Day: January 12, 2022

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Les 20 meilleurs lieux de travail en Afrique dévoilés

LONDRES, 11 janvier 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Le programme Best Places to Work a dévoilé aujourd’hui le palmarès des 20 meilleurs lieux de travail en Afrique en 2022. Le programme a récemment constitué sa liste annuelle sur la base de l’évaluation de plus de 500 organisations exerçant leurs activités sur le continent. Les conclusions tirées cette année indiquent que les organisations les plus performantes en Afrique ont continué à investir dans la création d’une main-d’œuvre hautement engagée, avec un score d’engagement moyen de 81 %, contre une moyenne de 69 % sur le marché. En outre, 92 % des organisations les mieux classées ont investi dans la mise en place d’une technologie des RH appropriée pour améliorer la productivité susceptible de garantir leur succès futur.

Lundbeck, une entreprise pharmaceutique mondiale spécialisée dans la recherche, le développement, la fabrication, la commercialisation et la vente de produits pharmaceutiques, arrive en tête du classement de cette année, suivie de Teleperformance, un prestataire de services mondial de premier plan dans le domaine de la gestion des interactions avec les clients et des processus. Zoetis, une entreprise mondiale de santé animale, arrive en troisième position. Pour être éligibles, les entreprises doivent être reconnues comme des employeurs exceptionnels dans au moins un des pays du continent.

Le classement a été établi sur la base des réactions des employés recueillies dans le cadre d’enquêtes anonymes et d’une évaluation des ressources humaines portant sur les pratiques de gestion du personnel par rapport aux meilleures normes en matière de lieu de travail.

La liste des 20 premiers comprend :

  1. Lundbeck
  2. Teleperformance
  3. Zoetis
  4. Groupe Vipp
  5. Comdata Group
  6. Novo Nordisk
  7. BSH
  8. Chaabi LLD
  9. Ekuity Capital
  10. STKE
  11. SG ATS
  12. iNova Pharmaceuticals
  13. Somezzo
  14. Schindler
  15. Coface
  16. Meridiam
  17. Roche
  18. Paps
  19. Ipsen Pharma
  20. IHS Towers

« Les meilleurs employeurs de cette année en Afrique ont fait preuve d’une communication ouverte et d’un alignement de l’équipe de direction, et se sont clairement distingués en adoptant une approche continue en matière d’initiatives liées à l’expérience des employés », a commenté Hamza Idrissi, responsable du programme Best Places to Work in Africa.

À PROPOS DU PROGRAMME BEST PLACES TO WORK

Best Places to Work est la certification « Employeur de choix » la plus reconnue à laquelle les entreprises aspirent. Chaque année, le programme certifie et reconnaît les meilleurs lieux de travail dans de nombreux pays à travers le monde grâce à une méthodologie d’évaluation rigoureuse et un cadre qui reflète les toutes dernières tendances en matière de lieu de travail en se concentrant sur 8 facteurs liés au lieu de travail, notamment le leadership, les politiques de gestion des ressources humaines et du personnel, la rémunération, les avantages sociaux, le travail d’équipe et les relations, l’engagement des employés, le lieu de travail et les procédures et la responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise.

Pour plus d’informations, consultez le site www.bestplacestoworkfor.org

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Ronnie Spector, ’60s Icon Who Sang ‘Be My Baby,’ Dies at 78

Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, beehived rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the Ronettes, has died. She was 78.

Spector died Wednesday after a brief battle with cancer, her family said.

“Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude,” a statement said. No other details were included.

Tributes flooded social media, from Stevie Van Zandt, who said it was an honor to produce her music, to Brian Wilson, who wrote on Twitter: “I loved her voice so much and she was a very special person and a dear friend.” Diane Warren called her “the voice of a million teenage dreams including mine.”

The Ronettes’ sexy look and powerful voices — plus songwriting and producing help from Phil Spector — turned them into one of the premier acts of the girl-group era, touring England with the Rolling Stones and befriending the Beatles.

Spector, alongside her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley, scored hits with pop masterpieces like “Baby, I Love You,” “Walking in the Rain,” “I Can Hear Music” and “Be My Baby,” which was co-written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.

“We weren’t afraid to be hot. That was our gimmick,” Spector said in her memoir. “When we saw the Shirelles walk on stage with their wide party dresses, we went in the opposite direction and squeezed our bodies into the tightest skirts we could find. Then we’d get out on stage and hike them up to show our legs even more.”

Spector, born Veronica Bennett, and her multiracial bandmates grew up in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. They began singing and dancing in clubs as Ronnie and the Relatives, becoming noteworthy for their liberal use of eyeliner and mascara.

“The louder they applauded, the more mascara we put on the next time,” she wrote in her memoir. “We didn’t have a hit record to grab their attention, so we had to make an impression with our style. None of it was planned out; we just took the look we were born with and extended it.”

In March 1963, Estelle Bennett managed to arrange an audition in front of Phil Spector, known for his big, brass-and-drum style dubbed the “wall of sound.” They were signed to Philles Records in 1963. After being signed, they sang backup for other acts until Spector had the group record “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You.”

The group’s debut album, “Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica,” was released in 1964. Five of its 12 tracks made it to the U.S. Billboard charts.

“Nothing excites me more than just being onstage, having fun and flirting and winking to the guys and stuff like that,” she told People magazine in 2017. “I just have so much fun. It’s just the best feeling when I go out and they say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen’ … my heart stops for a minute …‘Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes!’ Then I just go out there and the crowd reacts the way they react and I can go on singing forever.”

After touring Germany in 1967, the Ronettes broke up. Spector married Ronnie in 1968, after which she said he kept her locked in their Beverly Hills mansion. Her 1990 autobiography Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts and Madness, tells an unhappy story of abuse. The couple divorced in 1974. Phil Spector was sent to prison in 2009 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson and died in 2020.

Ronnie Spector’s influence was felt far and wide. Brian Wilson became obsessed with “Be My Baby” and Billy Joel wrote “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” in Spector’s honor. Amy Winehouse frequently cited Spector as an idol.

Martin Scorsese used “Be My Baby” to open his 1973 film Mean Streets and the song appears in the title sequence of Dirty Dancing and the closing credits of Baby Mama. It also appeared on TV in Moonlighting and The Wonder Years.

When the Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones remembered opening for the trio in England in the mid-1960s.

“They could sing all their way right through a wall of sound,” Richards said. “They didn’t need anything. They touched my heart right there and then and they touch it still.”

After the Ronettes broke up, Spector continued to tour and make music, including “Take Me Home Tonight” with Eddie Money, recording Joel’s “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, and recording the 1999 EP She Talks to Rainbows, which included her first ever recording of “Don’t Worry Baby,” written for her by Brian Wilson.

She is survived by her husband, Jonathan Greenfield, and two sons, Jason and Austin.

Source: Voice of America

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Inmate dies in correctional centre stabbing incident

The Department of Correctional Services says it is on high alert following the death of a Mthatha Correctional Centre inmate during an attack at the centre on Tuesday.

According to department spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo, five inmates attacked officials and four other inmates during an exercise session at the centre in the Eastern Cape.

“Unfortunately, one inmate from the five attackers succumbed to his injuries and passed on during the fracas. One official and another inmate remain in hospital due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained,” he said.

Nxumalo said dual investigations into the incident are being conducted by the department and police.

“This is a disturbing incident, as correctional centres had maintained calm during the festive season.

“An internal investigation has been launched, and the SAPS is also attending to the case. The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) has also been informed and is expected to run its own independent investigation. It is the outcome of the investigation which will share more light on the motive and circumstances that may have triggered this incident,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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COVID-19 positivity rate continues to decline

South Africa’s COVID-19 positivity rate continues to show a steady decline, although it is still higher than the 5% suggested by the World Health Organisation.

According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, the country recorded 5 688 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24-hour reporting period, with a 14% positivity rate – far below a high of at least 35% experienced in mid-December.

“The proportion of positive new cases/total new tested today is 14.0%, which is the same as yesterday (14.0%). The 7-day average is 18.3% today, which is lower than yesterday (19.2%).

“The majority of new cases today are from KwaZulu-Natal (1 432), followed by Gauteng (1 310). Western Cape accounted for 1 151, Eastern Cape 582, Free State 330, Limpopo 216, Mpumalanga 232, North West 238 and the Northern Cape 177,” the institute said.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases has now reached 3 534 131, with 119 more fatalities, bringing the total number of deaths related to the virus to 92 649.

Hospital admissions due to the virus have also risen by 255.

Some 86 613 more COVID-19 vaccinations were administered over the past 24-hour reporting period.

In total, at least 28.5 million jabs have been administered since the beginning of the vaccination rollout programme.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Health Department urges people to report vaccine adverse events

The Department of Health has called on all people who experience any adverse events following immunisation to immediately report to their nearest health facility or vaccination site.

This comes after the department noted with concern a video clip circulating on social media platforms depicting a male patient suffering from what looks like throat cancer, claiming this to be the result of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In a statement on Wednesday, the department said each province and district has allocated persons who are responsible for investigating severe and serious adverse events following immunisation within 48 hours since it has been identified or the health system has been notified thereof. However, there is no time limit to report an event.

“All adverse events following immunisation are taken seriously, and appropriate action can only be taken if they are reported,” the department said.

The department has reiterated that COVID-19 vaccines are very safe and highly effective at preventing hospitalisation and death, and therefore it discourages members of the public from using other people’s health conditions and life experiences to push their personal theories to justify opposition to this life-saving intervention.

“All vaccines and medicines have side effects, with the majority of COVID-19 vaccine side effects being minor and resolving within 2 – 3 days. While individuals respond differently to vaccination and side effects differ slightly among the vaccines, the most common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines include headache, mild fever, chills, pain and/or redness at the injection site, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea and mild diarrhoea,” the department said.

The department said serious adverse events following immunisation are very rarely caused by immunisation. They are most often health events that would have happened regardless of whether a vaccine was received.

“Rare vaccine adverse events can be managed successfully if they are identified early. Uncommon, severe and serious adverse events should always be reported, so that they are fully investigated, including those that need medical attention or hospitalisation.

“It is important to understand if the vaccine was responsible for the event, or whether it happened coincidentally to vaccination, even those that have improved clinically or resolved spontaneously,” the statement read.

The department has urged the public to report any serious adverse events following immunisation to the available platforms.

Upon reporting the case, the department says the assigned investigators will obtain the medical records of the person who experienced the adverse event, and submit these data to the National Immunisation Safety Expert Committee (NISEC) without making any judgement themselves on the cause of the adverse event.

Adverse events following immunisation may be reported using the Med Safety App (https://medsafety.sahpra.org.za/) or by completing a paper ‘Case report form’ which may be accessed at https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/adverse-event-following- immu….

The form should be returned by email to [email protected]. Alternatively, the COVID-19 Public Hotline can be contacted on 0800 0299 99.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Motshekga visits Randfontein schools

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, will this morning conduct monitoring and oversight visits to several schools in Randfontein, Gauteng, as the sector welcomes learners for the 2022 academic year.

The Minister will visit three schools in Mohlakeng, namely Matlapaneng Primary School, Mohlakano Primary School and Phahama Secondary School.

The Basic Education Department said on Tuesday that the visits will also include a donation of school shirts and school bags donated by Mr Price and the MTNSA Foundation.

“The oversight visits come as the sector is getting ready to welcome back learners for the commencement of the 2022 academic calendar and with the sector having already welcomed back School Management Teams (SMTs) and teachers back to schools,” the department said in a statement.

Motshekga will be accompanied by the Acting General Manager of the MTN SA Foundation, Angie Maloka. The department said the foundation has also donated 100 tablets to be handed over to Phahama Secondary School.

“These visits provide an opportunity to further support schools while strengthening efforts to mitigate risk within school communities. Schools are still expected to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of both learners and teachers as they prepare to return to school in 2022,” the department said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule, will also conduct an oversight visit to Khamane High School in Marapyane in the Nkangala District, Mpumalanga.

During her visit to the school, the Deputy Minister will also drive home the message of compliance with COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of both learners and teachers as they return to schools.

Source: South African Government News Agency