Day: October 8, 2021

Six international human rights groups – Amnesty International, the Burundi Human Rights Initiative, DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project), Human Rights Watch, Protection International Africa and TRIAL International – condemned the decision of the Court of Appeal of Ngozi on 29 September to uphold the conviction and five-year prison sentence of Burundian lawyer Tony Germain Nkina following an unfair trial.

“Tony Germain Nkina’s trial was a travesty of justice,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

Source: Amnesty International

Remarks by Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla during virtual media briefing programme on the update of SA response to Covid-19 Pandemic

Thanks to our program director Mr Foster Mohale

Greetings to Deputy Minister Dr. Dhlomo

Greetings to our guest Mr Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa: CEO Tourism Business Council of SA

Members of the media, viewers and listeners

Good morning to all South Africans

It’s our pleasure and privilege to be back to provide updates to the nation on how we are managing the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic and the challenges ahead of us. Even though we had a few weeks break from formal briefing we have been sharing information from different platforms.

As usual we will touch on the epidemiology of the pandemic and on key defences against it especially the vaccination program.

It is with a deep sense of relief that I can say to South Africans today that we have indeed exited the long drawn third wave of COVID-19 infections on the 23rd September. This third wave has lasted close to 120 days and has been much longer than the previous two waves.

The number of new infections have been dropping consistently in the last three weeks with 33% drop in the last 7 days. There has been a 19,3% decrease in hospitalization in last 7 days. Even more encouraging is that there has been a 51% decrease in reported deaths in last seven days even though one death is one too many .

The overall positivity rate has remained below 5% in the last seven days with a daily average of 3%. Average positivity rates have reduced in all provinces in last seven days. We still have some concerns with the Norther Cape and Free State where positivity even though significantly down still hoovers over 5% on some days including yesterday. The reproductive rate of the virus is below one at 0,67 which is another indication that we have reached a state of stability.

It is because of these encouraging declines in infections and stability of the pandemic that President Ramaphosa was able to make announcements of reduced restrictions last week Thursday to level one with liberal allowances including for gatherings and curfew.

We join the President in thanking all South Africans who have been resilient in observing the non- pharmaceutical interventions such as wearing of masks, social distancing, avoiding crowds, hand washing and sanitizing. It is these measures which have brought us where we are today, level one.

We wish to take this opportunity to appeal to all compatriots that, please let us not lower our guard because the reduced level of restrictions. Let us always remember that while the numbers are down, the virus is still in our midst. While we reported 989 new infections yesterday, a huge improvement from the over 20 000 earlier in July, the enemy, the killer is still lurking in our midst.

There are still over 5 000 people in hospital of whom 885 are in ICU with 465 on ventilators. We can only sustain the low levels of infections if we continue to observe the personal health and safety measures.

We again salute our gallant health care workers who continue to risk their lives while saving others. As we enjoy the relaxed restrictions let us always keep our thoughts on the health care workers because by keeping safe we also keep them safe.

Our vaccination programme which is our most potent weapon against the pandemic is now firmly entrenched in our communities, thanks to colleagues MECs, HODs and especially our ground forces who make sure that vaccination sites are open at least 5 days a week and in some instances 6 or 7 days a week.

We thank President Ramaphosa, deputy President Mabuza, leaders of all three spheres of government, leaders of civil society such as religious, traditional, business, sports and recreation, arts and culture activists for coming on board over the Vooma weekend, this last weekend.

We surpassed our minimum target of 350 000 vaccination doses administered and the momentum has carried through into the week with sustained increases from Monday to Thursday, with the last two days back to over 200 000 doses per day. Over 2100 sites were open on Friday, 1400 on Saturday and 500 on Sunday.

The increase of vaccination sites weekend opening gave opportunity for those working on week days. More Vooma weekends will be announced in future by Presidency.

Total doses administered by yesterday reached 18 735 127, with 13 302 588 individuals vaccinated which is 33,4% of adult population close to half of the 70% we are aiming for. More encouraging is that 70% of the more vulnerable groups the 60+ and 50-59 age group is within reach.

For the 60+ we are now at 60,7% coverage with Limpopo province at over 71% coverage. Nationally we need to reach 513112 more over 60s to reach 70% coverage. For the 50-59 we are at 52% needing to reach another 864000 people to reach 70% coverage.

We applaud the work done so far by our teams, both the public and private vaccination sites, and we appreciate the partnership with the private sector. We also thank the Solidarity Fund and all those who have contributed to its funding for the invaluable contribution it has made in the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic and now in the vaccination program.

A major highlight of our press briefing today is the launch of our vaccination certificate. It has been long in the making and today we are happy to introduce it formally. I am aware that over the last three days while it was being tested many people have uploaded it into their cell phones. I am also aware that some people have experienced hiccups in the process and today the team is here to answer your questions.

The certificate was developed in partnership between the NDOH and the CSIR and what we are launching today is the first phase. We say so because while it is ready for use there will be more improvements over the next two months to improve safety.

We expect the certificate to be a tool to enable vaccinated people to access many opportunities which various service providers will make available. Amongst others we expect sports and recreation to open up more for vaccinated people, shops to provide discounts and others to give prizes, entertainment like music festivals to start opening for vaccinated people with safety measures, travel and tourism to open more, MR Tshivhengwa will say more.

Our role as Health is to make the tools available for gradual return to many activities we have been missing.

We are pleased that the UK government has as of yesterday decided to take South Africa off the red list meaning more easy travel between our two countries. Even more exciting is that they have announced recognition of our vaccination certificate.

We call on all South Africans and other nationals living in our country to come forward and get vaccinated. We have a window of opportunity while infection rates are low to protect ourselves before the expected fourth wave later this year. The vaccines have proven to be safe and effective. Very few vaccinated people are falling ill, ask the health care workers and the educators.

Over 13,3 million people have now taken the vaccines and very few have had serious side effects. We have an opportunity to save our lives and of those of others close to us and open the country— Now is the time, Ke Nako, Se ku Iskathi

Source: Government of South Africa

Women on death row have, in many cases, been denied justice for the prolonged physical and sexual violence and abuse they have suffered, which preceded and triggered the offences for which they were convicted for, Amnesty International said ahead of the World Day Against the Death Penalty (10 October).

“Many women have been convicted and sentenced to death in shoddy, unfair trials that have often failed to follow due process or consider mitigating factors, such as long-term abuse, violence and sexual assault,” said Amnesty International’s senior director for research, advocacy and policy, Rajat Khosla.

“By sentencing these women to death, justice systems around the world are not only perpetuating an abhorrent and cruel punishment, they are also making women pay the price for the authorities’ failures to address discrimination. In addition, a lack of transparency around the use of the death penalty means the cases we know of are just the tip of the iceberg.”

In many cases, the failure of authorities to act on specific complaints and end discriminatory practices have created a culture of abuse that women on death row have had to endure, meaning that these women continue to be further marginalised as they move through the criminal justice system.

Noura Hussein Hamad Daoud, from Sudan, was sentenced to death in April 2017 for the murder of the man she was forced to marry at the age of 16. After she was forced to wed and move into his home three years later, the man with help of two of his brothers and a male cousin violently beat her and held her down while he raped her. Amnesty International, along with other organizations, campaigned on behalf of Noura and eventually her death sentence was commuted. Others, however, have not been as fortunate.

In 2018, Amnesty International documented the execution of a Kurdish woman Zeinab Sekaanvand in Iran. She was a child when she married, and endured years of sexual violence at the hands of her husband and brother-in-law, before being arrested at 17 on charges of murdering her husband and convicted in a grossly unfair trial.

In some countries including Ghana, the mandatory death penalty for certain crimes, such as murder, has prevented some women from raising their experience of gender-based violence and discrimination as mitigating factors at sentencing. In Malaysia, an overwhelming majority of women on death row, in particular women who are foreign nationals, are there for drug trafficking, for which the death penalty is mandatory.

Until every country has abolished the death penalty, we will not stop campaigning for its end. Together we can help to consign this cruel punishment to the history books forever”

“By the end of last year, 108 countries had fully abolished the death penalty. Thankfully the world is moving away from the idea that states have the power to deny the right to life. But until every country has abolished the death penalty, we will not stop campaigning for its end. Together we can help to consign this cruel punishment to the history books forever,” said Rajat Khosla.

On World Day Against the Death Penalty, Amnesty International is calling for people to take action and support a legislative proposal to abolish the death penalty in Ghana for most crimes. The organization is asking people to show their support by writing to Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament or Minister of Justice; spreading the word online using #Ghanavoteforabolition; and reaching out to their own member of parliament.

Source: Amnesty International

KINSHASA— Democratic Republic of Congo should renegotiate its US$6 billion infrastructure-for-minerals deal with Chinese investors, according to the draft of a report commissioned by a global anti-corruption body of governments, companies and activists.

The draft describes the deal that was first signed in 2008 as “unconscionable” and urges Congo’s government to cancel an amendment signed secretly in 2017 that sped up payments to Chinese mining investors and slowed reimbursements of investment in infrastructure.

The final report is expected to be released this month by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which tracks revenue flows in the oil and mining sectors and counts more than 50 countries, including Congo, as members.

The report has no legal force but, if the draft’s main conclusions remain, it could bolster Congo’s push to secure more favourable terms from mining contracts with Chinese investors.

President Felix Tshisekedi’s government is reviewing the 2008 contract and the reserve levels at China Molybdenum’s Tenke Fungurume mine after saying Congo was not getting a fair deal.

Prime Minister Sama Lukonde Kyenge told a mining conference on Thursday: “There has to be some adjustment.”

The moves represent rare pushback by Congo, the world’s leading producer of the battery metal cobalt and Africa’s top copper miner, against the Chinese investors who control most of its mining industry.

Under the 2008 deal struck with the government of former President Joseph Kabila, Chinese state-owned firms Sinohydro Corp and China Railway Group Limited agreed to build roads and hospitals financed by profits from Congo’s Sicomines cobalt and copper joint venture.

Critics say few of those projects have been realised.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

French President Emmanuel Macron faced the frustration of young people from across Africa on Friday over a range of issues, including migration and the vestiges of colonialism, at a summit aiming to turn the page with the continent.

Billed as a chance to prove France’s commitment in particular to young Africans, the Africa-France summit gathering some 3,000 business leaders, artists and athletes in the southern city of Montpellier was largely dominated by the region’s crises.

“I can no longer stand to see African youths dying in the sea” trying to reach Europe, a woman told Macron as he visited the dozens of round tables at the vast Sud de France arena overlooking the Mediterranean.

A young Guinean urged him to “support the transition” after the military coup that deposed the West African country’s long-time president Alpha Conde last month.

Sibila Saminatou Ouedraogo, a Burkina Faso participant at the conference, said that African nations — many of them former French colonies — still labored under a “relationship of dependency” towards France that was holding back their development.

More than 1,000 youths were at the gathering which, though dubbed a “summit” by the French hosts, pointedly excluded leaders other than Macron.

‘System of humiliation’

The French president will later debate with 12 young people chosen by the Cameroon intellectual Achille Mbembe, who was tasked with organizing the meeting.

“We hope that Montpellier will mark a fresh start — that people listen to Africa and African youths, which have things to say to the world and France,” said Bakary Sambe, director of the Timbuktu Institute.

But the meeting also comes as many youths in particular have bristled at Macron’s decision to slash visas to Algerians, Moroccans and Tunisians in a dispute on illegal immigration.

Mehdi Alioua, a political science professor in Rabat, denounced “a collective punishment” and a “system of humiliation” — sparking fierce applause.

“We’re stuck between condescending language from the West that want to educate Africans, and language from our governments claiming that the West wants to impose its values,” said Habiba Issa Moussa, a Nigerian studying in France.

Expectations are high that Macron will announce concrete steps such as those proposed by Mbembe, which include a fund for promoting democratic initiatives or increased opportunities for students to study abroad.

In a report given to the president this week, Mbembe said France was failing to recognize “new movements and political and culture experiments” underway in several countries.

After arriving in Montpellier, Macron said 26 artworks and other prized artefacts stolen by French colonial forces from Benin a century ago would be returned this month as promised.

Source: Voice of America