The Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Pam Tshwete, has assured households affected by fires that destroyed several structures in the City of Cape Town that their building materials will be delivered over the next few days. Deputy Minister Tshwete met with community members in Doornbach and Joe Slovo informal settlements. 

About seven fire incidents were reported in the City of Cape Town over the Easter Weekend. As a result, over 340 informal structures were destroyed leaving over 740 households without shelter. 

“We are at an advanced stage to procure the building materials to enable the affected households to rebuild their structures. We have directed our team that has been dispatched here to work around the clock to ensure that we deliver as expected of us and as quickly as possible by Monday, latest Tuesday”, said Deputy Minister Tshwete.

The Department of Human Settlements, in coordination with the Departments of Social Development and Home Affairs and the Non-Governmental Organisations, to help return the lives of the affected communities to normalcy.

Accordingly, the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, who was also attending to fire victims indicated that the South African Social Security Agency was already on the ground to provide much-needed relief. She added that a process was underway to secure uniforms for the affected households with school-going children.

Regarding the government’s commitment to improve the living conditions of informal settlement dwellers, Minister Tshwete implored the City of Cape Town to effectively use their budget allocation, including the recent additional R70,5 million by the National Treasury, towards the upgrading of informal settlements by providing much needed basic services such as water and sanitation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Government.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has undertaken the following changes to the regional composition of his government.

Effectively, immediately, the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, will assume the role of Upper West Regional Minister.

Similarly, the Upper West Regional Minister, Hafiz Bin Salih, will become the new Upper East Regional Minister.

These changes are part of President Akufo-Addo’s ongoing efforts to ensure effective governance across the country, and has tasked the Ministers to work tirelessly to promote the welfare and development of the people of Upper West and Upper East regions, respectively.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Within the “Ramadan Programs” implemented by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), an iftar dinner program was organized and festive clothing for Eid were distributed at the Mogadishu Orphanage Center, which hosts 150 orphan children.

There are many orphaned children in need of care due to longstanding instabilities such as civil war, terrorism and drought experienced in Somalia for years.

The needs of shelter and education for 150 boys aged 3 to 17, the majority of whom are orphans due to civil war and terror, are met at the Mogadishu Orphanage Center.

TİKA has been organizing iftar dinners and distributing Eid gifts through the “Ramadan programs” held in various orphanages in Somalia.

Having provided special Eid clothing to nearly 600 orphan children so far, TİKA will continue to support more than 1,000 children in Somalia during Ramadan.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

Within the Ramadan aid program, TİKA distributed food packages to a total of 500 families in need residing in the village of Qunu, where Nelson Mandela and his two sons were buried, as well as in the nearby villages of Mqhekezweni, Sithebe, Mpunzane and Matyenengqina.

The distribution ceremony was held at the Royal House of Mandela, where Mandela spent his last days. The grandson of Nelson Mandela and Tribal Chief of Mvezo Traditional Council, Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela addressed the gathered families during the ceremony.

Reminding the audience of his grandfather’s statement that “poverty is man-made and it can be overcome,” Mandela expressed his gratitude to the Republic of Türkiye for their support provided through TİKA in the fight against poverty, hunger and unemployment, which are among the most pressing issues in the Eastern Cape Region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).