Momentum Insights is Momentum Africa’s newsletter covering stories of interest in policy, governance and corporate spaces from across West Africa, East Africa and South Africa.
Here’s a round-up of the latest headlines from the countries and organisations we follow, curated from top media sources on August 21 2025.
- President Bio’s Outright Lies and Exaggeration Exposed
- Angola: Activist Accuses President, Government of ‘State Terrorism’
- Zanzibar Announces General Election Schedule; Early Voting to Begin October 28
West Africa
Sierra Leone 🇸🇱
President Bio’s Outright Lies and Exaggeration Exposed (Sierra Leone Telegraph)
An op-ed published in the Sierra Leone Telegraph analyses president Julius Maada Bio’s speech at the state opening of parliament on 7 August 2025, where he outlined his government’s “big five” priorities of electricity, water, roads, education, and healthcare. It argues that most of the claims made in the address were exaggerated or misleading, with little evidence of genuine progress on the ground.
Gambia 🇬🇲
Yankuba Darboe Not to Go in for UDP Flag Bearer Position (The Voice)
Brikama Area Council Chairman Yankuba Darboe has announced he will not contest for the UDP’s 2026 presidential flag bearer position, reaffirming his pledge to step aside in support of party leader Ousainou Darboe, who has declared his intention to run.
Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮
Presidential Election in Côte d’Ivoire: Jean-Louis Billon Traces His Route, the PDCI Is Torn Apart (Jeune Afrique)
Former Ivorian commerce minister Jean-Louis Billon has announced his presidential bid under the newly formed Democratic Congress (CODE), a coalition of eight parties, just a week before the candidate submission deadline, according to a paywalled report by Jeune Afrique.
South Africa
Angola 🇦🇴
Angola: Activist Accuses President, Government of ‘State Terrorism’ (Macau News Agency)
Angolan journalist and activist Rafael Marques has accused the government and President João Lourenço of practising “state terrorism,” arguing that recent arrests and repression will only deepen the country’s economic and social crisis rather than resolve it.
East Africa
Tanzania 🇹🇿
Zanzibar Announces General Election Schedule; Early Voting to Begin October 28 (The Eastleigh Voice)
Zanzibar’s Electoral Commission has announced that the 2025 general elections will be held on October 29, with early voting set for October 28 for officials and security personnel, marking only the second time in the islands’ history that early voting will precede election day.