Chapo Inauguration in Mozambique Mid-January

FRELIMO Moçambique/Twitter

Daniel Chapo

13 January 2025

Southern African News Features (Harare)

By Phyllis Johnson, SARDC

Members of Parliament will take their seats in the National Assembly of Mozambique on Monday 13 January, and the President-elect Daniel Chapo will be sworn in as President on Wednesday 15 January.

All elected members of the National Assembly have confirmed that they will take their seats, including the Podemos party (Optimistic party) which won the second highest number of seats after the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) and becomes the official opposition in the Assembly.

Podemos confirmed in a statement from the leader, Albano Forquilha that they will take up their parliamentary seats, a position that caused a dispute with Venâncio Mondlane, who was their presidential candidate although he is not a member of the party.

Opposition parties have said they reject the election results, and Mondlane has accused the Podemos party of violating a pre-election agreement with him by accepting seats.

This has been a rough road since the national and provincial elections held on 9 October 2024, especially since the preliminary results from the national electoral commission in November, and final results announced on 23 December by the Constitutional Council, the highest national body in matters of electoral law.

Mondlane emerged as the runner-up in the presidential election with 24 percent of the votes compared to 65 percent for the Frelimo candidate, but he claims that he won and says he will be inaugurated as President on the same date as Chapo, although there is no legal basis for this and he has provided no evidence.

Before the first announcement of results, Mondlane called for demonstrations, clearly pre-organized, and this set off a series of violent protests, mainly by youth below voting age who blocked roads with burning tyres, destroying and looting shops in the city centre.

They blocked the border entry with South Africa, preventing trucks from delivering or collecting goods at Maputo port. There were also incidents in the centre and north of the country.

Mondlane has been out of the country since the election, communicating through online broadcasts to facilitate the street protests that have caused considerable damage to the economy and to businesses through looting and destruction of infrastructure.

He has been in self-imposed exile in Europe, believed to have been in Portugal, the former colonial power, or in Spain. Interestingly, there is also a Podemos party in Spain that translates as "we can".

The President-elect, Daniel Francisco Chapo, has clearly stated his priority that Mozambicans should live in peace, and he is already involved in discussions with the opposition parties.

He announced on 9 January that the political parties have agreed to form working groups, including technical committees to discuss action needed to resolve the post-election challenges.

"We have reached a consensus that we are going to continue working towards the reforms that are the main objective of the Mozambican people," he said.

President-elect Chapo is a lawyer and jurist who has served as a provincial administrator in northern Mozambican, and most recently as Governor of Inhambane province in the south where he was popular for his action to implement policies, leaving no one behind.

He is secretary-general of the Frelimo party that liberated the country from Portuguese colonial rule leading to independence on 25 June 1975 under the leadership of Samora Machel. The President-elect is 47, born after independence.

"Let us build a society of love, peace, harmony, integrity, justice, and cohesion, in which we can all live in peace," Chapo said often during the election campaign.

The runner-up returned to Mozambique on 8 January to try to lead more protests in Maputo city centre, but this was shut down by police using tear gas, and the gunshots that are ever-present at his rallies, however it is not clear who is shooting, whether the police or their opponents, or both, often in civilian clothes.

There have been no government statements on this issue, and there are cases elsewhere in which targeted shooting is done by pseudo gangs mingling in the crowd in civilian clothes or in uniform.

Pseudo groups have been used in the region since the days of liberation, during apartheid and destabilization, often wearing uniforms taken from the opposing side.

The initial demonstrations were said to protest the murder of Mondlane's lawyer, Elvino Dias, and Paulo Guambe, an election agent for Podemos. It is not clear if this was internal to the parties or external, but investigations are underway.

It is rumoured that the assassination of the lawyers in central Maputo immediately after the announcement of results may have been an inside job to hide the lack of evidence as the candidate produced no documents to support allegations that he won the presidency.

It is very unclear how many people have been killed or injured during the various phases of the demonstrations, and the figures widely circulated, currently 300 and 500 respectively, originate with a murky online NGO called Platforma Electoral Decide, which is widely quoted. There are no other sources for these figures, which are not verified, and it is not clear how the information was collected or produced. Some civilians and members of the police force have been shot or killed in various parts of the country.

Most media articles circulated outside Mozambique are sourced from the Portuguese news agency, Lusa, although the national news agency, AIM, has been active in sharing information in English in southern Africa, mainly using the same sources but with additional analysis.

At year end, the Confederation of Mozambican Business Associations (CTA) announced that the destruction and looting had deprived 12,000 workers of their jobs, and that more than 500 companies had been attacked and looted of which "a large number will not be able to recover easily".

A CTA official, Onorio Manuel told the media, "We are saying that about 40 percent of the industrial fabric of Mozambique has been vandalised."

The preliminary figures resulted from an initial survey showing that Mozambican businesses had lost about 24.8 billion meticais (390 million US dollars), but losses by now would be much higher.

The Minister of Industry and Trade, Silvino Moreno, said after a meeting with the Mozambique-South Africa Chamber of Commerce, that shiploads of food and other goods have been stuck in Maputo port due to the difficulty of trucks moving the goods to destinations. Companies from both countries that use the Maputo Corridor have set up a crisis management group to guarantee security of goods leaving the port, with military escort.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called for an immediate cessation of all hostilities.

The Tanzanian President and current Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, called on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from acts that exacerbate violence and unrest.

"Our collective aspiration remains the restoration of harmony and stability in Mozambique," she said, "in line with our shared vision of good governance, social cohesion and sustainable development in the region." (sardc.net)

Southern African News Features offers a reliable source of regional information and analysis on the Southern African Development Community, and is provided as a service to the SADC region.

This article may be reproduced with credit to the author and publisher.

SANF is produced by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), which has monitored regional developments since 1985.

Email: sanf@sardc.net

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Renowned Egyptologist Unveils Slogan for UNESCO Director General Candidacy

Khaled El-Enany Unveils His Campaign Slogan for the Position of Director-General of UNESCO

Africa News

Egypt’s candidate for the position of UNESCO Director General has revealed the slogan he will be using in his campaign for the position: ''UNESCO for the people''.

Khaled El-Enany unveiled the catchphrase during a gathering at the National Museum of Egyptian civilisation on Monday.

The event was attended by ambassadors from dozens of countries and leading figures from the political, academic, and cultural worlds.

During the event, the renowned Egyptologist laid out his vision for if he secures the role.

He pointed out the need of adapting the organisation to today’s realities by tackling challenges including the ecological transition, the impact of new technologies and inequalities in access to education.

El-Enany’s candidacy is backed by a string of countries including France, Brazil and Spain.

The league of Arab states and the African Union are also supporting him.

South Africa Miners Reappear After a Police Operation

Miners are escorted by police officers after being rescued from below ground in an abandoned gold mine for months, in Stilfontein, South Africa, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.

By AP

Rescuers continued their operations to bring out survivors among hundreds of miners who were working illegally in an abandoned shaft and have been trapped for months.

More than 100 are believed to have died of starvation or dehydration.

Police said that at least 24 bodies and 37 survivors have been brought out of the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine since Friday, but civic organizations and groups representing the miners say more than 500 are still believed to be underground, many of them ill and starving.

Police said they are uncertain how many remain, but it is likely to be hundreds.

Mannas Fourie, CEO of Mines and Rescue service, said that rescuers have faced challenges in the "dangerous operation" and had to start later than they intended due to issues with equipment.

However, he said they will continue working until late at night and have rescued 35 people so far.

The mine near the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, has been the scene of a tense standoff between police, miners and members of the local community since November, when authorities first launched an operation to try and force the miners out.

Relatives of the miners say some of them have been underground since July.

Authorities say the miners are able to come out and are refusing, but that has been disputed by rights groups and activists, who have fiercely criticized police tactics in cutting off the miners' food and water supplies from the surface last year in an attempt to get them to leave.

Civic groups won a court case to force authorities to allow food, water and medicine to be sent down to the miners.

But they say the supplies aren't enough and many of the miners are dying of starvation and unable to climb out because the shaft is too steep and the ropes and pulley system they used to enter have been removed.

They say a proper rescue operation should have been launched months ago.

Some miners have emerged in the last two months and been arrested.

Police says that shows they can come out.

But a right group spokesperson, which is representing the miners and their families, said the miners who did escape undertook a treacherous days-long journey underground to a different shaft, and many are too weak to do that.

New Securities Exchange in Ethiopia Aims to Attract Private Investors

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurates Ethiopia's securities exchange in Addis Ababa on Friday, January, 11 2025

By Dominic Wabwireh with Other agencies

 11/01 - 13:12

Ethiopia inaugurated its securities exchange on Friday, marking a significant step in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's efforts to liberalize the nation's heavily regulated economy and attract private investment.

Up to now, only Wegagen Bank was listed on the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), but Tilahun Kassahun, the exchange's CEO, anticipates that around 90 companies will be added over the next decade.

State-owned telecom company Ethio Telecom, gearing up for an initial public offering, is anticipated to make its shares available on the exchange.

Ethiopia, the second most populous nation in Africa with approximately 130 million residents, once boasted a securities exchange during the 1960s and 70s.

However, this financial institution was dismantled by the socialist military regime that came to power after the monarchy was overthrown in 1974.

Uganda Court Martial Orders Besigye to Take Plea After Dismissing Defence Objections

Francis Isaano/Nile Post

Dr Kizza Besigye in the dock at the military court in Makindye.

14 January 2025

Nile Post (Kampala)

By Shamim Nabakooza

The General Court Martial in Makindye has directed Dr Kizza Besigye to take a plea, dismissing all objections raised by his defence team regarding the trial's legitimacy.

The defence, led by Kenyan senior counsel Martha Karua, had objected to the prosecution's move to amend the charge sheet to include a UPDF soldier.

They argued the amendment sought to pre-empt their jurisdictional challenge.

On Tuesday morning, Brigadier-General Freeman Mugabe, chairman of the court martial, rejected claims that Dr Besigye and his associate Hajj Obeid Lutale were abducted from Kenya.

"The court finds that there is no extradition treaty that was breached," Gen Mugabe ruled.

"The agreement on defence and security for suspected serious crimes did not amount to abduction."

Dr Besigye and Hajj Lutale were reportedly taken from Nairobi on November 16, where they had attended a book launch by Ms Karua.

The duo was extradited to Uganda without following international extradition protocols, with Dr Besigye later claiming there were no border checks during their transfer.

Their abduction became public three days later when Dr. Besigye's wife, Winnie Byanyima, informed the media of his disappearance in Nairobi.

Within 24 hours of the media revelations, the military charged the pair with endangering the security of defence forces and illegal possession of firearms, including two pistols.

Dr Besigye, a retired Colonel instrumental in the 1986 bush war that brought the current government to power, challenged the validity of the charge sheet, citing defects under UPDF Regulations 22 and 23.

The defence also argued that the UPDF lacked universal jurisdiction to prosecute alleged crimes committed in Kenya and Switzerland.

However, Gen. Mugabe maintained that the charges fall under Ugandan law and are subject to the UPDF Act, which supersedes jurisdictional concerns.

"Jurisdiction is a creature of statute and gives this court powers to try this matter," he said. "There is no defect in the charge sheet since they are charged under Ugandan law. This court has jurisdiction, and objections are dismissed. The accused should take plea."

The controversial trial has sparked widespread debate, exacerbated by the arrest of defence lawyer Eron Kiiza in court. Kiiza was summarily convicted for contempt of court and sentenced to nine months in prison without trial.

The trial of Dr Besigye and Hajj Lutale continues to raise questions about the adherence to legal and international protocols, with the defence team vowing to pursue justice despite the court's rulings.

Read the original article on Nile Post.

Mali Seizes 3 Tons of Gold from Canadian Company Barrick Amid Dispute Over Share of Revenue

Barrick Gold Corporation President and CEO Mark Bristow visits the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange after ringing the opening bell, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

By WILSON MCMAKIN and BABA AHMED

12:23 PM EST, January 13, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Mali’s military government has started seizing gold stocks of the Canadian mining company Barrick as part of a legal battle over the share of revenue owed to the West African state, according to an internal Barrick letter seen by The Associated Press.

The letter from CEO Mark Bristow to the Malian Mining Minister, dated Monday, says Barrick is “awaiting official confirmation of the proper receipt by the Malian Solidarity Bank,” a government entity.

The seizure follows a warning letter to Barrick earlier this month from Mali’s senior investigating judge, Boubacar Moussa Diarra, saying three tons of gold would be seized.

On Monday, a senior Barrick manager confirmed that three tons had been seized by the military government and placed in the capital, Bamako. The manager spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

According to the senior manager, the gold was taken from a mine near Kayes in the west and transported by plane and truck to the capital late Saturday.

The Malian authorities did not immediately respond for comment.

Valued at around $180 million, the gold seizure is part of the dispute over revenues owed to the state.

In December, Mali issued an arrest warrant for Bristow for charges of money laundering, without giving evidence, and ordered the seizure of Barrick’s gold reserves. The company has offered to pay $370 million.

Mali’s military government previously arrested four senior executives of the Canadian mining company as part of the dispute. They are still being held.

Mali is one of Africa’s leading gold producers, but it has struggled for years with jihadi violence and high levels of poverty and hunger. The military seized power in 2020, and the government has placed foreign mining companies under growing pressure as it seeks to shore up revenues.

In November, the CEO of Australian company Resolute Mining and two employees were arrested in Bamako. They were released after the company paid $80 million to Malian authorities to resolve a tax dispute and promised to pay a further $80 million in the coming months.

___

Ahmed reported from Bamako, Mali.

Ruling on Belgium’s Colonialism in Africa Paves Way for Wider Justice

By Al Mayadeen English

13 Jan 2025 12:06

Activists say that the verdict on crimes against humanity for the abduction of mixed-race children could open the door to broader accountability.

A historic court ruling in Belgium, which found the country guilty of crimes against humanity for its colonial actions in central Africa, has been seen as a pivotal moment that could lead to compensation and further justice, The Guardian reported.

Belgium’s court of appeal recently ruled that the “systematic kidnapping” of mixed-race children from their African mothers in Belgian-controlled Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi between 1948 and 1953 was a crime against humanity.

The case was filed by five women, who were taken from their Congolese mothers as young children and now live in Belgium and France, each receiving €50,000 in damages.

Dive deeper

The policy, which affected thousands of metis—children of African mothers and European fathers—was driven by Belgium’s imperialist belief in white supremacy.

Many of these children were moved far from their mothers and placed in indifferent religious institutions with poor conditions and minimal education.

Francois Milliex, president of the Association of Métis of Belgium, said as quoted by The Guardian that the ruling "surely opens the door" for those seeking compensation for being separated from their parents.

Michele Hirsch, the lawyer for the five women, agreed that the decision could lead to reparations for others in similar circumstances but warned, "I think we are going to have to fight for it to happen."

Sierra Leone Declares Emergency After Confirming 2nd Mpox Case in 4 Days

By KEMO CHAM and WILSON MCMAKIN

4:47 PM EST, January 13, 2025

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency Monday after the country reported its second case of mpox in less than four days, health authorities said.

Neither case had known recent contact with infected animals or other sick individuals, the health ministry said. Only the first case involved recent travel, limited to the airport town of Lungi in the northern Port Loko District between Dec. 26 and Jan. 6th. Both patients are receiving treatment at a hospital in the capital, Freetown.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 when outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys occurred. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals.

In 2022, the virus was confirmed to spread via sex for the first time and triggered outbreaks in more than 70 countries across the world that had not previously reported mpox. The Congo has borne the brunt of the epidemic, with a vast majority of the roughly 43,000 suspected cases and 1,000 deaths in Africa this year.

Sierra Leone was previously the epicenter of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the deadliest in history. The outbreak, primarily concentrated in West Africa, affected Sierra Leone the most, with nearly 4,000 deaths out of the more than 11,000 recorded globally. The country also lost 7% of its healthcare workforce to the outbreak.

DR Congo Says Several Towns Recaptured from Rebels While Fighting Intensifies in its East

Democratic Republic of Congo Defence Forces gather in the North Kivu province village of Mukondi, on March 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Socrate Mumbere, File)

By JUSTIN KATUMWA

2:31 AM EST, January 13, 2025

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Several towns that fell to armed groups in eastern Congo’s North Kivu and South Kivu provinces have been recaptured by government forces, a Congolese army spokesman said, even as the rebels have made advances in other areas amid intensified fighting in the conflict-battered region.

Eastern Congo has been in conflict for decades with more than 100 armed groups, most of which are vying for territory in the vast and mineral-rich region near the border with Rwanda. The conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with more than 7 million people displaced, including 100,000 who have fled their homes this year.

The Congolese army said some of the recovered towns have been occupied by rebels for months, including Ngungu, a key town in the Masisi territory that is near the North Kivu provincial capital, Goma. Some Masisi villages, however, remain under the control of rebels, including its center known as the Masisi Center.

“They (the rebels) have seen their adventure come to a halt by the FARDC (Congolese security forces),” Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko, army spokesman in North Kivu, told reporters, listing other recovered towns as Lumbishi, Ruzirantaka, Kamatale, Bitagata and Kabingo.

“All over there, they have been pushed back,” Kaiko said Sunday, attributing the victories to a joint military operation led by the commanders of the two provinces.

The news of the recovered towns brought mixed feelings among villages that had fled the areas. They worried for their safety as they celebrated their return home.

“We are in Ngungu … but we continue to suffer because the security is not well established,” said Nsabimana Alexis, a resident. “People continue to die, we just buried a person 30 minutes ago,” he said.

Frequent clashes between the Congolese forces and the rebels have made dozens of villages inaccessible and out of the reach of aid. The most dominant rebel group in the region has been the M23 rebel group, which the Congolese government and United Nations experts say is being backed by neighboring Rwanda. Rwanda denies this.

In Masisi, displaced camps and aid facilities are being overstretched as more people try to seek refuge from the violence, French charity Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, has said.

“We are doing our best to respond to this situation. But the severe lack of humanitarian responders in the area is making things difficult,” said Romain Briey, the MSF coordinator in Masisi.

ANC Pledges to Rebuild

Ramaphosa was delivering the ANC NEC’s January 8 statement on Saturday, where he touched on a range of issues, from unemployment to the party’s alliance partners.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering the party’s January 8 statement at the Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on 11 January 2024. Picture: X/MYANC

CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa has reflected on the African National Congress (ANC)’s disappointing electoral showing in 2024, saying the party’s branches are all but dead.  

Ramaphosa was delivering the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC)’s January 8 statement on Saturday, where he touched on a range of issues, from unemployment to the party’s alliance partners.  

Ramaphosa told supporters in Khayelitsha that the party is experiencing a resurgence of support despite its electoral setback.  

The ANC president said the party is confident about returning as the majority party in the next election cycle.  

However, Ramaphosa also did some introspection on 2024’s national elections, where the party lost its majority, forcing it to join forces with nine other political parties to form the Government of National Unity (GNU).  

He said they lost because of a combination of reasons, such as poor service delivery and organisational challenges, like weak branches.  

Ramaphosa said the ANC, in the meantime, will continue to work closely with other political parties in the GNU, even those they have ideological differences with.

January 8 Wrap: Ramaphosa Says ANC Aiming to ‘Renew and Rebuild’

Delivering the party’s annual January 8th statement, Ramaphosa said the party faced an existential crisis after its poor showing at the ballot box last year.

ANC leaders at the party's annual January 8th statement address, in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, 11 January 2025. Picture: X/@MYANC

CAPE TOWN - Renew or perish. That’s the stern warning issued by African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa as he wrapped up the party’s week-long birthday celebrations in the Western Cape on Saturday.

Delivering the party’s annual January 8th statement, Ramaphosa said the party faced an existential crisis after its poor showing at the ballot box last year.

He outlined six key priorities for this party in 2025, saying the ANC’s coalition with nine other parties was a tactical decision to deliver on the party’s 2024 manifesto that couldn’t get it over the 50% mark.

In a 100-minute-long speech delivered in the ANC’s Western Cape stronghold of Khayelitsha, party Ramaphosa reflected on the importance of the tripartite alliance, the non-threat of breakaway factions, and its coalition of convenience - the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Above all, Ramaphosa stressed the ongoing renewal and rebuilding of the party if it’s going to return to govern without partners.

"We aim to renew and rebuild the ANC so that it can provide decisive and ethical leadership in the resolution of the country’s problems."

Ramaphosa also listed fixing local government, economic growth and job creation, fighting crime, a national dialogue, and international justice as among the party’s top priorities.

"The ANC National General Council that will be held later this year will be an important forum for strategic assessment of the balance of forces, both globally and domestically."

The January 8th statement has now set the tone for the State of the Nation Address, which Ramaphosa will deliver in less than a month to mark the start of the parliamentary year.

Ramaphosa Says Tripartite Alliance Must Remain United

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the alliance should be united especially now that the ANC has lost its outright majority.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering the January 8 statement in Khayelitsha on 11 January 2025. Picture: X/@MYANC

CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa says that the African National Congress (ANC)'s tripartite alliance remains a "proven vehicle" to uplift the majority of South Africans.

Ramaphosa said that the alliance should be united especially now that the ANC has lost its outright majority.

The president told the ANC's 113th birthday celebrations in Khayelitsha on Saturday that the party's alliance with the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), was the best example of strategic unity in the world.

Ramaphosa told supporters that the ANC has celebrated several victories over the years through the alliance.

Ramaphosa said that the ANC-led alliance championed the party’s key objectives like building an inclusive and thriving economy.

"The alliance remains the proven vehicle to uplift the working class and the poor."

He said the ANC can't afford a split alliance.

"It is therefore important that this alliance must remain united."

In its message of support, alliance partner COSATU said it was the struggle led by the ANC that ensured that 60% of the government’s budget was invested in working-class communities.

DBE Insists Teaching and Learning Will Not be Disrupted Despite Looming Teacher Job Cuts

Over 16,000 teachers nationwide face job losses this year, following the National Treasury's budget reductions. 

Picture: © teka77/123rf.com

JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Basic Education (DBE) insists teaching and learning will not be disrupted despite impending job cuts. 

Over 16,000 teachers nationwide face job losses this year, following the National Treasury's budget reductions. 

Activists and unions have raised the alarm, saying the cuts will affect thousands of teachers who have devoted their careers to educating the youth. 

A massive R3.8 billion budget shortfall threatens thousands of teaching jobs, including 11, 000 in Kwazulu-Natal, 3,400 in Gauteng, and over 2, 000 in the Western Cape. 

This has sparked questions about the department’s ability to deliver quality education and prepare a skilled youth workforce. 

However, Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule reassured parents and learners, saying the impact would be minimal. 

"Budget cuts, it is in the person. The commitment and dedication by the teachers. Some of our teachers most of the time, they say I don’t need a classroom. I need learners."

Mhaule believes that the resilience and dedication of teachers will mitigate the effects of the cuts, as they have done in the past. 

Matric Class of 2024 Achieves SA's Highest-ever Pass Rate

The cohort's pass mark is an increase from the 2023 mark of 82.

Siviwe Gwarube

Educations officials attend the announcement of the 2024 matric results on 13 January 2025. Picture: @EducationGP1/X

RANDBURG - The matric class of 2024 has achieved an overall pass mark of 87.3%, making it the highest pass rate ever achieved in the country.

Last year's class, which began their high school career at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic had to contend with a trimmed curriculum, online teaching and increased health risks.

Nearly one million pupils, full-time and part-time, sat for the 2024 National Senior Certificate examinations.

The cohort's pass mark is an increase from the 2023 mark of 82.9%. 

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube praised the matrics of 2024, wishing them the best for the future.

"For 2024, the NSC has therefore increased from 82.9 % in 2023 to 87.3% in 2024. This is the highest matric pass rate in the history of our country."

Nine Bodies Retrieved in Stilfontein as Phase 3 Rescue Mission Continues

Phase 3 of the official rescue operation kicked off on Monday after a cage was sent down the shaft to retrieve illegal miners underground.

A cage set to retrieve hundreds of illegal miners from an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein has been assembled. Picture: Nokukhanya Mntambo/EWN

STILFONTEIN -The bodies of nine more illegal miners have been retrieved from an abandoned mine in Stilfontein as rescue experts begin work to clear a shaft occupied by illegal miners known as zama zamas. 

Phase 3 of the official rescue operation kicked off on Monday after a cage was sent down the shaft to retrieve illegal miners underground. 

This is the final stage of the protracted rescue mission expected to bring hundreds of zama zamas back to the surface as law enforcement clamps down on illegal mining in the area. 

It's taken two months to get phase three of the rescue operation in Stilfontein going after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu appointed a task team to retrieve illegal miners at the old Buffelsfontein gold mine.

The 12-million operation is the first of its kind. 

Technical teams are now expected to spend the next two weeks at the site where a winder will drop a cage into the 2.5 km deep shaft to retrieve half a dozen illegal miners at a time. 

The cage is expected to go down every hour between 6am and 6pm. 

While a community leader has volunteered to be in the cage when it's hoisted down the shaft, no other community intervention or humanitarian aid can be sent down to the illegal miners during this time. 

So far, nine of the dead bodies seen in a video taken underground have been retrieved. 

Twenty-six illegal miners were also rescued on Monday. 

Operations are set to resume on Tuesday. 

At Least 100 Illegal Miners Have Died While Trapped in a South African Mine for Months, Group Says

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and GERALD IMRAY

4:52 PM EST, January 13, 2025

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — At least 100 men who were mining illegally in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa have died of suspected starvation and dehydration after being trapped deep underground for months while police tried to force them out, a group representing the miners said Monday.

More than 500 others are still trapped, the group said.

Sabelo Mnguni, a spokesman for the Mining Affected Communities United in Action Group, told The Associated Press that a cellphone sent to the surface with some rescued miners on Friday had two videos on it showing dozens of bodies underground wrapped in plastic.

Mnguni said “a minimum” of 100 men had died in the mine in North West province where police first launched an operation in November to force the miners out. They were suspected to have starved to death or died of dehydration, Mnguni said. He said 18 bodies have been brought out since Friday.

Nine of those bodies were recovered in a community-led operation on Friday, he said. Another nine were recovered in an official rescue operation by authorities on Monday, when 26 survivors were also brought out, Mnguni said.

Police spokesperson Brig. Sebata Mokgwabone said they were still verifying information on how many bodies had been recovered and how many survivors brought out after starting a new rescue operation on Monday. Authorities now hope to bring all of the miners out, they said.

Illegal mining is common in parts of gold-rich South Africa where companies close down mines that are no longer profitable, leaving groups of informal miners to illegally enter them to try and find leftover deposits.

The mine in question near the town of Stilfontein southwest of Johannesburg has been the scene of a standoff between police and miners since authorities first attempted to get the miners out and seal the mine two months ago. Police said the miners were refusing to come out of the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine for fear of arrest, but Mnguni said they had been left trapped underground after police removed the ropes they used to climb into and out of the mine.

Police also cut off the miners’ food supplies in an attempt to force them out, an action that was fiercely criticized by Mnguni’s organization, which is known as MACUA, and others. MACUA won a court case in December that ordered police and provincial authorities to allow food, water and medicine to be sent down to the miners.

The South African government also came under scrutiny last year when it refused to help the miners.

The cellphone videos purportedly from the depths of the mine and released publicly by Mnguni’s group show dozens of what appear to be dead bodies wrapped in plastic lying in darkened tunnels. A man filming on the phone in one of the videos can be heard saying, “this is hunger. People are dying because of hunger” as he records emaciated-looking men sitting on the damp floor of the mine. He adds: “Please help us. Bring us food or take us out.”

Mnguni said that the more than 500 miners still underground were in different places in the mine, which is one of the deepest in South Africa at 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) deep and has multiple shafts, many levels and is a maze of tunnels, he said. He said a preliminary autopsy report on a body that was previously brought out of the mine showed the man had died of starvation.

“What we understand is that there are different groups of miners underground and all of them have miners who have died,” Mnguni said. “So, we are estimating that the number of those who have died is very high.”

Large groups of illegal miners often go underground for months to maximize their profits, taking food, water, generators and other equipment with them, but also relying on others in their group on the surface to send down more supplies.

Mnguni said the miners who had previously managed to make it out had sometimes crawled through tunnels for 3-4 days risking their lives to make it to another shaft where they could escape.

Police have said they are uncertain exactly how many illegal miners remain underground, but also say it’s likely to be hundreds.

They said that delegations from the ministry of police and ministry of mineral resources would visit the mine on Tuesday “following the commencement of operations aimed at ensuring that all illegal miners resurface.” The operation to force the miners out of the Buffelsfontein mine that started last year was part of a larger one that resulted in more than 1,500 illegal miners surfacing from mines and being arrested across the North West province, police said.

South African authorities have long tried to crack down on illegal mining gangs, which are known as “zama zamas” — which means “hustlers” in the Zulu language — and have a reputation for being violent, often armed and part of criminal syndicates.

But Mnguni said these particular miners were not criminals but former mine employees who had been put out of work when mines closed and were left desperate.

“The miners go back to the mine because they live in poverty,” he said.

___

Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

Sudanese Army Advances to Al-Jazirah Capital Amid Clashes with RSF

By Al Mayadeen English

11 Jan 2025 22:12

The Sudanese Armed Forces are inflicting significant losses on their adversaries as they make their way to Wed Madani.

The Sudanese Armed Forces announced advancements toward Wed Madani, the capital of the Al-Jazirah province. 

"The armed forces are advancing toward Wed Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah province, forcing the militia groups to suffer significant losses," the Sudanese army reported in a post on social media. 

Sudan has experienced escalating conflicts between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.

Informed sources previously revealed to the Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that the UN envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, had begun arranging to send invitations to the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces to resume indirect talks in the Swiss city of Geneva in January. 

Sources said the group "Allied to Save Lives and Achieve Peace in Sudan" (ALPS) participated in recent days in new consultations with actors in Sudanese civil society to get their visions and observations and present them within the agenda of the upcoming talks.

The sources quoted Lamamra as saying that "the Rapid Support Forces agreed to resume the talks, while the army expressed a semi-initial approval to participate, without any official confirmation from its side so far," explaining that the UN special envoy "will personally lead the talks between the two parties to reach a binding agreement regarding the protection of civilians, which may open the door to understandings on other issues regarding hostilities," according to his expression.

According to the sources, the upcoming round of talks in January will focus on the issue of protecting civilians, through “agreeing on measures to cease hostilities at the national level as an entry point to a ceasefire,” according to what the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Jubilation After Sudanese Army Retakes Strategic City Near Khartoum

13 January 2025

allAfrica.com

Widespread celebrations were reported on Sunday in Wad Madani, a regional capital on the Blue Nile River about 85 miles/135 kilometers southeast of the capital Khartoum, following the retaking of the city by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The army has been making steady advances in the area in recent weeks.

"Wad Madani holds immense strategic importance, positioned at the crossroads of key supply routes between several states and serving as the nearest major city to Khartoum" reports Radio Dabanga, an independent news agency broadcasting via satellite, shortwave radio and the internet. "The capital remains a focal point of the conflict, with fierce fighting continuing since the war erupted in April 2023."

Mohamed 'Hemedti' Dagalo, commander of paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which international organizations have accused of genocide across Sudan's Darfur region, acknowledged the setback but vowed to step up the fighting to recapture lost ground. RSF has controlled the city since December 2023.

Sudanese organizations, as well as international diplomats, emphasize that both rival forces are motivated by a lust for power and are vying for Sudan's resources, including gold. Both have participated in blocking essential food and medical aid and to the dire conditions that make Sudan the world's largest humanitarian disaster.

The Al Jazirah Monitor, a Sudanese human rights group, reported that the army freed a large number of prisoners in appalling condition after they were denied access to food and medical treatment during their detention. The SAF made further advances towards Khartoum on Sunday, according to reporting by Sudan Tribune.

Wad Madani is "vitally important", Mohanad Elbalal, Sudanese analyst and co-founder of Khartoum Kitchen said in a series of posts on the social media platform X, explaining "why the exuberant celebrations you are seeing across Sudan are justified" - despite the reality that the Sudanese army has also perpetrated widespread human rights abuses, according to multiple observers.

The Wad Madani city locality is ordinarily home to 700,000 people. Its liberation is a huge deal for its people, of course, but its strategic importance means today's liberation is significant for the entirety of the 50 million people who live in Sudan. Wad Madani isn't just the capital of Gezira State, it's the HQ for administering the Gezira Scheme which is the backbone of Sudan's agricultural sector.

RSF control of Gezira State led to the first comprehensive failure of the farming scheme since it was established a century ago. The liberation of Wad Madani and the prospect of getting the scheme back operating will have a significant impact for a Country facing the real prospect of wide scale famine.

Wad Madani is also the base of the Army's 1st infantry division. The division is responsible for securing Al Gezira, which is the 2nd most populous state in Sudan with 6 million+ residents also happens to be one of the smallest Army divisions and least battle prepared.

The reason for this Is due to the fact that Al Gezira has no international borders and as the heart of the historically stable Central Sudan region it was never prioritised. This led to the calamity almost a year ago where the RSF were able to capture the base as well as the city and with it the majority of Gezira State in a very short period of time. The re-enforced army that has retaken Wad Madani will now be in a strong position to rapidly retake ground across Al Gezira.

A final and very important reason is logistics, both military and civilian. The Sudanese highway network passes through Wad Madani. For the Army to be able to project power in Western Sudan and compete with the UAE arms supply route via Darfur, it needed first to reestablish a supply route into Kordufan (Western Sudan) which the RSF until recently had been able to choke off at Wad Madani.

The 5th Army division based in North Kordufan is widely considered to be the most capable division in the Sudanese Army but up until recently has only been able to exert control over its base city of El Obeid because there was no effective way of supplying it. If the Army supply lines reach El Obeid, then the 5th infantry division will be able to project control over the wider surrounding area. The reconnection of the National highway at Wad Madani will also help reduce transport costs and help facilitate trade.

To sum up the majority of the 6 million residents of Al Gezira are likely to be liberated as a result of the Army entering Wad Madani.  The restarting of the Gezira will help mitigate the acute hunger crisis currently being experienced in Sudan.

And lastly control of the logistic choke point of Wad Madani will allow the Army to project its force into Western Sudan where the RSF militia currently has the logistical upper hand.

According to reporting from Wad Mahani following the SAF takeover, a warehouse was found in the city with a large cache of ammunition and missiles from the United Arab Emirates, which is widely regarded as the chief RSF backer. Last week, the U.S. government announced sanctions against UAE companies accused of procuring arms for RAF and also sanctioned the RSF leader,

HOW TO HELP

Khartoum Kitchen, a non-profit initiative helping to feed families in need. Donations though Go Fund Me,  have enabled the group to "massively scale up our work on the ground", according to a January 10th update from Mustafa Ibrahim. "We now have 17 kitchens" - 12 directly run by the organisation and five by partners.

AllAfrica's reporting on peacebuilding in Africa is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

Iconic Soul Singer Sam Moore of Sam & Dave Dies at 89

FILE - Sam and Dave were a famous Soul music act introduced by Stax Records in the mid-1960s.

By Dominic Wabwireh with AP

11/01 - 15:14

Sam Moore, the iconic half of the legendary 1960s duo Sam & Dave, known for timeless classics like “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” has passed away at the age of 89.

His publicist, Jeremy Westby, confirmed that Moore died on Friday morning in Coral Gables, Florida, following complications from surgery.

Further details have not yet been released.

Moore's influence reached far and wide, inspiring artists such as Michael Jackson, Al Green, and Bruce Springsteen.

In 1992, he and his partner Dave Prater were honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At Stax Records in Memphis, they were celebrated as one of the label's standout acts, second only to the legendary Otis Redding.

Guinea Opposition Expressed Doubt Over Election

Soldiers guard the venue of a meeting between leaders of political parties and military junta Col. Mamady Doumbouya, in Conakry, Guinea Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021.

By Dominic Wabwireh with AP

The Guinean government's spokesperson announced that the presidential election might occur before the close of 2025.

Initially, the junta had pledged to transfer power to elected officials by the end of 2024 due to international pressure, but they have failed to fulfill that promise.

Ousmane Gaoual Diallo indicated that either a presidential or legislative election could be scheduled for October, following a referendum to establish a new constitution, which is expected to take place in May.

But Siaka BARRY, President of the MPDG Party - who spoke to Africanews has no confident in the Junta government.

"Now, when we ask whether we believe in the new promises of the junta, you know, to believe or not to believe, it’s all a matter of trust. But I can assure you today that trust is broken. Trust is broken between all political actors and the junta, between all political actors and the government. Trust is broken," he said.

General Mamadi Doumbouya, the leader of the junta, expressed in his New Year’s message that 2025 would be a pivotal year for elections aimed at restoring constitutional order.

However, the authorities have yet to outline a specific timeline for this process.

Mr. Diallo, along with other close supporters of Doumbouya, is advocating for him to enter the presidential race, even though Doumbouya has consistently declared his intention not to run.

Benin Suffers Heavy Losses in Deadly Border Attack

FILE-A police officer and a soldier from Benin stop a motorcyclist at a checkpoint outside Porga, Benin, March 26, 2022.

Africa News

 10/01 - 16:43

Benin's military has suffered significant casualties in a deadly attack near the insurgency-hit borders with Niger and Burkina Faso, officials have confirmed.

Colonel Faizou Gomina, chief of staff for the National Guard, described the Wednesday evening assault on one of the country's most fortified military positions as a "very hard blow."

While the perpetrators remain unidentified, Benin has faced increasing attacks in its northern region, often linked to jihadist groups from neighbouring countries. A security source told AFP that 28 soldiers were killed, while the opposition party, The Democrats, claimed the death toll reached 30.

In response, military operations are underway, with reports that 40 attackers have been neutralized so far.

Col Gomina urged military leaders to rethink strategies to address the growing security challenges. "Wake up, officers and section chiefs, we have battles to win," he said.

Since 2021, more than 120 Beninese soldiers have lost their lives in the region, with jihadist activity continuing to pose a significant threat. Last month, gunmen killed three soldiers and injured four others guarding an oil pipeline in the northeast.

In 2022, Benin deployed nearly 3,000 troops to its northern border to curb cross-border incursions, but the latest attack underscores the persistent danger in the region.

An Austrian Woman Has Been Kidnapped in Niger’s Agadez City, Authorities Say

3:47 PM EST, January 12, 2025

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — An Austrian woman has been kidnapped by gunmen in Niger’s Agadez city, local residents and the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, the first time a European citizen is known to have been kidnapped in the conflict-hit West African nation since a military junta took power in 2023.

The ministry said Austria’s embassy in Algeria, which is also responsible for Niger, had been informed of the kidnap of an Austrian woman in Agadez and was in contact with regional authorities on the ground.

Residents and local media identified the victim as Eva Gretzmacher and reported she is an aid worker who has lived in Agadez — hundreds of kilometers (miles) away from the capital city of Niamey — for more than 20 years.

“(She) is well known for her social commitment (and) created a skills center in 2010 that initiated various projects, notably in the fields of education, women’s empowerment, ecology, culture and art,” the local Air Info Agadez reported.

Gretzmacher also supported education programs through her development work and provided assistance to local non-government organizations in various sectors, local media said.

No group claimed responsibility for her abduction and authorities in Niger did not immediately comment on the incident.

Niger has for many years battled a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a security crisis that analysts say has worsened since the military toppled the country’s government in July 2023. Despite their promise to restore peace in hot spots, the junta’s capacity to improve Niger’s security has increasingly been questioned amid increasing attacks.

Niger was seen as one of the last democratic countries in Africa’s Sahel region that Western nations could partner with to beat back the jihadi insurgency in the vast expanse below the Sahara Desert. The country has severed decadeslong military ties with the West and turned to Russia as a new security partner.

Chad’s Ruling Party Wins Majority in Parliamentary Election Boycotted by Main Opposition

By MOUTA ALI

6:05 AM EST, January 12, 2025

N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Chad’s ruling party took the majority of votes in last month’s parliamentary election, which was boycotted by the main opposition and which analysts had said would consolidate the president’s political power, provisional results show.

In what was the first parliamentary election in Chad in more than a decade, the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement party won 124 out of 188 seats, while the voter turnout was 51.5%, according to the provisional results announced late Saturday by Ahmed Bartchiret, head of the electoral commission.

The parliamentary election, which also included regional and municipal elections, was the last stage of the country’s transition to democracy after Mahamat Idriss Deby took power as a military ruler in 2021. The takeover followed the death of Deby’s father and longtime president Idriss Deby Itno, who spent three decades in power. Deby eventually won last year’s disputed presidential vote.

Deby had said the election would “pave the way for the era of decentralization so long awaited and desired by the Chadian people,” referring to the distribution of power beyond the national government to the different provincial and municipal levels.

The election was boycotted by more than 10 opposition parties, including the main Transformers party, whose candidate, Succes Masra, came second in the presidential election.

The main opposition had called the election a “charade” and expressed worries that it would be a repeat of the presidential vote, which election observers said was not credible. The main opposition did not immediately comment on the election results.

Last month’s vote came at a critical period for Chad, which is battling several security challenges from Boko Haram militant attacks in the Lake Chad region to the break in decadeslong military ties with France, its key ally.

France’s Battered Mayotte Islands Hit by a New Tropical Storm Just Weeks After a Devastating Cyclone

By GERALD IMRAY

11:23 AM EST, January 12, 2025

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The French territory of Mayotte was battered by a new tropical storm Sunday, just weeks after the worst cyclone to hit the islands in nearly a century laid waste to entire neighborhoods and villages and left authorities facing a huge recovery effort.

Mayotte issued a red alert and people were ordered to stay in their homes or find a solid shelter, and store food and water, as Tropical Storm Dikeledi brought heavy rains and strong winds to once again pound France’s poorest department. Some areas were experiencing flooding.

Mayotte, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, had only just begun the process of rebuilding after the devastation of Cyclone Chido last month, which killed at least 39 people, left more than 200 still missing, and injured more than 5,000 when in struck on Dec. 14.

Three people died in nearby Madagascar after Dikeledi made landfall there as a cyclone on Saturday, the country’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said. Parts of northern Madagascar were also placed under red alert.

Dikeledi had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached Mayotte on Sunday, French meteorological service Meteo-France said. The center of the storm would pass about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Mayotte, Meteo said. Chido had hit Mayotte head-on.

But Meteo-France warned Dikeledi could strengthen into a cyclone again, while authorities in Mayotte said there was a high danger of flooding and landslides across the islands and issued the red alert on Saturday night. That alert would remain in place for Sunday and civilians were forbidden from being outside until the alert was lifted, said the Mayotte Prefecture, the French government department that runs the territory.

“The danger to the population persists,” the prefecture said on its official Facebook page. It said the weather would be calm at one point on Sunday but would become violent again later in the day.

Mayotte was also again opening cyclone shelters at schools and community centers for those in need, the prefecture said. The international airport, which was heavily damaged by Chido, was closed again until further notice.

Officials said they were taking no chances after the devastation of Chido, which prompted an angry reaction by Mayotte residents who vented their frustration at French President Emmanuel Macron when he visited days after the disaster. Mayotte’s people have previously accused the French government of neglecting them and the territory, which is the poorest in the European Union.

The French Interior Ministry said emergency personnel and security forces had been mobilized for Dikeledi’s arrival, with much of the focus on the precarious shantytowns around the capital, Mamoudzou, and other areas, which were largely destroyed by Chido. Many who had lost their houses in Chido still had no proper shelter when Dikeledi struck.

National TV station Mayotte la 1ère said that the southern village of Mbouini, one of the few in Mayotte spared by Chido, had been flooded and almost totally destroyed by Dikeledi. Mayotte la 1ère broadcast video of the residents of Mbouini escaping in wooden canoes as their homes were submerged under flood water.

Mayotte is a densely populated territory of around 320,000 people. Another 100,000 undocumented migrants from nearby Comoros and elsewhere are also believed to live on the islands, which are a draw for people from poorer countries because of the French welfare system.

Chido was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years, authorities said. While 39 deaths have been confirmed, French Prime Minister François Bayrou warned on a visit to the islands two weeks ago that the final death toll could be several hundred. Authorities have faced challenges in recording the deaths and injuries from Chido because many of those affected were undocumented migrants, and also because of the Muslim practice of burying people within 24 hours of them dying.

After smashing Mayotte, Chido made landfall on mainland Africa, killing more than 100 others in Mozambique and Malawi. Meteorologists expect Dikeledi to turn south and then east, tracking back toward Madagascar and out to sea after passing Mayotte.

November to April is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and the region has been pummeled by a series of strong ones in recent years. The worst was Cyclone Idai in 2019, which killed more than 1,500 people in Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe and affected more than 3 million people.

Comoros Holds a Parliamentary Election Boycotted by Some Opposition Parties

Comoros’ President Azali Assoumani waves as he is escorted by Chinese officials upon arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, on Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool, File)

By NAZIR NAZI

5:42 AM EST, January 12, 2025

MORONI, Comoros (AP) — Comoros held a parliamentary election Sunday that some opposition leaders pledged to boycott, accusing President Azali Assoumani and his ruling party of adopting an increasingly authoritarian stance and raising concerns over the integrity of the vote.

The one-day election will decide the 33 seats in the legislature. Results are expected next week, according to the national electoral commission.

Around 330,000 people out of a population of 850,000 on the Indian Ocean archipelago are registered to vote, the electoral commission said. However, opposition parties said they expected a low turnout, citing disaffection with the democratic process.

Assoumani’s Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros party and its coalition partners won 20 out of the 24 seats that were contested in the last parliamentary election in 2020. On Sunday, Assoumani cast his vote in his hometown of Mitsoudjé on the largest island of Grande Comore.

Opposition parties called the 2020 vote a “masquerade” and said it was not free and fair. Assoumani won a new five-year term as president in an election last year that the opposition also said was fraudulent, triggering violent protests on the streets.

The Juwa Party of former President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi was one of those boycotting Sunday’s vote. It also boycotted the 2020 parliamentary election.

Comoros is an archipelago of three islands off the east coast of Africa near Madagascar. It has been beset by a series of military coups since gaining independence from France in 1975, with Assoumani, a former military officer, first seizing power in 1999 by overthrowing the president.

Assoumani, 66, stepped down from the presidency in 2006 after one term but returned and won another election in 2016. He has been president since, winning three successive elections. He pushed through constitutional changes in 2018 that allowed him to sidestep term limits and avoid a previous political agreement that saw the presidency rotated between Comoros’ islands.

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a U.S. Congress-funded research institution, has said that Assoumani’s presidency “has been marked by growing political repression and non-competitive elections.”

Officials said voting was going ahead despite Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi, which was expected to pass near Comoros and the nearby French territory of Mayotte on Sunday.

A Startup City in Kenya Tries to Tackle Africa’s Problem of Urbanizing While Poor

By ADRIAN BLOMFIELD

1:54 AM EST, January 12, 2025

KIAMBU, Kenya (AP) — Turn into Tatu City on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and it feels like entering a different world.

Even the country’s most reckless drivers are transformed, slowing to a crawl and not tossing trash out the window — thanks to surveillance cameras and rigorously enforced penalties for speeding and littering.

For the 5,000 people who have moved into Tatu, a “startup city” that welcomed its first residents four years ago, the ruthless upholding of such rules makes the place appealing.

“Tatu has more law and order than other places,” said Valerie Akoko, a digital content creator who moved in two years ago. “I’ve never seen Tatu City dirty.”

Situated on 5,000 acres, Tatu City aspires to be what its name suggests: a city, privately owned, that its designers hope will eventually have a population of 250,000. It is already home to 88 businesses employing 15,000 people. They include CCI Global, which operates a 5,000-seat call center, and Zhende Medical, a Chinese medical supply manufacturer.

There are similar projects around the world. But in sub-Saharan Africa, champions of the idea hope that new-city developments can address the continent’s urbanization conundrum: While the growth of cities has rolled back poverty elsewhere, the region has largely been an exception.

History suggests that as people move into cities, productivity increases, wages rise, exports grow and a country gets richer. But in Africa, urbanization has rarely unleashed such economic transformation.

In theory, Africa should be prospering. The continent’s urban population is set to grow by 900 million by 2050, according to the United Nations, more than the present urban population of Europe and North America combined.

But sub-Saharan Africa is urbanizing while still poor.

“Towns and cities in Africa today simply lack the tax base needed to invest in the urban infrastructure needed to accommodate the tsunami of people being added to their ranks in a short period of time,” said Kurtis Lockhart, director of the Africa Urban Lab, a research center at the African School of Economics in Zanzibar.

Weak property rights and political tensions can make the problem worse.

Even Tatu City has battled Kenyan politicians and politically connected businessmen. In 2018, the London Court of International Arbitration ruled in favor of the development’s multinational owner, Rendeavour, in a dispute with its Kenyan former partners, including a former governor of the central bank. The dispute delayed project development by several years.

Last year, Tatu City’s Kenya head, Preston Mendenhall, took the unusual step of accusing the governor of the county where the development is based of extortion, saying he had demanded land worth $33 million in exchange for approving its updated master plan. The governor denied it and is suing Tatu City and Mendenhall for defamation. No ruling has been made.

Still, the case for building new cities, complete with new infrastructure, is compelling to some. The Charter Cities Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit, argues that, done properly, such projects could drive growth, create jobs and “lift tens of millions of people out of poverty.” The institute sees Tatu City as a model.

Yet building new cities is hard. Africa is littered with failed projects.

A handful have shown promise. Angola’s Quilamba city, whose construction began in 2002, is arguably the most successful, with a population of more than 130,000. It was built by CITIC, a state-owned Chinese company, but is owned by the Angolan government.

Perhaps a dozen new city projects — from Zanzibar to Zambia — are underway in Africa that stand a chance of emulating Quilamba, experts reckon. Of these, Tatu is the farthest along, with 26,400 people already living, working or studying there.

Experts agree that the private sector must play a role in African urbanization, saying African states are too fiscally constrained to fill the investment gap themselves. Rendeavour, a private company with a multibillion-dollar balance sheet, has deep enough pockets to make a difference.

But leaving city-building to the private sector alone can cause problems, for instance by worsening inequality. The average price of a property at Eko Atlantic, a new-city development on the outskirts of Lagos, is $415,000, far beyond the means of most Nigerians.

“Startup cities can serve as hubs for innovation and alleviate pressure on overcrowded urban centers,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, executive director of the UN’s Human Settlements Program, or UN-Habitat. “However, to be impactful, they must prioritize inclusivity, affordability and integration with existing urban areas, ensuring they serve all socioeconomic groups rather than becoming isolated enclaves for elites.”

A one-bedroom apartment in Tatu City sells for $45,500, still beyond the means of most Kenyans, but within reach of some in the emerging middle class. Kenya’s per capita GDP was $1,961 in 2023, according to the World Bank.

The development collaborates with Kenya’s government, which has designated Tatu City a special economic zone. That means companies setting up there are eligible for tax benefits and other incentives, making it a model of private-public partnership, experts say.

Tatu City also appeals to businesses and residents with its transparent governance structure and services that are often lacking elsewhere in Kenya, including its own water supply and energy grid. It falls under national law but can set its own rules on matters like traffic and what kind of houses can be built, with all plans requiring approval from Tatu’s management.

“If you look at the infrastructure, if you look at the utilities, if you look at the controls, if you look at the security, it is one of the best,” said Sylvester Njuguna, who lives and owns a restaurant there.

Unlike many startup cities built far from urban centers, Tatu City is 12 miles (19 kilometers) north of Nairobi, close enough to plug into its labor markets.

According to Lockhart with the Africa Urban Lab, new city projects usually succeed if they are close enough to a major urban center and house both a high-quality anchor tenant — CCI Global in Tatu City’s case — and good schools. They should operate under effective management and respond to market demand.

Tatu meets these criteria and, unlike many grandiosely conceived African city projects, it has grown organically like Rendeavour’s other city projects in Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and the Congo, according to Mendenhall.

“We are building what the market needs,” he said. “We are not putting all the infrastructure on day one.”

Libya Mass Deportation of Nigeriens in 'Dangerous, Traumatizing' Journey

By Al Mayadeen English

10 Jan 2025 16:00

Forcibly deported migrants endure freezing winter temperatures, overcrowding in trucks, and frequent fights for space, often resulting in injuries.

More than 600 Nigerien nationals were forcibly deported from Libya in one of the largest known expulsions from the country.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that 613 people arrived in Dirkou, Niger, after being transported across the Sahara in a convoy of trucks. The migrants had been rounded up over the past month by Libyan authorities.

Azizou Chehou from Alarm Phone Sahara (APS) highlighted this as the largest expulsion to date, surpassing a previous deportation of 400 people in July. The incident draws attention to the ongoing human rights abuses against migrants in Libya, which have been linked to European Union border policies, according to The Guardian. 

Chehou described the journey across the Sahara between Libya and Niger as "dangerous and traumatizing", noting that migrants endure freezing winter temperatures, overcrowding in trucks, and frequent fights for space, often resulting in injuries like broken limbs. Many arrive in Agadez in poor physical and emotional condition.

Critics accuse EU nations, particularly Italy, of outsourcing migration control to North African countries like Libya and Tunisia. Italy has reported a substantial drop in migrant arrivals, with 66,317 reaching its shores in 2024, compared to more than double the number in 2023. Activists such as David Yambio, spokesperson for the nonprofit organization Refugees in Libya, warn of the deadly consequences of these policies, with migrants often facing dire conditions in the desert.

"Leaders like [Viktor] Orbán, [Giorgia] Meloni, or Trump applaud such efficient cruelty. It’s no accident; it’s the design. The EU pays to erase migrants, to make suffering invisible, and to wash its hands while others do its dirty work," Yambio said. 

Jalel Harchaoui, a Libya specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, highlighted that while rounding up and expelling foreign workers has been a longstanding practice in southern Libya, this recent incident stands out due to the unusually large number of people expelled at once.

The expulsions, carried out by local authorities in Sabha without official announcements or clear policies, reflect a pattern of hostility in the rhetoric of the Haftar-led Libyan National Army, often demonizing sub-Saharan African migrants, Harchaoui added. 

Libya has traditionally attracted workers from Niger, Mali, and Chad for jobs in agriculture, construction, and retail, as well as migrants seeking to travel to Europe. The UNHCR expressed readiness to assist the IOM in supporting those in need of international protection.

Ethiopian Ministry Advocates United Action to Revitalize Construction Sector

January 11, 2025

ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure (MUI) has issued a fervent call for enhanced collaboration among all stakeholders to effectively address the multifaceted challenges impeding the growth and development of the Ethiopian construction sector.

Yesterday, the MUI convened a meeting with key stakeholders to discuss the findings of a recent research study on the constraints facing the construction sector.

In her keynote address, the Minister Chaltu Sani acknowledged the construction industry’s significant role as a major job creator, second only to agriculture, and its crucial contribution to the country’s economic acceleration. However, she also highlighted the numerous challenges facing the sector.

In collaboration with five research universities, the Ministry has identified several key challenges facing the construction industry that must be addressed to ensure its future success. The Minister stated, “A competitive sector is crucial for delivering high-quality construction projects.”

Ethiopia’s construction sector currently faces several challenges, including lack of coordination, limited technology adoption, inadequate practical training and skills development as well as high costs of construction materials. The industry has also been affected by inefficient data collection and project administration systems, andlimited capacity of contractors and consultants. These challenges hinder the sector’s ability to become a key driver of economic development and growth,” Chaltu stated.

Furthermore, addressing the complex challenges within the construction sector requires effective collaboration among all stakeholders.

Recognizing the construction sector’s significant contribution to economic growth, the government has allocated substantial budget to support its development, Minister Chaltu said. “This support aims to enhance the sector’s competitiveness at the national, continental and global levels.”

To modernize the construction sector, the MUI is actively implementing international best practices. A key initiative is the development of the Ethiopian Construction Data Management System (ECDMS), designed to enhance industry capacity.

The MUI, in collaboration with key stakeholders, is finalizing the development of the ECDMS. This system will improve data management within the industry, leading to reductions in construction time and costs. The MUI identified these critical areas for improvement through research conducted in partnership with five research universities.

The ECDMS will facilitate collaboration among stakeholders to address key challenges within the construction sector, including workforce limitations, professional competency gaps, and productivity issues, the Minster remarked.

BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 11 JANUARY 2025