Lesotho records first coronavirus case

Lesotho records first coronavirus case

Author: BBC World Service May 13, 2020 Duration: 25:41

Lesotho today became the last country on the African continent to record a coronavirus case. Cameroon's Julie Owono talks about her appointment to the board overseeing Facebook content. Malawian artist Hazel Mak on her new ‘Unorthodox’ album.


Each weekday, as the afternoon draws to a close, Focus on Africa provides a thoughtful and necessary pause to understand the continent's dynamic pulse. Produced by the BBC World Service, this daily podcast goes beyond headlines, unpacking two essential stories with depth and context. The reporting doesn't just explain the major events shaping nations and communities; it deliberately highlights the individuals living through these changes, ensuring the human dimension of every story is heard. Furthermore, the program offers a vital African perspective on worldwide events, examining how global developments resonate locally. Under the steady guidance of host Nkechi Ogbonna, listeners are offered clarity and insight, making complex issues accessible. This reliable briefing is crafted to fit into your routine, arriving before the evening with the authority and nuance you expect. Tuning into this podcast means connecting with a nuanced portrait of a continent, its people, and its place in the world, all delivered with journalistic rigor five days a week.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 922

Focus on Africa
Podcast Episodes
Selling body parts for 'rituals' in Sierra Leone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:09
A BBC Africa Eye documentary has exposed the practice of selling body parts for magic rituals in Sierra Leone. We speak to the reporter who went back to the town where an 11-year-old boy was murdered as part of a suspect…
Gender-based violence declared a national crisis in South Africa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:14
South Africa's president declares gender-based violence and femicide a national crisis after planned protests A campaign to encourage us to donate our bodies to medical science And Audrey Brown bids farewell to Focus on…
Amhara conflict: Thousands of reports of rape and assault [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:01
A special BBC investigation has collated data which shows there have been thousands of reports of rape between July 2023 and May 2025, in the conflict between militias and Ethiopian government forces in the Amhara region…
Did Kenyan authorities use technology to silence Gen Z protestors? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:15
Amnesty International alleges that the Kenyan government used digital tools to suppress Gen Z organised demonstrations Has the rift between Senegalese President Faye and Prime Minister Sonko widened? Also, Nigeria has Ni…
Search continues for schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria's Kebbi State [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:37
At least 20 schoolgirls are still missing in Nigeria's north-western Kebbi State after they were kidnapped at dawn from their dormitories at a secondary school. How can mass abductions in Nigeria be stopped?South Africa…
Are DR Congo and M23 rebels nearing a peace deal? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:02
The DR Congo and the M23 rebels sign a framework agreement in Qatar for a peace deal to end fighting Will Nigeria's seemingly endless academic staff strikes end? And Nigeria's Eagles to miss the World Cup after defeat by…
South Sudan: Why was a powerful vice-president fired? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:21
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has sacked his Second Vice-President Dr Benjamin Bol Mel, who was seen as a possible successor. So with First Vice-President Riek Machar under house arrest charged with treason, how wil…
Gabon's ex first lady and son get sentenced [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:47
Wife and son of Gabon's ousted leader get 20-year jail terms in two-day corruption trial.Mauritania's president, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Al-Ghazouani, recently sacked some senior government officials. Can he win the fight ag…
Sierra Leone steps up fight against kush [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:38
Can new tougher measures announced by Sierra Leone's President Bio really be effective in combating kush, the illegal psychoactive blend of addictive substances that is devastating the country.What caused the fatal helic…
Can Mali's Junta withstand a jihadist blockade? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:45
Can Mali's military junta maintain its hold on power despite a jihadist blockade? What role are mercenaries playing in Africa's current conflicts. And the genesis of a new type of Algerian rai protest music known as "Way…