Posts

Posted on

Joint Statement on the Inaugural Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM) Meeting for the Peace Agreement Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda

Source: Government of Qatar

Addis Ababa – August 9 , 2025

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Rwanda, the State of Qatar, the African Union Commission, and the Togolese Republic (as the Representative of the AU Mediator) on the occasion of the first Joint Security Coordination Mechanism meeting held this week at the African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Begin Text:

On August 7-8, 2025, representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda (Rwanda), along with observers from the United States, the State of Qatar, the Representative of the AU mediator, and the African Union Commission held the first meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism for the Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Rwanda that was signed in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 2025.

The Joint Security Coordination Mechanism is responsible for the implementation of the Concept of Operations for the Harmonized Plan for the Neutralization of the FDLR and Disengagement of Forces/Lifting of Defensive Measures by Rwanda (annex of the Peace Agreement signed June 27, 2025). The Mechanism is also tasked with facilitating intelligence and information sharing between the parties for the purpose of implementing the Peace Agreement. During the first meeting, the Permanent Members—DRC and Rwanda—adopted terms of reference to govern future meetings of the Mechanism and began discussions on implementing the Peace Agreement.

The Representative of the AU Mediator, the African Union Commission, the State of Qatar, and the United States participated in these discussions to ensure the effective, efficient, and impartial implementation of the Agreement, as well as the continuation of good-faith initiatives to achieve lasting stability in the region. Both the DRC and Rwanda expressed their appreciation for the invaluable contributions and joint efforts of the African Union, United States, and Qatar as partners in advancing a peaceful resolution.

Posted on

West Africa: Visit of Mr. Adedeji Ebo, director and deputy to the high representative for disarmament affairs United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)

Source: APO – Report:

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission jointly issue this communiqué following the official visit of Mr. Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), to the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria. UNREC is UNODA’s Regional Centre for Africa.

The visit served as a renewed demonstration of the United Nations’ steadfast support to regional mechanisms for peace, security, development and arms control in West Africa. It marked a significant milestone in the broadening and deepening collaboration between UNODA—through UNREC—and ECOWAS on disarmament, arms control and regional peace and security priorities towards a culture of peace.

During the visit, Mr. Ebo held strategic consultations with the ECOWAS President H.E Dr Omar Alieu Touray, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, H.E. Ambassador Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah, as well as with senior leadership of the ECOWAS Department of Political Affairs Peace and Security. Discussions focused on reviewing the 2009 ECOWAS-UNODA Memorandum of Understanding in order to align it with current peace and security challenges in the sub-region. Topics included advancing the implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and tackling persistent and emerging threats in the region, including illicit arms flows, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), drones, and autonomous weapons systems.

The visit was also marked by the holding of a joint UNREC – ECOWAS Regional strategic workshop on gender mainstreaming in Small Arms control in West Africa in efforts to raise awareness and enhance the capacity of West African countries to effectively address gender-specific issues in SALW control and incorporate youth participation into programs.

UNREC and ECOWAS agreed to explore options for a strategic reconfiguration of the ECOWAS Small Arms Division to broaden its scope beyond SALW. The entities also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional frameworks and initiatives—including the ECOWAS Convention on SALW, the Nairobi Protocol, and the African Union’s Silencing the Guns initiative—through enhanced coordination and technical support. UNREC and ECOWAS will also collaborate to provide tailored assistance to national stakeholders, leveraging and contextualizing existing tools for addressing small arms and ammunition, disarmament education platforms, and facilitating access to capacity-building programs.

Mr. Ebo commended ECOWAS Commission for its leadership in promoting peace and disarmament across the region and reiterated UNODA’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS Member States in building technical capacity, reinforcing legal frameworks, and advancing inclusive, evidence-based policy responses.

Considering recent peace and security developments in the region, both Mr Ebo and H.E. Ambassador Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah reiterated commitment to the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on SALW, particularly its provisions related to cross-border arms control cooperation, harmonized legislative standards, and regional monitoring mechanisms. Dr. Musah cited the expanding terrorism in the region, as well as intercommunal violence and banditry as phenomena that highlight the imperative of heightened arms control as a priority. UNODA and ECOWAS reaffirmed the continued relevance of the Convention and agreed to explore pragmatic pathways for inclusive dialogue and cooperation with all West African stakeholders to uphold collective security and reduce the risk of arms proliferation in West Africa.

Furthermore, UNODA expressed its readiness to support the ECOWAS Commission, through UNREC, in initiating a review and update of the ECOWAS Convention on SALW to reflect new developments in the security landscape. This includes incorporating provisions on growing threats such as the trafficking of ammunition and the implementation of the Global Framework on Through-Life Ammunition Management (GFA), weaponization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), cyber-enabled arms flows, and the challenges posed by emerging technologies, science, and innovation in weapon systems. The parties acknowledged the need to ensure the Convention remains responsive, comprehensive and effective in addressing the evolving nature of arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament in West Africa.

Both entities agreed to strengthen joint operations and advocacy, while exploring innovative strategies to integrate disarmament into broader peacebuilding and sustainable development agendas in West Africa.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Media files

.

Posted on

South Africa’s earliest newspapers made money from slavery: book offers new evidence

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gawie Botma, Associate Professor of Journalism, Stellenbosch University

In a recently published book, Reconsidering the History of South African Journalism: The Ghost of the Slave Press (2025 Routledge), author and journalism professor Gawie Botma explores the gap in the country’s understanding about the complicity of South African journalism in slavery. He spoke to The Conversation about what he found.

Slavery and journalism: what’s the connection?

In the US and Britain a few newspapers have issued apologies for their complicity in the slave trade. These include the Hartford Courant in Connecticut, considered to be the oldest continuously published publication in the US. In 2000 it apologised for its complicity in the slave trade nearly two centuries earlier. In 2023 The Guardian in the UK apologised for the fact that its founders had had links to the transatlantic slave trade.

The South African media have remained silent about their historical role in Cape slavery. Slavery in the country lasted for more than 170 years between 1652 and 1838. Precise numbers are difficult to calculate. But according to the historian Robert Shell, approximately 63,000 enslaved people were imported to the Cape from four main areas: the rest of Africa (26.4%), India (25.9%), Indonesia (22.7%) and Madagascar (25.1%). In 1838 around 37,000 were emancipated.

The first newspaper in the Cape colony – including parts of what are now the Western and Eastern Cape provinces – appeared in Cape Town four decades before slavery was abolished in 1838. No other publishing activities existed in what is now South Africa. The Cape, then a colony of the British Empire, was the only formal European settlement and only a few printing presses operated at scattered mission stations in the interior of southern Africa.

What I found during my research was the sobering fact that several of the owners, editors, publishers and printers of around 16 early newspapers and magazines between 1800 and 1838 were slave owners themselves. In addition, the publications they were involved with regularly published advertisements and notices to enable the slave trade as well as to recapture enslaved people who absconded.

An advertisement appeared in The South African Commercial Advertiser on 4 February 1824, and was repeated in Dutch in the same edition. Credit: South African Library, Cape Town.

These facts are omitted or under-emphasised in academic and popular accounts of how South African journalism was founded. Instead, the focus is often on the establishment of press freedom through the heroic efforts of a few white (British) men.

Who were the early players in the newspaper space?

British slave traders Alexander Walker and John Robertson founded the first newspaper, The Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser / Kaapsche Stads Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter (CTG/KSC), in 1800. Acccording to historian A.C.G. Lloyd in his book The Birth of Printing in South Africa, Walker and Robertson were

men of many interests, who in addition to being wholesale merchants on a large scale, were slave-dealers dealing in as many as six hundred slaves in a single consignment.

The public received their first copies on Saturday 16 August 1800. Separate, identical editions in English and Dutch were produced. Even the advertisements were translated. The format, which became a template for future newspapers, was a mixture of official government news, commercial advertising and public announcements, with snippets of international and local news. Enslaved persons worked as assistants of the press.

Twenty-four years later the second paper, The South African Commercial Advertiser, was founded under the editorship of immigrants George Greig, Thomas Pringle and John Fairbairn. Pringle and Fairbairn displayed entrepreneurship as well as idealism about the role of the press. As part of this they rather gradually positioned themselves against slavery.

Opposition to “liberal” ideas inspired the founding of De Zuid-Afrikaan in 1830. The newspaper reported in detail about slavery from the perspective of slave owners. Several prominent individuals involved with this newspaper were the owners of multiple enslaved people. These included the editor (after emancipation) Christoffel J. Brand. After he retired from the editorship in 1845, he became the first speaker of the Cape parliament in 1854 and was later awarded a British knighthood.

The printed press’s relationship with slavery

South African media historiography often cites The South African Commercial Advertiser as the first journalistic enterprise in the country. It also positions the paper as being a “liberal champion” of its time.

But on close inspection this newspaper’s positioning towards slavery is much more complex.

My research shows that the paper actively contributed to the slave trade by allowing the publication of slave advertisements from the start. It continued to do so until slavery was abolished in 1838. The founding owner and editor/printer Greig owned at least one enslaved person.

In the telling of the history of the time, comparisons are made between the first two endeavours. On the one hand CTG/KSC is more generally described as being an outlier as “a slave press” founded by a few “bad apples”. The South African Commercial Advertiser is positioned as being a liberal champion of the “free press” and founder of South African journalism.

Media historian Wessel de Kock in his book on the origins of the South African press makes this comment:

What manner of free press would have emerged from the grubby commercialism of Walker and Robertson instead of the fiery idealism of Pringle and Fairbairn remains an intriguing question.

But should the “grubby commercialism” of CTG/KSC be regarded as an outlier in the history of the early colonial press? Or did it set a trend which was followed by contemporaries and influenced the development of South African newspapers for decades and perhaps even centuries to come?

The old dictum that the press promotes the views of those who own and support it was as true during slavery and apartheid as it is now.

Past evaluations of De Zuid-Afrikaan as one-sidedly reactionary should probably also be revisited.

For one, slave ownership also existed among other English newspaper pioneers like William Bridekirk, printer and editor of several publications, including The South African Chronicle and Mercantile Advertiser, and Louis Henri Meurant, founder of The Graham’s Town Journal, the first newspaper outside Cape Town.

This too has been largely ignored in established journalism history as the focus for involvement in slavery often remained on the “conservative” Cape Dutch.

The result is that a simple dualistic view of South African newspaper history has been passed down. The two poles are then seen as representative of respectively Afrikaans and English journalism as it developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

What’s the legacy?

Some elements in the developing press in the Cape colony certainly played a role in the demise of slavery by frequently publishing government announcements, news, editorial and readers’ comments about slavery. They enabled a public debate and the development of a measure of consensus that slavery should be abolished.

Nevertheless, all the papers made compromises as they juggled interests, including political and economic factors. These decisions often worked against liberation. In that case the press was often following and not leading the momentum towards greater civic freedoms.

This was generated elsewhere, such as in the British parliament where the campaign to abolish slavery finally succeeded after decades of struggle.

– South Africa’s earliest newspapers made money from slavery: book offers new evidence
– https://theconversation.com/south-africas-earliest-newspapers-made-money-from-slavery-book-offers-new-evidence-262376

Posted on

Egypt: President El-Sisi Meets Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs

Source: APO – Report:

.

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr. Badr Abdel-Atty.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, stated that the Turkish Minister conveyed the greetings of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the President. President El-Sisi appreciated this gesture, and emphasized the importance of continuing to work on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. 

In this regard, President El-Sisi highlighted the qualitative development in the Egyptian-Turkish relations, particularly after the signing of the Joint Declaration in February 2024 to reactivate the meetings of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and elevate them to the level of the two countries’ presidents.

The two sides confirmed the necessity to boost economic cooperation between Egypt and Türkiye. The aim is to reach a trade volume of $15 billion, as agreed upon during President El-Sisi’s visit to Ankara in September 2024. They also stressed the significance of expanding the participation of Turkish companies in investment projects within Egypt.

The meeting also tackled the developments in a number of regional issues, primarily the situation in the Gaza Strip. Both sides affirmed their rejection of a military re-occupation of the Strip. They reiterated the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages and captives. The two sides reaffirmed their rejection of the displacement of Palestinians.

The two sides also reviewed developments in Libya, Syria, and Sudan. President El-Sisi outlined Egypt’s vision for achieving peace and stability in these brotherly countries, and its efforts in this regard. The importance of respecting the sovereignty of these countries, and preserving their territorial integrity and the resources of their people were underscored.

– on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Posted on

Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the occasion of Women’s Day

Source: President of South Africa –

Programme Director,
Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Ms. Sindiswa Chikunga,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Premier of Limpopo, Dr. Phophi Ramathuba,
Executive Mayor of the Mopani District Municipality, Cllr Pule Shayi,
MEC’s
Community, religious and traditional leaders present,
Representatives of political parties,
Residents of Limpopo and of the Mopani District Municipality
Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Fellow South Africans
 
Dumelang. Avuxeni. Ndi Matsheloni. Lotjhani. Sanibonani. Goeie môre. Molweni. 
Good morning.
Greetings to all the women of South Africa. It is an honour to be here in Limpopo to celebrate Women’s Day with our mothers, our grandmothers, our sisters and our daughters. 
We, the fathers, grandfathers, uncles and sons of our nation celebrate alongside you today. 
We honour you, we pay tribute to – the ones who are the very fabric of our nation. 
Men and women complement each other. We are equal. Under our constitution. Before the law. And so should it be in our homes, in our communities, in our marriages and in our families. 
When a woman is empowered – everyone gets empowered.  When women prosper, we all prosper. When women rise, we all rise. 
Today we pay tribute to all women of South Africa – Izimbokodo. Our Helpers. Our Anchors. The possessors of unique empathy, kindness and compassion.
 
On this day we pay homage to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on the 9th of August 1956 to protest against the extension of the pass laws.
Men were already subjected to the humiliation of carrying the dreaded dompas but it took women who were considered as minors at the time to stop the apartheid government in its oppressive tracks. 
 
As we commemorate Women’s Day and Women’s Month, we salute the achievements of women over the years, including their pivotal role in transforming the nation, and in contributing to socio-economic development. 
 
This celebration is also a clarion call to accelerate the role of women in the economy and empower them as well as tackle the complex barriers, such as poverty, inequality and unemployment, that hinder their development. 
 
The theme for this year’s Women’s Month celebration is: “Building Resilient Economies for All”. 
 
The overarching purpose of this commemoration is to promote women’s participation and representation in leadership and the economy. 
 
It is focused on advancing women’s access to decent work, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and care infrastructure. It reinforces the paradigm that resilient economies are those that are inclusive, equitable and gender responsive. 
 
As government, we have enacted robust policies to increase women’s participation in the workforce and bridge the gender pay gap. 
 
These developments indicate South Africa’s resolute drive towards establishing gender parity. We have consistently grown the number of women taking on leadership and decision-making roles.
 
The heroic women of 1956 and many others paved the way for equal rights, including gender equality and empowerment. 
 
Their courageous actions culminated in the creation of a non-sexist, non-racial state cemented through our constitution, and policies and legislation that advance women’s social and economic development. 
 
There is greater inclusion of women in every sector of the economy, including leadership positions. Over a quarter of top managers in the private sector are women. Today, South Africa ranks second out of the G20 countries in terms of female representation. Forty-two per cent of our MP’s are women, this is higher than a number of developed countries.
 
This is progress. But it is not enough. We cannot rest until we have achieved gender equality throughout society.
 
Today the women of our country continue to reap the benefits of the changes that were ushered in through the brave actions of the women of 1956.
 
Over the years government has accelerated women’s access to basic services, including social welfare provisions and economic opportunities, lifting millions out of absolute poverty. 
 
The Employment Equity Act and other progressive laws have paved the way for more equitable representation of women in the economy – and by this one must add all women, whether they are black or white.
 
The proportion of women in the workforce has been increasing.
 
The empowerment of women contributes to sustainable development, inclusive growth and the cultivation of resilient communities. 
 
About 40 percent of preferential procurement in the public sector is awarded to women-owned businesses. 
 
Women-owned SMMEs are also supported through the National Empowerment Fund, the Small Enterprise Finance Agency and National Infrastructure Fund. 
 
Government continues to work towards enhancing gender equality and women empowerment.
 
As government, we are committed to expanding economic opportunities for women through skills training, entrepreneurial support, access to funding and multi-sectoral partnerships to place women in key sectors of the economy. 
 
We also continue our work to increase the participation of women in sectors such as science, technology, engineering and maths, as well as the green economy and industrial sectors.
 
Government also seek to increase women’s role in digital finance which includes digital banking, payments, access to finance and investments. 
 
Women-led enterprises are being supported through policies, mentorships and funding. Through capacity building initiatives, we aim to increase the participation of women in politics, business and civil society.
 
In Greater Tzaneen, women make up a significant portion of the population and continue to play critical roles in education, health, agriculture and the informal economy.
 
And yet, much like in most parts of the country, women battle unacceptable levels of gender-based violence, high unemployment rates, teenage pregnancy, limited access to economic opportunities, and patriarchal social structures that are barriers to their full empowerment.
 
Women struggle with access to basic services, especially water. 
 
Many of you rely on boreholes but they are often non-functional due to theft, lack of maintenance and infrastructure failure. 
 
We cannot and we will not leave anyone behind – including the people of Tzaneen and Limpopo at large. There are therefore serious questions that need to be answered when it comes to service delivery in this area, and around the need for accountability. 
 
I want to call on the leadership of the province to honour the women of 1956 by ensuring their descendants, the women of today, are able to lead lives of dignity through the provision of basic services.
 
Even as we have come a long way with respect to gender equality – we are still on this arduous journey – we dare not give up, or the next generation will be left with no inheritance.
 
The greatest challenge we face in this country is the pandemic of violence against women and children. 
 
We condemn the many high cases of gender-based violence and femicide recorded in our nation.
 
Real men do not abuse women. Real men do not rape women. Real men do not kill women.
 
Let us strive to be a society where we teach young boys that women are to be protected, and respected, and not abused. A society where men and boys understand the meaning of consent in sexual relationships.  A society where men do not use their money and influence to engage in predatory behaviour towards women. A society that does not condone the ill-treatment of women and children under the guise of culture or tradition.
 
Let us strive to be a society where someone’s sexual orientation is their business, and where we are clear that nobody, not a man, not a boy, not another woman, has the right to discriminate against or use violence against another because of how they choose to identify.
 
Ending the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide requires the efforts of government, business, labour, civil society and every member of society.
 
We must break the silence. This criminality thrives in a culture of silence. 
 
We have introduced new legislation to enhance protection of women and children and strengthen the punishment of perpetrators. 
 
Government has also increased the number of sexual offences courts and a number of police stations across the country are now better equipped to manage gender-based violence cases. These include the facilities at the Bolobedu police station, and the upgraded family law facilities at the Ga-Kgapane Magistrates Court.
 
To all the perpetrators of violence against women and children I’d like to say: you can run but you cannot hide.  
 
We have zero tolerance for the abuse of women and children. It will never be acceptable, not now, not ever.
 
Fellow South Africans,
 
As a people and as a country we have emerged from situations that destroyed other nations. 
 
Our unity is our strength. We may differ politically, religiously and socially but the glue that connects us all is our respect for human rights. And women’s rights are human rights. They cannot be separated. 
 
On this important day, let us collectively recommit ourselves to playing our part in building a future where the equality of men and women is not something on paper, but a reality. 
 
I wish all the women of South Africa a happy Women’s Day. 
 
I thank you.

Posted on

President Ramaphosa sends condolences to Ghana after helicopter crash

Source: Government of South Africa

President Ramaphosa sends condolences to Ghana after helicopter crash

President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended condolences to the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, following a helicopter crash that claimed eight lives, including two government ministers.

Ghana’s Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, were among the people killed when a military aircraft crashed in the central Ashanti region on Wednesday.

President Ramaphosa said the thoughts of the people of South Africa are with the bereaved families of all the victims of the tragedy.

“President Ramaphosa recalled that South Africa and Ghana share historical relations dating back to the days of the fights against colonialism and apartheid, adding that relations between the two countries have since grown exponentially over the years,” spokesperson to the President, Vincent Magwenya said in a statement.

President Ramaphosa also expressed solidarity with the government and people of Ghana as they mourn the tragedy. – SAnews.gov.za
 

GabiK

121 views

Posted on

Liberia: Ambassador Yin Chengwu attended the Executive Protection Service Class 2 Graduation Ceremony

Source: APO

On August 8, Ambassador Yin Chengwu attended the Executive Protection Service Class 2 Graduation Ceremony conducted by the Liberia National Police Academy and Training School and delivered a remark. The event was attended by Hon. Gregory O. W. Coleman, Inspector General of Liberia National Police , among others.

Ambassador Yin extended his warmest congratulations to the graduates of Executive Protection Service Class 2 on their successfully completion of the training program. He further stated China remains a steadfast supporter of Liberia’s peace and development endeavors, stands ready to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in law enforcement and security area, and pledges to deepen the strategic partnership between the two nations.

IG Coleman expressed appreciation for China’s long-standing support for Liberia’s development and conveyed his desire to enhance cooperation with China in the law enforcement and security sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Liberia.

Media files

.

Posted on

South Africa: Commission for Gender Equality welcomes conviction of serial rapist pastor in child sexual abuse case

Source: APO


.

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) welcomes the conviction and sentencing of a serial rapist pastor in a harrowing case involving the sexual abuse of twelve (12) minor children, which were 10 boys and 2 girls, aged between 7 and 14 years. The sentence was handed down by the Nquthu Regional Magistrate’s Court on 23 July 2025.

The accused was convicted and sentenced to ten (10) life imprisonment terms for 9 counts of rape and 1 count of attempted rape, seven (7) five-year terms for 7 counts of sexual assault, and seven (7) five-year terms for exposure of a child to pornography.

The CGE notes that the court did not deviate from the mandatory life sentences prescribed by the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997 for rape where the victims are under the age of 18. This decision affirms the seriousness with which our courts ought to treat crimes of this nature, particularly against minor children. The Commission welcomes this outcome, which sends a clear message that such heinous crimes will be met with the full wrath of the law. It is hoped that this judgment will serve not only as justice for the victims, but also as a deterrent to potential offenders.

The CGE monitored this matter as an own accord investigation/complaint, consistent with its constitutional and legislative mandate to monitor gender-based violence matters, promote accountability, and protect the rights of vulnerable and marginalised groups, in this case being the minor children. The matter required the coordination of multiple stakeholders in the criminal justice system and involved complex logistical and procedural challenges.

The accused pastor lured children to his rented premises under the pretence that they were helping him with tasks and under the guise of offering spiritual or pastoral guidance, where the abuse took place. He used his position of authority and trust within the community to manipulate and groom the children, exploiting their respect for religious and adult figures. The Commission remains deeply concerned by the abuse of trust and authority within religious and community spaces.

This outcome aligns with the key findings of the Commission’s KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Office during its financial year 2024/25 investigation into the implementation of Pillar 3 of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF), which focuses on access to justice, safety and protection including coordination. As part of the investigation, the Commission engaged with key role players, including the SAPS, NPA, and the DoJ&CD, to assess the implementation of the pillar including collaboration. The successful prosecution of this case demonstrates the importance and practical value of sustained interagency co-operation in ensuring accountability, promoting victim-centred justice, and removing systemic barriers to justice for victims of gender-based violence and child abuse.

The CGE has also noted with grave concern the recent arrests and sentencing of self-proclaimed prophets and pastors in Limpopo, Free State, and North West. The life imprisonment of Pastor Albert Tamasane on two counts for raping an 11-year-old girl, the three life sentences handed to Fezile Zozi in North West for raping women and minors between 2021 and 2023 under the disguise of spiritual revivals, and the life sentencing of Confidence Monyela of Limpopo on two counts of raping minors between the ages of 14 and 19 brings into spotlight the systemic issues that confront those who trust some men of cloth.

It raises fundamental questions about the abuse and sexual exploitation of women and minors at the hands of self-proclaimed prophets and pastors, taking into cognisance that some are still going on trial.

These matters underscore the urgent need for child safeguarding mechanisms in all institutions, particularly those led by individuals in positions of trust.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Government.

Posted on

South Africa: Minister Nzimande applauds National Research Foundation’s (NRF) contribution to transformation at NRF Awards ceremony

Source: APO

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, praised the National Research Foundation (NRF) for making commendable progress in the area of transformation and for producing high calibre and impactful work. The Minister was speaking at the NRF Awards in Johannesburg on 7 August 2025.

The Minister said that the pipeline for the next generation of researchers looked much healthier because the NRF had funded more women over the last 10 years.

“I also think it is highly commendable and visionary on your part as the NRF that you have awards that focus on next generation researchers and early career/emerging researchers. This is critical for our human resource development needs,” said Minister Nzimande.

The Minister said that South Africa’s public science system had not only produced excellent researchers, but also made the country a sought-after global platform for conducting astronomy, nuclear physics, palaeontology, medicine and social sciences research.

The NRF Awards are held annually as a celebration of South Africa’s research excellence. The awards are also meant to provide an opportunity to inspire emerging and early career researchers to pursue research excellence.

The Minister further commended the NRF for their choice of theme for the event, “Innovating for a Sustainable Future”. He said that the theme was thought-provoking and that the NRF rightfully elevated innovation and placed it at the centre of its efforts to build a responsive public science system and, most importantly, a sustainable future. “This is consistent with Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s newly adopted mantra, which is “Placing science, technology and innovation at the centre of government, education, industry and society.”

The mantra was introduced as part of the Department’s efforts to align its work with the National Development Plan 2030 and the Science, Technology and Innovation Decadal Plan. It reflects a strategic vision to prioritise and integrate science, technology, and innovation into all aspects of national development.

The Chairperson of the NRF Board, Prof. Mosa Moshabela, also expressed pride in the work of the NRF. “As the chairperson of the NRF board, I am deeply proud of the work that is done by the NRF to support and enable our vibrant and diverse research community. The mandate of the NRF is to promote and support research through funding, through human capital development and through the provision of research infrastructure. These remain critical in our collective pursuit of a knowledge-based economy and society,” he said.

“May we view this evening as a testament to what is possible when excellence meets opportunity. The individuals we celebrate exemplify academic rigour, intellectual curiosity and an unwavering commitment to making a difference. Whether they are in the laboratory, in communities, or across global platforms, they are mentors, they are collaborators, they are trailblazers,” Prof. Moshabela added.

The Chief Executive Officer of the NRF, Dr Fhulufhelo Nelwamondo, highlighted the NRF’s commitment to placing science, technology and innovation at the centre of government. He said that the NRF took the call to action to heart given its mandate and the critical role it plays in the national system of innovation.

The awards were presented in two categories, namely, Special Awards and NRF ratings.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Prof. Jill Farrant, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town

Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers

• Mr Avela Sogoni, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
• Mr Mashite Tshidi, School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand
• Dr Riona Indhur, Department of Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology
• Ms Caressa Munien, Department of Chemical Engineering, Durban University of Technology
• Mr Jonathan Oehley, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town

Research Excellence Award for Early Career/Emerging Researchers

• Dr Thulani Andrew Chauke, Department of Adult, Community and Continuing Education, University of South Africa
• Prof. Kgaugelo Edward Lekota, School of Biological Sciences, North-West University
• Dr Mbuzeleni Hlongwa, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Prof. Lebo Gafane-Matemane, Hypertension in Africa Research Team, North-West University
• Dr Msizi Innocent Mhlongo, Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg
• Dr Itumeleng Monageng, Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town
• Dr Busiswa Ndaba-Vatsha, Institute for Catalysis and Energy Solutions, University of South Africa
• Prof. Musawenkosi Saurombe, Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg
• Dr Bonginkosi Allen Thango, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg
• Dr Azile Nqombolo, Department of Chemical and Earth Sciences, University of Fort Hare

Focused Research Advancement Award

• University of Technology: Durban University of Technology
• Historically Disadvantaged University: University of the Western Cape

Public Engagement with Research Award

• Prof. Leila Patel, Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg

Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award

• Prof. Namrita Lall, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria

RATINGS-BASED AWARDS

P-rated researchers

• Dr Jesse Heyninck, Department of Computer Science, University of Cape Town
• Dr Simone Richardson, Antibody Immunity Research Unit, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
• Dr Mitchell Cox, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand
• Dr Mubeen Goolam, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town
• Dr Daniel Hart, Department of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria
• Prof. Laura Heathfield, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town

A-rated researchers

A-rated for the 6th time

• Prof. Michael Wingfield, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria

A-rated for the 5th time

• Distinguished Prof. Philippe-Joseph Salazar, Department of Private Law, University of Cape Town
• Prof. Igor Barashenkov, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town
• Prof. Douglas Butterworth, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town

A-rated for the 4th time

• Prof. Thaddeus Metz, Department of Philosophy, University of Pretoria
• Prof. David Richardson, Department of Zoology and Botany, Stellenbosch University
• Prof. Dan Stein, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town
A-Rated for the 3rd Time
• Prof. Don A Cowan, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria
• Prof. Lewis Ashwal, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand
• Prof. Don Ross, School of Economics, University of Cape Town
• Prof. Isabel Hofmeyr, Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand
• Prof. Harold Kincaid, School of Economics, University of Cape Town

A-rated for the 2nd time

• Prof. Kelly Chibale, Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town
• Prof. David McQuoid-Mason, School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal
• Dr Curtis W Marean, Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
• Prof. Josua Meyer, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University
• Prof. Philip Hallinger, Department of Education Leadership and Management, University of Johannesburg
• Prof. Gary Maartens, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town
• Prof. James Raftery, Department of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria

A-rated for the 1st time

• Prof. Andrew McKechnie, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria
• Prof. Ralf Henkel, Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape
• Prof. Susan Harrison, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town
• Prof. Ernst Conradie, Department of Religion and Theology, University of the Western Cape
• Prof. Matthias Bickelhaupt, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg
• Prof. Bruce Biccard, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town
• Prof. Jacek Banasiak, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Pretoria
• Prof. Sally Archibald, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
• Distinguished Prof. Umezuruike Linus Opara, Department of Horticultural Science, Stellenbosch University
• Prof. Alexander (Zander) Myburg, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University
• Prof. Ivan Vladislavić, Department of Creative Writing, University of the Witwatersrand
• Distinguished Prof. Charlie Shackleton, Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University
• Prof. Harald Winkler, PRISM, School of Economics, University of Cape Town

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.

Media files

.

Posted on

Young African agripreneurs share Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for agrifood systems transformation

Source: APO


.

A live X Spaces event exploring how young African innovators are using artificial intelligence (AI) to address food security challenges highlighted that digital inclusion is essential for rural communities. The one-hour live event on X, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Africa, brought together three AI entrepreneurs, from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Kenya, who are applying cutting-edge technologies to support smallholder farmers and improve productivity across the continent. Close to 200 people joined the online conversation.

Meet the innovators

The panel featured three young founders:

Tafadzwa Chikwereti of eAgro in Zimbabwe, developers of CropFix, a mobile platform that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies from photos taken by farmers;

Femi Adekoya of Integrated Aerial Precision in Nigeria, who is known as the Flying Farmer because he uses drones and AI to promote precision agriculture. He also trains youth through the Precision Field Academy;

and Lavender Birike of Klima360 in Kenya who uses AI to combine weather, soil, and market data to forecast climate risks and help farmers and insurers make informed decisions.

The session was moderated by Mathew Ayong from FAO, and FAO Digital Agriculture specialist Ken Lohento gave closing remarks.

Big ideas, big impact

Tafadzwa Chikwereti emphasized that smallholder farmers produce a significant share of Africa’s food but are often limited by lack of access to timely agronomic advice. “The biggest challenge is rural connectivity and digital literacy,” he said. “Bundling AI tools with accessible platforms is crucial for improving harvests.”

He explained how eAgro is helping close the information gap for smallholder farmers in rural areas. “We’re using artificial intelligence to analyse crops and identify pest disease and nutrient deficiency,” he said. “We deliver these insights using platforms including SMS text messages, which are crucial for smallholder farmers without internet or smartphones.”

Describing the concept of precision agriculture, Femi Adekoya said, “It means applying the right thing at the right time in the right place with the right intensity. That is sustainable agriculture,” he said.

He added that AI can analyse data collected by drones to provide farmers with targeted recommendations that reduce resource use while improving yield and climate resilience.

He highlighted the importance of collaboration across sectors. “We believe African youth can be equipped with the knowledge and skills to lead this work,” he said. “We’re working with universities across Nigeria and supporting youth including in last-mile communities.”

Lavender Birike of Klima360 highlighted the need for better access to open data. “We have a lot of research data sitting in different places. If we could pass policies that enable access and provide safety frameworks, it would open opportunities for young people to develop localized solutions,” she said.

She also shared her perspective on the importance of women’s participation in AI. “This is an opportunity for women to be involved from the beginning,” she said. “Understanding how data is gathered and analysed gives them the opportunity to participate meaningfully and to become digital champions.”

Driving transformation through partnerships

The session concluded with a reflection on how collaboration between governments, universities, the private sector, and development organizations can accelerate the adoption of AI in African agriculture. Led by FAO Digital Agriculture specialist Ken Lohento, the speakers emphasized that innovation must be inclusive and context-specific, addressing the needs of farmers regardless of their location or resources.

Lohento also highlighted FAO’s work in the digital agriculture space, including the Fostering Digital Villages (FDiVi) project in Senegal, Rwanda and Niger that is supporting rural communities to harness digital tools, including AI applications, to boost productivity and build resilience.

The X Spaces event drew strong engagement from the live audience, with participants asking questions and expressing support for the speakers’ insights and innovations. It is part of FAO’s ongoing Youth on the Frontier of Agrifood Systems series, which highlights the role of young people in shaping the future of agriculture in Africa. It follows a successful May session on young ag influencers, and forms part of FAO’s broader efforts to promote youth-led innovation and digital transformation in Africa’s agrifood systems.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.