September 21, 2021 – Page 2 – South Africa Vision

September 21, 2021

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Honors Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Former Executive Director of UN Women, With 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award

Foundation also recognizes three additional Goalkeepers Global Goals award winners who are taking action to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals

SEATTLE, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former United Nations under-secretary-general and executive director of UN Women, as the winner of the 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award. As part of its annual Goalkeepers campaign, the foundation also announced the winners of three additional Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards.

“By shining a light on the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women and girls, former Under-Secretary-General Mlambo-Ngcuka has ensured that global and local efforts to battle COVID-19 must take into account the acute disparities they face,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “She exemplifies the leadership we need in the fight for gender equality around the world.”

The 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award recognizes a leader who has driven progress on a global scale toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s award is being presented to Mlambo-Ngcuka for her unwavering global leadership on gender equality and continued advocacy to address the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women and girls. Mlambo-Ngcuka, a former deputy president of South Africa, has dedicated her life to advancing social justice and working with civil society organizations. During her tenure as executive director of UN Women, she led work to strengthen and expand partnerships with government, male allies, and the media, all in service of advancing SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Mlambo-Ngcuka played a vital role in helping to spearhead and deliver the Generation Equality Forum in July 2021, which helped mobilize more than $40 billion in commitments from member states, the private sector, philanthropies, and civil society to drive transformative change for women and girls around the world.

This year’s three additional Goalkeepers Global Goals awards were given to Fairooz Faizah Beether of Bangladesh, Jenifer Colpas of Colombia, and Satta Sheriff of Liberia. Each awardee was recognized for their work supporting the Global Goals in their local communities.

The 2021 Changemaker Award, which celebrates an individual who has inspired change using personal experience or from a position of leadership, recognizes Fairooz Faizah Beether of Bangladesh for her work promoting good health and well-being (SDG 3). Beether is the co-founder of the Moner School, an online platform that aims to raise awareness around mental health and ensure equal access to mental health care across the country.

The 2021 Progress Award, which celebrates an individual who supports progress via a science, technology, digital, or business initiative, recognizes Jenifer Colpas of Colombia for her work to improve access to clean water and sanitation (SDG 6). Colpas is the co-founder and executive director of Tierra Grata, a social enterprise that develops low-cost, easy-to-install solutions providing access to clean energy, safe water, and sanitation services to rural communities in Colombia.

The 2021 Campaign Award, which celebrates a campaign that has raised awareness or built a community by inspiring action and creating change, recognizes Satta Sheriff of Liberia for her work to promote gender equality (SDG 5). Sheriff is the founder and executive director of Action for Justice and Human Rights (AJHR), a youth-led NGO founded to advocate and ensure access to justice and respect for human rights in Liberia, focusing particularly on helping women and girls.

“Disparities everywhere continue to worsen due to the impacts of COVID-19,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “This year, we are especially honored to recognize four leaders whose work demonstrates that progress is possible, even in the most difficult of times.”

“These award winners show how women are leading the way in coming up with the innovative solutions needed to rebuild our communities and nations,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “This year’s winners continue to inspire us as they work tirelessly to create a more equal, resilient, and compassionate world.”

The announcement of the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards winners follows last week’s release of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s fifth annual Goalkeepers Report. This year’s report, co-authored by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, shows that disparities caused by COVID-19 remain stark, and those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic will be the slowest to recover. Fortunately, amidst the challenges of the past year, the world stepped up to avert some of the worst-case scenarios. In the report, the co-chairs highlight the “breathtaking innovation” that was only possible because of global collaboration, commitment, and investments over decades. They acknowledge that averting the worst-case scenarios is commendable, yet they note it’s not enough. To ensure a truly equitable recovery from the pandemic, they call for long-term investments in health and economies—like the ones that led to the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine—to propel recovery efforts and get the world back on track to meet the Global Goals.

Biographies, images, and a film of the Goalkeepers Global Goals award winners can be downloaded at: www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/about-event/awards

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.

About Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers is the foundation’s campaign to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). By sharing stories and data behind the Global Goals through an annual report, we hope to inspire a new generation of leaders—Goalkeepers who raise awareness of progress, hold their leaders accountable, and drive action to achieve the Global Goals.

About the Global Goals
On September 25, 2015, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). These are a series of ambitious objectives and targets to achieve three extraordinary things by 2030: end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.

Project Everyone, co-creators of Goalkeepers, was founded by writer, director, and SDG Advocate Richard Curtis with the ambition to help achieve the Global Goals through raising awareness, holding leaders accountable, and driving action. Find out more at www.project-everyone.org.

Media Contact: [email protected]

September 21, 2021

La Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates honore Mme Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, ancienne directrice exécutive d’ONU Femmes, avec le prix mondial 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award

La Fondation décerne également le prix Goalkeepers Global Goals à trois autres lauréates, qui prennent des mesures pour aider à atteindre les Objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies

SEATTLE, 21 septembre 2021 /PRNewswire/ — La Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates a annoncé aujourd’hui que Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, ancienne secrétaire générale adjointe des Nations Unies et directrice exécutive d’ONU Femmes, a remporté le prix 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award. Dans le cadre de sa campagne annuelle Goalkeepers, la Fondation a également annoncé les gagnants de trois autres prix Goalkeepers Global Goals Award.

« En mettant en lumière l’impact disproportionné de la pandémie sur les femmes et les filles, l’ancienne Secrétaire générale adjointe Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka a veillé à ce que les efforts mondiaux et locaux pour lutter contre la COVID-19 prennent en compte les disparités aiguës auxquelles elles sont confrontées », a déclaré Melinda French Gates, coprésidente de la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates. Elle incarne le leadership dont nous avons besoin dans la lutte pour l’égalité des sexes dans le monde. »

Le prix 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award récompense un leader qui a fait progresser les Objectifs de développement durable (ODD) à l’échelle mondiale. Le prix de cette année est remis à Mme Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka pour son leadership mondial indéfectible en matière d’égalité des sexes et son plaidoyer continu visant à contrer l’impact disproportionné de la pandémie sur les femmes et les filles. Mme Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, ancienne vice-présidente de l’Afrique du Sud, a consacré sa vie à promouvoir la justice sociale et à travailler avec les organisations de la société civile. Au cours de son mandat de directrice exécutive d’ONU Femmes, elle a dirigé des travaux visant à renforcer et à élargir les partenariats avec le gouvernement, les alliés masculins et les médias, afin de faire progresser l’ODD 5, qui vise à atteindre l’égalité des sexes et à permettre à toutes les femmes et filles de bénéficier d’une autonomie. Mme Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka a joué un rôle essentiel dans l’organisation et la direction du Generation Equality Forum en juillet 2021, qui a permis de mobiliser plus de 40 milliards de dollars d’engagements des États membres, du secteur privé, des philanthropes et de la société civile afin de favoriser un changement transformateur pour les femmes et les filles du monde entier.

Cette année, les trois autres prix Goalkeepers Global Goals Award ont été remis à Fairooz Faizah Beether du Bangladesh, Jenifer Colpas de Colombie et Satta Sheriff du Libéria. Chaque lauréate a été reconnue pour son travail en faveur des Objectifs mondiaux dans sa communauté locale.

Le prix 2021 Changemaker Award, qui rend hommage à une personne qui a inspiré le changement grâce à son expérience personnelle ou à un poste de direction, récompense Fairooz Faizah Beether du Bangladesh pour son travail de promotion de la santé et du bien-être (ODD 3). Fairooz Faizah Beether est la cofondatrice de Moner School, une plateforme en ligne qui vise à sensibiliser la population à la santé mentale et à assurer un accès égal aux soins de santé mentale partout au pays.

Le prix 2021 Progress Award, qui rend hommage à une personne qui soutient le progrès au moyen d’une initiative scientifique, technologique, numérique ou commerciale, récompense le travail de Jenifer Colpas de Colombie pour améliorer l’accès à l’eau potable et à l’assainissement (ODD 6). Jenifer Colpas est la cofondatrice et directrice générale de Tierra Grata, une entreprise sociale qui développe des solutions peu coûteuses et faciles à installer offrant un accès à l’énergie propre, à l’eau potable et aux services d’assainissement aux communautés rurales de Colombie.

Le prix 2021 Campaign Award, qui célèbre une campagne qui a permis de sensibiliser la population ou de bâtir une communauté en incitant à la prise de mesures et en générant des changements, rend hommage à Satta Sheriff du Libéria pour son travail en faveur de l’égalité des sexes (ODD 5). Satta Sheriff est la fondatrice et la directrice exécutive d’une ONG dirigée par des jeunes gens : Action for Justice and Human Rights (AJHR). Fondée pour promouvoir et garantir l’accès à la justice et le respect des droits de l’homme au Libéria, cette ONG cible en particulier les femmes et les filles, et tente de leur apporter son soutien.

« Les disparités continuent de s’aggraver partout en raison des répercussions de la COVID-19 », a déclaré Bill Gates, coprésident de la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates. « Cette année, nous sommes particulièrement fiers de récompenser quatre leaders dont le travail démontre que des progrès sont possibles, même dans les moments les plus difficiles. »

« Les lauréates de ces prix montrent que les femmes sont des leaders dans l’élaboration de solutions novatrices pour rebâtir nos collectivités et nos nations », a déclaré Mark Suzman, PDG de la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates. Les lauréates de cette année continuent de nous inspirer alors qu’elles travaillent sans relâche pour créer un monde plus équitable, plus résilient et plus compatissant. »

L’annonce des lauréates des Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards fait suite à la publication, la semaine dernière, du cinquième rapport annuel de la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates sur les gardiens de but : le Goalkeepers Report. Le rapport de cette année, rédigé conjointement par Bill Gates et Melinda French Gates, montre que les disparités causées par la COVID-19 demeurent criantes et que les personnes les plus durement touchées par la pandémie seront les plus lents à se rétablir. Heureusement, confronté aux défis de l’année passée, le monde s’est mobilisé pour éviter certains des scénarios les plus catastrophiques. Dans le rapport, les coprésidents soulignent « l’innovation spectaculaire » qui n’aurait pas été possible sans les efforts de collaboration et d’engagement et les investissements mondiaux réalisés au fil des décennies. Les auteurs du rapport, s’ils reconnaissent qu’il est louable d’avoir évité les pires scénarios, font remarquer que cela n’est pas suffisant. Les coprésidents appellent à des investissements à long terme dans la santé et les économies, comme ceux qui ont mené au développement rapide du vaccin contre la COVID-19, afin de s’assurer que les pays se rétablissent de la pandémie de manière véritablement équitable, de stimuler les efforts de rétablissement et de remettre le monde sur la bonne voie pour atteindre les Objectifs mondiaux.

Les biographies, les images et un film des lauréates du prix Goalkeepers Global Goals Award peuvent être téléchargés à l’adresse suivante : www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/about-event/awards

À propos de la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates
Guidée par la conviction que chaque vie a une valeur égale, la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates s’efforce d’aider tous les individus à mener une vie saine et productive. Dans les pays en développement, elle vise à améliorer la santé des populations et à leur donner la possibilité de se sortir de la faim et de l’extrême pauvreté. Aux États-Unis, elle cherche à faire en sorte que tous les individus, en particulier ceux qui ont le moins de ressources, aient accès aux opportunités dont ils ont besoin pour réussir à l’école et dans la vie. Basée à Seattle, dans l’État de Washington, la Fondation est dirigée par le PDG Mark Suzman, sous la direction de Bill Gates et de Melinda French Gates.

À propos de Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers est la campagne de la Fondation pour accélérer les progrès vers les objectifs de développement durable (Objectifs mondiaux). En partageant les histoires et les données qui sous-tendent les Objectifs mondiaux par le biais d’un rapport annuel, nous espérons inspirer une nouvelle génération de dirigeants – des Goalkeepers qui sensibilisent au progrès, tiennent leurs dirigeants responsables et incitent à l’action pour atteindre les objectifs mondiaux.

À propos des Objectifs mondiaux
Le 25 septembre 2015, au siège des Nations unies à New York, 193 dirigeants du monde entier se sont engagés à atteindre 17 objectifs de développement durable (Objectifs mondiaux). Il s’agit d’une série d’objectifs et de buts ambitieux visant à réaliser trois choses extraordinaires d’ici 2030 : mettre fin à la pauvreté, lutter contre les inégalités et l’injustice, et remédier au changement climatique.

L’agence Project Everyone, co-créatrice de Goalkeepers, a été fondée par le scénariste, réalisateur et défenseur des Objectifs de développement durable, Richard Curtis, avec l’ambition de contribuer à la réalisation des Objectifs mondiaux par la sensibilisation, la responsabilisation des dirigeants et la conduite d’actions. Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site www.project-everyone.org.

Contact pour les média : media@gatesfoundation.org

September 21, 2021

Africa ramps up drive to revive tourism

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says she is pleased that discussions are underway to find ways of getting the country and the continent out of the pandemic and revive the tourism sector.

“I am glad that we are having this African Travel and Tourism Summit, hosted by South Africa, to rethink, recalibrate and find our way out of this situation we are in, where the pandemic has strangulated the tourism industry,” Sisulu said.

Addressing the African Travel and Tourism Summit on Monday, Sisulu said the COVID-19 pandemic has had a more negative impact on tourism activities in the first half of 2020 than anticipated.

Sisulu said although recovery has begun, even though the pandemic is continuing to spread, many countries have been slow to re-open, with some reinstating partial or complete lockdowns to protect susceptible populations.

“It is befitting that the launch of the Africa Travel and Tourism Summit is taking place during Tourism Month, when South Africa celebrates tourism and heritage.

“This summit enjoys the participation of the African community delegates, who aim to understand how tourism has shifted in the African continent and identify new opportunities.

“This summit unpacks the four main themes of Best Practice for Brand Africa, Sectoral Transformation, Leisure and Business Opportunities, and Strengthening and Enabling Economic Capabilities,” Sisulu said.

Sisulu said before the COVID-19 pandemic, the dream and narrative around Africa’s tourism sector was “inspiringly vivid”.

“It was a dream of a continent rising and freeing itself from the shackles of stigmatisation of us as unsafe, uncouth and unwelcoming.

“Today, we celebrate the rising giant that is Africa. We celebrate her natural vast wonders, ranging from the plains and woodlands of the Serengeti, to the arid Kgalagardi Transfrontier Park, to the beach elephants of the greater St Lucia and the Pyramids of Giza,” Sisulu said.

Sisulu said the summit affords Africa’s tourism leaders a platform to create solutions for Africa and contribute to global solutions for the industry in efforts to awaken a new beginning for Africa.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) indicated that Africa’s tourism industry was robust. It reported that tourism generated in excess of US$200 billion (approximately R3 trillion), accounting for 6.9% of Africa’s GDP, whilst supporting 24.7 million jobs.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the WTTC statistics showed a decrease of US$83 billion (or R1.2 trillion) and a loss of 7.2 million jobs. This downturn trend was experienced by all tourism sectors across the globe.

Source: South African Government News Agency

September 21, 2021

Nuclear energy key for zero emissions targets

Deputy Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, says nuclear energy remains a key component in South Africa’s aim for cleaner energy consumption.

She was speaking during the 65th general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference held virtually and in-person in Austria.

“In line with the nuclear energy policy, as we embark on the Just Energy Transition in South Africa, we recognise that nuclear plays a pivotal role as one of the clean energy sources that are needed to achieve Net-Zero Emissions by 2050.

“In June 2020, South Africa issued a Request for Information to test the market appetite for the 2500MW of nuclear energy and received positive responses from 25 companies that showed an interest in this programme,” she said.

The Deputy Minister said following the request for information for the nuclear power generation programme, the department is now on track to complete the procurement process within the next two years.

“The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has recently concurred with a Ministerial section 34 determination for the procurement of 2500MW new generation capacity from nuclear energy.

“We plan to issue the Request for Proposal for 2500MW nuclear programme at end of March 2022 and complete the procurement in 2024 to support the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and ensure security of energy supply,” she said.

Turning to the country’s current nuclear power station, Nkabane said the Koeberg Power Plant is undergoing some technical work to improve its lifespan.

“The Koeberg Power Plant design life span is current being extended by another 20 years by undertaking the necessary technical and regulatory work. We thank the IAEA continued support through the peer review missions on the Safety Aspects of Long- Term Operation at our Koeberg power station,” the Deputy Minister said.

The Koeberg project is expected to take two years to complete at a cost of at least R20 billion.

The Deputy Minister told the conference that the country remains committed to the use of nuclear energy for the betterment of society.

“South Africa is committed to global nuclear security and is currently finalizing the domestic processes for the ratification of the amended Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. I wish to emphasize South Africa’s unwavering support for the Agency’s fundamental role in ensuring that nuclear technology is used for peaceful purpose,” Nkabane said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

September 21, 2021

SIU freezes accounts of service providers linked to refurbishment of hospitals

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been granted an order to freeze R7.9 million held in the bank accounts of one professional service provider (PSP) and one contractor appointed by the Gauteng Provincial Government to refurbish the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital (AGA Hospital) near Carletonville.

The order was granted on 17 September 2021, by the Special Tribunal.

In a statement on Tuesday, the SIU said that it has reasonable grounds to believe the funds are the proceeds of unlawful activity and fall to be forfeited to the State, or otherwise dealt with as part of proposed Review proceedings to set aside the contracts of all the PSPs and contractors involved in the refurbishment of AGA Hospital.

“The Tribunal order prohibits the PSP and the contractor from dealing in any manner with the money held in the bank accounts, pending the final review proceedings to be instituted by the SIU within 60 days of the date of the order,” the SIU said.

This forms part of taking action against those implicated in corruption, maladministration and malpractice during the COVID-19 state of disaster.

“The SIU was, in terms of Proclamation No. R.23 of 2020, directed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations of corruption, malpractice, maladministration and irregularities in the procurement of and contracting for goods, works and services (including leased accommodation) during the Covid-19 state of disaster and in respect of resulting payments,” the SIU said.

The SIU investigation into the appointment by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH) and the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) in April 2020, of a number of PSPs and contractors to attend to the refurbishment of the unused and defunct AGA Hospital, has revealed, inter alia, that:

(a) the appointments were done irregularly and unlawfully, and stand to be set aside as invalid. The refurbishment of the AGA Hospital was done for purposes of accommodating seriously ill patients infected with the COVID-19 virus

(b) neither the GDOH nor the GDID followed any fully compliant procurement or competitive bidding process(es) in respect of the appointment of the PSPs and Contractors, and also did not comply with the prescripts applicable to a procurement by means of SCM Deviation as envisaged in Treasury Regulation 16A6.4;

(d) there was no approved budget for the refurbishments which increased from an estimated R50 million, to an amount in excess of approximately R500 million, and

(e) the processes were subject to many delays, which rendered the AGA Hospital unavailable for the first, second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: South African Government News Agency

September 21, 2021

Tributes pour in for Joburg Mayor Matongo

The Gauteng Legislature has sent its condolences to the family and friends of the City of Johannesburg Mayor, Jolidee Matongo, who passed away on Saturday evening.

Matongo died in a fatal car crash after conducting a local government voter registration drive in Soweto.

Matongo’s protectors sustained injuries in the crash, while a pedestrian and the driver of another vehicle also died.

“On behalf of the Gauteng Legislature, we send our heartfelt condolences to the Executive Mayor’s family, comrades and people of the City of Johannesburg. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of them in this time of grief,” said Gauteng Legislature speaker, Ntombi Mekgwe.

Matongo had been elected as mayor only five weeks ago, following the death of then mayor Geoff Makhubo due to COVID-19 complications.

Mekgwe hailed Matongo as an ethical leader.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely death of the newly-elected Executive Mayor of Johannesburg Cllr, Matongo, who was a committed and selfless servant of the people of the city and much was still expected from him to improve the living conditions of the poor and destitute in Johannesburg.

“He was an ethical and civic-minded leader of the African National Congress and will always be remembered for his hard work and dedication in the service to his people,” Mekgwe said.

Source: South African Government News Agency