwanda should ensure a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the death in police custody of Kizito Mihigo a well-known singer and activist. The organisation says Rwanda's international partners should also call for accountability for Mihigo's death before and during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to take place in Kigali in June 2020. It says Mihigos death adds to the list of disappearances, murders, and suspicious deaths of perceived critics and opponents of the Rwandan government, and the authorities' failure to deliver justice in these cases sends a deliberately chilling message. The Rwanda National Police announced last Monday that Mihigo had been found dead in his cell at the Remera Police Station in Kigali, the capital, in an alleged suicide.

Cameroon has described as irresponsible and unacceptable French President Emmanuel Macrons criticism of the central African states handling of the crisis that has killed over 3 000 people in its English speaking regions. Emmanuel Macron said he was about to exert pressure on Biya to solve the crisis in Cameroons English speaking regions just as he exerted pressure on him to release Morice Kamto, the opposition leader who claims he won the October 7, 2018 presidential election and Biya stole his victory.

Zimbabwe is hosting the 6th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Vic Falls starting from February 24 to 27.The forum, which is already over subscribed from 1500 to more than 3000 delegates from across, the globe will be focusing on all the 17 SDGs and how Africa is fairing or lagging behind.Climate change will be on the agenda and as such the United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mahomed is already in Zimbabwe assessing, some of the challenges the country is facing.

Mass anti-government demonstrations are continuing in Southern Iraq where mass casualties are a reality. Since December 2019, the global medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders or MSF has been supporting local hospitals to prepare for trauma and casualty incidents resulting from violence accompanying the protests. Eben Van Tonder is one of MSF's Southern Africa field workers who has just returned from an assignment in the country's capital Baghdhad.

Researchers of the failed HVTN 702 trial are now concentrating on answering the big question on why the HIV candidate vaccine failed to prevent new infections. As they continue monitoring participants, scientists will be collecting blood samples to study the immune responses that are occurring in a person that has been vaccinated. An independent data and monitoring safety board found that the vaccine tested in the large-scale South African trial also called Uhambo, was ineffective, prompting the announcement of the trial's premature ending, earlier this month. Talking to Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata about the way forward, one of the lead researchers Dr Linda-Gail Bekker began by explaining the un-blinding process, where each participant is now getting to know if they were given the actual vaccine or a placebo which is an inactive ingredient.

While South Africa is not doing too badly with regards to testing people for HIV and keeping them virally suppressed while on antiretroviral therapy, the main challenge is keeping people on treatment. Born with the virus in 1982, HIV Ambassador Ntimbwe Mpamba has an undetectable viral load because of his adherence to treatment. Undetectable levels mean that a person cannot transmit the virus to others, even though copies of the virus remain in the blood. Mpamba was in studio this week talking about how HIV treatment has helped prolong his life. He started by explaining his views on why those on treatment tend to default..

HIV Ambassador, Ntimbwe Mpamba is the longest living person who was born with the virus in Africa. The Zambian national currently residing in South Africa became an activist after publicly disclosing his status in 2010. Speaking to large numbers of people at various events including churches and schools, Mpamba continues to spread the awareness about the virus. He was in studio today talking to Jane Rabothata about living with HIV..

Malawi has been chosen to host a three-day Africa Regional Review Meeting in preparation for the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries, (LCDs). The review meeting kicks off on the11th of March in Lilongwe. The meeting will consist of interactive panel discussions with ministers of finance, planning and economic development from African Least Developed Countries and Haiti.

Churches in Zambia have called for a three day national prayer and fasting, to ask for God's forgiveness and guidance in relation to attacks suspected to be connected to ritual activities. Media reports put the number of people killed through mob justice on suspicion of being behind the attacks to eight.

The late Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder, Joseph Shabalala has been described as someone who served South Africa with distinction locally and on international stages. He has been remembered as an outstanding musician, a peacemaker and an amazing man of song. Shabalala was honoured at a memorial service in Johannesburg yesterday afternoon. The internationally acclaimed singer died last week in Pretoria after a long illness.

The United Nations has cautiously welcomed the announcement that a transitional government of national unity will be formed by a February 22nd deadline in South Sudan a major step in ending a five-year civil war.President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar signed a revitalized peace agreement in September 2018 but twice missed deadlines to form a coalition government due to outstanding issues that included the number of states in the country, security arrangements and the integration of rival armed forces.

The United States Secretary of State's remarks that land expropriation without compensation would be disastrous for the South African economy are just the latest comments from the US Government casting aspersions on the process. Addressing Ethiopian business leaders in Addis Ababa, Mike Pompeo, criticized centralized planning in economies pointing to failures in Zimbabwe and Tanzania among others before turning his attention to South Africa. This comes despite efforts by Pretoria to explain the process to American stakeholders including a meeting between the country's chief diplomats in 2018, soon after President Donald Trump tweeted about the matter.

Interventions by the US Agency for International Development, USAID, in communities in southern Zimbabwe are reducing malnutrition. Five years ago Zimbabwe was well known for poor nutrition records with one in every four children affected with chronic malnutrition. This was revealed in capital Harare by the US Embassy at a transformation review meeting with small-scale farmers from Matabeleland.

The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has finished his trip to Africa. In his last stop in Ethiopia he gave a speech on the policy of the United States for Africa. This was the first time since he assumed office that he has visited Africa.

South African laws make it almost impossible for refugees to obtain legal documents. This is according to refugees at a centre in Johannesburg. The SABC visited the centre and learnt that even renewing existing papers is difficult. The refugees have also complained about difficulties with integrating into society. This comes after the Cape High Court's decision that foreign nationals camping outside the Central Methodist Church in Cape Town should be removed. The more than 600 foreign nationals moved into the church after they were evacuated from the pavement in front of the UN Commission for Refugees in Cape Town last year.

Cameroon says children and women killed in the English speaking North Western Village of Ngarr-buh were victims of collateral damage when the country’s army invaded homes. The government says 7 of the people killed were rebels but NGOs insist the killings are similar to a 2016 incident in which two women, a child and a baby were shot dead by Cameroon army in the war against Boko Haram,

Malawi's quasi-religious group called the Public Affairs Committee, PAC, has resumed dialogue talks with President Peter Mutharika, his rival Lazarus Chakwera, and the chairperson of the electoral commission, Jane Ansah. The talks, according to the PAC, are aimed at bringing peace ahead of fresh presidential elections as ordered by the Constitutional Court earlier this month.

More children and youth will be living in urban areas and cities, than in rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, by 2050. However, the biggest proportion of urban population will reside in secondary towns of 300,000 people or less. At the recently held 10th World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi, the UN's child agency (UNICEF) and the agency for human settlements (UN-Habitat) urged governments to focus more on developing secondary towns. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to UNICEF's Dr Samuel Godfrey....

The ad hoc commission formed to de-escalate tension between Uganda and Rwanda has recommended that Rwanda reopens its border. This was during a meeting of the Commission in the Rwandan capital Kigali, where the delegations from Uganda and Rwanda also agreed that both countries should respect the human rights of its nationals. The recommendation, according to the joint statement has been forwarded for consideration in a meeting between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame on Friday.

African researchers, policy makers, politicians and advocates are this week meeting in South Africa's Cape Town city to try to rid the world of viral hepatitis, which is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Countries represented include among others, South Africa Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda, Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal and Mauritius.

Rules governing the awarding of Nobel Prizes have poured cold water on efforts to have the joint awarding of the Peace Prize to former apartheid era president FW De Klerk withdrawn. Various groups and parties, including the Economic Freedom Fights in South Africa have made calls for the Nobel Committee to revoke the prize after comments by De Klerk saying he didn't believe Apartheid was a crime against humanity.

Researchers are continuing to monitor participants of the HVTN 702 trial in South Africa, following last week's announcement that the HIV candidate vaccine that was tested has proven to be ineffective. According to Community Liaison Officer, Cynthia Mpongo who works at the Emavundleni Clinical Research Site in Cape Town, participants are also not losing hope and are still willing to be monitored, even though the vaccine will no longer be administered. Mpongo spoke to Channel Africa about the reaction of the over 400 participants enrolled at Emavundleni, one of the 14 research sites of the large scale trial conducted across the country..

The global network of young changemakers, YouthLead has announced the new ambassadors who will support various social change and positive youth development activities. South African born, Asonele Kotu, is one of the 22 ambassadors selected from a pool of over 600 applicants from more than 85 countries. Kotu, is the founder of FemConnect, a female contraceptive app launched last year in her country. The women's health startup also come out tops as the winner of the Apps for Africa 2019 competition. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to the YouthLead ambassador about her new role..

The EFF has defended its decision to disrupt President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, saying its actions were "democratic. The disruption began with EFF leader Julius Malema rising on a point of order, saying former president FW De Klerk should not be allowed in the house as he is a murderer. Malema spoke on the steps of the National Assembly building after he and his party members staged a walk-out ahead of Ramaphosa's speech.

The late Ladysmith Black Mambazo frontman Joseph Shabalala, has been described a one of the pivotal figures in music, someone who brought integrity to his craft and in so doing, ensured his legacy as an extraordinary musical leader. Those were among the tributes emanating from the United States where the group holds the record for the most Grammy wins by any African artist or group in the history of the Recording Academy. Sherwin Bryce-Pease spoke to two luminaries in New York, about the impact of Shabalala and his success in ensuring that Ladysmith Black Mambazo became a household name, even outside of South Africa's borders.

As the 2019 novel coronavirus continues its deadly rampage, attention is being drawn to the risks the virus poses to the poorest and most vulnerable nations - particularly in Africa. Medical experts have warned that if the virus also reaches the African continent, it could spread rapidly and undetected because health systems in many regions are too fragile and underfunded to cope. To discuss this further, eSamora Mangesi spoke to Bronwy Nichol, who is a Health Delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Africa.

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution backing the outcomes of last month's Berlin Conference on Libya despite the abstention of Russia. The text endorses the conference conclusions and welcomes the establishment of a Joint Military Commission from both Libyan factions that could agree a permanent ceasefire and open up the space for a much needed political process. It backs calls made in Berlin that all parties, internal and external, abide by an arms embargo established in 2011 and warned that those threatening the stability, peace and security of Libya could face sanctions.

The Authorities in Somalia and the United Nations are calling for urgent humanitarian assistance for more than 5 million of the country's 15 million people. According to the authorities and UN, nearly one million children below the age of five, face acute malnutrition.

At least 50 families in Zimbabwe's Binga district were marooned last weekend following heavy rains and subsequent floods in the area. Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, said bad weather conditions in the area initially prevented an air force helicopter from flying in to rescue the stranded villagers.

Research shows that two out of three South Africans are concerned about gum problems. Gum conditions ranks 2nd only to the common cold in terms of prevalence, with an estimated 90% of South Africans experiencing the problem at some point in their lives. In an effort to address this health problem, the multinational consumer products company Colgate-Palmolive has launched in the country the Meridol range. Since its development, meridol has been tested in more than 100 clinical trials, revealing that it has antiplaque and anti-inflammatory properties. For more on preventing and managing gum disease Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Debbie Last, Professional Relations Manager at Colgate-Palmolive

Almost 40 years on since HIV was first recognised, much still needs to be done to improve understanding of the infection, and to end stigma. In spite of the bullying and criticism Doreen Moracha sometimes faces online for speaking about her HIV status, the Kenyan based motivational speaker is adamant that she will continue reaching out to those who need it most. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata has more..

The conversation about destigmatising HIV should have been had decades ago, when the infection was even less understood. This is a wish expressed by a 27 year old HIV activists from Kenya. Doreen Moracha who was born with HIV to a discordant couple, publicly disclosed her status in 2015 and continues to speak about it as a response against HIV/AIDS stigma. Moracha boldly uses social media platforms to share her story of resilience, strength and hope - with the aim of changing the HIV and AIDS narrative. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata reports....

Newly inaugurated African Union Chair, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa says that the dream of Africa's rich resources being used for the collective benefit of Africans is soon to be realised. Ramaphosa said this in his acceptance speech of the chair role at the AU Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on sunday. He said South Africa will prioritise the promotion of a prosperous and peaceful continent during its one year tenure at the AU's helm.

South Africa has finally welcomed the reigning Miss Universe home. Zozibini Tunzi arrived at O.R. Tambo International Airport to thousands of supporters. It is the first time that she has visited the country after she was crowned with the title in the US in December. Fondly known as Zozi, she's the 68th Miss Universe and only the third South African to be crowned. Tunzi is expected to embark on a week-long homecoming tour across Cape Town, the Eastern Cape Province and Johannesburg.

African leaders gathering in Addis Ababa for the AU Summit, have admitted that the human rights violations on the continent are on the rise. The United Nations says it trusts that South Africa as the chair for 2020, has the ability to encourage the continent to implement human rights.

Today marks International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. Annually observed on the 6th of February, the day seeks to raise awareness on FGM as one of society's harmful practices and call for its total elimination. Globally, it's estimated that some 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM. For more on the effects of FGM, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Justin Coulson, Deputy Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund East and Southern Africa Office..

Harmful cultural practices against women will yet again be under the spotlight tomorrow as the world commemorates International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. Despite years of global advocacy against FGM, the practice remains prevalent affecting an estimated two-hundred million girls worldwide. In an effort to continue raising awareness on the effects of the practice, the United Nations Population Fund or UNFPA and the UN child agency will host a debate at the Women's Jail in Johannesburg's Constitution Hill. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to UNFPA's Justin Coulson about efforts to end FGM..

Scientist are now grappling with the big question as to why the South African trial of an HIV vaccine has behaved differently to a similar trial in Thailand. The early abandonment of the HVTN 702 study, also known as Uhambo was announced this week for failing to prevent infections, a huge setback in the quest to find a vaccine for HIV. Researchers are however adamant that this will not deter efforts to find a vaccine for the infection. For further clarity on the halting of the trial that was due to run until 2022, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to University of Cape Town's Professor Linda-Gail Bekker, who is one of the researchers..

There is fear that the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda may not be realized if the economic situation globally does not change. This is according to “Dr. Kirsten Thompson, the Director of Research at Plus Economics, when she recently presented the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020 report. The Report states that growth of 2.5% in 2020 is possible, but a flare up of trade tensions, financial turmoil, or an escalation of geopolitical tensions could derail a recovery. In a downside scenario, global growth would slow to just 1.8% this year.

Lesotho Non-governmental Organisation -Seinoli Litigation Centre, says it will continue fighting to make sure that communities affected by the construction of Phase- two of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, are compensated. The Organisation wants the communities around the Polihali Dam site, to be compensated for their land before construction of the project begins and to get perpetual royalties. Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a multi-phased project initiated to provide water for Gauteng province in South Africa and to generate hydro-electricity for Lesotho.

Human Rights Watch has released a report which documents how since 2016 the government of Tanzania has cracked down on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, LGBT people and others who are particularly vulnerable to HIV, jeopardizing public health. The global rights group is also concerned about the crack down on media and lawyers since President John Magufuli came into power. In October 2017, for example, Tanzanian police raided a meeting of lawyers to discuss the right to health that had been organised by the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA). The organisation's founder, Sibongile Ndashe and her colleagues were arrested for "promoting homosexuality", and held for 10 days before being released on bail. Ndashe told Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso that ISLA is filing a civil cases in Tanzania...

Ethiopia says it's ready to host the African Union summit in February, despite the fast spreading coronavirus. The Addis Ababa city administration, in collaboration with the ministry of health, has intensified its medical surveillance at the airport. The World Health Organisation has declared the virus a global health emergency. Over 200 people have so far succumbed to the virus. China remains the most affected with over 9500 reported cases.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed to publicly condemn acts of violence by the machete wielding gangs called the "Mashurugwi," who are allegedly aligned to him. Mnangagwa failed to even mention the term 'machete' despite a public condemnation by his deputy Constentino Chiwenga. Mnangagwa was addressing thousands of church followers who had thronged the National Sports Stadium for some prayers called by church leaders....

Some of the travellers arriving at South Africa's O. R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, say the screening for the Corona virus is not an inconvenience but a necessary health precaution. Officials from the national health department and National Defence Force health personnel have started screening international passengers arriving at the airport. Over 300 people are now known to have died from the virus in China. About 100 cases have been identified outside China - including in the UK, US, Russia, Botswana and Namibia.

Botswana has recorded four new suspected cases of Coronavirus. This comes two days after the first suspected case was recorded. According to a statement by the Ministry of health and wellness, all 5 cases were registered at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. The 5 cases were picked up at different times and have been isolated at a designated health facility awaiting laboratory results.

Konica Minolta South Africa, Information and Technology services company is holding a tree-planting ceremony in Soweto, South of Johannesburg to mark the 50 000th tree planted through its ongoing partnership with Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA. Over the past 11 years, the two organisations have planted trees at schools across the country. Late struggle icon Nelson Mandela was passionate about the youth and education - values Konica Minolta SA strongly supports. The company, therefore, decided to plant trees at sites in Soweto related to the country's former president, including his first home in Orlando East. For more on the tree planting event here's Emily Jones, FTFA Trees and Carbon Programme Manager

Research has found that South African women aspire to top management positions even more than men when they enter the workforce. But despite starting their careers motivated, ambitious and confident, they are still not reaching those executive positions. The Businesswoman's Association of South Africa (BWASA) 2017 census revealed that only 22% of board directors and seven per cent of executive directors are women. For more on this baffling and complex phenomenon, we are now joined on the line by Nadia Mohamed, Marketing & Commercial Director at McCain Foods South Africa...

South African Provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, say they are closer to achieving a zero percent Malaria death rate with the use of indoor insecticides. Health MECs Phophi Ramathuba of Limpopo and Sasekani Manzini of Mpumalanga made the announcement during an inter-provincial Malaria campaign at the Willows stadium in Sekororo outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. The two provinces, along with Kwazulu Natal Province, have been identified as Malaria prone.

The Nigerian government has placed all the country's points of entry on high alert in a bid to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus into the country, even as the disease spreads further beyond China. Authorities in Africa's most populous nation says there is no cause for alarm as efforts are in place to handle the risk of the disease.

The United Kingdom Foreign secretary special representative for Climate change Nick Bridge says the UK is privileged to host the 26th session of the United Nations Climate change conference- COP 26, to be held in the city of Glasgow, in November. Bridge is in South Africa to further engage with key South African partners about the significance of COP26 and also gearing organisations to be more ambitious with their climate mitigation efforts. Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele caught up with Nick Bridge, and he began by asking him about the UK's approach as it gears up to host the highly anticipated conference.

Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death in South Africa, with more than eight-hundred new TB infections every day. Health experts say engaging with communities with high TB burden is key to halting transmission of this curable disease. In an effort to help address the scourge, Stellenbosch University in South Africa's Western Cape Province is this week hosting an event which will see scientists interact with learners from Cedar High School of the Arts in Mitchells Plain. The scientists will highlight TB as a health epidemic within the local community, whilst emphasizing the research efforts and inspiring youth to pursue a career in science. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to Dannielle Moore, Communication and Marketing Officer at Stellenbosch University.

The Jewish Society in Zambia say the history of colonialism and holocaust should be a component of education in Africa to promote racial and human equality. The Community believes the rising trend of anti-semitism in some western countries has a potential of fueling hate among ethnic groupings in Africa.

Kibali Gold Mining company which operates a mine in the north-eastern part of the DRC has reaffirmed its support to the country's economy.At a press conference held on Tuesday in the capital Kinshasa, the company management emphasized Kibali's commitment to paying tax, employing local workers and improving social conditions.

The Palestinian leadership at the United Nations has announced that it will work to introduce a Security Council resolution in opposition to the so-called Middle East peace plan revealed by U.S. President Donald Trump this week. The Palestinian Ambassador also indicated that President Mahmoud Abbas would travel to various meetings, including the African Union Summit to lobby support against the plan before addressing the Security Council in the next two weeks. This as the United Nations Secretariat earlier said it remained committed to supporting the conflict on the basis of UN resolutions, international law and bilateral negotiations.

South Africa's Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize, says South Africa is on high alert and fully prepared to deal with the coronavirus. The virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, and since then it has claimed more than 100 lives. More than 5000 cases have been confirmed in China thus far. According to the World Health Organisation coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

The Japanese government has entered into $3 million deal that will see children hospitals in Zimbabwe being revamped. Currently the focus in on Harare Hospital in capital, where various state of the art machines will be provided in line with government's 90-day rapid plan. During the signing ceremony in Harare, the Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Toshiyuki Iwado raised concern at the manner that the country's health sector is deteriorating.

Three Horn of African countries have pledged to join forces in the fight against terrorism.A joint communique from the leaders of Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea- after a meeting in Asmara, says the countries will adopt a Joint Plan of Action with two main objectives of consolidating peace, stability, and security as well as promoting economic and social development in the region. The Horn of African region has been dogged by conflict for years, causing deaths and destruction of property.

Nearly five million children in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger will need humanitarian assistance over the course of 2020, amid a surge of violence in the Central Sahel region. This is according to the United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF is calling for renewed, increased and concerted efforts to curb the ongoing violence and to stop it from spreading into neighbouring countries. For more on this issue, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Aude Rigot, Emergency Specialist at UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office..

Rwanda authorities are seeking to formalize their abusive arrests and detention of some of the country's most vulnerable children under the pretence of rehabilitating them. This is revealed in a new report released by an international rights group. Human Rights Watch is urging the Geneva-based United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is this week reviewing Rwanda, to call for the immediate closure of the Gikondo Transit Center, where children are arbitrarily detained and abused.

Zambian vice President, Inonge Wina, has expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work at the Kazungula bridge project. The multi-million dollar multi-facility project is expected to be handed over for public use in June.

The European Union has threatened to take punitive measures against South Sudan if an inclusive government is not formed in the country on the twenty-second of next month, without the creation of new states as per the new peace agreement. The EU threat comes less than two weeks after South Africa's Deputy President David Mabuza - one of the mediators in a disagreement over fulfillment of the peace agreement, ruled that the issue of new states can be dealt with once the government has been established.

A new report by Human Rights Watch has revealed that Rwanda is detaining and abusing street children at a holding center in the capital. For over a decade, Gikondo Transit Center has served as an unofficial detention facility where street children, street vendors, sex workers, homeless people, and beggars are illegally locked away. The global rights group is urging the Geneva-based United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child which is this week reviewing Rwanda, to call for the immediate closure of the center. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch..

Zimbabwe says it is on high alert for a possible outbreak of the coronavirus that has so far killed 106 people in China - with more than 4000 confirmed cases in China. A small number of confirmed cases have also been found outside China. In light of the disease outbreak, Zimbabwe's Health Minister, Dr Agnes Mahomva, says measures have been put in place to test and quarantine those affected to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey will continue to side with the Libyan people to prevent the conflict-ravaged country from becoming a playground for terrorist groups and warlords. He said this while in Algeria where he launched his three nation tour of African countries. Erdogan's trip to Algeria, also included stops in The Gambia and Senegal, and it comes amid a renewed push by the international community to end Libya's long-running civil war. Turkey-Africa relations have gained substantial momentum since the declaration of Turkey as a strategic partner of the continent by the African Union in January 2008.For more on Erdogan's Africa visit and its significance, Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Turkmen Terzi, Turkish journalist based in South Africa.

Poor education in South Africa is suppressing the ability of children to have better lives than their parents. This is one of the findings of a recent report from the World Economic Forum. The report ranked the country as one of the worst performers in terms of social mobility, education, health and employment outcomes. It has also been reported recently that over 300 schools in South Africa are dropping maths as a subject choice for learners. On the occasion of the second International Day of Education, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Bailey Blake who is the Chief of SPARK Schools, a network of independent & private schools.

Members of the South African Communist Party (SACP), an alliance partner of the governing ANC, picketed outside the United States embassy, in Pretoria on Thursday, to protest against US President Donald Trump's treatment of Iran. The demonstration is in response to America's recent military attack that killed Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani in Iraq earlier this month.

The fight against malaria in Southern Africa has received a new financial boost. This follows the launch of a new grant from what is called the MOSASWA Cross-border Initiative, a sub-regional initiative aligned with the Elimination eight initiative to address regional malaria elimination in Southern Africa, which is supported by the Global Fund's regional grant.

Seventeen-year-old South African climate activist, Ayakha Melithafa, is one of several young activists at the World Economic Forum in Davos, who are putting pressure on governments and businesses to reduce carbon emissions.Melithafa says her passion for climate justice started two years ago when the worst drought on record hit the Western Cape Province. She says the water crisis had a severe impact on her family's household income because her mother is a farmer.

Today marks International Day of Education and this years theme is 'Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace'. According to the UN, the theme highlights the integrated nature of education, its humanistic aims, as well as its centrality to our collective development ambitions. Commenting on the day, President of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, explained that all societies are undermined without quality schooling for all...

The United Nations Security Council will deliberate how best to support the conclusions of the Berlin Conference on Libya after a closed-door briefing by the Secretary General on Tuesday in New York. The Berlin meeting produced a communiqué agreed to by all major world powers including the African Union that calls for a permanent ceasefire in the country, respect for the Security Council mandated arms embargo and a return to a political process among its key resolutions. But as Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports from the United Nations, producing a binding resolution to back the Berlin outcomes could prove a complex exercise.

Schools have opened in Kenya for the first term of the New Year but high levels of food insecurity in urban slums as well in some rural areas in the country have forced many children to remain at home. With the government-led feeding not able to reach all needy cases, one man is stepping in gap offering a cup of millet porridge to at least 3,900 children across the country.

Very few countries have introduced the changes needed to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As the 2030 deadline for the SDGs looms, the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP has begun a three-year global initiative setting up Accelerator Labs in order to tackle the multifaceted development challenges. South Africa is one of 60 Labs serving 78 countries which have been established to achieve this. UNDP will launch the innovative initiative in the country next week in Pretoria. For more on this issue here's Dr Ayodele Odusola, Resident Representative of UNDP

Billionaires have more wealth than 60-percent of the global population. This is according to a new study released on Monday by Oxfam. The global charity is urging policymakers to increase taxes on the world's wealthiest by zero-point-5 per cent over the next decade in a bid to reduce wealth inequity. For more the findings of the report titled "A Time to Care", Zikhona Miso spoke to Basani Baloyi from Oxfam South Africa

The Impeachment Trial of the 45th President of the United States begins later today - where Republican and Democratic Senators are expected to clash over the adoption of a resolution setting the rules for the process. The trial of President Donald Trump is expected to run for six days per week with the first session expected to thrash out an organizing resolution before opening arguments in the process are heard. But as Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports from New York, witness testimony and the presentation of new documentary evidence could prove a sticking point as the two sides square off..

Ugandans living in Rwanda have expressed their satisfaction over how they have been treated in Rwanda over the period of strained relations between the two neighbouring countries. The two East African countries have been accusing each other of meddling into internal matters of either side. This month Uganda released and sent back 9 Rwanda it had detained for more than two years accusing them of espionage.

Zimbabwe is hosting the 6th Africa Regional Forum on sustainable development in February at the Victoria Falls, it has been revealed. The 24th to 27th event will run under the theme: "2020-2030: A decade to deliver a transformed and Prosperous Africa through the 2030 Agenda and 2063 Agenda." Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015, five sessions of the Forum have been held with the last one hosted by Morocco in 2019. This is meant to allow member countries to review their own progress with regards the achievement of the 17 SDGs as well learn from other countries the best practices.

Nigeria and five other West African countries have rejected the use of 'Eco' as the region's common currency. The rejection, which points to divisions among members of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, might result in a face-off with the Francophone countries of the region, which have unilaterally adopted the use of the 'Eco' currency by renaming the French- backed CFA franc. The Eco, like the outgoing franc, will be pegged to the euro and it will eliminate the requirement for members to lodge half of their reserves in the French treasury. Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea rejected The 'eco' currency plans in a joint statement at the end of a West African Monetary Zone meeting of ministers of finance and governors of central banks in Abuja, Nigeria, last week. For more on this,

2020 marks the beginning of the UN's Decade of Action, a final push to hit the goals of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, and also the 75th anniversary of the Organization. In an interview with Conor Lennon from UN News, Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General, outlined the many reasons to be positive about the impact the Agenda is having on people's lives, and the momentum that is growing around the world. Mohammed accepted, however, that progress towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals has not been as fast as hoped.

Father John Wotherspoon, a Catholic priest working in a prison chaplain in Hong Kong, is on a mission to find redress for Kenyans held in Hong Kong prisons over drug trafficking. As the country's authorities fail to curb the flow of drug mules arriving in the city, Father Wotherspoon has started a campaign to raise awareness on the number of Africans locked up in prisons abroad. He also intends to make potential couriers think twice before being lured and used as drug mules. Most of the drug mules in Hong Kong prisons are Kenyan women, who are mothers serving 15 to 20 year prison sentences.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, is calling for a more agile and effective response to climate change and violence which continue to trap millions in near constant crisis in the Horn of Africa. Following his recent visit to the region, ICRC President Peter Muarer said people in Ethiopia, Somalia, and other parts of eastern Africa are increasingly caught between deadly extremes. Thousands of people are displaced each day from their homes by climate shocks or violence. For more on the situation, Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to ICRC head of delegation in Ethiopia, Julien Lerisson.

Fifty two years after his assassination Dr. Martin Luther King's family says his legacy still lives. This amid a chapter of divisive American politics and undercurrents of racism. Today is Dr Martin Luther King Junior Day in the United States. It's held annually on the third Monday of January. The late American civil rights leader championed justice and equality for black Americans from the 1950's, until his death in 1968.

Police in Lesotho are appealing for help to trace Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's current wife who they want to question over the 2017 murder of his estranged wife. Maesaiah Thabane has not been charged, but police want to speak to her about Lipolelo Thabane's killing. She was shot dead two days before Thabane was sworn in as prime minister of the mountain kingdom. Last week Thabane announced to his party that he will step down.

The first ever investment summit between the UK and Africa starts today in London. Members of the British royal family and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson will welcome leaders, businesses and international organisations from over a dozen African countries as the UK seeks to establish closer ties with the continent post-Brexit. However South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa won't be in attendance in "order to give attention to pressing domestic priorities.

The South African Department of Social Development has opened its Gender-Based Violence Command Center to matriculants who may be anxious about their results. The matric class of 2019 will receive their results tonight, and reports of depression and suicide tend to be on the increase during this time. The Department urges matriculants and their parents to make use of the Command Centre to receive counselling and support from trained Social Workers. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to the department's spokesperson, Lumka Oliphant.

Over two million people in Zambia remain severely food insecure as the Southern Africa nation wrestles with a devastating drought. The United Nations World Food Progamme, WFP is appealing for urgent funding to help prevent a looming famine. For the first time in more than a decade, WFP has started distributing food relief to some of the country's worst hit areas. Channel Afriica's Jane Rabothata spoke to WFP Deputy Country Representative, Jayoung Lee

International law expert Garry Einsberg says the United Arab Emirates must play its part to have the Gupta brothers, who are facing arrest in South Africa, extradited back to the country. This comes as Justice and Correctional Services Minister is on an international mission to persuade the UAE to extradite the Gupta brothers. The Guptas have been implicated in widespread corruption in South Africa.

Zimbabwe's Election Resource Centre (ERC) an NGO whose mandate is to carry an oversight and advocacy role during elections has launched an Election Reform Barometer.The Barometer is a tool that is meant to cover the 2019 to 2024 election cycle - in a bid to improve the quality of polls in the country.

The South African city of Durban has often been thought of as a surfer's paradise, with golden sandy beaches, big rolling waves and a subtropical climate all adding to its appeal. Whilst tourists flock there, the sport hasn't always been open to everyone - both for political and economic reasons. But a charity is aiming to change this by teaching street children how to surf, as the BBC's Andre Lombard reports.

Malawi has ratified the 2014 International Labour Organisation protocol on forced labour, effectively committing to take necessary measures to prevent forced labour, protect victims and ensure access to justice by the victims. Malawi becomes the 42nd country worldwide to ratify the protocol.

Southern Africa's tiny Kingdom, Eswatini is ready to welcome travellers who are making their way there this festive season. Eswatini was recently selected as the number one destination in Africa and top five in the world by Lonely Planet for tourists to explore in 2020. Many South African travellers also visit the country at this time of year.

Gender based violence remains one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. According to the Unite Nations Population Fund globally, an estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. In Botswana, over 67% of women have experienced abuse, which is over double the global average. It is against this backdrop that UN women in partnership with Men Sector this week held a two day social dialogue in the country on prevention of HIV and Gender Based Violence.

The International Federation of the Red Cross, IFRC says a big lesson for 2019 was the realisation of the present daily reality of climate change and its dreadful consequences. From powerful storms and floods in Southern Africa, bushfires in Australia and the most recent most intense tropical cyclone to hit the Bahamas, the world is definitely seeing the fist of climate change. The IFRC says its time that climate change is seen for what it really is, a clear and present danger today. Jane Rabothata reports

The number of men who smoke tobacco is on the decline for the first time in history, marking a shift in a global epidemic that has killed tens of millions of people over decades. This is according to a new report published today by the World Health Organization. The health body says the change in global smoking trends shows that governments' efforts to control tobacco are working. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Director of WHO's Department for Health Promotion, Dr Ruediger Krech

Political analysts in Zimbabwe have warned that the arrest of Mary Chiwenga, the wife of Vice-president Constantino Chiwenga could expose corruption in government. Mary, a former model was arrested during the weekend over alleged fraud and money laundering, and now faces an additional charge of attempted murder. She has been remanded in custody until December 30.

African leaders have been urged to allocate more resources and investment to the education sector for the continent to achieve the envisaged economic development. The call was made at the Basic education teachers union of Zambia Annual General Meeting in Livingstone. The meeting that drew participation from sister organizations from the neighbouring states, was also marking the union's 20th Anniversary.

The non-profit initiative, Goodbye Malaria, has called for people to remember that mosquitoes and rain are the best of friends.It's summer time in Africa. As the continent heads into the holidays over December and January, the rainy season rears its stormy head, bringing with it malaria-carrying mosquitoes. To discuss this further, Samora Mangesi spoke to Sherwin Charles, co-founder of Goodbye Malaria nitiative ...

The community of Velddrif in Western Cape in South Africa commemorated World AIDS day with a particular focus on raising awareness on HIV among young people. The country is making significant progress in scaling up HIV testing and increasing viral suppression in patients receiving treatment. However, particularly concerning are the high rates of new HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24, with an estimated one-thousand-five-hundred acquiring HIV every week. At the AIDS day event last week, Jane Rabothata spoke to Patricia Mandlana, a facility based councilor at Velddif clinic about efforts to prevent new infections and promote testing among young people.

Young people in Velddriff, in the Western Cape province of South Africa are taking the lead in helping their peers overcome social ills such as teenage pregnancy and HIV. This, with the help of Partners in Sexual Health, a non profit organization that seeks to advance social justice. According to PSH, there will be greater impact if the youth themselves are proactive in efforts to address issues that directly affect them. Jane Rabothata recently attended a World AIDS Day Event in Velddrif and filed the following report…

South Africa is missing the biggest link in fighting Gender Based Violence, and that is family. This is according to the non-profit organization, Partners in Sexual Health. PSH however welcomes the recent launch of the 365 day campaign against GBV in the country as an extension of the annual 16 days of activism, which ended last week. Jane Rabothata reports…

There have been mixed reactions to Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari's announcement that Nigeria will grant visas on arrival to all African travelers starting in January next year. The announcement comes five months after Nigeria signed a deal aimed at promoting free trade on the continent. But Buhari's critics accuse him of being a protectionist, undermining the vision of pan-African unity as he has kept Nigeria's land borders with all its neighbours closed since August, making it impossible for businesses to do cross-border trade by road.

The UN is committed to fighting corruption, a phenomenon that affects all countries in one way or another, through the work of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The United Nations Convention against Corruption is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument, and a unique tool for developing a comprehensive response to a global problem: The vast majority of United Nations Member States are parties to the Convention. Ahead of a conference in Abu Dhabi, to discuss issues relating to the Convention,

One of the major challenges in eradicating the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the threat from numerous armed groups preventing health teams from reaching at-risk communities. In an interview with UN News's Daniel Johnson, Dr. Michel Yao from the World Health Organization explains how the agency is deploying helicopters to remote areas, as it adapts to the volatile situation.

While South Africa has made significant strides in responding to the HIV epidemic, men are still hesitant to get an HIV test and some pregnant women are not screened. This is a concern raised by Dr. Sindi van Zyl, a physician in the country and Radio DJ known for using social media to share HIV-related, mental health and other medical information. Speaking to Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata recently, van Zyl also urged the public to better take care of themselves during the festive season, and advised those living with HIV to remember to take their treatment wherever they are traveling to...

African countries have made significant strides in advancing human development, gaining ground on primary education and health. But a new generation of inequalities is opening up that, left unchecked, threatens to undermine further progress and make it harder for those already behind to catch up. So finds the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, in its 2019 Human Development Report, titled "Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: inequalities in human development in the 21st century." To discuss further on the findings of the report, Dr Ayodele Odusola, Resident Representative of UNDP, spoke to Khumbelo Munzhelele on the line...

The Tanzanian government has refuted reports saying that it has withdrawn its membership of the Arusha-based African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. The country's Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, says his country was only asking for a review of a protocol it believes is contentious.

Sudan's Prime Minister has begun a critical visit to the United States this week where he will seek a roadmap from Washington on ending decades of sanctions against his country. Abdalla Hamdok was sworn in as Prime Minister in August after months of mass protests led the military to remove long-time authoritarian leader President Omar al-Bashir from office. The former high-ranking United Nations Economist now leads a reform-minded government that seeks to normalize their international relations; key among those Sudan's removal from the US list of State Sponsors of Terror.

Volunteerism opens doors and impacts peace and development throughout local communities, as well as on a national and global level, according to the chief of UN System Affairs and New York Office of UN Volunteers (UNV). Naoual Driouich said, in an interview with UN News ahead of International Volunteer Day that will be marked on Thursday. She knows her way around the UN system, having previously served with UN Women and the UN Development Programme, UNDP, in Iraq, Yemen and other hotspots, seeing "first-hand" the difference volunteering can make.

Members of the private sector in Africa and international partners have pledged to assist the Democratic Republic of Congo combat the Ebola Virus. In an event organised by the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, they have pledged over $55 million and other assistance in kind.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS,UNAIDS, says Malawi will be able to meet the 90-90-90 HIV and Aids targets by 2030. This comes a year after the country was last year named among six locations in the world that have registered a dramatic reduction in HIV incidences and mortality through crucial policy changes. The other locations were London in the United Kingdom, New South Wales in Australia, Rakai in Uganda, San Francisco in USA and Thailand.

South Africa's Competition Commission has given mobile phone companies Vodacom, and MTN, two month to reduce mobile data prices by 30 to 50% or face prosecution. The commission says an international benchmark found that mobile data prices in South Africa are excessive. The commission released the final report on data services market inquiry on Monday.

Services remained paralyzed on Monday in the DRC's North Kivu Province and in several catholic schools in South Kivu province. This after a strike called by civil society groups to demand the UN mission to leave the country. Some people are accusing the Monusco of failing to protect civilians and supporting the national army.

Young people from around the world are sharing their concerns about the future and call for greater action on climate change. This as world leaders convene in Madrid this week for the United Nations climate summit, COP25.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is celebrated every year on the 2nd of December. The day is an occasion to reflect on the ills of modern-day slavery which prevails in the form of child labour, forced marriage, and human trafficking among others. The International Labour Organisation, ILO estimates that over forty million people around the world were victims of modern slavery in 2016. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to ILO's Forced Labour senior specialist, Luiz Machado

Although the world is at the cusp of making great gains in the battle against HIV/AIDS, the UN child agency UNICEF is cautioning against the neglecting of testing and treatment initiatives for children and adolescents. According to a UNICEF regional snapshot on children and HIV, 1.8-million children and adolescents aged 0-19 are living with the infection in Eastern and Southern Africa - a region which remains the epicenter of the epidemic. Critical needs include improving HIV testing, treatment and viral load suppression among this vulnerable group.

UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, says Zimbabwe could be on a knife-edge and slowly moving towards the last stage of starvation due to man made errors. Elver says Zimbabwe is among the top four countries in the world with serious starvation owing to conflict and that Zimbabwe is the only country not in a war situation. At least 7.7 million citizens more than half the total population, including those in cities are in urgent need of food assistance.

Hundreds of people have been killed by devastating floods that have hit large parts of East and central Africa. It follows days of torrential rain - caused by a once in a decade weather phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole which is expected to bring more rain in the coming days. Around 40 people died in the Democratic republic of Congo, nine, including six children, were killed in Djibouti while in Eastern Kenya over 50 are thought to have died.

The International Monetary Fund, IMF, has given Malawi $40-million in direct budget support, the first time this has happened since the plunder of public financial resources, named the cashgate scandal, six years ago.This after Malawi last week, passed the IMF test as the fund's Executive Board of Directors approved resources to support reconstruction efforts after the devastating Cyclone Idai. The board also met to complete the second and third reviews of the three-year Extended Credit Facility, ECF, programme with Malawi, an arrangement which is worth $112-million.

The African Union is pushing for the implementation of its own African Humanitarian agency. Currently the continent largely depends on the United Nations for humanitarian assistance and response. But funding for the project remains an issue.

The Foundation for Human Rights, FHR, in South Africa has undertaken to partner with communities to tackle the nation-wide scourge of gender-based violence, GBV, by developing and piloting a community-centric model promoting community agency and ownership. The pilot model called Masibambisane, builds on other existing models that take a zero-tolerance approach to addressing GBV in various communities. The communities involved in this pilot are Orange Farm in Gauteng, and Tonga in Mpumalanga both of which are communities known for high levels of GBV. Channel Africa's Lulu Gaboo spoke to FHR gender coordinator Rumbidzai Chidoori...

South Africa's Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, has launched a fixed dose combination anti-retroviral called TLD in uMthwalume in KwaZulu-Natal Province. The new regimen is believed to have fewer side effects and offers less resistance. Ugu is one of three districts in the province that looks set to attain their UNAIDS 90-90-90 target by December 2019. Nonjabulo Mntungwa-Makamu reports…

Donkey farmers in the East African region want Kenya to ban trade in donkey hides, following increased poaching that threatens to decimate their population in the region as they are slaughtered to meet rising demand for a traditional Chinese medicine. There are four slaughter houses in Kenya with a combined average of 1000 donkeys a day, with estimates by the Kenya Agricultural and Research Organisation, KALRO, indicating that in the last three years over 350-thousand donkeys have been slaughtered in the country.

South Africa's state arms manufacturer Denel says it stands to lose billions of rands in orders of conventional arms due to stringent conditions attached to such sales. This is due to a requirement that countries who buy arms should issue an End User Certificate guaranteeing that these arms will not be transferred to end users who could use them to violate human rights. Countries in the Middle East, where the company expects the largest orders, are refusing to issue these certificates, saying it violates their sovereignty.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and visiting Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Rutte, have agreed in a meeting to continue to work together to improve bilateral trade volumes between the two countries as well as private sector investments. At a summit between the two leaders at the State House in Abuja, Buhari and Rutte also reiterated their commitment to the fight against human trafficking, appreciating the close collaboration between both countries in supporting the victims.

Sex workers are yet again sounding the alarm on the discrimination and violence from both state and the public they continue to face because of their work. This as the world gears up to commemorate AIDS day on the 1st of December, to reflect on the progress and challenges in responding to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Sex workers are one of the key populations that record high numbers of infection, mainly because they remain marginalized in public health care. This despite research showing that decriminalization of sex work could help reduce HIV infection by 46 per cent. Jane Rabothata reports..

The International Conference on Population and Development, has stepped up with specific and concrete commitments to raise the 264 billion US dollars needed to achieve world transformative goals. Although some countries such as the US, Iran and Jordan have opposed some of the summit's agenda, the Nairobi summit has been hailed as a huge success by its conveners. ICPD 25 was held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, organised by the UN Population Fund, and the government of Denmark. Jane Rabothata attended the three day event and filed the following report.

Young people attending the International Conference on Population and Development - ICPD - in Kenya earlier this month, vowed to make global leaders and all stakeholders accountable to their bold commitments to advance sexual reproductive health services. The Nairobi Summit attended by over seven-thousand delegates promised to accelerate progress in reducing maternal mortality, addressing the unmet need for family planning and ending gender based violence among others. Jane Rabothata attended the conference and spoke to Eveyln Odhiambo, a youth advocate for sexual reproductive health and rights in Kenya.

The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo is no more welcome in the country's eastern province of North Kivu, as more killings by Allied Democratic Forces are reported in the Beni area. Citizens have intensified protests since Monday in Beni and on Tuesday in both Butembo and Goma to demand Monusco's departure, as they accuse the mission of failing to protect them and neutralize the ADF.

Malawi has introduced carbon tax on vehicles as the southern African nation seeks to implement targets under the Paris Agreement on greenhouse-gas emissions. This became effective on Monday in line with the current national budget approved a month ago by parliamentarians.

When people and communities affected by HIV are engaged in decision-making and HIV service delivery, new infections decline and more people living with the disease gain access to treatment. That is among the new findings of a UNAIDS report released ahead of World Aids Day on December 1st. The report titled, Power to the People also finds that of the almost 38 million people living with HIV, over 24 million were accessing treatment more than double the number on treatment in 2012 resulting in fewer people dying from the disease.

There was pandemonium in the Zimbabwean capital Harare on Tuesday following a security glitch that left hundreds of people stranded as planes could neither leave nor land. The security breach left Zimbabweans shaken owing to fear that a repeat of the November 2017 coup was repeating itself. Meanwhile government has refuted claims of a coup and said the challenge was as a result of a change of shifts while exposing the tower personnel.

Aqua Air Africa is this week launching Africa's first atmospheric water generating plant in Pretoria, South Africa.The plant will tackle the scarcity of potable water in the country. 10 000 litres of water will be produced from air per day with plans to further scale up the plant to 1 million litres of water daily.

Political parties in the South African parliament have come out in support of an equity partner for South African Airways. During a debate on the impact of the strike at the airline last week, parties said it was unsustainable that taxpayers continue to pump money into the entity. Most have supported the call for an equity partner to be found while others have called for its outright privatisation.

Media practitioners and bloggers from the Southern African Development Community and East Africa, are not happy with proposals by their governments on the regulation of the media, especially online publications. The journalists were in the Zambian capital Lusaka for a Regional Consultative meeting on the impact the internet regulations will have on citizens.

The Zimbabwean government has promised to restore passport production following years of challenges due to economic meltdown. Zimbabwe is unable to produce enough passports due to the shortage of foreign currency thereby creating a huge backlog. As such corruption is now very rife as registry officials are now charging exorbitant amounts in foreign currency to corruptly produce passports taking advantage of the high demand as well as shortages.

A dispute has erupted in East Africa, over ownership of a dry hilly triangular land, bordering Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. South Sudan claims to be rightful owner of the land named after a Paramount Chief, who ruled one of the country's rural areas more than seventy years ago.

Former President Thabo Mbeki has questioned South Africa's policy positions on peace and security on the continent and the world. He was speaking in Pretoria at the Institute for Global Dialogue and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung's roundtable discussion under the theme - South Africa in the World 2019. The event was organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the institute.

Human Rights Defenders in Malawi have vowed to mobilise citizens to take to the streets and protests against land grabs, if government does not reverse alleged sale of Livimbo school in Lilongwe. This after reports that land belonging to Livimbo and other schools has been encroached by property developers. Education says the dubious sales, will affect expansion plans of schools amid the growing population of learners in the country.

With an estimated 7.4 million people living with HIV in South Africa, Deputy President, David Mabuza has called on all sectors of society to work together in the battle against HIV/Aids. Mabuza delivered the keynote address at the extended National Aids Council meeting in Secunda, in Mpumalanga Province. He says while there have been strides made in responding to HIV/Aids and TB, more work should be done to reverse new infections..

The Zimbabwean government has been forced to revisit the 2020 National Budget, following some understatement of Chinese aid by more than $100 million. Following the budget presentation a week ago, the Chinese government has been up in arms demanding answers. China literally forced Zimbabwe to revise it figures during a media briefing in Harare on Friday, the day Vice President Constantino Chiwenga returned after receiving treatment in South Africa and India.

With it's 50 year history, the Gutmacher institute promises to continue producing good data for policy makers to make good decisions around sexual reproductive health and rights for the benefit of all. The leading research and policy think tank focused on sexual and reproductive rights has a new chief executive and president, Dr. Herminia Palacio who joined the the organisation in August. Dr. Palacio was a participant at the International Conference on Population and Development, held recently in Nairobi where issues such as family planing, abortion rights and respect for one's sexual orientation were on the spotlight. Jane Rabothata caught up with Dr Palacio to talk about the work of the Gutmacher Institute..

As World AIDS Day draws closer on December 1st, medical experts have highlighted challenges to ending HIV/Aids and why is HIV infection still so high. In South Africa, some 7.8 million people are living with HIV and approximately four-point-eight million now on antiretroviral treatment. The number of HIV positive people on treatment is at more than four times the amount in the entire US.

South Africa has told the United Nations that no member state is exempt from the obligations of the UN Charter just days after the United States shifted its policy on the illegality of civilian Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Ambassador Jerry Matjila was speaking during the regular monthly meeting on the Palestinian question in the wake of Washington's announcement that settlements in the West Bank we not in their view, per se, inconsistent with international law. This controversial position flies in the face of UN policy and Council resolutions that deem settlements an obstacle to peace, of no legal validity and a violation of international law.

South Africa's governing African National Congress has vowed to discipline its members who voted for Morocco to chair the continental forum of global cities. The governing party says the conduct of its members at the 6th Congress of United Cities and Local Government summit in Durban last week, was inconsistent with its position on Morocco.

The state of the world's ocean is in decline. From overfishing and pollution to climate change, the threats to ocean health are many and varied. That's why the UN Secretary General created a Special Envoy for the Ocean. Ambassador Peter Thomson is the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean.

A three-day Researchers' Symposium on climate change, its effects and how countries, especially those in the Southern Africa can reduce the global phenomenon, is currently underway in Zambia. The Symposium that has attracted four SADC countries and Germany is focused on sharing information on Climate Change with Solar Energy being the core.

Namibia's distribution of fishing quotas could be impacted by the corruption scandal that has resulted in the resignation of the country's fisheries minister, Bernard Esau, last week. Esau and the Minister of Justice, Sacky Shanghala, have both resigned following allegations that they received bribes in return for giving preferential access to Namibia's rich fishing grounds to Samherji, one of Iceland's largest fishing companies. Documents implicating the two ministers were exposed in a leak of thousands of corporate documents.

Growing numbers of South Africans are finding it harder to afford insurance as the country continues to face a sluggish economic outlook. A study by the country's biggest short term insurer - has revealed a majority of corporates and consumers see the challenging economy as the biggest risk to insuring over the next two years. The study polled more than 400 respondents including intermediaries, corporates, commercial entities and consumers.

It is all systems go for the highly-anticipated France-Africa 2020 summit, to be held in Bordeaux, port city of south-western France next year June. The Summit aims to develop new long-term partnerships between the two regions, with the shared ambition of building lasting innovative urban ecosystems that stimulate maximum economic activity for minimal investment, while accelerating the establishment of a structure integrating the economic sectors that form sustainability. Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele sat down with the Secretary General of the upcoming summit, Stephanie Rivoal. He began by asking her about the importance of the conference, and why it will focus on sustainable cities..

Leaders meeting in Senegal for the 6th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security, should seek strong measures to deal with the crisis in Sahel region, that go beyond military solutions, Red Cross said yesterday. Close to 2.4 Million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Western Niger need humanitarian assistance. Patrick Youssef, the ICRC Deputy Director for Africa says with increased armed groups in the Sahel region, access for humanitarian groups in the region is shrinking putting lives at risk. While Niger's minister for defence Karidio Mahamadou called on the International Community to offer financial support to African countries battling terrorists saying the war against terror is depleting development budgets.

The International Criminal Court, ICC, has roped in journalists from Anglophone countries to training on international criminal law. The training is aimed at equipping the media with ICC reporting skills to deal with criticisms that the Hague-based Court only targets African leaders or individuals. The journalists have been taken through processes which the ICC follows before bringing any suspects to a full trial, including what happens next.

Some DRC citizens have criticized President Félix Tshisekedi for his frequent trips out of the country. President Tshisekedi has visited 22 countries since he came to power in January. Those is support of the President's trips abroad say its part of his diplomatic strategy, while some say its waste of the country's resources.

Zimbabwe's former Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara, says that the country needs better election management, the end to polarising politics and better economic policies to recover from the current meltdown. Mutambara made the comments at a symposium hosted by South Africa's International Relations Department in Pretoria. Minister Naledi Pandor delivered the key address - saying that it's important for the SADC region to assist Zimbabwe facilitate economic recovery.

The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014, with estimates from the World Health Organization showing that the disease was the seventh leading cause of death in 2016. Despite this, the UN health body is concerned that some African governments are still not investing enough into the fight against Diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication and regular screening and treatment for complications.

Foreign nationals being housed inside the Central Methodist Church in Cape Town say they are ready to leave the church. Earlier the leadership met with the Human Rights Commission in the Western Cape Province to discuss the way forward. The refugees from various countries like Congo, Nigeria, Somalia and Burundi were evicted from a building housing the UN High Commission on Refugees a few weeks ago.

The African Union Commission has firmly rejected as "blatantly untrue and unsubstantiated" aspersions in the media that the tenure of its former Ambassador to the United States was ended due to pronouncements or opinions she might have shared during her tenure. Ambassador Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao was sent a letter in October from AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki that brought her tour of duty at the top AU official in Washington to an end. The AU Communiqué says it regrets the continued misleading campaign on different media outlets regarding Ambassador Quao's departure arguing that her release was in line with the terms and conditions governing her contract of employment after serving three years as Permanent Representative to Washington.

The situation remains calm in South Sudan. However, verbal attacks continue between President Salva Kiir and his main rival Riek Machar as well as non-signatories to the peace agreement they signed more than one year ago. Anita Panyang, is one of renowned experts on South Sudan. Panyang summed up the situation in Africa's newest nation

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two-thirds of all maternal deaths and the rate of still births annually. This is often seen as an indicator of the quality of care around the time of birth and is said to be more than eight times that of high-income regions. Undermining sexual and reproductive health or SRH services places more women, babies, children and adolescents at risk. One global organisation at the forefront in improving sexual and reproductive health, is the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health, PMNCH. Its recently appointed board chair, the Right Honorable Helen Clark was a participant at the International Conference on Population and Development, which addressed SRH services. At the Nairobi Summit, Jane Rabothata caught up with the former New Zealand Prime Minister who began by explaining her passion for advancing the health of women, girls and children.

Africa's longest beach promenade has been officially opened at the Durban beach front in South Africa. The promenade that overlooks Durban's industrious harbour- is situated along Durban's famous water aquarium park and the Ushaka Marine World - has also attracted investments from local hotels which will create more job opportunities.

South Africa's Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, says the current budget will be enough to start rolling out the National Health Insurance. Speaking at a community engagement campaign in the Harry Gwala District municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Mkhize says NHI aims to improve quality health care for all citizens. During a walkabout at the Christ the King Hospital, the Minister was greeted by a host of challenges that include failing infrastructure and staff shortages.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo says entrepreneurship is a vital component of economic growth. He was speaking at the maiden edition of the Africa Netpreneurship Summit held at the Accra International Conference. The summit was hosted by the Jack Ma Foundation ahead of an annual pitch competition, where ten finalists were selected from across the continent to showcase their talent and business ideas and compete for $1 Million in prize money.

The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has called on citizens to embrace democracy. Monusco call has come as relations between ruling coalition partners - the Common Front for the Congo and the Cap pour le Changement well known as FCC-CACH continue to deteriorate.

Delegates from Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia have been meeting in Lilongwe, for a summit under the Agriculture Transformation Initiative - ATI - to discuss reduction in demand for tobacco and forced child labour in the industry. The summit also looked at ways of helping smallholder tobacco farmers transition to alternative livelihoods.

The United Nations-coordinated conference on population and development has ended in Kenya's capital Nairobi. Over 6,000 delegates from 160 nations, including heads of state, attended the three-day forum to discuss reproductive health rights, ending gender-based violence, and sustainable development. They have committed to end maternal deaths, the unmet need for family planning, gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls by 2030.

Tanzania has released a report showing that elephant numbers have stabilized after the government had lost a "catastrophic" 60% of its elephants in the last five years due to poaching act. The results from the Ministry of tourism and natural resources of Tanzania confirm that the landscape is the most important in Eastern Africa, in terms of elephant numbers and contains the largest population on the continent outside of Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The Nigerian senate is planning to regulate the internet with the new social media bill. The controversial bill, titled; 'Protection from internet falsehood and manipulations bill - is sponsored by Mohammed Sani Musa, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Senator Musa says the bill was aimed at curbing fake news on the internet and is targeted at guiding the users and not to gag media practitioners in Nigeria.

Around 15 countries are preparing to test a technique that sterilizes male mosquitoes using radiation as part of a global health effort to control diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika. In an interview with UN News's Daniel Johnson, Jeremy Bouyer, a UN pest control expert, explains how the process of using radiation on the bugs works.

The former Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda will appeal the 30-year term handed by the International Criminal Court, ICC, for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. It has been reported that Ntaganda's lawyers has already filed the appeal and his lawyers told media that their client was at peace with himself. Ntaganda was convicted in July on multiple charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The sentence is the longest that the ICC has ever handed down. Amal Nassar, the International Federation for Human Rights' Permanent Representative to the ICC says this was a breakthrough conviction for the ICC.

The Gambia has filed a historic lawsuit in the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, seeking to hold Myanmar accountable under international law for State-sponsored genocide against its minority Muslim population, known as the Rohingya. The suit also asks the Court to order Myanmar to cease and desist from all acts of genocide, to punish those responsible, including senior government officials and military officers, and to make reparations to the victims. For more on this, Channel Africa spoke to Alison Smith, Director of International Justice Program at -The NO Peace Without Justice, one of the Non-governmental organisations that are supporting the initiativ.

Planting Moringa trees and selling their products could be one of the solutions to growing the country's economy. This is the outcome of a three-day conference held in South Africa's capital Pretoria, under the theme "the power of Moringa in solving global challenges". Discussions at the conference included topics such as the power of Moringa in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, fuel and energy.

The Central Methodist Church in Cape Town says it remains committed to accommodate about 700 refugees. The Reverend Alan Storey says while the church is concerned that their presence could create a fire hazard, the church has an obligation to assist the vulnerable. The refugees are demanding to be sent to any country where their lives will not be at risk, saying South Africa is no longer safe.

The Business Forum and Business Council have emerged as central pillars of BRICS formation the words of South Africa's President Ramaphosa who joined his counterparts at the conclusion of the business segment of this year's BRICS summit in Brazil. Ramaphosa lauded the strong economic ties between the five leading emerging economies as critical in finding common ground to common challenges. The Presidents of China and Russia also took a veiled swipe at the United States over trade policies that have not only hurt the global economy but also made a stronger argument for the strengthening of BRICS.

The Zimbabwean government in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, has launched AGRINVEST - a tool meant to help transform agriculture in the country. Agricultural experts, say Agrinvest will revamp the sector to become the bedrock of the economy that generates jobs and reduce imports.

Mauritians voted last week in an election that will see Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth vie to win a popular mandate, two years after he was handed the top job when his father stepped down. Nearly a million voters were registered for the parliamentary election. Gender Links says the proportion of women in the Mauritius parliament increased from 12% in 2014 to 20% in the recent elections, which is still well short of the gender parity target in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The organisation has called for urgent electoral reform.

There has been a mixed reaction in Cameroon after President Paul Biya announced that delayed local council and parliamentary elections will finally take place in February 2020. While the opposition argues that the security situation in most parts of the country, especially the conflict-prone English speaking regions cannot permit the elections to be held, the government says the military has installed peace in most of the crisis zones.

The Head of the United Nations Field Office in South Sudan, is visiting the western equatorial region, to assess the situation on the ground, following the postponement of the formation of an inclusive Government of National Unity.

Leaders of malaria-endemic countries across Africa and the Asia-Pacific have pledged to accelerate malaria elimination through domestic funding and by creating an enabling policy environment for the introduction of new tools and access to medicines. The pledge came as public health experts, scientists and researchers joined the Medicines for Malaria Venture in marking 20 years of innovation in malaria medicines and also looking ahead to the next generation of interventions for what remains one of the world's deadliest diseases.

Gender activists say the representation of women in parliament in Mozambique saw a decrease of 2.0 percentage points in the October elections. They say although Mozambique has one of the best performers in the Southern African Development Community-SADC, the failure to achieve gender parity in these elections is a serious setback. Mozambicans went to the polls to elect their president, the national parliament and, for the first time, to vote for the provincial governors on the 15th of last month. In the 2014 national elections, women constituted 39.6% of the national parliament. The proportion of women in the national parliament in 2019 is 37.6% representing a fall of 2.0 percentage points compared to the 2014 elections.

Incidents of using wire snares to poach animals have increased at the Kruger National Park in South Africa. This came out during a meeting between the Park's authorities, tourism monitors and community members residing adjacent the Park. According to the Park, about 10 of these incidents are reported on a daily basis.

Cases of Ebola virus are slowing down in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but it is still way too soon to say the deadly disease is beaten. That's the message from the World Health Organization (WHO), which on Tuesday also hailed the decision by European regulators to green light the production of a new Ebola vaccine. This will help prevent future outbreaks from spreading

The Zimbabwean government has launched a programme that is meant to restore wetlands that have been damaged by illegal settlers. Harare Metropolitan Affairs minister Oliver Chidawu says the mushrooming of properties on wetlands was disastrous to the ecosystem and has threatened to destroy such developments.

Somalia could provide valuable "lessons learned for other mission set ups", according to the UN police commissioner there. In New York for UN Police Week, Meinolf Schlotmann, Police Commissioner of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) said that the country is on a very positive trajectory. He spoke of the close collaboration between UNSOM officers and their counterparts in the African Union Mission in the country (AMISOM), saying the two were working on the ground shoulder-to-shoulder.

A non-profit organisation against men abuse, Men For Real, says South Africa is not doing enough to protect men who are victims of domestic abuse and gender-based violence. The organisation says a high number of men who are being abused commit suicide or end up developing anger that leads them to commit violent crimes including murder. South Africa is counted among the worst countries in the world when it comes to domestic violence and gender-based violence.

Zimbabwean citizens have raised concern over government decision to dismiss nearly 300 medical doctors for taking part in a strike for the past two months. Doctors and nurses have not been reporting for duty citing incapacitation, as their salaries can no longer sustain them. Apart from demands for better salaries, Zimbabwean doctors have also been calling on government, to provide sundry required in all major referral hospitals. Currently doctors are earning less that $100 per months, the lowest in the region.

French companies have announced 20 billion rands of new investment in South Africa with more than 3000 direct jobs to be created in the next 5 years in different sectors which include energy, tourism and retail. The announcement was made at the South Africa's Investment conference which took place in Sandton, North of Johannesburg. The gathering was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa's investment drive to raise R1.2 trillion to improve the country's low economic growth and deal with the 29.1% unemployment rate.For more on the French companies investment pledges, Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Mr Aurélien Lechevallier, French Ambassador to South Africa.

Studies have shown that a child's cognitive ability is the highest predictor of adult IQ. It was previously thought that stunting in childhood was the chief predictor of adult IQ. The studies, hailing from South Africa, Brazil, Guatemala, and The Philippines, further highlight that school completion is critical for increased intellectual ability, and can buffer the effects of early childhood poverty, such as undernutrition. Lethu Kapueja, Manager of the Centre of Excellence in Human Development hosted by Wits University in South Africa explains the work his organization does.....That's Lethu Kapueja, Manager of the Centre of Excellence in Human Development hosted by Wits University talking to Elizabeth Lediga.

For the 28th time, the United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly adopted an annual resolution on the Necessity of Ending the Economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. South Africa joined 186 countries in voting in favour of the resolution as the envoys of the United States and Cuba traded verbal blows against the human rights records in both countries.

Dealing with mental health problems can be a challenge for many developing countries. Ghana's mental health authority estimates that about 40% of the country's population suffers some form of mental illness. But people often lack access to quality healthcare. Now a group of four young men have launched an initiative known as Mind IT, which uses an innovative app. It includes a free short code to screen and diagnose mental illness and to refer patients to the nearest community psychiatric unit.

Nigerians have in the past two months been shocked by the number of people that the police had to rescue from illegal detention centers some of which were masquerading as religious study and rehabilitation centers. Hidden away from the eyes of the public are the atrocities which were only made public after the police were called in to invade the facilities which to say the least are not fit for animal habitation talk less of humans and the situation faced daily by the inmates some of who were forced into the places including others from countries in the Ecowas Region leaves one in doubt of the intentions of the operators of such places. In this special report, Collins Atohengbe says the situation deserve to be properly looked into not just by the local Nigerian security forces alone but by a regional or continental collaboration especially as the war against terror intensifies..

A team of scientists has discovered a new strain of HIV for the first time in nineteen years. The findings show the role next-generation genome sequencing is playing in helping researchers stay one step ahead of mutating viruses and avoiding new pandemics. Abbott Laboratories says it's making this new strain accessible to the research community to evaluate its impact to diagnostic testing, treatments and potential vaccines. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, UNAIDS, there were approximately 37.9-million people across the globe with HIV/AIDS in 2018.

January 2020 will mark 2 years since the passing of celebrated Jazz and music icon -Hugh Masekela. The trumpeter's legacy lives on and this week fans and music enthusiasts will be treated to both a lecture and a festival in his honour. In its fifth instalment and the FIRST since his passing - The 80th Birthday Edition of The Hugh Masekela Heritage Festival boasts a star studded line-up and will reflect on Bra Hugh's final and lasting commitment to African heritage, tradition and identity. It will be held this Saturday at the Soweto Theatre.

As climate shocks intensify, United Nations food agencies urge for more support for Southern Africa's hungry people. The agencies warn that a record forty-five-million people across sixteen nations in the region will be severely food insecure in the next six months. According to the World Food Programme, 245-million US dollars is needed to continue supporting those most vulnerable. For more on this, Jane Rabothata spoke to WFP's Leighla Bowers...

The De Beers Group and Botswana's ministry of mineral resources yesterday hosted a diamond conference in Gaborone. The event is the only diamond specific forum on the African continent, providing a key platform for engagement for the global diamond industry. It was attended by ministers, senior government representatives, business leaders and diamond industry experts to promote and strengthen co-operation. The conference was designed to position Botswana as the centre of gravity for the diamond industry and the benefits it can bring for the rest of the African continent. The theme for this year was "The 4 C's of Success for the Diamond Ecosystem - Collaboration, Consumer Confidence, and Community Cluster Development.

Kenya is betting on its opioids substitution treatment services to stem the spread of HIV/AIDs among people who use injectable drugs, with statistics indicating that at least 18% of those using these drugs are HIV positive. Quitting without a substitute drug is difficult, so the methadone treatment also helps those who are ready to quit according to experts at the clinic.

With the alarmingly high rates of self-harm, suicide and anxiety among children and young people around the world, the UN child agency UNICEF and the world health body, WHO are teaming up to tackle this growing threat. UNICEF and WHO will co-host their first ever conference on the topic in Florence, Italy. The meeting is part of Leading Minds, UNICEF's new annual global conference series to highlight major issues affecting children and young people in the 21st century.

The biggest single sale day on South Africa's shopping calendar, Black Friday, is set to take place on 29 November 2019. Black Friday is a shopping holiday on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, and has seen major growth in Africa with most retailers offering discounts. Retailers have been preparing for months to ensure the smoothest customer experience. Some stores have already started deals and have increased staff to keep up with the expected demand.

Two people were shot dead and several others wounded in clashes between Guinean police and protesters at a funeral march for those killed in recent anti-government demonstrations. Violence erupted as hundreds marched in the capital Conakry carrying coffins of people killed in unrest since mid-October that has shaken the West African country. Demonstrators have taken to the streets over suspicions that President Alpha Conde is seeking to prolong his rule.

Benin authorities have opened an investigation after pirates abducted nine sailors from a Norwegian-flagged boat off the coast of the West African nation. The pirates boarded the vessel, which is owned by Norwegian shipping firm, JJ Ugland, while it was at anchor on Saturday. Owing to the high cases of piracy and sea robbery within the Gulf of Guinea, the International Maritime Bureau has ranked the region as one of the most troubled waterways, after the Gulf of Aden.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and his main rival Riek Machar will meet in Kampala, Uganda on Thursday. The meeting between the two rival leaders, will mainly focus on the outstanding issues and the period of execution of the pre-transitional period. This would be the third face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since the revitalized peace agreement was signed in September 2018 in Addis Ababa.

The United Kingdom has urged journalists from the SADC block to apply for the Chevening Africa Media Freedom Fellowship, which will enable them the opportunity to explore the mechanisms through which public trust can be restored in their reporting. This follows a regional conference on media freedom and democracy, organised by the Institute for Southern Africa, in Malawi's administrative capital, Lilongwe.

The United Nations has selected a Senegalese national serving in its peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the 2019 UN Female Police Officer of the Year. Major Seynabou Diouf of the Senegalese National Police received the award - first established in 2011 - at a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York in recognition of her exceptional contributions as a female police officer in UN peacekeeping and to promote the empowerment of women.

Following threats by the Zimbabwean government to expel the US Ambassador, Brian Nicholas, over social media sanctions fights have divided the two nations further. From the 25thof October the day during which the SADC member countries demonstrated against USA and EU targeted sanctions, both the US Embassy and the Zimbabwe government were at war on social media. This resulted in the Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo, issuing threats to the Ambassador that have now been reversed.

The lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe will lead to socio-economic and political transformation of the country. This is according to Dr. Mustafa Ali, Chairman of the Kenya-based Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies. His remarks come as The African Union and the Southern Africa Development Community are pushing for the lifting of sanctions to save the Southern African country's economy from collapsing. United States and The European Union countries that imposed the restrictions nearly 20 years ago say Harare should blame itself for not taming graft and guaranteeing civil liberties. Dr. Mustafa says Isolation is hindering Zimbabwe's transformation..

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo together with the UN have condemned the killing of a health worker in the country's Ituri Province, one of the areas battling the Ebola outbreak. The violence has also left his spouse critically injured. While the motive for the murder is unknown, security has since been beefed up to protect Ebola responders in the area.

The United States has banned tobacco and tobacco products imported from Malawi. The Customs and Border Protection issued the "Withhold Release Order" against tobacco and tobacco from Malawi on Friday. This follows concerns that the crop and products were produced using forced child labour.

African women have waged war against various challenges they face on the continent. Over a one thousand women from across the continent have converged for the second annual African Women In Dialogue Conference in Boksburg, east of Johanneburg. The conference - which is hosted by the Zanele Mbeki Development Trust - aims to ensure that women are involved in the problem solving of African problems.

There are rising tensions between DRC's President Felix Tshisekedi's UDPS and its coalition partner, the PPRD of former president Joseph Kabila. The two parties have clashed following a controversial statement by PPRD permanent secretary, Ramazani Shadary.

Delegates from all over the world will next week gather in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, to mark the 25th anniversary of the ground-breaking International Conference on Population and Development, ICPD. The conference established an ambitious programme of action to achieve comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Ahead of the much anticipated Nairobi Summit, the South African Department of Social Development and the Ministry in the Presidency today held a preparatory seminar under the theme: "South-South Collaboration for Sustainable Development". For more on the purpose of the preparatory seminar in Johannesburg, Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso spoke to Jacques van Zuydam, the Chief Director of Population and Development at the Department of Social Development.

Born in a ghetto of the capital Monrovia, Liberia's football star turned president, George Weah, promised to help disadvantaged youth. But, two years into his six years term, he is struggling to revive a country that is one of the poorest in the world and still traumatised by a civil war that claimed a quarter of a million lives. Unemployment is endemic - aggravated by the recent withdrawal of 17 000 UN peace keeping troops. The spiralling exchange rate against the US dollar has sparked a hike in the prices of basic commodities causing widespread hardship for millions of Liberians. As the BBC's Lucy Ash reports, some resort to crime to survive - especially the underclass known as "zogos."

November is acknowledged worldwide as International Diabetes Awareness Month, with World Diabetes Day marked on the 14th. In South Africa, where diabetes kills more people than TB, HIV and malaria combined, medical experts are calling on the public to get tested this month and know their diabetes status. To find out more on this, Elizabeth Lediga spoke to Bridget McNulty, Co-founder of Sweet Life, an online diabetes community that informs, inspires and connects people with diabetes in South Africa..

The South African government has committed itself to strengthening relations with relevant sectors of society to make sure that the rights of people with disability are protected as enshrined in the Constitution. This is according to the country's Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities in the Presidency, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. Her department together with that of Social Development kick-started the disability rights month in Pretoria.

Discrimination and violence towards members of the LGBTI community continues to be pervasive in every region of the world, with same-sex marriages still considered a crime in 69 countries. That's from Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, who presented a new report to the General Assembly recently outlining how negative notions of LGBTI people manifest, and how best to stop them. In an interview with UN News's Antonio Lafuente, he explained how States need to acknowledge they have a duty to decriminalize, and battle negative stigma against lesbian, bisexual gay, transgender and intersex people.

Experts say Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become a modern menace for millions of children and adults alike. In South Africa, between eight and ten percent of the population are said to be suffering from ADHD. The disorders is characterised by problems with concentration, impulse control and sleep difficulties among others. There has also been an interesting observation that the escalation of ADHD cases in the 1990's and 2000's coincided with the rise of the digital age, and the widespread use of personal technology that now pervades our daily lives. For more on this issue Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi recently spoke to a specialist ophthalmologist, Dr Daniel who has developed innovative tinted spectacles that may assist ADHD suffers with sleep disorders....

In 2015, leaders of all member states of the United Nations adopted a universal agenda that contains the global goals for Sustainable Development Goals(SDG). Countries have since been mobilizing efforts to end all forms of poverty, inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. In marking UN day on the 24th of October - which seeks to raise awareness of the United Nations and upcoming missions of the organisation, Channel Africa reflected on the financing of the ambitious SDGs. Jane Rabothata spoke to the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Dr Ayodele Odusola. He explained the process of mobilizing funds to implement programmes geared towards achieving the Agenda 2030.

South Africa has hosted a side-event at United Nations Headquarters showcasing the pivotal role that women peacekeepers can play in UN peace operations around the world. Ten female officers from the South African National Defence Force and the Police Service who have all previously served in UN operations were on hand to share their personal experiences amidst an urgent need for member states to train and deploy more females into UN peacekeeping.

Cameroon has sent back to Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Ghana and Burkina Faso close to three-hundred migrants illegally travelling to Gabon. The migrants including 130 minors and women who say they were escaping hardships in their countries were found by Cameroon military in an overloaded vessel in the central African states territorial waters.

South Africa Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, has been elected the chairperson of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment. In her acceptance speech last Thursday, Didiza acknowledged the enormity of the work of the Committee and also emphasised that the committee should look very closely at the issue of climate change and its impact on the agricultural sector.

Following the death of about 55 elephants in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park in the past two months, advocates 4 Earth - an animal rights group would be marching to fundraise. Proceeds collected from the 600km walk from Harare to Hwange would be channeled towards sinking new boreholes in Hwange. According to Zimbabwe National Park officials' elephants are dying owing to effects of the climate change drought that has so far affected the entire SADC region.

Malawi Electoral Commission, MEC, has postponed by-elections in Lilongwe South constituency, due to political tension in the area. The commission was expected to hold the elections in the constituency on November 1. In a statement released on Tuesday, MEC Chief Elections Officer postponed the by-elections until further notice, following concerns with the growing insecurity and threats to MEC Commissioners and staff deployed to work in the constituency, as well as supporters of various parties and candidates.

Mediators have called for all-inclusive solutions on pending pre-transitional tasks in South Sudan's peace process, amid the imminent deadline set for the formation of Revitalized Government of National Unity. The peace mediators, representing special envoys from East African countries, and various other organizations in South Sudan's ongoing peace process, made the urgent call during their meeting in Djibouti that was organized by the Inter-governmental Authority on Development.

South Africa's Deputy President David Mabuza is on a week-long visit to China where he'll co-chair the Seventh Session of the South Africa-China Bi-National Commission. And key on his agenda will be to map out more ways for South African businesses to make inroads into the world's second largest economy.

Some people in the DRC are against the presence of foreign forces in the eastern part of the country. This after senior military officers from five countries of the Great Lakes region met last weekend in Goma to discuss possible security and strategies to eradicate armed groups destabilizing the region.

Gender Links in Botswana say political parties need to do more to increase the political representation of women. This as the country's President-elect, Mokgweetsi Masisi prepares for inauguration after winning the national elections last week. Gender Links says "Botswana is considered as one of the most progressive democracies in Africa, but has not met the standards in achieving equal representation of women in politics".

South Africa is gravely concerned by the continued disregard for the long-standing Middle East Peace Process through the systematic foreclosing of final status issues including the status of Jerusalem and expanding illegal settlements. That was the message delivered by International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor who is chairing a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pandor urged her fellow council members to find ways to repair it's damaged and waning credibility as a source for peace and security.

Cases of suicide in Zimbabwe are on the increase due to dire socio economic conditions in the country. Clinical psychologists say men are the most vulnerable as they are expected to fend for their families against the backdrop of a poor economy.

Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has called for dialogue with opposition leaders and the human rights defenders coalition. The dialogue, according to Mutharika is aimed at ending the escalating post-election violence. The political standoff has seen Malawi losing aid from various donors since the opposition started disputing the May 21 Presidential election results.

Funding gaps across the African continent may hinder the achievement of the global target for malaria elimination by 2030. This is according to a new report issued at the 'Roll Back Malaria Partnership to End Malaria' conference in Abuja, Nigeria. The survey is the first systematic attempt in many years to collate expert African views on malaria policy.

Internationally acclaimed actor and director John Kani is calling on women actors to speak out loud against sexual exploitation within the industry. Kani says women must do this even if it means disrupting production. Kani who is a juror for the 10th annual Cape Town Shnit Worldwide Short Film Festival. - says he's proud about the number of women directors who have submitted work for the competition.

Botswana voted on Wednesday in a cliffhanger election set to test the decades-long dominance of the ruling party and challenge the country's image of stability. More than 900 thousand of the country's 2.2 million people were registered to vote in the elections, which are at parliamentary and local level. Results are expected as early as Thursday evening.

The World Health Organization has joined the global community this week in advocacy for International Lead Poisoning Prevention to save lives and improve well-being. This year, the focus is on eliminating lead paint. In the African Region, as economies grow and more people can afford brightly coloured paints to decorate their homes, the risk of poisoning from lead paint is increasing. No known level of exposure to lead is safe, yet people can come into contact with lead paint in their work places

Survivors of a deadly airstrike on a migrant detention centre in Tripoli in July have told the BBC they feel abandoned by the United Nations, and are desperate to escape Libya. 53 migrants and refuges were killed in the airstrike which was blamed on rebel forces trying to get control of the capital. There was widespread international condemnation of the airstrike, which the United Nations said may have been a war crime. The World Health Organisation says that at least 1,000 people have been killed, including around 100 civilians, and 120,000 displaced, since fighting began on the outskirts of Tripoli six months ago. Survivors of the airstrike remain trapped in a city under attack, where they have been speaking exclusively to the BBC's international correspondent Orla Guerin.

Despite the tremendous achievement in reducing child mortality in the last two decades, diarrhoea is still claims the lives of children in many developing countries. However, hand washing promotion significantly reduces diarrhoeal diseases. In support of Handwashing Day, marked on the 15th of October, South Africa has dedicated the month of October to National Handwashing Month. In partnership with the country's department of education, the hygiene brand Dettol is teaching young people about personal hygiene nationally.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's government has offered to help bury 30 people who died in a horrific bus accident in Mbanza-Ngungu, west of the capital Kinshasa. The bus was carrying more than 50 passengers and flammable products.

Zimbabwean authorities have revealed that the elephant death toll at Hwange National Park, has increased to 55. According to Zimbabwe National Parks, the elephants are dying of starvation as they are only relying on borehole water due to drought affecting the region.

The United Nations and African Union Security councils have been meeting in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The meetings are meant to find concerted efforts to solve the continent's peace and security hurdles.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has jetted out of the country to attend the inaugural session of the Russia-Africa Summit at the Russian resort island of Sochi. The two-day meeting, which starts today, will focus on cooperation between African countries and the Russian Federation. And South Africa says the summit will be a win-win for all parties.

Mozambique's main opposition, Renamo party, has urged citizens to join it in rejecting preliminary results of last week's general election, citing fraud as incumbent President Filipe Nyusi took a strong lead. With most of the votes counted from roughly 13 million registered voters, Nyusi of the ruling Frelimo party had secured more than 70% of the vote, while opposition Renamo candidate Osuffo Momade had garnered 26.20% of the vote.

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi says he's confident of a free and fair election - as his country goes to the polls today. Masisi took his Botswana Democratic Party's campaign to the rural parts of Botswana on Tuesday - to wrap up his campaign. The ruling BDP has also refuted claims that it's using state resources to intimidate members of the opposition.

The cement industry is seen as a good indicator of a country's economic growth as it is the key input material in infrastructure, development and much like the rest of the modern world, the foundation of South Africa is built on this premise. This is according to Njombo Lekula, Managing Director of Pretoria Portland Cement Company, PPC RSA, the leading supplier of cement in South Africa, who says that sub-standard cement products are threatening the built environment industry and placing South African lives at risk. The usage of sub-standard cement has various implications that may negatively affect the sustainability of buildings and structures, thereby leading to increased repair or maintenance costs, injuries and fatalities due to structural failures or collapse.

The Bloodhound supersonic car has officially been revealed at Hakskeenpan in South Africa's Northern Cape Province. The car is in the country for the Bloodhound team to do the car's high-speed testing of 800 kilometres per hour, before its world speed land record attempt of 1-thousand 6-hundred kilometres per hour next year.

Leader of the Botswana's main opposition party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change, Duma Boko, has cast doubt on the credibility of the elections to be held on Wednesday. Boko says the opposition is being harassed by the intelligence services, making it difficult for it to campaign around the country. Over 920 000 Batswana will vote tomorrow* in what is believed to be the fiercely contested elections in the history of Botswana.

The Kenyan government is rolling out a vaccination programme to protect girls from cervical cancer. The country's Health Ministry is set to introduce free cervical cancer vaccines and screening, targeting girls between the ages of nine and ten.

Botswana's ruling BDP says it will leave nothing to chance with the general elections only a few days away. The Botswana Democratic Party has governed the country since its independence in 1966. Some predict that it will face a fierce challenge from the opposition this year, after breaking ranks with its former leader - Ian Khama. During the last election in 2014, the opposition, the Umbrella For Democratic Change, won 20 seats in the 57-seat parliament, a first for Botswana politics.

Botswana 2019 General Elections Special Votes have kicked off in the capital Gaborone with police and election officers casting their votes ahead of Wednesday's polls. While the Independent Electoral Commission has been harshly criticized for alleged irregularities in the delivery of external votes cast by expatriates in foreign countries, the electoral body blames the rumour on ignorance.

The hostile situation in Malawi with regards to LGBTIs has taken centre stage. Such minority groups in Malawi feel they are not being treated like human beings because government and religious groups are reluctant to defend their rights - despite legalisation of homosexuality in some countries.

Uganda has started immunizing more than eighteen million children against measles, rubella and polio as part of efforts to interrupt the circulation of the three diseases. The eastern African nation has experienced measles outbreaks across numerous districts in the past three years. At the same time, polio remains a daunting threat, given evidence of vaccine-derived strains circulating in neighbouring countries.

The observer missions deployed to monitor Mozambique's elections held on Tuesday, have presented their preliminary reports on the country's electoral process. SADeC, African Union, the Commonwealth, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa and the Electoral Observation Mission of the community of Portuguese Speaking countries held a joint media briefing in Maputo on Thursday. They commended the country for holding peaceful elections despite the squabbles in some voting stations and the insurgency in the northern parts.

The Trek4Mandela 2020 expedition has been launched at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. The Trek4Mandela, is an annual expedition to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on Mandela Day to create awareness for the challenges facing young girls who cannot afford sanitary products.

Cameroon refugees in Nigeria have appealed to the United Nations to intervene in their country's crises for a durable resolution to the political problems. The call was made as they were being relocated from a camp at Ayanke where they complained of incessant attacks to another location where their safety will be better assured at a ranch in Kwande Local Government area.

Malawi has banned mono-filament nets from being used on Lake Malawi for fishing purposes. Authorities have justified the directive, issued on Monday this week, saying mono-filament nets are biodegradable and therefore pose serious ecological and environmental hazards to Malawi's aquatic ecosystems and fauna.

The progress made in the global fight against hunger is severely endangered, and the situation has even worsened in some regions. This is according to the 2019 Global Hunger Index, which calculates the nutrition situation in 117 countries. This year the Central African Republic tops the index, and 43 out of the 117 countries ranked have serious hunger levels. The report was released as yesterday marked World Food day.

Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola response committee will start using the second Ebola vaccine next month. The head of the committee, Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe said the Ad26-ZEBOV-GP vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson's Belgian subsidiary will be used for vaccination in three eastern provinces.

Nigerian opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says the All Progressives Congress led government is planning to restrict the media and freedom of expression in the country. This, after the Federal Government's approval of the review of the National Broadcasting Code. Some of the recommendations include the upgrade of breach of political comments relating to hate speeches and divisive comments to Class A offence.

Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola response committee will start using the second Ebola vaccine next month. The head of the committee, Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe said the Ad26-ZEBOV-GP vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson's Belgian subsidiary will be used for vaccination in three eastern provinces.

The United States has threatened to impose economic and travel sanctions on South Sudan if the authorities there fail to form a new Government of National Unity on the twelfth of next month. Reacting to the threat, the authorities in Juba, accuse the United States of pushing for political leadership change in Africa's newest nation.

Zambia is hosting the India-Southern Africa Regional Conclave Summit aimed at bolstering economic ties between India and Africa. The summit is being held in the capital Lusaka, and has attracted over 200 companies and individuals with participants from the Indian Business Delegation, locals and those from SADC region.

Zimbabweans have expressed concerns over recent fuel and electricity price hikes. Government officials say the austerity measures introduced in the country are meant to reshape the economy by taking away all subsidies, but citizens have lost hope. Despite the price increases, fuel is not readily available.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari presented a record $33.8 billion budget for 2020 to lawmakers, as he aims to spur growth in Africa's largest economy. The plan for Africa's top oil exporter assumes crude production of 2.18 million barrels a day and an oil price of $57 per barrel, although an analyst said the budget implementation may deviate dramatically from the figures unveiled.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in London on Sunday to begin a two-day working visit. President Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the opening address at the 6th Financial Times Africa Summit in London today. The event is hosted annually by the Financial Times newspaper with a focus on business affairs and opportunities in African countries. Ramaphosa is expected to use the summit to attract investment.

Today marks International Day of the Girl Child. Annually observed on October 11, the day is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the girl child and stand up for their rights. The theme for this year's commemoration is, "Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable". For more on the significance of the day Jane Rabothata spoke to Tlangelani Shilubane, assistant director of the United Nations Population Fund

United Nations Children's agency, UNICEF, is vaccinating thousands more children against measles and rushing life-saving medicines to health centers across the DRC, as deaths from the world's largest measles outbreak top 4000. The number of measles cases in DRC this year, is more than triple the number recorded for all of 2018. Response teams on the ground also say the outbreak in the country has become a far deadlier than Ebola.

The plight of orphans in Malawi remains dire since cyclone Idai devastated houses, crops and livestock earlier this year. To help remedy the situation, the Timotheos Foundation has built 181 houses for the orphans in eight districts in the country's southern region.

South Africa will trial a new e-visa system in November, making it easier for tourists to enter the country thanks to the online capture of visa applications and biometric information. The system will allow applicants to access their documents online, eliminating the need to visit South African missions abroad.

Trade ministers and senior officials from 53 Commonwealth countries met in London, to explore strategies for deepening trade and investment, while supporting a transparent, inclusive, fair, and open rules-based global trading system. The focus of the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting, chaired by the UK, focused on strengthening multilateral trade, fighting protectionism and progressing efforts to achieve $2 trillion worth of trade within the Commonwealth by 2030.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has opened the 3rd edition of the YouthConnekt Africa Summit in the capital Kigali. The annual gathering connecting youth from across Africa and beyond, this year is focusing on connecting skills development to meet emerging market opportunities to address the growing youth employment demand in Africa.

A palace that once housed Ethiopia's emperors and also served as a torture site under the communist Derg regime is to open to the public in a controversial government tourism project. The palace compound in the capital Addis Ababa, which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government has rebranded as Unity Park, was formally launched on Thursday and will be open to the public from Friday.

Government officials and South African education leaders and influences, will gather next week Tuesday in Johannesburg for the launch of the Catalyst Community, a platform that connects global education leaders with like-minded peers committed to taking action for change and improvement in education. The global education sector has many challenges and leaders often find themselves operation in silos. Therefore the platform helps change agents to take action together and drive meaningful transformation in education. Working together to achieve this mission is the Harvard Institute for Learning and Teaching, and partners. For more on this initiative Jane Rabothata spoke to Candice du Preez, chief marketing officer for Fybotech..

Johannesburg is the wealthiest city in Africa, this is according to the 2019 Africa Wealth Report by New World Wealth and Afrasia Bank. Total wealth for the purposes of the report, refers to the total private wealth held by individuals living in each city. It includes all their assets - property, cash, equities and business interests - less any liabilities. Government funds are not included in the mix. Most of this wealth in Johannesburg is concentrated in Sandton Cape Town comes in second place on the list followed by Cairo in Egypt in 3rd place.

The Ugandan government has banned radio and television stations from covering events involving prominent opposition politician and musician Bobi Wine. And, on Tuesday, government cancelled Bobi Wine's music show to mark the East African nation's Independence Day.

Malawian nationals who constitute the majority of a diaspora community in Zimbabwe, have called for the lifting of sanctions. A few weeks ago the SADC agreed that the 25th of October shall be a day set aside for members states to demonstrate against sanctions in Zimbabwe.