South Africa has leapt seven places, becoming 49th out of 140 countries following the release of the 2015/16 results of the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Competitiveness Index.
South Africa’s biggest improvements came in the areas of infrastructure (up 8 places), health and primary education (up 6 places), labour market efficiency (up 6 places), technological readiness (up 16 places), and innovation (up 5 places).
The country has also improved in the areas of: macro-economic environment (up 4 places), higher education and training (up 3 places), and business sophistication (up 2 places).
“Building a country’s competitiveness is a collective endeavour involving the collaboration of government, business and civil society. Ultimately it involves all South Africans to coalesce around this national objective,” Brand South Africa’s CEO Kingsley Makhubela said of the improved performance.
“The report resonates with our own assessment that we must work towards strengthening, amongst others, the education and health sectors to ensure our sustained competitiveness. The National Development Plan outlines the steps we need to take to achieve this.”
Meanwhile, there were some challenges in the area of institutions (down 2 places), goods market efficiency (down 6 places), financial market development (down 5 places) an
The fourth edition of the university football league continues today in Nkozi, with the Uganda Martyrs University hosting Uganda Christian University in the first leg of the quarter finals.
The two teams met last year and Canons emerged winners by 2- 0 goal margin but this time Martyr’s tactician Simon Ddungu believes his team has greatly improved.
“We have got a number of new players on the team and the progress has been fantastic. The game is to prove our critics wrong including the media,” Ddungu said.
His Canon’s counterpart Jackson Nyiima is also optimistic that his team will emerge.
“We hope for a great and interesting game,” he said.
It is expected that both teams will play under intense pressure considering that neither has ever qualified for the semifinals.
As Parliament meets to debate electoral reforms, an erstwhile unconsidered reform has been introduced by constitutional court: reform the way special interest groups are elected or do not elect them at all— the court ruled.
What that means is that mostly in tomorrow’s Parliament session, the national resistance movement, which is the singular beneficiary of the special interest representation, will have to introduce amendments proposed Parliamentary elections (amendment) bill 2015 or else it will lose twenty of its membership in the House.
Col. Shaban Bantariza, Deputy Executive Director of Media Centre who doubles as deputy government Spokesperson
According to the government spokesperson and Deputy Executive Director, Col. Shaban Bantariza there will be an appeal filed tomorrow, Wednesday for stay of the execution.
The same day, Parliament will be convening to pass the three electoral reform bills with haste— so that MPs can return to their recess.
The bummer is that in case court does not honour the appeal, government risks missing a chance to sneak the ordered reform in the bills to be handled.
For NRM to move across this tight rope with confidence, it should needs to bring amendments when Parliament convenes.
Indeed, as this story was being written, the top brass of the party had their phones switched off. Those in the know but could not speak on record, because they are not the official spokesperson of the party, told Eagle Online that their bosses were locked in a meeting to agree on the way forward before Parliament convenes on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court declared that representatives for the army, the youth and workers in Parliament were elected unconstitutionally because they were elected to under an illegal system that only favours one side.
Gen. Elly Tumwine, one of ten army representatives affected by the ruling.
“The impugned law in relation to the election of the representatives of the army, youth and workers is void and we declare so in in accordance with Article 2 of the Constitution,” the ruling reads in part.
The ruling was drafted by a Coram of five Justices: Augustine Nshimye, Remmy Kasule, Ruby Opio, Richard Buteera, and Fredrick Egonda-Ntende.
“We do grant an injunction against the respondents restraining them from conducting elections for the special interest groups of the army, youth and workers under the law that we have found unconstitutional,” the learned justices ordered.
Ever since special interest groups were introduced in Parliament, the ruling NRM party has been treating them as an extension of their membership a thing that prompted a series of petitions filed in 2010 in which different concerned citizens were objecting to the procedures used.
Does the ruling throw out current MPs?
Constitutional law expert Peter Walubiri
Interpreting the ruling Constitutional lawyer Peter Walubiri, who is also an opposition sympathiser, said it is not about the special interest groups, per se, because the constitution provides for that.
“If the elections are to be held they have to comply with the new direction of court. Now that this has happened, there is going to be a stampede by the NRM in parliament in trying to implement the amendments to fit in the 2016 road map.
“Hopefully they (NRM) fail and we get rid of them because they have been eating our money for nothing,” he said.
Lawyer and Lord Mayor, Eriasa Lukwago, however, thinks the affected members should cease being MPs.
“We welcome the ruling because the law under which they elected to Parliament was irregular. Secondly, they are not necessary in Parliament. For example, we have very old men representing the army but are always absent and even when they attend, they never contribute to the parliamentary debate,
“I only hope that President Museveni does not fight his way into having them back to increase numbers for voting in favour government positions because he is good at that,” he said.
Lukwago’s sentiments are shared with fellow Democratic Party member Medard Ssegona.
“Yes they cease to be MPs because according to the judgment, they were elected to parliament under an illegal law and therefore their stay in parliament is illegal as well. It is now up as parliamentarians to make sure that the court decision is respected.
“The question has always been whether we need these special interest groups in parliament since some of them do not even represent their constituencies. It is very important that court has pronounced itself on the matter. The petition has been before court for a very long time but the government did not bother to correct the law or settle the matter before court,” he said.
Charles Bakabulindi, one of the five workers’ representatives in Parliament.
Bakabulindi is confident the ruling has no bearing on his being in the House.
“As far as I am concerned the ruling is only directing the Electoral Commission not to carry out elections because the current law is not clear until the law has been amended. Therefore, we are still in Parliament but if they insist on throwing us out we shall appeal,” he said.
Gen Tumwine hope the two arms of government will complement each other and do what is right to deliver good governance.
“The courts are balanced by the other two arms of government and I am sure the legislature can feel their (court’s) concerns by addressing the loopholes they have raised.
“But why didn’t they tell us earlier? They (special interest groups) are elected basing on the recommendations of the constitution but by the interpretation of the judges, they are helping in interpreting it,” he said.
The trail of former Vice President of Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba and six others opened today before trial chamber VII at the International Criminal Court at Hague in the Netherlands
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are accused of offences against the administration of justice in connection with witnesses’ testimonies in the case of the prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo.
The trial started with the reading of the charges. Presiding judge Bertram Schmitt verified that the accused persons understood the nature of the charges. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Court’s Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Senior Trial Lawyer Kweku Vanderpuye then took the floor for opening statements.
The hearings will resume tomorrow with the start of the prosecution’s presentation of evidence. The opening statements of the defence will be made at the beginning of the presentation of evidence of the defence.
The trial is expected to take several months. During the first part, the office of the prosecutor will be presenting the evidence at the prosecution’s disposal. Once the prosecution has presented all its evidence, it is the turn of the accused persons, with the assistance of their counsel, to present their case.
Trial Chamber VII is composed of presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt, Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut and Judge Raul Pangalangan.
Judges will ensure that the trial is fair and expeditious and is conducted with full respect for the rights of the defence, the equality of arms and the principle of adversarial debate, having further due regard for the protection of victims and witnesses.
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are accused of offences against the administration of justice in connection with witnesses’ testimonies, between the end of 2011 and November 14, 2013, including corruptly influencing witnesses by giving them money and instructions to provide false testimony, presenting false evidence and giving false testimony in the courtroom.
Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are appearing voluntarily before the Court as they were granted interim release on October 21, 2014. Bemba is in ICC custody.
The Uganda National Roads Authority has laid off its entire staff, Allen Kagina, the Executive Director, has announced.
According to Ms Kagina the decision to lay off over 890 workers was arrived at after a comprehensive review of the performance of the Authority since its establishment in 2008.
She said that the Board of Directors, in bid to make UNRA a fit-for-purpose-Authority, embarked on a comprehensive restructuring process which also includes disbanding the entire staff.
Further, that a notice of collective termination of all incumbent staff excluding the Executive Director has been issued and a new staff establishment, salary structure, and human resources policies framework has been commissioned.
According to Ms Kagina, the Board has embarked on a recruitment drive to fill the positions in the new structure giving priority to interested qualified outgoing staff. Under the same structure, a new and improved system has been introduced which will see a staff recruitment of about 1736 workers.
“UNRA has had a number of challenges one being inadequate staffing; this system will therefore help us solve this issue,’’ Kagina said, adding that incompetence, corruption and abuse of office are some of the reasons for the massive lay-off.
“The organization has suffered corruption, mismanagement of office among other vices we look to terminate,” she said
All those laid off will be required to reapply during a three month transition period, Ms Kagina said, adding however, that all projects that were already initiated will go on during this period.
“The recruitment will take place gradually as work continues,” Ms Kagina said.
In a related development, a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire is currently carrying out a probe into various scandals in UNRA, most of which are corruption-related.
The 72-year-old Trinidadian is the former head of Caribbean and North and Central American football (Concacaf), but quit Fifa in 2011.
He is fighting extradition to the US on corruption charges and denies accepting millions of dollars in bribes.
Warner committed ‘many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly’ said the football world governing body’s ethics committee.
Fifa’s ruling follows its own investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which began looking at Warner’s activities in January 2015.
On Tuesday, Fifa said Warner had been found guilty of violating the organisation’s code of ethics several times.
A statement read: “In his positions as a football official, he was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance, and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, as well as other money-making schemes.”
The United States wants to try Warner and 13 other current or former Fifa officials who were indicted in May.
Prosecutors allege that Warner – who was one of football’s most powerful figures whose support was seen as crucial for any World Cup host bid – has been involved in criminal corrupt practices for more than two decades.
In June 2015, a BBC investigation found evidence of bribes paid to Warner.
Uganda’s representatives at the ongoing Afro Basket Championships in Yaoundé, Cameroon have been eliminated.
This afternoon Uganda’s Gazelles fell to title contenders Mali at the City Arena by 55 to 73 baskets, with point guard Flavia Oketcho attaining a personal best of 16 points and 5 assists, followed by Peace Proscovia’s 12 points and 12 rebounds and inspiring Judith Nansobya with 9 points.
However, the scores did not deter Mali’s tall and aggressive Konkou Coulibaly, Naignouma Diakite and Fantine Bagayoyo who scored 19, 13 and 12, respectively.
The Gazelles, who needed a win to remain in contention, trailed in the first three quarters of the game by 16:22, 6:17 and 14:15 but managed to save face in the fourth quarter with a 19:19 tie.
Uganda won their first ever game yesterday against the South Africans and lost the other group games to undefeated Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique.
The team is now expected back in the country tomorrow or on Thursday.
“Whatever the outcome at Afro Basket, Uganda has left the tournament in Yaoundé a far better team in terms of technique, style of play and discipline on and off the field. Although we were far away from title contention, playing against regular giants in Cameroon, Mali, Gabon and Mozambique is a great achievement for the girls and the nation,” Coach Timothy Odeke said after the game.
REPORTEDLY DRAFTED ODOI INTO NRM: Former NRM SG John Patrick Amama Mbabazi.
The Democratic Party has said that Amama Mbabazi is the better placed candidate to win the 2016 elections.
Addressing journalist at the DP headquarters in Kampala today, the deputy party spokesperson Mr Kakande Kenneth observed that after The Democratic Alliance (TDA) failed to agree on a joint candidate, eight members of the Alliance zeroed in on Mbabazi, convinced he has the ability to win elections against incumbent President Yoweri Museveni or any other candidate.
“We have made many attempts in various elections and we have not achieved this change; we believe Amama Mbabazi will bring change in our country,” Kakande said, adding that the former Prime Minister brings with him a bag of tricks from the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“We got all his tricks and now we are going to start blocking all of them,” Kakande said adding: “We believe Mbabazi can change Uganda. He has the key to open that door.”
Kakande also called upon members of the opposition to put their differences aside and aim at change in the country.
“It’s not about sending missiles to each other; we all want to see Museveni leave power,” Kakande said and implored members of the DP to desist from engaging in confrontation with other opposition members.
“The enemy is not them but Museveni. They may even join us to bring change to the country,” he added.
Commenting on allegations that Mao ‘hijacked’ the TDA Spokesperson position from FDC’s Wafula Oguttu, Kakande asserted that the latter was no longer a TDA member and therefore had no right to claim Mao took his position.
“Mao has not hijacked any position; Oguttu is in FDC, they didn’t accept Mbabazi so he couldn’t be spokesperson yet he’s not part of the TDA,” Kakande said.
Amama Mbabazi was declared TDA flag bearer last week by a majority of the members in the Alliance.
Sepp Blatter was close to tears as he urged the staff to "stay strong"
Fifa president Sepp Blatter will not step down because of the criminal proceedings against him by Swiss investigators.
The 79-year old is suspected of signing a contract that was ‘unfavourable to Fifa’ and making a ‘disloyal payment’ to Uefa president Michel Platini.
Sepp Blatter
Blatter, who had already said he will stand down in February 2016, claimed he ‘had done nothing illegal or improper’, while Platini, 60, has written a letter to Uefa members denying any wrongdoing.
In a statement released through his lawyers, Blatter said a £1.5m payment made to Platini, the head of European football’s governing body in 2011 was ‘valid compensation and nothing more’.
Both men are also facing investigation by FIFA’s independent ethics committee over the payment, which Platini said was for work as Blatter’s technical advisor between 1999 and 2002.
Platini, who was interviewed as a witness by officers from the Swiss Attorney General’s office, stressed that the payment had been ‘fully declared’ to the authorities.
The Frenchman said he was ‘aware that these events may harm my image and reputation’ and released a statement for ‘reasons of transparency’.
The 2011 payment came nine years after Platini’s work for Blatter – and two months before Uefa gave its backing to the Swiss before a presidential election.
That is something that now must be explained, according to Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan.
“It is an essential piece of information that still needs to be provided,” Regan said.
The contract – described by Swiss prosecutors as ‘unfavorable to FIFA’ – is thought to refer to a 2005 TV rights deal between FIFA and Jack Warner, the former president of Concacaf, the governing body of football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
According to an investigation by Swiss broadcaster SRF in September, the deal allegedly resulted in a multi-million pound profit for Warner’s company.
World governing body FIFA, which has been hit by several corruption allegations in recent years, has said it is co-operating with the Swiss investigators.
Earlier this year the United States indicted 14 current and former FIFA officials and associates on charges of ‘rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted’ corruption following a major inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Meanwhile, a separate Swiss investigation is looking into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which will be held in Russia and Qatar, respectively.
KCCA’s Executive Director Jennifer S Musisi received ‘The Golden European Award For Quality and Business Prestige’ in the Public Administration Sphere.
She was presented the award at the World Business Assembly Conference of Leaders and Socrates Award Ceremony held in Rome, Italy on September 27 2015.
The WBA is operational in over 35 countries and it gathered business leaders, scientists, and experts in different spheres of administration from Australia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ghana, India, South Africa among others.
