Day: September 2, 2024

Beijing, China – As part of ongoing efforts to improve the lives of South Africans, China has committed to assist the country in tackling poverty.

This commitment was revealed in a joint statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the occasion of President Ramaphosa’s State Visit to the People’s Republic of China.

‘China is committed to sharing with South Africa its experience in poverty alleviation and rural revitalisation; in building poverty alleviation model villages and offering support for South Africa’s coordinated urban and rural development,’ the statement said on Monday.

During the State Visit, the two countries recommitted to working together towards building a high-quality China-South Africa community, with a shared future.

‘To carry forward the friendship, consolidate mutual trust, expand cooperation and enhance coordination, the two Heads of State agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to an All-round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in a New Era, under
pinned by strong political ties and focused on a prosperous future with balanced trade, and accelerated transformative economic growth,’ the statement said.

Improving lives

China expressed its firm support of national unity and the path of economic and social development that South Africa has chosen. It also said it respects efforts by the South African government to safeguard its national interests to improve the lives of all South Africans.

‘The two sides agreed to work on strengthening cooperation and synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and to continue implementing the 10 Years Strategic Programme of Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa (2020-2029), as a blueprint towards more substantive outcomes on priority political and socio-economic issues between the two sides.

‘The two sides agreed to fully leverage the role of mechanisms such as the China-South Africa Joint Working Group (JWG) and the Joint
Economic and Trade Committee (JETC) to further expand economic and trade ties by improving the current trade structure, increasing market access and the export of value-added goods from South Africa,’ the statement said.

Trade and investment

China is South Africa’s largest trading partner globally, while South Africa is China’s number one trading partner in Africa. Total bilateral trade grew from R614 billion in 2022 to R692 billion in 2023.

‘The two sides encouraged the respective business communities to enhance new two-way investments and increase their manufacturing bases within the proximity of the relevant source of raw materials to enable the transfer of skills technology and job creation.

‘The two sides committed to providing a stable, fair and enabling business environment for companies from both sides and to ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the relevant personnel, projects and institutions.

‘The two sides encouraged mutual visits by economic and trade delegations, includi
ng co-hosting the New Energy Investment Conferences with South Africa and holding the Jobs Fair of Chinese-invested Enterprises in South Africa to boost local employment and improve people’s lives,’ the statement said.

READ | President calls for narrowing of SA, China trade deficit

Deepening cooperation

The two sides agreed that promoting modernisation is the joint goal in building a high-level South Africa-China community, with a shared future.

‘The two sides will deepen cooperation in traditional fields such as agriculture, health, medical sciences and infrastructure development. However, they will further seize opportunities presented by the new scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, focusing on key areas such as the digital economy, new energies and artificial intelligence, boost cooperation on quality productive forces, and further expand mutually beneficial cooperation in renewable energy, energy storage and power transmission and distribution,’ the statement said.

T
he two sides further agreed to continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the areas of culture, women, health, youth, education, sport, media, tourism and other people-to-people cooperation fields.

As part of the State Visit, the two Presidents jointly witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation instruments in the following areas:

Cooperation of the Application of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System;

Sustainable Housing and Human Settlements Development;

Deepening Bilateral Trade Cooperation;

Cultural Heritage;

Cooperation in Prevention and Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease;

Inspection, Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Dairy Products Exported from the Republic of South Africa to the People’s Republic of China; and the Protocol on Greasy Wool.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is expected to meet with Ministers in the different portfolios in Cape Town on Tuesday.

According to the Deputy President’s Office, this will be a continuation of his engagements with the core ministries that have a direct bearing on his delegated responsibilities by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The meetings – which will be held at Tuynhuys – will discuss and agree on a common programme of action for the seventh administration.

The Deputy President will meet the Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, and Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina.

Last week, the Deputy President met with the Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen at Tuynhuys.

At the time, the Presidency said the meeting was a continuation of engagements by the Deputy President with the core Ministries that have a direct bearing on his delegated respo
nsibilities by President Ramaphosa.

The sessions will get underway at 9am .

Source: South African Government News Agency

Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Monday called for wider support for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) upcoming international lecture on insecurity in the Sahel.

Shettima stated this when he granted an audience to the leadership of NAN led by its Managing Director, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Vice-President emphasised the importance of collaborative action, noting that President Bola Tinubu was very much interested in the security situation in Nigeria and would not take it lightly.

Shettima also called for regional and collective efforts to address the insecurity in West Africa’s Sahel region.

He observed that the security situation in the Sahel region had significant implications for Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

‘The international lecture NAN is organising is very timely, especially on the issue of insecurity in the Sahel.

‘The security situation in the nation is something that the President is very much interested in and is not taking it lightly,’ he said.

Sh
ettima expressed optimism about the potential outcomes of the conference.

‘I believe that with the calibre of people that will grace the lecture, you will come up with a lot of perspectives on how to address the insecurity in the Sahel in a holistic way.’

Earlier, Ali had told the Vice-President that the theme of the conference was ‘Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2024): Dissecting Nigeria’s Challenges – Genesis, Impacts and Options.’

He announced that the lead speaker at the lecture, billed for Sept. 25, would be Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former Chairperson of the ECOWAS Commission.

According to him, the conference is part of NAN’s efforts to expand its role beyond news dissemination to actively contributing to national discourse and problem-solving.

‘NAN is organising its first international lecture as part of the media’s role to expand the frontiers of knowledge and find solutions to problems,’ Ali said.

He outlined several initiatives aimed at enhancing NAN’s reach and effectiveness, including the introduc
tion of vernacular broadcasting.

Others present at the meeting are NAN’s Director of Administration, Malam Abdulhadi Khalie; Director of Special Duties, Muftau Ojo; Deputy Director of NAN Multimedia, Ismail Abdulaziz; and Board Secretary, Ngozi Anofochi.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Following the conclusion of Women’s Month, President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the leadership of Eskom and other state-owned entities for their efforts in promoting gender equality in the workplace.

In his weekly newsletter to the nation, the President called on other companies, both public and private, to put in place deliberate programmes to eradicate workplace discrimination and make workplaces more conducive to women’s participation and development.

‘Companies need to empower women in decision-making and technical roles. This is to ensure that every workplace and every occupation reflects the demographics of our country.

‘We must commend the leadership of Eskom and of other state-owned entities, as well as many other businesses, for all they are doing to advance gender equality in the workplace.

‘By continuing and intensifying this work, we can make sure that we have more and more to celebrate during Women’s Month in the years to come,’ the President said in his newsletter on Monday.

During Women’
s Month, President Ramaphosa said the nation has celebrated the remarkable achievements of South African women in various aspects of life, acknowledging the significant progress made in advancing women’s positions in society.

However, the President said government also recognises the persistent challenges and the crucial work ahead to achieve a truly non-sexist and equal society.

Keeping the lights on

Concurrently, the country has surpassed 150 days without load shedding. The President said this is a testament to the dedicated efforts of Eskom’s leadership and staff in improving the performance of its power stations.

While there is much attention on what Eskom is doing to stabilise the electricity system, President Ramaphosa said another significant change has been quietly underway at the company over the course of the last few years.

He noted that women are taking a more prominent role in the work of Eskom and are playing a pivotal role in keeping the country’s lights on.

Transformation

‘Two years ago
I met with Eskom’s power station managers and I was pleased to see that a number of them were women. I found this to be a complete departure from the past where power station managers were always white men. This represented tremendous transformation on a demographic as well as gender basis.

‘The inspiring story of Maserati Lesolang, the general manager of the Matla power station in Mpumalanga, is a demonstration of Eskom’s successes in growing a new generation of female leaders. Under Lesolang’s able leadership, Matla power station has implemented a turnaround plan resulting in it now being among Eskom’s better performing power stations,’ he said.

The President further noted that at a number of state-owned enterprises, women are excelling not only in management and leadership positions, but also in technical roles and occupations that were previously the preserve of men.

Women Advancement Programme

He highlighted that within Eskom itself, women are working as power station managers, engineers, artisans, o
perators and technicians.

‘This is the result of a deliberate and sustained initiative to increase female representation in the form of Eskom’s Women Advancement Programme. The programme was launched ten years ago to redress the under-representation of women in leadership and technical roles at Eskom,’ the President said.

The programme’s focus has been on creating a pipeline of female leaders. It has also focused on transforming workplace culture to make it more gender-friendly, on skilling and training more women to occupy specialist roles, to conduct outreach in communities where Eskom operates, and to address issues of equal work for equal pay.

Among the achievements of the programme since its inception has been that just over 33% of Eskom’s workforce is now female, 20% of Eskom executives are women, and women occupy approximately 43% of senior management roles.

The President said this is important progress, but there is still same way to go to achieve gender parity.

‘Eskom has succeeded in narrowing
the gender pay gap from 41% to below 6%. The company’s procurement spend on black-women owned businesses has increased from R6 billion in 2013 to over R16 billion by 2022.

‘The national power utility continues to invest heavily in skilling and training for women, with just over half of further study opportunities at Eskom taken up by women,’ he said.

Another key focus area of the programme is conducting outreach at schools and in communities to encourage female learners to consider future careers at Eskom.

Earlier this year Eskom also launched a Young Professionals Development Programme, a graduate trainee programme that places participants in positions across the span of its operations. Eskom has made a concerted effort to encourage female graduates to apply.

South Africa commemorates Women’s Month annually in August.

This year’s commemoration of Women’s Day on 9 August, marked 68 years to the day since 20 000 women of diverse backgrounds from across South Africa marched on the Union Buildings to protes
t against the extension of pass laws to women.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as a crucial player in the Nigeria’s media landscape.

Shettima said this at an audience with the management of NAN, led by its Managing Director, Malam Ali Mohammed Ali, at the Presidential Villa, on Monday Abuja.

The Vice-President also noted that the agency plays a pivotal role in bridging information gap and shaping public discourse on national issues.

‘ NAN plays a very crucial role in Nigeria’s media landscape, helping to bridge the information gap and shaping public discourse on national issues.

‘ The agency is the biggest content provider in the Africa continent. You still have a pivotal role to play because we all live and function in the world based on communications.

‘Through communications we mould public opinion; through communications we build bridges of understanding and fraternity.’

Shettima described the appointment of Ali by President Bola Tinubu, as the MD of NAN as a square peg in a square hole.

The Managi
ng Director, NAN, Malam Ali Mohammed Ali, presenting a plaque to the Vice-President Kashim Shettima, at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Monday.

He also described Ali as a veteran journalist who grew up in the media ecosystem, saying ‘honestly I was quite delighted when you were appointed as the MD of the News Agency of Nigeria.

‘ Your are a very sound professional and you have a history of very illustrious predecessors.

‘ So we are open for interface with your organisation in whatever way you feel we should play a role and the international conference you are organising is very good.

‘ Especially, the issue you are dwelling on; insecurity in the sahel. Honestly, the insecurity in the nation is something that is agitating the minds of President Bola Tinubu.

‘I believe with the caliber of people that will attend this function we will come up with a lot of issues, a lot of perspectives on how to address the insecurity in the sahel in a holistic way not in piecemeal.’

Earlier, Ali had told the Vice-Presid
ent the visit was to intimate him about the plan for the first international lecture by the agency.

‘ In the letter we sent to you, we gave you an idea of what the lecture is all about. It’s the first of it kind in the nearly 50 years of the agencies existence.

‘ This is the first time a lecture of this magnitude is being organised as part of the responsibility of the media to contribute and expand the frontiers of knowledge, to contribute to the body of knowledge with a view to finding solutions.

‘ The theme of the lecture is insecurity in the sahel (2008- 2024): Dissecting Nigeria’s Challenges – Genesis, Impact and Options, and what is available for Nigeria.’

Ali disclosed that the lead speaker for the planned lecture was someone very versed in security issues; the former ECOWAS President, Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

‘ Already former President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted to serve as the Chairman of the occasion.

‘ Only this morning, Sultan of Sokoto confirmed his availability on the 25th of September to b
e the royal father of the day.

‘ Among other important dignitaries expected are the Oni of Ife, the Obi of Onitsha and the rest.’

The NAN boss assured that the agency was living no stone unturned towards the successful hosting of the the international lecture.

He said that the agency under his leadership had recorded some giant strides.

‘ Since we took charge a couple of months ago, one of which is that we have started broadcast in one of the major languages in the nation.

‘ We started vernacular Hausa portal of the agency which just started a couple of days ago. We hope that before the year ends at most by the first quarter of 2025, the three major languages will be reflected in the broadcast nationwide.’

Ali added that the agency was working assiduously to reopen some of its shut offices especially in Europe.

‘One of which is very central. With your support sir, we hope to reopen our London office.

‘ As you are aware the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) is the biggest news content provider in the contin
ent of Africa.

‘ We have several subscribers and we have multi partnership with the major global news media outlets.’ (https://www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Department of Transport has announced the appointment of IDEMIA Identity and Security – South Africa as the preferred bidder to produce new smart driving licence cards.

The appointment was approved on 8 August 2024.

IDEMIA is expected to enter into a service level agreement with the department before commencing with its work to put in place the infrastructure and systems.

More information in terms of the timeframes will then be made available to the public once the service agreement has been signed.

‘The new licence card will incorporate new security features aimed at eliminating the ever-increasing risks of fraudulent and counterfeit driving licenses.

‘Considering the cost drivers of producing the driving license and the risk of fraud and corruption, the new driving license will continue to be manufactured centrally,’ the department said.

The department embarked on a process to find a service provider with a tender advertisement in the government tender portal on 5 April 2023, which closed on 5 Ma
y 2023.

This resulted in five bidders’ responses that were received and subjected to a thorough and transparent process of evaluation and adjudication by the bidding committee.

‘It was also subjected to a probity/audit process – the probity conclusion being that all the processes were in compliance with prescribed legislation and policies,’ the department said.

On 30 August 2022, Cabinet of the 6th administration approved a proposal by the department to produce a new driving license card for the country.

Source: South African Government News Agency