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Editor's note
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In recent decades a number of countries have held regular multiparty elections while simultaneously continuing to violate minimum standards of democracy. Barbara Yoxon looks at Kenya’s most recent elections in this light.
With more than 36 million people living with HIV the quest to find a vaccine continues. Penny Moore and Lynn Morris explain how scientists have turned to new strategies based on lessons learnt from studying the immune systems of HIV-infected people.
Lake Victoria, one of Africa’s Great Lakes, supports communities living on its shores. But its resources are dwindling. Fiona Nunan explores the social ties and networks that connect people and how understanding these could help protect the lake.
When the first ever heart transplant took place 50 years ago in Cape Town under the leadership of Dr Chris Barnard, it had all the makings of media gold. The historic operation demonstrated the power of the mass media to transform a scientist into a global icon, writes Marina Joubert.
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Julius Maina
Regional Editor East Africa
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Top Stories
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Barbara Yoxon, University of York
Elections, even free and competitive ones, don't always mean that a country is more democratic. Instead of weakening the elite’s grip on power, elections might actually make them stronger.
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Penny Moore, University of the Witwatersrand; Lynn Morris, University of the Witwatersrand
Three new HIV vaccine concepts which rely on high-tech designer proteins are being trialled to see if they can stop the virus.
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Fiona Nunan, University of Birmingham
Social ties between Lake Victoria's fisherfolk are critical for gaining access to credit, employment, maintaining reliable and skilled labour and access to markets.
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Marina Joubert, Stellenbosch University
The unprecedented media interest in the first human heart transplant 50 years ago transformed many of the rules that governed the relationships between medicine and the media.
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Politics + Society
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Yvonne Rowa, University of Adelaide
By intervening in Zimbabwe's politics the military could plunge the country into a prolonged period of uncertainty. Could President Emmerson Mnangagwa be its saviour?
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Admos Chimhowu, University of Manchester
Zimbabwe has two lost decades to move on from. Fortunately, there are many ways out.
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Mia Swart, University of Johannesburg
It's still unclear whether Zimbabwe will manage an effective transition to participatory democracy and freedom. And the current signs are not encouraging.
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Peter Vale, University of Johannesburg
The single greatest failure of current punditry is the refusal to recognise that context matters. A one-size-fits-all approach to solving Zimbabwe's complex set of problems simply won't help.
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Robert Rotberg, Harvard University
Zimbabwe's new leader needs to shake off his infamous reputation and the suspicion that he is merely another Mugabe in a younger frame.
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Jakkie Cilliers, University of Pretoria
Some African countries present a facade of democracy. The absence of substantive democracy is contributing to instability on the continent.
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Health + Medicine
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Karen Hofman, University of the Witwatersrand; Aviva Tugendhaft, University of the Witwatersrand
South Africa has one last hurdle to cross before it implements a sugar tax to prevent a wide-range of obesity related non-communicable diseases.
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Sikhulile Moyo, Harvard University
Understanding where there are high numbers of new HIV infections is important to establishing whether interventions are working or not.
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Ryan G Wagner, University of the Witwatersrand; Carolyn Audet, Vanderbilt University
In rural areas where there are often fewer healthcare professionals available, traditional healers can have a role to play in promoting HIV treatment.
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Tendesayi Kufa-Chakezha, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
South Africa has made tremendous progress towards meeting the 90-90-90 targets but there are some challenges preventing it from reaching the goals set by UNAIDS.
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Science + Technology
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Bill Tucker, University of the Western Cape
South Africa has some of the highest mobile voice and data costs in the world. A project to deliver affordable services and keep money in communities with high unemployment rates could be the answer.
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Robert Wayumba, Technical University of Kenya
Creating a reliable, up to date land register is important for African countries. Drones can help collect and record the necessary data.
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Environment + Energy
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Dian Spear, University of Cape Town
Water is increasingly becoming scarce as the climate changes. There are four changes that cities can make to adapt to water scarcity.
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Fiona Nunan, University of Birmingham
Social ties between Lake Victoria's fisherfolk are critical for gaining access to credit, employment, maintaining reliable and skilled labour and access to markets.
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Rob Knell, Queen Mary University of London
Computer models have produced some very worrying results.
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Business + Economy
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Tahiru Azaaviele Liedong, University of Bath
Public sector corruption is a major challenge to doing business in Africa and players are mostly ill-equipped to deal with it. Business schools can teach the skills to tackle it.
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Danny Bradlow, University of Pretoria
South Africa will be well advised to start preparing itself for an International Monetary Fund programme as the country faces a deepening economic crisis.
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Reghard Brits, University of Pretoria
A change in South African law promises to protect defaulting home owners from abuse by unscrupulous operators who snap up people's homes for a song.
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Arts + Culture
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Francois Cleophas, Stellenbosch University
Sport participation in South Africa remains rooted in the dilemmas of colonial society. It necessitates an ongoing need for discourse, debate and dialogue on decolonisation in sport history.
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