Category: English

Posted on

KZN steps up FMD fight with widespread vaccination drive

Source: Government of South Africa

While the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government has made significant progress in containing the spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in affected areas, non-compliance by some commercial farmers continues to undermine control efforts.

Speaking to SAnews on the sidelines of the national Foot and Mouth Disease Indaba, currently underway at the ARC-VIMP Campus in Roodeplaat, northeast of Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture and Rural Development Chief Director for Veterinary Services, Dr Themba Sikhakhane, said the province is on course in managing the outbreak.

“We have made great strides, especially in communal areas like Newcastle in the Amajuba District, where the initial outbreak occurred. There, we have vaccinated over 600 000 animals,” said Sikhakhane.

However, Sikhakhane expressed concern over the conduct of some commercial farmers, who hide their animals after seeing symptoms of FMD, and move them.

“When they [commercial farmers] see clear symptoms of FMD, they hide the animals, which is impossible to do because your neighbour and everyone will see it. We strongly believe that this is the reason we find feedlot that have animals coming up late on their management with the symptoms,” Sikhakhane told SAnews.

He added that effective containment will require active cooperation from the beef industry and farmer organisations, particularly in addressing these practices.

Hotspots and disease transmission

Sikhakhane said the Amajuba and uMzinyathi Districts remain the most affected by the outbreak, with recent cases also detected in one or two dairy operations.

He said investigations are underway to determine how the disease reached these facilities.

“We know FMD is spread by people [and] in communal areas, it is often due to lack of fencing and free movement of unvaccinated livestock. We know the permanent FMD sources around Hluhluwe Game Reserve and other smaller reserves, where animals test positive,” Sikhakhane said.

The department is expanding its containment measures, including the deployment of dip tank dip facilities.

Sikhakhane confirmed that 14 dip tanks will be completed this week in the King Cetshwayo District, with work beginning next week in Mtubatuba and Nongoma municipalities, where 76 additional dip tanks are planned.

“It is in control, only if we can get assistance from red meat producers to contain the spread with the commercial farmers. Our farmers in communal setup are cooperating, we just need these few commercial farmers to work with government and stop this problem,” Sikhakhane said.

Held under the theme: “Building a Resilient System to Fight FMD,” the FMD Indaba comes at a time when South Africa is grappling with widespread outbreaks across several provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and most recently, the Free State.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, alongside Deputy Minister Nokuzola Capa, is leading the national effort in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

The Indaba has drawn participation from provincial leaders, including Free State MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development and Environmental Affairs Elizabeth Cornelia Rockman, KZN Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, and Limpopo Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Nakedi Sibanda-Kekana.

Maintaining FMD-free zones 

In his opening address, Steenhuisen emphasised the need to confront the infrastructure deficit in the country’s protection zones.
He underscored the urgent need to address infrastructure gaps within the country’s FMD protection zones.

“As long as animals are forced to be moved illegally because of the absence of local abattoirs or feedlots, we will never be able to enforce movement control effectively,” the Minister said.

He stressed that the issue extends beyond veterinary science,

“This is not just a veterinary issue; it is a spatial planning and rural development issue. That is why we will be earmarking funds in this fiscal year to support the establishment of feedlots and abattoirs within the protection zones, particularly in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga.

“These facilities will provide alternatives to illicit trade. They will create rural jobs. Furthermore, they will help us enforce the very measures we need to maintain our FMD-free zones,” the Minister said – SAnews.gov.za

Posted on

South Africa’s police serve the ANC insiders, not the people: here’s how it happened

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ivor Chipkin, Professional Professor, GIBS, University of Pretoria

After South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, there was significant optimism about police reform in the country. Impressive steps were taken to bring the South African Police Service under civilian control and to create a service responsive to calls for assistance from the public.

During the apartheid period, South Africa’s police worked to preserve the political order and pursue political opponents. It did not focus on dealing with crime. This is why the achievements of the 1990s are so important. For the first time, black South Africans could call upon officers to respond to personal emergencies. This period also saw a drop in crime levels.

However, this promising early transformation was interrupted. The appointment of Jackie Selebi as national police commissioner in 2000 heralded a new era. Selebi was an African National Congress (ANC) insider. The ANC originated as a liberation movement and has governed the country since 1994.

Selebi had served as the head of the ANC’s Youth League in the 1980s, when it was banned. In 1987 he was appointed to the organisation’s national executive committee, its highest decision-making organ.

His appointment as police commissioner was the start of significant change in the purpose of policing. It marked the end of the focus on civilian control of the police force and prosecuting authorities. As an ANC insider, Selebi led efforts to establish party control over the police.

This politicisation gained momentum over the next two decades. In the early years it was exemplified by the suspension of the head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Advocate Vusi Pikoli,, by then president Thabo Mbeki, amid corruption allegations against Selebi himself.

Other telling developments ensued. The Scorpions were disbanded in 2009 by acting president Kgalema Motlanthe. The unit’s job was to pursue high-profile cases against senior ANC politicians (among others).

The police became increasingly entangled in the ANC’s internal political conflicts. At the same time the office of the national police commissioner experienced high turnover due to intense political manoeuvring. Between 2009 and 2022, there were seven national commissioners.

Recent developments have once again brought the intermingling of police work and power battles in the ANC to the fore. In early July 2025, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the commissioner of police in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, made some startling claims. He called a press conference and, wearing camouflage uniform, he implicated the minister of police, Senzo Mchunu, together with the deputy national commissioner for crime detection, in a scheme to close down investigations into political assassinations in the province.

President Cyril Ramaphosa rushed back from a meeting of the Brics countries in Brazil to attend to the matter. He announced that the police minister had been placed on leave with immediate effect. He also announced a judicial inquiry into the allegations.

I have conducted research into South Africa’s security apparatus over the last decade. Based on this work, and new research forthcoming in the Journal of Southern African Studies done with Jelena Vidojevic, co-founder of the New South Institute, it is clear that elite contestation in the ANC is intensifying.

In other words, the ability of internal party structures to manage gatekeeping is declining. Many of the people involved are indifferent or even hostile to South Africa’s democratic and constitutional order.

As the ability of some political elites to access state resources through the party declines, some are linked with organised criminal networks. Organised crime has been on the edges of South African politics. It now risks taking a more central role.

In this environment, the police service will often be the thin (blue) line between multiparty contestation according to constitutional rules and the criminalisation of politics in South Africa.

The shift

Large organisational changes within the police vividly illustrate this shift away from its core function.

The Visible Policing programme was meant to meant to deter crime through patrols, checkpoints and roadblocks. But, instead, there was a steady decline in resource allocation. Employee numbers dropped between 2015 and 2021.

Detective services and crime intelligence also experienced such declines.

Conversely, employee numbers in the Protection and Security Services programme, responsible for providing bodyguards to politicians, increased sharply between 2014 and 2016.

Evidence heard by the commission of inquiry into state capture suggested that some officers and budgets in the service were even used to supply President Jacob Zuma and other politicians with what amounted to a private militia.

This reorientation of resources coincided with a rise in crime across the country, a decline in arrests by 24.5%, and a drop in the police’s efficacy in solving crimes.

Furthermore, a politicised police leadership effectively stopped policing various categories of crime. This was particularly true of offences like fraud, corruption, and certain types of theft, and particularly when politically connected persons were involved.

The state capture commission heard extensive evidence about the failure of the police to pursue politically sensitive investigations. Investigations into senior officials were frequently frustrated or impeded, and cases at state-owned enterprises were abandoned.

This shows how police resources were actively redirected as weapons of elite competition, pursuing political enemies and protecting allies within the ruling party.

Mkhwanazi’s claims, if substantiated, suggest that this political policing remains entrenched.

What now?

Ramaphosa has announced the appointment of Firoz Cachalia as the acting minister of police. Cachalia, a well regarded legal academic, served as ANC minister for community safety. Between 2019 and 2022 he was part of the ANC’s national executive committee.

His appointment raises serious questions.

If the core problem with the police is that it has become embroiled in ANC internal politics, having an ANC insider head the ministry of police (even if only on an acting basis) threatens only to compound the problem.

Moreover, South Africans have already witnessed a long and expensive judicial inquiry into state capture. And despite extensive evidence of police failure to pursue politically sensitive investigations, nothing concrete has come of it.

How likely is it that this new initiative will be any different, especially if those investigating it and presiding over key institutions are themselves ANC insiders?

To depoliticise the police service and redirect its attention and activities towards crime and emergencies, a crucial first step is to reconsider the appointment processes for the national police commissioner and other top managers.

Under the current system the president has sole discretion. This bakes party-political considerations into the decision-making process.

Without structural changes, genuine democratic policing will remain an elusive ideal.

In 2024/25 the murder rate in South Africa stood at 42 per 100,000, among the highest in the world and close to levels not seen since the early 2000s.

At the very least, the minister of police must not be an ANC insider. Democratic renewal in South Africa requires bringing the police firmly under parliamentary control.

– South Africa’s police serve the ANC insiders, not the people: here’s how it happened
– https://theconversation.com/south-africas-police-serve-the-anc-insiders-not-the-people-heres-how-it-happened-261301

Posted on

Students’ Summer Work Program in Central Region

Source: APO


.

Coordinators of the students’ summer work program in the Central Region reported that the 8,600 participants of the program, including 40% female students, are conducting commendable water and soil conservation activities.

Mr. Efrem Teklu, head of the students’ summer work program for development, indicated that since the program began on 7 July, approximately 14,000 terraces have been constructed, around 36,000 holes have been prepared for planting tree seedlings, and over 15,000 trees have been cultivated.

He also stated that 95% of the program participants are engaged in water and soil conservation, while the remaining 5% are involved in traffic safety, documentation, and other activities.

The students’ summer work program will continue until 16 August.

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

Posted on

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Hydrocarbons Ministry to Lead High-Level Delegation at United States (U.S.)-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) 2025

Source: APO

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is intensifying its focus on upstream development and strategic U.S. partnerships ahead of the U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) 2025 (www.USAfricaEnergy.com) taking place on August 6-7 in Houston. Leading the effort is a senior delegation from the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, delivering a clear message: the DRC is open for investment, with exploration and downstream development as top priorities. 

As part of its hydrocarbons roadmap, the DRC is seeking partners to bring capital, technology, and expertise into its exploration efforts, with a focus on high-potential onshore and offshore blocks. Many of these basins – including the Cuvette Centrale and Coastal regions – remain underexplored. While the DRC currently produces around 18,000 barrels per day (bpd), the Ministry of Hydrocarbons is targeting a major production scale-up to 300,000 bpd. This growth is expected to be driven by new offshore discoveries and a forthcoming petroleum code designed to clarify investor terms and enable joint development ventures. 

The Ministry is also seeking to engage U.S.-based downstream and petrochemicals companies as part of a broader push to expand value-added processing and strengthen domestic energy infrastructure. USAEF 2025 offers a key platform for direct dialogue with U.S. investors, paving the way for new deals, technical partnerships and cross-regional energy trade. Current initiatives include the development of a new oil terminal in Goma to stabilize fuel supply in the east, along with upgrades to fuel storage and distribution networks nationwide. These projects create strong opportunities for U.S. engineering, technology and EPC firms to support infrastructure modernization, modular refining and local capacity-building. 

Under efforts to foster new technical partnerships and attract capital investment, the Ministry will hold meetings at USAEF 2025 with upstream operators, seismic and drilling service providers, and petrochemical firms interested in entering or expanding in the Congolese market. The DRC is positioning itself as a strategic partner for American energy companies seeking access to a frontier market with significant geological potential, a reform-minded government and growing regional demand for refined products and petrochemicals. 

For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com or visit www.USAfricaEnergy.com. Join us in Houston to connect with the leaders shaping Africa’s energy landscape and experience the momentum that drives ECP’s events worldwide. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Media files

.

Posted on

Morocco: His Majesty the King Congratulates Belgian King Philippe, Queen Mathilde on National Day

Source: APO


.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a message of congratulations to His Majesty King Philippe of the Belgians and Her Majesty Queen Mathilde on the occasion of their country’s national day.

In this message, His Majesty the King extends His heartfelt congratulations to the Belgian Sovereigns and their family, along with His warmest hopes for happiness and prosperity of the Belgian people.

“Rest assured, Your Majesties, of the esteem I hold for the deep bonds of friendship that unite Morocco and Belgium,” the Sovereign states in the message.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

Posted on

Morocco, North Macedonia Bolster Cooperation in Diplomatic Training and Tourism

Source: APO


.

Morocco and North Macedonia have taken a new step in strengthening their bilateral cooperation, as they signed two Memorandums of Understanding on Monday in Skopje, aimed at further expanding and structuring their sectoral partnership.

These legal instruments were signed as part of a working visit carried out by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita, to Skopje, where he held talks with North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Mr. Timčo Mucunski.

The two parties welcomed the ongoing strengthened bilateral legal framework in specific areas of common interest, which reflect their shared will to establish cooperation between both countries on a long-term basis.

The diplomatic training agreement serves as the benchmark framework for cooperation activities carried out between the two countries’ foreign ministries, based on the principles of reciprocity and mutual benefit.

It aims to encourage joint training programs, holding inaugural lectures or high-level interventions as part of official visits by eminent personalities from both countries, as well as the exchange of information, best practices, experiences, and analyses related to developments in diplomatic training.

Meanwhile, the tourism agreement will serve as a lever for bilateral cooperation by promoting the exchange of expertise, the mutual promotion and enhancement of destinations, the strengthening of institutional capacities, and coordinated participation in investment initiatives and specialized trade fairs.

This framework will enhance the visibility of both countries’ tourism offerings across regional and international markets.

These agreements fall within the renewed dynamic of the partnership between Rabat and Skopje and reflect the desire of the two countries to expand their cooperation into high value-added sectors, in line with their respective national priorities and their regional and multilateral commitments.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

Posted on

Eritrea: Loan Opportunity to Disabled Veterans in Anseba Region

Source: APO


.

The National Association of Eritrean War Disabled Veterans in the Anseba Region has distributed over 300 million Nakfa in loans to its members.

Mr. Shimwele Woldegerigis, chairman of the association’s regional branch, said the initiative aims to empower disabled veterans by enabling them to engage in income-generating activities and become productive members of society. He also encouraged other members to take advantage of the opportunity.

The beneficiary veterans, expressing gratitude for the support, affirmed their readiness to work hard and improve their livelihoods.

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

Posted on

Islamic Development Bank Institute and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship Launch Entrepreneurial Mindset Development Program

Source: APO


.

The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) (www.IsDBInstitute.org) and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship (MBSC) are pleased to announce the launch of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Development Flagship Program, as part of a strategic collaboration aimed at nurturing the next generation of innovative entrepreneurial leaders.

The partnership reflects a shared vision to empower a new generation of entrepreneurs across IsDB Member Countries and Muslim communities worldwide, fostering sustainable growth through innovation, ethical business practices, and economic inclusion.

Participants of the program will gain access to world-class faculty, diverse global perspectives, and peer learning opportunities, enabling them to build impactful networks and acquire actionable skills.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Development Flagship Program consists of three intensive modules, combining live online sessions with immersive in-person experiences at the MBSC campus in King Abdullah Economic City.

In his comments on this occasion, Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director General, IsDB Institute, said, “Our strategic collaboration with MBSC is inspired by our commitment to innovation, sustainable development, and dynamic learning experiences.”

For his part, Professor Zeger Degraeve, Executive Dean, MBSC, said, “Prince MBSC’s collaboration with the IsDB reflects our shared commitment to expanding opportunities and delivering credible world-class business education.”

Learn more and apply to the Program here (http://apo-opa.co/3TTHsmv).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).

Social media handles:
X (Twitter): https://apo-opa.co/455iS7p
Facebook:  https://apo-opa.co/4kJQPQx
LinkedIn:  https://apo-opa.co/3UmQkRE

About the Islamic Development Bank Institute:
The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) is the knowledge beacon of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Guided by the principles of Islamic economics and finance, the IsDB Institute leads the development of innovative knowledge-based solutions to support the sustainable economic advancement of IsDB Member Countries and various Muslim communities worldwide. The IsDB Institute enables economic development through pioneering research, human capital development, and knowledge creation, dissemination, and management. The Institute leads initiatives to enable Islamic finance ecosystems, ultimately helping Member Countries achieve their development objectives. More information about the IsDB Institute is available on https://IsDBInstitute.org

Posted on

Eritrea: Nakfa Sub-Zone Declares Free of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Source: APO


.

As a result of a rigorous awareness campaign to eradicate harmful practices, Nakfa sub-zone has officially declared itself free of female genital mutilation (FGM).

At the declaration event, Mr. Yakob Idris, administrator of the sub-zone, stated that the achievement is the result of the active and conscious participation of the public, government institutions, and national associations. He emphasized that maintaining this status is a shared responsibility.

Religious leaders, noting that FGM has no connection to religious teachings, commended the initiative and called for integrated efforts and participation to ensure its sustainability.

Mr. Rezene Feseha, chairman of the committee for the rights of children and women, said the declaration in Nakfa sub-zone reflects the coordinated efforts conducted at the regional level and called for continued active involvement by all.

The event featured cultural and artistic performances to mark the occasion.

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

Posted on

Discharge application dismissed in State Capture linked case

Source: Government of South Africa

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

The Johannesburg High Court has dismissed an application for a discharge brought by the accused in a high-profile State Capture corruption case linked to the rehabilitation of mines.

The accused include former Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) Deputy Director-General Joel Raphela, as well as Ronica Ragavan, Pushpaveni Govender, and entities linked to the Gupta family’s Optimum Coal Mine, Koornfontein Mines, and Tegeta Exploration and Resources.

In the main case, they are facing a raft of charges including fraud, forgery, uttering, perjury and money laundering related to R107.5 million rehabilitation funds meant for the Optimum Coal Mine and Koornfontein Mine trust accounts in 2016.
Their application for a discharge was brought in terms of Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

“The court also ruled in favour of the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption [IDAC], granting leave to amend the indictment on certain charges against the accused. 

“This development follows the closure of the State’s case. The defence’s application was brought thereafter,” IDAC spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said in a statement on Monday.

The case will resume in court on 25 May 2026 and is set down until 12 June 2026, “during which period the defence is expected to call its witnesses”.

The accused have pleaded not guilty. – SAnews.gov.za