Day: January 7, 2023

Children tend to bear the brunt of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Children (defined as persons below the age of 18) show higher rates of multidimensional poverty with well over half of multidimensionally poor people in SSA being children under the age of 18 (321 million children out of 556 million people). Almost 6 out of every 10 (59 percent) children are poor compared with 47 percent of adults in SSA. Based on the global MPI data for 42 countries and trend data for 36 countries, the brief focuses on the poverty levels of different age cohorts and presents the evolution of multidimensional poverty in SSA between the 2000–2019/2020 period. Emphasis is placed on whether the reductions in multidimensional poverty are pro-poor or not, with pro-poor reflecting that the fastest reduction in poverty in a country is occurring in the poorest areas or amongst the poorest groups.

Key findings:

• Only 9 out of 31 countries that had children as the poorest age cohort in the initial year of study reduced child poverty the fastest between 2010 and 2019.

• The countries with the fastest absolute pro-poor child poverty reduction were Togo (2013/2014–2017) and Rwanda (2010–2014/2015).

• SSA has a non–pro-poor trend in the reduction of poverty (in relation to age cohorts).

• Though the intensity of poverty decreased in most countries for all age cohorts, there were significant increases in the intensity of poverty for children in Central African Republic (2010–2018/2019) and Guinea (2016–2018) while there were increases for the elderly in Guinea (2016–2018) and Benin (2014–2017/2018).

• Except for Seychelles, children bear the greatest burden of multidimensional poverty in all SSA countries based on the 2021 global MPI data.

• Children are over-represented among the poor in SSA as they constitute 52 percent of the total population and 58 percent of those who are multidimensionally poor.

• Given the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of concern that more than half of the population in Chad (55.5 percent) are multidimensionally poor and live in a household where at least one school-aged child is not attending school.

• Across age cohorts, poor children are the most deprived in 8 out of the 10 indicators, while the censored headcount ratio for the elderly is highest in years of schooling and assets.

State of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa

Almost half of multidimensionally poor people globally (43 percent) live in SSA (556 million). Out of 1 billion people in SSA (using 2019 population data for countries in the global MPI database), 53 percent are identified as MPI poor. In SSA, 70 percent of people in rural areas (457 million people) are multidimensionally poor compared with 26 percent (99 million people) in urban areas.

Across the different countries, there is a large variation in the incidence of poverty (see Figure 1). At the tail end of the poverty spectrum, Seychelles and South Africa have less than 1 in 10 people being multidimensionally poor. South Sudan and Niger, on the other hand, have more than 9 out of every 10 people living in poverty in the year of the survey. This is the same for more than 8 out of every 10 people in Burkina Faso, Chad and Central African Republic. Comoros, Togo and Kenya have around a third of people being multidimensionally poor. This huge variation is also observed at the subnational level with 30 subnational regions having an incidence of less than 10 percent and 33 regions having an incidence of over 90 percent (Alkire, Kanagaratnam and Suppa, 2021).

Source: UN Development Programme

LALIBELA, ETHIOPIA — "I was able to come this year because there is peace," says Asme Mamo as he joins crowds of worshippers celebrating Orthodox Christmas in the historic Ethiopian town of Lalibela.

Two months after a cease-fire deal between the Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels to end two years of devastating war, Africa's largest Christian site is alive with excitement and religious fervor as the faithful flock to Lalibela for the festivities.

A white tide of tens of thousands of worshippers of all ages, draped in their immaculate "netela" [a shawl covering the head and shoulders], thronged the UNESCO World Heritage Site and its magnificent rock-hewn 12th and 13th century churches.

In recent years, the crowds were much sparser in the Amhara town, one of Ethiopia's holiest and most storied places.

Lalibela lies only 40 kilometers as the crow flies from Tigray, where the conflict erupted between government forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, in November 2020, spilling over periodically into neighboring regions.

The town itself was at the center of a fierce struggle between the warring sides, changing hands four times during the fighting, although the ancient churches appear to have been spared the scars of war.

Seized by Tigray rebels in an offensive in mid-2021, it was recaptured by pro-government forces on December 1, 2021, before falling back into the hands of TPLF fighters 10 days later. The rebels finally left Lalibela at the end of December that year after they announced a withdrawal to their Tigray stronghold.

A surprise peace deal was signed last November 2 in the South African capital Pretoria to silence the guns in northern Ethiopia and allow the gradual resumption of humanitarian aid and the restoration of basic services - communications, electricity, banking, transport - in Tigray, long cut off from the outside world.

'So many people'

"I wanted to come last year but I couldn't because of the war," says Asme, who traveled from Wolkait in western Tigray, a disputed area claimed by both the Amhara and Tigrayan ethnic groups.

"I didn't expect so many people to be here," says the 30-year-old science teacher of Amhara origin.

The Pretoria agreement has allowed traffic to resume in northern Ethiopia, so Asme came to Lalibela by bus with fellow pilgrims from his home village.

Others arrived on foot from surrounding villages, by car, or by plane from the capital Addis Ababa and abroad from countries such as Britain, German and the United States.

Asme described the atmosphere of the festival as "special."

"Even the greetings among each other are unique because people have missed each other. Everybody is excited about peace."

Lalibela's high priest Kengeta Belay said he was "overwhelmed" by the numbers joining the celebrations.

"This is the benefit of peace. People are coming from all four directions to worship freely without fear of anything... My joy is boundless."

"I have been attending the festivities for over 40 years. I was born and raised here and became a priest. This year's celebration is the biggest crowd of pilgrims I've ever seen," smiled the 55-year-old clergyman, just minutes before the start of a night of candlelit ceremonies.

'Prayers for freedom'

Massed in and around Lalibela's unique complex of churches - but also on surrounding hills and even in trees, the faithful sang, prayed, ate, slept or enjoyed long discussions with their fellow pilgrims.

Songs, psalms and ululations rang out from Saint Mary's church, the oldest of the 11 stone houses of worship and the heart of celebrations for Genna (Christmas in Amharic).

With her eyes closed and her head bent over a prayer stick, Bethlehem said she was savoring the "peaceful and joyful atmosphere" of the festivities.

"Our country was unstable in the past few years, there was war. Thanks to God, all that has passed," said the young banker from Addis Ababa, who did not want to give her family name or age.

"Today, I witnessed that peace is worth more than anything. My prayer and my wish is that God grants freedom for my country, for myself, and for all of us."

Source: Voice of America

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA — Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called on young al-Shabab fighters he says are “brainwashed” to surrender to the government amid ongoing military offensives against the group.

Speaking at a mosque in the country’s capital Friday, Mohamud, who last year after his election for second term declared an “all-out war” against the Islamist insurgents, also called on the al-Shabab fighters to denounce the terrorist ideology before it is too late.

His remarks came after the militants carried out two attacks on government forces in Somalia’s central region in two days, killing more than 43 people including senior officers.

He said he wants to tell the boys to return from the wrong path they are taking. He urged them to return to their government, to their people and to their religion. He said every step they take from now on will only increase their guilt.

The president’s message comes as Somali forces, backed by locals, continue battling the group in the “total war” he declared on the militants. Government forces have liberated large swathes of territory from the group, mainly in the south-central state of Hirshabelle.

Speaking to state-run television in Mogadishu, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said an investigation is underway into soldiers who were arrested on suspicion of facilitating the al-Shabab attack on the Villa Rays Hotel in Mogadishu in late November.

Barre did not say how many soldiers were involved.

He says all the soldiers who were working that day have been arrested and an investigation is currently underway. He says he wants the ongoing investigation to be successful and impartial.

The hotel attack claimed by the militant group al-Shabab killed at least 13 people, including five al-Shabab attackers.

The popular Villa Rays hotel was located near the presidential palace in Mogadishu and was frequented by senior government and security officials.

The Somali government has been fighting al-Shabab for more than 15 years. The Islamist group carries out deadly attacks in the Horn of Africa nation targeting government officials and African Union peacekeepers.

Source: Voice of America

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA — A 38-year-old retired NASA satellite is about to fall from the sky.

NASA said Friday the chance of wreckage falling on anybody is “very low.” Most of the 5,400-pound (2,450-kilogram) satellite will burn up upon reentry, according to NASA. But some pieces are expected to survive.

The space agency put the odds of injury from falling debris at about 1-in-9,400.

The science satellite is expected to come down Sunday night, give or take 17 hours, according to the Defense Department.

The California-based Aerospace Corp., however, is targeting Monday morning, give or take 13 hours, along a track passing over Africa, Asia the Middle East and the westernmost areas of North and South America.

The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, known as ERBS, was launched in 1984 aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Although its expected working lifetime was two years, the satellite kept making ozone and other atmospheric measurements until its retirement in 2005. The satellite studied how Earth absorbed and radiated energy from the sun.

The satellite got a special send-off from Challenger. America's first woman in space, Sally Ride, released the satellite into orbit using the shuttle's robot arm. That same mission also featured the first spacewalk by a U.S. woman: Kathryn Sullivan. It was the first time two female astronauts flew in space together.

It was the second and final spaceflight for Ride, who died in 2012.

Source: Voice of America

The section of Gordon’s Bay Beach between the walkway and area in front of Spur was reopened today, Saturday, 7 January. In the meantime, as a precautionary measure, visitors are advised that the beach section between the tidal pools in Kalk Bay and Dalebrook, including the tidal pools, have been temporarily closed from today until further notice. Read more below

Thank you to beach-goers for their cooperation when sewage-related matters temporarily affect public access to our beaches.

The section of Gordon’s Bay Beach between the walkway and area in front of Spur was reopened today.

The City's Environmental Health Service has received water sampling results for Gordon’s Bay Beach, taken on 6 January, and can confirm that the results show that the water quality is within the minimum requirement for recreational activities as determined by the National Water Quality Guidelines.

The health warning signs have been removed.

The temporary closure was due to a sewer overflow in the area related to a sewer pump station that tripped because inappropriate materials had been thrown into the local sewer network yet again.

The beach section between the tidal pools in Kalk Bay and Dalebrook, including the tidal pools, have been temporarily closed until further notice.

The temporary closure is due to a sewer overflow, and the cause is being investigated.

Various City departments have been activated to respond to this incident.

As a precaution, this section of the beach, including the tidal pools, is closed until further notice.

City Health will be taking water samples on a daily basis for water quality testing until such time as the levels are within the minimum requirement for recreational activities as determined by the National Water Quality Guidelines.

In the meantime, the public is advised to avoid contact with the water until further notice.

This is a precaution as contact with the water could result in potential gastro-intestinal issues and therefore any person who enters the water does so at their own risk.

Health Warning signage has been erected, advising the public accordingly.

The City apologises for any inconvenience and thanks the public for its cooperation during this time.

Source: City Of Cape Town

NELSPRUIT - Police Crime Intelligence Unit in Standerton worked around the clock to verify the authenticity of information linking two suspects who are believed to be behind the major suppliers of drugs in Standerton and Volkrust.

A major breakthrough was achieved when an operation conducted by Standerton Crime Intelligence and Ermelo K9 nabbed a 40-year-old suspect who was driving a Gold Nissan NP 200 with large quantities of narcotics in Standerton on Thursday 05 January 2023.

The suspect was found in possession of various types of drugs including 102 mandrax tables (149 grams), one unpacked bag of Crystal meth (17 grams), one unpacked bag of Cat (11 grams), one bag of Crashed mandrax (14 grams) and one unpacked bag of Nyaope (11 grams)

The suspect who is also known as a motor mechanic's residence was visited in Meyerville, Standerton where police further recovered a stripped blue Toyota Etios which on investigation it was realised that the vehicle was reported stolen at Wierdabrug in 2020.

The recovery of the stripped Toyota Etios follows the recent recovery of another White Toyota Etios which was reported stolen in Centurion, Pretoria five years ago which was also recovered in Meyerville this week.

The total value of the recovered drugs and the vehicle is estimated at R185 000-00.

The team proceed to Volkrust where a 43-year-old suspect was bust with nine stones of unpacked cat (372 grams) to the estimated street value of R18 000-00.

The suspects are expected to appear before the Standerton Magistrate's Court on Monday 09 January 2023 for dealing in drugs and possession of stolen vehicle.

The Provincial Management welcomed the arrest and believes that the supply of drugs in the area will be halted.

Source: South African Police Service

POLOKWANE - The team of investigators attached to the Provincial Organized Crime Unit, last night arrested a 36-year-old suspect in Soshanguve near Pretoria for the house robbery, kidnapping and murder of a 48-year-old businessman Doctor Matea Ramatsemetse in Ntoane village under Dennilton policing area on 24 December 2020.

Matea and his family were asleep in their house in the early hours of Thursday 24 December 2020 at Ntoane village under Dennilton policing area when three men allegedly entered their home. They demanded cash and in the process, ransacked the house and took an undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery.

The suspects then tied up the victim's wife and three children and thereafter forced him to his Toyota bakkie and drove away with him. His body was found with bullet wounds in the area at 06:00 that morning. The vehicle was later found abandoned at Thambo View.

The Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has commended the team for arresting the suspect and urged community members to continue assisting the Police in the fight against crime.

The suspect is expected to appear in Moutse magistrate court on Monday 09 January 2023.

Source: South African Police Service