Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO

• Merck Foundation also marks International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026 through their “Our Africa” TV Program.
• Merck Foundation CEO and African First Ladies continue their partnership to Advocate for Girl Education to End FGM Across Africa.
• Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasizes that Girl Education is Key to Ending Female Genital Mutilation, Child Marriage and Breaking Infertility Stigma around women.

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, together with African First Ladies, marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026 through their “More Than a Mother” and “Educating Linda” programs. Merck Foundation has also powerfully addressed the harms and dangers of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through a dedicated episode of their Pan-African TV program, “Our Africa by Merck Foundation”.

Watch the Episode of “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” TV program on Ending FGM here: https://apo-opa.co/3Mt4W1A

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation and President of “More Than a Mother” campaign expressed, “FGM is a harmful practice that violates the rights and dignity of millions of girls and women across Africa and beyond. It has no health benefits, only harms. Together with my dear sisters, the African Ladies, we are committed to breaking the silence, raising awareness, and empowering communities to stand against this deeply rooted tradition. Together, we can create a future where every girl has the freedom to live a healthy, empowered, and dignified life.”

“Through a specially dedicated episode of our very popular “Our Africa” TV program, we have communicated in detail the harms of FGM and appealed to African communities to stop this harmful practice. Moreover, together with African First Ladies, we annually launch our More Than a Mother Awards to recognize the best media work, films, songs, and fashion designs that raise awareness on ending FGM, supporting girls’ education, and addressing other sensitive social issues”, added Dr. Rasha Kelej.

Submit the entries for Awards here: https://apo-opa.co/3NWa6nn

“Our Africa by Merck Foundation” is a pan African TV program conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.

The TV program has been broadcast on prime TV stations of many African countries including Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Zambia, Namibia etc, and is currently available on Social Media handles of  Dr. Rasha Kelej (Facebook (http://apo-opa.co/4acpZNL), Instagram (http://apo-opa.co/4kizsHX), Twitter (http://apo-opa.co/4ryM0gM) and YouTube (http://apo-opa.co/4qjZBrc)) and Merck Foundation (Facebook (http://apo-opa.co/4cjKqee), Instagram (http://apo-opa.co/4am5qPf), Twitter (http://apo-opa.co/4aEMJqb) and YouTube (http://apo-opa.co/4rytm8T)).

As per WHO, around the world, over 230 million girls and women have undergone FGM. Africa accounts for the largest share of this total, with over 144 million. This accounts to more than 60% of the total cases.

“I firmly believe that education is one of the most essential pillars of women’s empowerment and plays a vital role in eliminating harmful practices like FGM, which serve no benefit to anyone. Therefore, through our “Educating Linda”, in partnership with First Ladies of Africa, we have provided till date more than 1200 annual scholarships to high-performing and underprivileged African schoolgirls from 19 countries, enabling them to complete their studies and reach their potential. Through these scholarships we have supported the education of girls from several African countries including Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Moreover, Merck Foundation has benefitted thousands of girls by distributing essential school items, and through their awareness campaign which includes releasing many inspiring children’s storybooks, animation films and songs to support girl education.  

Read Educating Linda Storybook here: https://apo-opa.co/4byP7ke#

Watch Merck Foundation Animation Films on supporting girl education:

• Jackeline’s Rescue: https://apo-opa.co/4qptJlg
• Ride Into the Future: https://apo-opa.co/4klKE6Q

Listen to Merck Foundation songs to support women empowerment and girl education:

1. Watch, share & subscribe “Girls Can” song here, sung by Cwesi Oteng from Ghana and Irene Logan from Liberia: https://apo-opa.co/4rA2kxU
2. Watch, share & subscribe the “Like Them” song here, sung by Kenneth, a famous singer from Uganda: https://apo-opa.co/3ZR6eqf
3. Watch, share & subscribe “Take me to School” song here, sung by Wezi, Afro-soul singer from Zambia, to support girls’ education: https://apo-opa.co/4rzKsTF
4. Watch share & subscribe “Tu Podes Sim” Portuguese song, which means “Yes, You Can” in English by Blaze and Tamyris Moiane, singers from Mozambique in English here: https://apo-opa.co/4rALG1g 
5. Watch, share & subscribe “ABC, 123” by Sean K from Namibia song here: https://apo-opa.co/4cbrzlA
6. Watch, share & subscribe “Brighter day” song by Sean K and Cwesi Oteng from Namibia and Ghana respectively: https://apo-opa.co/4aeSDxQ
7. Watch and share “Superwoman Song” by singers Cwezi and Adina from Ghana here: https://apo-opa.co/3MgpBpt

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

Contact:
Mehak Handa
Community Awareness Program Manager 
Phone: +91 9310087613/ +91 9319606669
Email: mehak.handa@external.merckgroup.com

Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard!
Facebook: http://apo-opa.co/4cjKqee  
X: http://apo-opa.co/4aEMJqb     
YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/4rytm8T
Instagram: http://apo-opa.co/4am5qPf 
Threads: https://apo-opa.co/4tiKy3S 
Flickr: https://apo-opa.co/4r7zsxa 
Website: www.Merck-Foundation.com
Download Merck Foundation App: https://apo-opa.co/4aiK7xK

About Merck Foundation:
The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare & scientific research capacity, empowering girls in education and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website.  Please visit www.Merck-Foundation.com to read more. Follow the social media of Merck Foundation: Facebook (http://apo-opa.co/4cjKqee), X (http://apo-opa.co/4aEMJqb), Instagram (http://apo-opa.co/4am5qPf), YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4rytm8T), Threads (https://apo-opa.co/4tiKy3S) and Flickr (https://apo-opa.co/4r7zsxa).

The Merck Foundation is dedicated to improving social and health outcomes for communities in need. While it collaborates with various partners, including governments to achieve its humanitarian goals, the foundation remains strictly neutral in political matters. It does not engage in or support any political activities, elections, or regimes, focusing solely on its mission to elevate humanity and enhance well-being while maintaining a strict non-political stance in all of its endeavors.

Source: APO

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Uganda continues to position diplomacy as a central pillar of its foreign policy and as a constructive tool for peace building across the African continent. This commitment was underscored when the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Regional Affairs), Hon. John Mulimba, hosted H.E. Seddiki Nafaa, Ambassador of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic

Republic to Uganda, in a bilateral meeting focused on regional stability, multilateral cooperation, and the peaceful resolution of protracted conflicts.

The meeting underscored the importance of sustained diplomatic dialogue and regional cooperation as indispensable tools for conflict resolution and stability on the African continent. H.E. Seddiki Nafaa conveyed warm congratulations to H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President-elect of the Republic of Uganda, and to the people of Uganda for the peaceful conclusion of the general elections. He commended Uganda’s longstanding record of stability and its historically cordial relations with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, noting the mutual respect and solidarity that have characterized bilateral engagement over the years.

The Ambassador briefed the Minister on the evolving deliberations at the United Nations Security Council concerning the Sahrawi question and the peace process between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Kingdom of Morocco. He reiterated Sahrawi’s commitment to a negotiated settlement, while expressing concern over developments that have undermined existing ceasefire arrangements. Amb. Nafaa informed the Minister of Sahrawi’s candidature to the African Union Peace and Security Council and formally sought Uganda’s support ahead of the forthcoming elections.

In response, Hon. John Mulimba reaffirmed Uganda’s foreign policy orientation, which emphasizes peaceful coexistence, non-alignment, regional integration, and the promotion of African-led solutions to African challenges. He reiterated Uganda’s unwavering support for peace building initiatives, respect for sovereignty, and adherence to African Union and United Nations resolutions. The Minister recalled Uganda’s historical engagement with the Sahrawi leadership, including President Museveni’s direct communication with H.E. Brahim Ghali, and emphasized the need for
all parties to respect agreed continental and international frameworks.

Hon. Mulimba further noted Uganda’s willingness to support inclusive diplomatic negotiations involving key regional and international actors, with the objective of fostering a durable and peaceful resolution that upholds legitimacy, sovereignty, and regional stability. He reaffirmed Uganda’s determination to remain a constructive partner in advancing peace, security, and cooperation, consistent with its role as a responsible actor in regional and global affairs.

Uganda remains steadfast in its belief that durable peace in Africa can only be achieved through dialogue, multilateral cooperation, and collective responsibility principles that continue to guide its engagement within the continent and the global community.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: APO

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The Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) delays in scrapping outdated qualifications in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) risks leaving students with irrelevant skills and qualifications that do not meet labour market conditions, says the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education.

The committee yesterday visited the Qhayiya Campus of the Port Elizabeth College. Committee Chairperson Mr Tebogo Letsie said South Africa cannot afford to continue spending public funds training young people for jobs that no longer exist or are no longer in demand. The department is phasing out N4 to N6 programmes. These programmes consist of 18 months theoretical studies and another 18 months of practical experience.

The committee is concerned about oversubscribed courses in TVET colleges, such as office management and technology and marketing, that do not align with current conditions and should be phase out immediately.

“There must be a clear and urgent plan to deal with these issues, as every oversight we are confronted with the same issues in the TVET sector, where courses are not aligned with national priorities. It’s unfair to students and quite frankly it could qualify as a wasteful expenditure,” Mr Letsie said.

Committee members called for improved coordination between DHET and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to ensure that programmes offered by colleges respond to labour market needs. “The planning within the system must improve. Poor coordination is contributing to many of the challenges we are seeing on the ground. Colleges cannot be left alone to interpret and implement national policy without clear direction and support from the mother body, which is DHET,” the Chairperson said.

Furthermore, at the campus, the committee was met by protesting students who said that in 2025, a module that cost R1 700 was increased to R6 000 without prior notice. Students also had concerns about the lack of online learning options, saying this disadvantages those who cannot afford daily transport to campus.

The committee also noted that infrastructure at the Port Elizabeth College must never be allowed to deteriorate to a point where repairs become more expensive than regular maintenance. Management must take pride in their institutions, ensure routine upkeep and allocate proper budgets for maintenance, Mr Letsie said.

Lastly, the committee was particularly concerned that the campus does not have security cameras, which poses a safety risk to students, staff and college property. Mr Letsie urged management to urgently strengthen campus security measures.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Source: APO

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Parliament’s joint oversight delegation visiting flood-damaged areas in Mpumalanga on Thursday warned that without sustained investment in building resilient infrastructure, such as stormwater drainage systems and effective flood-risk mitigation, many vulnerable communities in the Ehlanzeni district will continue to bear the brunt of severe weather events.

The Portfolio Committee and the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA)’s visit forms part of Parliament’s oversight responsibility to monitor government’s response to the recent disasters and to assess recovery and mitigation plans in affected communities. The delegation visited flood-damaged areas in Shatale and Ward 12 (Sidlamakhosi) in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality.

In a settlement in Shatale, damage to an access road and bridge highlighted how inadequate stormwater systems and backlogs in infrastructure maintenance can exacerbate the impact of extreme weather events. The recent floods caused widespread damage to infrastructure and, in several areas, washed away roads, leaving some communities stranded temporarily. Shatale is one of the communities that were hit hardest.

The joint delegation was informed that severe erosion during heavy rains hampered access for the surrounding communities. Members heard that there are about 5 070 kilometres of road network in Bushbuckridge, and only about 1 070 kilometres are tarred. The rest are gravel roads, which means that erosion is a recurring problem across the municipality, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. Members were advised that addressing these issues would require both immediate repair interventions and longer-term planning to reduce erosion and improve resilience.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on COGTA, Dr Zweli Mkhize, raised concerns about the underlying causes of the damage and stressed the need for more decisive and forward-looking interventions. He said officials’ explanation highlighted deeper structural issues that require urgent attention. “There is a deeper issue here,” he said. “What was visible on-site pointed to longstanding problems rather than a once-off incident. Somebody should have figured this out earlier,” he said.

Dr Mkhize questioned the sustainability of simply restoring the road in its current form and cautioned against short-term fixes that fail to address future risks. “If you are saying it is going to happen again in the next five or six years, then you must anticipate that now,” he said.

The Chairperson stressed that climate patterns and rainfall intensity are changing, and this now requires a shift in how infrastructure is designed and repaired. “You cannot plan the same way as before when things have changed. He stressed the importance of oversight and professional supervision in infrastructure projects. “Somebody must be able to oversee and supervise this properly,” he said. He warned that limited capacity cannot be used as a justification for recurring failures. “Your capacity must not limit the quality of what is created. That is the problem.”

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on COGTA, Mr Mxolisi Kaunda, also identified a critical planning error. “The problem is that this is not a stream, it is a river,” he said. “When it was planned, it was treated as a stream, but a river behaves differently.” He said this misclassification has implications for how structures should be designed to withstand future flood events.

Mr Kaunda called for stronger intergovernmental and technical partnerships to address this issue and urged local authorities to collaborate with relevant authorities to complement engineering capacity. “Work with the provincial Department of Transport and SANRAL to improve engineering capacity.” The Chairperson warned against relying on emergency funding as a substitute for proper design. “This is where the problem is,” he said. “You cannot keep building infrastructure that is not resilient and then expect disaster funds to fix it every time.”

At another site in Ward 12 (Sidlamakhosi), the delegation found water streaming down a street. Municipal officials told members that this was because of natural groundwater tables or subsoil conditions, but this was refuted when Dr Mkhize found that it was an unattended burst water pipe. He demanded accountability. The delegation expressed serious concern that a basic infrastructure failure had gone undetected for what appeared to be an extended period. The water meter also appeared new, which raised questions about monitoring water leaks and maintenance. The joint delegation raised concerns about whether the situation constituted a disaster or an infrastructure maintenance issue, which is a normal municipal responsibility.

The Chairpersons stressed that these issues are not theoretical but have real consequences for communities and public expenditure. They warned that, without clarity on technical issues, it is difficult to justify interventions, calculate costs and prevent damage from recurring. “These are the aspects that must be addressed if we are to do proper oversight,” said Dr Mkhize. He said that oversight is not only about response, but also about the quality and sustainability of reconstruction efforts. “We are here to look at how we manage disasters, how they recover and process and how the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure is done to prevent it from recurring. “This is important to ensure that communities are not left vulnerable when similar events occur again.

The joint delegation will conclude its oversight in Louieville in the Nkomazi Local Municipality today.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development wrapped up its oversight visit programme in Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province yesterday.

The Communal Property Associations (CPAs) in South Africa are currently facing several challenges, including poor governance, corruption, and internal conflicts. As of 2024, there are approximately 1,743 registered CPAs, with only 207 being fully compliant and 124 partially compliant.

The Communal Property Associations Amendment Act, signed into law in October 2024, aims to address these issues by establishing a CPA Office and appoint a Registrar to oversee the associations. The new law also clarifies that land will be owned by residents who are members of associations, rather than the committees.

This is expected to improve protection of community rights and prevent abuse of power by committee members. The committee found that some of the key challenges facing CPAs include poor governance as internal conflicts, corruption, and mismanagement of funds are crippling some of these associations.

The committee found that there is a lack of oversight and limited monitoring and support from the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development (DLRRD) to the CPAs in the Northern Cape. It expressed its concern that Northern Cape is the only province which it visited where comprehensive CPAs were not submitted to it by the DLRRD.

The committee has also noted that the Kurees CPA and Katlani Mazelfontein CPA have been successful in confirming the number of beneficiaries that are sustainable and have been paying out dividends to their households.

However, there are some CPAs who have appealed to the committee to intervene as they have received land but without the necessary support from the DLRRD regarding finance, skills, infrastructure and equipment support.

Whilst there were a number of concerned groups and individuals who informed the committee about alleged fraud and corruption, the Chairperson of the committee, Mr Albert Mncwango, informed the meeting that the complainants must request an investigation and engage the Minister of the DLRRD. The committee undertook to engage the Minister on the matter at its next meeting and requested the department to submit a report to it.

– on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.