Latest news with #Nalumango
The Star
2 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Zambian vice president urges COMESA to strengthen regional health systems
LUSAKA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango on Thursday called for enhanced collaboration and commitment by member countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to advance strategies that improve access to quality healthcare for all. Speaking at the opening of the Second Meeting of COMESA Ministers of Health, Nalumango emphasized the need for regional health systems to be better prepared to respond decisively to future threats. She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic not only disrupted medical supply chains but also exposed critical gaps in emergency preparedness and the resilience of health systems across the region, urging countries to scale up local pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthen disease surveillance and early warning systems, and ensure resilient supply chains during crises. "This moment is also a call to invest in evidence-based policymaking, grounded in research and innovation. Let us reaffirm that science and solidarity must always guide our way forward," she said. Nalumango cited the ongoing mpox outbreak and increasing climate-related health emergencies as reminders that health security is directly linked to economic security. She called on the ministers to adopt strong resolutions and renew practical commitments, adding that health is the foundation of any country's development. COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe echoed Nalumango's remarks, saying that health is central to the organization's regional agenda. She said COMESA has established a Health Desk to coordinate regional health initiatives, mobilize resources, and build member states' capacities to respond to current and future challenges in collaboration with technical and development partners. "Strong health systems are not optional -- they are economic enablers and require increased investment. Investing in health is not a cost; it is a strategic investment in regional stability, productivity, and prosperity," Kapwepwe said.
Mail & Guardian
16-07-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Parliament slams SA Tourism for underperformance, overspending by R24.1m
Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille refuted claims that South African Tourism had irregular tender procurements, to the tune of R100 million, to host flagship trade events including Meeting Africa and Africa's Travel Indaba. (David Harrison) Parliament's portfolio committee on tourism says South African Tourism has underperformed in its mandate to market the country and drive economic growth. 'With the organisational performance of 'It is grossly unacceptable that for the fourth quarter, South African Tourism only achieved 89% of its 55 targets while overspending by R24.1 million on its allocated budget. This depicts 101% over expenditure of R1.45 billion of the R1.43 billion budget that was allocated to SA tourism,' Nalumango said, during a briefing by the agency on its fourth quarter performance report for 2024-25. 'It should be noted that the reported information is the combined efforts of the private sector and government through South African Tourism. It is therefore of paramount importance that South African tourism takes its mandate seriously and improves on its financial and non-financial performance.' In 2024, the Based on the current performance, the sector has the potential to contribute 12.8% to the country's economy by 2030 and create 2.23 million jobs, said Nalumango International tourist arrivals increased by 5.1% to 8.9 million, with foreign spending contributing R91.6 billion to the economy. Domestic tourism also rose, with overnight trips increasing by 6.2% to 40.2 million and spending going up by 12.8% to R137 billion. South African Tourism came under fire last week over allegations of corruption and irregular tender procurements, to the tune of R100 million, to host flagship trade events including Meeting Africa and Africa's Travel Indaba. Tourism Minister 'Their findings were received, reviewed and informed internal consequence management actions. I have been informed by South African Tourism that the cost of both audits were less than R1 million,' De Lille said. 'Officials implicated in procedural violations were removed from procurement committees as part of an internal disciplinary process initiated in 2024. Disciplinary processes are under way.' Last year, the minister De Lille had appointed the new board in February 2024 after dissolving the previous one in April 2023 following its controversial proposals to spend R910 million sponsoring UK football club The parliament portfolio committee said that during the period under review, South African Tourism underperformed in four of its five programmes. It achieved 75% of its corporate support targets with R2.6 million underspent, and 92% of its business enablement targets with R3.1 million underspent. In leisure and tourism marketing, it met 95% of targets but overspent by 55.9%. The business events programme met all eight targets, while the tourist experience programme met two of three targets with R11.8 million underspent. 'This performance is a serious cause for concern as the entity receives more than 50% of Vote 38 [the budget allocation for the tourism department] but it is failing to achieve its targets and underspending in almost all set targets,' said Nalumango. 'It's also of serious concern that SAT did not achieve all the targets in programme three but are reporting to us that they overspent R55.9 million. The performance in programme four also does not make sense — SAT achieved all their targets but underspent 23.7%. In fact there are many things that do not make sense in the fourth quarter performance.' She suggested that the agency does not have effective internal controls to track its financial and non-financial performance, and that it needs to 'seriously' address issues relating to the internal audit function. 'Internal audit function should not just be directed towards the auditing process by the auditor general but should assist the organisation during the in-year execution of its mandate against the set targets and financial management.' Board members will need to improve their oversight and consequence management to hold executives accountable, said the agency's chairperson, Gregory Davids. 'We do have quarterly board meetings, and through our board sub-committee meetings we are interrogating all of these aspects [including] performance reports.' First, we start with our annual performance plan for the year, which we use as our framework to keep the executives accountable … Consequence management in certain areas where there is huge non-performance has taken place.' 'As a board we are listening to portfolio committee members, there are areas we as a board must improve, but we are trying to, through our committees and regular meetings, to hold our executives accountable,' he added.
