Malawi Wire

The Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer highlighted Tuesday in Luanda the potential for the development of ties with Angola, in several fields, but stressed the need to boost them.

Karl Nehammer said this to the press after a private meeting with the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, as part of his 48-hour visit to the country.

The Austrian official highlighted the importance of placing the continent at the center of the attention.

According to Karl Nehammer, the Austrian Government is developing a strategy for Africa.

As for Angola, he defended the importance to know how to develop cooperation and which ways or resources that can be used to achieve this goal.

He defended the need to discuss these topics in order to establish better reciprocal economic cooperation.

“As showed during the talk held today, there are several fields in which we can cooperate, because dealing with the future challenges entails to strengthen our cooperation”, he said.

He also highlighted the fact of Angola to be a key partner in terms of providing stability and security on the continent.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Minister of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security (MAPTSS) Teresa Rodrigues Dias Tuesday called on public administration bodies to respect for the rules and procedures set out in the Law.

Speaking at the opening of the Training Seminar on the Codes of Procedure and Process of Administrative Litigation, the official said these professionals should stick to a fair and efficient administrative justice.

She explained that these bodies have the role to administer justice, from the Administrative, Tax and Customs Litigation rooms to the Administrative, Tax and Customs Litigation Chambers of the Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

The minister added that the reform of the Public Administration has been conducted qualitatively and quantitatively with the approval of several legal diplomas, which conform the Angolan administrative legal system.

The minister explained that it should not be overlooked that public administration should be guided by the principles of legality, equality, justice, impartiality, good faith, among others, one of the most relevant being the principle of reducing bureaucracy and efficiency.

“As for the Administrative Litigation Code, approved by Law nº 33/22, of September 1st, we would like to point out that it is the most recent administrative procedural legislation, which is limited to providing for the contentious appeal for annulment of administrative acts, as well as the measures to suspend their effectiveness”, the minister explained.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Kakuzi squatters have called on the government to speed up resettling them on a piece of land that the food processing company ceded years ago, so as to get them out of the untold suffering that they have gone through in the hands of the company.

The over 4,000 squatters said the continued dragging of the process has invited more fake squatters lining up and demanding a share of the land.

They said, as the process drags, their suffering continues to mount, and the hope of one day owning land diminishes each passing day.

David Musau (89), who lives in a wooden shack, covered with polythene papers and roofed using rust iron sheets, wishes the survey and subdivisions of the land would be fast-tracked so as to open a new chapter of his life.

He has gone through hell during this rainy season as his leaking roof cannot give him rest at night.

Musau has to squeeze himself in one of the corners of his almost falling house where he has placed his bed, and hope the rains subside.

‘At night, we undergo incurable agony when the rains pound. We fear our shanties may be carried away by the rains. We endured the rain all night. We can’t repair our houses because once the guards catch you, they severely punish,’ he said.

Esther Kalekye, now over 100 years old, suffers the same fate. Her greatest fear is where she would be buried.

The company, they said, cannot allow burials in the land. Residents however conduct night burials out of fear.

‘I know my time is almost up. However, my fear is will I be thrown in the bush after death?’ she posed.

Esther Njeri and Joseph Muriuki survive on burning charcoal whose logs they steal from Kakuzi forest. If only the company’s watchmen knew, they say, the punishment would be severe.

These are among the tales that the squatters told government officials who had visited the area, to explain to the residents on the progress of the resettlement exercise.

Their chairman Murigi Njogu, during a meeting attended by state officials assured them that the government was in the process of allocating them land.

He however said the land may not be enough for every squatter as the number has increased from 400 to the current 4,000 over the years.

‘The surveying of the land that Kakuzi ceded is ongoing. However, it is slow and residents are slowly giving up,’ Murigi said.

He at the same time called on the company to consider ceding some of its unused land to settle the 4,000 squatters who have been doubling each year.

‘Kakuzi should borrow a leaf from the nearby Fruit Processing Multinational Delmonte (K) LTD that has ceded land to Kiambu and Murang’a residents. It has huge tracks of unused land. That way, more squatters will be resettled,’ he added.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Calls to the National Government to employ graduates from the National Youth Service (NYS) intuitions dominated a public participation forum on NYS reforms in Busia on Monday.

Various speakers at a forum held in a hotel in Busia town on Monday appealed to the National Government to employ at least 60 -80 per cent of graduates from such training institutions.

They argued that graduates who were already trained in the paramilitary would be dangerous to the community especially if left idle and without any source of income.

The Commission also heard that there was a need to increase the stipend from the current Sh. 1,600 per student to Sh. 3,000 to enable beneficiaries survive in the current economy.

Participants further said that there was a need to establish a University for NYS graduates so that they can further their education.

The taskforce also heard that there was a need to consider the inter-faith in the recruitment process and the need to ensure that certificates issued to NYS graduates are recognized during the time of employment.

The participants noted that there was bias in choice of courses by beneficiaries hinting that it could be a source of corruption by some conduits because students are normally given their last choice and might be forced to beg for the first choices using money.

A section of former NYS graduates complained that stipend savings have not been given to them years after graduating from the institution.

Participants at the same time suggested that the government should set aside startup funds to enable each graduate from the institution to establish an income generating project.

The taskforce was also informed on the need to devolve the NYS in all the 47 counties so that locals can access the training in their own counties hence cutting on costs.

Participants also cited political interference as the main source of corruption especially during the recruitment exercise.

They called upon the government to ensure that the institution offers competitive courses and training so that graduates from the learning institutions become relevant in the job market.

Participants living with disability appealed to the government to consider them for training in the institutions noting that they are always left behind.

Commissioner Roseline Odede who led the taskforce team assured the local residents that all their recommendations will be taken into consideration by the former Chief Justice David Maraga-led team.

The forum brought together religious leaders, Civil Society Organizations, former NYS graduates, parents and various heads of Government Departments to give their views on NYS reforms.

Source: Kenya News Agency