Responding to recent findings by the Lesotho Ombudsman which exposed a disturbing pattern of human rights violations, including torture, excessive use of force and denial of medical care to detainees at Maseru Correctional Centre Institution (MCCI), Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said:

“The Ombudsman’s report, released on March 19, confirms the extent of unacceptable abuse suffered by inmates at MCCI, where correctional officers, including recruits, were found to have colluded to justify their actions, while senior officers turned a blind eye to the misconduct, indicative of a deeply ingrained culture of impunity within the institution.

“Lesotho authorities must initiate a prompt, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the alleged acts of torture and abuse inflicted upon detainees. Authorities must bring suspected perpetrators to justice in fair trials and provide access to justice and effective remedies to victims.”

“The Minister of Law and Justice, as well the Commissioner of Correctional Services must ensure accountability by holding those suspected to be responsible for the abuses to account and taking concrete steps to reform the country’s correctional system to ensure that it upholds international human rights standards including by revising laws and regulations governing detention, improving conditions of confinement, and promoting a culture of respect for human rights among correctional staff.

“Authorities must also ensure the eight named detainees and others held at Maseru Centre Correctional Institution are protected from torture by taking immediate steps to implement the recommendations put forth by the Office of the Ombudsman.”

Background

On December 22, 2023, detainees at MCCI were subjected to brutal beatings by officers from the Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS), resulting in visible injuries. The Ombudsman’s report established that recruits from the LCS training facility abused their power while some of the officers were unresponsive and derelict in their duty, as inmates were beaten during a routine search operation.

Detainees’ relatives sought justice through Maseru Court, highlighting the unlawful imposition of corporal punishment and the denial of visitation rights.

The Ombudsman report follows investigations carried out in January 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

The President of the Republic, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has issued an Executive Order suspending $0.20 surcharge on petroleum pricing structure with immediate effect.

The Order, numbered 128, was issued on March 21, 2024, and is part of the Government’s efforts to reduce the cost of living for its citizens. 

The President believes that lowering the cost of petroleum will have a positive impact on the lives of Liberians, as it will reduce the cost of goods and services, spur productivity and business profitability, as well as increase revenue for the Government. 

The Liberian Constitution allows the President to issue Executive Orders in the public interest to address urgent issues paramount to the Country’s development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Liberia: Executive Mansion.

The businesses were chosen from 173 applications following a rigorous selection process. The chosen projects come from the energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry and other land uses, circular economy and water sectors.

The businesses concerned will receive tailored one-to-one and group support from financial, technical and gender equality and social inclusion experts to help increase their chances of securing finance from South African and international investors. For the first time, two separate cohorts have been created to trial providing capacity building to promising early-stage projects.

So far, almost a third of projects from the first two phases of CFA South Africa have found investment since participating in the programme.

British High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson said:

“South Africa has a huge number of companies and organisations with innovative ideas on how to tackle climate change. Support provided to these projects will help them secure investment, deliver green growth and jobs and contribute to South Africa meeting its climate commitments.”

The 10 core cohort projects will undertake intensive capacity building before pitching to investors at an event in July, which early-stage projects will also be invited to attend.

The 5 projects selected in the early-stage pilot will have the opportunity to attend elements of the core capacity building training and will be encouraged to share their experiences with members of the core cohort, who may act as mentors.

CEO of the National Business Initiative (NBI), Shameela Soobramoney said:

“NBI believes that identifying and supporting innovative, low carbon companies across key green economy sectors is not just a strategic initiative, but a moral imperative. These companies represent the vanguard of progress, offering solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing our country and the globe.”

“Initiatives like CFA illustrate how targeted support, collaboration, innovation, and unwavering dedication can pave the way for a brighter, greener future for generations to come. If we don’t create the future we want, the one we get will be worth infinitely less.”

CEO of GreenCape (GC), Michael Mulachy said:

“Food systems, rare earth metal beneficiation, storage, e-mobility, waste and sanitation are all featured in this year’s CFA finalists. This incredible cohort have solutions to some of the most pressing green economy challenges globally.”

“Each finalist has found its niche in South Africa and has the potential to scale up rapidly – creating much needed jobs and investment in South Africa’s green economy. The CFA programme has been an incredibly effective launch pad for these innovative green companies and GreenCape is eager to see the impact of this cohort.”

The 10 core cohort projects are:

Charge – catalysing the decarbonisation of the transport sector by installing 120 off-grid, green-powered, ultra-fast charging stations for passenger and light delivery vehicles. Located approximately 150 km apart, this first phase of installations covers South Africa’s major highways and regional routes (18,200 km).
Creslow Energy Solutions – renewable battery manufacturer based in Mpumalanga. The energy storage solution is aimed at leisure, commercial and industrial markets (battery packs are suitable for small to medium factories and shopping malls), as well with specialised solutions provided for the mining sector.
Cultura Fresh – expanding the existing successful hydroponic vegetable business to meet persistent excess demand. Cultura Fresh is currently the largest supplier of leafy greens in Western Cape. This expansion will create jobs and boost food security.
EWaste Africa – expanding EWaste Africa’s existing offer of  storing, collecting, transporting and end-of-life management of e-waste by diversifying into reuse, refurbishment and repair of e-waste (electrical, electronic, solar and lighting equipment waste) and increasing recycling facilities for hazardous e-waste.
Loowatt – providing high-quality ‘Kalula’ home toilets to customers in urban neighbourhoods that lack adequate sanitation access.
Manganese Metal Company – constructing a 5,000 ton per annum manganese sulphate monohydrate (MSM) plant, to be located in Mbombela. MSM is a key ingredient in electric vehicles batteries.
MycoSure – addressing sustainable food production by developing mycelium-based submerged biomass fermentation technology to produce alternative protein and nutraceutical ingredients at scale.
Nambu – turning food ‘waste’ into high value insect protein for livestock and pet feed – including dog kibble, liquid based feed additive and a basic ruminant feed – as well as pelletised frass (fertiliser),
SOCO CAPITAL – a spin off from an Engineering Procurement and Construction company, now an Independent Power Producer delivering comprehensive solutions, including fully funded solar PV (Power Purchase Agreement) and battery offerings available for rental.
Valternative Energy – bringing next-generation clean energy solutions to the e-mobility sector in South Africa with electric bikes, smart batteries and swap stations.

The 5 early-stage cohort projects are:

Aquagel – Regenr8 is addressing climate change through food security. Regenr8 does this by offering organic bio-stimulant that disrupts the chemical fertiliser industry and stores CO2 in the soil for hundreds of years.
Breev – Breev has a vision of an EV charger in every town in Africa and currently aims to expand EV charging along 980,000 km of roads in South Africa and Kenya, doubling mobility options and reducing environmental impact.
React – enhancing access to recycling services and ethical standards by setting up decentralised micro material recovery facilities in low-income areas, integrating informal waste reclaimers as operators, and providing them with access to recyclables and eco-friendly transportation.
Smartfill – connected smart dispensers enabling consumers to accurately fill any container with the quantity of dry food they need, eliminating plastic packaging.
Solarfi – is set to connect 5 million individuals by distributing more than 500,000 innovative lantern-routers, delivering both internet and lighting to off-grid communities and driving progress through sustainable technology.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of British High Commission Pretoria.

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announces a new program to provide information on climate change advocacy tools for persons with disabilities in Mozambique. The goal of this project is to make information about emergency preparedness and climate change systems accessible to those who are blind, deaf, or other forms of disability. The program is entitled Resilience and Empowerment for Climate-Change Action by Disabled-persons Organizations (RECADO) and is led by Associação TV SURDO in consortium with the Forum of Mozambican Associations of the Disabled (FAMOD), Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted of Mozambique (ACAMO), Association of the Disabled of Mozambique (ADEMO), government entities and other development agents.

Mozambique is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change, with increasingly frequent climatic events such as cyclones, droughts, and floods. According to UNICEF , persons with disabilities are usually left out of discussions about policies, plans, and programs that prepare communities for and respond to these climate events at the national and subnational level. RECADO advocates for integrating disability rights into the work of state entities and other key actors. It will increase access to inclusive information for persons with disabilities and promote community engagement to enhance their capacity to take preventive action against climate shocks. The program will conduct research and develop data collection systems to inform governments’ climate change interventions and improve techniques for identifying people with disabilities most vulnerable to climate change effects. RECADO will also invest in capacity-building activities to ensure government entities, disabled persons organizations, and other stakeholders acquire disability-inclusive climate action knowledge. Additionally, the program will build sustainable ties between them and persons with disabilities to actively include them in decision-making processes, thus living up to the expression, “nothing for us, without us.”

USAID Mission Director Helen Pataki said: “The United States is dedicated to helping all people with disabilities to participate actively in Mozambique’s public life. Inclusivity improves decision-making and strengthens communities.”

USAID is investing $1.1 million for this project over three years. Support for disability rights is a critical component of the broader U.S. Government assistance in Mozambique.  In close collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and civil society, the U.S. Government provides more than $700 million in annual assistance to improve the quality of healthcare, education, to promote economic prosperity, and stability to support the overall development of the nation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Mozambique.