SPECIAL FEATURES - The African Mirror

Aug

14

2024

Automechanika Johannesburg Road Show concludes successfull six African countries tour

MOTORING NEWS

THE Automechanika Johannesburg team has wrapped up a successful road show across six key African countries, aimed at engaging automotive aftermarket buyers and promoting the upcoming Automechanika Johannesburg trade show slated for 19th to 21st November 2024 at NASREC Johannesburg. The road show, strategically planned based on exhibitor feedback, covered the most requested destinations for automotive trade engagement: Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; Kigali, Rwanda; Lusaka, Zambia; and Harare, Zimbabwe. This initiative was driven by exhibitor demand to strengthen connections across the continent. In Lagos, Nigeria, the team was warmly received at the ASPAMDA Auto Parts Market, guided by…

Aug

14

2024

By The African Mirror

GWM launches South Africa’s first full hybrid bakkie

MOTORING

IN a first for South Africa, GWM has launched a full Petrol Electric Hybrid Bakkie. The all-new P-Series P500 Double-Cab bakkie is the first bakkie to have a 325-volt electric motor in South Africa, and the second most powerful double cab bakkie in the segment. First revealed at the 2024 NAMPO trade show in May, the all-new GWM P500 is part of GWM’s consolidated brand portfolio. GWM P500 is the latest product in GWM’s rapidly expanding portfolio which now includes the Tank 300 and 500 SUVs, ORA fully electric models, H6 HEV and the new Jolion SUV PRO. The new…

Aug

14

2024

By GETNET MEWA

Ethiopia’s deadly landslides are caused by both nature and man – a geophysicist explains

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

AS many as 300 people were killed in landslides triggered by higher than normal rainfall in south-western Ethiopia in July 2024. More than 15,000 were also forced to leave their homes. Another less deadly landslide that occurred two weeks later killed a dozen. Getnet Mewa, a geophysicist who studies landslides and associated landmass movements, explains where and how landslides occur in Ethiopia. Where do landslides occur in Ethiopia? Ethiopia is situated in a region dissected by the East African Rift System, which is one of the Earth’s geologically active rift systems. A rift valley is a lowland region that forms…

Aug

06

2024

By SAMUEL OJO OLORUNTOBA and ZAINAB MONISOLA OLAITAN

African communities have a lot of knowledge to share: researchers offer alternatives to Eurocentric ways of doing things

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

THE dominance of Western methodology in research conducted in Africa continues to preoccupy academics. The result, they argue, has been the silencing of Indigenous knowledge. Indigenous ways of knowing are not making the contribution they could to the knowledge ecosystem. Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba and Zainab Monisola Olaitan have researched the impact of this skewed approach on various topics. They answer questions aimed at unpacking the problem and explaining what’s at stake. What is knowledge generation? Knowledge generation is the process of using different methods to collect, synthesise and analyse data to produce information which is then processed, analysed, and interpreted…

Aug

06

2024

By ANNE TJØNNDAL

Women’s boxing in Olympic storm: who is Algeria’s Imane Khelif and what are the issues she’s facing?

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

IMANE Khelif from Algeria is one of two women boxers at the 2024 Paris Olympics making the news – as ugly issues of gender testing and testosterone levels once again raise their heads, as they did in the case of South African runner Caster Semenya. Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting failed a questionable gender test allegedly administered by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023 but were declared fit for entry by the International Olympic Committee. Both are female and identify as such, yet one of Khelif’s opponents has fuelled a public outcry that she has an unfair advantage,…

Jul

27

2024

By DELPHIN R. NTANYOMA

DRC ceasefire for humanitarian aid is a small step forward – what must happen next for peace

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

THE United States has negotiated a truce so humanitarian assistance can be given to more than seven million people, including children, caught in the grip of the conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The initial cessation of hostilities was for two weeks. It was extended by a further two weeks. Armed conflicts and other forms of violence have triggered wave after wave of internal refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More recently, fighting between government troops and the M23 rebels has trapped millions in and around Goma, the main eastern city.…

Jul

23

2024

By TEMILADE SESAN

Nigeria’s chronic power shortages: mini-grids were going to crack the problem for rural people, but they haven’t. Here’s why

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

ELECTRICITY is a scarce commodity in Nigeria. With just over 4,000 megawatts supplying nearly 220 million people, the electricity access deficit stands at about 40% nationwide. The picture looks even darker in rural areas. There, 73% of the population is off the power grid. Rural electrification is crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7: “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” Enter mini-grids: community-scale electricity generation and distribution systems, typically under 100 kilowatts in size. Mini-grids have emerged in the last decade as a cost-effective solution for many rural parts of Africa. According to one estimate, the…

Jul

19

2024

By TRACY-LYNN FIELD

Wildfires in South Africa are set to increase: how legal action can help the country adapt better to climate change

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

AS climate change drives temperature increases and lower precipitation in southern Africa, research has found that there is likely to be an increase in the number of wildfires in regions that are already hot, dry and water-scarce. Massive wildfires broke out in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province on 12 and 13 July 2024, killing six firefighters who were trapped in a blaze and seven other people. The same fires killed 1,600 livestock animals and burnt 14,000 hectares of land. About 84% of all human settlements in South Africa are located in fire-dependent ecosystems – places in which natural fires can contribute…

Jul

18

2024

By The African Mirror

Ford SA’s commitment to sustainability reaffirmed in centenary year

MOTORING NEWS

REACHING a 100th anniversary is a major milestone for any company, but how does the organisation not just remain relevant and in tune with the current times, but also adequately prepare for the future? In the case of Ford South Africa, it’s through an unwavering commitment to sustainability by continuing to invest in its local operations, rapidly adapting and innovating, reducing its impact on the environment, developing its people and, crucially, uplifting and empowering communities. Ford’s Centenary in South Africa provides an opportunity to reflect on the Blue Oval’s significant achievements over the past 100 years, which helped shape the…

Jul

17

2024

By JOB MWAURA

Kenya’s digital divide: pastoralists are key to the country’s economy, but they’re being left behind

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

INFORMATION and communication technologies (ICTs) hold great potential to expand African economies. They include mobile banking platforms, internet-enabled communication devices and e-government services. All of these can enhance financial inclusion and improve services for citizens. Kenya’s mobile money transfer platform, M-Pesa, for instance, has given millions of people access to banking services. And Rwanda’s e-government platform has streamlined public service delivery for its citizens. Mobile phones have given more people access to the internet. There were 63.94 million active cellular mobile connections in Kenya at the start of 2023, against a population of 50 million. But the digital divide continues…