Day: May 30, 2024

By Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa

No matter where in the world you may find yourself the one recognisable symbol that draws us together with pride and camaraderie is our national flag. Every time it is flown at a sporting event or at foreign conferences, our hearts swell with pride.

Our flag symbolises the country we are building, and South Africans are united in their love for the flag. We might be divided on various issues, but we all stand proud at the sight of our beloved flag.

It is our symbol of national unity and a potent symbol of our nation. Former President Nelson Mandela described the flag saying: ‘Not as a symbol of a political party, nor of a government, but as a possession of the people – the one thing that is literally and figuratively above all else, our flag’.

These words are a powerful reminder that the flag belongs to all of us and binds us together as a nation and a people. Our flag is unique to us as a country; it shows our unity, our diversity and our undying love fo
r our nation.

The national flag of the Republic of South Africa was adopted on Freedom Day, 27 April 1994, and first flown 10 May 1994 – the day Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as President. The central design of the flag, beginning at the flag-pole in a V form, is interpreted as the convergence of diverse elements within South African society and taking the road ahead in unity.

The national flag was designed by a former South African State Herald, Mr Fred Brownell. The design and colours reflect various elements of the country’s history. Individual colours have different meanings to different people and therefore no universal symbolism is attached to any of the colours.

When handling the flag, there are number of do’s and don’ts. Always remember that the flag must not touch the floor, it must not be used as a tablecloth or draped in front of a platform. When the flag is hoisted on a flagpole, the red band must be the uppermost and the black triangle must be on the side of the pole or hoist.

When the flag
is displayed horizontally against a wall, the hoist should be to the left of the spectator and the red band uppermost. When the flag is displayed vertically against a wall, the red band should be to the left of the spectator with the hoist or the cord seam uppermost.

We call on everyone to continue to respect our flag, which is a potent symbol of unity and progress, and more than any other national symbol it is instantly recognisable to South Africans everywhere. It reflects our difficult past, but has come to symbolise a nation, which is diverse yet joined together and committed to a united future.

Let us therefore show the appropriate respect to our flag, which is a powerful symbol of our national unity by observing all flag protocols and refraining from acts that intentionally destroy, damages, or mutilates a flag in public.

The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Zizi Kodwa perfectly encapsulates the importance of the flag when he says: ‘The South African flag represents our nationhood. It represen
ts the coming together of our people. The South African flag symbolises unity in our diversity and represents the hopes and aspirations of our nation.’

In the year, that we celebrate 30 years of Freedom and Democracy our flag endures as a unifier and an integral component in the nation we are building.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Vote counting in the National and Provincial Elections 2024 has now been completed, and the process to capture and validate results is underway.

This is according to the Electoral Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo.

Mamabolo was briefing media at the IEC’s National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Thursday afternoon.

‘For all intents and purposes, counting procedures have been concluded, with only a few voting stations reported to still be counting at 3pm. The process of results compilation entails ensuring accuracy and validation of the results.

‘This process involves scanning each result slip to create an image of the result, double blind capture of each result slip, and auditing of each result slip by independent auditors. The result system was audited externally and parties had occasion to also audit,’ Mamabolo said.

Mamabolo said by 4pm on Thursday, results had been concluded for some 22.6% of the voting districts – representing at least 2.3 million votes cast.

The rate of the
results captured is as follows:

Gauteng has captured 28%;

Limpopo 26%;

North West 36%;

Northern Cape 63%;

Free State 56%;

KwaZulu-Natal 23%;

Mpumalanga 42%;

Eastern Cape 58%, and

Western Cape 57%.

‘A result is considered complete only when a result slip has been scanned into an image, captured onto the results system, audited by independent auditors and has gone through the automated Results System exception parameters,’ Mamabolo explained.

Every vote counts

Mamabolo revealed that the last ballot to be cast on Election Day was cast in Tshwane, Gauteng, with the first results coming from the Eastern Cape.

‘True to its undertaking, the Commission assisted all voters that were in the queue by 21h00. Just after midnight, the Commission announced the first result. This was in a voting district in the Winnie Madikizela Mandela Municipality in the Eastern Cape,’ he said.

The CEO thanked the millions of South Africans who braved long queues at voting stations and other challenges to make their mark in t
hese elections.

‘The Electoral Commission thanks the real heroes of the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. They are South Africans who stood in the queues and electoral staff who worked tirelessly to process the votes.

‘The commitment and patience shown by the voters and electoral staff demonstrates their commitment to our electoral democracy,’ Mamabolo said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to thank everyone who waited in long queues at voting stations across the country on Wednesday.

As millions of South Africans took to the polls to make their mark in the National and Provincial Elections, many faced long, snaking queues, reminiscent of the first democratic elections in 1994.

Addressing the media yesterday afternoon, IEC Deputy CEO Masego Sheburi said the commission attended to most of the reported incidents of voting stations not opening due to challenges with voter management devices.

While the polls closed at 9pm all citizens who were in the line were allowed to vote, and onsite security services ensured that all voting and counting processes were concluded safely.

‘To everyone who waited in line to vote, thank you for your patience,’ the IEC wrote on X.

The commission also expressed its gratitude to officials who worked hard and long hours to make sure Election Day was a success.

‘A special than
k you to the thousands of IEC officials and stakeholders who made #SAelections24 happen, we see you. We could not have done it without you. It’s your democracy, own it,’ the IEC wrote.

The first results in the elections started trickling in around 2am on Thursday.

Vote counting was at 13.99% as of 10:19am today.

Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said results may take longer to filter through than in the past because there are three ballot papers instead of two.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action (SPEC), Chief Ajuri Ngelale, has began stakeholders’ engagement on plans by Nigeria to maximise the potential in the Climate ecosystem.

President Bola Tinubu had approved the establishment of a committee to oversee the Green Economic Initiative, known as the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions.

Tinubu also approved the appointment of Ngelale as Special Envoy on Climate Action while retaining his role as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

The envoy met with the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, in New York on first leg of the engagements on Wednesday.

Ngelale said that the meeting with Mohammed was aimed at deepening collaboration with critical stakeholders on the existential matter on the Nigeria’s new climate policies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Green Economy committee is part of a strategic move of the President to ensure the advancement of his
administration’s climate and green economic initiatives.

The committee will coordinate and oversee all the policies and programmes on climate action and green economic development.

It will coordination, foster a whole-of-government approach to climate-action programmes and provide an efficient governance architecture.

Also, the committee will ensure that all the relevant institutions in the sector are plugged into the President’s vision and are collectively implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda on climate action.

Ngelale had a meeting with a sector-wide technical working group of the U.S. State Department at U.S. State Department Headquarters in Washington D.C.

‘We delved into important areas of mutual concern ahead of the United Nations Climate Conference holding in Bonn, Germany, next week.

‘I presented Nigeria’s green industrial plans and discussed our participation in the Energy Transition Accelerator, Methane reduction programme, as well as our Carbon Market and Management Initiatives, and updates
on our NDCs, amongst other important matters,’ he said.

Ngelale similarly met with Mr Landon Derentz of the Global Energy Centre of the Washington-based Atlantic Council on Wednesday in Washington D.C.

He said that the meeting centred on a productive and incisive discussion with Nigeria’s new reforms and programmes tabled.

‘As a key stakeholder in the global climate action and finance ecosystem, we shared views about green industry and carbon capture technology manufacturing and implementation in Nigeria moving forward. Exciting times ahead for Africa’s most populous nation.’

Tinubu had charged the committee to coordinate all the activities of relevant federal institutions towards the attainment of all agreed climate action and green economic objectives and non-oil/non-gas ambitions of the federal government.

He also urged it to collaborate with all the relevant government, sub-national governments, non-government, and civil society entities towards the attainment of the climate action objectives and amb
itions of the federal government.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Some African leaders say the continent will benefit from increasing its alliance with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) group because of the many investment opportunities.

They spoke during a BRICS Business Breakfast in Nairobi, Kenya, on the sidelines of the ongoing African Development Bank (AfDB) Group Meetings.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the South African Chapter of the BRICS Business Council and Brand South Africa hosted the event.

It brought together key leaders and policymakers to discuss trade and investment opportunities for Africa, focusing on the role of the BRICS nations and their potential partnerships with African countries.

BRICS, a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has recently expanded its membership to include new African members Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as Iran and Argentina, among others.

The expansion, called BRICS Plus, strengthens the ties between BRICS and Africa.

Prof. Vincent Nmehielle, AfDB’s Secretary-General
, said, ‘The BRICS Alliance, together with the new member additions, provides immense trade and investment opportunities for the African continent.

‘These countries are emerging economies with a growing middle class and a substantial consumer market; expanding into these markets will lead to growth opportunities for the continent,’ Nmehielle said.

Nmehielle reiterated the importance of addressing trade barriers and deficits, saying that tackling barriers such as bilateral investment agreements can improve exports and import performance.

He also highlighted the need for knowledge exchange and the transformation of education and skills development, particularly given the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI).

The secretary-general said the continent’s significant infrastructure and investment deficit was estimated at between 70 to 100 billion dollars annually, and there was a strategic role that BRICS Plus could play in addressing this gap.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration between
the New Development Bank, the AfDB, and the UN in jointly identifying, preparing, and co-financing projects in countries of mutual interest.

On energy transition, Nmehielle underscored the need for African countries to partner with BRICS Plus to achieve a just and equitable transition.

‘Africa’s South Africa’s chairing of BRICS in 2023, under the theme ‘BRICS in Africa: Partnerships for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism,’ highlighted this crucial aspect,’ he said.

For her part, Busi Mabuza, Chairperson of the South African Chapter of the BRICS Business Council, highlighted the platform BRICS Plus provides to explore and capitalise on available opportunities.

‘The BRICS Plus countries are, as you know, leading emerging economies with a growing middle class and a substantial consumer market.

‘So for us, this business expanding into these markets can lead to growth opportunities for our continent,’ Mabuza said.

Similarly, Mpumi Mabuza, acting Chief Marketing
Officer (CMO) of Brand South Africa, said the country’s growing green economy accounted for 75 per cent of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Southern African region.

Mabuza said this was with 157 investment projects and a total capital investment of 27 billion dollars, creating 15,000 jobs.

She also outlined South Africa’s Country Investment Strategy (CIS), which identified five frontiers of strategic investment opportunities.

‘These include green hydrogen, next-generation digital services, special economic zones, industrial cannabis, and hyper-scaling environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact investments,’ Mabuza said.

NAN reports that the business breakfast featured presentations and panel discussions exploring current trade patterns, strategies for leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the challenges and opportunities of attracting private capital.

The event served as a platform for fostering dialogue and exploring avenues for enhanced cooperation between BRI
CS nations and African countries.

As the business breakfast concluded, participants expressed optimism about the potential for BRICS partnerships to drive transformative investments in key sectors like infrastructure, energy, and connectivity, ultimately contributing to a more prosperous and integrated Africa.

The AfDB’s 2024 Annual Meetings will end on Saturday in Nairobi.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Chief Ugochukwu Nnam, President, Initiative for Leadership Development and Change (ILDC) has saluted President Bola Tinubu, and Nyesom Wike for their landmark achievements in one year.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that May 29 is one year anniversary of President Tinubu’s administration.

Nnam, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Nnam described President Tinubu as a detribalised and visionary leader whose commitment to national transformation is palpable.

He commended President Tinubu for putting Nigeria on the path of prosperity with laudable policies and appointments in his first one year in office.

‘Tinubu is my hero because of his courage and vision in terms of policy formulation and implementation.

‘He understands the problem of Nigeria which I am confident he has solution to but requires support and patience from all of us.

‘His appointments are balanced and based on federal character principle unlike some who made unbalance
d appointments,’ he said.

Nnam called on Nigerians to appreciate the beacons of democracy like Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister whose transformative feat in FCT is conspicuous.

He ascribed Wike’s success in one year in FCT to President Tinubu’s choice of competence, saying that Wike is taking Abuja to higher grounds with infrastructural revolution.

Nnam however who expressed optimism in the potential of democracy to provide good governance, urged Nigerians to support President Tinubu and democracy.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria