Latest news with #KgalemaMotlanthe
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation: Empowering the needy through education
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe. Image: Tracey Adams EXECUTIVE Trustee of the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation (KMF), Gugu Motlanthe, is a community builder on a mission. The plight of learners from previously disadvantaged backgrounds is her top priority as she steers KMF towards alleviating hardships and modern-day challenges. The truth about democratic South Africa is that virtually everybody with a semblance of honesty can attest to Thabo Mbeki's lamentations of 'one country, two economies' — one white and affluent and the other black and in dire straits. It is against this backdrop that Motlanthe and KMF remain resolute and relentless in their programme to help take children from impoverished township and village backgrounds out of their perennial hardship through educational empowerment initiatives. Together with other media, I was privileged to receive a KMF invitation to join a group of Grade XI learners from Forte Secondary School in Soweto and Westbury Secondary School in Johannesburg on 'extra-curricular activities' at the KMF HQ in Houghton, Johannesburg, recently. The KMF philanthropic mission includes offering disadvantaged children training in, among others, robotics and coding, computer gamification, multimedia podcasting as well as drone technology. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ The aim, of course, is to bring South Africa's lower rung learners up to speed with their affluent counterparts in an economically unequal country they all call home, and owe allegiance to at least, just perhaps, such interventions could assist in producing learners equipped to tackle tertiary education with fear or intimidation. It is easy to take things for granted, but many village and township learners become exposed to today's opportunities for the very first time when they are invited by Motlanthe to visit the KMF premises to learn. There is also a hidden bonus for the visiting learners, always. They get to meet face-to-face, for the very first time, with South Africa's former President Kgalema Motlanthe, who is the patron of the KMF. Although the groups of learners are often large as they straddle from one side of the KMF premises, the lucky ones also get to shake the hand of the unassuming former President, and also pose for photographs with him and Motlanthe and other staffers of the KMF, including the security personnel. The learners are also well looked after. They are served a delicious meal with drinks in a country where one meal a day is a luxury for many. Speaking in her capacity as the executive trustee, Motlanthe says: 'As a Public Benefit Organisation, the KMF is intentional on bridging gaps in education, with the target being the youth of the country. The research and curriculum development are currently underway for the KMF to soon offer solar and wind energy training to unemployed youth.' This will help tackle the runaway youth unemployment in the country, where an astronomical number of youth graduates are sitting at home without jobs, some for as long as 15 years. Additionally, in a country facing increasing energy insecurity over the past decade, training in solar and wind energy could bring about new opportunities for the fast-becoming hopeless unemployed youths. Solar installations and maintenance have become a key industry in an era of load shedding. I watched a podcast training session underway at the KMF. The learners were visibly elated, over the moon. Some were seeing the live studio for the first time. As they took the mic one after the other, some became too emotional to handle the joy of the opportune moment. Overcome by emotion, they sobbed and cried, as if they never believed such abundant love could be shown by the caring KMF. The KMF premises are a hive of activity. At the back end are digitised vegetable gardens from where frequent harvest takes place for distribution to the needy. Even a small poultry project comprising a few dozen egg-layers features among the myriad programmes. Occasionally, Motlanthe does donate free eggs as well. The KMF is an entity that keeps both Motlanthe and the former President busy as bees. However, watching them at work, it is easy to tell that they both have a heart to render assistance to others, especially the less fortunate. There can be no doubt that contribution, albeit in relatively small measure, will help to make South Africa a better place for all who live in it. * Abbey Makoe is the chief executive and editor-in-chief of the Global South Media Network. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media or IOL.
Al Arabiya
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
African blocs expand mediation team to end M23 rebel offensive in Congo
The political blocs of Southern and Eastern Africa have expanded the mediation team for negotiating an end to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel offensive in eastern Congo, at a heads of state meeting on Monday that Rwanda described as fruitful. Diplomatic efforts to resolve eastern Congo's biggest conflict in decades appeared to have stalled last week when the M23 failed to attend peace talks with the Congolese government in Angola, and later captured the strategic town of Walikale. The violence, rooted in the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and competition for control of mineral riches, has led to rebel control of eastern Congo's two largest cities, thousands of deaths and fears of a wider regional war. The Southern and Eastern Africa blocs appointed five former heads of state, including Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, South Africa's Kgalema Motlanthe and Ethiopia's Sahle-Work Zewde to 'facilitate' the peace process, they said in a statement early on Tuesday. Congo's presidency said on X the new panel would appoint a mediator to replace the president of Angola, who withdrew on Monday following years of faltering efforts to ease tensions between Rwanda and Congo. Rwanda's government, which is facing sanctions and had some aid suspended over its reported provision of arms and troops to M23, said on X the leaders attending Monday's summit 'committed to a political solution that addresses the security concerns of all parties.' Congo accuses M23 of being a Rwandan proxy. Rwanda denies involvement, but also says its forces are acting in self defense against Congo's army and militias hostile to Kigali. The Angolan government expressed frustration last week about a surprise meeting arranged by Qatar's emir between Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, the first face-to-face meeting between the two men since the conflict escalated towards the end of last year. Tshisekedi and Kagame issued a joint statement along with Qatar that called for an 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire, but which failed to halt the violence. M23 withdrew from what could have been its first direct negotiations with Kinshasa last week after the European Union imposed sanctions against rebel and Rwandan officials.
Reuters
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
African blocs expand mediation team for Congo conflict
NAIROBI, March 25 (Reuters) - The political blocs of Southern and Eastern Africa have expanded the mediation team for negotiating an end to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel offensive in eastern Congo, at a heads of state meeting on Monday that Rwanda described as fruitful. Diplomatic efforts to resolve eastern Congo's biggest conflict in decades appeared to have stalled last week when the M23 failed to attend peace talks with the Congolese government in Angola, and later captured the strategic town of Walikale. The violence, rooted in the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and competition for control of mineral riches, has led to rebel control of eastern Congo's two largest cities, thousands of deaths and fears of a wider regional war. The Southern and Eastern Africa blocs appointed five former heads of state, including Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, South Africa's Kgalema Motlanthe and Ethiopia's Sahle-Work Zewde to "facilitate" the peace process, they said in a statement early on Tuesday. Congo's presidency said on X the new panel would appoint a mediator to replace the president of Angola, who withdrew on Monday following years of faltering efforts to ease tensions between Rwanda and Congo. Rwanda's government, which is facing sanctions and had some aid suspended over its reported provision of arms and troops to M23, said on X the leaders attending Monday's summit "committed to a political solution that addresses the security concerns of all parties." Congo accuses M23 of being a Rwandan proxy. Rwanda denies involvement, but also says its forces are acting in self defence against Congo's army and militias hostile to Kigali. The Angolan government expressed frustration last week about a surprise meeting arranged by Qatar 's emir between Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, the first face-to-face meeting between the two men since the conflict escalated towards the end of last year. Tshisekedi and Kagame issued a joint statement along with Qatar that called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire, but which failed to halt the violence. M23 withdrew from what could have been its first direct negotiations with Kinshasa last week after the European Union imposed sanctions against rebel and Rwandan officials.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
African blocs expand mediation team for Congo conflict
NAIROBI (Reuters) - The political blocs of Southern and Eastern Africa have expanded the mediation team for negotiating an end to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel offensive in eastern Congo, at a heads of state meeting on Monday that Rwanda described as fruitful. Diplomatic efforts to resolve eastern Congo's biggest conflict in decades appeared to have stalled last week when the M23 failed to attend peace talks with the Congolese government in Angola, and later captured the strategic town of Walikale. The violence, rooted in the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and competition for control of mineral riches, has led to rebel control of eastern Congo's two largest cities, thousands of deaths and fears of a wider regional war. The Southern and Eastern Africa blocs appointed five former heads of state, including Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, South Africa's Kgalema Motlanthe and Ethiopia's Sahle-Work Zewde to "facilitate" the peace process, they said in a statement early on Tuesday. Congo's presidency said on X the new panel would appoint a mediator to replace the president of Angola, who withdrew on Monday following years of faltering efforts to ease tensions between Rwanda and Congo. Rwanda's government, which is facing sanctions and had some aid suspended over its reported provision of arms and troops to M23, said on X the leaders attending Monday's summit "committed to a political solution that addresses the security concerns of all parties." Congo accuses M23 of being a Rwandan proxy. Rwanda denies involvement, but also says its forces are acting in self defence against Congo's army and militias hostile to Kigali. The Angolan government expressed frustration last week about a surprise meeting arranged by Qatar's emir between Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, the first face-to-face meeting between the two men since the conflict escalated towards the end of last year. Tshisekedi and Kagame issued a joint statement along with Qatar that called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire, but which failed to halt the violence. M23 withdrew from what could have been its first direct negotiations with Kinshasa last week after the European Union imposed sanctions against rebel and Rwandan officials.
