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Story
28 July 2022
#BreakTheBias Photo and Video Competition
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Video
28 July 2022
UN Resident Coordinator's statement on the launch of the UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022
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Press Release
27 July 2022
The United Nations in South Africa congratulates Professor Tshilidzi Marwala on his appointment as Rector of the United Nations University
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Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in South Africa
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in South Africa:
Press Release
25 April 2022
MEDIA ADVISORY: The United Nations in South Africa will visit the affected areas in Kwazulu-Natal province
Pretoria - The United Nations in South Africa, represented by a technical team comprising of members from various UN agencies, will undertake a visit to the Province of KwaZulu-Natal from Monday, 25 April 2022 to Thursday, 28 April 2022, following the devastating floods that has impacted communities in many parts of the province earlier this month.
The technical team will meet with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the eThekwini Municipality to assess the areas of support by the United Nations Development System.
“We have been supporting the province following the floods in 2019 and the civil unrest of 2021 and will continue to support rebuilding efforts to ensure that no-one is left behind as part of the Memorandum of Understanding that we have in place with the provincial leadership in that province. We stand committed and ready to assist where needed,” said Mr. Ayodele Odusola, the Acting Resident Coordinator for the UN in South Africa.
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For interviews and media enquiries, please contact Zeenat Abdool, UN South Africa - Associate Public Information Officer, at abdool@un.org or 0827788080
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Press Release
19 April 2022
PRESS RELEASE: Government of South Africa and The United Nations in South Africa sign the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework
Pretoria - The Presidency of South Africa and the United Nations in South Africa today signed the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) at the headquarters of the Government Communication Information System (GCIS) in Pretoria.
The ceremony, led by the Minister in the Presidency, Mr. Mondli Gungubele, the outgoing Resident Coordinator for the UN South Africa office, Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, and the Acting Resident Coordinator, Dr Ayodele Odusola, began with a moment of silence for those affected by the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal.
The UNSDCF is a partnership framework comprehensively detailing the works of the UN in South Africa for the period 2020-2025 following a detailed consultation process that included the private sector, civil society, academia and research institutions, women, and youth.
In her remarks, Ms. Bekele-Thomas spoke of the need for “coherent and critical results-based programming based on national needs and priorities” before noting that “our dream is becoming a reality today.”
Delivering the keynote address, Minister Gungubele emphasised the commitment of Government to implementing the UNSCDF while highlighting this “truly consultative process that is an integration of global, continental and national goals.”
Following the actual signing of the Framework, the UN Resident Coordinator (a.i.), Dr Ayodele Odusola, emphasized South Africa’s unique relationship with the United Nations before reminding those present that “effective implementation of the cooperation framework will depend on strong accountability mechanism’.
General Assembly resolution 72/279 elevates the UNSDCF as “the most important instrument for planning and implementation of the UN development activities at country level in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda).”
In closing the ceremony, Dr Ayodele noted that “coherence coordination and collaboration is why it is very important for us to deliver together.”
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For interviews and media enquiries, please contact Zeenat Abdool, UN South Africa - Associate Public Information Officer, at abdool@un.org or +27 827788080
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Press Release
12 April 2022
PRESS RELEASE: The United Nations in South Africa deeply concerned about violent attacks against foreign nationals
Pretoria – The Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in South Africa, Dr. Ayodele Odusola, notes with growing concern about the ongoing incidents of violence, intimidation and harassment against foreign nationals, including the brutal killing last Wednesday of Elvis Nyathi, a father of four children, in Diepsloot in the Johannesburg metropolitan area.
“It is deeply worrisome and unfortunate that this is happening in a country with one of the most inclusive Constitutions globally,” said Dr. Odusola. “Over the recent past we have noted with deep concern as movements such as Operation Dudula are illegally forcing people suspected to be undocumented foreign nationals to show their papers. Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Nyathi and with all of those families affected by similar violence in the recent months.”
It is important to note that the Government of South Africa has ratified several international human rights and refugee instruments that are also an integral part of national law. This requires that the human rights of all persons residing in South Africa, regardless of their nationality or immigration status, must be respected. This includes individuals who may be refugees, asylum seekers or stateless persons.
The Acting UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa has expressed strong concerns about violence in all its forms. The UN stands by the recent statements by Government representatives opposing actions by the violent protesters and urging people not to take the law into their hands. One example of this includes President Cyril Ramaphosa, stating that “As a country founded on tolerance, respect for diversity and non-discrimination, we must never allow ourselves to turn against people who come from beyond our borders.” And that, “Acts of lawlessness directed at foreign nationals, whether documented or undocumented, could not be tolerated”.
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For interviews and media enquiries, please contact Zeenat Abdool, UN South Africa - Associate Public Information Officer, at abdool@un.org or 0827788080
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Story
12 July 2021
‘We are with you’: The Sinawe Thuthuzela Care Centre providing hope for survivors of sexual violence
Lerato,* a 20-year-old first-year student at the local university, hunkers down on her chair a few metres from where I’m sitting, with her head fixed to the floor. She looks sad, tired and dejected, avoiding any eye contact, obviously ashamed of what we were going to talk about.
During our roughly ten-minute talk, she gave short, hesitant answers. Dressed in a pink tank top and fading jeans with a small yellow handbag sitting on her lap, Lerato had come for her second assessment at a care centre for victims of rape.
On a quiet early Saturday evening – about a week before I met Lerato – while walking back home from the shops, a car abruptly stopped in the middle of the road and two men violently dragged her inside before speeding off. A few minutes later, the car stopped at a dark spot. Shocked and helpless – and before she could process what was happening, one man raped her as the other watched.
Overnight, Lerato became one of the latest victims of sexual violence against women in South Africa. According to police statistics, there were 53,295 reported sexual offenses during the year between April 2019 and March 2020, an increase of 1.7% from the previous reporting period. This is the equivalent of a sexual offense every ten minutes. And these are only cases reported to the police. Experts believe the majority of the offenses are never reported.
We are with you
Some women, like Lerato, end up at care centres specifically set up to help victims of sexual violence. There are more than 50 such centres scattered throughout South Africa serving as “one-stop facilities” or frontline posts in the war against rape. Their key role is “to reduce secondary victimization, improve conviction rates and reduce the time” between when a crime is committed and when the perpetrator is finally convicted. The centres are attached or located close to hospitals, ensuring victims have access to urgent medical attention.
One such facility is the Sinawe Thuthuzela Care Centre located in the small town of Mthatha in Eastern Cape Province. Sinawe means “we are with you” in Xhosa, one of the country’s eleven official languages. It was at this centre that the head of the United Nations in South Africa (also called the UN Resident Coordinator), Nardos Bekele-Thomas, and her team – which included the head of the UN Women in Southern Africa, Anne Githuku-Shongwe – converged to sign an agreement with the government to revive the struggling local care centres, among other projects.
The plan is to pilot an approach to development that targets specific districts identified as most vulnerable to operational bottlenecks that slows down the delivery of social services to local communities. Three districts in the provinces of Eastern Cape, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal are expected to benefit from the programme termed “the district development model”.
Impact of Thuthuzela Centres
For many years, one-stop crisis centres made remarkable progress in living up to expectations. In 2012-2013, the Sinawe Centre won an award for being the best-run care centre in South Africa.
Dr. Nomonde Ndyalvan, an energetic, highly motivated and enthusiastic woman, heads the Sinawe Centre, which sits across the road from the provincial Mthatha General Hospital. She wears several hats as an activist on gender, disability and mental health issues. Dr. Ndyalavan is also “an active member” of the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC).
A qualified medical doctor, Dr. Ndyalvan, 53, started as a volunteer in 2002, a year after the Sinawe Centre was launched. Notwithstanding the countless and formidable hurdles she faces as the manager, one easily senses the high energy and enthusiasm she exhibits once she starts talking about her job at the centre.
“The management needed doctors, counsellors, mental health specialists and nurses to come work here. It was emotionally challenging knowing how the women were being raped,” she recalls. Herself disabled, Dr. Ndyalvan says as a disability activist, “I realized that people with disabilities were targets for rape. And the statistics on this are high.”
Night doctors
Shocked by the enormity of sexual violence in the district, Dr. Ndyalvan opted to work full time at the centre in March 2009. “There was no full-time doctor. The patients would wait for the whole day for university doctors to come, and they would only be seen at night.”
As the years went by, the Thuthuzela model gained fame. Incident reports from rape victims shot up. Prosecutors upped their game. The upshot was high conviction rates of offenders as more women felt safe enough to report cases to the police and care centres. Because the care centres offered dignified and friendly settings, they reduced secondary trauma among survivors.
“Now we see about 60 to 80 patients a month on a low season,” says Dr. Ndyalvan, as she sat behind her office desk, a stone’s throw away from Mthatha General Hospital. “During holidays and festive seasons, rape cases go up to between 100 and 120 per month. We cover patients from as far as 200kms away. We go beyond OR Tambo municipality.” OR Tambo is one of the poorest municipalities in Eastern Cape Province, itself the most-poverty stricken of South Africa’s nine provinces.
In 2012, UNICEF completed the construction of the building currently occupied by the Sinawe centre with funds from the Danish government and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Asked who was funding the care centres, Dr. Ndyalvan conceded it wasn’t clear. “The bigger chunk of the budget to run the centre comes from the Department of Health. The department has also been maintaining the centre. But now we have been told that the department doesn’t have money anymore” as the budget for the centre is not clear where it is coming from. The centre now relies on funds from other stakeholders for its running costs. The programme is an “orphan” as the centre does not feature at all in the hospital’s organogram.
“We are just treating victims”
According to Dr. Ndyalvan, the current set up is that each department pays for its people, i.e., health workers receive their salaries from their respective departments. For example, doctors and nurses are paid by the health department, social workers by the social development department while prosecutors and magistrates, NGOs and police – who are all located at or closer to the centres – are on the payroll of relevant government departments.
When I asked Dr. Ndyalvan what she would consider as the main challenge facing the Thuthuzela centres, she said without hesitation: “The lack of a coordinator and a clear reporting structure. There is no one [entity] stakeholder from the multidisciplinary team which is directly responsible for the centre.” NPA has been trying to coordinate and lead but challenges still remain.
“The municipalities are not involved. Now that UN is here, we hope they will assist to align it and develop this centre through the district development model,” she said, adding, “Gender-based violence is such a bigger challenge in this part of the world. The districts must own these centres because the current model doesn’t address the issues of preventing rape. They are just treating victims.”
The challenge for the UN is do the best it can under the circumstances while at the same time managing the expectations that Dr. Ndyalvan and Lerato might have of the UN given its limited resources.
*Not her real name.
Services offered at the Thuthuzela Care Centres
Welcome and comfort from a site coordinator or nurse.
An explanation of how the medical examination will be conducted and what clothing might be taken for evidence.
A consent form to sign that allows the doctor to conduct the medical examination.
A nurse in the examination room.
After the medical examination, there are bath and shower facilities for the victims to use.
An investigation officer will interview the survivor and take his/her statement.
A social worker or nurse will offer counselling.
A nurse arranges for follow-up visits, treatment and medication for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS.
A referral letter or appointment will be made for long-term counselling
The victim (survivor) is offered transportation home by an ambulance or the investigating officer.
Arrangements for the survivor to go to a place of safety, if necessary.
Consultations with a specialist prosecutor before the case go to court.
Court preparation by a victim assistant officer.
An explanation of the outcome and update of the trial process by a case manager.
Source: National Prosecuting Authority, “Thuthuzela Care Centre: Turning Victims into Survivors”
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Story
07 July 2021
The District Development Model launch kicks-off in Waterberg
The initiative by the Government and the United Nations in South Africa to resuscitate district projects in the country’s three provinces picked up momentum in June when they gathered in Waterberg, Limpopo Province, to launch the partnership following a similar event in the Eastern Cape Province in April.
The head of the United Nations in South Africa and Resident Coordinator, Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, joined the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, at the official launch of the partnership designed to implement what is officially termed the District Development Model (DDM).
The event, held on 11 June, was the culmination of a three-day programme that included visits to the sites in Waterberg District that have been identified for restoration which included Business Solution Centres, Thusong Service Centres as well as Thuthuzela Care Centres as conduits to drive inclusive economic growth, social transformation and improve service delivery.
Speaking at the gathering, Ms. Bekele-Thomas said her visit to the Thuthuzela Care Centres and Victim Support Centres in the district “highlighted that partnerships between stakeholders are key to their success. A multi-sectoral and a multi-stakeholder approach is needed to ensure that victims of gender-based violence receive the support that they deserve and are empowered to reintegrate back into society.”
“We need to build upon the architecture of our support by strengthening our victim referral systems. As we move forward, we must find ways to address the infrastructural and security challenges that leave victims feeling unsafe,” said Ms. Bekele-Thomas.
She emphasized the need to present a united whole-of-society approach that is rooted in partnership, community and acting with urgency and shared the “three key factors that I believe are essential to the success of our shared endeavour.”
The first key factor was the need for communities to be placed at the heart of the district development model through engagement, consultations and empowerment. “They need to be brought into the decision-making process. Communities confer legitimacy on what we do. We need to improve communication, improve consultations, we need to make sure that our policies are informed by a bottom-up process.”
The second factor was to fully embrace change in how services are delivered and technology harnessed to improve people’s lives in a post-pandemic world. “South Africa, Limpopo and the Waterberg District cannot be, must not be, left behind,” she said. “Embracing change means a just transition from fossil fuels and embracing the Green Economy. It means fully embracing a mindset that truly embraces the concept of service to the people.”
The third factor was to translate words, policies and dialogue into results, the Resident Coordinator said. “The people have been patient for long enough – we should not try their patience further! The longer policies and plans take to translate into palpable, concrete results, the less legitimacy they have, the less legitimacy we have.” She reminded her audience that they didn’t have the luxury of time. “We need a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.”
The Waterberg integrated implementation plan will unlock the economic value chains, deliberately focusing on growing an inclusive and sustainable economy. It is also expected to tackle Gender-Based Violence and Femicide through increased stakeholder partnerships and advocacy to engender social transformation, whilst enhancing service delivery and the capacity of the municipality, through the Thusong Service Centres, as a one stop shop for access to information and services.
In her speech, Minister Dlamini-Zuma emphasized that the DDM was not a project but rather an inclusive way of working that is premised on social partnership between government, business and communities. “As we pay homage to Mama Charlotte Maxeke, we are reminded of her reverberating words that when you rise, rise with someone, and I’m confident that the DDM will assist our communities to rise,” she said.
Minister Dlamini Zuma was joined by the Minister of Small Business Development, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who is the DDM District Champion; the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu; a Member of the Executive Committee in Limpopo, Basikopo Makamu; and the Executive Mayor of Waterberg District, Cllr Morris Mataboge, as well as mayors of local municipalities.
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Story
28 July 2022
#BreakTheBias Photo and Video Competition
The UN in South invites submissions for the #BreakTheBias Photo and Video Competition from all eligible candidates in South Africa. The deadline for submissions is the 15 August 2022.
Terms and conditions
1. UN in South Africa Photo/Video Competition “#BreakTheBias” 2022
By entering the UN in South Africa photo/video Competition (the “Competition”), you hereby warrant that all information submitted by you is true, current and complete. You are responsible for keeping such information up-to-date. The UN in South Africa (the “Organizer”) reserves the right to verify the eligibility of all participants.
By entering the competition, you accept the present terms and conditions.
No payment of any kind is required to enter or win the competition.
The competition will be administered by the organizer through the competition’s website as well as social media pages; please follow the instructions under UN in South Africa Photo/Video Competition, here: #BreakTheBias for a Gender Equal World - Photo and Video Competition | United Nations in South Africa
By entering the competition, you pledge that the work submitted is your own.
2. Terms and Conditions of participation
The photographs should depict the respective theme #BreakTheBias”, using a high degree of attention to clarity, creativity, and originality. By submitting an entry to the photo and video competition, the photographer/videographer will agree to these rules:
South Africa Nationals and Residents, both men and women, aged 18 - 25 are eligible to apply. Women photographers and videographers are highly encouraged to apply.
Entrants can submit up to 5 photo entries
Each entry does not contain any infringing, threatening, false, misleading, abusive, harassing, libelous-, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, scandalous content
The entrant must hold all rights to the photograph submitted and they must bear full responsibility for obtaining the consent of children and adults featured in the images
The entrant bears full responsibility for the accuracy of the entry’s content – photo and the accompanying caption/story
Caption/story must be written by the entrants, and should be real, not fiction, and not be any form of copy/reproduction
The UN in South Africa will have the full right to publish an album and use entries for non-commercial products, with mention of the photo credit
UN in South Africa retains full ownership of the copyright in each entry
3. How to enter
In order to enter, the entrant needs to express their view of what a gender equal world looks like.
Step 1: Capture your depiction of what a gender equal world looks like on a cellular device as a video or photograph
Step 2: Post the content onto your social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter or Facebook)
Step 3: Be sure to tag @UNinSouthAfrica as well as use the hashtag #BreakTheBias.
The blow content may be used for inspiration:
Be part of the Movement..
Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.
We can break the bias in our communities.
We can break the bias in our workplaces.
We can break the bias in our schools, colleges and universities.
Together, we can all break the bias - on International Women's Day (IWD) and beyond.
Tell us what you think in a very creative and captivating way
Imagine a gender equal world.
A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
A world where difference is valued and celebrated.
Together we can forge women's equality.
Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
4. Photo and video criteria
Must be taken in 2022.
Not featured in previous publications, promotional materials, or on any websites.
Should not be smaller than 1600 x 1200 pixels, be JPEG or MP4 format.
Should include a caption/story
Captions must be either in English or an official South African language
Are accepted in either color, or black and white.
Any manipulation of your content will disqualify the entry.
5. Selection and prizes
There are two categories:
Photography
Videography
The prizes will be awarded as follows:
The selection of winners will be made by a selection committee determined by the organizer. Decisions of the selection committee are final and without appeal.
There are three (3) winners in each of the two (2) categories of the competition (six (6) winners in total) shall be determined by the selection committee.
1st prize US$ 1,000 - photography
1st prize US$ 1,000 - video
2nd prize US$ 500 - photography
2nd prize US$ 500 - video
3rd prize US$ 300 - photography
3rd prize US$ 300 - video
The cash prizes will be handed over during the award ceremony at the end of August 2022.
The Organizer will notify the winners via DM prior to the announcement.
6. Other conditions
By entering the competition, participants agree to release and hold harmless the organizer from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property, infringement of trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights arising out of or relating to their participation in the Competition and the contents of their submissions.
The organizer reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any submission which does not comply with the present Terms and Conditions.
The Organizer is not responsible for lost, late, corrupted, mutilated or misdirected submissions, or submissions not received in time for judging (deadline of submission is 23:59 Midnight (SAST) on 10 August 2022).
Participants in the competition are not allowed to use the titles, acronyms and logos of the Organizer or other branding (e.g. logos, slogan) elements on the photos and videos.
The organizer shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to abbreviate, modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the Competition without any future obligation, by notifying the applicants via an announcement at the Competition’s website.
The organizer reserves the right to make all final decisions. Nothing herein shall be considered to be a limitation or a waiver of the privileges and immunities of the UN in South Africa which are specifically reserved.
Should entrants not respond to DMs and contact attempts in 5 days your entry will be null and void.
See Terms and Conditions to enter the competition HERE
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Story
17 July 2022
Mandela Day from Ayodele Odusola, UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa
South Africa has faced multiple crises over the past three years. From the pandemic, to the civil unrest, the flooding disasters and only recently the loss of young lives in communities in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces. With the rising costs from these devastating events and global economic stressors, it is evident that a Mandela Day is more relevant than ever before.
Daily, in the media, we read and view the real-life stories of people living in the most arduous circumstances, some resigning from their jobs because their transport costs are higher than their salaries. There are a greater number of people who are going to bed hungry, at the mercy of volunteers, organizations and gestures of kindness from you and I.
Last year, in the Kwazulu-Natal province, we hosted a summit with people living with disabilities and it became clear that while policies are in place to address their challenges by both government and the UN, much more needs to be done in the implementation of those policies. According to the World Health Organization around 15 per cent of the world’s population, or estimated 1 billion people, live with disabilities. They are the world’s largest minority. This year, I’m delighted to share that the United Nations in South Africa is partnering with the Gift of the Givers organization to distribute wheelchairs and other utilities to people, young and old, living with disabilities across the Gauteng province.
Our aim, at the UN, is to leave no-one behind and just as disability does not discriminate against age, race, gender etc, neither should we in all our plans to build a better South Africa and realize the vision of the iconic Madiba. I echo the sentiments of the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres who, in his message to mark this day, says that Madiba “showed that each and every one of us has the ability – and responsibility – to build a better future for all.”
We have a responsibility to say no to hate and any forms of discrimination, whether it be in person or online as we are well aware that once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back and the impact on mental health from the spread of hate is detrimental. Indeed, words can be weapons.
In South Africa, we live by the concept of ubuntu - that we are human only through the humanity of others and that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it is due to the effort of many. I encourage all of us living in South Africa to continue to do what we can with what we have for as Madiba says and I quote “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.”
I thank you.
Ayodele Odusola
UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa
UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa
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Story
14 July 2022
Secretary-General's Message for Nelson Mandela International Day 2022
Today, the world honours a giant of our time; a leader of unparalleled courage and towering achievement; and a man of quiet dignity and deep humanity.
Nelson Mandela was a healer of communities and a mentor to generations.
He remains a moral compass and reference to us all.
Madiba walked the path to freedom and dignity with steely determination – and with compassion and love.
He showed that each and every one of us has the ability – and responsibility – to build a better future for all.
Our world today is marred by war; overwhelmed by emergencies; blighted by racism, discrimination, poverty, and inequalities; and threatened by climate disaster.
Let us find hope in Nelson Mandela’s example and inspiration in his vision.
Today and every day, let us honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy by taking action.
By speaking out against hate and standing up for human rights.
By embracing our common humanity – rich in diversity, equal in dignity, united in solidarity.
And by together making our world more just, compassionate, prosperous, and sustainable for all.
António Guterres
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Story
15 July 2022
United Nations Resident Coordinator pays courtesy call on Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
The Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in South Africa, Ayodele Odusola, today paid a courtesy visit on the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, at her residence in Pretoria.
The visit follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties last year, in support of the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM) in the three pilot districts of O.R. Tambo (Eastern Cape Province), Waterberg (Limpopo) and eThekwini (KwaZulu-Natal).
Since the signing of the MoU, the technical teams consisting of both parties have worked together to implement 29 projects of the DDM which fall under the Business Solutions Model, the Thuthuzela Care Centres and the Thusong Service Centres. Through the DDM approach, the UN seeks to assist in building sustainable and resilient communities in South Africa.
In his interaction with the minister, the Acting Resident Coordinator shared progress on the ongoing work of the UN in South Africa, the UN’s response in the KwaZulu-Natal Province following devastating floods which caused loss of lives and destruction to infrastructure. The UN made available R21million (US$1.24million) from programming budget to support the Government’s response efforts in the worst affected communities.
Mr. Odusola also took the opportunity to present the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework document to the minister, which spells out the work of the UN in South Africa for the period 2020-2025.
“The UN has an opportunity to support government’s efforts in addressing the structural and developmental challenges facing South Africa,” said Mr. Odusola. “We are committed to support the government in implementing the National Development Plan through the District Development Model to ensure that developmental challenges and crises such as last year’s unrest are circumvented,” he added.
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27 June 2022
Using green and grey measures to adapt to climate change
“We received a donation from one of the local businesses and this is so great”, says Rosie Fortuin with excitement as she leans down to open a black crate. Thanking God, she shows us the donation which includes a three-tool garden kit with a rake, spade and fork, ten packets of seedlings for growing onions, carrots and other vegetables, and two rolls of refuse packets.
To Rosie and her fellow community members in Leliefontein in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, this is a significant and welcomed gesture adding that “now we can plant and give to the poor households and elderly people at the end of the season, yes, tomorrow we will start planting!”
The Northern Cape province has experienced a severe drought over the past seven years. Last year the communities in the province experienced flash flooding. Between the two extremes, the communities are facing water scarcity as well damage to their homes and livelihoods. The province is known for its desert -like conditions as it is home to the Namakwaland area often hot and dry.
However, over the last decade the temperature has soared to temperatures well over 35 degrees thus forcing communities to adapt to even hotter and drier conditions. Through Conservation South Africa, the community has implemented what is termed “green and grey” measures to adapt to the extreme and unpredictable weather patterns.
Following the flood disaster, community members suffered severe losses due to mudslides and the large amounts of water which seeped into their homes destroying their meagre belongings. On climate change, Rosie says that “we thought climate change was an overseas thing but now we see it here.” Community members have since constructed a gabion to mitigate the damage caused by floods.
“We constructed this gabion in order to stop the strength of the water so that it goes slower and slower,” says Rosie as she points to a large construction of rocks and stones near the mountain , further explaining that the gabion construction provides families with time to gather their belongings should the need arise and hopefully prevent the water from reaching and damaging their homes.
Gabions are one of the green and grey measures used by this community to adapt to weather patterns that have recently caused flooding in the area which has led to soil erosion thus affecting agricultural produce. It is termed a green and grey measure as it uses materials from the earth to protect the earth (such as stones and rock material), or the construction is not harmful to the environment and can, in many instances, be beneficial to the environment and the community.
Through the use of this gabion, not only are communities safer from the catastrophic effects of flooding but there is less soil erosion which means less risk of food insecurity for the season. As the Northern Cape is known for its hot and dry weather conditions, the community have constructed other measures to retain as much water as they can during rainfall. They explain that with the flooding,as it was unexpected and they were unprepared, the damage was extensive but they have now constructed another gabion-like feature along a riverbed trail with the aim of collecting water from the rainfall.
This helps to sustain the land, provide water for agricultural and pastoral use as well as provide water to the community.
Conservation South Africa, supported by the UN Environment Programme, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment as well as the South African National Biodiversity Institute mentors and provides training to members of the community in climate adaptation among other issues.
Miranda Gardiner, from Conservation South Africa, says that this community is dependent on farming and the environment “has evolved with grazing and the organization aims to assist the community to become climate resilient against the impact of climate change as the community depends mostly on grants and farming is a supplemental income.”
Speaking on the impact of climate change, Miranda says that one of the nearby villages were flooded barely one month apart with floods in December last year and January 2022, “something that anyone who lives there can remember ever happening in their lives.”
Climate resilience in these communities through the organization involves a healthy ranch and skilled people who have the correct tools with which to build their resilience.
The organization has introduced indigenous genetics and different breeds of livestock such as meat master sheep as they are more resistant to high temperatures, more resistant to disease and the lambs mature earlier to a marketable age and weight and thus spend less time on the ranch.
The organization and the community agree that climate change is here, it’s impact is real and that as the climate changes it is forcing them to become more creative and innovative to sustain their communities and their livelihoods.
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Press Release
27 July 2022
The United Nations in South Africa congratulates Professor Tshilidzi Marwala on his appointment as Rector of the United Nations University
Pretoria – The Acting head of the United Nations in South Africa and Resident Coordinator, Ayodele Odusola, has extended his congratulations to Professor Tshilidzi Marwala following his appointment by the UN Secretary-General as the Rector of the Japan-based United Nations University.
“I’m immensely proud of the Prof. Marwala’s appointment as he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise with him, especially in the field of science, research and technology,” said Mr. Odusola. “From what I know of the professor, he is not merely an academic but a critical thinker on innovative solutions. The UN will indeed benefit from his good character and voracious thinking.”
Prof. Marwala is currently the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Engineering from the University of Cambridge. He will assume his position in March 2023.
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For interviews and media enquiries, please contact Zeenat Abdool, UN South Africa - Associate Public Information Officer, at abdool@un.org or 0827788080
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Press Release
20 July 2022
African leaders launch the Education Plus initiative
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA / GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 18 July 2022—Leaders meeting at the Africa Union summit in Lusaka, Zambia, have pledged their support for the Education Plus initiative at its continental launch, commiting to take action to keep adolescent girls in school, which will dramatically reduce their vulnerability to HIV.
Every week, around 4200 adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa acquire HIV. In 2020, six in seven adolescents aged between 15—19 years old acquiring HIV in the region were girls. More than 23000 young women died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2020, making it the second leading cause of death among women aged 15—29 after maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
Keeping girls in secondary school and providing them with life skills, training and employment opportunities is key to ending the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Research shows that ensuring that girls complete secondary education reduces their risk of acquiring HIV by up to half, and that combining this with a package of services and rights for girls’ empowerment reduces their risk further still.
Education Plus calls for free and quality secondary education for all girls and boys in sub-Saharan Africa by 2025; universal access to comprehensive sexuality education; fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health and rights; freedom from gender-based and sexual violence; school-to-work transitions, and economic security and empowerment.
“My government has committed to the provision of free primary and secondary education for all,” said President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, who hosted the summit. “Education is the greatest equalizer and with appropriate education, everyone is given an opportunity to explore their full potential and be able to participate in the development process. Access to education empowers both girls and boys as it enhances their ability to access decent jobs and other means of production thus alleviating poverty.”
The President of Senegal and current chair of the African Union, Macky Sall, launched the initiative flanked by three other presidents and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat.
“It is my pleasure to join you on the occasion of the ceremony to launch the continental “Education Plus Initiative” under the leadership of the Organisation of African First Ladies (OAFLAD) in support to children and young girls in particular,” said President Sall. “There is need for action to promote women’s rights and autonomy, to fight against the discrimination and violence which girls and women face. We must address gender inequality at all stages of life. At the continental level, AU Member States are committed to accelerating the implementation of gender-specific economic, social, and legal measures aimed at combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic by adopting various policy and legal frameworks including the Maputo Protocol.”
The launch was held in partnership with the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, convened by the First Lady of Zambia, H.E Mutinta Hichilema.
“I am confident that Education Plus will enable us all to protect, provide and preserve the lives of adolescent girls and young women by enhancing education standards and preventing new HIV infections by use of various interventions,” said Ms Hichilema.
“We lend our voice to the transformative call for gender-inclusive education in Africa,” said Leyla Gozo, Executive Secretary of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, “First ladies are uniquely positioned to amplify this inititiative.”
The Education Plus initiative has taken on even greater urgency as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions of girls out of school. Even before the pandemic, almost 34 million adolescent girls aged 12—17 years old in the sub-Saharan Africa region were not in secondary school. Evidence also shows that girls are less likely to restart school once they have dropped out.
Ten African countries – Benin, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Uganda – have so far committed to the initiative which is jointly convened by five United Nations agencies, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, and brings together governments, civil society and international partners.
“We are making progress in Africa but not fast enough,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima in her address to the launch. “We need to urgently address the gender inequalities that still plague the continent, with devastating impacts on poor girls and young women. We don’t have a minute to wait. Working together, we can all end discriminatory laws and harmful social norms, so that our girls are healthy, educated and empowered and can lead our continent, Africa, forward.”
UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2022/july/20220717_continental-launch-education-plus-initiative
Press contact:
Scott McQuade, Senior Adviser, Management and Advocacy
UNAIDS South Africa
Mobile: +27 83 642 6759
mcquades@unaids.org
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Press Release
19 July 2022
European Union contributes €200,000 to UNICEF’s ongoing response for children affected by KZN floods
PRETORIA, 19 July 2022 – UNICEF is set to expand essential services for children and families affected by the floods in Kwa Zulu-Natal thanks to a new commitment of €200,000 from the European Union (EU).
The resources will enable UNICEF South Africa to sustain and further scale-up its response to the most vulnerable children, women and displaced families. This includes improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, multipurpose cash assistance, as well as psychosocial and mental health support to help them in their recovery process.
“The European Union is committed to supporting the most vulnerable people affected by the widespread flooding across parts of Kwa Zulu-Natal,” said Alexandre Castellano, EU humanitarian aid emergency coordinator for Southern Africa. “Children, women and displaced families need all the support they can get to alleviate the impact of the floods on their wellbeing.”
The KZN flooding was some of the worst in history, with more than 448 people losing their lives and nearly 17,700 families being displaced.
“The impact of the floods on children and families has been devastating,” said Christine Muhigana, UNICEF Representative to South Africa. “This generous support from the European Union will help UNICEF to reach children in greatest need through improving and sustaining access to critical services and mitigating the impact of the floods on families' coping mechanisms,” added Muhigana.
The European Union’s funding to UNICEF will ensure that:
Some 10,200 people receive improved access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.
350 families receive a one-off multipurpose cash donation to help support their essential needs, resources that will be reinvested into the local economy.
500 caregivers and children are provided child protection support, including access to social workers and counsellors to help them recover from their traumatic experiences and prevent of and respond to violence.
UNICEF’s KZN flood response forms part of the UN’s relief efforts in support of the Government of South Africa, including KZN provincial authorities. The EU-funded work is being implemented through UNICEF partners, including World Vision, Envirosan, and Refugee Social Services.
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ABOUT EU Humanitarian Aid
Through the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.
ABOUT UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org
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For more information, please contact:
Toby Fricker, Tel: +27 61 418 7486, tfricker@unicef.org
Sudeshan Reddy, Tel: +27 82 561 3970, sureddy@unicef.org
Sudeshan Reddy, Communication Specialist, UNICEF South Africa Cell:+27 82 561 3970 Skype: Sudeshan1975 www.unicef.org/southafrica; Facebook: Unicef South Africa Twitter: Unicef_SA Instagram: Unicef_SA
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Press Release
15 July 2022
South Africa on the precipice of explosive xenophobic violence: UN experts
GENEVA (15 July 2022) – UN experts* today condemned reports of escalating violence against foreign nationals in South Africa and called for accountability against xenophobia, racism and hate speech that were harming migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and even citizens perceived as foreign throughout the country.
Recent reports indicate that xenophobic violence and discrimination have increased, including under the banner of “Operation Dudula”, originally a social media campaign that has become an umbrella for mobilisation of violent protests, vigilante violence, arson targeting migrant-owned homes and businesses, and even the murder of foreign nationals.
The experts warned that the ongoing xenophobic mobilization was broader and deeper, and has become the central campaign strategy for some political parties in the country. “Anti-migrant discourse from senior government officials has fanned the flames of violence, and government actors have failed to prevent further violence or hold perpetrators accountable,” they said.
“Without urgent action from the government of South Africa to curb the scapegoating of migrants and refugees, and the widespread violence and intimidation against these groups, we are deeply concerned that the country is on the precipice of explosive violence,” the experts said.
The experts noted that xenophobia, especially against low-income, African and South East Asian migrants and refugees, had been a feature of South African politics for many years. In 2008, for example, xenophobic violence resulted in the death of over 60 people and contributed to the displacement of at least 100,000. Xenophobia is often explicitly racialised, targeting low-income Black migrants and refugees and, in some cases, South African citizens accused of being “too Black to be South African.”
In one highly publicised incident in April 2022, a 43-year-old Zimbabwean national and father of four was killed in Diepsloot by a group going door-to-door demanding to see visas. The attackers drove the victim out of a place where he was seeking refuge, beat him and set him on fire. The violence has continued unabated—it is alleged that the burning of the Yeoville Market in Johannesburg on 20 June 2022 was carried out by persons targeting migrant shopkeepers.
The UN experts observed that discrimination against foreign nationals in South Africa has been institutionalised both in government policy and broader South African society. This had led to violations of the right to life and physical integrity and rights to an adequate standard of living and to the highest attainable standard of health, as well as elevated risks of arbitrary detention, torture and refoulement, they said.
The experts also expressed concern over reports that widespread corruption in the South African asylum and migration systems compound these dangerous problems.
“The cost in human dignity and lives, particularly in light of the past 30 years of xenophobic violence, remains widespread and deeply troubling,” the experts said.
“We are gravely concerned that South Africa is not meeting its positive obligations to protect and promote human rights while preventing racial and xenophobic discrimination,” they said.
“At the same time, perpetrators enjoy widespread impunity for xenophobic rhetoric and violence, leading to a lack of accountability for serious human rights violations and the flourishing of racist and xenophobic political platforms.”
The experts urged private and public actors to honour their commitments to human rights and racial justice, and take a firm stand against the racist and xenophobic violence which continues in South Africa.
The UN experts have been in official communication with the South African Government to address these allegations and clarify its obligations under international law.
ENDS
*The experts: Ms E. Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Mr. Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Mr. Felipe González Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.
Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For more information and media requests please contact: Eleanor Robb +41 22 917 9800/ eleanor.robb@un.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Renato de Souza (+41 22 928 9855 / (renato.rosariodesouza@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (+41 79 506 1088 / dharisha.indraguptha@un.org)
Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.
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Press Release
17 July 2022
United Nations Resident Coordinator pays courtesy call on Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
The Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in South Africa, Ayodele Odusola, today paid a courtesy visit on the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, at her residence in Pretoria.
The visit follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties last year, in support of the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM) in the three pilot districts of O.R. Tambo (Eastern Cape Province), Waterberg (Limpopo) and eThekwini (KwaZulu-Natal).
Since the signing of the MoU, the technical teams consisting of both parties have worked together to implement 29 projects of the DDM which fall under the Business Solutions Model, the Thuthuzela Care Centres and the Thusong Service Centres. Through the DDM approach, the UN seeks to assist in building sustainable and resilient communities in South Africa.
In his interaction with the minister, the Acting Resident Coordinator shared progress on the ongoing work of the UN in South Africa, the UN’s response in the KwaZulu-Natal Province following devastating floods which caused loss of lives and destruction to infrastructure. The UN made available R21million (US$1.24million) from programming budget to support the Government’s response efforts in the worst affected communities.
Mr. Odusola also took the opportunity to present the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework document to the minister, which spells out the work of the UN in South Africa for the period 2020-2025.
“The UN has an opportunity to support government’s efforts in addressing the structural and developmental challenges facing South Africa,” said Mr. Odusola. “We are committed to support the government in implementing the National Development Plan through the District Development Model to ensure that developmental challenges and crises such as last year’s unrest are circumvented,” he added.
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