THIS WEEK

 

22:  The Electoral Court is expected to release its full judgment to justify its decision to reinstate former President Jacob Zuma’s name as a candidate in next month’s elections. Zuma’s name was initially removed from the MK Party candidate list after the Electoral Commission of SA had received an objection against him due to his criminal record (Bloemfontein).

 

22-24: US Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources Richard Verma will travel to Cameroon, Ethiopia and Angola to discuss regional security and sustainable economic growth.  

 

23: UN World Book and Copyright Day

 

23: Inaugural Worker Share Ownership Conference. The conference aims to serve as a platform for advocacy for Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs). ESOPs gained prominence in South Africa in the late 1980s, notably with schemes introduced by Anglo-American and De Beers. This initiative was fuelled by the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (B-BBEE Act) of 2003 and subsequent amendments, which mandated companies to adopt broad-based ownership schemes, including ESOPs (Johannesburg).

 

23-24: Annual Congress on Soil and Water Conservation (Kenema, Sierra Leone)

  

23-29: Fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Almost two years after presidents and environment ministers met in Nairobi and adopted a draft treaty to end plastic pollution, they will gather in Canada to develop the treaty (Ottawa).

 

25: UN World Malaria Day

 

28: A documentary about a group of young, disenfranchised Coptic Christians in Egypt who form an all-female theatre troupe is among the selection for Critics' Week, a competition for new directors at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Rafaat Einy ll Sama (On the Brink of Dreams) is among the 11 films that made this year's selection. The 77th Cannes Film Festival will run until 25 May.

 

OTHER:

  

*  Kenya's military chief, General Francis Ogolla, was among 10 people killed when their military helicopter crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday, President William Ruto has announced. Two soldiers survived the crash and were in hospital, he said, adding that an air investigation team had been sent to investigate.

 

* The Government of Burundi and the UN have launched an appeal for financial aid to cope with the ‘devastating effects’ of months of relentless rainfall that has displaced nearly 100 000 people. East Africa has been experiencing torrential rains in recent weeks that have cost the lives of at least 58 people in Tanzania in the first half of April, and 13 people in Kenya.

 

* Scholarship opportunities have become available for young lawyers to attend the International Bar Association's (IBA) 2024 Annual Conference, taking place in Mexico City from 15-20 September. The scholarships include waived registration for the IBA Annual Conference; accommodation while attending the conference, contribution towards travel costs to attend the conference and two years' free membership of the IBA. The scholarships are available to anyone up to and including the age of 35 at the time of the conference who is: a fully qualified lawyer, licensed/registered to practice as a lawyer with the relevant professional regulatory body, or undertaking the qualification process. Applications must be by 30 April.