MIL Africa Engine

Source: Government of South Africa

The United Nations has launched the Report of the Secretary-General for the Second Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4), calling for accelerated action to transform the world’s food systems as a cornerstone of delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The report was officially unveiled on Monday during the UNFSS+4, currently underway at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Launched five years before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline, the report outlines both growing global momentum and the urgent need to scale up inclusive, resilient, and rights-based food systems transformation globally.

At the heart of this is SDG 2, which aims to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030.

In a statement issued on Monday, the United Nations noted that the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit marked a turning point by recognising food systems as fundamental to achieving all 17 SDGs.

“Two years later, the first Stocktake (UNFSS+2) reaffirmed countries’ commitments [to this vision],” the United Nations said.

According to the UNFSS+4 Report, a more coordinated and diverse community of governments, including UN agencies, civil society, indigenous people, youth, farmers, businesses, and others is working together to align food systems pathways with broader national and global development goals.

The report also noted that by 2025, 128 countries had developed national food systems transformation pathways, with 155 having appointed National Convenors.

“Of these, 39 countries revised and updated their pathways into more actionable implementation plans. In a significant increase in accountability, 112 countries voluntarily submitted progress reports in 2025, up from 101 in 2023.”

Key trends highlighted in the report include:

•    The right to food is gaining ground, with countries placing it at the heart of national strategies and, in some cases, enshrining it in constitutions and legislation.
•    Policy integration is deepening, as governments embed food systems into national development plans, budget frameworks, and climate and biodiversity strategies.
•    Governance mechanisms are becoming more fit-for-purpose, with countries establishing high-level, cross-sectoral bodies to oversee implementation.
•    Coalitions and partnerships are expanding, with 20 of the original 31 UNFSS Coalitions of Action continuing to provide critical support through advocacy, technical assistance and financing.
•    Inclusivity is being prioritised, with governments advancing policies that centre women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and smallholder producers.
•    UN support is intensifying, with Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams working closely with governments to align efforts across agencies and sectors.
•    Science, data and technology are driving change, with increased investments in AI, digital tools and evidence-based decision-making.
•    Financing is mobilising, though challenges remain. Countries report reallocating national budgets, accessing climate funds, and engaging with regional and international financial institutions, including through blended finance and innovative instruments.

As the world passes the halfway mark between the 2021 Food Systems Summit and the 2030 SDG deadline, the report stresses the critical role of the multilateral system in delivering resilient food systems and solutions.

Looking ahead, the report identifies upcoming global events, such as the World Summit for Social Development and COP30 [Climate Change Conference] as key opportunities to build on the momentum of UNFSS+4.

These summits are expected to link food systems transformation to broader priorities, including decent jobs, energy and affordability, digital connectivity, education, employment and social protection, and climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Government of South Africa

The global shift toward a future powered by green energy solutions must be fair and equitable – safeguarding workers, protecting vulnerable communities and ensuring that no nation is excluded from the benefits of a sustainable future.

This is according to Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who delivered opening remarks at the third G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meeting held in the North West.

“Finance must become a tool of inclusion, not a barrier to participation. The credibility of global transition rests on whether finance reaches where it is needed most at the scale required and with the speed demanded by development and climate imperatives.

“The social dimensions of energy transition must remain central. Energy transitions must not deepen inequality. They must reduce it. No community, no worker, no country should be left behind,” Ramokgopa said on Wednesday.

Furthermore, energy transitions will not be sustainable “without a fundamental reconfiguration of the global energy finance architecture”. 

“Scaling up climate and energy finance is not only urgent, but also central to closing the infrastructure gap, addressing energy poverty and driving structural transformation and industrialisation. 

“We must shift from pledges to execution, from fragmented flows to coordinated and catalytic investments.”

According to the Minister, this will require, amongst others:
•    Addressing the systemic underinvestment in transmission, distribution, and flexible generation capacity.
•    Structuring finance to support long-term affordability, particularly for vulnerable and energy poor communities.
•    Establishing derisking mechanisms that attract private capital, whilst preserving public oversight.
•    Expanding access to concessional and blended finance for early stage and localised energy projects.
•    Prioritising small and medium enterprises as delivery agents in the energy value chain.

Balancing energy solutions

The Minister acknowledged the pivotal role of green energy solutions in decarbonising economies. However, he cautioned that “renewables alone cannot meet all systems requirements”.

“We must remain clear eyed about the technical and economic realities of transitioning complex energy systems. Renewables alone cannot meet all systems requirements, especially in regions with variable resources, legacy baseload infrastructure or limited grid flexibility.

“The energy transition must be planned and managed with reliability, system adequacy, and affordability in mind. This means adopting a pragmatic technology inclusive approach that supports both decarbonisation and development objectives,” Ramokgopa explained.

He said in addition to renewables, the following technologies must be part of the solution:
•    Carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) to reduce emissions from hard to abate sectors and existing fossil assets.
•    Small modular reactors as a dispatchable low emission baseload options suitable for diverse geographies.
•    Carbon removal and long duration storage technologies to offset residual emissions and enhance system reliance.
•    Demand side and system flexibility tools, including digital technologies, to balance load and optimise system operations.

“A technology inclusive approach ensures that countries can select solutions that are aligned with their energy mix, infrastructure readiness and industrial strategy. 

“It also expands investments options, supports innovations and avoids prematurely locking out viable low carbon technologies. 

“The transition must be both ambitious and anchored in the realities of implementations. These solutions are essential for hard to abate sectors, and for economies that need flexible pathways. They will help us navigate uncertainty and avoid excluding countries with legacy systems or resource based energy economies.”

Ramokgopa urged G20 countries to “increase cooperation in technology development, expand knowledge exchange, and support capacity building in areas such as carbon storage and CCUS deployment”.

Africa’s aspirations

Ramokgopa noted the African continent’s decarbonisation ambitions in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Africa Energy Efficiency Strategy.

The strategy seeks to explore and define the role of energy efficiency technology in the energy mix of the continent, pledging to achieve a 50% increase in energy productivity by 2050. 

According to the African Union, Agenda 2063 is Africa’s development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period.

The Minister emphasised that these ambitions “must be supported… not only through declarations, but through practical interventions, investments and partnerships that build resilience and shift outcomes”. 

On a global scale, the Minister highlighted the reality that hundreds of millions still have no electricity.

“We must also be candid. The lack of universal access to modern energy services remains a global failure. Over 760 million people still live without electricity. More than 2.6 billion rely on unsafe fuels for cooking.

“These figures represent people. They are mothers, children, workers and students. They are full of potential, held back by structural energy poverty.

“We commend previous G20 presidencies for elevating clean cooking as a priority. Today, we call on this working group to develop that agenda further and stand with us in accelerating access to clean cooking solutions at scale,” Ramokgopa said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

The Health Ombud report, released by Professor Taole Mokoena, has revealed concerning findings from an investigation into the treatment, complications and deaths of psychiatric patients at the Northern Cape Mental Health Hospital (NCMHH) and the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMHSH). 

The report highlights issues such as prolonged damage to electricity infrastructure, patients freezing to death, acute staff shortages, dangerous medical negligence, and poor facility conditions, including broken windows and leaking roofs.

The investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged by Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, following complications and deaths of psychiatric patients in the Northern Cape hospitals last year. 

This follows the referral of three patients – John Louw, Cyprian Mohoto and Petrus de Bruin – from NCMHH to RMHSH in critical condition last July.

The investigation revealed that two patients from NCMHH had died. One of them, Mohoto, passed away on 16 July 2024, at RMHSH after being referred there from NCMHH for treatment. 

The other patient, Tshepo Mdimbaza, unexpectedly died at NCMHH on 3 August 2024. 

According to the Health Ombud, the deaths and illnesses occurred when the NCMHH was facing electricity supply problems caused by theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure. 

WATCH |

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The health establishment was relying on a diesel-powered generator for its electricity supply.

The investigation uncovered multiple critical issues, with patients exposed to extreme cold during electricity outages, with one patient dying from hypothermia and others developing serious medical complications.

It also revealed that two patients from the NCMHH died due to poor conditions, including a lack of electricity and inadequate medical care. 

One patient died of hypothermia, another of pneumonia, and a third of a stroke.

“Patients were freezing to death,” Mokoena said on Wednesday. 

According to the report, Mdimbaza died from hypothermia. Mohoto developed multilobar pneumonia and subsequently passed away. The third patient, Louw, suffered a stroke due to severe hypothermia, and the fourth patient, De Bruin, also experienced hypothermia. 

Mokoena said the lack of heating exposed the patients and personnel to extreme winter cold. 

Meanwhile, the pyjamas and blankets that were procured were of “poor design and flimsy material”, not capable of providing the necessary warmth, with insufficient general linen. 

“Nurses were forced to work in the dark using cellphone torches, and electromagnetic locks were non-functional, creating major security risks,” Mokoena said.

He highlighted key findings, including NCMHH lacking emergency resuscitation equipment and relevant drugs. 

“Thus, patients could not receive the necessary emergency resuscitation with dire consequences, for example, patient Mdimbaza, who died at NCMHH, and patient De Bruin before transfer to RMSH.”

The probe also found staff operating at only 53% capacity, junior nurses managing high-acuity units without proper supervision, and a lack of professional leadership. 

In addition, the Health Ombud stated that both nursing and medical staff do not keep up-to-date patient vital signs, and there was generally poor record keeping.

Mokoena said it was an indictment that NCMHH took a year to repair the damaged electricity infrastructure, whereas the adjacent private hospitals managed to repair their affected electricity infrastructure within one month. 

“These shortcomings have not been allowed to prevail; the patients who died could still be alive today,” said Mokoena. 

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi told the media that there could be potential professional misconduct by medical staff and suggested a referral of medical personnel to the South African Health Professions Council (HPCSA). 

The Minister emphasised poor leadership, saying: “My conclusion is that… leadership is not working together. I don’t think they even have management meetings or mortality meetings.”

The Minister also announced the establishment of a National Mental Health Review Committee to comprehensively investigate and restart hospital management processes. – SAnews.gov.za