Daily News on Issues Affecting Africa for October 15, 2014

Continue reading for a summary of recent news stories relating to some of the most pressing issues on the continent. We draw on a wide range of respected news sources, both from Africa itself and around the world. The themes of today's In the News post are: the continued fight against Ebola, illegally operated businesses in Ghana, 'strategic' minerals in South Africa,  Kenya's  growing security industry, investments in Africa, possible threats to peace in Burundi and the efforts to reduce extreme noise levels in Nigeria.

Tackling Ebola, One Broadcast at a Time

CKÉDOU, Guinea — Diallo Fatou Traoré stands at the entrance of a rural radio station, of which she is the director, and asks that everyone entering use a hand-washing station. In less tenuous times, such a request would be unfathomably rude. But here in Guinea's southeastern Forestière region, the heart of the current Ebola epidemic, extreme caution has become the norm.

Traoré and her team of 18 journalists, technicians, and on-air presenters are probably not the first people who come to mind when thinking about those on the front lines of the battle against Ebola, but each have been deeply engaged in fighting the spread of the disease. "We had seven cases and four dead at the start, and people did not believe in Ebola," says Traoré, who recalls people calling into her station with personal theories and anecdotes. "We started interactive programming with a doctor answering questions and responding to phone calls, and the mentality changed."

To read more from FP, click here.

Ghana Seeks to Clamp Down on Illegal Retailers

Ghana is considering the introduction of special courts to deal with foreigners illegally operating retail businesses amid concerns that locals are being pushed out of the sector.

A Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) senior official Edward Ashong Lartey said foreigners were still running retail businesses in the country in violation of the law.

"So what can be done now is prosecution by a court of competent jurisdiction," he said.

Chief justice Georgina Wood on Tuesday said they were tightening the screws on foreigners running retail businesses.

To read more from The Africa Report, click here.

South Africa considers declaring certain minerals as 'strategic'

South Africa's mines minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi said he was considering declaring certain minerals such as coal and iron ore as "strategic" for the country.

"We haven't classified any, but it is provided for under the mineral bill, which is before the president. If that bill is signed into law, then it will give the minister the ability to declare certain minerals strategic for purposes of industrialisation in South Africa," he said.

Under the bill, such minerals "will be sold for production costs excluding transportation. That is the mine-gate price. And the industry is comfortable with that, because they negotiated that formula," he said.

To read more from Reuters, click here.

Kenyan security industry grows in Westgate aftermath

A lot has changed in Kenya since the attack at the Westgate shopping mall a year ago.

Other shopping centers have increased the number of their security officers - and frisking people before they enter buildings, public transport vehicles and even churches is now common.

While the attack contributed to a fall in revenues in the country's important tourism sector, it has also boosted business in the private security industry.

To read more from BBC, click here.

Bringing Africa to Asia

One of Tokyo's most innovative strategies in recent years has been the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). The first TICAD was held in 1993, as a result of the Japanese government's decision to play a greater role in international affairs following the end of the Cold War.

At the first conference, Japan pledged to increase the proportion of its aid budget that it spends in Africa as successive Japanese governments had previously focused the bulk of their aid expenditure closer to home, particularly in the countries of Southeast Asia.

To read more from African Business, click here.

Civilians struggle to survive in war-torn South Sudan

Outside, in the war-zone state of Unity, citizens say they are too fearful to venture, frightened of revenge attacks in a civil war that entered its eleventh month Wednesday.

"We are so tired here," said Mary Nyagah Mon, a 43-year old mother of six, standing deep in the grey water that covers the camp here, just outside the town of Bentiu, one of the hardest fought over areas in the grinding war.

To read more from Times Live, click here.

Burundian Civil Society Fights Back But Will it be Enough?

The relative peace Burundi has enjoyed since the end of civil war may be under threat. Following the ceasefire that ended 12 years of brutal conflict in 2005, the country has experienced a degree of stability. But as the 2015 elections approach, many warn that President Pierre Nkurunziza and his ruling CNDD-FDD party are constricting political space through intimidation, violence and the repression of dissenting voices.

In doing so, however, the government has not had an easy ride. Instead, it has found itself face-to-face with resolute civil society and opposition groups who have refused to back down. How these contending dynamics play out could determine whether the 2015 elections, slated for the summer, represent a step towards greater democratic consolidation or a step back towards a politics of violence and fear.

To read more from Think Africa Press, click here.

Lagos bans car horns to combat city's deafening traffic noise

Nigeria's biggest city has banned the use of car horns for a day to raise awareness of noise pollution.

Despite the occasional honk ringing out in Lagos, the country's financial capital, on Wednesday, road users say they noticed things were a bit quieter.

Many welcomed the idea but predicted the racket would resume on Thursday. "If the intention is to reduce the noise, it's good," said Lateef Adebayo, 35, a commercial driver. "But after today, I don't see people complying with the policy."

To read more from the Guardian, click here.