Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO

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The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has concluded the Western Cape leg of public hearings on the Marriage Bill with mixed views received from residents of the greater City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. The committee held the last hearing in the Western Cape at the OR Tambo hall in Khayelitsha.

With the recognition of polygamous marriages being one of the contentious clauses for residents, some participants argued that in passing the bill as it is, Parliament will perpetuate gender-based violence, as women in South Africa remain in a weak position to negotiate, either financially or physically. As a result, participants argued that women will be coerced into agreeing to enter a polygamous marriage.

Also, participants from faith-based organisations argued that marriage, according to their teachings and values recognises marriage as being between “one woman and one man”. Thus, the recognition of polygamy directly contradicts their teachings and values, hence the opposition to the bill.

There was also a concern that the bill perpetuates gender inequality, in that by recognising polygamy and its silence on polyandry marriages it discriminates against women and undermines the provision of equality in the Constitution.

There were also diverse views on the recognition of same sex marriages, with some participants highlighting that every South African is entitled to the protection of their right to marry whomever they choose. The opposing view from faith-based organisations was that same sex marriage is not in line with cultural and religious beliefs and represented “state recognised fraud”, which they were unwilling to accept.

There was also widespread agreement about the increase in the legal age of consent from 18 years to 21, as participants argued that marriage requires a level of maturity that an 18-year-old does not possess.

Meanwhile, some Islamic organisations called for a rethink of the Marriage Bill, as they are of the view that it contradicts the Department of Home Affairs’ own green paper, which says that a single marriage statute would be unconstitutional. This, they argue, is because the Constitution says the people of South Africa are united in their diversity, but the Marriage Bill undermines the recognition of South Africa’s diversity. Participants further argued that the bill forces everyone to be united under one law and does not recognise diversity of religions and cultures in South Africa.

With a balance of views supporting or rejecting the bill, some participants argued that the bill should include recognition of cohabiting partners to protect their property rights, which are often disregarded when one partner passes away.

Meanwhile, there was a concern that the bill makes the registration of customary marriages compulsory, which might negatively affect partners who do not register their marriage. Participants argued that consideration should be made to prevent having a law-making registration mandatory.

With the completion of the Western Cape public participation process, the committee is left with Limpopo as the last province where provincial public participation will be undertaken. The committee intends to undertake the hearings sometime in November and the dates and venues will be communicated in due course.

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

Source: APO

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The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has unanimously resolved to subpoena Mr Collins Letsoalo, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) after repeated attempts to secure his voluntary appearance before the committee in late November 2025.

In its meeting yesterday, Thursday 30 October, the committee resolved to send Mr Letsoalo a final letter of invitation, failing which the committee would consider issuing summons to him in terms of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act of 2004 (“the Act”). On Thursday evening the committee heard from Parliament’s Legal Advisor, Ms Fatima Ebrahim, that Mr Letsoalo had failed to respond to the final letter, which offered him an opportunity to voluntarily appear before the committee.

Upon Ms Ebrahim’s report, the committee deliberated and decided to issue a summons in terms of the Act.

Explaining the post-resolution procedures, the Chairperson of the committee, Mr Songezo Zibi, said he will write to the Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Ms Thoko Didiza to seek her concurrence. Since a summons is a drastic step, the letter will explain that the information the committee seeks is within Mr Letsoalo’s personal knowledge and cannot be obtained by other means.

If the Speaker concurs, the Secretary to Parliament will ensure the summons is delivered to Mr Letsoalo. Members of the committee stressed the importance of Mr Letsoalo’s appearance and presenting himself before the committee.

The committee expressed the view that the former CEO is central to the enquiry and his evidence will assist in developing a complete picture of the RAF’s challenges over the last five years.

Mr Zibi said: “Several witnesses have made averments that fairness demands Mr Letsoalo is given an opportunity to respond. His insights as CEO of the RAF will also assist the committee to reach well-informed conclusions and recommendations to the NA through the committee’s final report.”

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

Source: APO – Report:

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The World Health Organization Ethiopia (WHO) country office continues to support the Government of Ethiopia in advancing the digitalization and modernization of its public health emergency systems, helping ensure timely data-driven decisions for preparedness and response.

Through strong collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), WHO has supported the implementation of three interoperable digital platforms — the Electronic Public Health Emergency Management (ePHEM) system, the District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2), and the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) — providing an end-to-end digital solution that creates a unified ecosystem for emergency data management and coordination.

The ePHEM system lies at the center of this transformation. Developed jointly by WHO and EPHI, ePHEM provides a digital backbone for alert management, incident coordination, and resource tracking. It is now fully operational at the national level and has been effectively used during recent emergency responses, including the Mpox outbreak, to streamline reporting and strengthen coordination. In 2025, WHO supported conduct of five national level training rounds, reaching 320 users alongside 70 staff from the Amhara Region, with regional cascading already underway to expand system use nationwide.

WHO is also supporting the nationwide implementation of the DHIS2 to strengthen surveillance and routine health data management across all levels of the health system. To date, over 2,975 EPHI staff from national, regional, and woreda levels have been trained, enhancing their capacity to collect, analyze, and use data for evidence-based decision-making. The DHIS2 platform now covers 72% of districts nationwide, with expansion plans underway to extend its use to health facilities—enabling real-time data capture, rapid analysis, and faster response to emerging public health threats.

To enhance mortality monitoring and early warning capacities, WHO also supported the training of 390 EPHI staff on all-cause mortality surveillance and the DHIS2 tracker. Mortality reporting is now fully integrated into the DHIS2 routine surveillance system, improving the country’s ability to detect unusual death patterns and trigger timely investigations.

In parallel, WHO has supported the implementation of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) platform, which strengthens event-based surveillance by capturing and analyzing health threat information from publicly available online sources. EIOS has enabled EPHI to detect, verify, and respond to emerging events more rapidly and complement indicator-based surveillance systems.

Through these digital innovations, WHO is supporting EPHI in building a resilient, real-time and integrated public health information system that supports timely decision-making and coordinated emergency response. By linking surveillance, early warning, and response operational data under a single ecosystem, Ethiopia is advancing toward a modern, digital public health emergency system that protects lives and strengthens national health security.

– on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

Source: APO – Report:

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• MSF teams began responding to an outbreak of Ebola in Bulape, DRC, in early September.
• Since the early days of the response, we have collaborated with local health authorities and WHO to bring the epidemic under control.
• With the last patient discharged from the Ebola treatment centre on 19 October, we have handed over our activities to the local health authorities.

After several weeks of collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities, on a response to Ebola in Bulape, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams handed over all activities at the Ebola treatment centre last Friday.

The last confirmed case of Ebola was recorded on 26 September, and the number of alerts and suspected patients admitted to the Bulape Ebola treatment centre has since dropped sharply. The last patient cured from the disease was discharged on 19 October. If no new cases are confirmed, the outbreak can be declared over on 30 November, in line with the 42-day rule without a new confirmed case.

“Given this positive development, we’ve been able to conclude our emergency intervention in Bulape, withdraw our teams, and allow other organisations – particularly the Ministry of Health – to take over,” says Dr Maria Mashako, MSF’s medical coordinator in Kinshasa. “We are proud to have played a key role in responding to this epidemic, in which collaboration with the authorities, WHO, and the community made it possible to overcome many challenges.”

MSF teams were among the first to arrive in Bulape after the outbreak was declared on 4 September, alongside teams from the Ministry of Health, its emergency response team, and WHO. After providing emergency support to Bulape General hospital and setting up a temporary treatment facility, MSF teams worked with WHO to build a new, more suitable treatment centre, while continuing to care for suspected and confirmed patients.

MSF also conducted community awareness activities and established a transit centre for suspected patients in Mpianga, which was handed over to the health authorities a few days ago.

“Staff from the Ministry of Health have now replaced MSF teams at the Bulape Ebola treatment centre,” says Dr Mashako. “We will continue to provide financial support for two more weeks, and they will retain the infrastructure, equipment and medicines that we are donating as we depart.”

The response to the 16th Ebola outbreak in the DRC benefited from the swift mobilisation of the authorities, experienced organisations and local communities. This collective effort helped to contain the spread of the epidemic, which sadly claimed 45 lives, including 34 confirmed cases. In total, 64 cases were recorded – 53 confirmed and 11 probable. Nineteen patients with confirmed infections recovered thanks to the care provided at the Ebola treatment centre.

MSF remains ready to support the Congolese authorities again should the epidemic resurface, and we reaffirm our commitment to working with national and international partners to protect public health, and to build on the lessons learned to strengthen future outbreak responses.

“While this response has successfully brought the epidemic under control, it has once again highlighted the need to strengthen the overall health system to better prevent, detect and respond to such crises,” concludes Dr Mashako. “Experience shows that improving the quality of and access to general healthcare is a cornerstone of any effective emergency response. Mobilisation at this level is therefore essential.”

– on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP) at a High-Level International Conference on Information Integrity and Independent Media held on the margins of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum on 29th October, 2025 highlighted the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation; and its implications on public trust, governance, and global development. He also drew attention to the growing phenomena of some journalist conducting their work under unfavourable conditions enhanced mechanisms to executive their mandate without any hindrance.

The Honourable Minister emphasised the importance of enhancing media and digital literacy, developing real-time fact-checking systems, and leveraging artificial intelligence responsibly to combat the spread of false information. He noted that misinformation also carries economic and public health consequences, as distorted perceptions could deter investments, deepen inequality, and undermine health interventions.

He reiterated Ghana’s commitment to working with international partners to promote a free, safe, and reliable information ecosystem.

– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana.

Source: APO – Report:

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The President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has called for the establishment of a fairer and more inclusive global order that reflects the realities of today’s interconnected world. He made this call at the 2025 Paris Peace Forum, where he participated in a high-level discussion on the theme “From Bridgetown to Accra: The Visions Driving the Future of International Cooperation.”

The session brought together distinguished leaders including the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Amor Mottley; the Chief Advisor to the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Hon. Celso Amorim; the Vice President for Global Economic Recovery at the Rockefeller Foundation, Mr. Eric Pelofsky; and the Director of Sciences Po Paris, Mr. Luis Vassy.

President Mahama observed that the configuration of the existing multilateral order has deficits in addressing the complex challenges of the modern era. The President emphasized that the relationship between the Global North and South must evolve into one of mutual respect and equal partnership. He explained that the Accra Reset seeks to promote inclusivity, shared prosperity, and reforms within international financial institutions to make global systems fairer and more responsive to the needs of the developing world.

The President further noted that aligning the Accra and Bridgetown frameworks represents an opportunity to build a united front for reforming the global financial architecture and addressing shared challenges such as climate change, debt sustainability, and equitable access to capital.

President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with partners across regions to advance a just and effective multilateral system that ensures progress for all nations.

– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana.