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African journalism. June 20 2020 ISSUE NO. 10 The Continent with Damming the Nile Tensions rise as the rainy season approaches (Photo: NASA via AFP) The Continent Page 2 ISSUE 10. June 20 2020 Editorial Nobody owns water The water cycle is one of nature’s most Egyptian politicians and business beautiful phenomena. In the north- leaders have already threatened to go eastern corner of this continent, it to war if they do not receive what they drives a mighty river, the Nile, and feel is their fair share of water. This is a brings life to the arid land around country not used to being vulnerable, it. Falling thousands of kilometres and it shows. away from the Mediterranean, in the Ethiopian highlands, that water used to move almost uninterrupted on the way The Grand Ethiopian to feeding Egypt. It created an empire. Renaissance Dam gives It now sustains an economy with over Ethiopia unprecented a hundred million people. Billions of animals and plants would not otherwise control over how much exist. water reaches the Water is, after air, our most precious downstream countries, commodity. Sudan and Egypt, both The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam rudely interrupts the water of which are totally cycle. It gives Ethiopia unprecedented dependent on the Nile control over how much water reaches the downstream countries, Sudan and Egypt, both of which are almost But regardless of the behaviour totally dependent on the Nile. With this of Egypt’s government, the lives and control comes great power. And with livelihoods of millions of Sudanese great power comes great responsibility. and Egyptians are on the line – many Nearly a decade’s worth of of whom don’t like their governments negotiations between the three countries either. have failed to result in any agreement It is up to Ethiopia, as the upstream over how best to share the Nile’s water. country, to make sure that the water With just weeks to go before the dam flows in a fair and equitable manner, starts to fill up (see page 19), this is a and to remember that nobody owns the potentially explosive situation. Senior water that passes through its borders. ■ The Continent ISSUE 10. June 20 2020 Page 3 After a decades-long legal dispute, the International Court of Justice ruled last year that the Chagos Islands (in the middle of the Indian Ocean, just under the Maldives) belong to Mauritius, not Britain. The United Nations has now updated its official world map to reflect that ruling. Not that Mauritius has any real-world authority over the islands: it remains the site of a major US military base, and Britain is refusing to cede control. Meanwhile, the Chagos Islanders who were brutally forced off their land by British soldiers in the late 1960s remain in limbo, unable to return home. (Map: United Nations Geospatial Information Section) Inside: COVER STORY: Ethiopia is ready to Lights, Camera, Covid: Nollywood’s start filling its grand new dam – no cameras keep rolling (p14) matter what Egypt may threaten (p19) White saviours? We’ve had enough, Despatch: Another killing of a black thanks (p26) man in Atlanta (p10) Investigation: What happened when “Mama-ko, mama-ssa, makomako- Botswana’s president went shopping ssa”: Africa’s most sampled song (p13) for a farm? (p28) The Continent Page 4 ISSUE 10. June 20 2020 Continental Drift In the headlines this week Samira Sawlani Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi and Uganda As you might have read in these pages recently, Facebook is planning to hook us up with superfast internet, so it’s no wonder many African leaders are racing to update their profiles and relationship statuses. In Tanzania, John Magufuli is still “married” to the presidency — and hoping to renew his vows as he positions Sworn in: Burundi’s new president himself as the ruling party’s candidate Évariste Ndayishimiye at his for the October polls. inauguration at the Ingoma Stadium In Malawi, President Peter Mutharika’s in Gitega on Thursday (Photo: status has been “it’s complicated” since Tchandrou Nitanga/AFP) the results of last year’s elections were annulled. But now he’s courting again, for change” to prevent a sixth term for telling crowds that Malawi will be “like President Yoweri Museveni. America if they give him another five years”. We hope “like America” doesn’t Guinea mean a hot mess of pandemics, police Listening to one’s partner is the brutality and presidential breakdowns. foundation of most healthy relationships, Meanwhile, General Évariste although Guinea’s president does not Ndayishimiye has gone from “single” seem to be heeding this wisdom. Last to “in a relationship” with the people year, President Alpha Conde, when of Burundi, after being sworn in as asked if he would run for another term, president following the death of Pierre said: “It depends on the will of the Nkurunziza. p e op l e .” And, in Uganda, musician-turned- But now that the people are parliamentarian Bobi Wine has updated expressing their will, the president his profile to reflect his “civil union” does not appear to be willing to listen. with senior opposition politician Kizza Widespread protests earlier this year Besigye, as they form a “united force were met with a brutal response from The Continent ISSUE 10. June 20 2020 Page 5 United front: Ugandan popstar-turned-politician Bobi Wine has joined forces with opposition leader Kizza Besigye (Photo: Luke Dray/Getty) security forces which has seen citizens South African “family meeting” this locked up, injured and killed. Now a week to give a stern lecture to the men coalition of opposition and civil society of the country as part of a televised groups are resuming demonstrations – if national address. they shout loud enough, maybe Conde He said gender-based violence had will be forced to listen. become a “second epidemic”, as 21 women and children were murdered Niger in the past few weeks under lockdown. Speaking of unhealthy relationships: He spoke their names, and put the the authorities in Niger may want to country’s men on notice. reconsider how they interact with social But it’s not just South Africa, is it? media after arresting journalist Samira Reports from across the world, and, Sabou for, you guessed it, a Facebook indeed, our continent, show a dramatic post. rise in gender-based violence during They pounced on Sabou not just the pandemic. for her post, concerning an audit at In Nigeria, for example, women took the ministry of defence and its alleged to the streets in protest after the rape connection with President Issoufou’s and murders of two students, Uwaila son, but also cited a comment made by Vera Omozuwa and Barakat Bello. someone else entirely. This week the “Day of the African Had Niger left the matter alone, the Child” was marked with much fanfare, post would have been seen by a fraction just as Women’s Day was in March. of the audience it ultimately reached. How many were killed or abused that Talk about shooting yourself in the likes. day? A good word without good action is as hollow as a Big Man’s Facebook South Africa and Nigeria status: It’s not complicated, it’s a damn President Cyril Ramaphosa called a lie. ■ THE WEEKLY PAN-AFRICAN NEWSPAPER The Continent is a weekly newspaper designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp. It showcases the best of African journalism. And it’s free. Get your copy delivered to your phone or inbox every Saturday. And if you like what you read, forward it to your friends, family and colleagues – not indiscriminately, but only with people who might appreciate it. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Email: [email protected] with ‘SUBSCRIBE’ in the subject box WhatsApp: Save +27 73 805 6068 on your phone, and send us a message saying ‘NEWS’ The Continent Share real news. with The Continent ISSUE 10. June 20 2020 Page 7 The Week in Numbers 21 The number of women and children murdered in South Africa over the past few weeks, in what President Cyril Ramaphosa described as a “second epidemic”. “As a man, as a husband (Photo: Bloomberg) and as a father, I am appalled at what is no $30,000 less than a war being The price per tonne of cobalt, an essential waged against the component of Tesla’s lithium-ion batteries. women and children Tesla announced a deal with mining company of our country,” he Glencore to source its cobalt from the said. Democratic Republic of Congo, despite Glencore being repeatedly implicated in corruption allegations. $75 The monthly Covid-19 allowance granted to all $185 3 Zimbabwean The price of a passport The number of men civil servants. for citizens of the who this week claimed This comes after Democratic Republic to be the legitimate health workers of Congo, making national chairperson of went on strike to it among the most Nigeria’s ruling party, demand payment in expensive passports the All Progressives foreign currency. in the world. The Congress. The party Runaway inflation government announced has been rocked by has reduced the that it is looking infighting after a vote purchasing power for a new passport of no confidence in of the Zimbabwean manufacturer, and chairperson Adams dollar, which was intends to drop the Oshiomhole was upheld reintroduced a year price. in court. ago. datadesk Datadesk, the M&G centre for data Brought to you by the Mail & Guardian’s Data Desk. journalism, produced this story The Continent Page 8 ISSUE 10. June 20 2020 News Côte d’Ivoire sentence should not prevent his return.
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