Category: English

Source: APO – Report:

On October 24 and 25, 2025, the Africa 24 Group (https://Africa24TV.com) will provide exceptional coverage of the investiture and swearing-in ceremony of Dr. George Elombi, elected 4th President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

This ceremony is a major strategic platform to honor the legacy of Professor Benedict Oramah and lay the foundations for a new era of pan-African leadership with Dr. George Elombi. The event marks a historic transition for the institution, with a review of the previous decade and an ambitious vision to accelerate intra-African trade and Africa’s prosperity.

The Investiture: A major event in two phases

• Friday October 24th : Series of thematic conferences on “A decade to build the pillars of future prosperity,” devoted to the achievements and legacy of outgoing President Benedict Oramah
• Saturday October 25th : The official investiture and swearing-in ceremony of Dr. George Elombi, who will present his vision for Afreximbank to a prestigious audience of heads of state, ministers, business leaders, institutional partners, representatives from the Caribbean, and shareholders. A press conference will conclude the ceremony.

The stakes of this event are: securing funding for intra-African trade, strengthening economic integration through the AfCFTA, stimulating international partnerships, and promoting inclusive growth based on innovation, sustainable industry, and entrepreneurship among young people and women.

360° editorial coverage by Africa24 and global distribution to 120 million households

The Africa24 Group, a leading pan-African media outlet, is rolling out an impressive audiovisual and digital setup to cover the Afreximbank 2025 investiture:

• Live broadcast of thematic conferences, the investiture ceremony, the swearing-in ceremony, and the press conference.
• Exclusive interviews with the new President, the outgoing President, heads of state, economic leaders, financial institutions, and international partners.
• Immersive reports from the event venues, behind the scenes at conferences, profiles of key figures, and the expectations of African economic players.
• In-depth analysis of Afreximbank’s leadership prospects, continental economic transformation, and adding value to intra-African trade.

Follow Dr. George Elombi’s investiture with Africa24 on all your screens; live, replay, and on-demand formats.

• AFRICA24 (channel 249) et AFRICA24 English (channel 254) on Canal+ Afrique
• On myafrica24 Africa’s first HD streaming platform.
• On https://Africa24TV.com which offers you full access to all programs

With the Africa24 Group, Together, let’s transform Africa.

– on behalf of AFRICA24 Group.

Contact:
Head of Communication Department – Africa24 Group
Gaëlle Stella Oyono
Email: onana@africa24tv.com
Tél.: +237 694 90 99 88
@ africa24tv
www.Africa24TV.com

About Africa24 Group:
Launched in 2009, the Africa 24 Group is the continent’s leading TV and digital media publisher, with four full HD channels distributed in the largest cable networks. A leader among decision-makers and senior executives on the continent, Africa 24 in French and Africa 24 English, the Group is the pioneer and leader in African news channels. Africa 24 has strengthened this leadership through sports with Africa24 Sport, Africa’s first channel dedicated to sports news and competitions, and Africa 24 Infinity, the first channel dedicated to creative industries that showcase the creative genius of African youth in art, culture, music, fashion, and design…

Leading audiovisual brand on the continent, the AFRICA24 Group has four full HD television channels, each a leader in its segment::

• AFRICA24 TV : Africa’s leading news channel in French, published by AMedia
• AFRICA24 English : Africa’s leading news channel exclusively in English
• AFRICA24 Infinity : The channel for creative talents dedicated to music, art, and culture.
• AFRICA24 Sport :The leading sports news and competition channel

The AFRICA24 Group publishes myafrica24 (Google store and App Store), the world’s first HD streaming platform in Africa, available on all screens (television, tablet, smartphone, computers) … More than 120 million households have access to Africa24 Group channels through major operators such as Canal+, Bouygues, Orange, Bell, etc., and more than 8 million subscribers on various digital platforms and social networks.

About Dr. George Elombi:
Dr. George Elombi is a pan-African lawyer and banker with a master’s degree and doctorate in law (international commercial arbitration) from the University of London. A former lecturer at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, he joined Afreximbank in 1996 as a lawyer. He held several senior positions, including Executive Vice President in charge of Governance, Legal and Corporate Services, before being elected as the 4th President of the Afreximbank Group. With nearly 30 years of experience, he embodies a pan-African vision focused on intra-African trade, regional integration, and African prosperity.

About d’Afreximbank:
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a pan-African multilateral financial institution dedicated to financing and promoting intra- and extra-African trade. For 30 years, Afreximbank has been deploying innovative structures to provide financing solutions that facilitate the transformation of Africa’s trade structure and accelerate industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby supporting economic expansion in Africa. A strong advocate of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, Afreximbank launched the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to support the implementation of the AfCFTA. In collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to help countries participate effectively in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, the Bank’s total assets and guarantees amounted to approximately US$40.1 billion, and its shareholders’ funds stood at US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank is rated A by GCR International Scale, Baa2 by Moody’s, AAA by China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI), A- by Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR), and BBB by Fitch. Over the years, Afreximbank has grown into a group comprising the Bank, its impact financing subsidiary called the African Export Development Fund (AEDF), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (the three entities form “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has recorded a sharp fall in both AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections.

Speaking during a sitting of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and Related Matters on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, Tom Etti, the Director for Partnership at UAC presented the commission’s latest status report and pointed to a 64 per cent reduction in annual AIDS deaths from 56,000 in 2010 to 20,000 in 2024 and a fall in new HIV infections from 96,000 to 37,000 over the same period.

“These are impressive gains that reflect Uganda’s resilience and the strong leadership behind the national response,” he said.

The report shows the country is close to the UNAIDS 95-95-95 cascade: 94 per cent of people living with HIV are aware of their status, 90 per cent are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 96 per cent of those on treatment are virally suppressed.

“Our 95-95-95 targets show we are close to epidemic control,” Etti told the committee, adding that more than 1.4 million Ugandans are now receiving ART.

The national successes formed the central, most positive message of the UAC submission that prevention and treatment efforts have substantially reduced deaths and new infections, and that viral suppression levels are high among those on treatment.

Etti stressed that these achievements provide a platform for accelerating the country towards the Presidential Fast-Track Initiative goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The report’s district-level data, shows the epidemic remains geographically uneven, with the largest absolute burdens concentrated in central and peri-urban districts.

Wakiso District had the largest number of people living with HIV (PLHIV), 180,300, and the highest number of estimated new infections in the year to December 2024 (3,950). It was followed by Kampala District with 73,600 people living with HIV and 1,840 new infections.

Buikwe District, meanwhile, had 30,100 PLHIV and 600 new infections. Mukono District shows 26,800 PLHIV and 570 new infections, while Luwero District has 25,000 PLHIV and 560 new infections, and Mubende District 24,000 PLHIV and 540 new infections.

The Commission’s district breakdown also highlights districts with particularly high prevalence percentages. Urban centres and some district cities stand out: Fort Portal City recorded an adult prevalence of 14 per cent, Kyotera 13 per cent, while Kalangala District and Soroti City each appear around 12 per cent underscoring persistent localised transmission risks.

The committee pressed the committee on their plans to resolve the gaps presented.

Hon. Sarah Kayagi, the committee chairperson asked why over 4,700 children were still being born with HIV despite prevention efforts.

“We appreciate the progress, but it is deeply worrying that thousands of children are still being infected at birth. We need to understand what is failing in the mother-to-child prevention chain,” she said.

Kayagi, also the District Woman Representative, Namisindwa raised concern over the number of girls getting infected.

“We have seen that from last year we have seen 37,000 new infections and out of this, 21,000 of these are young girls and 11,000 are boys, the number of young girls getting infected is twice the number of boys, this is an area of concern,” she added.

Etti acknowledged the concern. He said the country’s maternal HIV response had improved but that mother-to-child transmission remains an area requiring intensified attention, particularly in regions where access to antenatal care and timely initiation of ART for pregnant mothers is uneven.

The presentation’s national fact sheet confirms an estimated 4,700 new infections among children (0–14) in the year to December 2024.

The UAC outlined an HIV Sustainability Roadmap aimed at reducing donor dependence and increasing domestic financing. The roadmap proposes that by 2027 at least 60 per cent of non-commodity HIV costs be financed domestically, and by 2030 at least 80 per cent of recurrent HIV costs should be met from domestic sources including through a functioning National Health Insurance Scheme and innovative instruments such as health bonds and debt-to-health swaps.

“We are confident that by strengthening partnerships, investing in prevention, and integrating HIV into all development programmes, Uganda can end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,” Etti told the committee.

Hon. Michael Kakembo (NUP, Entebbe Municipality) stated during the committee meeting that sensitisation of the population has highly reduced, with condom use dropping lower.

“Shower them with information of how HIV is still dangerous and still spreads highly, because so many things have changed, maybe now we can invade bars,” he said and called for more funding for the Uganda AIDS Commission.

Hon. Denis Oneka Lit (FDC, Kitgum Municipality) hailed the Commission for several steps and successes registered in the fight against HIV but wondered how more men can be helped, as the statistics show that their numbers are high.

– on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO – Report:

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On 2 October 2025, the National Security Council announced that all ‘necessary measures’ would be taken to maintain order and security during the election period, including banning any meeting and public protest to challenge the Constitutional Council’s decisions. Following this announcement, the Prefect of Abidjan, the commercial capital, banned a peaceful rally organized by the opposition for 4 October and another one planned for 11 October.

“The use of blanket bans on protests is a stark failure of the Ivorian authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly. Such blanket bans are presumptively disproportionate and violate the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, both ratified by Côte d’Ivoire,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

“Any restriction on public protests must be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and non-discriminatory. Instead of banning them, authorities should respect and facilitate peaceful assemblies and ensure public order policing is aimed at enabling assemblies to take place as intended and grounded in de-escalation and the protection of participants.”

Mass arrests during a peaceful protest 

On 11 October, security forces using tear gas dispersed groups of young people attempting to assemble peacefully in the Cocody area of Abidjan, according to testimonies, media reports and footage analyzed by Amnesty International. Authorities reported 237 arrests in Abidjan and 18 in Dabou, 40km from the commercial capital. The charges against those arrested were not disclosed.

“Anyone detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights should be released immediately. All those detained must, in any event, be granted prompt access to a lawyer and their families notified timeously. We urge the Ivorian authorities to publish information on arrests and charges for each protester who was arrested, and investigate any unnecessary and excessive use of force,” said Marceau Sivieude.

“Amnesty International reminds the Ivorian authorities that peaceful protest is a right, not a privilege. The authorities have a duty to respect, protect and facilitate the freedom of peaceful assembly of everyone in the country.”

Background

Earlier this year President Alassane Ouattara, who has been in power since 2010, announced his intention to stand for a fourth term. On 8 September, the Constitutional Council published the final list of five candidates selected for the 25 October election, including President Ouattara’s candidacy. Those of two opponents who had joined forces in June to call for political change were rejected.

On 2 October 2025, the National Security Council ordered all ‘necessary measures’ to be taken to maintain order and security in the country, including banning assemblies aimed at challenging Constitutional Council’s decisions and deployed 44,000 members of the security forces throughout the country. On the same day, the Prefect of Abidjan banned a peaceful rally planned for 4 October by opposition parties.

After the 4 October ban, those opposition parties announced a new rally date for 11 October. On 11 October, groups of young people attempting to assemble peacefully were dispersed with tear gas, with hundreds of protesters arrested. In the evening, security forces temporarily surrounded the residence of an opposition leader, Pascal Affi N’Guessan before leaving again.

On 12 October, the two opposition parties of the candidates excluded from the presidential election called for daily protests, demanding political dialogue.

– on behalf of Amnesty International.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Western Cape’s fast-growing population demands a stronger economy with many more jobs. This was the focus of Premier Alan Winde’s engagements this week with Cape Town business owners and law enforcement officials.

On Monday, 13 October 2025, Premier Winde visited several growing enterprises that are contributing to job creation and community development. 

At Durbanville Tool Hire, owner Mr Allistair Fisher is preparing to expand operations and increase his staff to 30 people. “When businesses grow, so does our economy,” stressed the Premier. “The last time I interacted with Mr Fisher was during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he and his co-workers were facing challenges. 

To see how this business has turned around since then, going from strength to strength, is a testament to the resilience of the Western Cape’s private sector.”

In Stikland, Premier Winde visited Kevin’s Coachworks, a long-standing panel beating business that has grown from three to 16 employees since opening its doors in 1991. “We put as much effort into upskilling, especially young people, as we do in growing our business. Our success is measured by our contribution to the community,” said co-owner Mr Marlon Adams.

The Premier’s next stop was an affordable housing project in Mitchells Plain, where Cape Town-based company New Age Properties is adding 50 new units to its 201-unit Watergate Village complex. The development, which is fully solar-powered, showcases the future-fit, mixed-use, affordable housing model the Western Cape Government has long championed. 

On a tour of the site, company owner Mr Anver Essop shared plans to install more than 1 000 new solar panels in due course. “With more people moving to our province, we must accelerate infrastructure development that brings residents closer to opportunities,” said Premier Winde. “Projects like this show what is possible when government and business work together. 

Mitchells Plain is developing rapidly, despite safety and crime challenges. From affordable housing to upgrading transport and sanitation infrastructure, the City of Cape Town and private sector leaders are collaborating to drive investment and economic growth,” he added.

The Premier also toured a new retail development in Lentegeur. Once complete, the centre will employ up to 300 people. This is over and above the hundreds of jobs that were created during the construction phase. 

“Growth and job creation cannot flourish where communities live in fear,” said Premier Winde, who also met with management at Mitchells Plain Police Station to address ongoing crime, gang violence, substance abuse, drunk driving, resource shortages, and the urgent need for collaboration between all role players. 

The Premier was joined by Western Cape Minister of Mobility Isaac Sileku, City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith, and officials from the provincial Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, for a community walkabout with members of the Beacon Valley Neighbourhood Watch, SAPS, and Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers. 

“It breaks my heart that so many people live in fear of criminals and gangsters,” said the Premier. “The recent murder of Yonke Pakade, an off-duty LEAP officer in Philippi, is a stark reminder that law enforcement officers are also vulnerable. My thoughts are with Mr Pakade’s family and the ‘community in blue’, and the colleague who was with him during the attack. We owe it to them and our residents to keep fighting for better police resourcing. Safety and jobs go hand in hand – both are essential for a thriving Western Cape.”

– on behalf of Republic Of South Africa: Western Cape Provincial Government.

Source: APO – Report:

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended the Inspector-General of Intelligence, Mr Imtiaz Fazel, pending a decision in an investigation by Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) into the Inspector-General’s conduct.

The JSCI has informed President Ramaphosa that it has received a complaint on the conduct of the Inspector-General and that the committee will conduct an investigation in line with section 7(4) and 7(5) of the Intelligence Services Act (Act 40 of 1994).

Section 7(5) of the Act provides that “if the Inspector-General is the subject of an investigation by the (JSCI) in terms of subsection (4), he or she may be suspended by the President pending a decision in such investigation”.

Mr Fazel has been suspended with immediate effect.

– on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.