Africa 54 - November 4, 2021 You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: The State Department says U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman will travel to Ethiopia Thursday and Friday, after rebel forces from the northern Tigray region said they were moving toward the capital and the government in Addis Ababa declared a state of emergency. South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) on Thursday was nursing a fresh political headache after its worst election result, as local polls showed support for the legacy party of Nelson Mandela dipping below half for the first time. Results from 99% of polling stations in local elections gave it 46% of votes cast, suggesting anger over corruption and poor service delivery had led some voters to defect from the party of the country's liberation hero, and others to stay away. As world leaders talk at the COP26 climate summit, Madagascans like Masy Celestinea are forced to live on cactus flowers amid successive droughts caused by climate change. As climate change triggers deadly heatwaves, droughts and floods, three U.N. agencies on Wednesday will roll out funding plans to improve weather forecasting in vulnerable countries. Namibia's Jakapita Kandanga was among young climate activists who sailed to the U.N.'s COP26 climate conference on board a Greenpeace ship. The COP26 climate summit is taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing global pandemic. As richer nations begin to reopen thanks to rapid vaccination programs, most people in developing countries are still waiting for their first dose. Animal welfare advocates in Kenya are campaigning against the battery cage system of commercial poultry management. The system has been banned in Europe, out of concern for the birds’ welfare, but it is beginning to gain popularity in Africa. The different diaspora groups that make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians with direct ties to Africa who are changing the face of American politics. The Tour du Faso, a ten-day bicycle race through the conflict-stricken West African country of Burkina Faso, began in the southern city of Banfora October 29. One Burkinabe rider hopes to build on his Summer Olympics performance and secure victory despite security concerns. Senegal has all the makings of a vibrant surf scene: consistent breaks, warm water, and a friendly, inviting culture. But without access to the raw materials needed to shape their own boards, many miss out on the fun. One local surfer found a unique way to create his own boards and has now launched a business with the goal of becoming the first Senegalese surfboard shaper. From a mosque founded by some of the Prophet Mohammed's first disciples to 6th-century churches carved from rock, there are fears that some of Ethiopia's ancient cultural heritage has been irreversibly damaged amid a conflict in the country's north. David Doyle has more. Although 58% of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, many still hesitate to get the shot. And while the COVID-19 vaccine may be relatively new, the phenomenon of vaccine pushback is not. Liliya Anisimova has the story, narrated by Anna Rice