Sommaire pour 2024-09-25 de Star

Businesses in South Africa are feeling a bit more confident about the country’s policy direction as a result of structural reforms embarked on since the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), and the continuing suspension of load shedding. This is revealed in the North-West University (NWU) Business School Policy Uncertainty Index (PUI) for the third quarter of 2024 published on Monday, which has substantially eased to 53.5 points from 68.3 points in the second quarter, but remains above the baseline of 50 points. NWU Business School economist Professor Raymond Parsons said the considerable easing was the outcome of various positive factors that, on balance, outweighed the negative ones over the past three months. Parsons said that to a large extent, that reflected the blend of reduced…

South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor, Lesetja Kganyago yesterday said that “central banking is a punching bag” and that everybody had an opinion on how it should be conducting itself in terms of monetary policy. Kganyago was addressing an audience during a memorial service hosted by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for Pravin Gordhan, an anti-apartheid activist who held various government posts including as Commissioner of Sars and Minister of Finance. Speaking just days after the SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to drop the interest rate for the first time in four years, Kganyago said: “If you want to destroy a democracy, go for his (Gordhan’s) institutions. Undermine those institutions. Attack those institutions.” He added: “And I am speaking be- cause central banking is a punching bag. In South…

SMALL and medium retailers stand to benefit from a growing trend among South African consumers to support local brands and stores. This trend is unfolding at two layers – a preference for goods and products that are locally manufactured and proudly South African and growing enthusiasm to support stores owned and run within the community. A range of factors have converged over the past five years to drive a surge in “localism” which, in turn, creates opportunities for innovative retailers to differentiate themselves. The Covid-19 pandemic was an inflection point for the localism trend. It highlighted the fragility of global supply chains, in turn encouraging major retail chains to increase their support for local manufacturers. This has helped to revive sectors such as textiles and clothing manufacturing. At the same…

In today’s fast-paced world where efficiency and customer satisfaction are paramount, the role of technology in airports is evolving at an unprecedented rate. Airports are no longer just transit points; but are fast becoming hubs of innovation and efficiency, driven by the increasing demand for seamless, efficient and secure operations. The aviation sector has long relied on legacy systems that, while functional, are becoming increasingly dated and inadequate in addressing the complexities of modern air travel. Ground delays, baggage mishandling and security bottlenecks are just a few of the challenges that underscore the need for a technological overhaul. Modern travellers expect a hassle-free experience from check-in to boarding, which has led to a significant shift in how airports operate, focusing on minimising delays, enhancing security, and providing real-time information. The…

Operations at Jubilee’s Roan copper project in Zambia have now been handed over to its operational team after it attained design capacity, following the connection of stable power supply under a power purchase agreement with Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company (LHPC). Zambia is facing rolling power cuts of up to 20 hours a day due to the depletion of hydroelectricity production water levels at Kariba. Jubilee has had to sign up for a power purchase agreement with Lunsemfwa for guaranteed power supply to its operations in the regional country. “The company is pleased to an- nounce that its recently signed power purchase agreement with Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company (LHPC) which has been implemented, with uninterrupted power being delivered to Jubilee’s operations as of last week covering all of its processing plants’…

Tia Mowry, pictured, and her sister Tamera have grown apart in recent years. The 46-year-old actress first found fame alongside her twin sister in the hit 1990s sitcom Sister, Sister, but following her split from Cory Hardrict – with whom she has Cree, 13, and 6-year-old daughter Cairo – in 2023, she has revealed that she just wants to be able to speak to her former co-star amid the loneliness of divorce. Speaking in a clip from her upcoming WE TV series Tia Mowry: My Next Act, she said: “I came into this world with a twin and right after that, I went into a 22-year relationship, so I have never been alone in my life. It has been quite a journey. Being alone has been the most challenging part…

Fans in the US and Canada now have the chance to see Tyla live in her Johannesburg hometown this December. Coke Studio is running a Sweepstakes competition for the Water hitmaker’s North American fans aged 18 and older. The grand prize includes an all-expenses-paid trip for four to Johannesburg, where the award-winning singer will perform live in concert. The prize package features concert tickets, four nights of hotel accommodation, round-trip airfare and R26 358 in spending money for the duration of their stay in South Africa. While R&B singer Usher will perform in Atlanta in October as part of his Past Present Future tour, and Tyla will take the stage in Joburg, Tyla’s December performance will be exclusively dedicated to the competition. The lucky winner and their three friends will…

Matodzi Ndou’s star shone the bright est on the day when Curro Hazeldean announced themselves as a coming force in school athletics. Ndou was one of over 2 000 athletes representing 55 schools that descended on the Pilditch Athletics Stadium in Tshwane on Wednesday to compete at the Curro Podium North Athletics Meet vying to be one of just 40 schools that will make the cut to take part in the Curro Grand Finale next February. As Curro Hazeldean’s Olympic silver medalist Bayanda Walaza watched from the stands, the 17-year-old Curro Hazeldean Grade 11 learner delivered a performance to remember as he defeated Tukssport High School’s Phenyo Myen to win the Boys U17 110m hurdles in 12.94, which was a new South African record. Ndou's time is not only the…

Ingredients Onion marmalade: ½ cup butter 1 packet (1kg) onions, sliced 2 cloves garlic, chopped ¼ cup white wine vinegar ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup sugar Salt and milled pepper 1kg shop-bought bread dough Oil, for deep-frying and extra for frying About 1.5kg Grabouw boerewors 1 wedge (125g) Brie cheese, cut into slices 1 tin (410g) tomato braai relish 2 tsp sugar 1 packet rocket salad 1 mini cucumber, sliced into ribbons 1 packet streaky bacon, cooked For serving: Skinny fries Method To make the onion marmalade, heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. Tip in the onions and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they’re just starting to caramelise. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy, about 20 to 25 minutes.…

In celebration of Heritage Day, the Umgeni River Bird Park and Mitchell Park Zoo celebrated one of their oldest resident’s birthdays as Admiral the tortoise turned 120, yesterday. In honour of his birthday, the public was allowed to watch the celebration for free, and share in the celebrations by enjoying children’s activities and cake. The launch of the Mitchell Park Zoo’s Little Library also took place yesterday. Chief co-ordinator of Umgeni River Bird Park and Mitchell Park Zoo, Tarryn Bristow, said Admiral was definitely a part of Durban’s heritage and they wanted to use the day to celebrate not only him but also the history and heritage of the Umgeni River Bird Park and the Mitchell Park Zoo. “We are celebrating Admiral because one can only imagine what he has…

THEY said he was messing up the Mamelodi Sundowns way. They said he was fixing what was not broken. Damn, they even said he was not good enough to lead the country’s most dominant team of the past decade. Well, at the risk of falling into the same trap that they did by making too early a pronouncement, here goes: there is every reason to believe Manqoba Mngqithi is going to dish out large helpings of humble pie to his detractors. He led Sundowns to their second Premiership victory of the season, courtesy of the quick attacking play that has been ridiculed by many as being ‘anti-Sundowns’, when they beat Marumo Gallants 4-1 at Loftus Versfeld yesterday evening. Tashreeq Matthews, Iqraam Rayners and Lucas Ribeiro Costa had Daniel Akpeyi picking…

The Springbok Women will call on the experience of prop Babalwa Latsha for Friday’s WXV 2 opener against Japan at the Cape Town Stadium (5pm start). Latsha, a former captain, returns to the starting line-up named by coach Swys de Bruin yesterday after playing off the bench in last week’s 36-19 victory over Spain at the same venue. Tighthead prop Latsha has 30 Test caps, the fifth-most in the match 23 behind captain and lock Nolusindiso Booi (46), scrumhalf Tayla Kinsey (36), hooker Lindelwa Gwala (33) and flank Sinazo Mcatshulwa, and will take over the No 3 jersey from Azisa Mkiva, who will be among the replacements. Latsha will be going all out to use the skills she has picked up at her club Harlequins in England to give the…

Sentiment in the retail industry in South Africa has ticked up, though it remains in contractionary territory as consumers have begun feeling confident that the cost of living is slightly easing. The Bureau for Economic Research (BER) said on Monday that business confidence among retailers increased by six percentage points to 45% in the third quarter after aligning with the long-term average in the second quarter. The BER said that consumers’ real disposable income was boosted by inflation at a three-year low while the absence of load shedding, the market-friendly election outcome, and expectations of an interest rate-cutting cycle likely also contributed to the rise in confidence among retailers. The BER’s retail survey echoed the de- celeration in price growth indicated by headline consumer price inflation, which slowed for a…

RECENTLY, I had the privilege to represent the Citrus Growers’ Association Grower Development Company (GDC) at Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong. The conference is the biggest gathering of global fruit exporters to Asia, and countries such as China, Vietnam, South Korea and India represent huge growth opportunities for South African fruit exports. The delegation of GDC officials was there to represent the growing interests of black citrus growers in South Africa, and as a testament to how the grouping has been able to commercialise their enterprises and take part in South Africa’s citrus success story. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently mentioned the success when he spoke in Parliament about the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan, a government tool designed to address ownership, production and market access for designated groups. Ramaphosa…

Whether South Africa's agriculture does have any future in global markets in the face of deepening geopolitical frictions among major economies, it all depends on what the country's leaders do to prepare for an uncertain future. This was the opinion of Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA (Agbiz), on Monday. Sihlobo said success was not guaranteed. “It is a product of the combination of a clear reading of today's trends and how these will shape the future of global markets, how they envision South Africa's place in this fast-changing global economic order, the choice of policy actions, and daring speed. “What made us successful yesterday may not be adequate for the challenges ahead,” Sihlobo said. Agbiz said South Africa stood at a crossroads where a…

Pennsylvania’s dormant Three Mile Island nuclear plant in the US would be brought back to life to feed the voracious energy needs of Microsoft under an unprecedented deal announced on Friday in which the tech giant would buy 100% of its power for 20 years. The restart of Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear accident in US history, would mark a bold advance in the tech industry’s quest to find enough electric power to support its boom in artificial intelligence (AI). The plant, which Pennsylvanians thought had closed for good in 2019 amid financial strain, would come back online by 2028 under the agreement, says plant owner Constellation Energy. If approved by regulators, Three Mile Island would provide Microsoft with the energy equivalent it takes to power…

GRAND Parade Investments (GPI), posting a 649% profit leap in its annual results, said it plans to exploring future participation in the historical horse racing (HRR) segment of the gaming market. HHR, originally known as Instant Racing, is an electronic gambling product that allows players to bet on replays of horse races. “This segment is growing dramatically in certain jurisdictions of the US, and the group believes that similar opportunities exist in South Africa,” it said. GPI performed well over for the year ended June 30, with headline profit for the year improving by R71.4 million from earnings of R11m in the prior corresponding period. “The strategy of the group, which is now focused exclusively on the gaming sector, has yielded positive results, with the group delivering solid results…

Celebrated South African rappers Nasty C and Cassper Nyovest are set to share their African Throne Tour experience in an upcoming documentary. In an Instagram post, the renowned rappers announced that the upcoming documentary is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video. In 2023, the two of them went on a historical tour that kicked off in eSwatini and extended to several African countries, including Kenya, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and Rwanda. They also graced the stages of South African cities. Their tour not only showcased their powerful rapping skills but also showed their commitment to connecting with fans across the continent. The documentary is said to take viewers on a journey through the highs and lows and unforgettable memories of their African Throne Tour. Additionally, this documentary will feature behind-the-scenes…

Kerry Hiles transports theatregoers back in time with A Star is Born – The Rise and Fall of Judy Garland, currently showing at Theatre on the Square. Written and directed by Amanda Bothma, the 70-minute cabaret includes Luke Holder on piano. The production earned an Ovation Award at the 2019 National Arts Festival. It also enjoyed a successful 2023 run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I caught up with Hiles on the opening night of the show last Wednesday. She was over the moon for the preview performance. She said: “The stage is looking beautiful, the lights are looking beautiful and Luke is looking beautiful.” The show was inspired by a documentary she watched about Elizabeth Taylor in 2018. Hiles explained: “They were speaking about other people in her class…

THE Joburg City Council has confirmed that more than 100 000 residents are set to benefit through housing developments after the council finally approved major housing developments in the City of Joburg (COJ). This was confirmed by the city through Nthatisi Modingoane, its communications spokesperson, on Monday. Modingoane said he would like to extend his appreciation to the council for its support on three crucial projects that would benefit more than 100 000 people through key developments across the city. The latest developments come as there have been invasions of key relocation sites across the city and after about 2 000 residents were displaced by a blaze at the Jeppestown building three weeks ago. Earlier this year, after reports of hijacked buildings and fire-ravaged residential buildings, it…

A PORTION of land has been identified to relocate people living at Cemetery View informal settlement near Woodlands Shopping Centre. This was disclosed by the acting MEC for Gauteng Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, who visited the settlement on Monday after more than 2 000 people were left displaced when their shacks were burned down by fire on the weekend. Maile said there were 2 600 people housed in 814 shacks and most were foreign nationals. “There are intergovernmental efforts deployed to aid the community including emergency services, Home Affairs and the Department of Human Settlements from the three spheres of government who will continue to be stationed there,” he posted on X. He said land has already been identified for relocation and the City of Tshwane has appointed contractors to…

The 2024 Gauteng Schools Wednesday Champions League concluded at the Muckleneuk Sports Grounds in Mamelodi last week. The defending champions, Clapham High School and Jabulile Secondary School, proudly secured the top positions in boys’ and girls’ football, respectively. This year, the introduction of netball and volleyball leagues brought a new level of excitement to the competition. The winners were Moletsane High School from Soweto in netball, Mpilisweni High School from Katlehong in boys’ volleyball and Lukhanyo High School in Mohlakeng in girls’ volleyball. Each winning team will receive R50 000 worth of attire and sporting equipment for their school. Forty-four school teams competed in the 2024 Champions League over a four-round league format competition that began in August. This demonstrates the growing interest and participation in school sports in the…

Manchester United and Tottenham kick off their Europa League campaigns this week, hoping to put disappointing starts to the Premier League season behind them. Erik ten Hag’s United have failed to show any real improvement from a miserable season last term, sitting outside the top 10 already domestically with just seven points from five matches. The Dutch manager narrowly clung on to his job despite leading the Old Trafford giants to their worst Premier League finish of eighth last term, largely thanks to a surprise FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. United spent heavily in the transfer market, but the expected upturn in fortunes on the pitch are yet to materialise ahead of their Europa League opener at home to FC Twente tonight (9pm kick-off, SA time). A goalless…

ACCORDING to the ICC Future Tours Programme, the Proteas Test team should be travelling to Bangladesh next month for a two-match series scheduled to start on October 21. However, with the recent political unrest in Bangladesh having forced the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be moved from Bangladesh to the UAE, the five-day format tour could suffer a similar fate. Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad told Independent Newspapers that they are awaiting a security report to inform Cricket South Africa about whether it is safe to travel to Bangladesh, and they expect the report later this week. The 57-year-old said that they hope the tour will take place as scheduled. “There’s a security team there currently, and I think they are just wrapping up matters,” said Conrad. “We’ll…

Mining company lands a funding grant from the US government SOUTH32’s plans to advance its Arizona- based Hermosa project towards manganese production has received a boost after the company landed a $166 million (R2.9bn) funding grant from the US government. With existing manganese operations in South Africa and Australia, South32 invested $372m at Hermosa – which is also earmarked to produce zinc and copper – during its 2024 full year. This investment was sunk into installation of critical path infrastructure as well as progressing studies and permitting, including for the Clark manganese segment of Hermosa. The US Department of Energy has now granted South32 up to $166m in funding to develop battery-grade manganese. The commodity is a key component in the renewable energy industry as it is a stabilising component…

The INTERNATIONAL Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) said on Monday that renewables remained competitive, despite fossil fuel prices returning closer to historical cost levels. According to the Irena’s Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023 report released on Monday at the Global Renewables Summit during the UN General Assembly, utility-scale renewable projects had lower costs than their fossil fuel-fired alternatives, with renewable power capacity additions setting a record of 473GW in 2023, 81% or 382GW of newly commissioned. Irena’s director-general, Francesco La Camera, said renewable power remained cost-competitive vis-à-vis fossil fuels. “The virtuous cycle of long-term support policies has accelerated renewables. In return, growth has led to technology improvements and cost reductions,” La Camera said. “Prices for renewables are no excuse any more, on the contrary. The record growth of renewables in…

About three years ago, I was introduced to Abderrahmane Chaoui by our mutual friend, Ammin Youssouf. At the time, I was the head of community at the Pan-African venture capital (VC) firm 54 Collective, and our first conversation felt like one of those long-overdue exchanges that help make sense of the complex and often fragmented nature of African entrepreneurship. Chaoui, who was two-thirds of the way through a one-and-a-half year, 13-country research tour across the continent at the time, shared his observations about the stark gaps between north and sub-Saharan Africa – culturally, linguistically and economically. We bonded over wanting to bridge these divides, particularly the insight and commercial opportunity gaps between Anglophone and Francophone Africa. His journey was fascinating. After growing up in Algeria and earning a degree from…

KUMBA Iron Ore is having to focus more on its production cost base as the price of iron ore continues to fall, and with it the company’s share price. Its shares closed 1.09% weaker at R337.32 ion the JSE on Monday, extending the company’s 5.39% and 44.52% weakening in the past 30 days and year-to-date period respectively. This comes as prices of iron ore have continued to weaken. On Monday, iron ore prices sank further to about $91.93 per metric ton. Seleho Tsatsi, investment analyst at Anchor Capital, said that the softer prices were due to weak demand for the commodity. “The big driver of demand is Chinese property and infrastructure spending and, as we know, Chinese growth has been lacklustre,” Tsatsi said. “Historically, fixed asset investment (real estate…

WHILE residential vacancy rates increased across all provinces and rental value bands, the Western Cape had the lowest hike in vacancies, according to the Residential Vacancy Survey Report by the credit bureau TPN. Waldo Marcus, industry principal at MRI Software and head of marketing at TPN, said the higher vacancy rate reflected fluctuating supply and demand, economic pressures and evolving consumer behaviour. “Rental vacancies have been gradu- ally increasing since 2018, driven by a growing supply of rental properties, which continued to grow until 2020. Although persistently high interest rates have bolstered the rental market, rental market supply has started to de- cline as a result of decreasing consumer and business confidence,” he said. The TPN Market Strength Index, which measures perceived supply and demand in the rental market, increased…

The late Whitney Houston’s historic 1994 South African concert following former president Nelson Mandela’s landmark election is set to hit cinemas next month. Spearheaded by Sony Music Entertainment as well as the I Will Always Love You hitmaker’s estate, among others, Whitney Houston – The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) will be released in some countries on October 23, and in others on October 27. The South African release date has not been confirmed yet. As part of the 30th Anniversary celebration of Houston’s iconic SA concert, it will feature the never- before-released concert from her Durban performance at the Kings Park Stadium in 1994, which has been remastered in 4K and with improved audio. At the time, Houston took to the stage in Johannesburg, Cape Town and…

The City of Joburg’s proposal to rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive has been slammed by some organisations. The metro’s city manager, Floyd Brink, said the proposal to rename Sandton Drive was in line with the city’s Naming of Streets and Other Public Places policy. He invited the public to submit their submissions before October 18, either approving or rejecting the proposal. “Comments or representations are hereby invited from interested and affected people or parties. Particulars of the proposed renaming will be available for inspection during normal office hours,” said Brink. The SA Zionist Federation (SAZF) has strongly voiced its disapproval to change the name of Sandton Drive in honour of the Palestinian activist. Khaled is regarded by some as a heroine of the Palestinian people, but hated by…

The corruption case of former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and his co-accused has been transferred from the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. The six are set to appear for a pre-trial conference on October 21. Phahlane and his co-accused were arrested in September 2022 for their alleged involvement in two police tenders totalling more than R54 million. In March this year, Phahlane, Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Mahwayi, Major-General Maanda Obert Nemutandzhela, Major-General Mankosana Agnes Makhele and businessmen Inbanathan Kistiah and Avendra Naidoo appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges of fraud and corruption, theft and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), relating to the contracts. According to the NPA, one of the contracts relates to the irregular procurement of…

The SABC has noted that it will continue to push for the adoption of a compulsory household levy for households. Moreover, the SABC has asked that the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and MultiChoice help in enforcing revenue collection. These comments were made last week by SABC head of policy and regulatory affairs, Philly Moilwa, during a public hearing by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies. This public hearing is part of the process to allow government to introduce the SABC Bill, which will introduce a new TV licence regime and funding model. Moilwa made it clear that the organisation wants to move away from the failing TV licence business model. “We have moved far ahead of accessing the SABC from a TV, you can access it across…

A traINING and skills development project for small-scale livestock farmers recently launched by the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science is helping farmers, contributing towards food security, economic growth and biosecurity, and putting the implementation of the national Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan into action. The new three-year project, launched in May 2024, provides training to previously disadvantaged small-scale livestock farmers in the communities surrounding mining operations in the Tswaing and JB Marks Local Municipalities (in the North West) and Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (in Limpopo). The project forms part of the ongoing primary animal health care training programme, which has been running since 2011. “South Africa has a dual agricultural economy, with an established commercial farming industry and an emerging small-scale farmer sector,” said Dr Rebone Moerane…

Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae; Speaker of Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Morakane Mosupyoe; Joburg Mayor Dada Morero and Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza joined Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Joburg, Pan Qingjiang who hosted a special reception to celebrate China’s National Day. The annual celebration this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, since the proclamation made by Mao Zedong, then chairman of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on October 1, 1949. The government of a new State under the CPC was proclaimed by Mao at the August ceremony, which marked the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. “It gives me great pleasure to have you, both old and new friends, together with us in this lovely spring season…

KWAZULU-NATAL has the second- highest HIV prevalence rate in South Africa at 16.0%, a decrease from 18.0% in 2017. This translates to about 1.98 million individuals living with HIV in the province. This emerged from the Sixth South African HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey (SABSSM VI) released by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) at a provincial dialogue at The Edward Hotel in Durban on Monday. The survey, led by overall principal investigator of the study, the HSRC’s Professor Khangelani Zuma, highlighted significant age-related disparities, noting that individuals aged 25 to 49 represent a staggering 31.1% prevalence, with women significantly more affected than men. Rural areas recorded a prevalence of 20.0%. Despite the decline in overall prevalence, the data indicated a concerning trend: the HIV prevalence among older populations…

South Africans have in the past week been reeling from the unravelling details of how restaurant workers, particularly waiters, were treated by eateries. Former Pretoria restaurant waitress Mihlali Nobavu’s TikTok video went viral, putting the cat among the pigeons as an outpouring of anger on social media platforms quickly provoked action from government departments which descended on restaurants with multi-sectoral blitz raids. On Tuesday last week, IOL reported that the Department of Employment and Labour had unleashed an intensive four-day inspection of restaurants across South Africa, following the reports of endemic exploitation in the sector. During the blitz, Department of Employment and Labour chief inspector for occupational health and safety, Milly Ruiters, said a total of the department’s 1 984 boots would be “on the ground” during the week.…

As Beijing bustled with high level delegations from the African continent and their partners from China, one could not help but marvel at the optimism emerging from the Forum for Africa China Co-operation (FOCAC). The triennial Summit, held from September 4 to 6 this year, was attended by delegations from China, 53 heads of states and government, their ministers of foreign affairs and economic co-operation, among others, and the chairperson of the AU Commission. The FOCAC was launched in 2000 after more than 70 years of evolving cordial bilateral and multilateral relations between China and liberation movements, and later, independent African states, and the AU. China, now the second-largest global economy, has become a major source of inspiration and support in addressing continental and international challenges. Until a few…