International Press Release Submissions

Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with South African President Ramaphosa

Readout Office of the Spokesperson August 9, 2022 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today in Pretoria with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to strengthen the enduring ties between our countries and advance shared global priorities through the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue. The Secretary noted that South Africa — as a leading global voice, a strong constitutional democracy, a G-20 member, and a scientific, cultural, and tech leader — is essential to global progress on COVID-19, climate, global health, democracy, and regional security. The Secretary thanked President Ramaphosa for hosting him and his delegation in South Africa and emphasized that the United States is committed to continuing this robust, dynamic, and mutually beneficial partnership. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with South African President Ramaphosa Submission Details Author: Africa Media from . More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact Facebook: Twitter: …


Source: MyPR International

Are You Affected By The New Ruling On Division Of Assets Upon Divorce?

The judgement of the High Court of Pretoria in GKR v Minister of Home Affairs and Others, Gauteng Division brought about a substantial change for spouses married out of community of property without the accrual system who are contemplating divorce. This order declared section 7(3)(a) of the Divorce Act inconsistent with the Constitution and was referred to the Constitutional Court for confirmation. When married out of community of property without the accrual system, the assets that you acquired before and during your marriage remain yours to do with as you wish. Spouses married after 1 November 1984 could not claim against each other’s assets upon divorce. When married out of community of property with the accrual system, spouses with the smaller accrual have an automatic claim for half the difference of the other spouse’s accrual. The following discussion only relates to spouses married out of community of property without the accrual system. According to section 7(3)(a), courts only had a discretion to redistribute assets among divorcing spouses who were married in accordance with this marital regime if the couple got married before 1 November 1984 (when the new Matrimonial Property Act came into effect). In other words, courts could not redistribute assets among divorcing spouses who got married after 1 November 1984. The right to equality in section 9(1) of the Constitution provides that “everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law”. Section 7(3)(a) was held to be unconstitutional because it discriminates between spouses based on the date that they got married. Spouses married after 1 November 1984 did not have the opportunity to approach courts for a redistribution order based on their respective contributions to the other spouse’s “maintenance and estate growth during the subsistence of the marriage”. After years of marriage, the spouse that contributed to the other’s gain and wealth could be …


Source: MyPR International

Teams and Pools confirmed for FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup South Africa 2023

Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is pleased to confirm the participating teams and the Pools for the FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup South Africa 2023, which will be staged in Pretoria, at the Heartfelt Arena from 5 to 11 February 2023, as below:   Women - Pool A Netherlands Austria Australia United States South Africa New Zealand   Women - Pool B Ukraine Czech Republic Namibia Kazakhstan Belgium Canada Men - Pool A Austria Netherlands Belgium Kazakhstan Namibia New Zealand   Men - Pool B Iran Czech Republic Australia South Africa United States Argentina   The Pools were established on the basis of the current FIH Indoor World Rankings.   All 24 teams – except Australia and New Zealand – were in the line-up of participating teams for the event which was scheduled to be played in February 2022 but was postponed due to COVID-related issues.   For the 2023 edition, Australia will replace Russia (Men) and Belarus (Women) since, based on the current guidance from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the participation of these two teams has been denied by FIH.   New Zealand will replace Germany (for both genders) who, despite having qualified, have decided not to take part.   South African Hockey Association Acting CEO Shaune Baaitjies said: “The South African Hockey family are so excited about another first for SA Hockey and we cannot wait to welcome our visitors to our beautiful country where we promise to deliver a spectacular event. As a country with a proud heritage of hosting historic international events we can’t wait to add the FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup to this incredible catalogue!”   FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “All teams and all hockey fans are eagerly waiting for the FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup to be back! We’re really glad to have again …


Source: MyPR International

Australia secure 7th consecutive gold medal as England win bronze on high-scoring final day of hockey at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Lausanne, Switzerland:The day began with England out-scoring South Africa in a breathless bronze medal match. While in the final Australia put on a goalscoring clinic, brushing India aside as they struck gold. Match reports: England 6 South Africa 3 (Bronze medal match men) England, buoyed by a loud home crowd, beat South Africa in a high-scoring affair to earn the bronze medal. The first quarter was tense, as both sides looked to work each other out. South Africa had the opening couple of chances, Keenan Horne and Daniel Bell seeing efforts blocked and saved by a firm English defence. As England pushed-back Commonwealth Games top-scorer Nicholas Bandurak had a goal disallowed after just over 10 minutes. A tight opening quarter eventually ended goalless. The second period of this game turned out to be a contender for the most entertaining of the whole tournament. The carnage began when after 18 minutes Matthew Guise-Brown scored from a penalty corner. England responded straight away, with a first ever international goal from Rhys Smith. South Africa were ahead again in the blink of an eye, as Mustapha Cassiem slotted past England keeper Oliver Payne. Once again it was a rapid response from England, who equalised for the second time in the quarter via cracking strike from Liam Ansell. A great referral from England skipper Zachary Wallace won his side a penalty corner with 5 minutes left of the period, and Samuel Ward cashed in, putting the hosts 3-2 ahead. The game’s sixth goal came on the stroke of half-time, as Nqobile Ntuli restored parity between the sides. A remarkable quarter ended with the scores tied at 3-3. The players emerged from a well-earned half-time break and a far quieter period ensued. England were temporarily down to 10 after a green card but South Africa could not capitalise. Instead, England took the lead once again, a powerful strike from Phillip Roper 5 minutes from the final break. Despite some late pressure from the hosts the …


Source: MyPR International

Poor governance leaves women and children battling to access water

Inadequate water access affects women and girls in poor households, schools and as smallholders feeding their families By Dr Ferrial Adam Drought, failing infrastructure, unrestrained pollution, failure by authorities to plan and outright theft of resources have left many South African communities struggling for basic water resources. Those in distress are no longer the rural communities out of public view, but also increasingly in cities. The quantity and quality of our water affects women and girls disproportionately in terms of domestic use, safety, building livelihoods and opportunities. South Africa is a naturally water-scarce country, but it is the poor level of access that affects the quantity of water for most poor households. In recent years we have also witnessed the deterioration of the quality of our water as more rivers and streams are being polluted by failing wastewater treatment plants and industrial effluent. In many developing countries having piped water and taps in your homes still seems to be a privilege. According to UNESCO, almost 75% of households in sub-Saharan Africa fetch water from a source away from their home. In South Africa, Stats SA reports that less than half (45.2%) of households have piped water in their homes, less than a third (29.4%) have piped water in their yards and 12.2% rely on a communal tap, which means hours spent queuing and carrying. Many other households still rely on rivers, streams and communal supplies. These numbers do not tell the full story: in far too many areas of South Africa, water sources have been so badly maintained or developed by municipalities and national government that even where there are taps, there is nothing in them. Years of drought have worsened this problem, for example in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, where authorities have poor communities with inadequate and erratic backup. In Giyani, despite the R4 billion water project, more than 60% of households still do not have …


Source: MyPR International

Is change imminent in South Africa’s telco landscape?

Digging into the telco challenge in South Africa and what this could mean for the consumer and the business. Cell C’s financial complexities and rollercoaster-style ups and downs have been part of South African conversations for years. Now, however, as the embattled telco enters the last half of 2022, strategic moves and smart decisions have shifted the company’s axis. Keoikantse Marungwana, Senior Research and Consulting Manager, Telco & IoT Lead Sub-Saharan Africa at IDC, explains that the company has done the right thing to remain a competitor in the space, retaining its brand capital with a core network that’s got immense potential. “The company moved all their customers to other networks, some to Vodacom, some to MTN, and essentially exited the network infrastructure business,” he continues. “All that remains is the core network where the intelligence about customer databases, how to route calls, service bundles, customer subscriptions and billing, which is a big part of where the value lies. This move has freed up cash flow and allowed for the company to consolidate its intellectual property.” Marungwana believes that Cell C should consider becoming part MVNE and a “cloud-native digital telco as-a-service player”, transitioning the core network into a cloud-native core network that aligns with the current trend towards the softwarization of telecom companies. Many are moving from owning core networks on their own data centre infrastructure to AWS, Microsoft or VMWare telco clouds, to name a few. By moving clients onto another company’s RAN infrastructure, the customers are retained directly in terms of the brand and the income is used to improve the network by transitioning to a cloud-native core network infrastructure. “This can be further enhanced by partnerships with ecosystem players in the telco space, or with financial services companies that are already playing in the mobile services space,” says Marungwana. “These steps will ensure that the company …


Source: MyPR International

Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Press

Remarks Anthony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Hector Pieterson Memorial Johannesburg, South Africa August 7, 2022 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone. This is such an incredibly powerful, moving experience, but all the more so because to be guided by Antoinette gives it particularly special meaning. And thank you so much for sharing with me, sharing with us – Hector’s story is one that really resonates because we have our own struggle for freedom and equality in the United States, and South Africa’s story is unique but there are also so many common elements, and that resonates powerfully. But I think what’s so extraordinary about this museum is that it’s living history, because it’s inspiring people to see the power that young people can have to make change, to make change in all of our societies. It’s inspiring people to learn that the past does not have to be prologue. We’re not fated to any particular (inaudible). We can make change. And young people, especially, are the most powerful agents of change. And this is – there’s a photograph in the museum that went around the world, and it probably did as much to open hearts and open minds – and raise consciousness about Apartheid and about the struggle for equality and freedom – as anything. So to see this today, to have you share it with us, thank you. MS SITHOLE: Thank you. Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: It’s incredibly meaningful to me. MS SITHOLE: Thank you very much. And actually, the museum is a reminder of – like, for generations to come. Even us as adults, you’re like: we must know where we are coming from and where we are going to. And don’t forget that the youth actually took a stand for us to live better today. That means we’re opening the path, we’re opening the doors for youth as generations to come to take a stand in whatever problem that they have, but with responsibility. That is very, very important. So we are relying on our youth to really take a stand. We are …


Source: MyPR International

India secure place in gold medal clash after hard-fought South Africa win, while Australia stage comeback victory against England to earn chance for 7th gold medal

Lausanne, Switzerland: The morning session saw a couple of the men’s placings sorted. The day began with Scotland securing 9th place with a big win over Ghana, this was followed by Pakistan edging a high-scoring match against Canada to confirm 7th. The evening session saw the men’s semi-finals contested, starting with India earning a place in the final with a hard-fought win over South Africa. Over in the other semi-final Australia came back from 2-0 down to beat England. Match reports: Scotland 7 Ghana 2 (Classification 9-10 men) Scotland ended their Commonwealth Games campaign with a convincing win over tournament debutants Ghana. The Scots made a fast start to the game, Rob Harwood’s effort going just wide before a Jamie Golden shot was saved by Duisberg Offei in the Ghanaian goal. 7 minutes in Scotland did find the breakthrough, Struan Walker reacting to a shot saved from Cammy Golden. Ghana did have a chance to equalise from a penalty corner but the Scots held firm and the score stayed at 1-0 after the first 15. It was another attacking start from the Scots in the second period, and they doubled their advantage after 19 minutes, Rob Field turning on the style before playing a pass to Cammy Golden who slid the ball past Offei. Ghana kept their heads up and began to play themselves back into the tie, a fast break from the Africans required a top save from Scots keeper David Forrester. The keeper had to think fast again when making a tackle to deny another Ghana chance. Despite the pressure the Scots held onto their 2-0 lead heading into half-time. Ghana did manage to grab a goal early into the third quarter, as Emmanuel Ankomah fired home. Scotland used this wake-up call and after 36 minutes extended their lead to 3-1 via a top corner drag flick from Jamie Golden from a penalty corner. Ghana were temporarily reduced to 9 men after a couple of cards but the Scots couldn’t capitalise as the players took their final break. Playing in their final quarter of …


Source: MyPR International

Fiona Miles gives a voice to forgotten big cats and animals under human influence

World Lion Day is celebrated on August 10th. Director of FOUR PAWS in South Africa, Fiona Miles’ wish for this day is to see the protection for lions and all big cats fully restored and that one day they will only be seen in the wild. Cape Town, 8 August 2022 - When the sound of lions roaring at the Big Cat Sanctuary, LIONSROCK, echoes over the Eastern Free State landscape, the Director of FOUR PAWS Fiona Miles, often recalls that definitive moment in November 2007 when the first ten lions from Austria arrived to be released to live their best life in the African sun. She keenly remembers their arrival from the former safari park in Gänserndorff in Austria together with two lionesses from a Romanian zoo. “I was in tears when that first lion came out of the crate. I could not believe the plan finally came together.” The release into big enclosures was the culmination of months of hard work and perseverance. It was so much more than she could ever have imagined when she first heard the leader of rescue missions of FOUR PAWS, Dr. Amir Khalil, was searching for a project manager to head up the project of establishing a big cat sanctuary. “We were still busy finishing off the construction work when the trucks with the lions were 20 kilometres from LIONSROCK. It took hard labour to make that first release possible.” The release in 2007 took place not too long after she walked into the erstwhile lodge for the first time. “On that occasion I saw a lion cub walking into a room where there were lion skins on the floor and hunting trophies on the walls. I knew we had to step in and do that fast. This was shortly after the leader of rescue missions at FOUR PAWS, Dr. Amir Khalil, gave me a memory stick with documents and said we need to do whatever it takes to turn the tide for the animals.” At the time she was living in Johannesburg and did not even know where the lodge was situated. Soon however FOUR PAWS had taken over the property with its 25 lions, one tiger and two …


Source: MyPR International

We need another 132 years to close the global gender gap

Gender equality is a basic human right, yet progress towards equal rights for women remains elusive globally. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022*, it will take another 132 years to close the global gender gap. After the largest inequality seen in the Political Empowerment category, the second-largest gap appears in the Economic Participation and Opportunity category with a persistent wage disparity and a significant imbalance in the percentage of females in leadership roles. Interestingly, more females lost jobs because of the pandemic and were slower to recover those jobs as pandemic restrictions eased. Sabinet is proud to stand amongst those businesses in South Africa that are striving to close the gap and recognise women as equals to their male counterparts. 63% of the company’s leadership roles are currently filled by women. Sabinet Managing Director, Rosalind Hattingh comments: “This women’s day, and every day, we believe that protecting and enforcing women’s rights has a long-term impact on the betterment of our society. We will continue to give women opportunities as professionals and ensure they have a voice in our industry.” * Source: World Economic Forum CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. We need another 132 years to close the global gender gap Submission Details Author: Jeanine Liebenberg from Sabinet. More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact Sabinet Facebook: Twitter: …


Source: MyPR International