CONTINENTAL DRIFT

Art imitates life

Meadows, a new Nigerian TV show, has resumed shooting in Abuja after suspending production because of the coronavirus pandemic. The show’s team now consists of about seven people, including actors, which is about a quarter of a typical crew in Nollywood. Meadows is a series about a pandemic. Nollywood produced about 50 films a week and was Nigeria’s second biggest employer, but since the pandemic started it has lost about $8.33-million.

Niger’s missing $120-million

Niger has spent $312-million on arms deals over the past three years. Nearly 40% of that money has disappeared, either through inflated costs or undelivered goods, according to a government audit seen by Reuters. The deals were mainly for military vehicles, ammunition and attack helicopters. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a gross domestic product of about $9-billion.

Pardon of prejudice

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu has pardoned a gay couple who was sentenced to 15 years in prison under sodomy laws from colonial times. Japhet Chataba and Steven Sambo were among about 3 000 prisoners to be pardoned in commemoration of Africa Day, according to Zambia’s government gazette. Chataba and Sambo were sentenced in the Lusaka High Court under laws that prohibited sex between couples “against the order of nature”.

Magufuli isn’t a joke

Last week, a comedian was arrested for making fun of Tanzanian President John Magufuli on social media. Idris Sultan was reportedly arrested for laughing at dated images of Magufuli wearing a seemingly oversized suit. Idris was previously arrested in October last year for posting a photo with his face imposed on Magafuli’s body. This Wednesday, after being detained since May 19, the comedian was charged with failure to register a SIM card that had belonged to someone else. He was released on bail.

Kenya’s president scolds son

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly shamed his son for violating the country’s curfew by going partying in Mombasa — a Covid-19 hotspot. In a television appearance, Kenyatta said that he warned his son that he was putting his grandmother’s life at risk. He asked his son how he would live with himself if anything happened to his grandmother.

Reproductive reprieve

Fifty women in Rwanda who were imprisoned for having abortions are due to be released after President Paul Kagame issued a pardon. The women were serving terms ranging from 12 months to 25 years, with six of them serving life sentences. Rwanda revised its penal code in 2018, allowing for abortions in specific instances. According to

2016 Rwanda Medical and Dental Council data, the country has one midwife for every 4 064 women between the ages of 15 and 49. — Briefs sourced from Reuters, NTV, The Citizen (Tanzania) and The Guardian