Latest news with #SouthAfrican-based
Ya Biladi
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Kenya's parliament speaker, key Polisario ally, meets Algerian envoy in Nairobi
Shortly Kenya expressed support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, the Algerian ambassador to Nairobi, Mahi Boumediene, met with Moses Wetangula, Speaker of the Kenyan National Assembly. «This evening, I held a cordial engagement with H.E. Mahi Boumediene, Ambassador of Algeria to Kenya. We discussed shared bilateral interests and explored ways to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy between our two nations», Wetangula wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Moses Wetangula is widely regarded as a key ally of the Polisario Front. A report published in October 2022 by the South African-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) revealed that Wetangula, a former foreign minister, had persuaded President William Ruto to retract a tweet posted on September 14, 2022, in which Ruto announced the severing of diplomatic ties with the «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic» (SADR). Wetangula is a prominent figure in Kenya's political landscape. He is the leader of FORD Kenya, a party within the Kenya Kwanza coalition that supported Ruto's successful presidential bid in August 2022. A few weeks after the meeting on January 26, 2023, in Dakar between Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and President Ruto, Wetangula traveled to Algeria, where he met with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and reaffirmed his support for the Polisario. Wetangula publicly reiterated this stance following the signing of the «Tangier Appeal» in November 2023—an initiative by several African political figures calling for the expulsion of the «SADR» from the African Union—during a meeting with the Polisario representative in Nairobi. «I assured him of the importance of keeping the Sahrawi Republic on the AU agenda» and its «membership in the African Union», he emphasized.
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Working from home? Understand the insurance implications before you set up
Some companies still allow their employee to work from home now. Image: Pexels PNW Production As many people embrace the convenience of home offices, only a few realise that this work-life-balance choice could have significant implications for their insurance policies. Nomie Nxumalo, executive head for people and transformation at Miway, urges South Africans to review their home and car insurance to ensure they remain adequately covered if they opt to work from the comfort of their personal space. 'Most standard home insurance policies are structured around personal use of the home. Whether you're running a business or working remotely, it's crucial to declare to your insurer if a portion of your home is being used for business purposes,' Nxumalo said. She said that not doing so could result in claims being declined or certain losses not being covered. There is a shift in the purpose of property, as homes are no longer a mere living place only. Last month, John Herbst, CEO of Fine & Country Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), said properties today serve multiple purposes; they are now spaces to work, create, entertain, and relax. 'For real estate professionals, this means shifting the conversation from square metres to possibility. The work-from-anywhere revolution is not only changing where we live – it's redefining why we live there in the first place,' Herbst said. The network of independent estate agents said the future of work is hybrid, flexible, and mobile, and the homes people live in need to reflect that. While remote and hybrid work arrangements have recently started to decline as the return-to-office trend has gained momentum around the globe, many companies continue to embrace these models to attract and retain top talent. 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 ✕ According to Miway, the working-from-home option does impact how South Africans use their homes and vehicles and must be considered when it comes to protecting these important assets. The South African-based direct insurance company said the integration of workspaces into personal residences brings about certain dynamics to home usage. It said many homeowners have invested in expensive office equipment, increased their reliance on home internet, and even started running businesses from their residences. However, the insurer said failing to inform insurers about these changes could lead to gaps in coverage or even rejected claims in some cases. For instance, Miway said home offices often house valuable equipment like computers and printers, as well as back-up supply to routers, which many people installed when loadshedding was at its worst. It added that other items could include fridges and storage, depending on the business activities. According to the company, these products may require extra coverage beyond a standard insurance policy and would certainly need to be considered under contents coverage. 'Additionally, handling sensitive data from home can expose you to cyber threats, yet most home insurance policies do not include cybersecurity,' Nxumalo said. She concluded that the best approach is to consult with an insurance professional to tailor coverage to one's specific needs, ensuring all aspects of their work-from-home lifestyle are adequately safeguarded. The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) surveyed college graduates in 40 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa from November 2024 to February 2025 to collect information on working from home (WFH). The institution said it derived five facts from its study. It found that WFH is highest in North America, the UK and Australia, and lowest in Asia. The study showed that WFH levels fell from 2022 to 2023 but have since stabilised. Employees with children are more likely to split their workweeks between home and the employer's location, while those without children are more likely to work in a fully remote or fully onsite capacity. WFH levels are similar for men and women in every major region of the world. The desire to WFH is highest among women with children, the study found. Independent Media Property
09-05-2025
- Politics
Congo national park associated with Prince Harry acknowledges human rights abuses
DAKAR, Senegal -- A national park associated with Prince Harry in the Republic of the Congo has acknowledged that its guards committed human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples who were displaced when the park was constructed. An internal investigation by African Parks, a South African-based wildlife parks consortium, uncovered cases of torture, rape and forced displacement of Indigenous people who used to inhabit the land now occupied by the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Prince Harry sits on the board of African Parks. 'African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims,' read a statement released Thursday by the group and London-based law firm Omnia Strategy. The initial reports of the abuse, which allegedly took place in 2023, were raised by international rights group Survival International. The allegations were investigated, but the final report of the abuse remains confidential and many details remain unclear. The rights group said Thursday in a statement that men and women were beaten, tortured or raped 'by rangers who are managed and paid for by African Parks.' It did not provide details. Jonathan Mazower, a spokesperson for Survival International, alleged that African Parks has known since at 'least 2013' of cases of abuse when a researcher raised the issue with them. 'This is not a particularly isolated case,' he said. Founded in 2000, African Parks established a hard-nosed reputation by going into seriously degraded places armed with the right to hire and fire from governments, which retained broad authority but respected a clear separation of roles. The group assumes day-to-day management of countries' wildlife areas, seeking more efficiency and accountability in the campaign to protect flora and fauna from poaching and habitat depletion. Many partner nations struggle to run parks on their own, challenged by poverty, corruption and conflict. ___
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Congo national park associated with Prince Harry acknowledges human rights abuses
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A national park associated with Prince Harry in the Republic of the Congo has acknowledged that its guards committed human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples who were displaced when the park was constructed. An internal investigation by African Parks, a South African-based wildlife parks consortium, uncovered cases of torture, rape and forced displacement of Indigenous people who used to inhabit the land now occupied by the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Prince Harry sits on the board of African Parks. 'African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims,' read a statement released Thursday by the group and London-based law firm Omnia Strategy. The initial reports of the abuse, which allegedly took place in 2023, were raised by international rights group Survival International. The allegations were investigated, but the final report of the abuse remains confidential and many details remain unclear. The rights group said Thursday in a statement that men and women were beaten, tortured or raped 'by rangers who are managed and paid for by African Parks.' It did not provide details. Jonathan Mazower, a spokesperson for Survival International, alleged that African Parks has known since at 'least 2013' of cases of abuse when a researcher raised the issue with them. 'This is not a particularly isolated case,' he said. Founded in 2000, African Parks established a hard-nosed reputation by going into seriously degraded places armed with the right to hire and fire from governments, which retained broad authority but respected a clear separation of roles. The group assumes day-to-day management of countries' wildlife areas, seeking more efficiency and accountability in the campaign to protect flora and fauna from poaching and habitat depletion. Many partner nations struggle to run parks on their own, challenged by poverty, corruption and conflict. ___ Louis Patrick Okamba contributed from Brazzaville
Toronto Star
09-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Congo national park associated with Prince Harry acknowledges human rights abuses
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A national park associated with Prince Harry in the Republic of the Congo has acknowledged that its guards committed human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples who were displaced when the park was constructed. An internal investigation by African Parks, a South African-based wildlife parks consortium, uncovered cases of torture, rape and forced displacement of Indigenous people who used to inhabit the land now occupied by the Odzala-Kokoua National Park.
