Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), took oath as the nation’s president for the next five years on Wednesday at Pretoria, the administrative capital.

Ramaphosa, 71, was re-elected as South African president by the National Assembly on June 14 with 283 votes against the other nominee, Julius Malema from the Economic Freedom Fighters, who received 44 votes.

Under the South African Constitution, once elected as president by the National Assembly, the president-elect must assume office within five days.

In the general elections on May 29, the ANC secured 159 out of the 400 seats in the National Assembly.

This is the first time the ANC is falling below the 50 per cent needed to maintain its 30-year-old outright majority in the lower house of parliament.

(Xinhua/NAN)

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said massive investments in basic education for African children are required to help the continent realise its long-term transformation agenda.

Etleza Kadili, UNICEF regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital ahead of the Day of the African Child that will be marked Sunday.

It said education financing on the continent remains dismal.

It added that less than one in five countries have dedicated 20 per cent of their public budgets to enhancing foundational skills for their children.

“To ensure prosperity in Africa we urgently need to see a continental revolution where commitments are turned into concrete action so children can attain the foundational skills necessary for them to progress to higher forms of education.”

The theme of the 2024 Day of the African Child, which is observed annually on June 16, will be “Education for all children in Africa: the time is now,” underscoring the urgency to realise universal childhood literacy in the continent.

UNICEF said in spite of its role in building human capital to propel Africa’s growth, education financing in the continent has slackened, preventing millions of children from acquiring the basic literacy and skills that they require to thrive.

In spite of significant efforts by African governments over the last decade to boost primary and secondary school enrolment, schools continue to lack basic amenities, are overcrowded, and have insufficient teachers, according to UNICEF.

The UN agency noted that four out of every five African children aged 10 years are unable to read and understand a simple written text, highlighting the dismal learning outcomes on the continent.

UNICEF estimates that about 183 billion U.S. dollars are required annually to support children’s education in Africa and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal on education.

However, available resources currently stand at 106 billion U.S. dollars, leaving a financing gap of over 40 per cent.

The agency further noted that African governments spend around two per cent of their education budgets on pre-primary education, while 20 per cent is allocated to tertiary learning.

(Xinhua/NAN)

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has welcomed the country’s election to the 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term starting in 2025.

The president made the welcome remarks in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

According to him, for Somalia to be among the five countries that received the winning votes for UNSC non-permanent would enable the country to regain its global status.

Mohamud said the historic vote shows how the world perceives development and governance taking place in the country.

He said that Somalia, alongside Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, and Panama, would for the first time in 50 years, receive the winning votes for UNSC non-permanent seats.

He said the countries would have influence in global affairs in terms of peace and conflicts.

“The diplomatic success we have reached today translates to how the world is witnessing the efforts and development of Somalia, especially the recovery and rebuilding of our country,” he said.

The election is an opportunity for Somalia to take part in the promotion of peace and security in the world, Mohamud said.

Meanwhile, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has also congratulated Somalia on the country’s election as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.

African Union Special Representative for Somalia and Head of ATMIS Mohamed El-Amine Souef said the election is a clear demonstration of the trust and confidence the UN member countries have in Somalia.

“The achievement will embolden Somalia’s drive to secure the safety and prosperity of its people,” Souef said in a statement.

He said Somalia’s historic election will also provide vital lessons for the quest for international peace and security in parts of the world experiencing conflict and instability.

The five countries that were elected on Thursday will join existing non-permanent members Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia.

(Xinhua/NAN)