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Psychology
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Renaldo Gouws Joins Freedom Front Plus
Renaldo Gouws, popular social media personality and former DA Member of Parliament, has decided to throw in his weight with the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus). Gouws, an industrial psychologist with a significant following on platforms such as YouTube, has extensive political experience and a genuine passion for community values. During his political career with […]
The post Renaldo Gouws joins Freedom Front Plus appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
Condolences for Prof Noel Chabani Manganyi
Condolences for Prof Noel Chabani Manganyi
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, has expressed his shock and great sadness at the news of the passing of Professor Noel Chabani Manganyi – a distinguished academic, scholar, intellectual activist, psychologist, and public servant.
Manganyi passed away on Tuesday, 31 October 2024, at the age of 84.
“I knew Prof Manganyi in a number of different respects. Firstly, we both trained in psychology and thus shared many intellectual positions on the importance of mental liberation as a site of struggle, especially for all black people in the face of apartheid colonialism.
“Secondly, we were both activists in the struggle against apartheid and shared a common vision for a radically transformed post-apartheid South Africa, including challenging dominant intellectual discourses.
“This brought us together in the period immediately after the establishment of democratic rule, working together in the reconstruction and development of South Africa’s post-apartheid education system,” the Minister recalled.
Manganyi was the first Director-General of the Department of Education after the establishment of democracy and worked with the Minister in his capacity as the first Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Education.
Nzimande has described his fellow former activist as one of the most eloquent and deeply thoughtful intellectuals spawned by the black consciousness movement.
“His writings are still as relevant as ever,” said the Minister.
According to the Minister, Manganyi’s earlier book, ‘Being Black in the World’ was one of his prescribed texts in his Honours Psychology class in 1980 at the then University of Natal.
“A fine text indeed in the mould of the black consciousness philosophy, but very well written and well-argued.
“Prof Manganyi is without doubt one of our country’s most decorated academics.”
His roles include a Professorship at the then University of Transkei in Mthatha (now Walter Sisulu University), where he established the Department of Psychology and served as its first Chairperson.
In the 1980s, he was appointed Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand’s African Studies Institute.
He also served as Vice-Principal of the University of Pretoria, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of the North (now the University of Limpopo) and as Chairperson of the Council on Higher Education.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Manganyi published a series of monographs, which included ‘Being Black in the World’ and the biographies of E’skia Mphahlele, Gerard Sekoto and Dumile Feni.
Adding to his already vast body of work, in 2016, he published a memoir and autobiography titled ‘Apartheid and the Making of a Black Psychologist’.
“Through this work, he examines the impact of apartheid underdevelopment, and how it hindered the success prospects of black people.
“Owing to his exceptional and groundbreaking scholarship, he was conferred with a number of prestigious national and international honours.”
These include being an Honorary Fellow of the Psychological Society of South Africa in 2012, the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Research Foundation in 2016 and the Humanities Book Award by the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2018.
“Through his life’s work, Prof Manganyi enhanced our understanding of the impact of racism and colonial underdevelopment on the black psyche, identity, and power relations in apartheid South Africa. However, his work also reinforces the honour of fighting for freedom in a context where some chose to be indifferent,” Nzimande said.
Nzimande is of the view that the passing of Manganyi constitutes a monumental loss for the country and its people.
The Minister believes the Professor represents a rare breed of intellectuals, who concerned themselves with both the oppressive nature of society and the struggle to rid society of oppression.
“He was endowed with intellectual courage, an irrepressible urge to serve his people and despite his monumental personal achievements, he possessed a disarming humility. We will remember him as an incorruptible public servant and selfless son of the soil,” the Minister said.
He has since conveyed his heartfelt condolences to his wife, Dr Sekele-Manganyi, their children Nkhensani and Tintswalo, and extended family.
The memorial service for the late Manganyi will take place at the University of the Witwatersrand on Wednesday, 6 November 2024.
The funeral service will be held on Friday, 8 November 2024, at St Michael’s Anglican Church in Sandton in Gauteng. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Tue, 11/05/2024 - 10:11
159 views
Milken-Motsepe Prize in Fintech Announces 10 Semifinalists
The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation announced the 10 teams advancing to the Semifinalist Round of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in FinTech (https://apo-opa.co/3Y0GSEY), with each team receiving $100,000 in funding.
Responding to a global call for applications, this prize supports innovative solutions to expand access to tools necessary for financial inclusion across emerging and frontier markets.
The Semifinalists will participate in an Innovation Showcase at the Milken Institute's Middle East and Africa Summit December 5-6, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. During this event, the 10 teams will pitch their innovations to a panel of expert judges and investors, and three teams will be selected to move on to the final round of the prize. The judges will evaluate the pitches based on the teams' ability to deliver solutions that improve financial inclusion for under-resourced groups in emerging and frontier markets.
The prize will ultimately award $2 million in total prizes, including a $1 million Grand Prize. Following the December showcase, the Grand Prize will be awarded at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in Los Angeles, in May.
“By supporting these pioneering teams, we aim to foster financial inclusion and empower entrepreneurs who drive economic growth and opportunities in their communities,” said Emily Musil, senior director, Milken Institute. “Our prizes help identify, support, and celebrate talent to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit and empower visionaries to turn their ideas for a better future into reality.”
These teams operate in nearly 30 countries across three continents, and their innovations hold the potential for significant breakthroughs in financial inclusion for underserved communities on a global scale. Over the next four months, the Semifinalist teams will test and scale their solutions, which will be evaluated for impact, scalability, and sustainability.
The 10 Semifinalists:
AZA Finance (https://AZAFinance.com), Kenya
Team lead: Caroline Shiku Njathi
AZA Finance is a B2B FinTech company offering businesses low-cost, efficient, and secure financial services, including payments, currency exchange, and treasury, across all major currencies.
Chapa (https://Chapa.co), Ethiopia
Team lead: Nael Teklehaimanot
Chapa is an online payment gateway company with a developer-friendly API that simplifies integrating payment processing into websites and applications for Ethiopian businesses.
Chumz (https://Chumz.io) Kenya
Team lead: Sam Njuguna
Chumz is a gamified savings product that leverages behavioral psychology to help individuals save at low cost.
Farmpawa (www.Farmpawa.com), Uganda
Team lead: Moses Eteku
Farmpawa is a crowd farming platform that connects investors with real farming assets, empowering farmers and driving sustainable agricultural growth.
Flow Global (www.FlowGlobal.net), United Kingdom
Team lead: Michael Rothe
Flow Global is a liquidity engine that helps retail merchants grow in the digital economy by addressing all of their working capital needs.
Paycloud by Lipa Later (https://LipaLater.com/), Kenya
Team lead: Eric Muli
Paycloud is a digital banking platform that addresses late payments in Africa by offering seamless payment processing, payment splitting, automated invoicing, and financial tools.
Nyla Bank (www.NylaBank.com), Ghana
Team lead: Mubarak Sumaila
Nyla Bank is building Africa's first digital Islamic bank with a goal of empowering 1 billion people with innovative, Shariah-compliant products and services that align with ethical principles.
Oze (https://GetOze.com), Ghana
Team lead: Meghan McCormick
Oze is a digital lending platform that bridges Africa's credit gap by providing banks with a small and medium-sized enterprise- (SME) focused app that digitizes financial data, enabling risk assessment and lending to small businesses.
Trade Lenda (https://TradeLenda.com), Nigeria
Team lead: Adeshina Adewumi
Trade Lenda is a banking platform tailored to SMEs, where loans can be accessed within one to six hours, and micro-savings can be achieved for business goals.
Verto (www.VertoFX.com), United Kingdom
Team lead: Rachel Coombs
Verto is a business-to-business cross-border payments platform for businesses in emerging markets, powered by a unified network that eliminates intermediary fees, handles 49 currencies, and settles transactions faster.
Learn more about the Milken-Motsepe Prize by navigating to https://MilkenMotsepePrize.org/. Contact Mala Persaud at mpersaud@milkeninstitute.org for more information.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program.
Notes to Editors:
For further information or to request interviews with the semi-finalists, please send requests or queries to the media contact below.
Media Contact:
Ima Peter
+27 11 268 6388
ima.peter@razorpr.co.za
About the Milken Institute:
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues through the lens of what's pressing now and what's coming next. For more information visit https://MilkenInstitute.org.
About the Motsepe Foundation:
The Motsepe Foundation was founded in 1999 by Dr. Patrice Motsepe and his wife, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe. The goal of the Motsepe Foundation is to contribute towards eradicating poverty and to sustainably improve the living conditions and standards of living of poor, unemployed, and marginalized people in South Africa, Africa, and the world. In January 2013, Dr. Patrice Motsepe and Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe joined the Giving Pledge, which was started by Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates. Dr. Patrice Motsepe and his wife committed to give half of their wealth to the poor and for philanthropic purposes during their lifetime and beyond.
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Navigating mental health challenges in African traditional settings
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Government supports call for men to commit to halt GBVF
Government supports call for men to commit to end GBVF
President Cyril Ramaphosa says government supports the call for a pledge that men in South Africa are invited to take to demonstrate their personal commitment to ending gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
“Our ultimate goal is to end gender-based violence altogether by mobilising all of society,” President Ramaphosa said during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday night.
Highlighting government’s efforts and achievements to end the scourge, which he described as the second pandemic in the country, the Head of State said together with civil society, government developed the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on gender-based violence as a society-wide response to this pandemic.
“Around R21 billion was dedicated over the medium term to the implementation of the six pillars of the plan, including the economic empowerment of women.
“New laws were introduced to strengthen the response of the criminal justice system gender based violence and provide better support to survivors of such violence,” the President said.
The NSP on GBVF is driven by six pillars, including:
• Extensive legal reform;
• Support for survivors through the provision of evidence toolkits at police stations;
• Psychology and social services;
• The establishment of the GBVF Response Fund which commits both government and the private sector to fund the fight against GBVF;
• Support for Thuthuzela and Khuseleka Care centres, which provide vital services for GBV survivors; and
• The economic empowerment of women.
The President said women are also in the process of developing their own pledge.
As the country celebrates 30 years of freedom, the President noted that government has safeguarded and promoted the basic rights in the Constitution and these include freedom of speech, association, and belief.
“We have defended media freedom and the independence of the judiciary. We have protected and advanced the rights of members of the LGBTQI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex] community, and continue to combat all forms of prejudice and intolerance,” the President said.
President Ramaphosa further reaffirmed government’s commitment to continue to build an inclusive economy, focusing on the empowerment of black and women South Africans, advancing workers’ rights, intensifying land reform, and pursuing a just energy transition that leaves no one behind.
“We will continue to strengthen our law enforcement institutions, tackle gender-based violence and fight corruption to make South Africa a safe place for all. We will continue to strengthen local government, professionalise the public service and ensure that public officials are held accountable for their actions.
“We will continue to position our economy to grow and compete in a fast-changing world, to support small businesses, to give young people economic opportunities and to provide social protection to the vulnerable,” President Ramaphosa said.
This year’s SONA, which was the last one for the sixth administration, was held under the theme: “Following up on our commitments: Making your future work better”. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 02/09/2024 - 11:53
83 views
SAPS notes report on July unrest
SAPS notes report on July unrest
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, together with the management of the police service, has noted the report released on The National Investigative Hearing into the July Unrest by the South African Human Rights Commisson (SAHRC) and Cultural, Religious and Linguistic (CRL) Commission.
The report is a detailed look into the July 2021 unrest that unfolded in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), during which some 350 people lost their lives. The full report can be found on https://www.sahrc.org.za/home/21/files/JULY%20UNREST%20REPORT%20FINAL_29%20JAN%202024.pdf.
The report contains various recommendations and findings on the events that took place in July 2021, including the policing of the unrest, the gathering of intelligence and the response of the SAPS.
SAPS said in a statement on Monday that while it will study the report in detail, "it is important to highlight notable progress made where key milestones were achieved to ensure the SAPS is better prepared to respond to such incidents".
READ | SAHRC releases July 2021 unrest report
Crime intelligence
SAPS said the filling of critical and key vacancies within the crime intelligence environment has been addressed, such as the appointment of a permanent Divisional Commissioner and a Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection.
All structures within the Crime Intelligence environment are being reviewed to enhance service delivery in all provinces.
"It is also important to note that the Crime Intelligence environment has greatly improved its mandate of detecting and collecting of information on crime, which informs and assists in the coordination and planning of joint multidisciplinary operations with other key role players in the fight against crime," the statement read.
Human and physical resources
Through Project 10 000, the SAPS trained and deployed 20 000 police officers in the last two years to capacitate frontline policing services, as well as specialised units with a key focus on the Public Order Police (POP) unit.
Seventy-nine police officers have been trained and deployed as drone pilots to assist in crime prevention and policing operations.
Public Order Police
In the past year, 5 000 police officers have been trained in crowd management and deployed to serve in the POP unit.
R150 million was also allocated to procure resources to bolster crowd management equipment for the unit.
Training has also been enhanced for members and now includes crowd psychology to improve the management and policing of crowds and gatherings.
The SAPS has also benchmarked and compared with other police organisations, in terms of use of the minimum force to disperse large crowds and found that its current equipment and techniques, such as the use of water canons, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse violent crowd situations, is in line with international standards.
However, the SAPS is continuously researching and updating training material in respect of techniques and equipment in use during crowd management to minimise the risk of human rights violation and prevent the excessive use of force.
Rebuilding trust between SAPS and communities
The Ministry of Police is continuously taking part in community participation programmes through community engagements during izimbizo, walkabouts and policing operations such as roadblocks.
Various community policing concepts are being implemented by the SAPS.
"Through the Community Police Forum (CPF) and sector crime forums, SAPS is able to forge and promote a shared responsibility on crime prevention and community safety.
"All 1 163 police stations currently have fully functional CPF forums. R70million was allocated in this financial year to resource and capacitate these CPF structures," SAPS said.
Case management
SAPS arrested 5 341 suspects, with 505 of those arrested being found guilty of various charges ranging from murder, attempted murder, arson, possession of stolen property, and malicious damage to property.
A total of 394 cases are still in court
Incitement to commit violence cases
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) is currently investigating eight cases of incitement to commit violence.
The DPCI has arrested 68 suspects, 65 of them were charged for contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act 33 of 2004 (POCDATARA).
One accused has already been sentenced to 12 years direct imprisonment for incitement to commit public violence and conspiracy to commit public violence.
"The SAPS respects the work done by the two Commissions, especially as they are Chapter 9 institutions and will respond accordingly in terms of the timeframes reflected in the report," said SAPS. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Mon, 01/29/2024 - 15:06
215 views
Peacebuilders Unite to Relaunch Tales of Turning Before the Upcoming Elections
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