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The Gambia beats Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, others to win Jollof Rice Competition

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The much talked about “Jollof Rice” war in the West African region was settled in spectacular fashion when The Gambia, against all odds, beat Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Liberia to the first position at the West Africa Food Festival (WAFFEST) held in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Gambian team of cooks led by international award-winning chef, Saikou Bojang, trounced all renowned chefs from the sub-region with their indigenous recipes, artistic food displays, and preserved West African flavours in a way that gave them the trophy, while also relegating giants Nigeria and Ghana to the background, with Liberia taking the second spot.

The Gambian newspaper, The Point, which captured the epoch-making event, described it as an “incredible achievement which came in honour of Jollof Rice, a divinely loved platter whose origins can be traced back to the Senegambia region that was ruled by the Jolof, or as we know it today, the Wolof Empire in the 14th century, crawling across parts of today’s Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania where rice is religiously grown.

“The West Africa Food Festival is a competition that has been running for over five years, usually housing about 16 countries per edition, running primarily on celebrating the flavours, sounds, and sights of West Africa, bringing together people from all corners of the geographic region through their diverse traditional cuisines,” The Point wrote.

“The Gambia, back in the 2019, event also emerged victors winning the best chef and best dessert awards. The then team led by Chef Saikou Bojang and Chef Musa Darboe was welcomed home by the Minister for Tourism and Culture in a show of gratitude.

“Such a moment still ringing with pride four years later will now stand side by side with this beautiful accomplishment of The Gambia bagging a win in both the Jollof and Vegan categories.

“A contestant from Liberia, chef Aloycious, also took to social media to express his despondence in losing to Gambia in a humble bout of words and shared that it was a great experience with a great team of chefs’”, it added.

Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

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Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.

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Miss SA opens up on why she withdrew from Miss Universe pageant

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Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.

While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.

“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.

“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.

“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”

She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.

She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.

“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.

“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.

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