Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO

Mr. Abraham Yohannes, Director General of Culture and Sports in the Southern Region, called for reinforced effort to conduct scientifically based research for the expansion of the initiative to preserve and document the cultural and historical heritage of society.

At the meeting conducted on 17 August in Mendefera, Mr. Abraham noting that the Eritrean people possesses rich culture and values reflecting its social status and resilience, called for conducting organized effort to transfer it to generations.

Indicating that encouraging research have been carried out in various sub-zones, Mr. Abraham commended the initiative to develop the traditional music and dances preserving their originality.

Mr. Abraham also said that coordinated effort will be exerted to enable the rich resources and cultural heritage so that they play due role in the development of the tourism industry and cultural activities.

The participants for their part called for conducting reinforced exploration on the undocumented rituals and folklores, for conducting sustainable training programs to produce more young artists, and conducting cultural festivals at sub-zonal levels.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO – Report:

At a conclusion event of the youth week conducted in Halibmentel, Elaberet sub-zone, call was made for reinforced continuity of youth week for it has significant contribution in the preservation of cultural heritage as well as in transferring it to generations.

The cultural week that was organized in collaboration with the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students branch in Anseba Region and the public, featured traditional housing construction and wedding costumes, traditional utensils, cultural and artistic performances as well as the role and place of the youth in the society focusing on Bilin ethnic group.

Commending all those who contributed for the colorful event, Mr. Azazi Bereketeab, head of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students in Anseba Region, said that the objective of organizing the youth week at area administration level is to enable the youth to understand their culture and values and play due part in their preservation.

Noting that culture and values are the basis for national identity, Col. Kibrom Nirayo, representative of the Governor of the region, and Mr. Mulu’e Tesfamariam, head of Political Affairs of the PFDJ in the region, said that the event has significant contribution in enabling the youth to understand their culture and values and play due part for their preservation.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO – Report:

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South Africa calls for binding global action on drought and increased land restoration finance at UNCCD COP17

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Bernice Swarts, is leading South Africa’s delegation to the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), taking place from 17 to 28 August 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme, “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope”.

South Africa will use the COP17 to advocate for stronger international cooperation on drought resilience, increased financing for land restoration and an effective post-2030 strategic framework for the Convention.

South Africa participates in COP17 with practical experience in restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening its national response to desertification, land degradation and drought. Of the approximately 17 million hectares initially identified under the country’s voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality targets in 2018, approximately 2.9 million hectares have been restored, conserved or placed under sustainable management.

South Africa has since reviewed and updated its targets through the second phase of the UNCCD Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme. The revised target commits the country to the restoration, rehabilitation, conservation, maintenance and sustainable management of eight million hectares of degraded landscapes. The revised target is intended to provide a more realistic and implementable framework that is specific, time-bound, quantitative, spatially explicit, gender-responsive and better integrated into national planning. Its implementation will, however, require significantly increased financial and technical support.

“Land degradation and drought are not abstract environmental concerns for South Africa. They directly affect water security, food production, rural livelihoods, economic resilience and the well-being of vulnerable communities. South Africa goes to COP17 determined to turn global commitments into measurable action. This requires predictable finance, practical partnerships and an international drought response that matches the scale and urgency of the challenge,” said Deputy Minister Swarts.

A central priority for South Africa will be advancing negotiations towards a legally binding protocol on drought under the UNCCD. The 20th ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment nominated South Africa as Africa’s drought champion leading up to COP17, supported by co-champions advocating for the protocol.

South Africa will therefore support the African position calling for a binding instrument that strengthens international cooperation, accountability and implementation in preparing for, responding to and recovering from drought. Such an instrument should place greater emphasis on proactive drought-risk management instead of relying primarily on emergency responses after communities, livelihoods and ecosystems have already been affected.

South Africa will also call for the mobilisation of substantially greater financial and technical resources for affected developing countries. Desertification, land degradation and drought remain among the least-funded priorities across the three Rio Conventions, despite their direct links to climate resilience, biodiversity, food security, water security and sustainable development.

The country supports the mobilisation of resources from all available sources, including the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, multilateral development institutions and bilateral and private-sector partners. South Africa will further support decisions that reaffirm the obligation of developed countries to provide adequate and predictable support to affected developing countries.

COP17 will also consider recommendations on the future strategic framework of the Convention beyond 2030. South Africa will advocate for a framework that is inclusive, science-based and measurable, while remaining responsive to the different circumstances, priorities and capacities of Parties.

“Restoring land is ultimately about restoring opportunity and hope. The decisions taken in Ulaanbaatar must enable countries to protect livelihoods, strengthen resilience and deliver visible improvements in the lives of people who depend most directly on healthy land,” said Deputy Minister Swarts.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is one of the three Rio Conventions, alongside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is the principal global agreement addressing desertification, land degradation and drought and has 197 Parties.

COP17 is the first Conference of the Parties of the three Rio Conventions to be convened in 2026. It coincides with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, placing particular emphasis on the contribution of rangelands and pastoral communities to land restoration, biodiversity conservation, food security and climate resilience.

The twenty-fourth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention and the seventeenth session of the Committee on Science and Technology will take place alongside COP17.

South Africa’s national implementation

South Africa’s voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality targets were approved by Cabinet on 24 October 2024. Budget reductions across the three spheres of government and the reprioritisation of programmes affected progress against the original targets and contributed to the subsequent review.

South Africa was among 18 countries supported by the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD to review and update their targets through the second phase of the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme.

South Africa reported on the implementation of the UNCCD Strategic Framework in 2018 and 2022. Working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and national stakeholders, the country will prepare its 2026 UNCCD national report for submission by February 2027.

The report will be developed through an inclusive process involving government departments, public entities, civil society organisations, researchers and communities. It will cover progress relating to ecosystem condition, sustainable land management, affected populations, drought resilience, global environmental benefits and the mobilisation of financial and non-financial resources.

This work will also support coordination between South Africa’s land-restoration reporting under the UNCCD, Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030.

Key COP17 processes

COP17 is expected to:

• Advance international measures to address desertification, land degradation and drought.

• Accelerate the restoration of degraded landscapes by 2030 and beyond.

• Strengthen drought preparedness and resilience at global, regional and national levels.

• Mobilise increased investment in sustainable land management and restoration.

• Consider the future strategic framework of the UNCCD beyond 2030.

Under the Steppe Action Agenda, Mongolia is expected to launch three flagship initiatives:

• The Rangeland Flagship Initiative, promoting sustainable rangeland management and restoration across dryland regions.

• Nature-based solutions for sustainable infrastructure, aimed at fostering public-private partnerships and collaborative investment.

• The Water-Land Nexus Initiative, addressing interconnected water and land challenges in dryland regions.

High-level and thematic events

The Riyadh-Ulaanbaatar Action Agenda will include high-level and special events intended to mobilise political support, partnerships and investment. The programme includes:

• Finance Day on 24 August 2026, focused on accelerating the mobilisation of financial resources.

– on behalf of South African Government.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration and the Standing Committee on Finance on Tuesday agreed on a way forward for the long-running SATBVC pension redress matter.

During a joint meeting, the committees were briefed by the Joint Task Team (JTT), which investigated the grievances of former public servants associated with South Africa and the former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei (SATBVC) administrations.

The Government Service Pension Fund, which was established in 1973, was the precursor to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF). The various states and homelands had their own separate pension fund arrangements, which were then amalgamated after 1994 into the GEPF. However, many beneficiaries were unhappy and believed that their periods of service had not been correctly taken into account. Among their grievances were unresolved claims concerning leave gratuities and severance benefits.

Through verification efforts, the JTT found that many historical pension records could be reconciled and that many beneficiaries had already received benefits. The JTT also identified matters that cannot be resolved through technical verification alone. These include cases where historical records are incomplete and concerns about previous redress cut-off dates. Among the recommendations in the report is for Parliament to establish a high-level policy forum to address matters falling outside the administrative and technical remit of the JTT. The JTT also recommends that a Special Redress Verification Panel be established under the new policy forum, among other things.

The committees resolved to refer the JTT’s recommendations to the Parliamentary Legal Services office to determine the appropriate legal and parliamentary mechanism to guide them on the way forward.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Mr Jan de Villiers, said Legal Services should advise on how the JTT’s recommendations should be formulated – either as a resolution, a committee report or another appropriate parliamentary mechanism – so that the two committees can formally consider and adopt them.

“This will allow us to ensure that the matter is returned to the National Assembly as expeditiously as possible and in the correct legal and procedural form,” he said. The Chairperson stressed that this step should facilitate a conclusion rather than restart the process.

The committees further resolved to convene a high-level political engagement involving the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Public Service and Administration, the GEPF, the Government Pensions Administration Agency and other relevant institutions. The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Dr Joe Maswanganyi, said the fundamental issues can be discussed at this engagement, and it must determine what decisions can be taken so that the matter does not continue indefinitely.

Dr Maswanganyi further cautioned against creating yet another structure where existing state institutions may already have the authority to implement the recommendations. “We should try to avoid establishing another structure where the existing institutions of the state already have the necessary legislative and executive mandates. If we create a structure on top of another structure, it might take another four years. Out there, people are despondent and worried about why their complaints have still not been resolved,” said Dr Maswanganyi.

The committees noted the urgency of the matter, particularly since the affected former public servants are now elderly and some have since died, with their beneficiaries and dependants still awaiting clarity. The committees agreed that the next step is to obtain legal advice on implementing the JTT recommendations and to convene the high-level political engagement. They will also work to determine which existing government institutions can execute the required interventions.

Mr De Villiers also stressed the importance of ensuring the recommendations are legally checked, placed before the committees in the correct form and dealt with as speedily as possible so that they can be sent to the National Assembly. “I fully appreciate that this has been a long and difficult process, but we must ensure that the matter is concluded correctly,” he said.

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

Source: APO

Mr. Jimmy Nambiro, Head of the Education Desk and Private Secretary to President Museveni on Education and Skilling, said the Government introduced UPE in 1997 and later expanded the free education programme through USE in 2007 to increase access to education for children from poor and vulnerable households.

Nambiro made the remarks on Wednesday 19th August, 2026 at his office on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala.

He described universal free education as one of the flagship programmes of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government and a key intervention aimed at ensuring that children from both rural and urban communities can access education.

“The Universal Free Education is a flagship programme for the NRM Government that directly addresses the needs of education for the vulnerable poor Ugandans in both rural and urban areas,” Nambiro said.

He said the government has continued to allocate resources to the education sector through the Ministry of Education and Sports to meet the infrastructure, human resource, teaching materials, facilitation, training and capacity-building needs of UPE and USE schools.

Mr. Nambiro noted that Uganda’s education system is supported by legal frameworks, including the Government White Paper and the Education Act, 2008, which provide the basis for education as a fundamental right.

Millions have benefited:

According to Mr. Nambiro, the introduction of universal free education has significantly expanded access to schooling across the country.

He said the number of school-going children has increased from about 2.5 million before the introduction of universal free education to approximately 10 million currently accessing education.

He added that the programmes have contributed to improvements in literacy levels, which he put at approximately 85 percent.

The government, he said, currently supports more than 12,551 primary schools and 1,615 secondary schools across the country.

Mr. Nambiro said the figures demonstrate the government’s commitment to expanding access to education and ensuring that children from disadvantaged communities are not excluded because of poverty.

Illegal charges undermine free education:

However, Mr. Nambiro expressed concern over what he described as illegal charges imposed by some school administrators, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and school boards.

He said such practices have gradually undermined the concept of universal free education, forcing poor parents to meet costs that are supposed to be covered by the government.

Among the alleged irregularities, he cited illegal school fees and development charges, demands for examination registration fees, ghost learners on school enrolment lists, ghost teachers and the alleged misuse or lack of accountability for capitation grants provided to schools.

Mr. Nambiro particularly criticised schools that charge parents for Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) registration, saying the government pays examination registration fees for candidates at Primary Seven, O-Level and A-Level.

“These are serious barriers to the access of free Universal Education meant to benefit the poor communities and they are against the law of Education Act of 2008 and the Presidential directives issued from time to time not to send any child under Universal Programme out of school,” he said.

He warned that the illegal practices of a few individuals risk damaging public confidence in the government and creating the impression that presidential commitments on free education are not being honoured.

State House intensifies monitoring:

Mr. Nambiro said the State House Education Desk has stepped up efforts to monitor implementation of UPE and USE and ensure that children are not pushed out of school because of illegal charges.

He called on District Education Officers, school inspectors, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), District Internal Security Officers (DISOs), Gombolola Internal Security Officers (GISOs), religious and cultural leaders, as well as political leaders from Local Council I level to Parliament, to help protect the programme.

He said the various stakeholders have a responsibility to identify and report school administrators who violate government directives and education laws.

Mr. Nambiro warned that school dropouts resulting from illegal charges and other barriers to education could contribute to wider social problems, including teenage pregnancies and drug abuse among young people.

He said preventing children from accessing education should therefore be treated as a serious societal concern requiring collective action.

Mr. Nambiro revealed that the State House Education Desk is working with different Government ministries and agencies, including the Anti-Corruption Unit under the Office of the President, to investigate reported irregularities in schools.

He said communities are also increasingly reporting cases directly through the State House Education telephone line, 071 6095366, which he said enables the desk to respond to complaints and initiate follow-up action.

According to Mr. Nambiro, several head teachers, school inspectors and District Education Officers are currently facing investigations over alleged violations, with those found culpable expected to face disciplinary or legal action.

“The State House Education Desk is to continue vigorously with field monitoring exercises in all schools across the whole country to ensure compliance,” he said.

Mr. Nambiro further emphasised that the universal free education programme was introduced primarily to support children from poor and vulnerable families.

He warned that anyone found charging learners under the government’s free education programmes would face the law.

“His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda did not introduce Universal Free Education for the rich. Therefore, anyone found charging for free Universal Education at all levels will face the law,” he said.

Mr. Nambiro urged Ugandans to work with the State House Education Desk by reporting cases of illegal charges and other practices that prevent children from benefiting fully from UPE and USE.

He said continued cooperation between communities, education officials, security agencies and political and cultural leaders would be critical in protecting access to education and preserving the objectives of the government’s universal education programme.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.

Source: APO

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The Shadow Minister of Sports, Hon. Bulasio Zambaali, has sounded an alarm over the widespread and unregulated practice of holiday teaching, warning that the practice is turning periods designed for rest and family bonding into extended classroom time.

Hon. Zambaali, who is also the MP for Nansana Municipality, raised the issue as a matter of national importance during the House sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.

“There is a rampant and unregulated practice of holiday teaching, commonly referred to as holiday coaching, in several private and public or government-aided schools,” he said adding that “Holiday breaks were structured by the Ministry of Education and Sports to allow our children to have a rest and family bond, but some schools have misused this.”

He called on the Ministry to issue a firm directive that would enforce compliance with the official school calendar, strengthen oversight, and impose penalties on institutions that continue the practice.

Speaker Oboth treated the complaint with urgency, describing it as a serious matter affecting the entire country, inviting the State Minister for Education and Sports Hon. Peter Ogwang to respond.

Ogwang condemned the practice saying that the holidays, in line with the calendar issued by the Ministry, are a time to allow the learners to be at home and rest, bond with their parents and guardians.

“The Ministry of Education and Sports condemns the acts of holiday teaching because we issued out a circular to all Chief Administrative Officers across the country and also issued a school calendar which both confirms teaching hours, teaching time and holiday time,” he said and asked the public to report cases of holiday teaching to the Ministry.

“I want to issue out a hotline or help line [0800 377 771] for any member of the public who finds any school anywhere in the country. You can call that number to tell them where the practice is taking place, so that as a Ministry we route police to that respective area or school where the illegal practice is taking place,” he said.

He further cautioned school administrators saying that the official school calendar, issued annually by the Ministry, clearly demarcates instructional periods and holiday breaks, and that circulars issued to CAOs reinforce the timelines and prohibit unauthorised teaching during holidays.

The administrative measures operate alongside the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act and broader child protection provisions under the Constitution of Uganda and the Children Act, which emphasise the right of children to rest, leisure and family life alongside the right to education.

Speaker Oboth reinforced this approach, urging members of the public to use the toll-free line so that reported cases can be investigated and addressed promptly.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO

Failure to honour committee summons undermines constitutional accountability, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth, has said as concerns mounted over the effectiveness of parliamentary scrutiny when senior government officials stay away.

“It has come to my attention that some accounting officers are not honouring invitations to appear before committees of Parliament,” Oboth said in his communication at the start of the House sitting on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.

“I would like to remind all accounting officers that it is their constitutional obligation to be accountable to the citizens of this country through Parliament, where they are represented. I therefore beseech them to appear whenever summoned,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) struggled to advance its inquiry into alleged corruption and mismanagement at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), due to the absence of the UCAA Director General and Accounting Officer Fred K. Bamwesigye.

Speaker Oboth framed appearance before committees not as a courtesy but as a core link in the chain of accountability to taxpayers. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO

The House Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has declined to allow Olive Birungi Lumonya, the Deputy Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to represent her boss and resolved to conduct an on-site inspection of the authority’s facilities in Entebbe as it continues with its investigations into allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

The Committee chaired by Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi, had summoned UCAA officials to answer questions arising from the Auditor General’s Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2025 together with a recent Presidential directive dated 17 July 2026 that ordered the immediate retirement of several senior staff “in the public interest.”

The Presidents letter, addressed to Works and Transport Minister detailed rampant corruption at the Ministry of Works and Transport and the UCAA citing delayed road projects, non-functioning scanners at Entebbe International Airport, and alleged attempts to inflate the cost of AFCON-related roads.

He directed the officers to immediately handover office and vacate office immediately.

With the substantive Director General away on health grounds, Lumonya stepped in to lead the UCAA delegation before the House Committee sitting on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.

She said, “I have been acting Director General for this position now for 33 days.”

Hon. Nkunyingi immediately directed her to produce her appointment instruments for legislators to confirm the legitimacy of her acting authority.

Committee members raised concerns about the capacity of the officials present to answer to queries, with Hon. Bumali Mpindi (Ind., PWDs) suggesting that the meeting be halted until the legal status of those appearing in acting roles is clarified.

Hon. Richard Senteza (Ind., Lugazi Municipality) argued that Lumonya could not properly serve as Accounting Officer while a substantive Director General remained in the post, even if temporarily absent, unless powers had been formally delegated in writing.

“As of now, the MD is in office, save for health reasons. He has stepped out, she is not the accounting officer,” he said.

Lumonya told the committee that all the affected individuals had completed the handover of properties and assets, and that she had informed the UCAA Board of Directors, chaired by Justice (Emeritus) Steven Kavuma, of the directive.

The committee is scheduled to visit the UCAA facilities in Entebbe tomorrow, Thursday, 20 August 2026.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.