Month: February 2023

by MTHULISI SIBANDA JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) MEETINGS Africa 2023 has kicked off to unite the continent’s tourism industry to promote economic growth.Some 325 exhibitors from 22 African countries and over 375 from more 60 countries in total have converged for the summit at the Sandton Convention Centre, north of Johannesburg.

The Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDAy), which featured tourism industry experts, disruptors and data specialists, opened on Monday to pave the way for the formal programme, which ends on March 2.Fish Mahlalela, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, who was the keynote speaker, emphasised the importance of collaboration to fast-track development in Africa.

“We must explore potential areas of collaboration and partnerships in the African convention and exhibition industry to achieve globally benchmarked standards,” he said.”Meetings Africa is a trade show that brings the African continent’s business events, products and offerings under a single roof, with a specific focus on SMMEs and their value chain to the entire tourism sector,” Mahlalela explained.

This year, Meetings Africa has improved access for small, micro and medium enterprises to the trade show by introducing the plug and meet” pavilion, which offers full access at a reduced rate.This package includes 20 SMMEs.

Additionally, 45 SMMEs will showcase at the event.BONDay also included the first African edition of the International Association of Convention Centres Summit, as well as the standing feature which is the International Congress and Convention Association Day.

For BONDay, there were over 30 experts across four stages tackling current industry challenges and ideating towards innovative solutions to propel the industry and the continent.Mahlalela applauded the South African National Convention Bureau for securing 34 of the 79 bids for international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions for the first three quarters of the year.

The secured bids are estimated to contribute R288 million to the South African economy between 2022 and 2025.Zinhle Nzama, Acting Chief Convention Bureau Officer, said the seating was designed to create a cosy and inviting atmosphere reminiscent of traditional fireside chats of yore in line with a new logo.Multi-colored cushions with Ndebele print were used for added comfort and to celebrate the cultural heritage of the Ndebele people.

CAJ News

Source: Caj News Agency

M23 rebels continued fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said on Tuesday, the day they were supposed to begin withdrawing from their positions under a regional plan.

On February 17, East African leaders urged all non-state armed groups to withdraw from territory they occupy in eastern Congo by March 30.

The withdrawal was intended to take place in three stages, with the initial phase to begin on February 28.

But M23 rebels continued advancing in the DRC’s North Kivu province on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Tutsi-led group seized the town of Mweso, about 100 kilometers west of the provincial capital Goma.

Local civil society leader Alphonse Habimana told AFP on Tuesday that the M23 was in control of the town of 30,000 people.

Heritier Ndangendange, spokesman for the APCLS, one of the militias fighting the M23, confirmed rebels had captured Mweso.

Clashes with the M23 continued Tuesday about 30 kilometers west of Goma, a city of more than 1 million people, according to a security official who declined to be named.

M23 fighters also remained in their positions several dozen kilometers north of Goma.

The rebels are close to encircling the city, which is sandwiched between Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border, with three of the four roads leading out of it cut off.

The remaining road, which leads to neighboring South Kivu province, is in a state of disrepair because of heavy rain last year.

The M23 reemerged from dormancy in November 2021, accusing the DRC of ignoring a promise to integrate its fighters into the army.

It subsequently won a string of victories over state forces, seizing swaths of territory in North Kivu province and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

The DRC accuses its smaller neighbor Rwanda of backing the M23, a charge supported by independent U.N. experts as well as the United States and several other western countries but denied by Kigali.

Source: Voice of America

ISSOUF TRAORE in Ouagadougou/AMADOU NDIAYE in Dakar/RUDD KONTE in Bamako Africa Bureaus BAMAKO, (CAJ News) FRANCE is bearing the brunt of African countries taking a stance against their former colonizers.This also comes as most African countries that were colonised by European nations now are more than ready to align themselves with eastern Europe, Russia and Asian nations, precisely China that helped them during dark days of fighting against colonialism, oppression and racism prior to gaining their independence.

Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Mali have recently shown disinterest in the French dictating their internal affairs.Burkina Faso and Mali have since replaced the French military with the trusted” Russian privately owned Wagner Group.

The latest developments have unraveled the French President, Emmanuel Macron, who on Wednesday (tomorrow), will hurriedly fly to Gabon, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to hold high profile meetings.French military bases in the African continent, mainly in former French colonies suffered huge upsets as their power no longer held.

“These bases will not be closed but re-organised academies,” Macron said.The French president had harsh words for the Wagner Group, describing them: It’s a group of criminal mercenaries, the life insurance of failing regimes and putschists.

“However, African nationals reacted to Macron’s visit arguing it was a “facesaver” from the looming realities caused by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States (US) actions against Russia in Ukraine.Gabonese’s pan African activist Jeannice Koumba told CAJ News from Libreville: Whatever he (Macron) will discuss with our president (Ali Bongo Ondimba), he should know in advance time is fast ticking for Gabon to prepare to be one of the provinces of the greater African nation.

Talking to individual member states might not help any divisive Western world, otherwise Africa is headed to a single country.”Koumba said the only way forward for the West is to, Stop dividing-and-rule the continent, stop regime changes and stop sponsoring terrorism.

“Fatoumata Abdoulaye from Mali concurred with Koumba arguing: Just for once, let Africa be independent from anybody. We need partners in business in Africa as opposed to lecturers of fake democracy, human rights and rule of law.

As I speak to you (CAJ News Africa), African leaders are engaging behind scenes preparing for one united Africa. We have been weak all these years because we have been divided.

For now, our differences are minimal.”On Twitter, other Africans also reacted to Macron’s urgent visit to Africa.

Cobi Sark said: The painful truth is, the western world leaders do not have a place in Africa anymore,” while Laissez-Faire Enthusiast uttered: ;#8220oing to countries to lecture them how they should conduct their foreign affairs and domestic affairs isn’t a winning strategy.”Mashoshotela Mu Wankie remarked: Most of these African countries got help from Russia and China to liberate themselves.

It won’t be easy to win them back. Unless they (Europeans) are to fund for regime change, exactly the way Americans do.

“The Real Mufasa stated: The French have exploited Africa for too long it’s time they leave,” while Godfrey Kimega observed: Africa has plenty of room for all world powers. This zero sum game of countering’ each other is not in the interest of Africans.

Just come with what you have to offer and let’s discuss partnership.”Andre Mujuru commented: When you see them (Europeans) coming, you know they are sensing the loss of their grip on African resources.

“Timothy Mloyiswa rejoined: France is an unfriendly country and should not have any concessions from mother Africa. All unfriendly western countries must toe the African line and abide by our demands not theirs.

Unfriendly western countries should not have friends in Africa.” CAJ News

Source: Caj News Agency

Nigerian opposition groups have called Saturday’s presidential election a “sham” that should be overturned as their supporters protested in the capital. The electoral commission says ballots show ruling party candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the lead.

About 100 protesters, mostly women and youth, chanted as they held up placards less than 600 meters away from the national collation center in Abuja.

Barricades set up by security forces blocked them from getting closer to the venue where Nigeria’s Electoral Commission, INEC, announced the results of last weekend’s presidential elections for a third day.

As of late Tuesday, INEC had announced full results from two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states. The candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress or APC party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, led the race with more than seven million votes.

Tinubu was followed by Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party, who had over six million votes, and Peter Obi of the Labor Party, with more than five million.

But protesters like Moses Paul say the results have been manipulated.

“The results collation is fraudulent, it’s false because we have seen many cases where people are disenfranchised,” said Paul. “INEC materials arrived late in many places where thousands of people had already left, ballots were snatched, certain political groups told other political groups to get out.”

The election was marked by widespread delays, operational issues with the voting machines, violence and coercion in some areas.

Many observers including the EU mission have said the voting lacked transparency and fell below expectations.

On Monday, ten political party representatives walked out of the collation center after calling for the vote count to be suspended, alleging irregularities and discrepancies.

INEC refused to do so. Supporters of the ruling APC also protested in Abuja saying INEC must be allowed to complete the process.

“INEC has done well in the process,” said Lawal. “If you had such evidence, audio-visual evidence, of violence, of distortions, it’s too minute to affect the outcome of this election.”

This is the first time INEC has used the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in a national election.

The system, in theory, allows for real time monitoring and uploading of results from the polling units to INEC’s server, but in most cases that did not happen.

European Union chief observer Barry Andrews spoke to VOA Monday about the mission’s preliminary observations.

“The technology that promised so much did not meet expectations,” said Andrews. “There were significant problems about uploading results, there were problems with BVAS facial recognition and recognition of fingerprints. There was lack of security in the configuration of polling booths, so, unfortunately, this sort of undermined the trust and the integrity of the electoral session.”

Final results from the presidential and parliamentary elections are not expected for at least another two days.

As more results are announced, experts say tensions may increase across Nigeria.

Source: Voice of America

Namibia through the Roads Authority (RA) is hosting the Transport Registers and Information Platform System (TRIPS) and Corridor Trip Monitoring System (CTMS), which connects national transport information systems and facilitates the transporting of essential goods.

The Ministry of Works and Transport’s Director of Transport Policy and Regulation, Cedric Limbo officially launched TRIPS and CTMS on behalf of Minister John Mutorwa here on Tuesday.

TRIPS and CTMS are being implemented by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) through the Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme, funded by the European Union to the tune of approximately N.dollars 352 million. The pilot implementation of CTMS is co-funded by the EU and the German government.

“The ministry is playing a central role in ensuring the success of the programme. Namibia’s decision to host TRIPS and CTMS is Namibia’s commitment toward socio-economic development in Africa,” Mutorwa said in a statement read on his behalf.

He called for commitment and participation from all stakeholders, such as the public and private sectors as well as the international development partners, in achieving the programme and project goals.

At the same event, Chair of the Tripartite Task Force Chileshe Kapwepwe, in a speech read on his behalf said with the hosting and full implementation of TRIPS, member states will have the benefit of sharing information on the movement of persons and vehicles along the tripartite corridors. Kapwepwe said this will give officials real time access to authenticate driver, passenger, vehicle and goods data from the country of registration/loading.

Paratus is providing their Armada Data Centre as the local service provider to the RA, with Paratus Group Chief Executive Officer Schalk Erasmus saying the key purpose of the project is to “develop and implement harmonised road transport policies, laws and regulations for effective and efficient road transport, transit networks, transport and logistic services, systems and procedures.”

TRIPS is an ICT gateway that inter-connects national transport information systems in order to improve information-sharing and authentication of transit documents, licences, permits and vehicle and driver particulars amongst the 25 participating member states’ regulatory and law enforcement agents within the tripartite region. The CTMS facilitates the transit of essential goods that include food, fuel and medicines across borders in the region.

Source: NAMPA