Africa Daily

While he’s on tour in South Africa, Alan noticed that taverns are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. When he visited one in Soweto, he found a warm, welcoming pub at the centre of the community. But he heard that there aren’t as many people drinking there as usual. It seems they have heard reports of shootings at taverns across the country. Just five minutes up the road, sixteen people were killed by gunmen a few weeks ago – the most deadly mass shooting since democracy in the country. So, are taverns still a safe place to hang out in South Africa? #AfricaDaily

This episode contains frank discussion about underage drinking, as well as subjects like sexual assault and abuse. ********************************************************************************************************************************** “In the neighbourhood I come from, drinking is very popular. Maybe it’s the way people are brought up. They don’t see it as a big problem. But obviously it is from what has happened.” Uma, 17 years. Last month, 21 teenagers died at a tavern in the city of East London. Some were as young as 13. The eldest was 17. The tragedy has ignited a debate about why many young people are consuming alcohol on a regular basis – and what can be done about it.Africa Daily is currently on tour and in Johannesburg – and so for the podcast’s first ever live recording, Alan Kasujja discusses the issue in front of an audience of young people – and asks them for their thoughts. He also hears from a man who grew up, regularly drinking, in a township – ending up in and out of prison between the age of 13 and 26. He now counsels young people about how to make good choices about their lives and alcohol. Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja) Guests: Yethembe Uma Chasokela and Thapelo Masokoane (@SurpriseThapz) Sound Engineer: Moses MolapisaneWith special thanks to Protea Glen Secondary School 2, Gabriela Pomeroy (producer) and the Humanities Department at Wits University.

Cycling is popular in Africa. Wherever you travel across the continent, the young and old are commuting on bikes. Countries like Rwanda, Cameroon and Burkina Faso have their own tours. But it seems to be an uphill climb for African riders to make it to the top of the most famous cycling competition; Tour de France. Very few Africans have made it to the Tour and no African has won the competition. Louis Meintjes is the highest African finisher at the Tour de France twice finishing 8th. And he’s one of only two African riders out of over 170 riders who are taking part in this year’s Tour. So what’s stopping Africans from racing to the top at the Tour de France? That’s what Victoria Uwonkunda is discussing with South African Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, who’s aiming for a spot on the final podium at the Tour de France Femmes, the first women’s Tour.

“People can’t go to work, can’t cook. We aren’t even sure if the water that’s brought in by trucks is clean. Enough is enough.” Residents of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa have been dealing with water shortages for months. A long drought and ageing infrastructure are both impacting on supply – with around 30% of water being lost because of leaking pipes. And it’s not the first time South Africa has dealt with a crisis of this nature. A few years ago, residents in the coastal city of Cape Town also faced water shortages. What can President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government do to mitigate against natural disasters like drought, and collapsing infrastructure?Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja)

Malaria is still one of the biggest killers for children under five in Africa. But in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous island part of Tanzania, there have been huge efforts by the government and development partners since the early 2000s to eliminate the disease. Their efforts have seemingly paid off and in the last decade, Zanzibar has maintained a malaria prevalence rate below 1%. It is particularly impressive when just across the island on mainland Tanzania, the rate of malaria remains much higher. But it isn’t all optimistic. The World Malaria Report showed that malaria cases in Zanzibar in 2021 were once again on the rise. To find out more, Alan Kasujja has been speaking to one of those who spearheaded Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme, Shija Joseph Shija, to find out how the island has drastically reduced malaria cases. He also spoke to malaria researcher, Dr. Lwidiko Mhamilawa, to learn more about the recent resurgence in cases.

Africa Daily is on the road in Africa… first stop: South Africa. And Alan has arrived just in time for Mandela day – a celebration of the former president’s birth. When Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994, he was a hero in his own country, and an inspiration across the world. But 28 years after the fall of apartheid, some, particularly those who are younger than 28, are beginning to question Mandela’s legacy. The South Africa of today is struggling with high poverty levels, shortages of clean water and disruption of its electricity supply. Eight million people are jobless, in a country of 60 million. Today, for Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja is Johannesburg and brings together people from across the generations in Mandela’s former home. He hears from some young people who blame his political decisions for some of the country’s current problems…and those who say he’s still their hero. Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja)

After 18 months of recording the podcast in his spare room, Alan Kasujja is on the road with Africa Daily… and his first stop is Johannesburg. Alan wants to hear from people, out and about, and - as luck would have it – he’s arrived just in time for a special day: Nelson Mandela’s birthday, when the legacy of the former President and anti-apartheid hero is celebrated. As South Africa’s new President in 1994, Mandela faced the massive challenge of bringing black and white South Africans together. But not many people know that he started this task with those closest to him: his bodyguards. Alan speaks to a black former freedom fighter and a white former apartheid police officer – who both became his bodyguards and who hated each other at first – but who eventually became close friends. Presenter: Alan Kasujja (@kasujja) Guests: Jason Tshabalala and Gert Barnard

The National Football League – NFL – touched down in Ghana recently, with their event called “NFL Africa: The Touchdown”.At present, the NFL says there are over 100 players of African descent in the league.But what’s a sport known as America’s game, which only has professional teams in the United States doing on the continent?The American football league was in Accra scouting young African talent.Could the next NFL superstar come from Africa?Alan Kasujja has been speaking with two men who know much about this multi-billion dollar sport. One of the men is a big name in the sport – former player Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants and was part of the team that recently travelled to Accra for the NFL event.He first spoke to the BBC’s Sport reporter Isaac Fanin about the game in general.

Mali and Ivory Coast have been locked in a dispute since the beginning of the week when news broke of the arrest of 49 Ivorian soldiers at the airport in Mali’s capital Bamako. Mali accused the soldiers of being illegally in their country, calling them mercenaries. Ivory coast insisted the soldiers were part of a UN peacekeeping mission, which has been in Mali since 2013. The mandate for the UN mission has been to support Malian authorities in their fight against Islamist militants and insecurity in the country. So today Alan is speaking to Lalla Sy, the BBC’s reporter in Abidjan and finding out what’s going on between Mali and Ivory Coast.

Casamance has seen a long-running conflict between the Senegalese government and rebel groups, which want independence. This unrest in Senegal's coastal region of Casamance has been ongoing since 1982. The last attempt at a peace deal was in 2004 and in 2014 the leader of the rebel movement declared a unilateral ceasefire. But some fighting keeps happening in the area. Casamance is separated from the capital, Dakar, by The Gambia. It is home to numerous ethnic groups, including Christians, while northern areas are dominated by three, largely Muslim communities. Today Alan Kasujja is asking what’s behind the long running conflict in Casamance. He’s been speaking with the BBC’s reporter Thomas Naadi who recently visited Casamance, the border area between Senegal and The Gambia about the conflict, the people affected by it and the future of Casamance.