“We didn’t harvest anything at all” – Zimbabwean resident Hlengiwe Moyo

Today, Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje focuses on Zimbabwe, one of several southern African countries recently hit by a prolonged drought. Seven million people are now desperate for food assistance.

The World Food Programme, along with several nations, partnered to donate bags of maize, pulses and cooking oil. Other countries that were hardest hit include Zambia and Malawi. Namibia even resorted to slaughtering wild animals such as hippos, elephants and zebras, to feed its people. The situation became so bad that Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a national disaster to tackle the prolonged drought crisis.

Guests: Ish Mafundikwa, Regina Vurayayi and Hlengiwe Moyo

Autism remains one of the most misunderstood conditions in many African countries, often leading to stigma, misdiagnosis and a lack of support.

Why do so many children in Africa go undiagnosed, and what impact does this have on their futures?

BBC Africa Daily’s Peter Musembi speaks with Cameroonian author Delly Singah, whose personal journey as a mother of an autistic child has shaped her advocacy.

Through her book ‘Diary of a Special Mum – Kicking Autism to the Curb’, Delly challenges misconceptions and highlights the struggles families face in getting a proper diagnosis and help.

“Sudan is on the brink of a return to full-scale civil war - and this civil war could be on a much larger scale than we’ve seen in the past.”

What’s going on in South Sudan? This week alarm bells have been ringing after leading allies of the Vice President, Riek Machar, were arrested – and Machar’s own home in Juba was surrounded temporarily by troops.

It follows clashes between a militia called the ‘White Army’ which fought alongside Machar during the civil war, with government troops in Upper Nile state, close to the Ethiopian border.

The relationship between Machar and President Salva Kiir has always been fractious and in 2013 a bloody civil war broke out after their political differences spiralled. 400,000 people were killed and 2 and a half million were displaced.

So is the peace deal which ended that war in 2018 now under threat?

Presenter: @Mpholakaje Guest: Daniel Akech Thiong of the Crisis Group.

“I believe that when I sing things will change and we shall have a bright future. We are going to be the ambassadors of change for our country South Sudan." War and displacement leave scars that go beyond the physical. In Bidibidi, one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, many struggle with trauma, substance abuse, and uncertainty. Bidibidi is home to over 250,000 refugees but a performing arts centre is helping refugees find healing, and hope for a better future, through music, dance, and theatre. Alan Kasujja speaks to Victor Aluonzi, who helped bring the project to life, as well as South Sudanese refugees Moses Modi and Mary Nadia, who find comfort in the arts.

Schools in South Sudan could remain closed for another four weeks as a severe heat wave continues in the country. Last week the government ordered schools across the country to close for two weeks as temperatures rose above 42°C, with reports indicating that an average of 12 students had been collapsing daily due to the soaring heat. It is the second consecutive year schools have been shut down during the hottest months, disrupting the academic calendar. Floods have in the past contributed to the instability of the education system in South Sudan, making it one of the countries with the highest rates of out-of-school children because of climate change. For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja has been speaking to two students- Naomi Momone Joseph and Maxwel Del Michael who have both lobbied world leaders at climate summits about the issue. He also hears from school teacher Akot Aliel, about life in the classroom during the heat wave.

The bacteria in our stomachs – known collectively as the microbiome - are increasingly seen by scientists as playing an important role in our overall health. According to research, it can show markers of disease as well as affect everything from digestion to mental health. Everyone has a different microbiome depending on where you live, your lifestyle, and various external factors. But data in Africa has been lacking. Now a new study of four different countries on the continent – Burkina Faso, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana - is starting to fill that gap. Alan Kasujja talks to two of the researchers involved. GUESTS: Dr Luicer Olubayo and Dr Ovokeraye Oduaran

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world - from healthcare to finance, agriculture to education. But in Africa, the stakes are different. How do we make sure AI isn’t just another import but is something built for Africans, by Africans? With so many languages, infrastructure gaps, and the need to protect our own data, building a truly African AI comes with big challenges, but also huge opportunities. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja speaks to Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology, to unpack what it will take to own our digital future—tackling everything from data sovereignty to local innovation.

“Lacking respect for Mohamed Salah and lacking respect for Egypt and for African football.”

That’s how three-time Afcon winner Wael Goma sums up Jamie Carragher’s comment that the Africa Cup of Nations is ‘not a major tournament’.

The former England and Liverpool defender was taking part in a TV discussion about Mohamed Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’or after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday.

He said because Salah hadn’t won a ‘major’ tournament like the World Cup, Euros or Copa America so he didn’t have much chance of winning the coveted award for the best player in the world.

But Africa’s top footballing guns have come out angrily to defend the importance of Afcon.

PRESENTER: Alan @Kasujja GUESTS: Ivory Coast’s Wilfried Bony who won Afcon in 2015 Egypt’s Wael Goma who won Afcon in 2006, 2008, and 2010 Football Journalist, Oluwashina Okeleji.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently told journalists that he has no interest in extending his term of office. “These terms are very definite, and I’m so democratic. When they come to an end, I will step aside and my party will elect my successor”, he said. But will the head of state really hand over the baton to someone else? Towards the end of last year, Mnangagwa’s party, Zanu PF passed a resolution to extend his term when it ends in 2028. Some in Zimbabwe believe the president is in fact playing politics and that he intends to consolidate his power. At the same time, a group of Zanu PF war veterans are pushing for Mnangagwa to immediately vacate his office, accusing him of failing to improve the country. So, what does the future hold for the southern African nation? Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Shingai Nyoka and Dr. Gideon Chitanga

Millions of people in Sudan are facing hunger and possible famine due to the war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces militia, which has been going on for almost two years.

The country has the ability to feed itself if farmers could use the most fertile land, between the White and the Blue Nile rivers in El Gezira state.

Although a massive irrigation scheme has been in place there for a century, the past choice of cash crops, along with mismanagement by the government have meant Sudan has not been able to benefit from the potential of this agricultural heartland, even before the current war saw most of the farming community flee.

Guest: Professor Nisrin Elamin.