……as new UN Women Executive Director :By Dennis Kabatto – The swearing of former South Africa’s Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka as the new executive director of United Nations Entity for Gender and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women) was presided by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki moon at a ceremony Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York. Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka pledged to exercise in all loyalty, discretion, conscience and functions entrusted to her as an international civil servant of the UN to discharge her duties and regulate her conduct in line with the UN. She also pledged not to seek or accept instructions... Continue Reading
…Stakeholders Ready to Fight Corruption in Water Sector – By: WASH R&E Network – The week-long Regional Water Integrity Capacity building Training Program in Sub-Saharan Africa has ended in the Liberian Capital, Monrovia with stakeholders pledging their preparedness to fight corruption in the Water Sector. Conclusive issues among other things, stressed the need for the extensive dissemination of information on water integrity, operationalize sector policy, including providing coordination for water supply and sanitation activities. The participants pledged to ensuring best practices in how their respective governments funds are expended, advocate for governments adherence from state agencies and punishment for violators.... Continue Reading
President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma on Tuesday 13th August called on the public to assist the police in going about their day-to-day functions as protectors of life and property. He made this statement at State House during the presentation ceremony of the 2012 Human Rights Report by the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) entitled the ‘State of Human Rights in Sierra Leone’. President Koroma also noted that though there were challenges highlighted by the HRCSL in its 2012 report, government was happy that the Commission’s overall assessment of the human rights situation in the country was satisfactory taking... Continue Reading
An estimated 3 000 people thronged last weekend’s Homelanz/Zimfest festival in West London’s Baston Manor Park, capping a glorious summer day in the British capital. The all-day festival brought together cultures from four different southern hemisphere countries – Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe – and saw artistic performances from each of the countries. Zimfest Director Hilton Mendelsohn said: “The whole festival went on smoothly and swiftly thanks to the sound management and professional production of the logistical functions. “We had between us a shared wealth of experience as Homelanz and Zimfest have in the past held events independently.... Continue Reading
By Dennis Kabatto – One hundred African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) entrepreneurs from across the continent participated in a two-day forum from August 10 – 11, to empower women to own and operate small and medium businesses, which could enable them to become voices for social progress in their communities. Hosted by AWEP’S Ethiopia Chapter at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this year’s forum focused on best practices for trading under AGOA, how to access finance for women, business development, regional initiatives empowering women entrepreneurs and the use of social media to build a successful business. The... Continue Reading
