Day: September 19, 2022

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Huawei Cloud Summit in Bangkok: Driving the Leapfrog Growth of the Digital Economy with Cloud Native

BANGKOK, Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — HUAWEI CONNECT 2022 kicked off in Bangkok on September 19. At the Huawei Cloud Summit themed “Inspire Innovation with Everything as a Service”, Zeng Xingyun, President of Huawei Cloud APAC, William Fang, Chief Product Officer of Huawei Cloud, and customers and partners delivered keynote speeches. During the event, Huawei Cloud released the Cloud Native 2.0 Architecture White Paper and launched Cloud Native Elite Club (CNEC) APAC together with Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). To accelerate the digital transformation in the Asia Pacific, Huawei Cloud proposed three initiatives: acting with strategic resolve, embracing cloud native, and cultivating digital talent.

Cloud Native Elite Club (CNEC) APAC launch ceremony

In his keynote speech, Mr. Zeng said that going cloud native is to think cloud native, act cloud native. Huawei, together with its customers and partners, will witness a leapfrog growth in digital transformation powered by cloud native in APAC. Adhering to the approach of “by local, for local”, Huawei Cloud will promote the digital industry of the Asia Pacific by strengthening investment in infrastructure, professional B2B services, partner ecosystem, developer services, and startup support.

Huawei Cloud has already set up 13 localized service centers in the Asia Pacific, with more than 1,000 certified engineers to provide tailored services. In addition, ecosystem development has been fruitful, with more than 2,500 local partners generating more than 50% of the revenue of Huawei Cloud. Huawei Cloud is also forging ahead with industry-government-academia collaboration in the Asia Pacific. Investment in the Huawei ASEAN Academy and the Seeds for the Future Program will be used to cultivate more than 1 million digital experts over the next five years.

As a cloud native pioneer, Huawei Cloud serves 80% of the 50 best Internet companies in China and more than 200 major Internet companies in the Asia Pacific. In Sarawak, Malaysia, Huawei Cloud, together with its partners, has built cloud native infrastructure to support the collaboration of more than 30 government departments in five fields, and provided more than 80 digital government and smart city services to ensure more efficient and better-informed decision-making. In Indonesia, Huawei Cloud has provided a unified data foundation to help CT Corp migrate its media, retail, and finance services to the cloud, enabling precise recommendations for 200 million Internet users. The cloud native technologies of Huawei Cloud have helped Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) in Thailand quickly roll out its digital loan service. Loan approval and issuance, which used to take one month of work, is now fully automated and can be completed in just five minutes.

William reaffirmed Huawei Cloud’s commitment to thinking and acting cloud native and adhering to its Everything-as-a-Service strategy. The ultimate goal is to offer full-stack cloud native capabilities to customers. The four pipelines and more than 10 products unveiled at this year’s HUAWEI CONNECT, such as CCE Turbo (the next-gen container engine) and UCS (a service for ubiquitous cloud native), will be rolled out in the Asia Pacific and go global. In the future, Huawei Cloud will go beyond to breathe new life into cloud native infrastructure, cloud native application development, and data-AI convergence. This summit also saw Huawei Cloud release the Cloud Native 2.0 Architecture White Paper, which looks to help customers evolve and advance towards the digital transformation of tomorrow.

To accelerate the digitalization of the Asia Pacific with cloud native, Huawei Cloud joined hands with CNCF and technology pioneers to launch CNEC APAC. CNEC has contributed to the popularization and maturity of cloud native technologies in China over the past two years. CNEC APAC will gather the greatest cloud native minds in the region and have them focus on the digital transformation of local enterprises. It is a platform for exchanging cloud native experiences so that more organizations can dive deeper into the forefront of cloud native technologies and better use cloud native. The exchange of ideas will create more opportunities for cloud native to empower industry innovations, breaking a new path for the digitalization in the Asia Pacific.

William said that Huawei Cloud will continue to innovate full-stack technologies to pioneer the cloud native field, enable industries through Infrastructure as a Service, Technology as a Service, and Expertise as a Service, and unleash digital productivity with Everything as a Service.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1901772/Cloud_Native_Elite_Club__CNEC__APAC_launch_ceremony.jpg

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Swakop Uranium lance un rapport sur le développement durable soulignant les réalisations importantes sur la pratique multidimensionnelle

WINDHOEK, Namibie, 19 septembre 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Swakop Uranium (la « Société »), une filiale de China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), a récemment publié son rapport de développement durable 2021 dans la capitale namibienne, à Windhoek. Le rapport détaillait les performances et les pratiques de la société en Namibie, tout en mettant en avant les statistiques officielles et les engagements de responsabilité sociale.

Mme Kornelia Shilunga, vice-ministre des mines et de l’énergie de Namibie, a salué la publication du rapport de durabilité 2021 de Swakop Uranium et a félicité la société pour avoir fait preuve d’un engagement envers la bonne gouvernance d’entreprise et la transparence. La mine Husab contribue de manière importante à l’économie du pays et est le plus grand employeur de l’industrie minière namibienne avec plus de 1 700 employés permanents et 1 000 sous-traitants.

Mme Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi, membre du conseil d’administration de Swakop Uranium et présidente du comité de développement durable de Swakop Uranium, a déclaré : « Le rapport 2021 souligne les impacts positifs de la société en matière de développement durable en Namibie, en particulier dans la région d’Erongo. Grâce à ce rapport, nous pouvons constater que la société s’engage à soutenir pleinement les impératifs de développement national et les objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies. Le développement continu de l’entreprise fait partie intégrante de la stratégie commerciale de Swakop Uranium, avec pour objectif de construire une entreprise de classe mondiale dont la Namibie peut être fière. »

Le conseiller économique et commercial de l’ambassade de Chine en Namibie, M. Liu Mingzhe, a remercié toutes les parties prenantes pour leur soutien et leur assistance à long terme à la Swakop Uranium. Par le biais de la CGN, la Chine a réalisé son plus grand investissement de projet en Afrique sous la forme de la mine d’uranium Husab de Swakop, avec un investissement de plus de 5 milliards de dollars US qui a apporté 3,2 milliards de NAD à l’économie locale en 2021. La localisation de la main-d’œuvre est également un objectif important pour la société, qui s’efforce d’employer une main-d’œuvre composée à 96 % de talents locaux grâce à divers programmes de formation mis en place pour garantir une main-d’œuvre compétente et dévouée. CGN s’efforce également de s’approvisionner en énergie renouvelable, et a récemment construit une centrale solaire de 12 mégawatts à la mine.

Dans son avant-propos au rapport, le PDG de Swakop Uranium, M. Qiu Bin, a remercié les actionnaires, les principales parties prenantes et les employés pour avoir établi des relations positives et constructives qui ont permis à Swakop Uranium de réussir et de créer un héritage durable et positif en Namibie.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez consulter Swakop Uranium ou télécharger le rapport sur https://we.tl/t-278qvPaO0d.

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Madison Realty Capital Originates $315.6 Million Loan for The Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in New Orleans

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Madison Realty Capital, a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, today announced that it has provided a $315.6 million loan to Carpenter & Company, Inc. and Woodward Interests, LLC for the completion of the renovation at the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences New Orleans located at 2 Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Josh Zegen, Managing Principal and Co-Founder of Madison Realty Capital, said, “The Four Seasons New Orleans is well positioned along the Mississippi River, between the French Quarter and Central Business Districts, to capitalize on the demand from New Orleans’ robust tourism market and expanding business district. We are pleased to leverage our familiarity with the Four Seasons brand to deliver a timely and customized financing solution to an experienced borrower group for a well-recognized New Orleans landmark with exciting cultural attractions.”

The 341-key Four Seasons hotel opened in July 2021 and is part of a mixed-use tower that includes 92 residential condominiums on the top floors. Operated by the Four Seasons, the residences have a private entrance from the hotel and offer one- to three-bedroom units and four-bedroom penthouses. To date, the property has sold 50% of the condominiums.

The 33-story hotel and residence offers event space and amenities including two restaurants, a lobby and bar, full-service spa, fitness center, outdoor pool, and private gardens. The highly awarded hotel was named a “Best Hotel in New Orleans” and one of the “Best New Hotels in the World” by Travel + Leisure; a “Best of the Best” New Hotels in the World by Robb Report; and a “Best New Hotel in the Country” by USA TODAY 10Best. Additionally, the building is home to Vue Orleans, a unique indoor and outdoor observatory with panoramic views of the city and historic and cultural exhibits.

Richard Friedman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Carpenter & Company Inc., said, “Madison Realty Capital has significant expertise investing in Four Seasons projects and we are pleased with their team’s ability to work quickly and provide certainty of execution. We look forward to moving to the next stage of this exciting project as we raise the hotel quality bar in New Orleans with the customized and flexible financing Madison delivered.”

Madison Realty Capital has significant experience investing in Four Seasons Hotels. Notable transactions include a $210 million loan to Fort Partners for the construction of the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale and $105 million loan to Fort Partners for the acquisition and modernization of the Four Seasons Hotel Miami.

Riaz Cassum and Henry Schaffer from JLL Capital Markets arranged the financing.

About Madison Realty Capital 

Madison Realty Capital is a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm that, as of August 31, 2022, manages approximately $9.5 billion in total assets on behalf of a global institutional investor base. Since 2004, Madison Realty Capital has completed approximately $21 billion in transactions providing borrowers with flexible and highly customized financing solutions, strong underwriting capabilities, and certainty of execution. Headquartered in New York City, with an office in Los Angeles, the firm has approximately 70 employees across all real estate investment, development, and property management disciplines. Madison Realty Capital has been frequently named to the Commercial Observer’s prestigious “Power 100” list of New York City real estate players and is consistently cited as a top construction lender, among other industry recognitions. To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn and visit www.madisonrealtycapital.com.

Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
(212) 257-4170
madisonrealty@gasthalter.com
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North West Legislature meets with municipalities over governance and service delivery matters, 20 Sept

North West Legislature joint SCOPA and COGHSTA committees to meet Madibeng and JB Marks Municipalities over governance and service delivery matters

The North West Provincial Legislature’ Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts and Portfolio Committee on Premier, Finance, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs will hold a joint oversight Committee meetings with Madibeng and JB Marks Local Municipalities over governance and service delivery issues.

Amongst others, JB Marks local municipality is expected to present a report on the following matters; implementation of Special Investigating report; report on Ga-Mogopa oversight issues; revenue collection; COVID19 report; compliance on tabling of annual report and close-out report on Section 139(1)(b). Madibeng local municipality will present a report on the status of senior management; progress made on issues raised by NCOP delegation during local government week; report on fleet management and yellow fleet and report on Wastewater treatment plants, and post audit action plans on all prior and current year audit findings.

Source: Government of South Africa

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Deputy Minister Chana Pilane-Majake: Launch of ethics week during Public Service Month

Keynote Address by Deputy Minister Dr C Pilane-Majake, Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration on the launch of the ethics week

Hon Joyce Chitsulo, Member of Parliament from Malawi

Ms Jane Marie Ongolo, the Head of The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in South Africa and her two colleagues, Ms Maria Adomeit and Mr Itumeleng Mongale,

Esteemed members from the Malawian delegation

Senior officials

Ladies and Gentlemen

Allow me to start my by reiterating the importance of Public Service Month. Public Service Month presents an ideal opportunity where we as a collective can take stock of our achievements and failures.  This not only enables us to continue with the good work Public Service is doing, but also to be honest in assessing our strength and weaknesses.

The fight against corruption is real and it is continuing.  This is not only demonstrated in the adoption of a National Anti-Corruption Strategy and the recent appointment of experts by the President to see this strategy to full implementation, but, law enforcement agencies such as: the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (or the Hawks), the National Prosecuting Authority and the Special Investigating Unit, are all reporting much anticipated progress that showcase their contributions to address the scourge of corruption.

During this Public Service Month five days will be dedicated to ethics and integrity. We must continue as part of building a capable state, inculcate the constitutional values among our public servants.

I implore you as Public Servants to speak out against corruption and unethical conduct, and to use existing reporting mechanisms to report those who are corrupt or unethical.  The time for us to be mere spectators when these actions take place, has passed. The Protected Disclosures Act as recently promulgated has strengthened protection mechanisms for whistle blowers.

Programme Director, The Public Administration Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit, or TAU, forms part of this resilient anti-corruption system, and is an important instrument to address corruption, fraud and unethical conduct in the Public Administration.

As part of the Fusion Centre, created by the National Anti-Corruption Task Team to fast track corruption cases TAU plays an important role to identify Public Servants involved in fraud and corruption and to monitor that disciplinary action is taken against culprits.  The Unit has neither criminal jurisdiction nor an investigative mandate, but, by being part of a coordinated anti-corruption system, it strengthens government’s oversight of ethics, integrity and discipline.  TAU ensures that Public Servants involved in corruption are held accountable through institutional mechanisms put in place and coordinated by ethics officers in departments across government. To this end, government has managed to step up consequence management where there is wrong doing. A Guide on to Discipline Management in the Public Service, has also been developed in this regard.

TAU has a mandate to develop norms and standards regarding the management of ethics and integrity for the Public Administration.  In line with the values espoused by our Constitution, the Unit adopted a policy for prohibition of public service employees conducting business with the State. In this regard, with some of the employees already convicted for fraud and corruption, case law has been strengthened as part of the fight against corruption. Lifestyle Audit policy was also adopted to detect unexplained wealth among public servants.

There is also a Code of Conduct for Public Service employees developed to address discipline management.  This includes: technical assistance to non-acceptance of gifts for work performed; permission to perform remunerative work outside government; performing business with the State; establishment of ethics infrastructure to build an environment, conducive to ethical practices.  Special thanks to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Bank, for the support they provided for a tailor-made course for Ethics officers on the verification of financial disclosures as part of the lifestyle review process. A training course for investigators to conduct lifestyle audit is being developed with the assistance of the SIU.

Although TAU develops norms and standards, it is the responsibility of departments to implement such.  This is the responsibility of Heads of Department and their Ethics Officers.  Over the last two years, about 340 Ethics Officers were designated at national and provincial department level.  These employees, are the real change agents for ethics in our national and provincial departments. They are the driving force behind the ethics program of government.

Section 195 of the Constitution requires that a high level of professional ethics be maintained and promoted in the Public Administration.

As I am closing Programme director, let me welcome the Malawian delegation that is visiting South Africa for best practice model experience in designing and developing a financial disclosure system, which we started in 2011.  This is an electronic system South Africa utilizes to detect corrupt employees who are fraudulently doing business with government.  Through  Treasury operated supplier data base such employees are detected by matching their salary payout persal numbers with details on business contracts government entered into. This is a requirement in terms of article 5 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, of which South Africa is a signatory.  This system also serves as the backbone of government’s lifestyle audit program, as it allows Ethics Officers to assess financial declarations of officials for unexplained wealth.  We appreciate the recognition of our system afforded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the supporting arm of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, that referred the government of Malawi to South Africa, for best practise experience.

Special thanks also goes to the Canadian government, I was informed in the past week that they are playing an active role in monitoring the system.

I thank you!

Source: Government of South Africa

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Water and Sanitation engages stakeholders on National Water Resource Strategy, 21 Sept

Consultations Underway to Review and Develop 3rd Edition of NWRS

The Department of Water and Sanitation is currently engaging with all water and sanitation stakeholders to develop the 3rd edition of the National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS-3).

Consultations in the Northern Cape will take place as follows and media are all invited

Source: Government of South Africa

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Six suspects arrested after break in at scrap metal dealership

GQEBERHA – Police in Mount Road arrested six (6) suspects yesterday, 18 September 2022 at about 22:00 after being caught red-handed on the premises of a scrap dealership in Deal Party.

This followed after members of a security company responded to an alarm that was triggered at the dealership premises. Police and the owner of the premises also responded to the scene. Inside the premises, the six suspects were caught red-handed getting ready to leave with a large amount of scrap copper.

The six male suspects aged between 18 and 36 were arrested and charged for housebreaking business. They will be appearing before the Gqeberha Magistrates Court tomorrow 20 September 2022 to face the charges against them.

In a previous unrelated incident, the owner and his partner were also robbed on Saturday 17 September 2022 at about 14:30 by four masked and armed suspects. The owners were about to leave the premises when they were approached and gun pointed by the suspects. They demanded cash, cellphones and the safe key. After taking an undisclosed amount of cash money from the safe, the suspects fled the scene in the owner’s white Isuzu Bakkie. No shots were fired and no persons were injured during the robbery.

The vehicle was found abandoned a short while later next to the Red Location Museum in New Brighton.

An armed robbery case was opened and is being investigated by SAPS Mount Road Detectives. Investigation will also be done to determine possible linkages to other crimes.

Source: South African Police Service