Category: English

Source: APO – Report:

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The Kingdom of Morocco has strongly condemned Israel’s heinous aggression and denounced the violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly State of Qatar.

The Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its full solidarity with the State of Qatar against anything liable to jeopardize its security, its territorial integrity, and the peace of its citizens and residents.

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

Source: APO – Report:

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Government can now borrow up to US$99.6 million to finance the proposed Resilient Livestock Value Chain Project (ReLiV) in 55 districts.

The loan, approved by Parliament, will be borrowed from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, presented the loan request during plenary sitting on Tuesday, 09 September 2025 chaired by Speaker Anita Among.

“The goal of the project is to contribute to improved livelihoods of smallholder livestock farmers in Uganda. The project development objective is to enhance income, nutrition and resilience of smallholder dairy and beef producers,” said Musasizi.

He added that the ReLiV project will benefit the 55 selected districts in the cattle corridor selected based on high incidence and density of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, among others.

“The project will directly benefit 400,000 households and 20,000,000 beneficiaries indirectly through the different components with a minimum target of 40 percent women and 25 percent youths,” Musasizi said.

Presenting the report of the Committee on National Economy, Committee Chairperson, Hon. John Bosco Ikojo recommended approval of the loan, but quickly called for its re-negotiation.

“The loan should be re-negotiated to move resources from consumptive items to acquisition of goods, services and inputs, as well as equipment and materials,” he said.

Ikojo stated that the committee’s observation indicated that Shs600 million was earmarked for purchase of vehicles, wherein he argued that such expenditure is not necessary.

The committee further noted that whereas the loan was highly concessional, they were not given adequate time to scrutinise the loan.

“The committee notes that the proposed financing terms of IFAD are highly concessional with long-term maturing and grace periods. Of recent, government has not been having access to such concessional loans,” Ikojo said.

Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju (FDC, Kira Municipality), however, urged the lawmakers not to approve the loan, saying that Parliament should consider the committee’s recommendation on re-negotiation.

“With the proposals that the committee has made, they have left us with no options but to say no to this loan request. I think they are only polite not to make government look bad,” said Ssemujju.

Musasizi, however, justified the urgency of the loan, saying that the timelines dictate that it should be signed by 12 September 2025.

“To allay Hon. Ssemujju’s fears, I would like to clarify that this loan has the best terms. The interest rate is zero and the repayment period is 50 years,” Musasizi said.

Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi (NUP, Butambala County) questioned the project finance components, saying that most of it supports government entities, citing that US$59 million out of US$99 has been earmarked for projects under the National Agricultural Research Organisation and Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute, among others.

“You do not see a farmer, you only see government ranches being financed. So, who is benefiting from this loan?” he asked.

According to the committee’s report, US$8 million will be spent on management and Muwanga Kivumbi criticised the proposed expenditure, saying it is misplaced.

“This looks like a classical failed project that is intended to benefit only the elite, and I am not convinced that this committee has had time to look at the benefits of this project,” he added.

– on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO – Report:

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Political leaders in the local government sphere are set for a pay rise beginning in the 2026/27 financial year following a directive by President Yoweri Museveni.

The Minister of Local Government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, announced the development while presenting a statement before Parliament on Tuesday, 09 September 2025, in response to a petition by the Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA) and the Urban Authorities Association of Uganda (UAAU) on service delivery challenges.

“Appropriate facilitation and pay of duty bearers is a statutory obligation. Unfortunately, the local government political leaders across board are poorly paid and facilitated. We commend them for their patience, selfless service, and sacrifice to the country,” Magyezi told Parliament.

Magyezi revealed that he is prepared to present a Cabinet Paper on the remuneration to cover all political leaders starting with LC I chairpersons up to district/city level.

Other interventions, the minister said, included induction of councillors next fiscal year at Shs30 billion, procurement of vehicles for district chairpersons and mayors, recruitment to fill critical vacancies, road equipment for cities and municipalities, and increased physical planning grants to curb unplanned urbanisation.

The minister confirmed that LC I and II elections would be harmonised with the 2026 general elections and that subvention to ULGA and UAAU would double to Shs600 million and dismissed claims that service delivery in local governments was deteriorating.

“The annual assessment of local governments by the Office of the Prime Minister and other bodies shows improvement in services, attributed to government programmes funded under appropriation by Parliament.

The situation is promising, and the task ahead is to deepen decentralisation as a key policy of Government for service delivery and wealth creation,” he argued.

However, Speaker Anita Among, disagreed, saying the reality in districts reflects the concerns raised in the petition. “In most districts you visit, classes are empty, there are no teachers, hospitals lack medics, and roads are in poor condition because they lack equipment,” she said.

“Honourable Minister, what local government people are saying is an eye-opener. We should not sugarcoat it and say everything is okay. For us to reach the end user of PDM, the roads should be worked on. We must resolve it,” she added.

Hon. Gilbert Olanya (FDC, Kilak South County) and the Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee – Local Government, questioned the state of road equipment.

“Most equipment supplied works for less than a year and is now grounded. Many districts cannot afford repairs, and some regional offices hire out machinery to private contractors,” he said.

Hon. Godfrey Onzima (NRM, Aringa North County) highlighted staffing gaps in health and education. “The whole health unit grade three had only two midwives. One was on study leave, the other on maternity leave. Women coming for delivery are just referred,” he said, warning many schools operate with very few teachers.

Hon. Paul Omara (Indep., Otuke County) expressed concern over dwindling funding. “Local government used to receive 15 percent of the total budget annually, but now it has dropped to 7 percent. More funding is needed rather than centralising revenue,” he said.

The Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi, defended revenue centralisation. “Many local governments understated revenue. All revenues must go to the consolidated fund. Local governments collect revenue on behalf of government,” he said.

Closing the debate, Magyezi cited chronic under funding as the root problem. “At some time, 34 percent of the national budget went to local governments. We went down to 26, then 18, now 9 percent. You cannot decentralise 80 percent of responsibilities and give only 10 percent,” he said, urging the budget share to be progressively raised.

The Speaker agreed: “Local government takes only 9.5 percent of the national budget. If we stood firm for increased funding, these issues would be resolved,” she said.

– on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO – Report:

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 An assessment meeting on the progress of educational activities for the 2024/2025 academic year was conducted in Keren sub-zone, Anseba Region. The meeting was attended by supervisors, unit heads, directors, and other stakeholders.

Indicating that encouraging progress has been achieved as a result of integrated efforts, Mr. Yosief Okbamicael, head of the education office in the sub-zone, said notable improvements are being registered in the national examinations.

Mr. Kiflai Andemicael, head of the Ministry of Education branch in Anseba Region, called on all concerned institutions and partners, particularly teachers, to strengthen their participation in promoting social justice and encouraging students to become more competitive in their education.

Stressing that enhancing educational capacity should not be left to specific institutions alone, Mr. Rezene Araya, administrator of the sub-zone, called for reinforced contributions from all stakeholders.

The participants conducted extensive discussions on the report presented and adopted various recommendations.

– on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

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UN experts* today called on authorities in Mali to disclose the fate and whereabouts of journalist and activist El Bachir Thiam, who disappeared four months ago.

“Mali must immediately and unconditionally release El Bachir Thiam and other victims of enforced disappearance, and cease the crackdown on civil society actors, human rights defenders, and political opponents or those perceived as such,” the experts said.

El Bachir Thiam is a journalist for the MaliActu website and a member of several civil society organisations and political movements, including the political party Yelema – Le Changement, led by former Prime Minister Moussa Mara, the Collectif Sirako, and a youth movement calling for a return to constitutional order, for which he serves as spokesperson and communications officer.

Thiam was allegedly kidnapped on 8 May 2025, in front of several witnesses in Kati town, by a group of at least five hooded and unidentified men suspected of being Malian intelligence agents – more specifically from the the Agence Nationale de la Sécurité d’Etat (ANSE) – or elements of the Bamako gendarmerie du Camp I, who were traveling in a gray TOYOTA V8 4×4 vehicle with tinted windows and no license plate. His relatives and colleagues reportedly searched for him in vain in police stations and gendarmeries of Bamako and Kati. Since then, Thiam’s fate and whereabouts have remained unknown.

“As time goes by, Thiam’s condition risks deteriorating further and will take a profound toll on his physical and psychological health,” the experts said.

On 17 July 2025, Thiam Mariam Dagnon, wife of El Bachir Thiam, filed a complaint for kidnapping and disappearance with the Public Prosecutor of the Kati Court of First Instance. Thiam’s alleged kidnapping and enforced disappearance took place in the context of peaceful protest movements initiated in early May 2025 by several political movements and parties, as well as civil society actors and organisations, following the adoption of draconian laws further restricting civic space by Malian transitional authorities in April 2025.

“State authorities who detain individuals and refuse to acknowledge that they are in custody or disclose their fate or whereabouts, place them outside the protection of the law and commit the crime of enforced disappearance of persons – as defined in Mali’s Penal Code. Such acts constitute an enforced disappearance regardless of the duration of the detention or concealment,” the experts said.

“The enforced disappearance of El Bachir Thiam and others is a blatant violation of Mali’s international legal obligations.”

The experts stressed that Malian authorities are allegedly making increased use of enforced disappearance as a weapon to instill fear and silence civil society actors, human rights defenders, political opponents or those perceived as such.

“These actions have a pattern. The frequency of the practice, its organised nature and the methods used indicate a systematic character,” they said.

“ANSE is acting with an apparent sense of impunity and entitlement,” the experts said. They noted that, according to Malian legislation, ANSE is placed under the direct authority of the President of the Republic and its agents may not be prosecuted in the performance of their duties, unless they have committed a serious offence through negligence or flagrant violation of procedures (articles 8 and 9 of the 1 October 2021 Ordinnance creating the ANSE), but they do not face any robust oversight or scrutiny. “By virtue of functioning directly under the President of the Republic, ANSE’s actions raise questions of criminal accountability under Malian and international law.”

“Thiam’s case reflects the persistent and escalating pattern of human rights violations against members of opposition political parties, civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders in Mali,” the experts said, recalling that several mandate holders had expressed similar concerns in 2021, 2024 as well as in February, April and August 2025.

They noted that the situation has continued to further deteriorate, as illustrated by the signature or adoption of several draconian laws, including a presidential decree on 13 May which dissolved all political parties and “organisations of a political nature” in Mali.

The experts have written to the Government of Mali and will continue to closely monitor the situation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Source: APO

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The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation welcomes the apparent collaboration between the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Cooperative Governance in providing support to struggling municipalities but raised concerns that the tangible impact is negligible. The alignment of interventions was a resolution made at the Water Indaba.

The committee today held an interaction with both departments and the South African Local Government Association on municipal support initiatives. “While the alignment of efforts and standards is critical to effectively drive implementation, solutions should be systematic and overarching. The continued channelling of resources without a complete systematic overhaul and strengthening of municipalities to deliver services will be futile,” said Mr Leon Basson, the Chairperson of the committee. The committee remains of the view that interventions remain piecemeal and do not address the root causes of the challenges faced by water services authorities.

The reality is that South African municipalities are not well capacitated to manage and implement water and sanitation infrastructure projects. While the committee welcomed the intention to convert direct grants to indirect grants aimed at improving spending and delivery of projects, the overarching challenge of the lack of capacity and governance challenges at the local government level make the interventions superficial, especially in the context that these municipalities will have to operate and maintain the infrastructure in the long run.

The committee has also called for the sharing of good practice between municipalities and avoiding a silo mentality, guided by the desire to ensure quality service delivery. “It is concerning that 105 municipalities out of 144 water services authorities (WSAs), amounting to 73% of all WSAs, are underperforming in the delivery of their mandates. This has a direct socio-economic impact and undermines the drive for inclusive economic growth and improving access to quality water,” Mr Basson emphasised.

While the committee welcomed the information that the department will soon table the Water Services Amendment Bill and the National Water Bill in Parliament following the approval granted by Cabinet, it also highlighted that while the legislation might assist in providing a legal framework, the need to strengthen water service authorities remains urgent.

The lack of planning and consequences within municipalities is also a point of serious concern for the committee. “What the blue drop and green drop reports have highlighted is the lack of planning at the municipal level and subsequent consequence management in implementing corrective measurement plans in response to the reports,” Mr Basson said.

The committee has emphasised the need for comprehensive implementation of all resolutions made at the Water Indaba to ensure a wide-ranging intervention on the water value chain. “While this alignment is a start, the full and comprehensive implementation of all recommendations might have the necessary ripple effect to resolve challenges within the system,” Mr Basson noted.

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

Source: APO

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The urgent need to save the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) from financial mismanagement, governance instability and a lack of consequence management has never been clearer than it is today.

This was the message from the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade, Ms Sonja Boshoff, following a briefing to the committee by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AG) on Tuesday.

During the briefing, the committee heard that the UIF distributed over R800 million in Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) funding, yet over R200 million remained unaccounted for, with the AG unable to verify some of the companies that received these payments.

Ms Boshoff expressed deep concern about the lack of proper controls, monitoring and reporting within the UIF.

“This is deeply unfortunate, considering the critical role this entity plays in supporting unemployed and vulnerable South Africans. These systemic failures have persisted for far too long. Work on improving UIF systems cannot continue indefinitely without results. At some point, this entity must reach stability and fully deliver on the mandate for which it was created,” she said.

She added that these inefficiencies threaten to compromise Parliament’s oversight role, especially when it would appear as if misleading information is being tabled before the committee.

“When conflicting reports are presented to us, it not only undermines the work of Parliament but erodes public trust in the UIF,” Ms Boshoff said.

The committee received a separate presentation from the UIF on its annual performance plan. However, there were significant discrepancies between the UIF’s report and the AG’s findings.

Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya acknowledged during the meeting that there was “a lot of money at the UIF”, and lamented the absence of modernised ICT systems, while warning of what he described as “a mafia” operating inside the UIF. He emphasised that the UIF remained a noble cause for workers, but stressed the need for urgent reform.

In response, Ms Boshoff urged the UIF to prepare a report aligned with the AG’s findings, highlighting and addressing the discrepancies. “Independent auditors must be appointed to produce accurate and verifiable financial statements on TERS payments,” she said.

“It is regrettable that we must call for external consultants to do work that government officials should be capable of performing themselves. However, the seriousness of these financial irregularities leaves us with no choice.”

Ms Boshoff gave the UIF two weeks to prepare and submit a comprehensive report comparing the AG’s findings with the UIF’s internal assessments. This report must also outline whether the Department of Employment and Labour will implement the Auditor-General’s recommendations.

She further called on the UIF to “play open cards” with the committee and the public: “The UIF must be fully transparent about the extent of these problems. The committee needs accurate information to perform its oversight role and to ensure that workers’ funds are properly safeguarded.”

The committee also demanded clarity on officials implicated in financial misconduct, including details of the actions taken against them to date. “This is not just about systems and processes; it is about accountability. Those who are responsible for the mismanagement of workers’ money must face real consequences,” Ms Boshoff concluded.

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

Source: APO

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The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) today urged the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to play a stronger role in strengthening accountability and consequences for proven wrongdoing, especially in how municipal councillors conduct themselves.

The committee received a briefing from SALGA on its annual report for the 2024/25 financial year on Tuesday. Members noted SALGA’s performance, as well as the 98% performance success rate in the relevant financial year but questioned the real impact of this in municipalities. Some members expressed concern over persistent governance challenges, capacity constraints and inadequate service delivery in many municipalities. This, members believe, undermines the effectiveness and stability of local government.

The Chairperson of the committee, Dr Zweli Mkhize, reflected on recent oversight visits to the Free State, North West and Gauteng, where the committee observed many challenges of service delivery and weak oversight. He called for collaboration on how SALGA can better support municipalities to deliver quality services to communities.

The committee highlighted the potential influence SALGA can have on audit outcomes and investigations into irregularities. One of the concerns raised was that there is a gap between SALGA’s training and advisory work and ultimately enforcing the code of conduct for councillors. While members acknowledged the value of SALGA’s training, guidance and support to municipalities, they lamented the lack of mechanisms to sanction councillors and municipal leaders who violate the code. They stressed that without meaningful enforcement by SALGA, efforts to effect accountability and consequences, as well as anti-corruption efforts in municipalities, may have a limited impact.

The leadership of SALGA noted the committee’s concern and explained that legislation currently restricts SALGA’s ability to impose sanctions directly on councillors or municipal managers. They told members that municipalities are legally recognised as independent entities under the Constitution, and that SALGA’s role as an organised local government association is confined to advocacy, capacity-building and support. This means enforcement is primarily the domain of the relevant political parties and municipal councils.

The Chairperson, however, urged SALGA to do more and find ways, through legislative amendments or its own internal processes, to build a culture of ethical behaviour among councillors and senior municipal officials. The leadership of SALGA is committed to raising this matter as part of the review of the White Paper on Local Government currently underway, to clarify its role and authority in matters concerning the conduct of councillors.

Members stressed the collective responsibility of all local government stakeholders to work towards building a capable, effective and efficient local government sphere that meets the needs of communities.

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