Samora Moisés Machel, the first president of independent Mozambique, was born in 1933 in Gaza province, in the south of the country. He died in an unexplained plane crash on 19 October 1986, in Mbuzini, South Africa.Authoritarian and popular, humble and arrogant, visionary and tactical. All these words have been used to describe Machel. Despite these contradictions, there was one quality that everyone recognised in him: his charisma. At the time this gift wasn’t lacking in many political leaders of emerging countries, especially those of Marxist-Leninist inspiration. Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro above all.Their common faith went beyond any personal…
Author: King Jaja
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In SummaryThe total rice production in Africa for the 2024/2025 season is estimated at 25.4 million metric tons. While production has generally increased over the years, the pace of growth has fluctuated. In 2021, the total output value of rice production in Africa reached a record high of $26.6 billion. Nigeria is a major rice producer in Africa, with an estimated 5.23 million metric tons in the 2024/2025 season, although this is a decrease from previous years due to high production costs. Deep Dive!!Rice has cemented its position as one of the most important staple crops in Africa, feeding over 600 million people across the…
Getting homes in Africa to stop burning wood, charcoal or dung to feed fires for cooking and use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), bioethanol and biogas could prevent 4.7 million premature deaths between now and 2040, according to a report published on Friday by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Issued on: 18/07/2025 – 16:49 3 min Reading time One billion Africans are making their meals on open fires or with fuels that are jeopardising their health due to the pollution given off by the smoke. Lifestyles are compromised too, says the report Universal Access to Clean Cooking in Africa, Gathering fuel for cooking…
Growing up in Togo, in secondary school, we had one particular subject called ECM (Civil and Moral Education). It was meant to teach us how to become good citizens, understand the role of citizens in society, and the role of government.History and French (literature) teachers were usually the ones assigned to teach this subject.In my seven years of junior and senior public secondary school in Togo, our ECM teacher never showed up , not even once. So as students, we considered ECM free time. The course was on the calendar, a teacher was officially assigned, but they never appeared.When the…
Ashleigh Plumptre of Nigeria during the 2024 Womens Africa Cup of Nations final Nigeria press conference at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on the 17 July 2025 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix by Staff Reporter Friday Jul 18, 2025. 11:00 Nigeria continue their quest to claim back the continental crown on Friday when they face Zambia in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarterfinals at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca. Kick-off is at 6pm CAT. The Super Falcons flew past the competition in group B, collecting seven points from their three games. They began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over…
France will on Thursday formally hand back its last military bases in Senegal, leaving the French army with no permanent camps in west and central Africa. Issued on: 17/07/2025 – 08:08Modified: 17/07/2025 – 08:33 2 min Reading time Ending the French army’s 65 years in Senegal, the pull-out comes after similar withdrawals across the continent, with former colonies increasingly turning their backs on their former ruler. Around 350 French soldiers, primarily tasked with conducting joint operations with the Senegalese army, will leave the west African nation after a three-month departure process. France started ceding its bases to Senegal in March.…
Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. Amid an already bumper year of literary wins for Black authors, with the Sudanese writer Leila Aboulela’s Pen Pinter prize among the most recent, there is no better time to beef up your summer reading list. In this week’s newsletter, I’ll talk you through some of my favourite page-turners – from a romcom about old flames to stories about queer life in Nigeria and a debut coming-of-age novel about class, affluence and grief.Your summer reading list starts hereThe ultimate six-pack … our top reads. Composite: Guardian PicturesSweet Heat by Bolu BabalolaBolu Babalola has…
The CAF Technical Study Group (TSG) has unveiled the Best XI from the group stage of the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 in Morocco; a team brimming with quality, grit, and tactical intelligence. Lined up in a classic 4-3-3 formation, the selection reflects the standout individual displays from a thrilling group stage that delivered 45 goals in 18 matches, alongside countless moments of technical excellence and team brilliance. Ruthless and relentless: The forward line Up front, the chosen attacking trio epitomises the pace, power, and precision that defined the opening phase of this year’s tournament. Zambia’s Barbra…
IN SHORT: Since his impeachment, former Kenyan deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has been appearing on fabricated newspaper front pages. This is yet another one, claiming that Kenyans living in the US snubbed Gachagua when he visited the North American country.Kenyans living in the United States snubbed former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua during his visit to the North American country. That’s according to an image of what seems to be the 12 July 2025 front page of Kenya’s Standard newspaper. “Diaspora Snubs Gachagua,” the headline reads. The summary below the headline claims that Gachagua’s much-publicised tour ended in humiliation after Kenyans living in the US “firmly rejected his divisive agenda and hollow…
In SummaryAfrica’s cashew production is projected to see continued growth, with Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Benin leading the way. Côte d’Ivoire is expected to produce around 1.15 million tonnes of cashew nuts by the end of 2025, a 20% increase from the previous year, while Tanzania’s production is projected to reach 408,600 metric tons. Benin is anticipated to harvest 225,000 tonnes by the end of 2025, marking an 11.9% rise from 2023. These increases are driven by government investments, improved farming practices, and the expansion of cashew acreage. Purchase prices for cashew nuts are also increasing in some regions across the continent,…