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Malawian opposition politicians and rights groups have criticised President Lazarus Chakwera and his government for sending 221 young Malawians to work on farms in Israel.

The move on Saturday followed Israel’s aid package of $60m (£47m) two weeks ago to help Malawi's economic recovery.

The labour export deal has been criticised amid concerns over the secrecy with which it was done and the potential risks to citizens at a time Israel is in a conflict with the Palestinian Hamas group.

“Sending people to a war-torn country like Israel, where some countries are withdrawing their labour is something unheard of,” Malawian opposition leader Kondwani Nankhumwa told the BBC's Newsday programme.

He also questioned why the government had kept the deal secret, only informing parliament about a plan to send workers to an unnamed country on 22 November.

The government has defended the deal, saying that it will export Malawians to Israel and other countries to “fulfil this administration’s commitment to job creation and youth empowerment”.

The government also assured of the safety and security of the Malawians, saying that they will work in locations which are “classified as fit and safe” and will be provided with medical insurance and repatriation protections.

The deal comes amid an economic crisis in Malawi, marked by a 44% currency devaluation and drastic cost-cutting measures by President Chakwera.

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The prime minister says a new government treaty will prove Rwanda is a safe country to send migrants to.

Penelope Lively, now 89 years old, is the author of more than 30 books for children, six short story collections and 17 novels. Shortlisted three times for the Booker prize, she won it in 1987 for her time-shifting novel Moon Tiger, in which a terminally ill woman looks back at wartime adventures, love affairs and fraught family life. Dame Penelope Lively has won the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Award for her children’s books. She is also the author of three volumes of memoirs.

Dame Penelope recalls her early childhood in Cairo, and how real-life wartime Egypt inspired the fiction of Moon Tiger. Andrew Lang's Tales of Troy and Greece, a retelling of the Homeric myths, first sparked her creative imagination at the age of ten. Having moved to England in late 1945, she remembers the devastation left by the Blitz, and how seeing for herself the ruins in London, both ancient and modern, prompted a lifelong fascination with archaeology. An extremely wide reader, she discusses the influence of her lifetimes' reading habit on her fiction; in particular The Making Of The English Landscape by W.G. Hoskins, a book about the strata of history that have helped shape England, which inspired some of the recurring themes of memory and loss in her own work.

Producer: Edwina Pitman

Winnie Byanyima is a human rights advocate and executive director of Unaids, the joint UN Programme which was set up to eradicate Aids as a threat to public health by 2030.

Winnie was born in the village of Ruti, in south west Uganda, where her teacher parents raised her and her siblings to follow their example of doing good things for others. From an early age Winnie adopted the family motto of ‘truth and justice’.

Winnie fled the country in 1978, during the regime of President Idi Amin, and came to the UK as a refugee. She won a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering at Manchester University, graduating in 1981. She returned home where she found a job as an engineer for Ugandan Airlines while secretly working for Yoweri Museveni’s resistance movement that opposed Amin’s successor, Milton Obote.

In 1994 Winnie was elected as an MP in the Ugandan Parliament and was instrumental in drawing up a new constitution for the country. In 2013 she was appointed executive director of Oxfam International and became executive director of Unaids in 2019. She currently lives in Geneva.

DISC ONE: Sanyu Lyange by Juliana Kanyomozi DISC TWO: Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by New London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski, with the Norman Luboff Choir DISC THREE: Le Bûcheron by Franklin Boukaka DISC FOUR: Heart of Glass by Blondie DISC FIVE: Umqombothi by Yvonne Chaka Chaka DISC SIX: Steal Away (Remastered) by Nat King Cole DISC SEVEN: Don't Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin DISC EIGHT: I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free by Nina Simone BOOK CHOICE: The Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir LUXURY ITEM: A basket weaving needle CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free by Nina Simone

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of Nigeria’s foremost literary voices. Her writing is noted for its touching examination of homeland, identity and feminism. For more than a decade she has been coaching and mentoring promising young authors through her yearly workshops in Lagos, bringing a new generation of African writers to mainstream attention.

On the subject of transgender people and feminism, Chimamanda Adichie has been criticised by some on social media for comments she made in a 2017 TV interview, in which she said "my feeling is trans women are trans women". She was branded transphobic and there were calls for her to be banned from book events.

This past week, she has hit back, writing a furious online essay slamming some of her critics and arguing that social media platforms have become too toxic.

Mark Coles talks to friends and family about the award-winning writer whose outspoken nature has seen her drawn into a social media firestorm.

Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Sally Abrahams Researcher: Matt Murphy and Sowda Ali Editor: Alex Lewis

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi is the chief executive of Christian Aid, leading development and humanitarian work in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Amanda was born in Twickenham and grew up in Zambia and Rome where her stepfather worked in the diplomatic service. She studied international trade and investment law at the University of Zambia in Lusaka and during this time she began to develop her political outlook and commitment to the issue of social justice.

She moved to the UK in 1996 where she took a master’s degree at the University of Warwick. But even with two degrees and considerable work experience she was unable to find a job and retrained as a care worker. She says her time working in nursing homes “reshaped” and “humbled” her.

Later she worked for the VSO and served with the United Nations Volunteer programme in Germany before landing what she calls her “dream job” at Christian Aid in 2018.

DISC ONE: Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba DISC TWO: Ave Maria (after Arcadelt) Composed by Jacques Arcadelt, performed by Choeur de Chambre de Namur, conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón DISC THREE: My Hometown by Bruce Springsteen DISC FOUR: Jerusalema by Master Kg Featuring Nomcebo Zikode DISC FIVE: You Know My Name by Tasha Cobbs Leonard Featuring Jimi Cravity DISC SIX: (Red)emption Song by John Legend DISC SEVEN: I Believe by Fantasia DISC EIGHT: It Is Well With My Soul by Wintley Phipps

BOOK CHOICE: Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson LUXURY ITEM: Quality Street chocolates CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: It Is Well With My Soul by Wintley Phipps

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's journey to head the World Trade Organisation has been particularly note-worthy. She is the first woman and the first African to hold the position. A trained economist, she was at the World Bank during the financial crisis and, as Nigeria’s finance minister, she faced down corruption.

It's not just her career that sets her apart. As a child she lived through the Biafran War. Years later she faced another crisis: the kidnapping of her elderly mother. But her friends say she does find time for a laugh and the occasional boogie.

Becky Milligan hears about her fascinating life and career from close family, friends and colleagues.

Producer: Ben Crighton Researcher: Maia Lowerson Studio manager: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Janet Staples Editor: Rosamund Jones

Mark Coles profiles Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was the first African to be elected Director-General of the World Health Organisation. Three years on, he finds himself at the centre of a political storm. Some say he has been too soft on China - where the coronavirus began. Others accuse the WHO of being too slow to declare a global public health emergency and US President, Donald Trump, has threatened to withdraw funding. Now one of the most recognisable faces in the world due to the pandemic yet little is known about Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Producer: Jim Frank Researcher: Vivien Jones Editor: Penny Murphy

Ihlan Omar is the 37-year-old Somali-born US congresswoman - one of only two Muslim women ever elected to Congress - who's become a thorn in President Trump’s side and on the receiving end of his temper. Omar was one of four congresswomen Trump told to “go back” to where they came from. So who is Ilhan Omar, why has she got the President’s back up - and what's he really up to in targeting her? Mark Coles has been finding out.

Thank you to Norah Shapiro for use of clips from her documentary 'Time for Ilhan'.

Researchers: Khadidja Ndiaye and Kirsteen Knight Producer: Phoebe Keane

As Libya edges towards civil war, Becky Milligan looks at the life of the man behind the most recent conflict, which began with his military assault on the city of Tripoli.

Known as "The Strongman", Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar comes from a family of soldiers and as a young man admired his fellow army student Muammar Gaddafi, who would later denounce him after their disastrous defeat in a war in Chad.

He was given refuge by the Americans and ended up living for twenty years in Langley, Virginia, home of the CIA, before returning to Libya, with the self-proclaimed aim of saving the country from extremists.

Producers Smita Patel & Tural Ahmedzade Editor Andrew Smith

Becky Milligan looks back at the extraordinary life of South Africa's new president. From humble beginnings, he became a lawyer, established the country's most powerful trade union organisation and was a key player in negotiating the end of apartheid. After losing out at an earlier attempt to become president, he turned to business and rapidly became one of South Africa's richest men - while also attracting controversy over allegations about his role during the Marikana massacre of striking miners. As he takes power, what really makes him tick?

Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: Darin Graham Editor Hugh Levinson.

The remarkable story of George Weah, footballing legend turned politician, on his journey from the slums of Monrovia to inauguration this week as president of Liberia. Spotted by Arsene Wenger at a young age, Weah became a star striker in the '90s for Paris St Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea. In 1995 he won the Ballon d'Or as the world's best player, the only African ever to win the honour. Back home, Weah became an inspiration to a generation of Liberians. When he retired from football, he returned to a country devastated by two civil wars and the outbreak of Ebola, with the aim of becoming president. Two decades and two attempts later he has made it. But has he got the experience to succeed in government? Edward Stourton talks to his cousin, Arsenal legend Chris Wreh, along with friends and colleagues about his extraordinary determination and asks whether he can meet the expectations of a generation. Producer: Ben Carter Researcher: Siobhan O'Connell.

After the Zimbabwean army moved against Robert Mugabe this week, one man has been hotly tipped to succeed him. The former Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, portrays himself to the west as a free-market enthusiast who could change the fortunes of Zimbabwe. But 'The Crocodile', as Mnangagwa is nicknamed, has been at Mugabe's side since the independence struggle, and is associated with some of the regime's most notorious actions.

Presenter: Edward Stourton Producers: Kate Lamble and Beth Sagar-Fenton.

Ben Norman, search engine specialist, tells us how to avoid the pitfalls of Google's change to its search recipe. We speak to Emma Kaye, CEO of the Africa-based platform Bozza, which is showcasing emerging artistic talent across the African continent. And, can passenger planes really be hacked?

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with special guest Izabella Kaminska, financial technology specialist from the Financial Times.

(Image: Rory Cellan-Jones)

Mark Williamson of Spotify talks to us about losing Taylor Swift from the service. How the mobile internet is having a profound effect on doing business in Africa. Celia Hatton reports from Beijing on China's 'Singles' Day' online shopping extravaganza. And Mike McCue,the founder of Flipboard on the future for the publishing and newspaper businesses.

Presented by Rory Cellan-Jones, with special guest Ismail Ahmed of WorldRemit, and Zoe Kleinman and Joe Miller from the BBC Online technology desk.

On the streets of Lagos, it is not the police who wield power but gangs of fight-hardened young men known as Area Boys. Louis spends time with several outfits, joining them as they patrol their turf, clash with local rivals and keep the peace in a brutal and haphazard fashion. The main income for the Area Boys is an arbitrary and unofficial form of taxation, extracted from local businesses and commercial drivers. Louis gets to know the rich and glamorous Area Boy leader MC, a former street youth himself, who has now become a friend of the most powerful men in the city. Taken under MC's wing, Louis experiences the top levels of the Area Boys' world from the inside, complete with a tour of MC's grand residence and extensive shoe collection, and ending in a chaotic mini-riot with gunshots, blood and mayhem.

On the side of the law, Louis rides with KAI, the government's Kick Against Indiscipline paramilitary task force, as they storm different city districts. With bulldozers and arrest warrants, KAI use their own strong-arm tactics, and are in their way as feared as the Area Boys.

In Law and Disorder in Lagos, Louis wrestles with life in a world in which the forces of law and the forces of disorder are not always readily distinguishable and nothing is quite what it seems.

Louis Theroux travels to Johannesburg, where the residents find themselves increasingly besieged by crime. Despairing of the capability of the police and the courts to protect them, many have turned to an industry of private security, offering protection for a price. Are the sometimes brutal methods of these private police really a solution or just another part of the problem?

The first stop for Louis is a meeting with William Mayangoni, the local co-ordinator for a security firm known as Mapogo. Based on the outskirts of Diepsloot, one of the squatter camps that ring Johannesburg, William investigates thefts for his mainly white clients. When he catches a suspect, he gives them 'medicine': the alleged offender is beaten with a leather whip known as a sjambok.

Although his clients seem to support what they see as 'an African solution to an African problem', William's methods alienate the people of Diepsloot. Finally, their patience snaps dramatically, and William has to call out the real police in order to protect himself from the vicious threat of the mob.

In the centre of Johannesburg, a security company called Bad Boyz work in an area called Hillbrow, notorious for its high crime rate. Louis meets company director Hendrik De Klerk who explains that much of their activity involves reclaiming and securing buildings that have been taken over, or hijacked, by criminal gangs who illegally take rent from tenants. Louis watches dramatic evictions unfold, in which the police and security companies are not afraid to use force to kick out the protesting residents.

Louis travels to Limpopo Province to stay in a hunting lodge. Hunting in South Africa has become easier than ever before - in fact, it is a blossoming tourist industry. The cost of a trophy animal ranges from as little as $250 for a baboon to as much as $70,000 for a rhino. The animals are bred to purpose on private game farms. In fact, lion breeder Piet insists that hunting, by putting an economic value to the animal, has allowed populations of exotic species to flourish.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Joel Joffe. For many years he was the chairman of Oxfam, before that he set up a hugely successful insurance company and most recently he's been campaigning for terminally ill people to have the right to die. But the career in which he has had the greatest impact is the one he was forced to give up more than 40 years ago - law.

In 1963, Joel Joffe was a young defence solicitor, so dismayed by the apartheid system of his native South Africa that he was on the brink of emigrating. Then he was asked to take over the defence of a group of ANC activists including Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and Nelson Mandela.

The trial gripped the world and was all the more extraordinary because, far from aiming to secure his clients' freedom, Joel Joffe was simply fighting for them not to receive the death penalty. He tells Kirsty how, even in his prison clothes, Nelson Mandela was a figure of calm authority, who guided them through the trial.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Under Milk Wood by Richard Burton Book: A Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela Luxury: Wind-up radio.