South Africa Vision

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Dr Dion George, has assured of South Africa’s commitment to meeting its undertakings under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement.

George said South Africa is working on its second Nationally Determined Contribution, and the country has also committed to updating and submitting its first Biennial Transparency Report.

‘We will contribute our fair share and not make false promises that we are unable to keep,’ George said.

George was speaking at the Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) Ministerial Meeting held on Sunday, ahead of the 8th Session of the Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action (MoCA) taking place in Wuhan, China.

The Ministers responsible for climate change from the BASIC countries gathered for the bi-annual meeting to discuss key issues related to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations at the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP29).

These includ
e the need to finalise the rules around carbon markets, adaptation indicators, the Just Transition Pathways Work Programme, the Mitigation Work Programme, and the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) on finance.

In his opening remarks, George said South Africa is focused on implementing ambitious actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including through the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP).

The implementation of this plan includes actions around electricity, electric vehicles and green hydrogen and, said the Minister, South Africa is interested in partnering with BASIC and other countries towards its implementation.

‘The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with some developed countries is only a small component of our much larger energy transition plan, which in turn is only one sector of the all-of-economy and all-of-society just transition we seek in line with the COP28 UAE Vision.

‘Our Parliament has adopted a Climate Change Bill [and] since 2011, when we outlined South Africa
‘s response to climate change in our National Climate Change Response White Paper, we have been putting in place the components of an integrated response. Now, this Bill will integrate all of these components into a robust legal framework, and mainstream climate action across government,’ George said.

For South Africa, progress is required in terms of emission reduction obligations, adaptation commitments and the means of implementation ‘to ensure that we are on track to achieving the 1.5-degree target, and that support for both adaptation and loss and damage will address all likely outcomes’.

The Minister said the country believes that COP29 should enable enhanced, effective and sustained international cooperation on both adaptation and mitigation (equally treated), to achieve the missing ambition in climate actions to date.

‘Developed countries’ commitment to providing adequate support to developing countries, is key for the Paris Agreement to be truly applicable to all. The global North should ensure no
backtracking on support obligations,’ the Minister said.

Ministerial on Climate Action

Meanwhile, MoCA, which is taking place on 22 -23 July 2024, is a key moment for ministers and senior climate diplomats to gather, coming shortly after the UNFCCC intersessional in June.

The meeting will be a chance to elevate sticky issues in climate negotiations to a higher political level.

MoCA is one of the platforms created at the initiative of individual States in support of the UNFCCC negotiations that seeks to identify issues of convergence and divergence at a political level, with a view to bridge building and exploring potential landing zones ahead of the COP.

Convened by China, the European Union (EU) and Canada, MoCA was initiated in 2017 to support the Paris Agreement and the multilateral climate process.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Equal access to affordable quality health care through the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), is a key priority for the seventh administration, says President Cyril Ramaphosa.

‘We are unwavering in our commitment to implement universal health coverage in a manner that brings all South Africans on board,’ President Ramaphosa said.

The President was responding to the debate on the Opening of Parliament Address on Monday.

President Ramaphosa said government will continue with dialogues, exchanges and interactions to make the NHI an important programme for the people.

The President also highlighted the country’s report to the United Nations, which noted reductions in maternal, infant and neonatal mortality, and that South Africans are living longer and have better health outcomes.

READ | Government pushes for affordable healthcare for all

The President delivered the Opening of Parliament Address on Thursday and the President’s speech was debated by political parties on Friday.

READ | Pr
esident Ramaphosa signs NHI Bill into law

Education

On inclusive and equitable quality education, President Ramaphosa said the country has made progress with respect to functional literacy and numeracy at primary school level, and in primary school completion rates.

‘Today, more South African children have access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Grade R, and secondary school education outcomes continue to steadily improve.

‘The child support grant, no-fee schools and expanded NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) funding have had a considerable impact on the lives of learners, particularly those from poor families.’

He said these social protection interventions, alongside others, including the Schools Nutrition and Sanitary Dignity Programmes, aimed at female learners, are helping to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

‘They are enabling more children to complete their schooling and to access opportunities after they finish school. One need only look at last year’s matriculatio
n exam results, where learners who were social grant beneficiaries achieved an 81 percent pass rate,’ President Ramaphosa said.

While access to education expands the capabilities of young people, the President noted that it also improves the productive capacity of the economy.

‘Our young people are competing with the world. This is a new world, one that is rapidly changing and being influenced by technological advances.

‘A better educated, better skilled workforce makes our economy more competitive and catalyses growth.’

Greater investment in skills

President Ramaphosa also commended the call for greater investment in skilling young people for the economy of the future, and for young people to be familiar with emerging technologies.

‘Science and technology is going to continue playing an important role in enabling our young people to play a key role in our economy,’ President Ramaphosa said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has arrived in Munich, Germany, ahead of the 25th International AIDS Conference, scheduled to take place from Monday to Friday.

The Deputy Minister will lead the South African delegation at the conference which will be held under the theme: ‘Put people first’.

This year’s conference theme highlights a clarion call for all key role players to strengthen efforts in deepening human rights, providing adequate health care facilities and protecting civil rights.

The AIDS 2024 Conference offers a platform to address persistent challenges which impact negatively on countries’ overall HIV response.

Phaahla is supported by the SA Patron of the Global Alliance for ending AIDS in children by 2030, Humile Mashatile, the SANAC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Thembisile Xulu, Health Department Director General, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, a team of health scientists, civil society activists, social partners as well as senior government officials.

‘This important world’s largest and most
influential conference on HIV/AIDS, will feature discussions on, amongst others, key population-led innovations, artificial intelligence and digital technology in healthcare provision, HIV and climate change, prevention of vertical transformation and also consider lessons from COVID-19 on misinformation,’ the Presidency said in a statement.

In this regard, the SA Global Alliance Patron, Humile Mashatile, will participate in panel discussions focused on ‘Connecting data, programmes and communities with the view to contribute in defining Global Alliance Roadmap to Ending AIDS in Children by 2030’.

Mashatile will also meet with the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, to outline the strategic plans and programmes developed by key South African role-players, geared towards ending AIDS in Children by 2030.

The Human Sciences research Council (HSRC) of South Africa, which is Africa’s largest dedicated social science and humanities research agency and policy think tank, will utilise the opportunity to p
resent a study on South African HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behavior (SABSSM) survey results.

This critical work by the HSRC signifies an important legacy collection of public data that has contributed to the improvement of lives for citizens.

The Deputy Minister and the delegation will join world activists in confronting challenges and identifying opportunities to accelerate progress in HIV science, policy and initiatives, to foster a more resilient, equitable and sustainable international community.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The European Union (EU) says Nigeria has retained its number one spot among beneficiaries of its postgraduate scholarships in Africa for the sixth year.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi, stated this in Abuja, at the award of scholarships to 142 postgraduate scholarships to young Nigerians in top European universities in the 2024-2025 academic session.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 142 young people were awarded the scholarship under the EU’s flagship educational programme, Erasmus+.

The Erasmus Mundus scholarship is funded by the EU and is awarded to students selected for attending one of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes at the Master’s or Doctoral level.

The scholarship can be awarded to students from both non-EU and EU countries.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Samuela Isopi, at the Erasmus+ Scholarship Pre-departure Orientation event, described Nigerian students as outstanding.

She said at the event, which was organised by the EU that the Era
smus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) programme was now in its 20th year.

She said that this was with a highly transformative impact on individuals, higher education institutions, and countries both within and outside of the EU.

According to her, this year from Nigeria, there are 142 awardees who were selected from thousands of candidates all over the world through a very competitive process .

Isopi said, ‘This means that it is a very good achievement and reaffirms that Nigerian students are very good and among the best.

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‘Nigeria is the top country in Africa with the highest number of awardees this year and it is one of the top five in the world together with countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

‘This once again shows that Nigeria is a country with great talents and we are very proud as the European Union that we can contribute not only to further development of that skill but to contribute through that to the development of Niger
ia itself.’

Isopi said that the scholarship was an opportunity not only for their personal development but also a great opportunity for the country as well.

‘This is because with this master’s programme, they will study in various European countries, some of them for one year, two years in very specific areas of competence.

‘They will come back and put their skills at the disposal of their country to develop further,’ she said.

The EU ambassador, however, said that most of the awardees would start their Erasmus plus journey in September.

She said that the pre-departure orientation was aimed at providing the recipients with hands-on tips on how to make the best of the immense opportunities inherent in the prestigious scholarship.

NAN reports that the programmes will run for 12 to 24 months with each beneficiary studying in at least three different universities in as many countries within and outside the EU during the period.

Some of the programmes would include Renewables-based Power Systems, Chemical I
nnovation and Regulation, Public Health in Disasters and Bio refinery.

Others are European MSc in Marine Environment 2030, Soils science, Systems for Sustainable Engineering, Sustainable Mineral and Metal Processing Engineering, Sustainable Ship and Shipping and several more.

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On the successful completion of the programme, an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) scholar would receive a master degree to be jointly awarded by a consortium of universities, in the framework of the EMJMD programme a key component of Erasmus+.

NAN also reports that the EU works with the governments of Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Katsina, Enugu and Plateau.

The projects aim at strengthening the education system, increase the use of digital technology for teaching, learning and system management, and mainstream green skills and knowledge by investing 45.4 million euros from 2021-2027 in its education projects.

Source: News Agenc
y of Nigeria