Category: Africa

Source: APO – Report:

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• Development Minister Baroness Chapman will reset the UK’s approach to international development at the G20 Development Meeting in South Africa today (Friday, 25 July).
• Economic development underpins the UK’s new approach, as the Minister visits a South African food producer supported by the FCDO’s development arm BII.
• The UK is supporting countries to transition from traditional aid to innovative financing for development, as the Minister visits a centre for survivors of gender-based violence funded by both the UK and the private sector.

The UK is resetting its relationship with countries in the Global South and helping countries exit the need for aid, as Baroness Chapman attends the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting in South Africa today (Friday 25 July 2025).

This follows the publication of ODA allocations earlier this week (Tuesday 22 July 2025), which indicate how the UK is going to spend its aid budget for the next year.

The UK will move from being a donor to a genuine partner and investor, ensuring every pound spent on aid delivers for the UK taxpayer and the people we support.

Economic development underpins the UK’s new approach, to help countries grow fairer, more resilient economies and ultimately exit the need for aid, in support of the government’s Plan for Change.

The Minister saw this in action yesterday (Thursday 24 July 2025) as she visited an Agristar farm which produces macadamia nuts in Mbombela, eastern South Africa. British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, is supporting Agristar to expand – supporting jobs and growth and helping to stock British supermarket shelves. 

The Minister also visited a UK supported care centre for survivors of gender-based violence in Mbombela, alongside South African Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disability, Sindisiwe Lydia Chikunga. The centre is supported by a multi-donor fund which has seen increased backing from South African and international private investors. The innovative funding approach has supported over 200 community-based organisations in South Africa working to prevent violence in schools and communities and provide response services for survivors of gender-based violence. This demonstrates the UK and South Africa’s shared commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

By mobilising private finance and empowering partners to take charge of their own development, the UK is moving away from a paternalistic approach to aid.

Minister for Development, Baroness Chapman said:

We want to help countries move beyond aid. In South Africa, I’ve seen the impact we can have with genuine partnerships, rather than paternalism. Our work is supporting jobs and generating global economic growth – and bringing high quality South African produce to UK shops. 

At the G20 in South Africa, I have one simple message: the world has changed and so must we. The UK is taking a new approach to development, responding to the needs of our partners and delivering real impact and value for money for UK taxpayers.

At the G20, the Minister is due to discuss the UK’s new approach to international development with counterparts from Egypt, India and Germany.

The Agristar farm in Mbombela, which the Minister visited yesterday, has benefitted from UK investment as part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). BII support has enabled the macadamia nut producer to expand its operations across Africa, invest in measures to mitigate climate risks, and support nearly 400 jobs. BII is also supporting Agristar’s expansion into Malawi.

BII, which aims to make a return on its investments, has so far supported 92 companies in South Africa and over 35,000 jobs.   

Its success highlights how the UK’s investment in international development is driving green growth and jobs, boosting global prosperity and stability to help create the conditions to deliver the government’s Plan for Change at home.   

The Minister will also announce today a new £2 million commitment to support local agribusiness projects by partnering with South African investment funds to drive more private finance for the farming sector.

In G20 talks on tackling illicit financial flows, the Minister will highlight how money and assets siphoned away as part of criminal activity deprive lower-income countries of vital resources which could otherwise support growth and development. The Foreign Secretary is leading a campaign against illicit finance, mobilising the best UK expertise and international partnerships, so dirty money has nowhere to hide. This is also vital to deterring threats to the safety and security of Britain, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

– on behalf of United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Source: APO – Report:

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While conflict persists across much of Sudan, pockets of relative safety have emerged, and to date over 1 million internally displaced Sudanese have made their way home. A further 320,000 people have crossed back into Sudan since last year, mainly from Egypt and South Sudan, some to assess the current situation in the country before deciding to return.

People are mainly going back to Khartoum, Sennar and Al Jazirah States, where the impact of more than two years of war is immense.

Regional Directors from UNHCR and IOM recently visited Khartoum and witnessed widespread devastation and a chronic lack of services for its remaining inhabitants. These include thousands of internally displaced Sudanese, as well as refugees and asylum-seekers hosted in Sudan, many of whom had been completely cut off from assistance since the war began. The visits followed an earlier mission to Sudan in February by the UNDP Regional Director aimed at developing long-term solutions for internally displaced people and refugees to secure livelihoods and basic services.

With humanitarian operations massively underfunded both inside Sudan and across neighbouring countries hosting those who fled, an urgent increase in financial support is needed. Humanitarian partners stress that recovery efforts must begin in areas that are becoming accessible and relatively safer. At the same time, funds are desperately needed to improve conditions for refugees in host countries.

“More than evidence of people’s desire to return to their homeland, these returns are a desperate call for an end to the war so that people can come back and rebuild their lives,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Sudan crisis, who has just returned from Khartoum and Wadi Halfa at the border with Egypt. “Not only do they mark a hopeful but fragile shift, they also indicate already stretched host countries under increasing strain. We urge stronger international solidarity with the Sudanese people uprooted by this horrifying war and with the countries that have opened their doors to them.”

While fighting has subsided in the areas to which people are returning, conditions remain perilous. Public infrastructure – power supply lines, roads and drainage systems – have been completely destroyed. Schools and hospitals have been ruined or turned into collective shelters hosting displaced families. Lost or destroyed civil documents and the inability to replace them means people cannot access existing services. In addition to the dangers posed by unexploded ordnances, sexual violence and child rights violations are widespread.

Speaking from Port Sudan immediately after his visit to Khartoum, IOM Regional Director Othman Belbeisi underlined the need to support returnees in their voluntary choice to return:

“Those heading home are not passive survivors, they are vital to Sudan’s recovery. Yes, the humanitarian situation is dire, but with the right support, returnees can revive local economies, restore community life, and foster hope where it’s needed most. But they cannot do it alone. We must work alongside local partners to ensure that people return not to shattered systems, but to the foundations of peace, dignity, and opportunity. The thousands of people seeking to return home are driven by hope, resilience, and an enduring connection to their country. However, it is essential to emphasize that return must remain a voluntary, informed, and dignified choice.”

“Anyone who’s been forced from home knows the overwhelming urge to return,” said UNDP Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States, Abdallah Al Dardari. “But without urgent action, people will be coming back to cities that are in ruins. We are in a race against time to clear the rubble and provide water, power, and health care. We also need to offer longer-term support for jobs and businesses and to address the unseen damage of war, including with counselling and legal aid for women victims of violence.”

Despite these returns, hundreds continue to flee both within Sudan and across its borders daily, due to ongoing conflict particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. More than two years in, the people of Sudan have suffered enough and deserve an end to the fighting. A political solution to the crisis in Sudan must be found for a lasting peace that will allow people to fully return and rebuild their lives.

– on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements kick -started its two-day oversight visit to the municipalities in the Garden Route District Municipality in Knysna yesterday where it received briefings on the implementation of the Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG), Informal Settlements and Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG).

The committee expressed its displeasure with the absence of the MEC for Human Settlements and the Head of the department who failed to communicate their apologies in advance.

The committee also received briefings from the Western Cape Provincial Department of Human Settlements, Knysna Local Municipality, George Local Municipality, and Mossel Bay Local Municipality on the implementation of the human settlements’ strategic plans, projects and programmes.

The committee expressed its disappointment to learn that a total budget of about R300 million, which was allocated to the municipalities during the 2024/25 financial year, had to be given to other provinces due to poor performance of the municipalities and R100 million of that amount was initially budgeted for HSDG.

The Deputy Director-General of the National Department of Human Settlements, Dr Nana Mhlongo told the committee that the allocation of the budget to other provinces was due to the department’s due diligence in terms of monitoring performance within the province.

The HSDG is a key funding mechanism for human settlements development, while ISUPG focuses on upgrading of informal settlements. These programmes are being implemented by the Garden Route District Municipality, and they include the development of new housing units, infrastructure upgrades, and the formalisation of informal settlements.

Also, part of these programmes is the Integrated Human Settlements Strategic Plan that has been
developed by the Garden Route District Municipality which incorporates George, Mossel Bay, and Knysna local municipalities. This plan aims to guide the coordinated development of human settlements, and to ensure alignment with national, provincial strategic goals and performance plans.

Outlining the purpose of the visit, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Mr Mammoga Seabi, highlighted the committee’s role regarding oversight over any executive organ of state that falls within its portfolio. He said: “This is in line with the mandate of the committee to undertake provincial oversight visits to evaluate progress made in the service delivery and to identify challenges.”

The Chairperson said the committee undertook this oversight due to the need for the improvement of institutional capacity at the local municipal level and the lack of strong instruments for implementation in the district municipality. “These issues hinder service delivery, economic development, and overall community well-being,” he said.

The committee heard that the Garden Route District Municipality faces challenges that include limited funding and implementation of non-human settlements related mandate in informal settlements upgrading, bulk infrastructure capacity constraints prevalence in most municipalities, municipal capacity challenges, lengthy statutory approval processes, lack of clear and coherent understanding, and response from stakeholders involved in upgrading process.

The committee conducted site visits to the Knysna Bungalos, temporal relocation site and the houses built for the Knysna Bungalo beneficiaries. The committee was unhappy with the appalling state of the temporary structures and requested the municipality, provincial and national departments of human settlements to review the project and provide a report to the committee in 30 days.

The committee will today conduct site visit in Mossel Bay as follows:

• Site visits in Mossel Bay from 09:00 to 13:00 to Sinethemba Project, Breaking New Ground Project (New Rest), Mountain View First Home Finance Project, and Izinyoka Informal Settlements.
• Site visits in George from 14:00 to 16:00 to projects: Moeggehuur Informal Settlements (Houtkapperjie), Syferfornein Project (ERF 325), Rosedale Informal Settlements, Metro Grounds and George Collapsed Building.

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

Source: APO – Report:

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The African Union’s (AU) appointment of Burundi’s president as its special envoy for the Sahel region strengthens the AU’s capacity to address the most pressing human rights challenges facing Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Evariste Ndayishimiye. 

The appointment of Ndayishimiye on July 17, 2025, comes at a critical juncture in the Sahel, marked by increased threats to civilians caught in armed conflict, emboldened authoritarianism of the military juntas, and growing marginalization of independent institutions, including the AU and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). These dynamics have eroded the rule of law, widened impunity for serious human rights abuses, and left civilians increasingly vulnerable.

“Despite Burundi’s very troubling human rights record, President Ndayishimiye has an opportunity to promote human rights and rights-based governance in the Sahel,” said Allan Ngari, Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “A failure to do so would signal a dangerous tolerance for authoritarianism under the guise of diplomacy.” 

Ndayishimiye should make respect for human rights and the rule of law prominent in the AU’s approach to the Sahel and address the following major concerns:

Islamist armed groups and government security forces continue to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. As of mid-2025, the armed conflicts in the Sahel had killed at least tens of thousands of civilians, resulting in one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises, forcing over three million people from their homes. 

Since 2020, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have experienced military coups. The ruling military juntas have shown intolerance for political opposition and dissent. Civic and political space has shrunk as a crackdown on journalists, civil society activists, and opposition party members has increased, through arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and unlawful conscription. The military leaders of the three countries have solidified their power without elections, delaying the return to democratic civilian rule. 

The authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have ignored calls for accountability and failed to uphold their international legal obligations to investigate serious rights violations by their security forces, and hold those responsible accountable, allowing impunity to fester and emboldening the abusers. In 2025, the three countries officially left ECOWAS, depriving their citizens of the opportunity to seek justice for human rights violations through the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

“The AU special envoy should open a meaningful dialogue with the authorities of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger on their governments’ obligations to protect human rights,” Ngari said. “He should ensure that the AU’s strategy on the Sahel prioritizes the protection of civilians at risk, the need to respect civil and political rights, and the promotion of justice and accountability.”

– on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies has recommended Ms Moipone Malefane and Dr Natalie Skeepers for appointment on the Board of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA).

There are two vacancies on the MDDA Board currently, and the committee was tasked with recruiting suitably qualified individuals to be considered for appointment in terms of section 4 of the MDDA Act 14 of 2002.

On 8 April this year, the committee, in line with the Act, published an advertisement inviting members of the public to submit nominations.

A total of 159 nominations were received and screened, followed by a shortlisting of nine candidates. The shortlisted candidates were interviewed on 15 July 2025.

On Friday (25 July) morning, the committee deliberated on the outcomes of the interviews and agreed to recommend Ms Malefane and Dr Skeepers.

The committee Chairperson, Ms Khusela Sangoni Diko, thanked all the interviewed candidates. She said that the interviewed candidates collectively possessed a tapestry of knowledge, experience and skill set required on the MDDA Board.

The committee report will be tabled in the National Assembly for adoption, and once adopted, it will be forwarded to the President for his appointment in terms of section 4(1)(b) of the MDDA Act.

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