THIS WEEK

7-11: South Africa’s Department of Sport, Arts & Culture will host the 2024 Annual National Oral History Conference. The theme is ‘Forgotten Stories and Marginalised Experiences: Thirty Years Later’ (Ulundi).

 

11-12: Green Film Festival (GFF). By showcasing a curated selection of short, impactful films that explore the impact of climate change and environmental conservation, GFF seeks to enlighten and challenge viewers, prompting them to reevaluate their environmental impact. The festival’s films, workshop and immersive experience will explore five significant themes crucial to our planet’s future: Biodiversity, Activism, Food, Climate Displacement and Wildlife Conservation (Accra).

 

11: South African actor Anthony Stonier, who is alleged to be part of a global child pornography network, will appear in court on child pornography charges. Stonier was initially denied bail after he was slapped with a raft of charges including the possession, distribution, accessing, downloading, facilitating, viewing and manufacturing of child pornography. His second bail application was successful (Durban).

11: UN International Day of the Girl Child

 

11: South Africa’s Minister of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa, will lead the commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR). The day is observed annually on 13 October as a global event aimed at promoting a culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction. Each year, the IDDR focuses on a specific theme related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). These themes are aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which is a global blueprint for reducing disaster risks and losses. The theme for the 2024 IDDR is ‘The Role of Education in Protecting and Empowering Youth for a Disaster-Free Future’ (Polokwane).

 

13: Outgoing US President Joe Biden will arrive in Angola on a three-day visit. Regional security and the Lobito Corridor will be at the top of his agenda.

 

OTHER:

 

* IMF staff and the Ghanaian authorities have reached staff-level agreement on economic policies and reforms to conclude the third review of the 36-month programme for the West African country. Once the review is approved by IMF Management and completed by the IMF Executive Board, Ghana will have access to about $360m in financing, the IMF said in a statement.

* The Central Narcotics Office (OCS) at Mali’s Modibo Keita Sénou International Airport seized 12kg of cocaine last week. Two Franco-Malians who were on their way to Brussels, Belgium have been detained.

* The arrival of a Russian frigate, Neutrashimy – supported by the oil replenishment ship Akademik Pashin – at the Simon’s Town naval base in South Africa on Thursday has made diplomatic and political waves. Warships from China, India and Brazil are also expected at the port, some of them reportedly to participate in the SA Navy Festival – a joint exercise with the SA Navy.

 

* The South African National Committee for Unesco Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, in collaboration with the Department of Water & Sanitation has launched a Citizen Science for Water Photo Story Competition. The objectives are to raise awareness on the intertwined relationship between water and the various dimensions of culture, value, education and the natural sciences in the past and present; activate youth involvement in communicating matters of water. Submissions can be sent via a link: https://www.dws.gov.za/Projects/UNESCO/cspi.aspx

 

* Three West African countries run by military juntas will be launching a new biometric passports as part of their withdrawal from the wider regional bloc Ecowas.  Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, whose military leaders took over power in series of coups between 2020 and 2023, announced their plan to leave the bloc in January.

 

* South Africans have been given more time to make submissions on proposals for the electoral system the country should adopt. The Electoral Reform Consultation Panel has extended the initial 30 September deadline to 31 October. ‘The invitation for submissions is made as part of the panel’s duty to undertake a public participation process regarding the issues falling within its functions,’ the panel’s chairperson Richard Sizani said.

 

* Five mixed-race women demanding reparations from Belgium after being taken from their mothers in the Congo 70 years ago have taken their fight to a Brussels appeals court. They accuse the country of crimes against humanity over a colonial-era practice that saw them taken from their families and placed in institutions. The complaint covers the period 1948-1961 and concerns the practice of placing mixed-race children in religious institutions managed by the Church.

 

* Thanks to a regional rotation, the next Commonwealth secretary-general is due to come from Africa, and candidates from Lesotho, Ghana and The Gambia are all keen to get the job for the next four to eight years. Career diplomat Joshua Setipa from Lesotho, The Gambia's Foreign Affairs Minister Mamadou Tangara and Ghanaian Regional Integration Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey are in the running,

 

* Zambia has joined the UN Water Convention to improve water management within and across its borders in response to severe drought and ongoing water scarcity, the UN has announced. The country declared a national emergency in February due to a drought severely impacting food and energy production for its population of 21m.