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SIU welcomes the arrest of Govindraju

Source: Government of South Africa

SIU welcomes the arrest of Govindraju

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the arrest of Stefan Joel Govindraju, who made his first appearance before the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge on Monday.

Govindraju faces multiple charges arising from allegations of the procurement of medical supplies and equipment at Tembisa Hospital. The charges include 70 counts of fraud, theft, money laundering and corruption-related offences. 

In April 2025, the SIU referred evidence of criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), linking Govindraju and Tembisa Hospital officials, who were part of his syndicate in fraud and corruption at the hospital.

“The arrest follows the SIU’s ongoing investigation into procurement irregularities and alleged corruption at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng, including the activities of three main alleged procurement syndicates, one of which is the Govindraju syndicate, formerly known as syndicate X,” the SIU said in a statement.

To date, the SIU has found that the Govindraju syndicate siphoned approximately R600 million from the hospital.

“The SIU’s investigation has identified 75 companies linked to Govindraju, which traded with Tembisa Hospital. During 2020 and 2023, these entities were awarded 1 237 contracts through a purported three-quotation procurement process, which allegedly failed to comply with applicable procurement prescripts.

“Among the companies linked to Govindraju that traded with Tembisa Hospital are Diolinx (Pty) Ltd and Fuligenix (Pty) Ltd.

“The SIU has so far identified a number of assets linked to Govindraju, with a combined value of approximately R150 million,” the SIU said.

The SIU further identified approximately R100 million in payments from companies linked to the alleged Govindraju syndicate to former and current Tembisa Hospital officials involved in supply chain management. These payments are suspected to be kickbacks.

The officials allegedly involved in the scheme were responsible for various stages of the procurement process, including identifying needs, sourcing service providers linked to Govindraju, adjudicating and recommending their appointment, approving appointments, certifying compliance with procurement regulations, confirming the delivery of goods and services, issuing proof of payment, and facilitating payments to the service providers.

Govindraju has also been linked to Duduzile Nkosazana Nobungwana, a former supply chain clerk at Tembisa Hospital and 11 other officials. 

The SIU’s investigation traced funds allegedly used to acquire Nobungwana’s property in Midstream. These funds are linked to payments made by companies within the network, including entities linked to Govindraju’s syndicate.

The SIU subsequently obtained a preservation order from the Special Tribunal in respect of the Midstream property, valued at approximately R6.4 million.

In addition, Nobungwana’s pension benefits, valued at approximately R1.8 million and held by the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and administered by the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA), have been preserved.

Govindraju has also been linked to Zacharia Tshisele, an Operational Nursing Manager at Tembisa Hospital, who was able to initiate Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes as an “end-user” and facilitate payments by confirming the receipt of goods.

Tshisele has since paid R13 530 904.27 to the SIU, representing a portion of his ill-gotten gains. The SIU’s civil investigation to recover all proceeds of corruption from Tshisele remains ongoing.

The SIU says it remains determined to root out corruption across every government department, municipality and public entity where it is mandated to investigate.

The SIU is authorised by Proclamation 136 of 2023 to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of the Gauteng Department of Health and Tembisa Hospital. The investigation is ongoing.

In terms of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 (SIU Act), the SIU refers evidence of possible criminal conduct uncovered during its investigations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for consideration and further action. 

The SIU is also empowered to initiate civil proceedings in the High Court or Special Tribunal to recover financial losses suffered by the State. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin

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Ethics, integrity top priorities for public service

Source: Government of South Africa

Ethics, integrity top priorities for public service

The Department of Public Service and Administration’s (DPSA) Strengthening Ethics, Integrity and Green Governance (SEIGG) Project is poised to catapult the public service into a new era of strengthened accountability, transparency and ethical conduct.

The project will run from 2025 to 2030 and is funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Cowater International, with a budget of approximately R50 million.

At the launch of the project, DPSA Acting Director-General Willie Vukela noted that SEIGG builds on work already done under the Strengthening Ethics, Integrity Project.

“[The] Strengthening Ethics, Integrity Project, over the past years, has laid a solid foundation. We are not starting from scratch. We are building on that success and charting a new ambitious course for the future of our public service. 

“As we launch this chapter, it is important to reflect on where we have come from. The project was a critical enabler in our efforts to professionalise the public service and restore the public trust.

“It demonstrated the power of a genuine partnership where technical assistance is co-owned and co-developed to address our country’s present challenges.

The five-year initiative focuses on:

  • Safer workplaces: Strengthening the prevention of and response to harassment, including sexual harassment.
  • Ethics and professional conduct: Improving ethics, integrity and disciplinary management across public administration.
  • Protecting public procurement: Strengthening prevention, monitoring and early detection measures, with a focus on promoting integrity and good governance within the climate change and energy sectors.
  • Promoting good governance in the climate change and energy sectors.

“What we are doing here is to put a brick on the foundation for a better future of our citizens. The fundamentals are to address the basics, so that the citizens can begin to enjoy service delivery,” Vukela said.

An ethical public service

The SEIGG also builds on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assurance during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this year that government is building an ethical and capable public service, supported by “committed and honest public servants with the right skills and a deep culture of service”.

Government has already passed significant new legislation to professionalise the public service, such as the Public Service Amendment Bill.

“[This] will protect key appointments from political interference and ensure that capable and qualified people are appointed to senior positions on the basis of their suitability for the job,” the president said at the time

The bill was signed into law in April this year and is now known as the Public Service Amendment Act 9 of 2025 together with the Public Administration Management Amendment Act, 2025.

Disciplined and ethical public servants are now also par for the course.

“Lifestyle audits have been made mandatory for senior public servants, reaching 93% compliance across departments last year.

“We are establishing a central registry for disciplinary cases across all spheres of government. This will prevent people who are facing or have undergone disciplinary action from being employed elsewhere in the state,” President Ramaphosa assured during the SONA. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB

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Project & Investment Network and African Infrastructure Elites: A stronger platform for African project visibility

Source: APO – Report:

Africa’s power, energy and water sectors need more than good ideas. They need visibility, credibility, structured engagement and the right capital connections.

The Project & Investment Network (https://apo-opa.co/4qPyeal) (P&IN), created by VUKA Group, supports this by creating a curated environment where project owners can present opportunities and investors can identify high-potential developments aligned with their mandates. With African Infrastructure Elites (https://apo-opa.co/4h4j2mu) as Host Media Partner, these opportunities gain additional reach through one of Africa’s trusted power, energy, water and utility media platforms.

This partnership helps bridge a persistent gap in the market: strong projects need access to capital and investors need credible, well-positioned opportunities.

The Project & Investment Network is a dedicated meeting ground for project developers, financiers, investors, utilities, municipalities, commercial and industrial energy users and strategic partners active in Africa’s power, energy and water sectors.

Through this collaboration, African Infrastructure Elites will support The Project & Investment Network by amplifying the projects, people and investment conversations shaping Africa’s infrastructure future.

Upcoming opportunities to participate

P&IN will create opportunities for project owners and investors to engage across VUKA Group’s upcoming power, energy and water events:

Project & Investment Network Open: 23 October 2026, Serengeti Golf Club, Johannesburg, South Africa: Register your interest (https://apo-opa.co/4ygw8D6) in participating in the Open.

C&I Energy + Storage Summit Johannesburg: 28 – 29 October 2026, The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa: A targeted platform for South Africa’s commercial and industrial sector, co-located with a C&I-focused Water Security Africa programme and the EIUG Conference. Find out more (https://apo-opa.co/4qTkLyv).

Enlit Africa: 11 – 13 May 2027, CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa: Africa’s leading power, energy and water conference and exhibition, hosted annually at the CTICC in Cape Town and attended by thousands of sector stakeholders from across the continent and beyond. Find out more (https://apo-opa.co/4yal5v6).

Water Security Africa: 11 – 13 May 2027, CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa: Co-located with Enlit Africa, this platform explores the water-energy-food nexus and the solutions needed to strengthen water resilience across Africa. Find out more (https://apo-opa.co/4zOtF4e).

Submit your project

Do you have a power, energy, water or infrastructure project seeking visibility, finance or strategic partners? Submit your project (https://apo-opa.co/4qPyeal) to the Project & Investment Network.

Apply as an investor

Are you looking for credible project opportunities across Africa’s power, energy and water sectors? Apply to participate as an investor (https://apo-opa.co/4qPyeal) in the Project & Investment Network.

For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Marcel du Toit: marel.dutoit@wearevuka.com 

Why Africa Infrastructure Elites matters

The African Infrastructure Elites (https://apo-opa.co/4h4j2mu) is an annual initiative by ESI Africa that recognises the projects, leaders and innovations shaping Africa’s power, energy, water and transport markets. The platform profiles the people and projects driving measurable impact across the continent, from generation, transmission and distribution to water, storage, clean energy, infrastructure, mobility and sector-coupling solutions.

For project owners, being associated with Elites creates long-term visibility among decision-makers, policy influencers, technical specialists and investment stakeholders. For investors, it provides a trusted lens into the projects, companies and leaders advancing Africa’s energy, water and transport priorities.

Nominations for the 11th African Infrastructure Elites: Projects and People Magazine are open (https://apo-opa.co/3UQS6xY) until the 2nd of October 2026.

The theme for the 2026/27 edition, Access and Affordability Empowers Security for All, speaks directly to one of Africa’s most pressing development imperatives. Reliable and affordable access to electricity, clean water, sanitation and sustainable transport remains fundamental to economic growth, social wellbeing and long-term resilience.
 

– on behalf of VUKA Group.

About the Project & Investment Network:
The Project & Investment Network connects project owners, financiers, investors and strategic partners across Africa’s power, energy and water sectors. Through curated engagement at VUKA Group events, PIN helps bring credible projects closer to the capital, partnerships and market access they need to move forward. Find out more (https://apo-opa.co/4qPyeal)

About ESI Africa:
ESI Africa – Africa’s trusted power, energy, water, transport and utility multimedia platform – is positioned as an impartial industry mouthpiece, delivering the latest technical developments and analysis in print, digital and multimedia formats since 1996.

The brand’s various routes to market are expertly primed to build a bridge between readers and solution providers as ESI Africa sifts through the daily noise and delivers the tale of Africa’s infrastructure transformation worldwide.

Join the ESI Africa on WhatsApp channel (https://apo-opa.co/4gxvQBU) for insights on how the power, energy, water and transport sectors are evolving.

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Ghana: Mahama decries selective global injustice, champions climate action and tech equality for the Global South

Source: APO – Report:

President John Dramani Mahama has called out the international community for “selectivity and indifference” in handling severe global humanitarian crises, demanding universal enforcement of international law in Sudan and Gaza, an end to the embargo against Cuba, and aggressive action on global climate inequality.

Delivering his remarks at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) 65th Anniversary Summit in Belgrade, President Mahama insisted that a just world order cannot tolerate double standards where international law is applied strictly to some and ignored for others.

Drawing attention to forgotten conflicts, Mahama highlighted the worsening crisis in Sudan, describing it as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster with over 11 million displaced people, and called for an immediate halt to civilian suffering and unhindered aid delivery in Gaza. He further reiterated Ghana’s demand for an immediate end to the decades-long economic embargo against Cuba, describing unilateral coercive measures as violations of the UN Charter.

“The credibility of the international system is tested most severely when human suffering is met with silence, selectivity, or indifference,” President Mahama stated. “Sovereignty cannot be defended selectively, and international law cannot retain its authority if its application depends on political circumstance and lack of principle.”

Turning to environmental and technological threats shaping the modern world, President Mahama urged NAM to forge a unified front against climate change and the growing Artificial Intelligence (AI) divide. He warned that without deliberate intervention, emerging technologies could deepen existing economic disparities between rich and poor nations.

Mahama said Ghana’s upcoming Chairmanship of the African Union in 2027, alongside its leadership of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change, will serve as a vital platform to push for robust climate finance, adaptation support, and renewable energy investments for developing nations.

“Our planet is at risk,” Mahama warned, citing extreme weather events across Europe, Africa, and Asia. “In the same vein, artificial intelligence offers significant opportunities, but unequal access risks deepening existing divides. NAM must ensure our countries are not mere consumers of tech, but active participants in technology and governance.”

Concluding his address, Mahama rallied the Movement to look forward with confidence: “Our direction remains clear: neither East nor West, but forward together, with principle, purpose, and confidence.”

– on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

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Sudan: Humanitarians step up cholera response amid conflict, rising needs

Source: APO – Report:

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OCHA reports that despite active conflict and funding shortfalls, humanitarian organizations continue to deliver life-saving assistance across Sudan.

From January to July, the UN and humanitarian partners reached 12.3 million people across Sudan with at least one form of assistance. 

However, just 2.2 million people – or 18 per cent of those reached – received assistance across multiple sectors, underscoring the impact of underfunding and other challenges on efforts to reach people with the full range of support they need.

Meanwhile, the UN and partners are stepping up efforts to tackle cholera as the rainy season continues. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2,600 cases had been reported by early August across multiple states, with the Kordofan region at the epicentre.

Health workers continue to provide treatment, conduct vaccination campaigns and distribute essential medical supplies. Tragically, WHO reports that a vaccinator was killed in an attack on a market in West Kordofan State on Saturday, while searching for her son among casualties from an earlier attack.

Meanwhile, humanitarians are scaling up efforts to provide clean water. In Kordofan State, a water system rehabilitated with UNICEF support in Abu Jubayhah is now providing safe water to 25,000 people every day, including 5,000 displaced people.

At the same time, insecurity continues to drive displacement, including in the Kordofan region. IOM reports that some 730 people fled several villages in Abassiya locality, South Kordofan, on Sunday. They sought safety elsewhere in Abassiya and in Um Rawaba locality in neighbouring North Kordofan.

OCHA once again calls on all parties to protect civilians, including health and humanitarian workers, and to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access.

The UN continues to appeal for additional funding. This year’s humanitarian appeal for Sudan remains 41 per cent funded, with about $1.2 billion received against the nearly $2.9 billion required.

– on behalf of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

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Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola response a race against time, United Nations (UN) aid chief warns

Source: APO – Report:

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Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, stressed today that we cannot respond incrementally to an epidemic which is now growing exponentially. 

Speaking to Member States, Fletcher called for a sustained, large-scale operation that gets ahead of the Ebola virus.

He said that we cannot fight Ebola in isolation: people need functioning health services, clean water, sanitation, food, protection and livelihoods. Above all, they need trust.

Fletcher noted that time is not on our side, but the UN and partners have the experience, the tools, and extraordinary people risking their lives to stop this epidemic. What is needed now is political will, access, and resources. He said We have beaten Ebola before. And we can do it again.

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is driving fresh displacement and complicating efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak.

In the province of Ituri, local civil society sources say that at least 37 civilians were killed and more than 35 people abducted during armed attacks in the territory of Mambasa on 29 August. The violence triggered new displacement from several villages, and at least 86 civilians have been killed in attacks across the territory in August. 

In neighbouring South Kivu province, partners report that clashes in the territory of Walungu have displaced at least 15,000 people since 23 August. Most of those displaced are sheltering with host families and need food, shelter and healthcare. Meanwhile, active fighting in parts of North Kivu province continues to force people to flee their homes.

These developments are unfolding in provinces affected by the Ebola outbreak. As of 30 August, national health authorities had reported more than 6,100 confirmed cases and nearly 2,950 deaths.

Insecurity and the movement of people continue to hamper surveillance and response efforts.

Despite these challenges, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to support the authorities’ response. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has conducted nearly 23 million health screenings in the DRC and neighbouring countries, helping to monitor people’s movements, detect potential cases and reduce the risk of transmission across borders.

The UN reiterates its call on all parties to protect civilians and facilitate safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access. Maintaining access to communities affected by the outbreak remains critical for delivering life-saving assistance and supporting efforts to bring Ebola under control.

– on behalf of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

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Global justice report offers bold ideas but misses the realities of 2 billion informal workers – economists

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Laura Alfers, Research Associate, Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit, Rhodes University

Rising inequality is, at its core, a political and policy choice. This is the central message of the Global Justice Report authored by experts based at the World Inequality Lab, led by economists Thomas Piketty and Lucas Chancel.

As economists and experts on labour, inequality and the informal economy, we believe there is a great deal to support in the report, which was released in June 2026. It is a bold effort to connect redistribution, climate action and global democracy.

Among the proposals it makes is the creation of a Global Justice Fund financed through additional taxes on the wealth and incomes of roughly the richest 1% of the world’s population. Much of the initial revenue would be invested in a World Sovereign Fund. The returns would finance continuing transfers to countries on an equal per-capita basis. These country dividends would support investment in health, education, climate action and infrastructure.

The report makes a number of other proposals too. These include moving towards “sufficiency”, through

a sharp reduction in labour hours and material footprint and large changes in consumption patterns, food habits, land use, and forest cover.

These proposals deserve to be taken seriously.

But the report’s understanding of how labour markets operate in the global south demands scrutiny. A programme conceived in the name of global justice must not turn the particular history and institutions of the developed world into the future prescribed for everyone else.

Rather, it should start from a defining economic reality of the global south. This is that most workers earn their livelihoods in informal employment, beyond the employment relationships, labour protections and redistributive institutions on which many of the report’s proposals implicitly rely.

Working time

Consider the report’s proposal on working time. It envisages using productivity growth to reduce average annual working time by more than half – from approximately 2,100 hours today to 1,000 hours by 2100. The report argues that this can be done without reducing workers’ incomes. A greater share of the remaining working hours would be devoted to relatively low-carbon services, particularly health and education.

The attraction is obvious. Productivity gains should give people more control over their lives, rather than simply producing ever-higher profits and consumption. Shorter working time could:

  • create more leisure

  • promote a fairer distribution of paid and unpaid work between women and men

  • reduce the environmental consequences of production.

The historical record also shows that rising productivity has enabled substantial reductions in working time in many wealthy economies.

Our concern is with the assumption that the pathway followed by wealthy economies can be turned into a universal prescription. We believe that reducing working hours could reduce the incomes of the largest component of the workforce in developing countries: workers in informal employment, especially those in self-employment.

The proposal assumes a worker has an identifiable employer, a contract, a regular wage and defined hours of work. Productivity rises within the enterprise, and workers, usually through collective bargaining and labour regulation, claim part of those gains in the form of higher wages or shorter working hours. Their income can be maintained even as their hours decline.

But this is not how most of the world works.

Just over 60% of the global workforce – approximately two billion people – is informally employed. The proportion is higher in developing and emerging economies. Moreover, well over half of informal workers are engaged in non-wage work. They include own-account workers, contributing family workers and subcontracted workers whose livelihoods may depend on contractors, supply chains or digital platforms, even though they are not formally recognised as employees.

A recent analysis of an International Labour Organisation database covering 91 countries suggests that only around 17% of workers are in formal wage employment. Yet it is this small part of the global workforce that most closely resembles the employment model underlying proposals to reduce working time.

For own-account and other informal workers, there is no employer who can be required to pay the same income for fewer hours. A street vendor, waste picker, home-based producer or small farmer does not gain more leisure simply because a government reduces the statutory working week. If earnings depend on how many hours a person trades, produces or searches for customers, reducing those hours without increasing hourly income will reduce total earnings.

For many of the world’s lowest-paid workers, therefore, the immediate need is not simply to work fewer hours. It is to earn more, and more predictably, for the hours they work.

The deeper objective should therefore be to give people greater control over their time. That cannot be achieved just by reducing working hours.

This also raises a question about productivity.

Productivity conundrum

The report assumes that future productivity gains can make shorter working time possible without reducing income. But productivity gains do not distribute themselves.

In many supply chains and digital platforms, workers classified as self-employed operate under highly unequal contractual arrangements. Lead firms, retailers, contractors and platforms can capture the gains from new technologies or more efficient organisation while transferring costs and risks to workers. Productivity may rise without workers receiving higher incomes, greater security or more control over their time.

The question is therefore who controls technological and organisational change, who captures the gains and whether workers can convert those gains into better lives.

This points towards a different policy agenda.

What protection should look like

Macroeconomic redistribution through global taxation and fiscal transfers is essential, but it cannot stop there. It must be matched by “pre-distribution”: changing the institutions and economic relationships that determine incomes and power in the first place.

Alongside social protection and public services, this requires:

  • infrastructure and services that support livelihoods as well as protection against arbitrary eviction and confiscation

  • improved access to finance, technology, markets and public procurement

  • regulation that encourages employment and livelihood creation, while ensuring that firms, contractors and platforms exercising employer-like power bear a fair share of the responsibilities, costs and risks associated with production

  • meaningful worker recognition and representation.

Different labour markets require different routes to greater freedom over time.

Working time is only one example of a wider problem.

Misplaced assumptions

Taxation, fiscal transfers and welfare systems have reduced inequality in wealthy countries. But these policies are effective in economies with:

  • relatively high tax-to-GDP ratios

  • mostly formal workforces

  • the administrative capacity to reach most citizens.

In the global south, tax bases are often narrower, informal employment is widespread and welfare systems may have limited or uneven reach.

This does not weaken the case for the Global Justice Fund, for effective fiscal policies to reduce inequality, or for greater international redistribution.

But redistribution from above cannot substitute for understanding how incomes are generated, inequality is produced and economic power is exercised. Where the state’s fiscal and welfare reach is limited, the organisation of work, the terms on which workers participate in markets and supply chains, and their power to claim a fair share of the value they create become even more important.

– Global justice report offers bold ideas but misses the realities of 2 billion informal workers – economists
– https://theconversation.com/global-justice-report-offers-bold-ideas-but-misses-the-realities-of-2-billion-informal-workers-economists-290449

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Qatar Condemns Renewed Iranian Attacks on Neighboring Countries

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha | September 02, 2026

The State of Qatar strongly condemns the renewed attacks launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran on the territories of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Kuwait. It considers these attacks a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the targeted countries, and a blatant breach of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the principles of good neighborliness.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the continued attacks a dangerous escalation that could complicate de-escalation efforts and undermine diplomatic and political initiatives aimed at restoring security and stability in the region. The ministry holds the Islamic Republic of Iran fully and legally responsible for these attacks, the statement added.

The Ministry reaffirms the State of Qatar’s full solidarity with the neighboring countries and its support for all legitimate measures taken to safeguard their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

The ministry calls for an immediate and complete halt to all military actions and attacks threatening regional security and stability, and urges all sides to avoid steps that could widen the conflict and return to dialogue and negotiations, as well as adherence to understandings reached through diplomatic efforts.

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The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Reacts to Developments in Niger

Source: APO


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The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has been following with concern the situation in Niger following the serious events that occurred in Niamey during the night of 28 to 29 August 2026, marked by armed clashes and attacks against several sensitive sites in the capital, resulting in casualties and significant material damage.

The Chairperson of the Commission strongly condemns the use of violence and any attempt to seize power by force. He calls on all actors to exercise restraint and to safeguard the security of the population and the stability of the country.

The Chairperson of the Commission extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured during these events.

The Chairperson of the Commission reaffirms the African Union’s commitment to standing with the people of Niger in support of peace, stability and national cohesion. He further reiterates the African Union’s readiness to support efforts towards the restoration of constitutional order, in accordance with the relevant instruments of the African Union.

The Chairperson of the Commission will continue to closely monitor developments in Niger and reaffirms the African Union’s readiness to contribute to efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in Niger and across the Sahel region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

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Bénin : Jeu-concours « Droits et Devoirs des Enfants » – Colombe DANSOU KPOCHAN décroche le premier prix

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

Le Ministère des Affaires étrangères a abrité le samedi 29 août 2026, la grande finale de la 3ème édition du Jeu-concours « Droits et Devoirs des Enfants ». Au terme de la compétition dont le top a été donné par le Directeur de cabinet du Ministère de la Justice et de la Législation (MJL), Monsieur Florentin GBODOU, le 1er prix a été remporté par DANSOU KPOCHAN Colombe Chris-Winne Zénaïde Libérath.

DANSOU KPOCHAN Colombe Chris-Winne Zénaïde Libérath est la grande lauréate de la 3ᵉ édition du Jeu-concours « Droits et Devoirs des Enfants », organisé par la Direction de la Protection Juridique et Judiciaire de l’Enfance (DPJJE) du Ministère de la Justice et de la Législation. Grâce à sa brillante performance, elle s’est adjugé le premier prix, composé notamment d’un vélo, d’un sac de fournitures scolaires et de plusieurs autres lots.

Dans son mot de bienvenue, le Directeur de la Protection Juridique et Judiciaire de l’Enfance, Monsieur Arnaud TOFFOUN a rappelé que ce jeu-concours a commencé avec plusieurs centaines d’enfants et qui au fil des trois phases de présélection, les a conduits aux 36 lauréats accueillis à Cotonou, puis aux meilleurs candidats de la phase nationale et enfin aux trois finalistes qui vont rivaliser de connaissances et d’éloquence devant eux. Il a ensuite précisé que l’ambition de ce jeu-concours est de faire non plus seulement le bénéficiaire des politiques de protection, mais un véritable acteur de la promotion de ses droits et de la construction d’une citoyenneté responsable. Monsieur Arnaud TOFFOUN a, pour clore ses propos, exprimé sa profonde gratitude au Ministre de la justice, Monsieur Yvon DETCHENOU et tout son cabinet pour leur soutien à cet évènement.

Procédant au lancement de cette phase finale, le Directeur de cabinet, Monsieur Florentin GBODOU a rappelé que les droits et devoirs de l’enfant ne doivent pas rester un concept dont on ne parle uniquement entre adultes ou au niveau des hautes sphères décisionnaires. « Ils constituent avant tout une matière vivante que tout homme, femme et jeune ayant pour mission d’aider les enfants à garantir ou s’instruire doivent pouvoir s’approprier. Dans la même veine, ces droits et devoirs n’auront davantage de valeur que lorsqu’ils sont intimement vécus par les enfants eux-mêmes », a-t-il martelé.

Monsieur Florentin GBODOU a pour finir, remercié tous les partenaires techniques notamment l’UNICEF représenté à cette cérémonie par Madame Julie DUBOIS pour leur accompagnement qui a permis d’offrir aux enfants, des vacances uniques marquées de loisirs ; tous les différents comités (scientifique, d’organisation, d’hébergement, de sécurité, d’animation pédagogique …etc.) pour la qualité de leur intervention dans le cadre de jeu-concours et enfin les éminents membres du jury.

Signalons que le 2ème prix de ce jeu-concours a été remporté par l’enfant DJÈDJI Evrad Iguémal Lionel Olagnidé et le 3ème prix par CHANOU Jesuklo Ebenezer Emmanuel.

Distribué par APO Group pour Gouvernement de la République du Bénin.

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