Category: General

Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has unveiled a R430 million bulk infrastructure project in Moqhaka Local Municipality, Free State.

Unveiled on Friday, the bulk infrastructure project for Maokeng Extension 10 and 13 will yield 5 300 serviced stands to benefit the community of Moqhaka in the Fezile Dabi District Municipality.

The project also includes sites for public amenities like schools and recreational facilities.

Kubayi said the infrastructure project will provide a huge financial injection into the municipality.

“This will be in the form of labour, the procurement of materials, diesel and hiring of plant machines. As part of local economic development, 30% of the value of the project will be spent on local sub-contractors,” Kubayi explained.

The event was followed by a community engagement at Constantia Hall in Maokeng township, where the Minister handed over 445 title deeds to the rightful beneficiaries.

The handing over of title deeds is part of the Title Deeds Friday campaign, which the department is embarking on to restor dignity by fast-tracking the issuing of title deeds to the rightful owners.

Kubayi said about 30 000 title deeds are readily available for handing over to beneficiaries around the country, and the Free State province accounts for the highest number, at least 16 000 title deeds.

The Minister said the main obstacle to the delivery of title deeds to beneficiaries is township establishment. She urged municipalities to state their problems in the planning process, as they delay the issuing of titles.

Joined by Free State Premier Mxolisi Dukwana, Cooperative Governance Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements MEC, Ketso Makume and Moqhaka Local Municipality Mayor, Ellis Mokatsane, Kubayi used the opportunity to reiterate the department’s warning to contractors who leave projects incomplete.

“The worst scenario is if you take the money and do not complete the work. It disadvantages communities who must benefit. Some contractors fail to complete projects because of criminal elements who demand money from them and disrupt the implementation of projects.

“We are pleased the Security Cluster has come on board to rid the sector of these criminal elements. Communities must work with government, as the Security Cluster continues to be seized with resolving this untenable situation of project disruptions,” the Minister said.

Kubayi called on councillors to interact with communities, citing an agreement with Mokatsane that all ward councillors will, in the next two weeks, call community meetings to talk to the people about developments in their areas.

Makume reiterated government’s commitment to clear all backlogs, saying that a title deed “restores people’s dignity and confirms the ownership of property”.

“To many, it gives hope to their children that they will have a home to live in even when they pass on, and it is also means giving our people the land,” Makume said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, has told her Ukrainian counterpart, Minister Dmytro Kubela, that South Africa remains deeply concerned about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the continuing loss of lives and the very worrying humanitarian situation.

“We are in discussion with our own leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to look at how we can have a greater impetus to the Africa Peace Initiative to address our concerns with respect to this war,” she said on Monday.

Pandor was hosting Kubela in Pretoria for political consultations, where the two leaders also briefed media.

Africa, Pandor said, has been witness to numerous conflicts and overcame difficult wars over the years.

“All conflict has devastating effects on the countries involved. The effects are felt both politically, as well as economically and in terms of the development opportunities for often innocent citizens.

“As a continent, we continue to strive to build peace; strive to work toward developing a culture of peaceful resolution of conflict, and the promotion of the importance of diplomacy and peace as the route to resolving any dispute.”

This is the reason the Minister said South Africa always encourages a process of peaceful resolution of conflicts in Africa and globally.

“We believe the only path to peace is through diplomacy, dialogue and commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter, including the principle that all Member States shall settle their disputes by peaceful means, and many people forget this particular provision of the UN Charter.”

Regarding the unfolding tragedy in the Middle East, Pandor urged the international community to be louder in voicing a call for the immediate cessation of hostilities.

During his address to the General Assembly in September this year, President Ramaphosa insisted that the UN Charter principle of respect for the territorial integrity of every country be upheld. He told Member States that South Africa values the importance of engaging all partners in conflict to achieve peaceful, just and enduring resolutions.

“Minister, we’re meeting at a time when the world is experiencing a grave escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The carnage and senseless destruction of property, as well as the untold pain and suffering on all sides, should be condemned unreservedly,” Pandor said on Monday.

The unfolding events, she said, reminded South Africa of its own suffering at the hands of the apartheid machinery.

“Therefore, we call for an immediate end of hostilities, unconditional provision of medical supplies and humanitarian aid. It has thus become more urgent that the relevant UN resolutions and decisions are fully executed to ensure peaceful co-existence between Israel and Palestine for sustained peace. [It] is our belief, as President Mandela, said that the struggle of South Africa is not complete if the people of Palestine are not free.”

Kubela said he was happy that he is the first Ukrainian Foreign Minister to visit South Africa since 1998.

“On the other hand, I am unhappy that the pause in high-level bilateral contacts between foreign ministers has taken so long. We should commit today never to allow this to happen again, and to have regular political dialogue between our countries.”

Kubela said the leaders will not only discuss bilateral relations between Ukraine and South Africa but also the larger regional perspective of African politics and development.

“No one in today’s world exists in isolation. Neither peace nor war exists in isolation in today’s world.

“So while Ukraine has been suffering from the large-scale invasion by Russia since February 2022, we do observe and follow with utmost concern the crisis in the Middle East, and we wish for just and lasting peace to be restored in the Middle East based on the principle of a two-State solution.”

Kubela said he believes that the deeper the contact between the countries, the higher the level of trust between both nations.

“There are good reasons for that to happen, which will allow us to address the most sensitive issues in the bilateral and Global Agenda successfully and together.”

These issues, according to Kubela, include the implementation of Ukraine’s peace formula to end the war, international organisations, the development of trade and the involvement of Ukrainian expertise in the digitalisation of government services, and the production of agricultural food products across Africa.

“All of this is on the table and I’m looking forward to a fruitful discussion, and as we diplomats like to say, ‘result-oriented discussion’,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

On Monday, 6 November, the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, briefs media in Pretoria on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 1 November.

From Monday, 6 November, the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, is expected to embark on a series of follow-up visits to Eskom power stations. The follow-up visits will begin at Arnot and Hendrina power stations in Mpumalanga on Monday, 6 November. On Wednesday, 8 November, the Minister Ramokgopa will visit Kriel and Matla power stations in Mpumalanga. On Thursday, 9 November, he will visit Camden power station in Mpumalanga.

On Monday, 6 November, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, hosts the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ukraine, Dmytro Kubela, for political consultations.

On Monday, 6 November, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Lisa Mangcu will lead a clean-up and awareness campaign at the Rand West City Local Municipality in Randfontein.

From Monday, 6 November to Tuesday, 7 November, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and the Office of the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal embark on a service delivery drive to address psychosocial challenges that women, youth and persons with disabilities are confronted with in Kwa-Nongoma.

On Tuesday, 7 November, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, will host a consultative stakeholder engagement meeting on South Africa’s negotiating position ahead of the third Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC3), which is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 13 – 19 November 2023.

From Tuesday, 7 November to Thursday, 9 November, the Department of Employment and Labour will host a three-day Occupational Health and Safety Conference in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

From Wednesday, 8 November to Thursday, 9 November, the Anti-Corruption Dialogue will be held in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.

On Thursday, 9 November, the Electoral Commission will present the Atlas of Results for National and Provincial Elections to Parliament.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has once again called on Israel to adhere to its obligations under international law and protect civilians as required under the Geneva Conventions and under International Humanitarian Law.

This comes after reports from Al Jazeera suggested that Israel may delay the repatriation of nationals from countries such as South Africa, Brazil and Ireland due to these countries having called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“According to reports from the ground in Gaza, Israel is reportedly choosing countries that it considers ‘friendly’ to allow their nationals to leave first.

“Those countries such as South Africa, which Israel considers ‘unfriendly’ and which have taken a strong stance on the ongoing onslaught are being pushed to the bottom of the list. At the current slow pace at which the Israelis are approving foreign nationals, the turn for South Africans could be after 20 days,” DIRCO said in a statement.

The department said it believes that it is not only foreign nationals who must be allowed to freely exit the Gaza Strip in a timely manner.

According to the latest data, the department said at least 9 227 Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October.

Meanwhile, more than 1 400 Israelis, including settlers and soldiers, have been killed in Israel.

“Over the past few days, a school, a hospital, an ambulance, and civilians on roads travelling South have been bombed.

“The bombing of the ambulance at the gate of Al-Shifa Hospital on Friday killed 15 people, injuring 16 others,” the department said.

It said the targeted air strikes on civilians fleeing South killed 14 Palestinian civilians, among them children.

“These are serious breaches of international humanitarian law and are war crimes. These actions again illustrate the need for an immediate ceasefire, as overwhelmingly voted for by members of the United Nations General Assembly.”

Meanwhile, the department said ongoing threats by Israel to bomb the Al-Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals, where thousands of displaced civilians are sheltering, must be condemned by the international community.

“South Africa invested resources, together with its IBSA partners, India and Brazil, to build a state-of-the-art cardiothoracic unit at Al-Quds Hospital over six years ago, as Israel at the time was preventing Gazans from leaving to get medical treatment in the West Bank. Threats to bomb the hospital put this investment at risk, but more importantly, countless human lives,” DIRCO said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris says Nigeria is safe and open to foreign investments and tourists to explore and benefit.

Idris made this know in his address at an interactive session with senior media editors and executives on Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Nov. 3, the U.S. Embassy issued notice of an increase threat to major hotels in Nigeria’s larger cities.

According to the Minister, all countries in the world have one challenge or the other which could be economy, political, gun violence, social or cultural.

“We understand the concerns raised by the United States Government in their recent travel advisory, but believe that it is imperative that we do not generalise isolated incidents across the entire hospitality industry.

“What we have seen is that, such advisories do not achieve anything other than needless panic, and they can have severe adverse economic impact, not to talk of what they do to undermine the government’s efforts to attract investment.

“We have consistently prioritised the safety and wellbeing of all visitors to our country. We have implemented comprehensive security measures both at the federal and state levels, to ensure the safety of tourists and international guests.

“These measures include intense intelligence gathering, acquisition and deployment of additional platforms, training and re-training of personnel, cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, among others, to maintain a secure environment.

“The Nigerian Government is dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all Nigerians and visitors to the country and will continue to work towards maintaining a secure and hospitable environment for tourists and business travelers and the likes.

“Our country is relatively safe and open to foreign investment and tourists to come and invest, explore and ripe the benefits,” Idris stressed.

He further explained that the Nigerian security agencies have been very busy, doing their best to keep us all safe.

The Minister emphasised that in various parts of Kaduna State, seven bandits were neutralised, in various operations between Nov. 1 and Nov. 3.

He explained that on Nov. 3 in Kano State, a joint operation by troops of the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services carried out a dawn raid operation on terrorists’ hideout in Gezawa Local Government Area.

He added that the dawn raid operation successfully averted an imminent attack on Kano by insurgents.

“The operation recovered AK 47 Rifles, AK 47 Rifle Magazines, a Rocket Propelled Gun (RPG), RPG bombs, Hand grenades, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making materials, among others.

“In Katsina, two NYSC members abducted by bandits were successfully rescued.

“In the North-East and North-West of the country, the Nigerian Air Force has been very busy, with several successful airstrikes on bandits’ and terrorists’ camps and hideouts in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno.

“The Air Force has also recently taken delivery of four new aircrafts, to strengthen the fight against banditry and terrorism.

“In our maritime environment, on Oct. 25, the Eastern and Central Naval Commands flagged off a Joint Sea Exercise, Exercise SEA GUARDIAN 2023.

“I have taken some time to outline some of these efforts to make the point that our security and intelligence agencies are constantly at work, foiling threats, and neutralising those who seek to undermine the security of the country,” he said.

The Minister said such successes deserve the full support of all Nigerians and the media included.

He urge Nigerians and the media to pay attention to what the armed forces are doing, and give amplified coverage to their successes and gains.

“The bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, pirates, etc are waging not only a physical battle but also a psychological one, trying to undermine our faith and confidence in our security agencies.

“As media leaders, we must be very careful to not play into their hands, through reporting that might be misleading or sensational or that undermines the morale of our security personnel,” Idris said.

NAN reports that those present during the interactive session include the Speacial Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of NAN, Mr Ali M. Ali and Mr Silas Nwoha, respectively.

Others were the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Jibrin Ndace, the Director-General of National Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Charles Ebuebu and many media gurus and personalities across the the country.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

An Assistant Secretary for U.S. Economic and Business Affairs, Ramnin Toloui, has forecast a 100 billion dollar revenue from Nigeria’s creative industries by 2030.

Toloui, who spoke during the Africa Creative Market Conference in Lagos on Monday, also said if the potential of the industry was well harnessed, it could create up to 2.7 million jobs by 2050.

The conference on Intellectual Property(IP) protection was organised by the U.S. Consulate in Lagos in partnership with Ascend Foundation Studios.

Toloui’s remarks aimed to highlight the importance of IP protection and enforcement framework in fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the creative industries.

According to him, the Nigerian creative sector has grown in leaps and bounds, with American actors now interested in featuring in Nigerian movies.

Part of this success, he said, was due to rising demand for Nigerian content from the global African diaspora.  

This, Toloui said, has led to a steady rise in the export of African content through digital streaming and international touring, and growing numbers of African-based investors who are directing capital towards early-stage creator economy startups.

“The U.S. government supports and is proud to see burgeoning ties in the creative industries between the United States and Nigeria.

“Bringing both countries closer together and furthering investment opportunities in the film and television, music, arts, sports, gaming, and tech arenas.

“During the portion of the U.S.- Africa Summit that highlighted the economic potential of the creative industries, we announced our intention to partner with stakeholders across the creative ecosystem, creatives and policymakers alike, to help grow the creative economy.

“We have taken up this charge by focusing on a key piece of the puzzle that allows creatives to monetise their work and attract additional investment: intellectual property protection,” he said.

Speaking on why the U.S., in its partnership with Nigeria, would highlight the creative industries, he said the cultural sector alone accounted for 3.1 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He added that according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the creative industries generated annual revenues of over 2 trillion dollars and accounted for nearly 50 million jobs worldwide.

He said strong IP rights regimes established secure legal frameworks for investment in – and commercialisation of – innovation and creativity.

This, he said, enabled firms, including innovative start-ups, to navigate the perilous process of transforming a creative work into a commercially viable product and to successfully compete in the global marketplace.

“A strong system of IP rights assures inventors, industrial designers, and creative artists that their ideas will be protected and that they can receive payment for the use of their creations.

“Strong IP protection, therefore, creates value and jobs that extend well beyond the traditional boundaries of the creative sector. It attracts additional investment into the creative industries.

“This is why we are so delighted to see Nigeria continuing to invest in the growth of the creative industries with the newly announced Destination 2030 Initiative,” he said.

According to Toloui, the creative industries also employ more young people, namely those aged 15 to 29 than any other sector, with women constituting nearly half of the creative workforce.

He noted that several U.S. film and entertainment companies, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Paramount were making large investments in the Nigerian market and seeing strong prospects for future investments.

“Nigeria is a powerhouse of creativity, and we stand in steadfast partnership with all of you in this room to support the conditions that allow creatives to thrive.

“I want to see many more investments and increased commercial ties. It serves us all to support a sector that is creating equitable opportunity for all,” Toloui said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria