Introducing mobile money as a way of extending the frontiers of financial inclusion has been phenomenally successful. But there have also been unintended consequences. Being able to transact on a mobile phone has contributed to the rise of gambling addiction in Africa. Victor Odundo Owuor warns that governments need to recognise the scale of the problem that’s been created, particularly among young people on the continent.
Within days of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s death, a documentary called “Winnie” was broadcast on one of South Africa’s television stations. It caused an uproar, with critics arguing that it was one-sided because it presented only her perspective on contentious aspects of the country’s history. Liani Maasdorp argues that the criticism missed the point: documentaries aren’t the same as news reporting and don’t need to provide a balanced view of their subject matter.
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Young people in Africa are getting addicted to online betting through their mobile phones.
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Victor Odundo Owuor, University of Colorado
Mobile money transfers have been a great asset. But the rise of online betting could threaten its contribution.
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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela being laid to rest. In death, as in life, she divided opinions.
EPA
Liani Maasdorp, University of Cape Town
Society expects journalists to report objectively. But a documentary filmmaker has an opinion.
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Education
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Nuraan Davids, Stellenbosch University
Learners benefit from being exposed to multiple and unfamiliar teacher identities.
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Politics + Society
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Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham; Brian Klaas, London School of Economics and Political Science
Elections are easy to rig, and they give authoritarian leaders a veneer of legitimacy they badly need.
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From our international editions
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S. Brent Rodriguez-Plate, Hamilton College
Seeing is not just believing. Seeing changes what we believe, about ourselves and about other people.
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Timothy Welty, Drake University
A drug made from a molecule produced from cannabis gained unanimous approval from an FDA panel. But the molecule, CBD, is decidedly different from some other ingredients in cannabis: It doesn't result in a high.
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James Brown, Aston University; Alex Conner, University of Birmingham
A new study in rats adds to the evidence that artificial sweeteners may be bad for your health.
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