 Weekend Reads Francesco Alesi/Internazionale🇰🇪 The late Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina is best known for his seminal book, “How to Write about Africa”, which remains relevant to this day, writes Alexis Okeowo for the New Yorker. In a profile piece, she explains Wainaina’s lasting impact. “No one was better at conveying what it was like to be the unwilling and constantly analyzed subject of people who didn’t really know what the hell they were talking about but were good at pretending they did.” 🇪🇷 Eritrea’s embassy in Washington has helped the country raise millions of dollars, despite US sanctions imposed on its ruling party three years ago. The fundraising efforts involve high-ranking officials at the embassy whose words make clear that the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice party is identical to the government, the Washington Post reports. But only the US Treasury can determine that its sanctions are being violated. 🇨🇫 A Central African Republic journalist who worked as a mercenary for Russia’s Wagner forces described the mechanics of the group’s misinformation campaign in Africa. Enticed by an offer that more than doubled his monthly salary to $320, Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo planted pro-Russia stories in local newspapers and orchestrated anti-Western agitation — until increasingly sinister requests started stirring feelings of “shame and regret.” 🇿🇲 Zambian grandmother Margret Chola is the internet’s unlikely fashion sensation, thanks to her cloth swaps with her New York-based granddaughter. Chola’s outfits garner thousands of likes on her ‘Legendary Glamma’ Instagram account, a new reality that has left her feeling she can “conquer the world,” according to an interview with the BBC.  Dave Hoisington/CIMMYT, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons🌍 Scientists who advocate for genetically modified crops blame “prohibitive regulation” for the lackluster state of adoption in Africa, the Economist reports. South Africa is the only country with a significant rate of adoption so far, and only 10 others on the continent have approved cultivation in some form. Regulations aside, there are somewhat spurious obstacles, including “claims that eating GM food will make men grow breasts and women grow testicles.” 🗓️ Week AheadNov. 25 — South African retailer Pick n Pay will publish the final offer price and number of shares sold in its initial public offering of its Boxer discount grocery chain. Nov. 25 — Ghana’s central bank is expected to announce its benchmark interest rate decision following a meeting of its monetary policy committee. Nov. 26 — South Africa’s constitutional court will hear a case brought by opposition parties seeking to revive impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the ”Farmgate″ scandal. Nov. 26 — Nigeria’s central bank will announce its latest interest rate decision. It increased its lending rate by 50 basis points at its last sitting in September as a counter-inflationary measure. Nov. 27 — Nearly 1.5 million Namibians are expected to vote in a general election to elect a new president and members of the National Assembly. The ruling SWAPO party’s presidential candidate, the current Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, is currently favored to win. Nov. 28 — Zimbabwe’s finance minister is set to present the 2025 budget, which is expected to show improved economic growth after a recovery from this year’s severe drought. For Your ConsiderationDec. 16 — Interested applicants are invited to consider the 2024/2025 African Union (AU) Internship Program designed to complement their educational experience and to develop their professional skills and experience. Dec. 17 — Qualifying African women in politics and public service across the continent are invited to apply for the 2024 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Center Amujae Initiative. | 
