When it was opened, in 1990, Lagos Third Mainland Bridge handled 1 000 cars a day. Today its closer to 70 000. (AFP)
The Mail & Guardian prides itself on in-depth, first-hand reporting on and from the African continent. This is a selection of the best stories published in the newspaper’s Africa section this year.
There are more boy scouts than peacekeepers in the Central African Republic — and the boy scouts are arguably more effective. From mediating between armed groups to investigating for signs of Ebola, Central African scouts really must “be prepared” for anything.
The Mail & Guardian investigation into gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the African Union Commission forced the continental body to constitute an internal inquiry — which found the problem was even worse than we reported.
In Nigeria, it is easy to forget that the two major religions — Christianity and Islam — are colonial imports. But not everyone has forgotten the old gods, the indigenous deities that have been worshipped here for centuries — and some are on a mission to make the rest of the country remember.
Many taste buds were sacrificed during the course of this investigation.
Thandekile Moyo did not understand why her family was so opposed to her dating a Shona boy — until she realised that the shadow of Gukurahundi continues to loom large over modern Zimbabwe. The topic remains so sensitive that she was fired from her publishing job for writing this piece (as she explains in her follow up).
This tiny nation on the Horn of Africa has become one of the most important geostrategic spaces on the planet — and home to an astonishing array of foreign military bases.
When it was opened, in 1990, Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge handled 1 000 cars a day. Today it’s closer to 70 000. To traverse its length — usually very slowly, thanks to the chronic traffic — is to witness the the many faces of Africa’s most populous city, along with its many contradictions.
In an exclusive investigation, female journalists in Kenya detail the sexual harassment that has become endemic in media houses.
As the Democratic Republic of Congo gears up for its presidential election, the names on the ballot paper are less significant than the ghosts that continue to haunt them.
Queer asylum seekers from all over Africa hope to find refuge in South Africa, a country whose Constitution famously forbids discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. But they don’t always receive the welcome they are expecting.
Nigeria’s psychedelic football kit at this year’s FIFA World Cup became an instant classic — making up somewhat for the team’s lacklustre performance. The shirt’s popularity was not just good news for Nike, but also for an army of informal traders producing cut-price knock-offs.