Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Government of South Africa

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is currently hosting the Science Diplomacy Summer School with the aim of equipping participants with knowledge needed to address Africa’s developmental and global challenges.

Held in collaboration with its partners, the summer school is a hybrid event, taking place both online and in person in Gauteng from 15 to 24 October 2025.

The council said the innovative programme aims to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and connections necessary to effectively leverage the intersection of science, policy, and diplomacy in addressing Africa’s developmental and global challenges.

The programme offers participants a comprehensive grounding in the theory and practice of science diplomacy as a critical tool for navigating complex global challenges.

The HSRC said that through contextually relevant case studies, dialogues, and reflective exercises, participants will explore the diverse roles and perspectives of policymakers, diplomats, scientists, and civil society actors. 

This combination of theory and practice is designed to enhance analytical and critical thinking, while fostering innovative strategies to strengthen Africa’s voice and influence in global science and diplomacy arenas.

The programme takes an interactive and practice-oriented approach, combining conceptual learning with hands-on activities and engagement. Participants will explore various dimensions, tracks, and methods of science diplomacy through relevant case studies, dialogues, reflective exercises, and working groups.

By the end of the summer school, attendees will understand the tools, soft skills, and expertise necessary for effective science diplomacy. They will learn to apply systems thinking to science diplomacy at the multilateral level using real-world scenarios. 

In addition, participants will gain a solid understanding of policy stakeholders and effective engagement mechanisms for scientific and diplomatic partnerships.

The participants will engage in integrating African perspectives, knowledge systems, and priorities into global science diplomacy dialogues, identifying opportunities and challenges for advancing science diplomacy within the African context.

The summer school include three online sessions via MS Teams. 

There will be in-person sessions held at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre on 20 and 21 October 2025.
All materials related to the summer school are available to registered participants on the HSRC website: https://hsrc.ac.za/science-diplomacy-summer-school/. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

The Group of Twenty (G20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors has reaffirmed its commitment to support efforts by low- and middle-income countries to address debt vulnerabilities in an effective, comprehensive and systematic manner.

“We recognise that a high level of debt is one of the obstacles to inclusive growth in many developing economies, which limits their ability to invest in infrastructure, disaster resilience, healthcare, education and other development needs,” read the Ministerial Declaration on Debt Sustainability on Thursday.

The declaration was released at the conclusion of the fourth G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting, which took place in Washington, DC in the United States of America. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.

It further outlined actions to enhance debt sustainability.

While the risk of a systemic debt crisis appears to be broadly contained, many vulnerable low and middle- income countries face high financing costs, large external refinancing needs, and a significant outflow of private capital.

According to the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, interest payments on total external public debt have increased significantly and have more than doubled over the past decade for low-income countries (LICs).

“We reiterate our commitment to further strengthen the implementation of the Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) in a predictable, timely, orderly, and coordinated manner,” the declaration said.

Launched in 2020, the DSSI temporarily suspended debt payments for eligible low-income countries to help them cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We reaffirm our call to enhance debt transparency from all stakeholders, including private creditors. We support the ongoing review of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Low Income Countries Debt Sustainability Framework (LIC-DSF), which will result in further improving the methodology underpinning the IMF-World Bank Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) for LICs and thus contribute to understanding and addressing debt vulnerabilities more effectively,” the declaration stated.

The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors noted that the voluntary use of crisis resilient debt clauses where appropriate could potentially provide vital breathing space and liquidity.

“We note the efforts to explore the consideration of the use of liability management operations and debt-for-development, debt-for-climate, or similar swaps on a voluntary and case-by-case basis, with a balanced view on their benefits and limitations to help strengthen debt sustainability.”

The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors indicated that they remain committed to engaging constructively with key stakeholders in further advancing common understanding, including with the private sector, official bilateral and multilateral creditors and debtor countries, for example, in the context of the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR).

“It is important to engage with and enhance the voice of borrower countries. We continue to urge the international community to support vulnerable countries with a strong reform agenda whose debt is sustainable but are facing liquidity challenges and encourage the IMF and the World Bank to continue their work on feasible options to support these countries, which should be country-specific and voluntary. 

“We underscore the importance of addressing gaps in debt management, debt transparency, public financial management, and domestic resource mobilisation and will continue to advance adequate capacity-building initiatives to this end,” the declaration said. –SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Government of South Africa

The National Dialogue process has reached a pivotal stage with the completion of the nomination of sectoral representatives to the National Dialogue Steering Committee, the Presidency announced on Friday. 

The first National Convention, held on 15 – 16 August 2025, approved the mandate, responsibilities and composition of the Steering Committee. It also resolved that each identified sector would conduct its own consultations to nominate representatives to serve on the Steering Committee and its sub-committees.

To date, no fewer than 26 sectors have submitted nominations for the Steering Committee. The list of nominees has been handed over to the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) for quality assurance. The EPG will, in turn, submit its recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Head of State and Convener of the National Dialogue, for finalisation.

The Presidency said that once approved by the President, the Steering Committee will oversee the rollout of public dialogues across the country. It is anticipated that the process of appointing the Steering Committee will be concluded in the coming weeks.

In addition, President Ramaphosa has received the Handover Report of the Convention Organising Committee (COC), as well as the Report on the National Convention, marking the completion of the COC’s mandate. The COC had been tasked with organising the first National Convention after the withdrawal of some foundations from the process.

President Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation to members of the Convention Organising Committee for their dedication and commitment.

“As a country, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the members of the Convention Organising Committee. Working with the Eminent Persons Group and the Inter-Ministerial Committee, the committee made sure that hundreds of delegates from around the country were able to gather at the National Convention to endorse and to launch the National Dialogue. Through a truly collective effort, the National Convention proceeded smoothly and gave people from all sectors an opportunity to express themselves,” President Ramaphosa said. 

The President also acknowledged the contribution of legacy foundations and civil society organisations that participated in the Preparatory Task Team, noting their instrumental role in getting the National Dialogue off the ground. 

“We must also recognise the vital role played by the legacy foundations and other civil society organisations in the Preparatory Task Team, which were instrumental in getting the National Dialogue off the ground.

“It is extremely important now that the momentum that has been built up and the expectations that have been raised are not allowed to dissipate. We need to ensure that as the Steering Committee is established, there is no disruption in the processes that need to happen,” the President said.

The Eminent Persons Group, the Inter-Ministerial Committee and the Presidency remain custodians of the process’s integrity and will continue to safeguard its credibility until it is handed over to the Steering Committee. 

Work is underway to establish a fully-fledged National Dialogue Secretariat, housed at NEDLAC, which will provide institutional support to the process. 

The Report of the National Convention is available for download: https://tinyurl.com/4v7z7rfu – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

The District Development Model (DDM) provides a mechanism for the development and the delivery of services for local communities, Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli said.

“The District Development Model is the local engine that turns global commitments into tangible change through jobs for our youth, clean water, functioning infrastructure, and safe neighbourhoods. The conversations we are having in Frances Baard today are part of the same national and global movement to make development people-centred, inclusive, and accountable,” the Deputy Minister said on Thursday.

This as she hosted a G20 Community Leaders Dialogue at the Roodepan community’s Roman Catholic Church in the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Frances Baard District, in the Northern Cape.

The DDM was introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to end the silo approach that has slowed service delivery and brings together the three spheres of government (national, provincial, and local) into one plan, one budget, and one accountability framework.

She said that in the Frances Baard District, the plan focuses on areas such as water security and sanitation improvements; youth employment and skills development; and roads and infrastructure maintenance among others.

“As we meet here today, South Africa holds the Presidency of the G20 a platform of the world’s largest economies. Our Presidency theme [of an] ‘Inclusive Growth for a Sustainable Future,’ reminds us that real progress begins in communities like Roodepan,” she said.

The Deputy Minister added that recent Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)environmental assessment and engagements show that the community faces ageing infrastructure and water shortages in areas like Roodepan, Windsorton, and Pampierstad as well as poor health service experiences and shortages of medication.

Other challenges include high electricity costs and frequent outages as well as delays in housing projects and title deeds.

To respond to these, the The Sol Plaatje Municipality is installing high-mast lights and new taps in Lerato Park.
“Phokwane is distributing water tanks and repairing potholes. Magareng is upgrading its water treatment plant,” said the Deputy Minister.

In addition, the 1 Billion Housing Project launched by President Ramaphosa includes units for Diamond Park and Roodepan.

“Our task now is to ensure that these projects are completed, maintained, and serve the people they are meant for,” she said.

The Deputy Minister further called for partnerships adding that government will set up regular feedback sessions, so that “your issues are captured in the One Plan review and acted upon.”

“Frances Baard is a proud and resilient district the economic heart of the Northern Cape. The challenges you face are not insurmountable. Let us work together, community and Government hand-in-hand, to turn Roodepan into a model of cooperative governance in action,” she said. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Transnet has been recognised for its role in setting a new national benchmark for public sector procurement through a fully digital, efficient and inclusive system that actively drives economic transformation.

About four years ago, the e-Tender platform replaced the physical tender boxes and paper submissions with a cloud-based, secure and transparent digital environment.

This enhanced efficiency is matched by improved governance. The system includes an embedded audit trail, real-time reporting, and automated business rules that have driven a verified 40% reduction in irregular expenditure.

Since its implementation, the portal has processed over one million documents and enabled the strategic redeployment of resources that previously were responsible for administrative tasks associated with processing of tender documents, such as stamping, signing and filing to other value-adding areas of the business.

Furthermore, the efficiency gains have directly contributed to substantial financial value, including R1.8 billion value delivery in the 2024/2025 financial year alone.

“We have not had physical tender boxes at Transnet since October 2021. This innovation has fundamentally changed the speed and integrity of Transnet’s supply chain management,” Transnet Group Chief Procurement Officer, Vuledzani Nemukula, said on Friday.

By removing the physical and financial barriers associated with paper-based tenders, the e-Tender portal has significantly increased accessibility for small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) across the country. 

“Furthermore, we have tailored our submission times to ensure SMMEs can make use of night-time data to upload large documents, saving them on additional costs,” Nemukula said. 

He made these remarks after the logistics infrastructure State-owned company clinched the prestigious GIBS Logistics Achiever Gold Award (LAA) 2025 for its transformative e-Tender solution on Thursday night at a ceremony held at the GIBS Business School in Johannesburg.

According to Transnet, the e-Tender portal is more than a transactional system; it is a critical enabler of the knowledge economy. 

By centralising and standardising procurement data, the platform is laying the groundwork for a future powered by advanced analytics.

The portal’s broad reach has already attracted over 30 000 suppliers, broadening the participation base and fostering accountability and public trust. 

“Digitalisation levels the playing field, ensuring that geography and administrative complexity are no longer barriers to entry for SMMEs seeking to participate in the lucrative logistics value chain,” the SOE said.

This directly aligns Transnet’s procurement function with the national mandate of inclusive economic growth.

The success of the e-Tender portal is also a testament to the strategic partnership between the Group Chief Information Officer and Group Chief Procurement Officer.

Their collaborative leadership ensured that both procurement and Information and Communications Technology functions were aligned from the outset, co-owning the digital transformation journey and driving shared accountability for business outcomes.

“This milestone aligns with Transnet’s broader ICT Digital Modernisation Strategy, which is fundamentally about transforming how technology supports operational excellence and business agility. 

“Through business process automation, data-driven intelligence, and platform-based integration, we are not just digitising workflows — we are redefining how the enterprise operates.

“Our vision is to make automation a catalyst for growth, where technology enhances human capability, accelerates service delivery, and strengthens Transnet’s competitiveness in a connected, data-driven economy,” Transnet’s Group Chief Information Officer, Pandelani Munyai, said. – SAnews.gov.za