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Shepherd Bushiri's wife Mary appointed as Miss Malawi governance committee chair

Shepherd Bushiri's wife Mary appointed as Miss Malawi governance committee chair

TimesLIVE2 days ago

Mary Bushiri, wife of fugitive prophet Shepherd Bushiri, has been appointed chairperson of the Miss Malawi governance committee.
She's one of the people selected to help improve the organisation.
'The committee's role is to provide strategic guidance to the organising committee, ensuring the upholding of high standards and the national crown's reputation, the organisation said.
'Our vision is to position Miss Malawi as a global brand that is sustainable, showcases outstanding young women and fosters a lasting legacy.'
The organisation described Mary as a 'respected woman of faith' who would bring her blend of spiritual guidance and professionalism as a chartered accountant to the committee.
Mary has been embroiled in controversies in South Africa due to her husband's alleged wrongdoings. In 2020 the couple fled to Malawi after being granted bail on charges including fraud, money laundering, violating bail conditions and rape.
In March, a Malawian court granted the South African authorities permission to extradite the Bushiris to South Africa. However, the couple has indicated their intention to appeal.
While Mary's role is not clear in her husband's alleged wrongdoing, she has stood by him throughout the controversy. They have both denied any wrongdoing.

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Illicit financial flows are derailing Africa's future
Illicit financial flows are derailing Africa's future

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Illicit financial flows are derailing Africa's future

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The urgent need to reskill South Africa's youth for the AI future
The urgent need to reskill South Africa's youth for the AI future

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The urgent need to reskill South Africa's youth for the AI future

If India can aggressively reposition its education system to meet the demands of AI and automation, surely we can join this race. Image: Sizwe Dlamini/Ron AI From: The Centre for Alternative Political and Economic Thought Date: 06 June 2025 Dear Chairperson, Honourable Tebogo Letsie India, a fellow BRICS nation with socio-economic challenges comparable (if not greater) to South Africa, is expected to reach its 1 million demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) professionals by 2026. If India can aggressively reposition its education system to meet the demands of AI and automation, surely we can join this race. This recent development from India, compounded by a global demand for Indian AI professionals, presents a critical avenue for South Africa. South Africa faces similar inequality; the country's Gini coefficient is forecast to amount to 0.60 in 2025, while India's Gini coefficient is forecast to be 0.35. (Statista, Global data and business intelligence platform). What is evident is that India's trajectory proves that technological transformation can occur alongside, and even help mitigate, deep structural inequality. Now the world's fifth-largest economy in the world and projected to take over Japan and Germany in 2030, India still contends with extreme disparity, yet over the past decade, it has achieved remarkable 4IR progress by deliberately targeting inequality as a developmental lever. India proves that inequality need not delay 4IR readiness, it can actually drive more inclusive innovation when made a policy priority. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Consequently, as South Africa commemorates 'Youth Month under the theme Skilling and Empowering Youth for the Future' we are compelled to sound the alarm on an existential crisis facing South Africa's young people. 4.9 million South African youth aged 15-34 are currently unemployed according to The Quarterly Labour Force Survey. 58% of unemployed graduates are under 35 according to StatsSA. Over 45% of existing jobs face high risk of AI displacement. A 2024 report by Investec also reveals a critical disconnect between industry and curricula stating that; while South African private sector firms scramble to compete in the AI race, with a majority reporting severe shortages of AI and data science skills, our education system produces fewer qualified graduates annually to meet this demand. Basic and higher education institutions remain dangerously misaligned with industry needs, forcing companies to either import foreign talent or lose ground technologically. Surely, without urgent curriculum reforms, expanded technical training, credible and competent deployees at our SETA's and public-private partnerships to bridge the AI skills revolution, South Africa faces a crisis of monumental structural unemployment. Systemic failures in education, skills development, and economic policy would leave millions permanently excluded from meaningful participation in the modern workforce. Especially young people who are already unemployed and unemployable. The latest reports from Goldman Sachs predict that: 'AI could displace 300 million jobs globally by 2030, while McKinsey warns that 375 million workers worldwide will need to switch careers entirely due to automation.' 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The Indian government has, however, moved decisively to counter its own brain drain. Through initiatives like the $1 billion IndiaAI Mission and tax incentives for returning diaspora experts, India is transforming from being the world's tech back office to becoming a self-sufficient AI innovator. Where Indian engineers once powered America's Silicon Valley's growth, they now develop cutting-edge AI solutions for India's economy in India. 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South Africa's ICT skills gap is further exacerbated by 'skills recycling' and the shortage of teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa's (IITPSA's) ICT Skills Survey 2024. The SETA deployment system also exacerbates our crisis. Of course, all political parties practice Cadre Deployment. The ANC, which is leading the GNU, has produced enough capable, progressive experts, black, coloured, Indian and white. The ANC must ensure that its cadre deployment policy prioritises truly committed professionals and experts who understand and can implement the party's vision of 'People's Education for People's Power'. This Youth Month, we therefore implore the committee to: Declare AI/tech Education Emergency Convene a National Indaba on AI Readiness to assess our education system's capacity for 4IR and jobs of the future, and audit government support for tech research and R&D Declare 2026 as the year of Youth Skilling and partner with BRICS Plus countries like India, China and Saudi Arabia, including countries in the Global North and Advanced Asia Collaborate with Unions to ensure their members are reskilled to mitigate against a job blood bath. Honourable chair, India, with its own challenges similar to ours, proves that sustainable transformation is possible if there is Political will. Their youth unemployment rate has dropped 12 percentage points since launching these AI reforms across the board. As we celebrate Youth Month, we must remember the words of Isithwalandwe /Seaparankwe Oliver Tambo, who opined there follows: 'The children of any nation are its future. 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Limpopo police bust truck smuggling stolen goods to Malawi
Limpopo police bust truck smuggling stolen goods to Malawi

The South African

time2 hours ago

  • The South African

Limpopo police bust truck smuggling stolen goods to Malawi

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