President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Friday, 9 August 2024, officiate the National Women’s Day Commemoration hosted by the Khâi-Ma Municipality at Pofadder in Namakwa District of the Northern Cape.

The President will address the national commemoration of Women’s Day under the theme “Celebrating 30 Years of Freedom Towards Women’s Development” at the Denis Nel Stadium in Pofadder.

The national event marks 68 years to the day since 20 000 women of diverse backgrounds from across South Africa marched to the Union Buildings to protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women.

During 30 years of democracy, South Africa has made significant strides in advancing gender equality in all domains of society, including economic empowerment of women.

The Women’s Charter advances women’s economic programmes through targeted reforms that drive equality. 

Women’s Day 2024 is the first national day led by the Government of National Unity and takes place in a rural community as part of including all South Africans in national events and placing a focus on the achievements and needs of women in all corners of the country.

President Ramaphosa will ahead of leading the commemoration at the Denis Nel Stadium tour a services-on-wheels exhibition of government services that will be provided to citizens attending the national day, as well as a trade expo featuring, small medium and micro enterprises led by women entrepreneurs in the Northern Cape Province. 

Details of the National Women’s Day Commemoration are:
Date: Friday, 09 August 2024
Time: 10:00
Venue: Dennis Nel Stadium,Poffader, Northern Cape

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Eritrean Minister of Foreign Affairs Osman Saleh, in the attendance of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service Major General Abbas Kamel and the Eritrean ambassador in Cairo.

The Spokesman for the Presidency said President El-Sisi received a letter from Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, in which he expressed appreciation for President El-Sisi and the relations between the two brotherly countries. The Eritrean president looked forward to enhancing consultation and coordination on issues of common interest, which was valued by President El-Sisi. The President confirmed Egypt’s keenness to advance efforts to deepen the distinguished relations and cooperation between the two countries, so as to benefit the two peoples and achieve their common interests, in light of the mounting regional challenges that call for intensifying discussions on ways to address them.

The meeting touched on the regional situation, particularly issues and threats in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. Both countries confirmed keenness to continue joint coordination and consultation at various levels, so as to support security and stability in the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Reacting to the start of a technical investigation mission ordered by the Ministry of the Environment of Congo into the Metssa Congo recycling plant located in Vindoulou, Pointe-Noire region, Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said:

“We welcome the Ministry of the Environment’s decision to carry out this investigation, which follows the total suspension of the plant’s activities due to serious health risks documented by Amnesty International in June 2024.

“The authorities must make the investigation report public and, depending on its findings, ensure that effective remedies are provided to those harmed by Metssa Congo’s operations in Vindoulou. This might include monetary compensation, access to medical treatment, or other appropriate initiatives. In the event that the company is required to relocate to prevent further health risks, it must be ensured that the plant, which is located 50 metres from a school, is moved to an industrial zone that meets regulatory standards and adheres to the company’ human rights responsibilities to ensure these harms are not repeated.

“As the Republic of Congo plans to diversify its industrial activities, Amnesty International is calling on the authorities to ensure that companies act responsibly and respect their environmental and human rights obligations and responsibilities according to international and Congolese law.”

Background

A group of residents of Vindoulou, in the Pointe-Noire region, had been denouncing for years the fumes emanating from the Metssa Congo recycling plant, a subsidiary of the Indian company Metssa, which produces lead bars for export to several countries, including the United States.

Amnesty International’s report on the situation of environmental, economic and social rights of populations living near industrial companies in the Pointe-Noire region, showed that Metssa Congo had not carried out any environmental impact assessment before setting up in 2013, in violation of Congolese law. The company claimed to have obtained a licence in 2018 and an environmental compliance certificate in 2023, 10 years after it began operations.

In 2023, blood samples taken from 18 people living near the plant, including children, were analysed by an independent laboratory with the support of Amnesty International. All revealed lead concentrations well above the threshold set by the World Health Organization. The company had claimed that the fumes emanating from its plant were not toxic.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

The Government of Japan has allocated JPY 300 million -approximately US$2 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide crucial humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations in northern Mozambique.

Food insecurity has increased in northern Mozambique in recent years, exacerbated by insecurity, recurrent displacement, and climatic and economic shocks. The contribution will help WFP to provide food assistance to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations, reaching around 48,000 internally displaced people in Cabo Delgado province with in-kind rations of Japanese rice and canned fish over a six-month period.

“In response to the severe challenge that northern Mozambique has been facing, the Government of Japan has been supporting people by providing both humanitarian and development assistance,” said Keiji HAMADA, Ambassador of Japan to Mozambique. “We hope that, under this new partnership with WFP, Japanese rice and canned fish will be delivered to people in need as many as  possible and contribute to the improvement of food insecurity.”

WFP will provide rice and canned fish in areas where markets have been disrupted by ongoing insecurity through bi-monthly distributions.  

“The strength of our partnership with Japan, as well as with WFP, underlines the importance of unity and collaboration in the view of adversity imposed by the many events affecting our country” said Luísa Meque, President of the National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (INGD).

Through this collaboration, WFP and the Government of Japan will work together with the Government of Mozambique to support vulnerable communities in northern Mozambique to meet their essential food and nutrition needs and foster lasting stability and recovery in the region, promoting a pathway to long-term food security and well-being.

“This generous contribution from the Japanese government comes at a critical time for the people of Mozambique,” said Maurício Burtet, WFP Deputy Country Director. “It will allow us to provide life-saving food assistance to those who have been displaced by the conflict, ensuring that they have access to nutritious food during these difficult times”.

The Government of Japan is a long-standing partner of WFP in Mozambique. Since 2019, Japan has provided US$ 26 million to WFP’s humanitarian operations by providing emergency food assistance to internally displaced people in Cabo Delgado province, people affected by cyclone Idai in Sofala province, and drought-affected populations in Gaza province. Japan’s contributions to WFP have also supported livelihoods activities to refugees and asylum-seekers in Maratane Refugee Camp, Nampula Province, and smallholders’ agriculture and market support activities in Ribaue and Malema districts, also in Nampula province.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).