Day: May 9, 2024

International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, has welcomed the growing international movement of student activism in support of justice for the people of Palestine.

‘We are also buoyed by the growing mobilisation on college campuses across the world in support of the just cause for freedom and justice of the people of Palestine,’ the Minister said on Wednesday.

She was speaking at the second Shireen Abu Akleh Memorial Lecture at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Abu Akleh, a distinguished Palestinian-American journalist, served as a reporter for Al Jazeera. She was fatally shot in May 2022 by an Israeli soldier while reporting on a raid at the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The lecture, organised by the Faculty of Humanities at UJ, centred on the role of academic institutions during periods of genocide.

Pandor spoke at length about student protesters opposed to Israel’s war in Gaza, who have been camping out at the Columbia University campus since mid-April,
which has inspired many other students worldwide.

The protesters are calling on the university to dissociate from companies profiting from the Israel-Gaza war.

‘Columbia was the first US university to divest from apartheid South Africa,’ Pandor recalled.

The Minister acknowledged Princeton University faculty and staff members, who have affirmed their solidarity with and support for Columbia University and Barnard College students.

Pandor also recognised Yale University, the University of Minnesota, New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for recently joining the pro-Palestinian movement.

‘We also hope that this will spur more vocal support from our university administrators, some of whom have remained silent,’ she said.

The Minister referred to the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC), both of which released official statements advocating for a ceasefire and prompt humanitarian aid to Gaza.

‘The UCT Senate has resolved that no UCT academic
should collaborate with any academic on any research project if they are identified with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). The majority in the Senate voted in favour of supporting Palestinian academics and the right to have debates on Zionism without being accused of antisemitism.’

Stellenbosch University Senate members, Pandor said, have called for an end to the brutal and barbaric destruction of Gaza, saying that, ‘no crimes can justify genocidal actions in retaliation’.

‘Unfortunately, the Senate did not pass a resolution on the Israel-Palestine crisis on the Genocide and Destruction of Scholarship and Education in Gaza, as the majority of Senate members did not agree to it.’

The Minister said one of the strongest statements was one from the University of Fort Hare, demanding an immediate ceasefire to be enforced by the United Nations (UN), along with the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

‘The university has expressed its support for our government’s call for the International Criminal Cou
rt to investigate international war crimes committed by Israel.’

Meanwhile, Pandor said Fort Hare has also committed not to pursue any institutional links with Israeli institutions, as these have played a key role in supporting settler colonial oppression and apartheid, and have been complicit in grave violations of human rights.

‘The university called for the immediate release of Palestinian academic staff and students, who are being held in terms of Israeli apartheid legislation and violation of international law.

‘We applaud Fort Hare for the strong stand it has taken, and our other universities that continue to express solidarity with Palestinian universities, scholars and students,’ Pandor said.

Gaza’s schools and universities

Pandor referenced the UN Human Rights Office report, which says: ‘Given that over 80% of schools in Gaza are damaged or destroyed, one might reasonably question whether there is a deliberate attempt to thoroughly dismantle the Palestinian education system, a phenomenon termed
‘scholasticide’ – the systematic eradication of education by arresting, detaining, or killing educators, students, and staff, and by destroying educational facilities.’

Pandor said since October last year, more than 5 479 students, 261 teachers and 95 university professors had been killed in Gaza, and over 7 819 students and 756 teachers have been injured.

In addition, about 60% of educational facilities, including 13 public libraries, have been damaged or destroyed, and at least 625 000 primary and secondary school students and over 100 000 college and university students in Gaza have no access to education.

Meanwhile, Pandor said the IDF has damaged or destroyed nine out of every 10 schools, at least 65 of which were UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees-run facilities.

In addition, Pandor said between October 2023 and January this year, the IDF bombed all the universities in Gaza.

The Israeli military demolished Israa University, the last remaining university in Gaza on 17 January.

‘Attac
ks on education are often a key indicator of State intolerance of views that do not reflect State thinking. They should not be tolerated,’ the Minister said.

She described universities as a bedrock of knowledge and truth, which require freedom to do the essential work of knowledge generation and innovation.

‘World universities must keep a watching brief on the reconstruction of Palestine and insist that the programme includes the reconstruction of education at all levels,’ Pandor said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration will deal squarely with land grabbers, no matter how highly- placed.

Wike gave the warning when officials of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), FCT Chapter, visited him in Abuja on Thursday.

“Land grabbing is not new. Some of your people are part of it, some staff of FCT are part of it.

“As a government, we will do all we can to see that we deal squarely with anybody that is involved, no matter how highly- placed he or she might be.

“It is a terrible situation we found ourselves in. People grabbing land; people illegally acquiring land, just for the purpose of becoming rich overnight,” the minister said.

He pointed out that everyday ,people write the FCTA, demanding for land allocation to develop a certain number of houses in the city.

He, however, said that many people were doing that just to obtain a land title and at the end of the day, nothing was developed.

“They will do all the
y can; take our land and sell it to people for development.

“For me, that is not helping us to reduce the housing deficit, no. That is just a way of taking government land and enriching yourselves at the expense of the government,” he said.

The minister added, “Yes government cannot sell land, so why will the government give out land for the purpose of housing estate and then you are selling the land?

“The government can as well sell the land itself if that is the case.”

Wike said that to address the challenge, the FCTA had decided that developers must show financial capacity before land would be allocated to them in FCT.

He added that a reputable commercial bank must also write an undertaking that the developer has the financial capacity for such development.

“Two, you will write an undertaking that the project will commence and be completed within a specified time without any condition attached to it.

“Three, that failure to develop the land, the government is entitled to take back its land. It does
not matter what form of development you are putting there.

“If that is done, then we will be convinced and give you our land allocation with proper documentation,” he said.

He said that the measures were necessary to ensure that developers do not steal from the government in the name of development.

The minister said that there were currently over 1000 litigations in different courts over land matters, with kore being recorded on daily basis.

The minister also berated real estate developers for not meeting up to their obligations to the government, particularly in the payment of taxes relating to land.

“Even when you sell your properties, you don’t remit part of which belongs to the government.

“So, I want to partner with you but on good faith, not partnership that one party would be detrimental to the other, no. It has to be mutual and symbiotic,” Wike said.

Earlier, REDAN Chairman, Dr Ehikioya Okoruwa, assured Wike of the association’s readiness to partner the FCTA to bridge housing deficits in the t
erritory.

Okoruwa said that to that end, the association planned to build 15,000 houses.

He further said that REDAN would invest N262 billion in the housing sector, adding that the FCTA would gain a lot if they supported the project.

Okoruwa said that REDAN was working with security agencies to address land racketeering, emphasising the association’s commitment to ethical practices and accountability.

“This meeting sets the stage for a potential partnership between the FCT Administration and REDAN, but with clear terms and expectations for accountability and transparency,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyane, says the provincial government understands the importance of the agriculture sector in economic development and hence proper infrastructure is being provided to communal farmers.

Mabuyane said this when he handed over a shearing shed to communal wool growers at Jongabantu, in Ngqamakhwe, on Wednesday.

‘Agriculture is very important to the economy of our province [and] that is what we preach every day. As the Premier of the province, I am proud and delighted about the good work done by the sheep farmers here, which produce a lot of wealth,’ Mabuyane said.

He encouraged sheep farmers to improve the quality of their sheep so that they can sell to the market for meat production.

The shearing shed, which will be owned by the Mbiza Wool Growers Association, was constructed by the provincial Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Department, as part of ongoing programmes to build suitable agricultural infrastructure in rural communities.

All the shearing sheds const
ructed by the department have a dip plunge (sheep dip tank); fencing; small stock handling facilities; water pump; two PVC tanks and shearing equipment, including a wool presser, sorting table, classing bins, shearing scissors, offices, and ablution facilities.

The Premier said he had heard about the harsh conditions the sheep farmers worked under when they sheared their sheep in garages and roundavels, which affected their wool production.

He said the R1.2 million investment for the shearing shed is aimed at supporting farmers to reach the next level of production.

Since 2019, the provincial government has completed a total of 905 agricultural infrastructure projects, including the fencing of productive lands, stock-water systems, dip tanks, stock handling facilities and sheds.

These projects supported 33 783 smallholder farmers and created 4 946 jobs through their implementation.

‘In Ngqamakhwe area alone, the department has completed four shearing sheds worth R4.8 million while another one worth R1.2
million is under construction. Wool production in communal areas, such as Ngqamakhwe, and Dutywa, doubled from two million tons in 2004 to 5.5 million tons in 2021.

‘The significance of this growth in monetary terms means incomes have increased from R18 million to more than R250 million in the same period.

‘The government is assisting farmers in Ngqamakhwe and across the province though a livestock improvement scheme where farmers are provided with high quality breed livestock,’ Mabuyane said.

The provincial government has also provided over 90 Dohne Merino Rams to farmers in Ngqamakhwe and is confident this will improve the quality of wool produced.

‘Today’s handover of the shearing shed is the fulfillment of our commitment to ensure rural farmers are beneficiaries of the government programme for the small farmer and a gesture of support.

‘It is a catalyst for economic empowerment and a step towards self-sufficiency for our subsistence farmers,’ the Premier said.

Mbiza Wool Growers Association Chairper
son, Sindisile Cekiso, said the association was formed in 2005 and has 111 members. He thanked officials for their assistance and support.

Amathole District Eastern Cape Communal Wool Growers Association Chairperson, Sikhumbule Nyengule, commended the department for taking care of communal farmers.

‘The association is very happy by how government is working and delivering services. We are commercialising our product and we want sheep that are of high breed hence we are working together with government to achieve this goal,’ Nyengule said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Divorce Amendment Bill, which amends the Divorce Act of 1979 to recognise Muslim marriages and safeguard the interests of Muslim women and children of Muslim marriages in the event that marriages are dissolved.

Currently, Muslim couples who choose to marry according to Islamic law can only be afforded the statutory protection of the South African legal system as it pertains to civil spouses if they, in addition to their marriage under Islamic law, register a civil marriage.

‘The amended legislation addresses shortcomings in the Divorce Act of 1979, which differentiated between people married in terms of the Marriage Act and people married according to Muslim rites, especially women.

‘The amendments enacted by the President provide for a definition of a Muslim marriage in the Divorce Act of 1979; the protection and safeguarding of the interests of dependent and minor children of a Muslim marriage; the redistribution of assets on the dissolution of a Muslim m
arriage and forfeiture of patrimonial benefits of a Muslim marriage,” the Presidency said on Thursday.

The new legislation is a response to an earlier Constitutional Court judgment that recognised the need for and importance of protecting Muslim women and children of Muslim marriages, particularly when a Muslim marriage is dissolved.

Source: South African Government News Agency

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has expressed deep sadness at the effects of the devastating fire at the Zamimpilo Community Market in Mtubatuba in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality.

The vibrant market, which was established and run by local women was razed to the ground by a raging fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Dube-Ncube said the market had positioned itself as a cornerstone of the community self-sustainability, offering fresh produce, beautiful crafts, and a platform for women economic empowerment.

‘We understand the immense loss this fire represents, not just for the stallholders who have lost their livelihoods, but for the entire community that cherished this space. However, we are heartened by the fact that no lives were lost during the devastation.’

The Premier said that a thorough investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the fire and how it managed to destroy the entire market.

‘We will work with every stakeholder, including the local municipality to
establish the causes of the fire and the extent of the damage. Our immediate focus now remains the restoration of the livelihoods of the women and community members who lost everything in the fire,’ she said.

The Premier and the provincial government will establish the stallholders’ urgent needs and explore all available avenues to offer support.

‘We stand firmly with the women of Zamimpilo and the entire Mtubatuba community. Together, we will rebuild this treasured market and ensure its continued success as a symbol of local resilience and entrepreneurial spirit,’ the Premier said.

The Premier said that disaster relief teams are already assessing the situation, and they will provide immediate support to affected families, including temporary shelter, food, and essential supplies.

‘The Zamimpilo Community Market has been a beacon of women resilience and unity, showcasing the rich produce and crafts of KwaZulu-Natal. The community market is a testament to the dedication of the women in their quest to suppo
rt their families and prosper,’ Dube-Ncube said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Communities in Kuruman and the surrounding areas in the Northern Cape have come out in large numbers to listen to what President Cyril Ramaphosa will say at the District Development Model Presidential Imbizo on Thursday.

The imbizo is a government approach to improve integrated planning and service delivery across the three spheres of government, with district and metropolitan spaces as focal points of government and private sector investment.

Various government departments are exhibiting their products and services at the imbizo which was expected to get underway at 11am at the Batlharos Sports Ground.

Community members representing different regions in the province will be given an opportunity to voice their concerns to the President. The President and other leaders in government will then respond to issues.

Many people have gathered and are waiting to see and listen to the President when he give his address.

Government will also use the imbizo platform to take stock of the progress made since the last
Presidential Imbizo in the province.

The District Development Model (DDM) enhances integrated and sustainable service delivery through the maximisation of intergovernmental planning, budgeting and implementation towards creating inclusive economic opportunities for locals.

Keorapetse Mothwa from Kuruman told SAnews she was excited that the President was visiting their area.

‘I happy that the President is coming to our area. I only see him on TV. I am happy that I am going to see him today,’ Mothwa said.

Mothwa said if given an opportunity to speak to the President, she was going to ask him to build more schools and healthcare facilities in her community.

Frank Ratapi told SAnews he would ask the President to create more job opportunities.

‘In this area the rate of unemployment is very high and this results in our young people turning to crime,’ he said.

Read I President to engage Northern Cape residents on various issues

At the last imbizo, the President heard about concerns such as a lack of service
delivery, corruption, inadequate housing, unemployment and crime.

Ministers present at the imbizo had committed to dealing with the pressing matters, including the standard of water and sanitation and the state of roads.

Source: South African Government News Agency