In a first of its kind, a team of doctors in South Africa performed a liver transplant from an HIV-positive donor to an HIV negative recipient. The ground-breaking procedure at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg has set a new precedent. But not without first having to overcome major challenges. Harriet Etheredge, Jean Botha and June Fabian set out the major obstacles they had to clear - including answering big ethical questions - before the operation could take place.
Kenya has been marking the fifth anniversary of the Al-Shabaab terrorist attack at Westgate Mall. Security in the country appears to have improved in the intervening years. But, warns, Stig Jarle Hansen, Al-Shabaab remains powerful and stable in Somalia. It could again turn its sights on Kenya if policing and security slacken.
In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has pressed ahead at breathtaking speed with reforms in the country as well as making peace with Eritrea after two decades of hostilities. But a spike in ethnic tensions is threatening to derail the good work that’s been done. Yohannes Gedamu explains.
The growth in online media platforms has caught a number of African countries off guard. Some, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, have taken steps to control online activity. The approaches have ranged from introducing new taxes to passing new restrictive laws and internet taxes. George Ogola warns this shows that social media has become the new frontier for free speech.
And finally, South Africa has announced that it will introduce Swahili as an optional language in schools in 2020. This is a good thing, argues Peter Mose.
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