Domestic Politics
Thousands of people queued in a 4 km line for charity food aid for hours near informal settlements on the outskirts of South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. Roughly 90% of the inhabitants of these settlements are foreigners or undocumented migrants from other countries, and hence do not qualify for government aid and instead rely on charities during this lockdown. [Reuters]
Tanzania’s President, John Magufuli, criticized faulty imported coronavirus testing kits, saying they yielded positive results on samples taken from non-human samples, such as a pawpaw, a goat, and a sheep. Thus, he placed an order for an unverified herbal treatment recommended by Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina. [Al Jazeera]
International Relations
Madagascar President Rajoelina claimed that the locally-produced herbal drug Covid-Organics cures the coronavirus. While the drug is not verified as a treatment for COVID-19, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania have all placed orders for it. Madagascar has also donated the drug to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). [Africa Feeds]
The United Nations mission in Mali (MINUSMA) released a report saying that Malian soldiers carried out over 100 extrajudicial killings in the first three months of 2020. Niger’s security forces have also been accused of 34 extrajudicial killings in Mali near the border with Niger. [Radio France International]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US and G-20 countries are evaluating how, when and whether to forgive or suspend African debt. He also called on China to consider debt relief given that it has loaned the continent over $160 billion, most of which has been directed towards infrastructure projects. [The East African]
Environment
East African countries are preparing for the double onslaught of floods and new locust swarms, with Kenya and Ethiopia expected to be the hardest-hit. This leaves the region’s food security in peril once more. [The East African]
Economy
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a R500 billion ($26.5 billion) coronavirus budget, which makes up 10% of the nation’s GDP. Ramaphosa’s government will also speak to international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF to supplement the budget. This is the third phase of stimulus packages, and is aimed at propping up businesses, subsidizing wages, and creating new jobs. The first two phases were designed to provide tax relief, wage support, funding for small businesses, and a disaster relief fund. [Mail & Guardian]
Gender
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) welcomed Sudan’s transitional government’s decision to criminalize female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Sudan had a FGM/C prevalence rate of 86.6% in 2014, among the highest in the world. The practice has no benefits and poses immediate and long-term physical, mental, and sexual health complications. [United Nations]
Image Source: Voice of America
Sub-Saharan Africa in Review: May 04, 2020
Read more about the latest events from sub-Saharan Africa.
May 4, 2020
