O Chefe de Estado, Daniel Chapo, lançou, no distrito de Vilanculo, província de Inhambane, o Fundo de Desenvolvimento Económico Local (FDEL), uma iniciativa que visa impulsionar as economias distritais através do financiamento de pequenos negócios liderados por jovens e mulheres.
Discursando na cerimónia de lançamento do FDEL, que juntou membros da comunidade local, administradores dos 154 distritos do país, governadores e secretários de Estado provinciais, entre outros. o Presidente da República disse que este é um fundo para transformar ideias em negócios, gerar empregos e dinamizar a produção local. Não é ajuda gratuita, é crédito a ser devolvido para beneficiar outros cidadãos.
O estadista sublinhou que o FDEL surge como resposta directa às necessidades locais e às limitações estruturais do crédito convencional, muitas vezes inacessível para jovens em zonas rurais para os sectores como agricultura, pescas, turismo, serralharia, hotelaria, carpintaria, comércio e serviços.
O Presidente da República foi categórico ao exigir isenção: “Os comités de selecção devem evitar favoritismos. Este não é um fundo para amigos ou compadres, é para quem tem projectos viáveis, estamos a dar oportunidade a quem tem ideias, mas não tem garantias reais para aceder ao crédito bancário”.
Para garantir eficácia, será lançada uma plataforma digital de candidatura e monitoria, que permitirá maior transparência e acompanhamento da execução dos projectos. O governante apelou à fiscalização popular: “A comunidade deve vigiar o fundo. Quem não cumprir com os prazos de reembolso estará a bloquear o sonho de outros”.
O Governo comprometeu-se a capacitar os comités de avaliação e os próprios candidatos antes da liberação dos primeiros financiamentos, prevista para o mês de Setembro, o Presidente Daniel Chapo destacou a dimensão estratégica da iniciativa. “Este fundo não é apenas uma acção de inclusão produtiva, é também uma forma de fazer governação moderna e participativa, onde o Estado chega ao cidadão com soluções concretas”, afirmou.
Os administradores distritais terão um papel activo na articulação entre o Governo central e os beneficiários locais, sendo responsabilizados pela aplicação correcta dos fundos e pela promoção de resultados mensuráveis, o FDEL é um teste de liderança local, disse Chefe do Estado.
Com este lançamento, o Governo espera consolidar uma nova dinâmica económica assente na valorização dos recursos locais, no empreendedorismo de base e na construção de comunidades mais autónomas e resilientes.
Distribuído pelo Grupo APO para Portal do Governo de Moçambique.
Professor Firoz Cachalia sworn in as Minister of Police
Professor Firoz Cachalia has beensworn in as the new Minister of Police during ceremony held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday.
“In terms of the powers vested in me by Section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996, I have decided to appoint the following person as Minister for the portfolio indicated in the signed President’s Act. The said Minister-Designate, who is about to become Minister, is Professor Firoz Cachalia… (sic),” said President Cyril Ramaphosa during the ceremony.
The swearing in follows President Ramaphosa’s announcement last month that he had placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence with immediate effect.
The affirmation was administered by Acting Judge President, Aubrey Ledwaba, following Cachalia’s appointment by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The President further announced the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry, led by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, into allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi had raised concerns about an alleged criminal syndicate that has infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence structures. He also accused Mchunu of colluding with criminal elements to disband the Political Killings Task Team based in KwaZulu-Natal.
Director-General in The Presidency, Phindile Baleni, who spoke at the swearing-in, congratulated the newly appointed Minister.
“Minister, we congratulate you on your appointment and wish you much success in your duties and endeavours to make South Africa and the world a better place for all,” Baleni said.
Addressing members of the media after the ceremony, President Ramaphosa acknowledged the concerns regarding the seeming duplication in the police ministry.
“I know there is a technicality about seeming to have two Ministers in the same portfolio, and that is a matter I do believe is going to be resolved within a short space of time.
“I directed the commission [of inquiry] to complete its work as quickly as possible, so whatever confusion there might be is going to be of a short duration. I expect a report from the commission within three months and if they have to ask for an extension, we will give consideration to that.
“I do want this matter to be resolved as quickly as possible but at the same time, we have had to provide leadership to the police service. We can’t leave a vacuum. Whilst all of this is happening, Minister Mchunu is on leave while this matter is being resolved, and he is preparing himself, as I hear, to appear before the commission,” the President said.
Speaking to the media about his new role, Cachalia said he had not yet had an opportunity to meet with the President but had been informed that the first Cabinet meeting would take place on Wednesday, and he assumed the President would engage with him in due course.
Cachalia assured the public that he is fully aware of the responsibility that comes with the role and is committed to prioritising their safety and security.
“I don’t think there are any specific fears going into this portfolio. I understand the moment the country is in and the weight of the responsibility that I have, together with the others in government. I want to assure the public that their safety and security is uppermost in my mind. That’s what I am going to focus on, and I hope that I will be able to take the country forward,” he said.
Responding to a question on whether he supports the work of the Political Killings Task Team, Cachalia said he would comment after meeting with National Commissioner Fannie Masemola on Thursday next week.
“I don’t think it will be appropriate for me to comment on that without having the benefit of a discussion with him,” he said.
Cachalia also touched on his dual role as chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Council, whose term ends at the end of the month.
“I do think that my appointment as a Minister of this portfolio, while I am still the chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Council – the term of which expires at the end of this month… I am now in a better position than I was as chairperson to take the recommendations of the Council forward, and I will certainly be doing so.”
Cachalia said he would ask the National Commissioner, during their upcoming meeting, to arrange a session between the Anti-Corruption Council and the police management team to discuss the Council’s recommendations, adding that it is his intention to work closely with the Minister of Justice, as the recommendations impact both their portfolios.
“We will together be in a much better position going forward to take those recommendations forward. The recommendations that the Council has made are the ones I am committed to fully implementing,” Cachalia said.
On when he will travel to KwaZulu-Natal to meet with General Mkhwanazi, Cachalia said the visit will depend on his discussion with the National Commissioner.
“As the national Minister, I have to visit all the provinces – in what sequence and with what priorities in mind, that still has to be determined. So, I will answer that question in the coming days,” he said.
Minister Cachalia vowed to work hard and remain focused on his responsibilities despite the challenges surrounding his appointment.
“I will work hard. I am not distracted by the noise, and I am not driven by political ambition. I have been given a task. I am going to tackle the task without fear or favour, subject of course to the President’s guidance and direction as a member of the Cabinet,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Assistant Professor, Harvard University
Driven by a desire to explore Nigeria’s literary and cultural history beyond the metropolis of Lagos, I took a road trip to Ibadan, once the most important university town in the country. Ibadan, in Oyo State, was the first city in Nigeria to have a university set up in 1948.
It’s the city where celebrated Nigerian artist and architect Demas Nwoko imagined and built his utopias. Where the Oxford University Press and Heinemann Educational Books established their west African headquarters.
Books have always been a form of cultural currency in Ibadan. The presence of major publishers meant that bookshops were not just retail outlets, but intellectual salons, sites of encounter and exchange.
So while in Ibadan I visited cultural spaces and independent bookshops but it was the charms of the University campus that mostly captured my imagination. And my favourite place was the University of Ibadan Bookshop. At this campus bookshop I lingered the most, in awe and wonder. Its eclectic range of books, journals, public lecture pamphlets, novels, poetry collections and monographs excited me.
Books are cultural currency in Ibadan.Tinashe Mushakavanhu
Today, when the global publishing economy has increasingly digitised and centralised, the bookshop feels almost radical just by existing. It’s a reminder that intellectual life in Africa is not peripheral or derived from the west. It is present, prolific and profoundly local. To walk through the shelves of this bookshop was to encounter a history of African thought written and produced on its own terms.
As a scholar of African literature and archives, my research traces the hidden lives of spaces that have shaped publishing and archives. University bookshops have been overlooked but are essential nodes in the continent’s intellectual history.
A snapshot of Nigeria
This campus bookshop gives a snapshot of Nigeria as a print country. Here we witness the nation through its printed matter. A nation of prolific publishing. I found the literary output in the Ibadan campus bookshop not only vast but exuberant and unrelenting. It reflects the texture of the Nigerian personality: loud, boisterous, layered and insistent. Stacks upon stacks of books.
In these stacks, it dawned on me that beneath the surface lies a vibrant, ongoing literary discourse that is unmistakably Nigerian, and sadly not resonant far beyond its borders. These are books you don’t see on reference lists of “popular” and “influential” scholarship that privileges work produced and imported to Africa from the Euro-American academy.
Stacks upon stacks of books greet one.Tinashe Mushakavanhu
I was especially intrigued with how the Nigerian academic and writer does not tire in producing academic and cultural journals. There are journals for every subject under the sun.
While the critical framework of African literature is too often shaped by the global north (see critiques by Ato Quayson, Biodun Jeyifo, Simon Gikandi and Grace Musila) in Ibadan, I saw a distinctly local and deeply African critical discourse rooted in place, language and lived experience. To walk into the University of Ibadan Bookshop is to step into legacy. Its shelves bear the weight of decades of African thought, theory and storytelling.
Despite being housed in an ageing building, it has stayed defiant. Even though floods destroyed books and computers worth a small fortune in 2019, the bookshop is still standing proudly. And there was pride too among the staff who were eager to help or answer any questions about the books.
More than bookshops
The University of Ibadan bookshop reminded me of the bookshop from my undergraduate days in Zimbabwe. Even though our campus bookshop was much smaller, I used to find pleasure going there in between lectures. It often felt like walking into a vault of African knowledge and memory.
Our bookshop at Midlands State University stocked old, canonical books alongside current literature. On occasion, rare, out-of-print secondhand books would appear on the shelves. The bargain sales also meant I spent most of my money there.
A distinctly Nigerian book conversation.Tinashe Mushakavanhu
But to call these spaces on African university campuses “bookshops” hardly does them justice. They are hybrid cultural ecosystems that function as part bookshop, part print shop, stationer, library and sometimes even archive. They have long served as vital nodes in the circulation of African knowledge and thought.
Yet this ecosystem is rapidly eroding, undermined by the rise of internet culture, artificial intelligence, piracy and harsh economic conditions. The result is a slow but devastating disappearance of African intellectual memory. As scholars remind us, digital platforms are not neutral. They are structured by algorithms that often marginalise black and African knowledge. So, the loss of these analogue spaces is more than nostalgic, it is epistemic erasure.
In this digital age, there is something vital about the physical presence of bookshops on African campuses. Thanks to them, as a student, for me literature was the serendipity of discovery, the tactile feel of books, the beautiful persistence of a local knowledge system that was relatable and produced by people like me.
On the way out of the city, we stopped at Bower’s Tower. From there you can see Ibadan’s sprawling layout, the ancient hills from which the settlement was built, and its red roofs.
The view reflected the complexity and density of ideas the city has nurtured. And despite shifts in Nigeria’s publishing geography from here to Lagos and Abuja, Ibadan still matters. It’s a city that remembers, that archives, that holds on to knowledge.
– A university bookshop in Ibadan tells the story of Nigeria’s rich publishing culture – https://theconversation.com/a-university-bookshop-in-ibadan-tells-the-story-of-nigerias-rich-publishing-culture-262050
Ils sont 54 experts venus de divers horizons à avoir été honorés pour leur contribution déterminante à la réforme du système pénitentiaire en République centrafricaine. Le 30 juillet 2025, ils ont été décorés de la médaille des Nations Unies au cours d’une cérémonie solennelle en présence de plusieurs hautes autorités, dont le Représentant spécial adjoint du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies, Mohamed Ag Ayoya, et le ministre d’État chargé de la Justice, Arnaud Djoubaye Abazene.
Ces experts – ingénieurs, médecins, psychologues, architectes ou logisticiens – originaires du Burkina Faso, du Cameroun, de Madagascar, du Niger, du Rwanda, du Sénégal, de la Suède et du Togo, mettent au service du pays un savoir-faire riche et complémentaire. En travaillant en étroite collaboration avec leurs homologues centrafricains, ils accompagnent les efforts de professionnalisation et de modernisation du secteur pénitentiaire, pierre angulaire de l’état de droit.
Au nom des récipiendaires, leur représentante Mireille Nathalie Kenfack a exprimé la portée symbolique et morale de cette distinction : « Recevoir la médaille des Nations Unies est une marque de confiance et d’estime qui nous honore, mais elle représente aussi un appel à redoubler d’efforts, un engagement renouvelé à continuer notre mission avec professionnalisme, humanisme et intégrité. Nous mesurons pleinement la responsabilité qui nous incombe, et nous tenons à réaffirmer notre détermination à poursuivre cet engagement avec la même rigueur pour un système pénitentiaire plus performant, respectueux des droits humains et tourné vers la réinsertion ».
Pour sa part, Mohamed Ag Ayoya a salué leur engagement exemplaire : « Vous avez contribué à renforcer le système pénitentiaire national et à restaurer la confiance dans l’institution carcérale. Les médailles (…) sont l’expression officielle de cette reconnaissance au nom du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies et de toute la hiérarchie de la MINUSCA ».
Le ministre d’État Arnaud Djoubaye Abazene a quant à lui souligné l’impact de leur action sur la consolidation de l’état de droit : « Par votre sens du devoir et votre esprit de coopération, vous avez contribué à promouvoir un système pénitentiaire plus respectueux des droits humains, plus efficace et plus conforme aux normes internationales. Soyez rassurés d’avoir contribué à raffermir l’état de droit en République centrafricaine ».
Cette reconnaissance symbolise non seulement l’excellence du travail accompli, mais aussi la volonté partagée de faire du système pénitentiaire centrafricain un véritable levier de justice, de sécurité et de réinsertion sociale.
La République centrafricaine compte actuellement 16 Maisons d’arrêt, dont trois à Bangui et treize dans les préfectures, accueillant 2 615 détenus majeurs (dont 73 femmes) et 53 mineurs.
Distribué par APO Group pour United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Parliament has approved a motion allowing Kabale Regional Referral Hospital sublease five acres of land to Kabale University, clearing the way for the university to expand its Faculty of Medicine.
The Minister of Health, Ruth Aceng presented the proposal during the plenary sitting of Thursday, 31 July 2025.
Kabale University made the request in August 2022.
The university aims to build new teaching and medical facilities, including specialized clinics, patient wards, lecture halls and operating rooms.
Aceng said the move is a major boost for medical training and healthcare in southwestern Uganda noting that Kabale Regional Referral Hospital serves over 2.4 million people, including patients from Rwanda.
“This is more than just a land deal, it is an investment in better healthcare, stronger medical education and growth for the Kigezi sub-region and beyond,” Aceng said.
She noted that the expansion will help the university train more doctors and nurses for the region, addressing a critical shortage of healthcare workers in districts like Kabale, Kanungu, Ntungamo, Kisoro and Rukungiri.
Currently Kabale University’s medical school operates out of run-down hospital building that is set for demolition. Aceng emphasised that the sublease will allow the university to create a modern medical school and teaching hospital.
“This will improve training, enhance research, and bring better healthcare closer to the communities that need it most,” she said.
The Koboko Municipality MP, Hon. Charles Ayume said the motion was timely considering the state of the Medical school and its symbiotic relationship with the Regional Referral Hospital.
“A Medical school and hospital have a symbiotic relationship where they all benefit. The University does the teaching but the hospital benefits from extra services of lecturers and students during their training,” said Ayume adding that, “We had queried the type of doctors that will come from that dilapidated building”.
Tororo District Woman MP, Hon. Sarah Opendi asked fellow legislators to look into the status of Regional Referral Hospitals across the country, saying most are performing way below the capacity of a regional referral hospital.
“Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is challenged in terms of space and infrastructure, it remains a 100 bed capacity hospital which is below the requirement of a regional referral hospital,” Opendi said.
She noted that most of the regional referral hospitals are understaffed between 25 to 30 percent staffing level, praying that it should be addressed in the next budget cycle.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Xola Nqola, welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of Justice Dunstan Mlambo as Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa.
Mr Xola said Justice Mlambo brings with him a wealth of experience and a distinguished track record in the judiciary. He served as Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court for over a decade.
Justice Mlambo has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the independence of the judiciary, access to justice, and the transformation of the legal system, said the Chairperson. “His appointment is another positive step in the transformation of the judiciary and ensuring that it remains the protectors of our constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
“The portfolio committee extends its congratulations to Justice Mlambo on his appointment and wishes him success in this new role of national importance. We are confident that he will serve with integrity, wisdom, distinction and dedication to the Constitution,” emphasised the Chairperson.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
President Cyril Ramaphosa notes with concern the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States (US) on South African products.
The reciprocal tariffs have been imposed by the US on a significant number of its trade partners and South Africa has not been spared. South Africa will continue negotiating with the US regarding the 30 percent tariff announced by the US, which will come into effect on or after 12h01 eastern daylight time, 7 days after 1 August 2025.
All applicable exceptions published in the previous US Executive Order are set to remain in force and these exceptions covered products such as copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, certain critical minerals, stainless steel scrap and energy and energy products.
Government has been engaging the United States, and has submitted a Framework Deal that aims to enhance mutually beneficial trade and investment relations. All channels of communication remain open to engage with the US and our negotiators are ready pending invitation from the US.
In the meantime, Government is finalising a package to support companies that are vulnerable to the reciprocal tariffs. The package consists of a number of measures to assist companies, producers and workers affected by the tariffs on SA exports to the US. The details of the measures will be announced in due course.
South Africa and US trade relations are complementary in nature and South African exports do not pose a threat to US industry. Importantly, SA exports to the US contain inputs from the African Continent and contribute to intra-Africa trade.
South Africa will continue to pursue all diplomatic efforts to safeguard its national interests. It is important that as a country we keep our people at work and our companies producing some of the high-quality products destined for many parts of the world.
To this end, Government will intensify its diversification strategy to create resilience of our economy and is working with export councils and industry associations, as well as top exporters to the US with a view to assist with alternative markets. In this regard, an Export Support Desk to provide updates on development and provide advisory services to exporters has been established. The details are to be published by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on its website.
Government, through the dtic is also in constant contact with the US on the Framework Deal. The Executive order published by the United States today clarifies that goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12h01 eastern daylight time, 7 days after 1 August 2025, and entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, before 12h01 eastern daylight time on 5 October 2025, shall not be subject to such additional duty and shall instead remain subject to the additional ad valorem duties previously imposed in Executive Order 14257, as amended.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.
Authorities in Angola must carry out prompt, thorough and independent investigations into the deaths of at least 22 people, as well as associated human rights violations, during protests this week against an increase in fuel prices.
According to official reports, more than 1,000 people have been detained. Unverified footage suggests that security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters, which points to an unnecessary and disproportionate use of force.
We note that some of those protesting resorted to violence and that a number of individuals reportedly took advantage of the unrest to commit criminal acts, including looting shops, as well as vandalising property in multiple locations in the capital, Luanda.
We call on the Angolan authorities to refrain from resorting to unnecessary or disproportionate use of force to maintain public order, and to guarantee the full enjoyment of the rights to life, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
Any individuals who may have been arbitrarily detained must be immediately released. All protesters taking to the streets to express their opinions should do so peacefully. All human rights violations must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) has announced a set of measures in response to the tariff hike on South African exports to the United States, which comes into effect this month.
“The dtic has announced a set of measures in response to the imminent 30% tariff hike on South African exports to the United States, which comes into effect on 1 August 2025.
“These urgent interventions are part of the dtic’s ongoing commitment to protecting jobs, preserving market access in the United States, and promoting export diversification to alternate markets in Africa, the EU [European Union], Asia, Latin America, and other strategic partners,” Minister Parks Tau said in a statement ahead of the start of the implementation of the tariff.
In Thursday’s statement, Tau said key among the interventions is the establishment of an Export Support Desk, which will serve as a direct point of contact for companies affected by the US tariff hike.
“The Desk will provide updates on developments and tailored advisory services to exporters on alternative destinations, guidance on market entry processes, insights into compliance requirements and linkages to South African Embassies and High Commissions abroad.”
In July, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted the correspondence from the United States (US) President Donald Trump on the unilateral imposition of a 30% trade tariff against South Africa.
In a letter addressed to President Ramaphosa, President Trump announced that he would subject imports from South Africa to new 30% tariffs, that would take effect from 1 August 2025.
On Thursday, the dtic said the tariff hike poses a “direct threat” to the country’s export capacity, particularly in strategic sectors such as automotive, agro-processing, steel and chemicals, amongst others.
“As government, we are fully committed to supporting our exporters through this challenging time. We are working with urgency and resolve to implement real and practical interventions that defend jobs and position South Africa competitively in a shifting global landscape.
“The stakes are high and we must respond decisively to ensure our export industries remain resilient, competitive, and globally integrated into diversified markets.
“Exporters are encouraged to engage directly with the Export Support Desk and also to visit the dtic website regularly for updates and support mechanisms. The dtic remains steadfast in its mission to assist local producers and safeguard South Africa’s trade interests amid growing global uncertainty,” the Minister explained.
The contact details of the Export Support Desk are as follows:
Exporters to the United States and Market Enquiries related to the Americas can contact: • Ms. Nthatisi Moraloge NMoraloge@thedtic.gov.za (012) 394-1125 Or • Mr. Karabo Modimokwane KModimokwane@thedtc.gov.za (012) 394-1164
Market Enquiries related to other markets:
In the African region exporters can contact: • Ms. Zamaswazi Nkosi ZPNkosi@thedtic.gov.za (012) 394-3533
Or
• Mr. Mncedisi Madela MMadela@thedtic.gov.za (012) 394-5659
Or
• Ms. Sithembile Shongwe SLShongwe@thedtic.gov.za Or
À Kikwit, dans la province du Kwilu au sud-ouest de la République démocratique du Congo, le marché de « basse ville » est en pleine effervescence ce matin. Le soleil, au zénith ne semble perturbé personne. Dans un ballet incessant et bruyant, motocyclettes, tricycles, camions de marchandises, et de vendeurs à la criée s’entremêlent, signes du dynamisme de l’activité économique dans cette ville située à plus de 600 kilomètres de la capitale.
Au loin, on aperçoit déjà, des hommes qui s’activent à charger d’énormes fûts en plastique bleu dans de gros camions alignés en file indienne au bord du marché. Destination finale : Kinshasa, via la Route nationale No1 ou RN1.
Modeste Mafangala, transporteur routier, ne cache pas sa satisfaction face à un récent changement majeur dans son quotidien : la réfection du tronçon Kinshasa–N’Djili–Batshamba de la RN1.
« Avant, c’était très difficile de partir d’ici jusqu’à Kinshasa. On pouvait passer une à deux semaines sur la route. Mais maintenant, la route est bonne. Les marchandises qu’on charge aujourd’hui arriveront à destination le lendemain, que ce soit par bus, camion ou à moto », confie-t-il, visiblement soulagé.
Le Projet de réhabilitation de la Route nationale n°1, sur le tronçon Kinshasa-N’Djili – Batshamba long de 622 kilomètres, a été financé à hauteur de 70,2 millions de dollars américains par le Fonds africain de développement, le guichet concessionnel du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement. Le projet répond à l’enjeu majeur du désenclavement des zones rurales. Longtemps isolées en raison de la dégradation des routes, les provinces du Kwango et du Kwilu bénéficient désormais d’une meilleure connectivité avec la capitale et entre elles.
Cette amélioration facilite considérablement les échanges interprovinciaux et crée une dynamique d’intégration économique régionale. L’impact est particulièrement visible sur les conditions de transport. Le trajet entre Kinshasa, Kenge, Kikwit et Batshamba, se fait désormais en six heures à peine.
« À l’époque, les transporteurs faisaient des jours et des jours pour atteindre Kikwit ou Tshikapa. Mais aujourd’hui, ils y sont en moins de temps et font des économies sur le carburant et même sur les pièces de rechange, car avec tous les nids-de-poule sur la route, les véhicules subissaient d’importants dégâts. On peut dire que les transporteurs y trouvent maintenant leur compte », explique Jean Luemba, coordonnateur de la cellule d’exécution du projet à Kinshasa.
Mais les retombées du projet vont bien au-delà de la simple remise en état de la route. Une approche intégrée du développement a permis de multiplier les impacts positifs pour les populations de la zone d’intervention du projet. Des écoles bénéficient désormais d’un accès à l’eau potable, des centres de santé ont été construits, des marchés ruraux réhabilités, des pistes agricoles aménagées, et plusieurs villages ont été équipés de forages.
À l’Institut Don Bosco de Kenge, par exemple, le projet a changé le quotidien des élèves. Un forage d’eau potable avec borne fontaine a été installé dans la cour de l’établissement. Désormais, les élèves peuvent profiter sereinement de leur pause, car trouver de l’eau à boire n’est plus un souci.
Espérance Anga, élève en classe de 4e mécanique générale, rencontrée près de la fontaine, témoigne : « C’est une très bonne chose pour nous. Avant, on avait du mal à avoir de l’eau potable pendant les pauses. On achetait de l’eau en sachet à la cantine. Maintenant, grâce au forage, c’est beaucoup plus facile. »
Le projet de réhabilitation de la RN1 constitue un chantier d’infrastructure important, susceptible d’avoir des effets positifs sur le développement socio-économique en République démocratique du Congo. En reliant Kinshasa aux provinces du Kwango et du Kwilu, cette route facilite les déplacements et les échanges, avec des répercussions sur la vie quotidienne des communautés et l’activité économique.
« Aujourd’hui, les habitants le long de la route peuvent mieux valoriser leur production quotidienne. Ils vendent plus facilement, car les véhicules accèdent désormais directement à leurs villages. Une mère de famille, par exemple, n’a plus besoin de se rendre jusqu’à Kinshasa ou au marché pour écouler un sac de manioc ou de charbon : elle peut le vendre devant sa maison. C’est un véritable changement dans leur quotidien. », a constaté Jean Luemba.
Distribué par APO Group pour African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
