Day: February 3, 2024

RUNDU: A total of 87 police officers were promoted during the second round of promotions for the 2023/24 financial year in the Kavango East and West regions on Friday. Twenty-five police officers were promoted in the Kavango West Region while 62 were promoted in the Kavango East Region. Of the 62 officers in the Kavango East Region, 33 were promoted to warrant officers, 20 to inspectors and nine to senior inspectors. Last year, the region promoted 150 junior officers from constables to warrant officers. Speaking at the occasion, the acting regional commander of the Kavango East Region, Deputy Commissioner Eino Nambahu said the rank of a warrant officer in all uniform setups is a very crucial rank as that is where supervision starts. 'On the other hand, commissioning starts from the rank of an inspector,' Nambahu said. Meanwhile in the Kavango West Region, of the 25 police officers being promoted four were female and 21 male. The police officers were promoted to inspector, senior inspector, and chief inspector ranks respectively. Kavango West Regional Commander, Commissioner Julia Sakuwa said it takes a lot of commitment, loyalty, resilience and dedication for a police officer to deliver on their national duties. She also highlighted that members of the force are promoted in recognition of their commitment and dedication to national duties, and thus a promotion should not be seen as a mere decoration, or just a reward to an officer or a member; 'it comes with huge responsibilities'.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has pledged to revive the Free-trade Agreement among Commonwealth countries if elected as the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat. She said a successful free-trade agreement among member states would enhance integration and participation in global and regional supply chains and boost their participation in the multilateral trading system. ? The initiative could also be a model for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members for a synergic mix of regional and multilateral trade integration as the Organisation struggled to conclude agreements to ensure its revitalisation. ? Madam Botchwey said this in Accra at a lecture on the topic: 'A Vision for a New Commonwealth in a Fast-Evolving World.' The lecture was organised by the Council on Foreign Relations Ghana to mark its Fifth Anniversary. On February 2, 2024, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Mrs Botchwey for the post of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth to succeed the current one, Madam Baroness Patricia Scotland, a dual Dominican-British citizen. The Minister said the recent developments, including advanced negotiations between the United Kingdom and India, as well as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), had changed the dynamics and provided the opportunity to consolidate those agreements towards a Commonwealth-wide free trade agreement.? 'To be transformative, any such trade and development agreement has to respond to the development needs and challenges of the developing countries in the Commonwealth,' she said. Madam Botchwey urged development partners to scale up their aid for trade disbursements to enhance productive capacity. ? She said it was imperative to have provisions that would encourage businesses from the developed members to invest in the developing member states, with consideration given to the Pacific Island States, the Caribbean, and small states in both the service and non-service sectors. 'Developed Commonwealth members and other donor partners should maintain and enhance non-reciprocal preferential market access mechanisms like duty-free, quota-free, flexible rules of origin, and preferential treatment for services and service suppliers from small developing states to facilitate their integration in regional and global value chains,' she said. The WTO, which regulated and promoted global trade, should channel enhanced aid for trade and viable investment in hard infrastructure to smaller states in the Commonwealth. That, she noted, would help build their productive capacity to reverse their marginalisation in global trade. 'The Commonwealth should support the specific needs and concerns of small island states in fishery subsidy negotiations at the WTO.' 'Ocean sustainability in general and sustainable fishing stocks and practices are critical to the development of the ocean economy in island states and especially to the millions of mostly poor people who make their living by fishing.' Services like health insurance, medical data, and banking, among others, provided the integration needed to create a consumer boom and greater prosperity, Madam Botchwey said. The Commonwealth is an association of 56 countries working towards shared goals of prosperity, democracy and peace. The Commonwealth Secretariat is the intergovernmental organisation, which co-ordinates and carries out much of the Commonwealth's work, supported by a network of more than 80 organisations. Among its objectives are to protect the environment and encourage sustainable use of natural resources on land and sea, boost trade and the economy, support democracy, government and the rule of law, and support small states, helping them to tackle the particular challenges they face.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The distribution of electoral materials kicked off Saturday in 24 constituencies in 8 delegations in Médenine. Voting materials were transported to 77 polling centres and will be distributed to 144 polling stations, said President of the Medenine Regional Election Authority (French: IRIE) Ali Zahmoul. This operation was carried out by law enforcement and military personnel. Mock elections will be held to ensure the smooth running of polling day, he added. Campaigning for run-off local eelctions ended on Friday. Some 48 candidates in 12 constituencies are vying for 23 local councils seats in Ben Guerdane (6), South Médenine (5), Zarzis (4), Midoun (3), Sidi Makhlouf (2), Béni Kedache (2) and Houmet Souk (1).

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

In a colourful and fabulous universe that takes us back to childhood, puppets of all shapes and colours occupied the various areas of the Tunis City of Culture on Saturday evening, where the opening ceremony of the 5th edition of the Carthage Puppetry Arts Days (JAMC) took place. This festival, dedicated to the art of puppetry, began with shows open to the public and a parade of giant puppets, much to the delight of the many children who were curious to discover each puppet set up in the central hall of the city, which also hosted a puppet exhibition and sale. The Tunisian and Palestinian national anthems were played at the inauguration of the JAMC at the ThéStre des Régions in the presence of diplomats and around a hundred children carrying the flags of the two countries. The gesture symbolises Tunisia's position in favour of the Palestinian cause and people. This year's event sends messages that testify to Tunisia's firm commitment to support the Palestinians," said Monia Messaadi, chairperson of the JAMC steering committee and the National Centre of Puppetry Arts, which organises the annual event. She also mentioned the presence of Italy, Guest of Honour at the JAMC, in recognition of the great tradition of puppetry in that country. She said Italy's participation demonstrated the importance of partnership and cultural exchanges, as well as the cultural and historical links between Tunisia and Italy. The 2024 edition of JAMC will run until February 10, under the theme "Puppetry, Art and Life". The festival pays tribute to the Tunisian artists LassaSd Mehouachi (1960-2023) and Moncef El Kateb. The poster features a puppet in the likeness of Youssef, the Palestinian child martyred in the Gaza war. International troupes from 19 countries, more than a hundred puppeteers and 55 shows are on the days' programme. This is besides nine Tunisian shows and three Italian shows (L'enfance D'Orlando, Pinocchio and Cuisiner avec les pieds). The festival will take place at the City of Culture, the Salle du 4ème art in Tunis, Dar al-Masrahi in Bardo and the S.O.S children's village in Gammarth, as well as other venues outside the capital.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse