Africa Daily

“What I’m seeing is another way of Africa rushing with a begging plate, begging saucer.” Last week, President Vladimir Putin held a Russia Africa summit in St. Petersburg. Countries in attendance included Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Uganda, Senegal and Burkina Faso. African leaders had hoped to persuade Moscow to revive the Ukraine grain deal - helping millions of people who might be affected by food insecurity. But Putin refused to entertain the proposal. He said the Black Sea Grain Initiative would be suspended until demands to get Russian food and fertilizer to the world are met. So, where does this leave Africa?

Friends and family are often called on to donate blood to loved ones in a medical emergency or ahead of routine surgery. But across the continent, there is a shortfall in blood needed for life saving transfusions. The World Health Organisation estimates that they are only meeting half the need. Aisha Dafalla and Kennedy Sanya are Kenya’s biggest donors. Between them they have donated more than 170 litres of blood. So, what do they think can be done to get more people involved?

More than 40 people died in wildfires as temperatures soared in the Mediterranean last week. The majority of those casualties were in Algeria, where 34 people lost their lives. In Tunisia more than 300 people were displaced. A team of climate scientists - the World Weather Attribution group - said this month's intense heatwave in the region would be virtually impossible without human-induced climate change. So, what can be done to prevent similar disasters in the future?

“In most cases they are doing much better than men because they have to prove to the world that they are capable. And it’s not supposed to be like that but that’s how it is.” The Women’s World Cup is getting lots of attention in Australia and New Zealand – but did you know that South Africa is currently hosting another World Cup tournament? This weekend the Netball World Cup ‘tipped off’ in Cape Town – but the trouble is even many South Africans aren’t aware of it. That’s led South Africa’s energetic deputy sports minister, Nocawe Mafu, to hit the road to enthuse people about the event. So will this encourage more interest in women’s sport – and more women to get into sport? Or will netball remain – inevitably – overshadowed by football?Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja speaks to the minister and to the legendary netball player Mary Waya, who almost single-handedly took Malawi into the top five in the world for netball. And he also learns some South African netball chants and songs along the way.

“All the pursuits of capitalism in Africa have dismally failed” Exactly ten years ago, firebrand South African politician Julius Malema and his allies, established the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). It came after he was expelled from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for “fomenting divisions and bringing the party into disrepute”. At its first national election in 2014, the EFF received over 6% of the vote and went on to get nearly 11%, five years later. It’s popular among young Black South Africans for its pro-poor Marxist-Leninist brand of Socialism. As it turns ten, it will be celebrating this milestone at the iconic 94, 000 seater FNB stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday. Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje sits down with the party’s deputy president and co-founder, Floyd Shivambu for a wide ranging discussion.

“He was fearless right? Someone who would never say no in the fiercest of moments… Someone who, without even thinking or blinking in the moment, would always try to respond to the crisis which he faced.”Cameroon has only known one President during the last 40 years: Paul Biya. And for 30 of those years, John Fru Ndi was his only credible challenger. The politician from the North-west Anglophone region died in June at the age of 81 – and this coming weekend his funeral will take place at his Bamenda home.It’s a region where a violent conflict has been raging since 2016 as separatist groups fight for their own state – claiming the marginalisation of the anglophone population. More than 6000 people have died during the conflict. But while he spoke up about this marginalisation, John Fru Ndi always opposed the idea of a separate Anglophone state – something which won him enemies as well as friends within the Anglophone community.For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Mpho Lakaje discusses his legacy with his son Cornelius Fru Ndi, and analyst Arrey Ntui, and asks where his death leaves the opposition in Cameroon.

For years now, South Africa has been part a group of countries that come together to combat wildfires across the world. Their firefighters have been in Canada helping to fight wildfires that have engulfed parts of the country since late May. Three teams, in total of about 600 firefighters, have been deployed to Alberta and Quebec to help protect lives and properties. In doing so, the South Africans have also come with their now trademark of song and dance at airports as they leave and land, lifting spirit and moods as Lydia Sono and Trevor Abrahams have been telling Alan Kasujja.

To test or not to test? In Uganda, a series of high profile paternity cases has led to a very animated public discussion about whether men should do DNA tests to find out if all their children are really their own. And if they find they aren't, should that change their relationship with that child, and their responsibility for them?In response, the Ugandan government has warned people to beware home tests and unregulated businesses - saying men would be better to focus on raising their children the best they can.For today's #AfricaDaily, Alan Kasujja gets opinions from a number of residents of Kampala - and speaks to Uganda's director for public health, as well as to a lawyer about the legal rights of all involved. "For many years we've had men bringing children born out of wedlock, say 'this is our other child. We have to take care of this other child born of another woman'. So this DNA testing and the revelation that a woman can actually have an adulterous relationship and have another child and conceive it among the other children is rocking the patriarchal table."

More than 25 million people live with HIV in Africa – and the region continues to be most affected in the world, according to the World Health Organisation. But a recent report by UN AIDS says the spread of HIV can be eradicated globally by 2030. For Africa Daily, @kasujja looks at how this ambitious target can be achieved on the continent.

This week the BBC’s James Copnall has been in Calabria, southern Italy, to report on the rising number of migrants arriving by sea. The number of people arriving has more than doubled compared to this time last year. Sadly, not everyone makes it to European shores. There have been a string of disasters with hundreds of people dying in the Mediterranean this year alone. And politicians in Europe are struggling to come up with a solution. So, why are people still taking the risky journey across the waters?