Thursday, March 28, 2024

Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast Hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, for Thurs. March 28, 2024

Listen to the Thurs. March 28, 2024 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. 

To hear the podcast of this episode click on this URL: Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast 03/28 by Pan African Radio Network | Politics (blogtalkradio.com)

The program features our PANW report with dispatches on the opposition parties call for demonstrations in the West African state of Togo after the president announced measures to extend his term of office; four people have been sentenced in the assassination of a Tunisian lawyer over a decade ago; West African women farmers are gaining more recognition for their important role in agricultural production; and the security situation in worsening in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

In the second and third hours we features a panel discussion on the situation in Palestine.

Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast Hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, for Sun. March 24, 2024

Listen to the Sun. March 24, 2024 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. 

To listen to this podcast just go to this URL: Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast 03/24 by Pan African Radio Network | Politics (blogtalkradio.com)


The program features our PANW report with dispatches on a recent attack on Niger military personnel inside the country; Algeria has set national elections for Sept.; Kenyan doctors remain on strike for the second week; and refugee camps in Chad are overflowing with new migrants. 

In the second and third hours we continue our focus on International Women's History Month with segments on the impact of the Memphis massacre of 1866 on African American women. 

Later we listen to two speeches, one from 1968 and another delivered in 1971, by Coretta Scott King.

Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast Hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, for Sat. March 23, 2024

Listen to the Sat. March 23, 2024 edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. 

To hear the entire podcast go to this link: Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast 03/23 by Pan African Radio Network | Politics (blogtalkradio.com)

The episode features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the efforts by the Republic of Zimbabwe to contain a cholera outbreak in the country; a Rwandan living in the United States has been charged in the federal courts for not revealing his role in the 1994 genocide; there are water shortages in the Republic of South Africa; and the financial institutions in Ghana are trying to cope with an internet outage impacting several African states. 

In the second hour we listen to an extensive interview with South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Naledi Pandor, on the legal claims made by Pretoria against the State of Israel for its war against the Palestinians in Gaza. 

Later we look back on the literary contributions of Ann Petry and Lorraine Hansberry as part of our commemoration of International Women's History Month.

Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast Hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, for Fri. March 22, 2024

Listen to the Fri. March 22, 2024 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. 

To hear the podcast of this episode go to the following URL: Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast 03/19 by Pan African Radio Network | Politics (blogtalkradio.com)

This program features our PANW report with dispatches on the recent IDF bombing of Rafah in the Gaza Strip; Yemen has provided a military update on its solidarity actions with the people of Palestine; Iraq announced that the United States has reopened talks on their exit from the country; and there are ongoing military engagements between southern Lebanon and the northern IOT. 

In the second and third hours we will listen to a panel discussion on the situation in West Asia.

Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast Hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, for Tues. March 19, 2024

Listen to the Tues. March 19, 2024 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. 

To hear this podcast go to the following link: Pan-African Journal: Special Worldwide Radio Broadcast 03/19 by Pan African Radio Network | Politics (blogtalkradio.com)

This episode features our PANW report with dispatches on the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) conducting drills in anticipation of a ground invasion by the United States and Britain; resistance forces are continuing their attacks on the IDF inside the Gaza Strip; the South African government in its legal actions against the IOF at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is demanding action against the genocide in Gaza; and the Republic of South Sudan has closed schools due to extreme heat in the country. 

In the second and third hours we continue our focus on International Women's History Month looking back at the life, times and contributions of human and civil rights activist Ella Baker. 

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on Voices with Vision Aired on WPFW in Washington, D.C. Discussed the Situation in the Sahel and Zimbabwe

On March 19, 2024, Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, was a guest on the Voices with Vision program which airs every week over WPFW in Washington, D.C.

To hear this podcast featuring Abayomi Azikiwe who comes on during the second half of the program, just click on the following link: WPFW - Voices With Vision: Voices With Vision - Tuesday, March 19, 2024 on Apple Podcasts

Azikiwe provides some analysis on the ongoing destabilization efforts by the United States and France against the anti-imperialist governments in West Africa. 

Also, there was discussion on the diplomatic problems between the administration of President Joe Biden and the Republic of Zimbabwe government. 

Yemeni Armed Forces Conduct Drills in Preparation for Possible Imperialist Ground Invasion

United States and British warplanes have conducted regular bombing operations against the country in a failed attempt to lessen its capacity in the Palestine solidarity struggle.

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Thursday March 21, 2024

Geostrategic Analysis

Resistance forces in Yemen have been the targets in the U.S. and British efforts to halt the country’s blockade against Israeli ports. 

Spokesmen for the Ansar Allah movement say that its presence in the Arabian and Red Seas is a direct result of the Israeli war on the Palestinians in Gaza.

During mid-March reports surfaced indicating that the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) and the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) were conducting exercises which simulate a ground invasion by two leading imperialist countries, the U.S. and Britain. The YAF have continued their attacks on ships which are violating the blockade. These resistance operations have openly defied the increased imperialist military presence and aggressive actions in the region. 

In describing the character of the drills and the political atmosphere spawning the present situation, the Cradle emphasized:

“As the drills occurred, the Yemeni Minister of Defense, Major General Nasser al-Atifi, delivered a speech stressing Sanaa's capacity to ‘deal with an international community that respects only the strong. We will enforce new rules of engagement forcefully, and the price will be paid dearly by the Americans, the British, and the Zionists and those in their orbit. The battle of The Promised Conquest and the Sacred Jihad in support of Al-Aqsa Flood will triumph and inevitably lead to geopolitical changes in line with a new world order,’ Atifi said on Sunday (March 17). He noted that the people of Yemen are not ‘warmongers’ but stressed that Israel's campaign of genocide in Gaza has prompted ‘freedom-loving nations of the world to declare their position against such atrocities.’” (https://thecradle.co/articles-id/23933)

The Ansar Allah officials emphasized their sovereignty over territorial waters. They pledged not to relent even in the face of bombings by the Pentagon and the British Royal Air Forces.

Just prior to the military exercises, a delegation consisting of representatives of several Palestinian organizations visited Sana’a for high-level talks with the Yemeni government. It was reported that Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) were present for the talks. 

This delegation was reflective of the unity which exists in the military resistance to the IDF occupation of Gaza. There are ten different brigades involved in the fighting and their actions are coordinated against the settler-colonial troops.

The general thrust of the conversations centered on enhancing the cooperation between fighters in Palestine and the solidarity efforts in Yemen. Although the western imperialist states and their media outlets attribute all of the armed resistance activity as being coordinated by the Islamic Republic of Iran, these organizations have engaged in self-directed defensive and offensive operations against the State of Israel and the U.S. All of the tactics being utilized in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, are based upon the concrete conditions prevailing in those areas of the region. 

In Palestine and the other neighboring states, they have been able to build their own weapons which can effectively level significant casualties against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and those allied with Zionism and imperialism. The blockade carried out now for several months by the YAF has been quite costly for the commercial maritime industry. 

The cost of shipping has risen sharply with the rise in insurance rates and travel expenses due to the rerouting of vessels. To respond to the crisis, the U.S. and Britain have been forced to deploy additional military personnel in the region. These events are occurring when popular pressure is mounting within the imperialist countries and around the world calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the recognition of an independent Palestinian state. 

In the same above-cited article published by the Cradle, it reveals that:

“The Palestinians, in turn, reportedly conveyed their ‘great appreciation for the pivotal and important role’ played by Yemen since last November. Last week, Ansarallah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi announced plans to expand Yemen's maritime operations against U.S., U.K., and Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea. His speech came a day after a Yemeni military source revealed to Russian media that the armed forces recently tested a hypersonic missile and are preparing to introduce the technology into the country's military arsenal.” 

This YAF blockade is taking its toll inside the Israeli Occupied Territories (IOT) forcing an economic downturn in the shipping industry. Another report published by the Cradle says that:

“Israel’s port of Eilat in the occupied south is set to fire half of its employees due to the devastating effects of Yemen’s maritime blockade on Israeli shipping. The main Israeli labor federation, the Histadrut Labor Federation, said on 20 March that port authorities have announced their intention to lay off half of the 120 people employed at the Eilat port. It added that the workers plan on protesting the decision on Wednesday. ‘It would have been right for the company at this time to have embraced the workers and their families, and not chosen the easy way of attempting mass layoffs. We won’t be a part of this,’ said Eyal Yadin, the chairman of Israel’s transportation workers union, in a statement.” (https://thecradle.co/articles/yemens-red-sea-blockade-forces-mass-layoffs-at-key-israeli-port)

Since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, the level of resistance to the aggression exerted by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) coupled with solidarity efforts internationally characterized by mass demonstrations, boycotts, social media campaigns along with an overall intensified debate over the legitimacy of the Israeli state which relies on the unconditional support awarded by the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union (EU), illustrates clearly that the status-quo is unsustainable politically. The administration of President Joe Biden and the Democratic-dominated Senate headed by Chuck Schumer has to make it appear as if they want to lessen the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Nonetheless, there is no discussion yet on measures such as halting all aid to Tel Aviv including weapons, intelligence assistance and diplomatic cover. Sanctions could be imposed on leading Israeli officials for their blatant genocidal policies. 

One of the key aspects of the global solidarity movement with Palestine is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns which have gained tremendous support in the U.S. and Britain. In the U.K., groups such as Palestine Action have been successful in exposing the links between transnational corporations and the arming of the Zionist state.

The difficulty in making such changes in U.S. foreign policy is that imperialism relies on the Zionist state as a bulwark against the aspirations of the people of West Asia and North Africa. With the entering of literally billions of people across the globe in the Palestine solidarity movement, this factor has rapidly shifted the public mood within the U.S., Britain and the EU member-states.  

Regional Resistance Continues 

Iraqi resistance fighters announced on March 21 that they had targeted a power generation station in Tel Aviv. Such attacks are ongoing despite the periodic airstrikes conducted by the Pentagon.

Al Mayadeen reported on the military resistance activities in Iraq saying:

“In the past weeks, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq intensified its operations against Israeli targets inside occupied Palestinian territory. On Wednesday (March 20), the Resistance said its fighters attacked Ben Gurion Airport deep within the Israeli occupation entity using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) -- the second time in one week. On Monday (March 18), the Islamic Resistance targeted an Israeli UAV airbase in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights using drones and affirmed the continuation and intensification of its operations during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Akram al-Kaabi, the Secretary-General of the al-Nujaba Movement, a faction that operates under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, affirmed on February 25 that the Resistance will maintain its operations to kick U.S. forces out of the country and will not stop attacking Israeli targets in occupied Palestine.” (https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iraqi-resistance-targets-electricity-generation-station-in)

In neighboring Lebanon, the Hezbollah resistance movement has on a daily basis engaged the IDF in solidarity with the Palestinians. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers have been forced to move from areas on the northern border with southern Lebanon. 

Al Mayadeen reported on the intensifying attacks against the settler-colonial regime pointing out:

“Hezbollah fighters continue to target Israeli occupation military sites and soldiers for the 165th day in support of the Palestinian people and their Resistance in the Gaza Strip. Following up on nine operations announced throughout Tuesday (March 19), the group fired rockets and missiles at Israeli military positions across the Lebanese-Palestinian border. The first set of attacks was a dual operation that targeted Israeli sites in the occupied Lebanese town of Hounin and Kfar Chouba Hills at 5:35 pm (local time). In the first operation, Hezbollah fighters attacked the Hounin Castle, which had been appropriated by Israeli occupation forces for military purposes, confirming direct hits to the intended target. In the second operation, Hezbollah fighters targeted the Roueissat al-Alam military site, located more than 20 km away from the site of the first operation. Just five minutes later, Islamic Resistance fighters launched an attack on the Zibdine military site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.” (https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-fighters-launch-3-near-parallel-attacks-on-israeli)

Consequently, the struggle against the genocide in Gaza cannot be halted through the aggressive actions of the IDF and the duplicitous statements made by the U.S. Unless widespread changes are made within the imperialist construct in the West Asia and North Africa regions, the imperialist states led by the U.S. will be forced to wage yet another disastrous war which will further weaken its internal and external capabilities to exercise world hegemony. 

France, Now the United States, Suspended from Military Operations in Niger

Government in Niamey rebuffs Washington’s overtures to remain in the uranium-rich state under the guise of counterterrorism.

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Tuesday March 19, 2024

Geostrategic Analysis

In the latest wave of anti-imperialist actions sweeping various West African states in the Sahel region, the government in Niger has nullified a security agreement with the United States.

Following the same decision related to French intervention in its former colony, the National Council for the Safeguarding of Our Homeland (CNSP) administration has declared that such cooperation pacts related to military affairs are no longer beneficial to the country.

French President Emmanuel Macron sought to have the western-allied ousted leader Mohammed Bazoum reinstalled after his overthrow on July 26, 2023. This plot, initially supported by Washington, was aimed at encouraging a military force staffed by member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intervene with French and U.S. logistical support. Under the false pretense of salvaging democracy in the Sahel, the administration of President Joe Biden would then take credit for reimposing Bazoum while maintaining its drone facilities and troop presence in Niger.

The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has up to 1,000 soldiers and intelligence personnel operating in Niger. Previous governments in Niger had acquiesced to the presence of AFRICOM inside the country. However, the attacks by rebel groupings against the central government in Niamey continued despite the escalating deployments from France and the U.S. 

Attempts to salvage the Pentagon presence in Niger took place in at least two phases. When the proposal for an ECOWAS military intervention drew enormous criticism and protest, the Biden administration sought to distance itself from France. Discussions were held with the CNSP government suggesting that the State Department would not follow through with classifying the events of July 26 as a “coup.” Designating these developments as a coup would seriously impact the diplomatic relations between Niamey and Washington. 

During the months after the seizure of power by the military-led government now controlling Niger, French Armed Forces and diplomatic personnel were ordered out of the country. Later the U.S. announced a scaling back of operations in Niger. 

High-level State Department officials were deployed to Niger several months ago where they sought to intimidate the new government. Rather than seek readmission after its suspension from ECOWAS and the leveling of economic sanctions, the government in Niger formed a security alliance with Mali and Burkina Faso, known as the Alliance of Sahel States.    

The second phase of the diplomatic efforts by Washington to reset its relations with Niamey consisted of yet another State Department delegation which visited Niger during mid-March. It was at the conclusion of these meetings between the U.S. and Niger, that the CNSP government announced the revocation of its military agreements with Washington. 

Journalist Reed Kramer wrote in an article published by allafrica.com news website that:

“The military regime in Niger on Saturday (March 16) revoked ‘with immediate effect’ the military cooperation agreement with the United States dating from 2012. The decision followed several days of tense discussions involving a delegation of senior American officials who visited the capital Niamey last week - a trip apparently triggered by growing concerns that Niger was moving towards a uranium sales deal with Iran. In a video announcement posted on X and Facebook, a day after the U.S. officials departed, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesperson for the ruling military council, criticized a ‘condescending attitude’ by the delegation leader, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Molly Phee. ‘The Government of Niger, taking into account the aspirations and interests of its people, denounces with immediate effect the agreement relating to the status of military personnel of the United States and civil employees of the U.S. Department of Defense on the territory of Niger,’ Abdramane said.” (https://allafrica.com/stories/202403180001.html)

France and the U.S. are quite concerned over the potential for the Alliance of Sahel States to move closer to the Russian Federation. Demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of people, mainly youth, in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have simultaneously called for the departure of French and now U.S. forces from their resource-rich countries, which remain severely underdeveloped, along with flying national and Russian flags. Despite propaganda and psychological warfare campaigns by the imperialists; the training and financing of armies; and the threat of further destabilization campaigns; these states are rapidly turning away from Paris and Washington.

These diplomatic and military setbacks are taking place while the Biden administration is facing a serious challenge to its reelection. A proxy war launched a decade ago in Ukraine resulting in the Russian Special Military Operation beginning in late February 2022, is facing defeat on the battlefield. In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are fighting the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) which are fully backed by Washington. In addition to its diplomatic maneuvers in Niger, other governments on the African continent are being subjected to destabilization efforts.

The Republic of South Africa has openly challenged the U.S. for its facilitation of the Gaza genocide. The African National Congress (ANC) administration led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has taken the State of Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) charging Tel Aviv with violating the Genocide Convention. Due to South Africa’s refusal to adopt the U.S. position on Ukraine and its mobilization of public opinion internationally in defense of the Palestinian people, Washington is attempting to weaken and remove the ANC from power.

False allegations of weapons transfers to Moscow by Pretoria failed to turn up any evidence. The Biden White House later stated that the South African legal action against Israel had no merit. These developments have further exposed the imperialist character of the present administration in Washington. 

ECOWAS Lifts Sanctions Against Niger and Other Suspended Governments

Realizing that the imperialist-engineered efforts to isolate the military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have largely failed, the ECOWAS regional organization chaired by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced the lifting of economic sanctions against Niamey. Mass sentiment throughout the ECOWAS region has illustrated the heightening consciousness and activism demanding genuine independence, self-determination and sovereignty. 

Later the All-Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the Federal Republic of Nigeria ended its own sanctions against neighboring Niger. The Alliance of Sahel States have indicated that they are not interested in returning to the ECOWAS fold. Their current interest lies in forming coalitions with governments other than those in Western Europe and North America. 

Also, most of the sanctions by ECOWAS have been lifted against Guinea, which experienced a military takeover in 2021, as well as Burking Faso and Mali. All four military governments which were suspended from ECOWAS are being asked to return. 

According to a report in Al Jazeera during the ECOWAS Summit in late February:

“Speaking in his opening remarks at the start of the summit, ECOWAS chairman and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said the bloc ‘must re-examine our current approach to the quest for constitutional order in four of our Member States’, referring to the three suspended countries, as well as Guinea, which is also military led. Tinubu urged Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to ‘reconsider the decision’ and said they should ‘not perceive our organization as the enemy’.” (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/24/ecowas-lifts-sanctions-on-niger-amid-tensions-in-west-africa-bloc)

Despite its pro-western orientation, the Tinubu administration in Abuja is facing significant challenges on the economic and security fronts. A precipitous decline in the value of the Niara and the worsening problems of violence and kidnapping in the northern areas has weakened the regional and international stature of the current Nigerian administration. Although the imperialist states claim that they are committed to democratic forms of governance, the real issues motivating France and the U.S. are their determination to continue economic and military dominance over the West Africa region.  

Washington and Paris Faced with a Dilemma in the Sahel 

Absent its neo-colonial puppets in various African states, it will be much more difficult to implement hegemonic policies. The former colonial and existing neo-colonial apparatuses are being compelled to engage in more direct military interventions in Africa and across the world. 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members are being stretched thin from Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, to the African continent and the Asia-Pacific. Biden’s supplementary funding for further militarization has been stalled in the U.S. Congress in this national election year. Obviously, the ultra-conservative Republican Party is holding up funding for the Ukraine war and Israeli aggression notwithstanding its stated policy of “containing China”, in its ongoing campaign to make Biden appear even weaker politically.

Antiwar and anti-imperialist organizations in the Western industrialized states must raise the issues taking place on the African continent right alongside opposition to the proxy war in Ukraine and the genocide being carried out in Palestine. Irrespective of which capitalist party wins in the November elections, without a militant mass movement in Western Europe and North America, money will continue being spent on failed attempts to effectively silence and destroy opposition to imperialism around the globe.   

Togo’s Opposition Calls for Protests to Stop President from Signing Off on a New Constitution

FILE - Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe waves before a working lunch at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 9, 2021. Activists and opposition leaders in the West African country of Togo called on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, for protests to stop the country’s president from signing off on a new constitution that would scrap future presidential elections and could extend his decades-long rule until 2031. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File)

BY ERICK KAGLAN

11:25 PM EDT, March 27, 2024

LOME, Togo (AP) — Activists and opposition leaders in the West African country of Togo called on Wednesday for protests to stop the country’s president from signing off on a new constitution that would scrap future presidential elections and could extend his decades-long rule until 2031.

The constitution, which was passed by the country’s lawmakers earlier this week but now awaits President Faure Gnassingbe’s final approval, grants parliament the power to choose the president, doing away with direct elections. This makes it likely that Gnassingbe would be reelected when his mandate expires in 2025.

Some legal experts say the constitution actually restricts the power of future presidents as it introduces a one-term limit and hands over greater power to a figure similar to a prime minister. But opposition fears the role — officially, the president of the council of ministers — could become another avenue for Gnassingbe to extend his grip on power.

The new constitution also increases presidential terms from five to six years. The almost 20-years that Gnassingbe has served in office, after taking over from his father, would not count toward that tally.

The opposition and the clergy say the legislation is an effort by Gnassingbe to prolong his rule. Some have promised to stop it from becoming law by calling on the people to rise up and protest.

“We know that the struggle will be long and hard, but together with the Togolese people, we will do everything we can to prevent this constitutional coup d’état,” said Eric Dupuy, a spokesman for the opposition National Alliance for Change party.

”We’re calling on the population to reject this, to oppose it massively,” he added.

However, police on Wednesday broke up a news conference called by the opposition, throwing leaders and journalists out of the venue.

A group representing Togo’s Catholic bishops said the parliament’s mandate had expired in December ahead of the country’s April 20 parliamentary elections and that the lawmakers had no right to adopt a new constitution.

The bishops urged Gnassingbe to delay signing off on the new constitution and instead engage in an inclusive political dialogue after next month’s balloting.

“The Assembly has no power to revise a constitution,” said Zeus Ajavon, a lecturer in Constitutional Law at the University of Lome. “The power to revise the constitution is vested in it during its term of office.”

Ajavon also argued that a referendum was necessary for the country to adopt a new constitution.

Togo, a nation of around 8 million people, has been ruled by same family for 57 years, initially by Eyadema Gnassingbe and subsequently by his son. Faure Gnassingbe has been in office since 2005 after winning elections that the opposition described as a sham.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Tunisia Sentences 4 to Death Over Pivotal 2013 Assassination

BY BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA AND SAM METZ

2:01 PM EDT, March 27, 2024

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Four people were sentenced Wednesday to death and two to life in prison for a murder that sparked widespread unrest in Tunisia and became emblematic of the country’s early challenges transitioning from dictatorship to democracy after the Arab Spring.

Chokri Belaid, the 48-year-old leader of the Popular Front coalition, was a prominent critic of the Islamist Party Ennahda that ascended to power after 2011 uprisings toppled the country’s longtime dictator. His assassination was among a spate of violent episodes that provoked protests in 2013 and became emblematic of Tunisia’s early struggles to reconcile its celebrated secular traditions with the revival of long suppressed religious ultraconservatives.

A criminal court tasked with handling terrorism cases handed down 23 sentences for Belaid’s murder. The sentences, in addition to the death penalties and life sentences, ranged in length from two to 120 years, a public prosecutor said outside of the court.

Belaid’s brother Abdelmajid Belaid called the sentences “a positive step” and said that supporters were still awaiting the trial of those suspected of planning the assassination.

Belaid’s case was reopened last month after a former investigating judge was arrested on suspicion of concealing certain files. Wednesday’s sentencing came after hours of late night delays and lengthy deliberations due to “the complexity of the very thorny case,” said Mohamed Jmour, a member of Belaid’s defense committee.

Before his death, Belaid had earned a following for his forceful denunciations of Ennahda, which rose to power after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in 2011. Belaid’s supporters blamed Islamists for taking an overly accommodating approach toward extremists after his assassination and later decried the slow pace of the investigation.

Ennahda leaders subsequently took a harder line against fundamentalists and classified Ansar al Sharia as a terrorist group when another left-wing politician, Mohammed Brahmi, was slain later that year. Law enforcement killed several alleged members of the al-Qaida-linked group suspected of involvement in Belaid’s death.

Several members of Ansar al Sharia were among those sentenced for Belaid’s murder on Wednesday.

The assassinations and subsequent unrest set off a political crisis for Tunisia as it struggled to transition from dictatorship to democracy. The country teetered on the brink until a Nobel Prize-winning quartet of civil society groups negotiated with various parties to prevent the nascent government’s institutions from unraveling. Though bringing the killers to justice has been a rallying cry for President Kais Saied, authorities during his tenure have quashed protests by Belaid’s supporters, including on the 2021 anniversary of his assassination.

Two dozen defendants were ultimately charged in a sprawling case that took years to investigate and bring to trial. One died in prison. Of the 23 defendants sentenced on Wednesday, five were acquitted.

Aymen Chtiba, a deputy prosecutor in the terrorism court’s judicial unit, said the dismissals had to do with the similarity of sentences already handed down against some defendants in other cases.

Tunisia has not put anyone to death since 1991 though Saied has publicly said he supports reviving executions for certain crimes, including murder.

___

Metz reported from Rabat, Morocco.

‘Women Farmers are Invisible': A West African Project Helps Them Claim Their Rights — and Land

When Mariam Sonko’s father died when she was a young child, her mother struggled to take care of her and her siblings. As is the case across Senegal and West Africa generally, women are not entitled to land ownership as it is expected that when they marry, they will leave their community.

BY JACK THOMPSON

2:27 PM EDT, March 27, 2024

ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal (AP) — Mariama Sonko’s voice resounded through the circle of 40 women farmers sitting in the shade of a cashew tree. They scribbled notes, brows furrowed in concentration as her lecture was punctuated by the thud of falling fruit.

This quiet village in Senegal is the headquarters of a 115,000-strong rural women’s rights movement in West Africa, We Are the Solution. Sonko, its president, is training female farmers from cultures where women are often excluded from ownership of the land they work so closely.

Across Senegal, women farmers make up 70% of the agricultural workforce and produce 80% of the crops but have little access to land, education and finance compared to men, the United Nations says.

“We work from dawn until dusk, but with all that we do, what do we get out of it?” Sonko asked.

She believes that when rural women are given land, responsibilities and resources, it has a ripple effect through communities. Her movement is training women farmers who traditionally have no access to education, explaining their rights and financing women-led agricultural projects.

Across West Africa, women usually don’t own land because it is expected that when they marry, they leave the community. But when they move to their husbands’ homes, they are not given land because they are not related by blood.

“If she had land, she could have supported us,” she recalled, her normally booming voice now tender. Instead, Sonko had to marry young, abandon her studies and leave her ancestral home.

After moving to her husband’s town at age 19, Sonko and several other women convinced a landowner to rent to them a small plot of land in return for part of their harvest. They planted fruit trees and started a market garden. Five years later, when the trees were full of papayas and grapefruit, the owner kicked them off.

The experience marked Sonko.

“This made me fight so that women can have the space to thrive and manage their rights,” she said. When she later got a job with a women’s charity funded by Catholic Relief Services, coordinating micro-loans for rural women, that work began.

“Women farmers are invisible,” said Laure Tall, research director at Agricultural and Rural Prospect Initiative, a Senegalese rural think tank. That’s even though women work on farms two to four hours longer than men on an average day.

But when women earn money, they reinvest it in their community, health and children’s education, Tall said. Men spend some on household expenses but can choose to spend the rest how they please. Sonko listed common examples like finding a new wife, drinking and buying fertilizer and pesticides for crops that make money instead of providing food.

With encouragement from her husband, who died in 1997, Sonko chose to invest in other women. Her training center now employs over 20 people, with support from small philanthropic organizations such as Agroecology Fund and CLIMA Fund.

In a recent week, Sonko and her team trained over 100 women from three countries, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Gambia, in agroforestry – growing trees and crops together as a measure of protection from extreme weather – and micro gardening, growing food in tiny spaces when there is little access to land.

One trainee, Binta Diatta, said We Are the Solution bought irrigation equipment, seeds, and fencing — an investment of $4,000 — and helped the women of her town access land for a market garden, one of more than 50 financed by the organization.

When Diatta started to earn money, she said, she spent it on food, clothes and her children’s schooling. Her efforts were noticed.

“Next season, all the men accompanied us to the market garden because they saw it as valuable,” she said, recalling how they came simply to witness it.

Now another challenge has emerged affecting women and men alike: climate change.

In Senegal and the surrounding region, temperatures are rising 50% more than the global average, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the UN Environment Program says rainfall could drop by 38% in the coming decades.

Where Sonko lives, the rainy season has become shorter and less predictable. Saltwater is invading her rice paddies bordering the tidal estuary and mangroves, caused by rising sea levels. In some cases, yield losses are so acute that farmers abandon their rice fields.

But adapting to a heating planet has proven to be a strength for women since they adopt climate innovations much faster than men, said Ena Derenoncourt, an investment specialist for women-led farming projects at agricultural research agency AICCRA.

“They have no choice because they are the most vulnerable and affected by climate change,” Derenoncourt said. “They are the most motivated to find solutions.”

On a recent day, Sonko gathered 30 prominent women rice growers to document hundreds of local rice varieties. She bellowed out the names of rice – some hundreds of years old, named after prominent women farmers, passed from generation to generation – and the women echoed with what they call it in their villages.

This preservation of indigenous rice varieties is not only key to adapting to climate change but also about emphasizing the status of women as the traditional guardians of seeds.

“Seeds are wholly feminine and give value to women in their communities,” Sonko said. “That’s why we’re working on them, to give them more confidence and responsibility in agriculture.”

The knowledge of hundreds of seeds and how they respond to different growing conditions has been vital in giving women a more influential role in communities.

Sonko claimed to have a seed for every condition including too rainy, too dry and even those more resistant to salt for the mangroves.

Last year, she produced 2 tons of rice on her half-hectare plot with none of the synthetic pesticides or fertilizer that are heavily subsidized in Senegal. The yield was more than double that of plots with full use of chemical products in a 2017 U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization project in the same region.

“Our seeds are resilient,” Sonko said, sifting through rice-filled clay pots designed to preserve seeds for decades. “Conventional seeds do not resist climate change and are very demanding. They need fertilizer and pesticides.”

The cultural intimacy between female farmers, their seeds and the land means they are more likely to shun chemicals harming the soil, said Charles Katy, an expert on indigenous wisdom in Senegal who is helping to document Sonko’s rice varieties.

He noted the organic fertilizer that Sonko made from manure, and the biopesticides made from ginger, garlic and chilli.

One of Sonko’s trainees, Sounkarou Kébé, recounted her experiments against parasites in her tomato plot. Instead of using manufactured insecticides, she tried using a tree bark traditionally used in Senegal’s Casamance region to treat intestinal problems in humans caused by parasites.

A week later, all the disease was gone, Kébé said.

As dusk approached at the training center, insects hummed in the background and Sonko prepared for another training session. “There’s too much demand,” she said. She is now trying to set up seven other farming centers across southern Senegal.

Glancing back at the circle of women studying in the fading light, she said: “My great fight in the movement is to make humanity understand the importance of women.”

Security in Congo’s Mineral-rich East is Deteriorating with Rebel Group Expanding Territory, UN Say

People displaced by the ongoing fighting between Congolese forces and M23 rebels gather in a camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Wednesday, March 13, 2024, Ramesh Rajasingham, OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) head and representative is carrying out a working visit to the region. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

BY EDITH M. LEDERER

8:22 PM EDT, March 27, 2024

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Security in Congo’s mineral-rich east has deteriorated since recent elections, with a rebel group allegedly linked to neighboring Rwanda making “significant advances and expanding its territory,” the U.N. special envoy for the conflict-wracked African nation said Wednesday.

Bintou Keita told the U.N. Security Council this has created “an even more disastrous humanitarian situation, with internal displacement reaching unparalleled numbers.”

Last month, the United States told Rwanda and Congo that they “must walk back from the brink of war,” the sharpest warning yet of a looming conflict.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood again condemned “the aggressive military incursion” into eastern Congo by the M23 rebel group and the Rwandan Defense Force and attacks including on U.N. peacekeepers.

He called on the leaders of Rwanda and Congo “to make the decision to pursue peace — for the sake of their people, the region and the world.”

Wood described M23 as “a group which has perpetrated appalling human rights abuses against civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence.” 

He called the international community’s failure to condemn the actions of Rwanda, which is a major troop contributor to U.N. peacekeeping forces, “dismaying” and said “the U.N. should reevaluate Rwanda’s credibility as a constructive partner in peacekeeping.”

The U.S. State Department last month called for the withdrawal of Rwanda’s troops and surface-to-air missile systems from eastern Congo and criticized M23, calling it a “Rwanda-backed” armed group.

The Rwandan Foreign Ministry said last month that the country’s troops are defending Rwandan territory as Congo carries out a “dramatic military build-up” near the border.

The ministry’s statement said Rwanda’s national security is threatened by the presence in Congo of an armed group whose members include alleged perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda during which more than 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them were killed.

The rebel group, known by its initials FDLR, “is fully integrated into” the Congolese army, the statement said. Although Rwanda has long cited a threat posed by FLDR, authorities there had never admitted to a military presence in eastern Congo.

Wood said the U.S. recognizes the FDLR “is a continuing threat to the Congolese people and a security threat to Rwanda that must be addressed.”

At Wednesday’s council meeting the Congolese and Rwandan ambassadors again went after each other.

Congolese Ambassador Zenon Ngay Mukongo called the M23 and Rwandan forces a “coalition of the axis of evil.”

He said a meeting of heads of state is planned for April and Congo is seeking lasting peace throughout the country and that it “will not accept window-dressing arrangements aimed at perpetuating insecurity and confusion” which encourages the M23 and Rwanda’s “shameless exploitation of strategic minerals” in eastern Congo.

Rwandan Ambassador Ernest Rwamucyo reiterated his government’s serious concerns about the FDLR and called for Congo to resolve the security issues involving many rebel groups themselves.

“We should also raise awareness about the dangers of genocide, the ideology, which has spilled over into the DRC,” the initials of Congo’s official name, the Democratic Republic of Congo, he said.

Keita, the U.N. envoy, told the council that mediation by Angola between the countries has resumed.

In response to a question afterward by reporters about Wednesday’s confrontation between the ambassadors, she said, she strongly believes this mediation and other efforts to reduce tensions should be supported “in spite of the displeasure that we saw” in the council.

Presidency Releases 18 Month Progress Report on the Energy Action Plan

27 Mar 2024

Presidency releases 18-month progress report on the Energy Action Plan

The Presidency has today, 27 March 2024, released a detailed update on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan (EAP), which shows that significant progress has been achieved over the last six months in implementing government’s plan to end load shedding.

The EAP was announced by President Ramaphosa in July 2022, and is coordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM) under the leadership of the Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. The plan aims to reduce the severity and frequency of load shedding in the short term and achieve energy security in the long term through five key interventions:

Fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply

Enable and accelerate private investment in generation capacity

Fast-track the procurement of new generation capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage

Unleash businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar

Fundamentally transform the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security

As the report released today demonstrates, progress has been made in all five interventions since the announcement of the plan. Key achievements achieved in the past six months include:

The return of three units at Kusile power station months ahead of schedule, together with intensive maintenance over the summer period, has increased the availability of Eskom’s existing fleet and reduced load shedding.

Following the introduction of powerful tax incentives and financing mechanisms, the amount of rooftop solar installed by businesses and households has more than doubled to over 5000 MW, helping to reduce demand on the grid.

In December 2023, three further bid windows were released for 7615 MW of new capacity from solar, wind, gas, and battery storage.

7 preferred bidders for the risk mitigation programme have reached close to date, with the first three projects – which are among the largest solar and battery storage hybrid projects in the world – already connected to the grid.

Eskom has launched the Cross Border Standard Offer Programme (CBSOP), which will procure up to 1000 MW in additional power from neighbouring countries for a period of three years.

The Eskom Standard Offer Programme has been implemented with a total of 1136.5 MW approved to date, exceeding the initial target of 1000 MW.

The first project from Eskom’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) programme has been connected to the grid, and will provide 100 megawatt hours (MWh) of storage capacity. Seven other projects are in construction as part of Phase 1 of the programme, which will together provide a total of 833MWh of capacity.

An additional 3400 MW of grid capacity has been immediately unlocked in the Cape region through the implementation of curtailment, which enables Eskom to fit more generation capacity onto the grid.

An independent board has been appointed for the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA), which is close to being fully operational.

The Electricity Regulation Amendment (ERA) Bill has been passed in the National Assembly, and is now being considered in the National Council of Provinces. The Bill will fundamentally transform the electricity sector through the establishment of a competitive market.

The National Wheeling Framework has been finalised and was submitted to NERSA in December 2023. The framework sets out principles for non-discriminatory rights of access to wheel electricity and the charges to be raised, and will enable a standardised approach to wheeling across the country once approved by the regulator.

Government is working towards full implementation of the EAP to bring an end to load shedding once and for all. The Minister in the Presidency for Electricity will continue to provide regular updates on progress to the public.

The report may be accessed on the following link - https://rb.gy/0ebd2b 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – +27 82 835 6315

Minister Blade Nzimande: Deregistration of the Educor Colleges

26 Mar 2024

Statement by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande on deregistration of the Educor colleges

Programme Director, Mr Veli Mbele;

Chairperson of the Council on Higher Education;

My special advisor, Mr Nqaba Nqandela;

DDGs Present;

Members of the media;

Fellow South Africans

Over the past few days, my Department has been receiving a flood of media queries on our decision to cancel the registration of four Educor institutions, namely, City Varsity (Pty) Ltd, Damelin (Pty) Ltd, Icesa City Campus (Pty) Ltd and Lyceum College (Pty) Ltd.

We have also noticed that the overwhelming media and public interest in this matter. In response to all this, we thought we should call a media briefing, which would afford us the space and time to take the nation into confidence on the reasons for our decision to cancel the registration of the colleges I have mentioned.

Most importantly, we also thought that we should use this opportunity to outline the steps we have taken to deal with the compliance failures of these institutions and explain the steps we have taken in order to safeguard the interests of students and all other affected groups.

We must also state that, in addition to receiving an unusually high number of media queries on this matter, we also noticed that most of the media queries we received from the various media houses, were almost identical.

We therefore thought that, given the sheer volume of these media queries, their similarity, the intricacies of this matter and the imperative of communicating a coherent message, the most realistic approach would be to host a full media briefing.

Legal obligation

As it relates to the legal obligation of my Department, the Higher Education Act of 101 of 1997, as amended, empowers my Department to, among others;

To provide for different categories of registration of private higher education institutions and the associated rights to extend the power to award diplomas, certificates and confer degrees to private higher education institutions; and 

To provide for the withdrawal and revocation of qualifications by public or private higher education institutions.

In line with the objects of the Higher Education Act, in 2016, I repealed the 2013 Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education Institutions and published new ones.

The new Regulations outline the application process, requirements for registration, responsibility of an institution and the appeals procedure that must be followed by individuals or entities that wish to register a private higher education institution.

Further to this, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) is responsible the for the accreditation of higher education programmes.

Cancellation of the registration of the Educor institutions

In line with these legal prescripts, on 26 July 2023, the Director-General, in his capacity as the Registrar of Private Higher Education Institutions, cancelled the registration of the following Educor Institutions-

City Varsity (Pty) Ltd; 

Damelin (Pty) Ltd;

Icesa City Campus (Pty) Ltd; and

Lyceum College (Pty) Ltd.

These cancellations were carried out in accordance with the 2016 Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education Institutions and the applicable sections of the Higher Education Act.

Failure to comply

More specifically, these four institutions failed to comply with the following requirements of the Act and Regulations:

Fulfil the requirements for registration contemplated in Section 57(2)(b) of the Act; and

Discharge its responsibilities as required by Chapter 6 of the Regulations.

In particular, the Educor institutions have failed to submit their annual financial statements and the tax clearance certificates for the 2021 and 2022 years, as proof of their financial viability. We are now moving into the 2023 cycle.

The four Educor institutions were required to lodge an appeal with the Minister on or before 26 September 2023. They then requested an extension to 28 February 2024, and are now seeking a further extension.

In addition to failing to submit evidence of their financial viability to the Department, the four Educor brands can be deemed as dysfunctional and this is mainly measured against the daily complaints and grievances received from students, most of which remain unresolved.

In addition to this, the following serious issues were brought to my attention as Minister:

The Higher Education Quality Committee has withdrawn the accreditation of some programmes for City Varsity (Pty) Ltd, Damelin (Pty) Ltd and Lyceum College (Pty) Ltd.

Misrepresentation on Student Numbers

Educor (Pty) Ltd claims to have 50 000 learners in the system. This information is incorrect since the 2022 annual reports indicate the breakdown of student enrolment as follows:

Table 1: Student Enrolment Institution Student Enrolment

1. City Varsity (Pty) Ltd                         540

2. Damelin (Pty) Ltd                             4 012

3. Icesa City Campus (Pty) Ltd            145

4. Lyceum College (Pty) Ltd                 8 399

Total:                                                    13 096

Complaints received from Students

For some time, the Directorate has been receiving many complaints from

students against the Educor institutions, most of which remain

unresolved. These complaints relate to the following- 

Poor quality of teaching and learning;

Lack of proper administrative support;

Poorly qualified staff;

Corruption and bribery;

Lack of response for requests for refunds;

Lack of professionalism;

Exploitation of poor students;

Non-payment of staff salaries; and

Under-payment of staff salaries: 

Complaints Received from Students on INTEC College (Pty) Ltd,Damelin Correspondence College (Pty) Ltd and SETA accredited

programmes.

These complaints extend to the other brands such as INTEC College (Pty) Ltd and Damelin Correspondence College (Pty) Ltd, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Quality Council of Trades and Occupations (QCTO). The QCTO has not been able to restore stability within these two institutions and students continue to be exploited.

These complaints also extend to the offering of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) accredited programmes. The SETAs have not been able to restore stability with the Educor institutions and students continue to be exploited.

Complaints Received from Students on Central Technical College These complaints extend to their registration as Private Colleges. Our Directorate: Registration of Private Colleges has already issued these institutions with a notice of intent to cancel registration.

In November 2023, the Department’s examination section suspended the exam centre registration for the site in Pretoria approved to Central Technical Colleges since staff members did not turn up for invigilation and many students have been left stranded.

Sudden Closure of Sites leaving Students Stranded 

The sites of some institutions closed suddenly for reasons of failure to pay the rent, staff salaries and/or the municipality. These are the following:

City Varsity (Pty) Ltd at Braamfontein: Closed because staff withdrew their services for non-payment of salaries and students were left stranded;

Damelin (Pty) Ltd: The sites at Braamfontein, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, East London closed suddenly since they were in arrears with the municipality and rental and students were left stranded; and

Lyceum College (Pty) Ltd: The only site was closed due to an eviction order by the landlord for failure to pay the rent and students were left stranded.

Allegations of Corruption

On 08 January 2024, our Directorate: Registration of Private Colleges wrote to these four Educor institutions and requested them to respond to a list of allegations of corruption against them. To date, they have not responded.

Concern regarding students and the way forward 

All stakeholders are expressing some sort of concern for the affected students. In this regard, the following must be noted:

Educor will be given a phase out period in which to phase out pipeline students;

Educor would have to reimburse students where it is due;

The latest numbers of enrolled students as per the 2022 annual report is 13 096, not 50 000, as Educor claims;

One challenge for students is the transfer of credits considering the RPL and Credit Accumulation Transfer policy; and

Another challenge could be students repeating some modules or paying extra fees.

Conditions attached to the cancellation of registration

I now wish to conclude by outlining the conditions and obligations that the decision to cancel their registration imposes on these four Educor institutions:

The cancellation of the registration of City Varsity (Pty) Ltd will take immediate effect;

As of the date of this letter, City Varsity (Pty) Ltd must not enrol new students on any year of the programme;

City Varsity (Pty) Ltd must phase out pipe-line students by 31 December 2023;

City Varsity (Pty) Ltd must submit a teach-out plan which includes Items (a) to (f) below to both the Department and the CHE, within 2 weeks of the date of this letter;

The teach-out plan must also include the number of learners in the pipeline and when learner records will be uploaded onto the National Learner’s Records Database; 

The teach-out plan must indicate that returning students who did not complete the programme within the stipulated time will not be admitted post 31 December 2023 and that they would need to complete their programme at another institution; and

Students must be informed accordingly.

Obligations of an institution on the cancellation of registration

An institution that has been notified by the Registrar that its provisional registration has lapsed in terms of Regulation 17(3) or that its provisional registration or registration has been cancelled in terms of Regulation 17 must-

inform its students within 14 days from the date of the Registrar’s notice that its registration has lapsed or been cancelled and notify the students of the arrangements that will be made to safeguard their interests in terms of this regulation;

issue to each enrolled student a copy of his or her academic transcript as contemplated in regulation 25;

reimburse or compensate any enrolled student who has a lawful claim on the institution as a consequence of its ceasing to operate from funds established as contemplated in regulation 12(2);

make adequate arrangements for affected students to complete their programmes at a comparable public or private institution;

cease operating before or at the end of the academic year, and any institution that fails to comply is guilty of an offence in terms of section 66 of the Act.; and

ensure that no new students are enrolled after the date specified by the Registrar. 

In conclusion, there is not much information available about the current leadership structure at Educor and there is no credible evidence to suggest that the management of Educor is working to improve or correct some of the serious governance and compliance failures I have referred to.

What we are seeing instead are students and staff being left stranded and we wish to urge the affected staff to seek the assistance of the Labor Court and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. 

Under these circumstances and with the information at our disposal, it would be unconscionable to maintain the registration status of these four private institutions and allow ourselves to become complicit in gross governance and compliance failures.

Most concerning, by doing so, we would be failing as the Department in our obligation to protect the rights and dignity of students, who simply wanted to acquire an academic qualification with the view to improve their lives and that of their families.

SACP Condemns Terrorist Attacks, Expresses Heartfelt Condolences to the Russian People

Monday, 25 March 2024: The South African Communist Party (SACP) strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Friday evening, 22 March 2024, at the Crocus City Hall in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, in Russia. On behalf of the SACP, the General Secretary of the Party, Solly Mapaila, expresses heartfelt condolences to the Russian state, people and families who lost their loved ones as a result of the attacks by the terrorists through assault rifles, among others. The SACP wishes those who sustained injuries a speedy recovery.

According to the latest information by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the terrorists killed 137 people. According to the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region, the terrorists injured 182 people.

The Russian Shopping Centres Association has estimated that the reconstruction of Crocus City Hall, where the terrorist act took place, may cost between 6 and 12 billion Russian Rubles, approximately between 65 and 130 million US Dollars.

It is strange that the United States Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory on 7 March 2024, partly reading, “The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours.” This implies that the United States, through its embassy in Moscow, had prior knowledge of the panned terrorist attack. What is not clear is whether the United States Embassy in Moscow shared any details with Russia’s law enforcement authorities or behaved as it has done in South Africa – in a manner that leaves much to be desired. This should be a focus in the investigation already taking place to ensure comprehensive accountability.

Issued by the South African Communist Party,

Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.

Media & Communication Work Department: MCW Department

Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, Central Committee Member

National Spokesperson & Political Bureau Secretary for Policy and Research

FOR INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS, MEDIA LIAISON & CIRCULATION SERVICES

Hlengiwe Nkonyane

Media Liaison Officer & Digital Platforms Manager

Mobile: +27 66 473 4819

OFFICE & OTHER CONTACT DETAILS

Office: +2711 339 3621/2

Website: www.sacp.org.za

Facebook Page: South African Communist Party

Twitter: SACP1921

SACP Strongly Condemns the Apartheid Israeli Settler State’s Continued Genocide on Palestinian People, Calls for an Immediate Ceasefire

Thursday, 21 March 2024: The South African Communist Party (SACP) strongly condemns the apartheid Israeli settler state’s continuation of genocide on the Palestinian people. For a fourth day in a row, the Israeli Defence Force is carrying out genocidal executions of displaced persons, patients and staff at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, Palestine. From Monday to Wednesday, the Israeli Defence Force has massacred over 90 people and injured over 100 people at the hospital, calling them “terrorists”.

The SACP reaffirms its solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for the South African government’s International Court of Justice case against the apartheid Israeli settler state’s genocide on the Palestinian people. Israel must fully comply with the court’s January 2024 judgment by discontinuing the genocide. We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire.  

In its genocidal military aggression since 7 October 2023, the apartheid Israeli settler state has massacred over 31,000 Palestinian people, of whom 75 per cent are children, women and elderly people. In carrying out the genocide, Israel has, among others, completely destroyed 224 mosques and partially destroyed 290 others; completely destroyed 70,000 housing units and partially destroyed 290,000 others; and completely destroyed over 100 schools and universities and partially destroyed 305 others. Thought its military, Israel has targeted hospitals and other healthcare centres, taking 32 hospitals and 53 healthcare centres out of service. This caused a massive health disaster.   

Issued by the South African Communist Party,

Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.

Media & Communication Work Department: MCW Department

Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, Central Committee Member

National Spokesperson & Political Bureau Secretary for Policy and Research

FOR INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS, MEDIA LIAISON & CIRCULATION SERVICES

Hlengiwe Nkonyane

Media Liaison Officer & Digital Platforms Manager

Mobile: +27 66 473 4819

OFFICE & OTHER CONTACT DETAILS

Office: +2711 339 3621/2

Website: www.sacp.org.za

Facebook Page: South African Communist Party

Twitter: SACP1921

SACP Mpumalanga Post-Augmented PEC Meeting Statement

19 March 2024

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Mpumalanga Province held its Augmented Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting on Sunday, 17 March 2024, in Mbombela Stadium. The meeting was graced by the presence of the First Deputy General Secretary Comrade Madala Masuku and Central Committee Member Comrade Rudolf Phala.

The meeting was held at a time when our country is heading towards highly contested elections since our 1994 democratic breakthrough.

In the same breath, we congratulate the African National Congress for holding a successful January 8 rally in Mbombela and Manifesto Launch in KwaZulu-Natal Province. For this reason, the neoliberal offensive against the progressive forces has also intensified their work and we have seen this with the mushrooming of small parties that are highly funded. We have to ask: where are they getting this money and for what purpose?

The Moonshot Pact has defined itself with regime change agenda in this country and we have a responsibility to defend our democratic gains against all tendencies trying to give away our national sovereignty. It was clear that enemies of the national democratic revolution will never rest until their myopic goal is achieved. The DA, as the leader of the counter-revolutionary pact, has exposed their agenda by approaching the US Secretary of State to intervene in our elections as observers.

The SACP will continue with building the political consciousness of the people of South Africa so that they can be able to fight and defend their country against proponents of regime change. The new ‘MK Party’ can also be viewed as such especially after their attack on the Independent Electoral Commission and threatening the country with violence. It is a party built on hatred, with the intention of disrupting progress made by the ANC-led government in the past three decades. They have no shame in denouncing the very same thing they were accused of doing in the recent past like corruption.

THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION

The national democratic revolution (NDR) remains the shortest road to socialism and for it to succeed, the party must take responsibility and play its vanguard role. It must unite all progressive forces and build a powerful socialist movement of the workers and poor that will also help in dealing with the current wave of ideological confusion. Ultimately, it must contribute in uniting the ANC to be able to deal with its own internal challenges.

It will be difficult for the NDR to be realised if there is no reconfiguration of the Alliance. This reconfiguration must happen at all levels to enhance policy direction of the country and to ensure that we build a proper developmental state that does not rely only on loans for survival, but it should be a state that will put industrialisation based on macroeconomics policy at the centre stage.

ECONOMY

Mpumalanga is hosting 11 of the country’s 14 coal-fired power stations, many of which are ageing and unfairly targeted for decommissioning. This has placed the province on the spotlight with regards to the imperatives of climate change and Just Energy Transmission, which is not acceptable. This is clearly an agenda of imperialists against the working class and it will be defeated.

Building new and reviving old industries together with building more TVET colleges would provide much needed economic resources for this country. The SACP calls for the reopening of Elijah Mongo, Mgwenya, Hoxane colleges and many others for the purpose of helping with skills development in the country.

COMMUNITY

Every member of the SACP is a community activist: this is a dictum that makes the Party to be relevant and hegemonic in society. It is for this reason that the SACP must continue to build VD-based branches across the province and Party structures must be at the centre of all community struggles. These branches must be imbued with proper ideological training in Marxism-Leninism.

During these elections, the Party in the province will continue to help the community to understand why it is important for them to continue to vote for the ANC. The launch of Chris Hani Red Brigades whose task is to lead party work on the ground and provide the much-needed assistance to the ANC election work is ongoing.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

The Party in Mpumalanga notes that apartheid Israel is not prepared to adhere to the judgment delivered by the International Court of Justice which seeks to stop the genocide of the people of Palestine. We call upon the South African government to intensify its solidarity work in support of the people of Palestine. We also call for an unconditional end of the war in Ukraine where NATO continues to provoke Russia and behave like a stepfather to Ukraine.

In the same vein, we congratulate the people of Russia for re-electing Vladimir Putin as the President of Russia. Many lessons can be drawn from this experience, particularly by African countries, that no international pressure must make a country surrender its national sovereignty to please the West.

Here at home, the South African government and Mpumalanga Provincial Government need to review our relations with the government of Swaziland. We have been calling for a free democratic Swaziland and this call cannot reverberate to Mswati if the South African government continues with its ties with the tinkhundla system.

ISSUED BY SACP MPUMALANGA

Contact:

Lucky Mbuyane

SACP Provincial Secretary

082 351 5804

Or

Lesetja Dikgale

SACP Provincial Spokesperson

076 869 4360

Issued by the South African Communist Party,

Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.

Media & Communication Work Department: MCW Department

Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, Central Committee Member

National Spokesperson & Political Bureau Secretary for Policy and Research

FOR INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS, MEDIA LIAISON & CIRCULATION SERVICES

Hlengiwe Nkonyane

Media Liaison Officer & Digital Platforms Manager

Mobile: +27 66 473 4819

OFFICE & OTHER CONTACT DETAILS

Office: +2711 339 3621/2

Website: www.sacp.org.za

Facebook Page: South African Communist Party

Twitter: SACP1921

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

South Africa – Why is Naledi Pandor Under Attack by Jewish Board?

March 22, 2024

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor. (Photo: video grab)

By Iqbal Jassat

Whatever the case, Karen Milner’s broadside against Minister Naledi Pandor, has all the elements of anger and despair.

The next time I’m asked to comment on the ferocious attacks by pro-Israel supporters on South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, I’ll describe it as “broadside”.

Having read and heard a broad range of insults hurled at her, I’m convinced that the expression “broadside” best fits the attacks on her.

These thoughts came to mind when the latest broadside by Karen Milner, National Chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, was published in Politicsweb.

Her fierce verbal attack on Min Pandor may assuage her band of noisy cheerleaders who applaud and endorse Israel’s genocidal war in occupied Gaza, but does little to persuade anyone outside her circle.

Reasons for Milner’s failure to impactfully influence public opinion against Pandor are plentiful. But crucially, the fact that her broadside is directly linked to her public profile as an advocate for Israel and Zionism, raises serious concerns about her impartiality.

Indeed, the weak arguments she makes to taint Minister Pandor as a vengeful threat to “South Africa’s Jewish community”, is not convincing at all.

Her allegations border on the ridiculous and in addition to being sensational, lack substance and sound childish.

For instance, she claims that “over the last 5 months Minister Pandor has consistently treated SA Jewry with contempt” but fails to provide any evidence.

All she can offer to provide an unconvincing back up of her allegation is that “a significant pattern has emerged showing incident after incident of vitriol, intimidation, and even threats against South Africa’s Jewish community”.

However, Milner gives away more than she probably bargained for by citing Minister Pandor’s public assurances that SA citizens illegally deployed in Israeli army, will face prosecution.

Surely a commitment by a senior government official to upholding her constitutional obligation to the rule of law, in this case the Foreign Military Assistance Act, cannot be construed to be treating “SA Jewry with contempt”?

Unless of course Milner by firstly conceding that South Africans do serve in the IDF, and secondly not pleased with them threatened with arrest, are reflective of “SA Jewry”?

Certainly sounds so if one is to make sense of her argument in defense of them serving in a foreign army, that nogal has been cited in the ICJ ruling as plausibly commiting genocide in Gaza.

Milner’s outrageous reasoning to justify their deployment in the IDF, makes a mockery of South Africa’s laws, almost suggesting that being Jewish should grant them exemption.

Here’s what she claims: “Minister Pandor has repeatedly threatened South Africans who serve in the IDF with arrest, despite these individuals fulfilling a legal obligation to their cultural homeland, and a moral necessity to save hostages and prevent another atrocity like October 7th from happening again”.

The key words that scream at you are “… these individuals fulfilling a legal obligation to their cultural homeland and a moral necessity to save hostages …”.

I’d be surprised if Milner’s colleagues at the SAJBD, do not haul her over the coals for publicly blurting out what one assumes would be sensitive information related to mercenary activities, meant to be confined to their boardroom.

Will she be zipped for these comments or will her colleagues run around to undertake damage control?

Whatever the case, Milner’s broadside against Minister Pandor, has all the elements of anger and despair.

And by the way, there does not exist any legislation in South Africa which prohibits Minister Pandor, the ANC or the government from engaging with Hamas.

The same cannot be said of the FMAA which criminalizes SA mercenaries deployed in the IDF whom Minister Pandor correctly threatened with arrest.

– Iqbal Jassat is an Executive Member of the South Africa-based Media Review Network. He contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle. Visit: www.mediareviewnet.com

UN Resolution in Gaza is Binding – China Challenges US at Security Council

March 26, 2024

China’s permanent ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun. (Photo: via UN Website)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

China reiterated on Tuesday that “UN Security Council resolutions are binding” on Israel, in reference to Resolution 2728 (2024), calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

China “calls on the parties concerned to fulfill their obligations under the UN Charter and to take due action as required by the resolution,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian told reporters when asked about comments by the US top envoy to the UN, who claimed a resolution passed Monday was “non-binding”.

The UN Charter stipulates that all Security Council resolutions are legally binding under international law.

The Council passed a resolution on Monday, demanding “an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a sustainable lasting ceasefire.”

The resolution, which was written by the ten elected members to the council and was proposed in the council by Mozambique’s representative, passed with 14 votes in favor and the US abstaining.

After the resolution passed, the Chinese top diplomat to the UN, Zhung Jun, told the Council: “If fully and effectively implemented, (the resolution) could still bring long-awaited hope. Security Council resolutions are binding.”

Without directly naming the US and Israel, Lin said Beijing “expects the state with significant influence to play a positive role on the party concerned, including by using all necessary and effective means at their disposal to support the implementation of the resolution.”

The Council “must continue to follow closely the situation in Gaza and get ready for further actions when necessary to ensure the timely and full implementation of the resolution,” Lin said.

“China will continue to make unremitting efforts together with all parties to bring an early end to the fighting in Gaza, alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe, and implement the two-state solution,” he added.

Before the vote on Monday, the Chinese representative blamed the US for obstructing previous attempts at passing a ceasefire resolution.

“For the lives that have already perished, the Council resolution today comes too late”, he said.

Gaza Genocide

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.  

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 32,414 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,787 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. 

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

 The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire.’ 

(PC, Anadolu)