Statement on the 104th Anniversary of the South African Communist Party

Sunday, 3 August 2025

104 Years of consistent struggle for socialism: Intensifying the class battle for meaningful working-class representation and for ending poverty

The Communist Party has stood firm for more than a century, carrying forward the banner of the working class and the poor. The lesson of our 104 years is clear. Political freedom without economic emancipation is incomplete. Democracy without working-class power remains hollow.

Unemployment, poverty and inequality continue to define the lives of millions in our country today. Private monopoly capital continues to loot our resources, exploit labour and sabotage development. Neo-liberal austerity and monetary policy suffocate our economy while corruption and lawlessness undermine the gains we won through decades of sacrifice. This cannot continue.

We call on the working class as a whole, employed and unemployed workers, the poor in general, women and men united, the youth, progressive intellectuals and sections of the middle class, and peasants, to intensify the class struggle. Let us unite in defence of our hard-won democratic breakthrough and for the advance to socialism.

Our hard-won democratic dispensation, a key milestone in our revolution, is not and must never be treated as an end in itself. It must serve as a means to obliterate the legacy of colonialism and apartheid to build a better life for all, especially the majority, being the working class and poor, and to establish shared prosperity on a non-racial and non-sexist basis.

In the same way, the National Democratic Revolution is not and must never be reduced to an end in itself. It is a direct route to socialism, rooted in our country’s historical realities, to achieve freedom from capitalist-class domination and exploitation of the working class and control of the state and society at large.

The National Democratic Revolution is a strategy of struggle, transformation and development. It was first conceptualised by the Communist Party as a world movement and here at home in the course of the anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggle for liberation and social emancipation. But even then, the Communist Party advanced this strategic perspective not for its own sake but in the interests of the working class, the peasants and, ultimately, society as a whole.

The National Democratic Revolution is therefore not the private property of any single organisation inside or outside our movement, nor does any such organisation have an exclusive leadership or other role in it. The revolution is for the people. Everything within it must be about serving the people, and nothing within it must be against the people.

In class terms, the working class, as the majority class and primary but not the sole motive force, must rise to the occasion and establish its leadership of the National Democratic Revolution by democratic means. This must help overcome the crisis of working-class representation that has emerged under the elite pacts that characterise our national political scenario.

To the working class, both employed and unemployed, in urban and rural areas, in the squatter camps, in the labour movement and beyond, young and old, let us build a powerful, socialist movement, and a popular Left front.

Let us intensify the struggle against privatisation in all its forms, including the auctioning off of state assets and the outsourcing of state functions, as well as the replacement of state participation in sectors such as electricity, rail, ports and water infrastructure with profit-driven private interests, including the water tankers associated with the deliberate destruction of or sabotage in the public water provision infrastructure.

Let us intensify the struggle against the conversion of permanent work into insecure and temporary employment, the struggle against labour brokering and the overall struggle against neo-liberalism in all its framing and agendas, including austerity.

Let us tackle the crisis of working-class representation

We must rise with the strength of 104 years of consistent struggle for liberation, democracy and socialism.

The struggle for meaningful working-class representation is not for tomorrow – it is for today. It is a struggle that demands organisation in our workplaces and institutions of learning, mobilisation in our communities and unity in action across our country. This struggle requires us to set the national transformation and development agenda in pursuit of the goals of the Freedom Charter, which remains the basic programme of the National Democratic Revolution.

In that order, we must hold the government and other organs of the state accountable and reclaim our economy for the benefit of the people. To this end, let us strengthen and deploy our collective capacity to provide leadership in the forthcoming National Dialogue process, to secure outcomes that advance the eradication of poverty, achieve large-scale employment creation to end the unemployment crisis and realise, in practice, the right of all to work.

The National Dialogue process must contribute to the radical reduction of inequality and its ultimate elimination. Without advancing these objectives, including resolving the unresolved land question, the National Dialogue will become nothing more than another talk show and a waste of national resources.

Advancing the immediate struggle to confront the crisis of working-class representation requires strategic consistency, with vanguard implementation of our National Congress and Special National Congress resolutions to contest elections directly and more effectively. This is no longer a question of if or when. It is now a question of strengthening our preparations at every Central Committee, Political Bureau and sub-national level of leadership organs to contest the forthcoming local government elections in 2026 on a wall-to-wall basis, as resolved in clear terms by our Fifth Special National Congress in December 2024.

Engagements with our allies on the reconfiguration of the Alliance and on better ways of relating and strengthening our relationship are not a substitute for our National Congress and Special National Congress resolutions but must be pursued, as we are doing, in line with those resolutions. It is a fact that every ally within our Alliance upholds the resolutions of its highest decision-making body, whether a National Congress or a National Conference. It was with a clear appreciation of the situation that the last bilateral meeting between the ANC and the SACP agreed to establish a joint task team on these issues.

The People’s Red Caravan, taking forward village development and tackling the urban–rural uneven development

The People’s Red Caravan is a nationwide village development initiative launched by the SACP in 2025 as a mobilisation platform rooted in working-class and peasant struggles and grassroots community development. SACP Central Committee members led by the General Secretary, and other leaders of the Party from the provincial and district levels and branches, live and work alongside local residents for a full week, called the activation week, addressing poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and violence, to mention but a few, through practical community measures rather than distant bureaucratic rhetoric.

We launched the first Red Caravan Activation Week in Motlhabe Village, North West, in June 2025, followed by a second week in Matibidi, Mpumalanga, in July 2025.

At its core, the People’s Red Caravan rejects patronising charity or top-down delivery. It embodies collective and self-reliant action within communities and calls for community involvement in local development. The programme focuses on sustainable solutions in food security, community safety, health education, cultural and recreational activities, and economic development through local cooperation.

Beyond Motlhabe and Matibidi, the campaign is rolling out to other villages across the country, with each deployment designed to have a lasting impact that strengthens the capacity of communities to fight poverty and build development.

The sustainability and success of the People’s Red Caravan depend on strong and consistently active SACP district and branch structures, serving as the primary organisational mechanism to sustain this work. The SACP must lead in working closely with communities, including traditional councils and leaders who have made land available for productive use, as part of the struggle for development and the fight against poverty and the high cost of living.

The People’s Red Caravan expresses the Communist Party’s determination to mobilise the people directly in their communities to take part in resolving local development challenges.

A call for monetary policy change

The SACP calls for the South African Reserve Bank to be urgently repositioned to play a developmental role, as opposed to the neo-liberal role that has failed, since the adoption of the Constitution in the mid-1990s, to deliver on the constitutional mandate of ensuring balanced and sustainable growth in our nation’s economy. This failure to realise a constitutional obligation must not be allowed to pass without accountability.

Also, it is unacceptable for any institution in our state system to claim independence from democratic policy direction and accountability, while being captive to the dictates of private monopoly capital, other capitalist class interests and imperialist-controlled financial institutions, such as domestic and foreign-controlled commercial banks and the IMFs of this world.

The developmental role that the Reserve Bank should play must include maximum sustainable employment as part of its mandate, explicitly. Its performance must be measured against this employment creation target as a monetary policy goal.

Moving in the opposite direction instead of pursuing a developmental role while announcing a token interest rate reduction of only 0.25 per cent on Thursday, 31 July 2025, the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee led by its governor declared, obviously using different words, that it will, going forward, adopt a more conservative stance within the narrow policy of inflation targeting. The 3 per cent inflation target they announced may seem to be within the long controversial 3 to 6 per cent range set by the National Treasury, but it represents a shift towards even greater conservatism within the narrow policy of inflation targeting. There are more problems with this, of which three are worth highlighting, at least for now.

First, it is not the mandate of the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to set monetary policy. That mandate belongs to the executive authority. The conduct of the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is therefore deeply problematic and demands scrutiny. Second, the Reserve Bank failed to state how it intends to achieve the new target. From experience, we know its method will involve raising interest rates.

Third, high interest rates and, as if that were not enough, additional interest rate increases strangle the economy. A high-interest rate regime and additional interest rate increases do not unlock productive investment but instead enrich finance capital monopolies while suffocating workers, households, co-operatives and small enterprises. This monetary policy regime compels families to pay more for mortgages, cars and basic loans, thereby decreasing their capacity to cover daily social reproduction expenses. Co-operatives and small firms are pushed to the edge as the cost of credit becomes unbearable. The outcome is stagnation, which we have faced for a long time now, and persisting high rates of unemployment, poverty and inequality.

The high interest rates regime serves not the needs of society but the greed of finance capital. It protects the capitalist-class elites who profit from debt while the majority endure suffering. Companies retrench workers, the government spends more on interest rate payments than on serving communities, manufacturing de-industrialises and sectors such as construction are paralysed. The economy is throttled, living standards decline and inequality intensifies. High interest rates are not neutral instruments of monetary policy but weapons that entrench underdevelopment and crush the aspirations of the working class, of whom the majority is poor.

Instead, South Africa needs a monetary policy that confronts unemployment and poverty head-on. As things stand, over 12 million people in our country remain without work or have given up looking for it. A just macro-economic policy would support industrialisation and national productive development to create employment on a mass scale. Economic policy must serve the people, not the greedy capitalist-class financiers. It is time to demand a system that prioritises human needs and development over the profits appropriated by a few.

A call for decisive action against crime and corruption

While the SACP has welcomed President Ramaphosa’s decision to establish a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police provincial commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the President’s response must not be allowed to distract from the broader crisis.

The crime and corruption crisis that we face as a nation demands decisive, far-reaching action, beyond what the President has announced. Additional measures must include, but must not be limited to, the following.

1. Urgent interventions across the entire landscape of the police, crime intelligence and the criminal justice system at large. These interventions must include forensic auditing and consistent monitoring to isolate and hold unscrupulous and captured elements to account.

2. Stringent measures to enforce full accountability, focusing on all office bearers and officials within every law enforcement authority.

3. The neo-liberal fiscal policy that has contributed to the weakening of law enforcement capacity must be scrapped. Capacity gaps, crime intelligence failures and forensic delays must be addressed. SAPS and other law enforcement authorities must be adequately resourced to win what is now a war declared by criminals, mafias, gangsters, syndicates, and corrupt public office bearers and officials, altogether with the corrupting private sector interests.

4. A clear plan to ensure public safety and security and rebuild public infrastructure, without which millions will continue to live in fear and economic stagnation.

5. Overhaul transformation in law enforcement governance and administration.

There can be no dispute that crime in South Africa has reached intolerable levels and is, in many instances, escalating unchecked. This is coupled with corruption. Conservative estimates suggest that crime costs South Africa at least 10 per cent of total annual output or gross domestic product.

Between October and December 2024 alone, the SAPS recorded 6,953 murders. South Africa is not in the state of war, yet these murders are higher than numerous wartorn regions. Our communities, particularly in the most affected, high-risk provinces like KwaZuluNatal, Gauteng, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, remain under siege.

Entire townships and parts of suburbs operate as de facto lawless zones. Major crimes, including gang violence, kidnappings, construction and taxi mafia activity, and extortion, have flourished with virtual impunity. Illegal mining by so-called ‘zama zamas’ has become entrenched.

Criminal syndicates have not merely escalated street crime; they have infiltrated sectors such as state-owned enterprises and, according to the allegations by General Mkhwanazi, also law enforcement authorities, including high-ranking officials and office bearers.

Rail infrastructure was stripped to skeletons. This includes the two-thirds of overhead rail cables, costing billions, which were looted. This looting rendered Metrorail and Transnet infrastructure and operations inoperable or nearly inoperable in many corridors across the country. This has severely affected workers and the economy.

In too many areas, law enforcement is paralysed or compromised. Local communities are virtually defenceless, while top public office bearers enjoy 24hour state provided armed protection.

Dockets languish, prosecutions falter and criminal networks tighten their grip, all sabotaging justice. The justice system, prisons included, is rife with bad influence, crime and corruption, while top criminals continue business as usual.

Conviction rates in major crimes remain shockingly low, often around 10 per cent or less. Let us all rise, protect ourselves and defend our country against the criminal, mafia, syndicate and gangster networks, as well as against the failure of the government and law enforcement authorities to stop the rot and guarantee public safety and security. This must be an immediate objective of our present struggle to achieve complete freedom and social emancipation. Let us build maximum working-class unity and mobilise the broadest possible patriotic and popular Left fronts.

Unite for gender equality and to end gender-based violence in all its forms

In this National Women’s Month of August, we reaffirm that our struggle is a struggle for gender equality, a struggle to end patriarchy and the discrimination of people based on their sexual orientation, and a struggle against gender-based violence and femicide. This struggle is a central pillar of the National Democratic Revolution.

It is intolerable that South Africa continues to rank among the most dangerous places in the world for women. For example, between January and March 2025 alone, police statistics recorded 966 women murdered and more than 9 000 reported rapes. The majority of gender-based murders are intimate partner femicides, and in most cases, the perpetrators are not imprisoned.

We are not just talking about figures here. We are talking about people, human beings. Gender-based violence is a national disgrace and a brutal assault on the lives of working-class women, girls, mothers and sisters who have played decisive roles in our liberation struggle. As a tribute to their courage, the SACP calls for an all-out mobilisation in every community, workplace, campus and rural village, to end the scourge and ensure an effective state response.

We call for safety, justice, resources for survivors and an end to impunity. Let us build socialist working-class power to dismantle patriarchal oppression and capitalism, which thrive on exploitation and violence.

International solidarity

We stand with the people of Swaziland in their struggle for democracy and call for an end to the war in Sudan.

The SACP stands firmly with the people of Western Sahara in their struggle for national self-determination, democratic sovereignty and an end to the occupation of their land by Morocco, which is backed primarily by imperialist powers as well as sellouts who have turned against the Sahrawi people after years of pretending to support their struggle. The SACP expresses its unwavering solidarity with the heroic people of Palestine in their just struggle against genocide, land dispossession, colonial occupation and apartheid. In just 24 hours, between 28 and 29 July 2025, the apartheid Israeli settler regime massacred 113 Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and injured 637 others. This atrocity is part of the continuing genocide that has already claimed the lives of 60,034 martyrs since 7 October 2023, with a conservative estimate of 145,870 others injured. Among those murdered are patients killed in or while seeking care in hospitals and other healthcare centres, as well as children, the elderly and women.

The cruelty of the apartheid Israeli regime is further shown in its deliberate targeting of civilians seeking food and humanitarian aid. By 29 July 2025, 1,179 civilians had been killed while trying to access aid, with another 7,957 wounded in these criminal attacks. These acts are not only war crimes, but they are also crimes against humanity. They expose the true nature of the apartheid Israeli settler regime, which continues its genocidal project with impunity, backed and armed by imperialist powers such as the United States, who are complicit in this ongoing slaughter.

Instead of addressing the genocide against Palestinians by the apartheid Israeli settler regime – which has also destroyed Palestinian social and economic infrastructure, including hospitals, healthcare centres, schools, learning institutions and places of worship – Donald Trump, the President of the United States imperialist regime has chosen to fabricate a false claim of white genocide in South Africa.

Not only did Trump and his administration seek to divert attention from the real genocide against the Palestinian people by the apartheid Israeli settler regime, but he also arrogantly displayed his racist attitude by turning a blind eye to the plight of the landless black majority in South Africa, who were dispossessed under colonisation and apartheid, while falsely elevating claims of land confiscation from white people.

The SACP calls for worldwide unity of the working class and all progressive forces against the United States-led imperialist war-mongering offensives, including direct military and trade wars. The SACP reiterates its support for the BRICS Plus partnership, which must become a vehicle to build a just and better world and systematically end uneven global development and the exploitation of one country’s resources and people by another.

The SACP expresses its solidarity with the peoples of Iran, Lebanon, Syria and others resisting the attacks of the United States-backed apartheid Israeli settler regime. We express our solidarity with the people and government of Cuba in their struggle against the United States’ illegal sanctions and criminal economic, financial, trade and investment blockade. We call on the United States to end these sanctions and the occupation of Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay. Similarly, we stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela against United States-led imperialist suppression and illegal sanctions.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,

FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.

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South Africa's Economy in State of Emergency, Says the ANC

The party’s national executive committee has just concluded its four-day meeting at the Germiston Civic Centre.

African Independent Congress (AIC)

Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC President, gives the party’s closing address following the 4-day meeting of its National Executive Committee at the Germiston Civic Centre in Ekurhuleni on 4 August 2025. Picture: Thabiso Goba/EWN

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) has categorised the country’s economy as being in a state of emergency.

This came to light as the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) concluded its four-day meeting at the Germiston Civic Centre on Monday.

The ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences has been discussing all issues from the State of the Government of National Unity (GNU), United States (US) tariffs and local election preparedness.

In his closing address, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said the organisation remains concerned about the State of the economy.

“We also characterise, the state of our economy as being in a state of emergency that requires drastic action. Our focus on an inclusive and resilient economy is important as we begin this month of August, women’s month. The financial and economic inclusion of women is vital to the empowerment of women in our country with the view of achieving gender equality.”

ANC DECRIES US 30% TARIFF ON EXPORTS

The ANC said the ongoing debacle over United States (US) tariffs shows the need for the country to build a resilient economy and expand to other markets.

The US has slapped South Africa with a 30% tariff on all its export goods. The tariffs are set to officially come into effect on Friday unless a deal can be reached with Washington. 

The ANC NEC has described the US tariffs as punitive; however, it has not said what South Africa is being punished for. 

Ramaphosa said the party is hopeful a deal can be reached with the country’s second largest trading partner. 

However, Ramaphosa said government has not put all its eggs in the US basket. 

“At the same time, we must invest in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade area in diversifying our export markets. DTIC (Department of Trade, Industry & Competition) is already working on a number of interventions to try and support and assist various exporters of products that come from our country.”

Ramaphosa has acknowledged setting up new export value chains will take time.

Lamola Assures South African Exporters Government Won't Ignore Their Concerns Over US Tariffs

Lamola revealed part of a package of interventions for South African exporters expected to be hardest hit by the tariffs. 

Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola and Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, held a joint press briefing on South Africa’s Response Measures to the US tariffs. Picture: Dirco/X.com

JOHANNESBURG - International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has moved to assure South African exporters that the government won’t ignore their concerns over the impact of the hefty United States tariffs on their operations and bottom lines. 

Lamola revealed part of a package of interventions for South African exporters expected to be hardest hit by the tariffs. 

This includes farmers and manufacturers. 

While trade negotiations are continuing, government said an economic response package will help cushion the blow. 

Lamola said this includes measures to assist companies to absorb the tariff and facilitate long-term growth strategies to protect jobs and productive capacity in South Africa. 

"We are also working with the Department of Labour on measures to mitigate potential job losses, using existing instruments such as the UIF that can be adjusted to respond to the current challenges."

Lamola was joined by Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau, who said the localisation fund support stands ready to provide targeted competitiveness and efficiency support. 

"The fact that the localisation support fund is on board, the department of labour is on board, in terms of modelling the support packages, seeks to mitigate the impact of these decisions."

AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS WELCOMES THE VICTORIOUS BY-ELECTION OUTCOME

26 June 2025

The African National Congress welcomes the victorious outcome of the by-election in Ward 8, Knysna Municipality, as a proud affirmation of the people’s commitment to their movement.

In a province where others believed they could erode our support, the people stood firm. The community of Ward 8 has once again displayed unmatched loyalty, dedication, and clarity in choosing progress and unity over noise and narrow agendas.

We congratulate Comrade Ndoda Aubrey Tsengwa for retaining the ward and thank the activists, volunteers, disciplined members and structures of our movement whose efforts reaffirmed that the ANC remains deeply connected to the people it was born to serve.

This is more than a victory at the ballot. It is a demonstration that the ANC continues to inspire trust, even in contested spaces. Where others saw vulnerability, the people saw strength. Where others plotted disruption, the people affirmed continuity.

The ANC remains trusted and the choice of the people as their movement.

ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS.

Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri

National Spokesperson

Mangaliso Khonza

National Communications Manager

063 610 3681

Mothusi Shupinyane Ka Ndaba

Media Liaison Officer

084 498 0105

LIBERATION MOVEMENTS SUMMIT 2025: DEFENDING THE GAINS, CONFRONTING THE FUTURE TOGETHER

24 July 2025

The African National Congress (ANC) will host the 2025 Liberation Movements Summit at the Radison Blu Hotel, Kempton Park from the 25th to 28th of July 2025 under the theme: “Defending the Liberation Gains, Advancing Integrated Socio-Economic Development, Strengthening Solidarity for a Better Africa.”

This critical gathering reaffirms the ideological foundations of the six Southern African liberation movements—ANC, MPLA, SWAPO, FRELIMO, ZANU-PF and CCM—and their historical role in securing independence, dignity and development across the region. It also seeks to reassert the relevance of these movements in a rapidly shifting global order.

Southern Africa’s liberation movements transformed the region’s political landscape, resisting colonial rule and apartheid, and ushering in people-centred governance. Since independence, these movements have implemented landmark policies on land reform, education, housing, infrastructure and social protection.

However, these gains now face erosion due to renewed imperial pressures, economic crises, and attempts at neo-colonial interference. The Summit provides a united platform to confront these threats and consolidate progressive regional responses grounded in Pan-Africanism, internationalism and multilateralism.

The Summit is a strategic intervention in organisational renewal, deepening intra-party solidarity, and realignment liberation movements with the socio-economic aspirations of a new generation. The ANC believes that the political, economic and cultural survival of Southern Africa’s liberation legacy demands honest introspection, shared learning and actionable unity.

The Summit will advance frameworks for inter-party collaboration, regional integration, youth engagement, and sovereign resource governance. Through reaffirming shared values and strengthening alliances, the 2025 Liberation Movements Summit will chart a path forward, one that protects the gains of the past while building a just, inclusive and self-determined African future.

The media is advised to take note of the following:

Delegations started arriving today, Thursday, the 24th of July 2025 and majority of Heads of Delegations will be arriving tomorrow, Friday, the 25th of July 2025. They will be landing at OR Tambo International Airport, International Arrivals, from 06h00.Accreditation Card collection:

Time: 10h00

Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, 2025

Heads of Delegations:

Time: From 06h00

Venue: OR Tambo International Airport

Cde. Mizengo Kayanza Pinda, Head of Delegation, CCM, Tanzania

Cde. Chakil Aboobacar, Secretary-General, FRELIMO, Mozambique

Cde. Mara Baptista Quiosa, Deputy President, MPLA

Cde. Sophia Shaningwa, Secretary General, SWAPO

Cde. Obert Mpofu, Secretary General, ZANU-PF

Cde. Liu Jianchao, CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), Communist Party of China (CPC)

Cde. Mohamed Yeslem Beisat, Head of Delegation, Polisario Front

Cde. Jibril Rajoub, Secretary General, Palestinian National Liberation Movement – FATAH

Cde. Solly Phetoe, Secretary General, COSATU

Cde. Solly Afrika Mapaila, General Secretary, SACP

Cde. Mike Soko, Secretary General, SANCO

Cde. Apa Poe, Secretary General, PAC

ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS.

Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri

National Spokesperson

Mangaliso Khonza

National Communications Manager

063 610 3681

Mothusi Shupinyane Ka Ndaba

Media Liaison Officer

084 498 0105

76 Dead, Dozens Missing After Migrant Boat Sinks off Yemen

AFP  

Monday 4 Aug 2025

At least 76 people have been killed and dozens are missing after a boat carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants sank off Yemen, in the latest tragedy on the perilous sea route, officials told AFP on Monday.

File photo: A dozen migrants have survived the disaster, with Yemeni authorities looking for more survivors. AFP

 Khamenei says US strikes on Yemen 'crime that must be stopped'

Yemeni security officials said 76 bodies had been recovered and 32 people rescued from the shipwreck in the Gulf of Aden. The UN's migration agency said 157 people were on board.

The accident occurred off Abyan governorate in southern Yemen, a frequent destination for boats smuggling African migrants hoping to reach the wealthy Gulf states.

Some of those rescued have been transferred to Yemen's Aden, near Abyan, a security official said.

UN agency the International Organization for Migration earlier gave a toll of at least 68 dead.

The IOM's country chief of mission, Abdusattor Esoev, told AFP that "the fate of the missing is still unknown."

Despite the civil war that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, the impoverished country has remained a key transit point for irregular migration, in particular from Ethiopia which itself has been roiled by ethnic conflict.

Each year, thousands brave the so-called "Eastern Route" from Djibouti to Yemen across the Red Sea, in the hope of eventually reaching oil-rich Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The IOM recorded at least 558 deaths on the Red Sea route last year, with 462 from boat accidents.

Last month, at least eight people died after smugglers forced migrants to disembark from a boat in the Red Sea, according to the UN's migration agency.

The vessel that sank off Abyan was carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants, according to the province's security directorate and an IOM source.

Yemeni security forces were conducting operations to recover a "significant" number of bodies, the Abyan directorate said on Sunday.

On their way to the Gulf, migrants cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Red Sea that is a major route for international trade, as well as for migration and human trafficking.

Once in war-torn Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, migrants often face other threats to their safety.

The IOM says tens of thousands of migrants have become stranded in Yemen and suffer abuse and exploitation during their journeys.

In April, more than 60 people were killed in a US strike that hit a migrant detention centre in Yemen, according to the Houthi group that control much of the country.

The wealthy Gulf monarchies host significant populations of foreign workers from South Asia and Africa.

Egypt, Uganda Hold Talks on Water Security, Regional Cooperation

Ahram Online 

Monday 4 Aug 2025

Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, and Minister of Water Resources, Hani Sewilam, held talks in Kampala on Monday with Uganda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Oryem Okello, focusing on water security, regional developments, and strengthening bilateral ties.

During the visit, Abdelatty handed over a grant of agricultural equipment and light transport vehicles to a Ugandan NGO supporting youth and small-scale farmers.

According to foreign ministry spokesperson Tamim Khallaf, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to deepening its historical relationship with Uganda and boosting political and economic cooperation.

He expressed support for Uganda’s participation in a development project financing mechanism for southern Nile Basin countries, established by Egypt.

Abdelatty also underscored Egypt’s readiness to expand technical cooperation with Uganda across infrastructure, energy, investment, and development sectors.

He called for increased access to Egyptian goods in Ugandan markets and affirmed Egyptian companies’ willingness to contribute to Uganda’s development, in line with President Yoweri Museveni’s priorities—particularly in infrastructure, water, energy and pharmaceuticals.

Abdelatty highlighted the role of Egyptian companies operating across the continent, noting Uganda’s participation in training programmes run by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD), which Ugandan officials described as valuable support for capacity building.

The meeting also addressed water security in the Nile Basin.

Abdelatty stressed the importance of cooperation based on international law and reiterated Egypt’s rejection of unilateral actions in the Eastern Nile Basin that violate international law, saying Cairo would take “all necessary measures” to protect its water security.

Sewilam outlined existing bilateral cooperation on water projects and reiterated that respecting international law is fundamental to ensuring shared benefits for all Nile Basin countries.

The two sides also discussed regional developments, particularly the situation in Somalia and the ongoing deployment of the African Union Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in which both Egypt and Uganda participate.

Abdelatty stressed the need to preserve the unity and stability of Somalia and Sudan, support national institutions, and promote peace and development across the continent.

The Kampala visit followed Abdelatty’s recent tour of five West African countries—Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Senegal—aimed at strengthening ties and enhancing coordination on counterterrorism in the Sahel region.

Egyptians Begin Voting in a Senate Election With Looming Concerns Over Economy

By FATMA KHALED and MOHAMED WAGDY

11:07 AM EDT, August 4, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptians on Monday began voting for candidates to the Senate, a consultative upper chamber of the parliament that helps a much powerful lower house to advise on key legislation, policies, and constitutional matters.

There were some 63 million people eligible to vote at over 8,000 polling stations across the nation of 116 million in northeastern Africa. Voting will continue through Tuesday.

Voters are expected to elect 200 candidates to the 300-seat body for five-year terms, with the other senators appointed by the president. Results will be announced on Aug. 12.

The election comes at a time of frustration for many. A stagnant economy has left Egyptians grappling with soaring inflation as they navigate rising daily costs for food and fuel.

Sherine Abdel Azim, a candidate running on behalf of the Free Egyptians Party, which is known to be a liberal party, told The Associated Press that while some voters she met knew which party they’d support, others annulled their votes without stating any reason.

She also said she spoke with voters who don’t have a certain candidate in mind but are participating to show support for the government, especially in its solidarity with Gaza in Israel’s war with Hamas. Gaza borders Egypt, which is home to millions of people descended from the Palestinians who were expelled or fled from what is now Israel.

Abdel Azim, who’s also a deputy editor-in-chief of state-run Ahram newspaper, said she was encouraged to nominate herself as part of her political career, which kicked off in 2012, in the wake of the Arab Spring and the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak.

“I wasn’t fulfilled in just sharing my opinions on social media or through journalism. I wanted to have a voice inside the Senate,” she said.

She is one of over 400 candidates running in this election.

Abdel Azim said she’d visited several districts of Cairo, including the densely populated areas of Materya, Ain Shams, Gamelya, Ain Shams, and Al-Azhar. She said voters there were especially concerned about healthcare in hospitals, medical insurance, and the disturbance caused by the increasing number of tuk-tuks, or motorized three-wheelers, in some areas.

The new rental law is another major issue in the election. The law was amended last month, allowing landlords to raise rents that were fixed for decades, based on old contracts.

“These are rightful demands coming from average citizens who love their country, but want to feel supported in these matters,” Abdel Azim said.

It is the second election to the Senate, which was created in constitutional changes in 2019 with the stated aim of improving political participation. However, critics blasted many of the other changes, which allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in power until 2030 and broaden the military’s role.

Egyptians abroad were eligible to vote at consulates across 117 countries on Friday and Saturday.

FATMA KHALED

Khaled is based in the Middle East region. She covers humanitarian crises, conflict, among other news beats for The Associated Press.

Lesotho Aims for 10% Tariff On Exports to U.S.

A textile worker in Lesotho.

4 August 2025

GroundUp (Cape Town)

By Sechaba Mokhethi

Government relieved by reduction from threatened 50% to 15%

The Lesotho government has committed to continue with negotiations to further reduce tariffs on its exports to the US. This comes after the United States revised its crippling 50% tariff on all Lesotho exports down to 15%, effective from 7 August.

"While we had negotiated the revision to at least 10% which was applied to all countries, this rate [15%] will ease the burden to our exporters, particularly the textile and apparel industry," said Minister of Trade, Industry and Business Development Mokhethi Shelile at a press briefing on Friday in Maseru.

The textile industry was among the hardest hit after the US announced sweeping tariff increases in April under its America First Trade Policy."

The US had temporarily reduced the tariff to 10% for a 90-day negotiation period that ended 31 July. Shelile said during this time Lesotho had made a multi-pronged effort that included direct talks with the US Embassy in Maseru, lobbyists in the US who highlighted how increased tariffs would lead to higher prices for American consumers, and a final push led by Minister of Finance Dr Retselisitsoe Matlanyane and the Lesotho' Embassy in Washington DC.

"We are still committed to continuing negotiations so that our exports can enjoy the minimum tariffs that the US applies," Shelile said.

Until April, Lesotho had enjoyed duty-free and quota-free access to US markets through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). That preferential agreement helped Lesotho's textile sector grow to employ thousands of people.

"The US remains one of our main trading partners ... and this relationship needs continuous nurturing," the minister said.

A new SADC-USA Dialogue Forum is expected to be launched at the SADC Summit in Madagascar which runs until 18 August.

Read the original article on GroundUp.

Interview: Lesotho Trade Minister Calls U.S. Tariffs Unfair to Developing Countries

Source: Xinhua| 

2025-08-02 13:31:15|

Editor: huaxia

Classified by the United Nations as one of the world's least developed countries, Lesotho is one of Africa's largest garment exporters to the United States. 

by Xinhua writer Bai Ge, Yan Ran

MASERU, Lesotho, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. tariff regime is unfair to developing countries such as Lesotho, and has dealt a heavy blow to the country's textile industry, a senior official from the landlocked nation in southern Africa has said.

Services such as Microsoft licenses, for which Lesotho pays millions of dollars annually, have been overlooked by Washington, said Mokhethi Shelile, Lesotho's minister of trade, industry, business development and tourism. He also highlighted that some U.S. goods enter Lesotho via South Africa and are mistakenly omitted from its import figures.

The U.S. tariff policies, centered on the export and import of goods, has been criticized for overlooking U.S. services exported to the rest of the world. The U.S. economy is predominantly services-based.

Classified by the United Nations as one of the world's least developed countries, Lesotho is one of Africa's largest garment exporters to the United States. Its textile industry remains a key pillar of its economy and a major source of formal employment, providing around 40,000 jobs, according to the International Organization of Employers.

Shelile cautioned that the layoffs caused by U.S. tariffs could have a ripple effect on sectors such as transportation and real estate, potentially undermining social stability.

Last month, Lesotho declared a national state of disaster over its "high rates of youth unemployment and job losses" triggered by the U.S. tariff hike. The country is grappling with poverty and high unemployment, as the youth jobless rate rises to 48 percent, local media reported.

Shelile said the U.S. unilateral imposition of discriminatory tariffs "disrupts global supply chains and forces African nations to negotiate as blocs."

According to the minister, Lesotho is actively working to diversify its markets by deepening ties with South Africa, tapping into the African Continental Free Trade Area, and pursuing trade and investment partnerships with China, Nigeria, the European Union and other economies.

Shelile revealed that Lesotho had formally requested a waiver or reduction of the U.S. tariffs. He added that since Washington insists on negotiating with sub-Saharan African countries except South Africa as a single bloc, talks can only proceed indirectly at this stage.

"We are making every effort to safeguard our national interests, but the outlook of the upcoming tariff policy remains uncertain," he said.

Shelile added that "through export diversification and deeper regional trade and investment cooperation, we are confident that by this time next year, we will have overcome current challenges and put the economy back on a path to recovery and renewed growth."

AU Mission Confirms Killing of Over 50 al-Shabab Fighters in Southern Somalia

Source: Xinhua| 

2025-08-03 22:36:15|

Editor: huaxia

MOGADISHU, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) confirmed on Sunday that its troops, backed by Somali government forces, killed more than 50 al-Shabab militants during a fierce fighting in Bariire town in southern Somalia on Friday.

In a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, AUSSOM also refuted media reports alleging heavy casualties among its soldiers in Bariire.

"AUSSOM wishes to clarify that its forces, in coordination with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), initiated a major offensive to recapture Bariire town on Aug. 1," the AU mission said, responding to claims made by al-Shabab regarding the destruction of AU-owned armored personnel carriers and the retreat of AUSSOM troops following intense fighting in Bariire.

"The joint military operation has resulted in substantial losses for the terrorist group, with over 50 al-Shabab militants killed and many others sustaining serious injuries," AUSSOM said.

The agriculturally rich Bariire town, which lies about 60 km southwest of Mogadishu, is one of the strategic areas located in the Lower Shabelle region along the Shabelle River.

Local residents said the fighting on Friday was the most intense in recent days between the militants and allied forces.

"AUSSOM and SNAF troops are determined to recapture Bariire town and other territories still under al-Shabab control to ensure lasting peace and security for the people of Somalia," said El Hadji Ibrahima Boly Diene, special representative of the AU Commission Chairperson for Somalia and head of AUSSOM.

South Africa Strengthens Security at Ports of Entry

Source: Xinhua| 

2025-08-03 23:50:30|

Editor: huaxia

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is enhancing security at ports of entry by introducing measures such as the use of drones and traceable stamps, an official from the Border Management Authority (BMA) said on Sunday.

Michael Masiapato, commissioner of the BMA, made the remarks while briefing the media about some new security measures to be implemented across ports of entry. He said they sent eight border guards for drone pilot training, and six of them have already graduated on July 14.

"To increase our drone operation capacity, we plan to send more border guards for drone pilot training as we move to more modernized border law enforcement and improve our detection of a variety of cross-border crimes such as illegal migration, trafficking, goods, and human smuggling, among others," said Masiapato.

He said the drones are used for surveillance and increased visibility, particularly in the identified vulnerable segments of the borderline. The BMA has introduced new security stamps used by immigration specialists at ports of entry to tackle corruption, while partnering with the South African Reserve Bank to train border guards in counterfeit detection and currency handling.

"This initiative forms part of the BMA's broader commitment to strengthening national security and represents a deliberate step toward enhancing the integrity of border control processes," Masiapato said. "Each of the immigration officers has been allocated a specific stamp with its unique number linked to each officer to trace back should their allocated stamp be found to facilitate illegal migration into the country."

Masiapato said that in the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, the BMA processed a total of 8,582,250 passengers entering and leaving South Africa. He added that the BMA intercepted and deported 9,954 people who had attempted to enter the country illegally.

Somalia Commits to Creating Sustainable Support Systems for Breastfeeding

Source: Xinhua| 

2025-08-03 21:46:00|

Editor: huaxia

MOGADISHU, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Somalia has joined the rest of the world in marking the World Breastfeeding Week, aiming to create supportive and sustainable environments that empower mothers and their families to breastfeed their babies.

Speaking at a commemorative event on Saturday, Minister of Health Ali Haji Adam said breastfeeding is a critical foundation for a child's health, development, and survival as it delivers lifelong benefits not just for children, but for mothers, families, and communities.

"The government is committed to creating sustainable support systems that protect, promote, and enable breastfeeding across the country," Adam said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Saturday evening.

The World Breastfeeding Week is held annually from Aug. 1 to 7, supported by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), ministries of health, and civil society partners.

Adam said this year's theme, "Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems," recognizes the barriers that breastfeeding families face, including a lack of paid time off from work to breastfeed, inadequate parental leave after childbirth, and insufficient protection from marketing of breastmilk substitutes like baby formula.

He said the Somali government will continue to implement policies that strengthen maternal health services, train frontline workers, raise awareness, and ensure mothers receive the support they need.

In Somalia, six in 10 children are breastfed within an hour of birth, while one in three are exclusively breastfed for the first six months, and half are breastfed continuously for two years and beyond, according to UNICEF.

A major reason for the low rates of exclusive breastfeeding is the absence of legal measures against the unethical marketing of breastmilk substitutes, which are advertised as an alternative to breastfeeding, said the statement. 

Tanzania Opens 2024 CHAN Run With Victory Over Burkina Faso

Source: Xinhua| 

2025-08-03 21:59:30

|Editor: huaxia

DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Co-host Tanzania kicked off the 2024 CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign with a 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso on Saturday at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, making a flying start in Group B.

The two teams remained scoreless in the first half until the final minute of the stoppage time, when Abdul Sopu kept his cool to convert a penalty, giving Tanzania a 1-0 lead.

In the second half, Tanzania's Mohamed Hussein doubled the advantage with a header in the 71st minute. Burkina Faso poured forward at the closing stage, but to no avail.

The opening victory propelled Tanzania to the top of Group B, which also included Mauritania, Central African Republic, and Madagascar.

Since its inception in 2009, the biennial CHAN has established itself as a premier continental tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), exclusively for players who compete in their home countries' domestic leagues.

The eighth edition, initially scheduled for February, was delayed to August due to venue issues. It is also the first time for the tournament to be co-hosted by three African countries, namely Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

US Tariff Policies May Lead to More Complex Economic Consequences Than Anticipated

By Global Times

Aug 04, 2025 12:37 AM

Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

On the surface, the US government's recent decision to impose high tariffs on goods from more than 90 economies appears to be designed to reduce imports, revitalize American industries and increase tariff revenue.

Yet the economic consequences will likely prove far more complex than anticipated. The effectiveness of this protectionist policy will ultimately depend on retaliatory measures from affected nations and market reactions to American products.

When faced with punitive US tariffs, affected economies will not passively acquiesce. Instead, they will respond through trade diversion and supply chain rerouting. Consumer preferences are expected to shift away from American products. 

Developing nations hit by tariffs will experience export disruptions, rising unemployment and reduced income - making them less capable of purchasing American goods, not more. Their trade with the US will contract, not expand.

Beyond core necessities and critical technologies, many economies may choose to impose retaliatory tariffs on some mid-to-high-end American products and equipment for which alternatives are available. This creates a market opportunity where non-American products will actively displace US exports.

Average consumers worldwide will likely develop resistance to American products, especially high-priced ones, naturally gravitating toward more affordable alternatives of acceptable quality from other nations.

This represents not an orchestrated governmental response, but the authentic functioning of market forces. Similar patterns will emerge across consumer electronics, home appliances, textiles, furniture and numerous other categories.

Chinese manufacturing holds powerful competitive advantages in these market segments.

The high tariffs imposed by the US administration are severely damaging the economies of African countries. These policies have already led Lesotho to declare a two-year state of national disaster, and the South African citrus and automotive industries have been severely impacted, with unemployment rates rising.

Meanwhile, China has adopted a completely different strategy, proactively offering to eliminate import tariffs for almost all of its African partners. China has become Africa's largest bilateral trading partner, providing African countries with an essential alternative to the US market.

More importantly, China is not only providing market access to Africa but also laying a substantial foundation for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area through large-scale investments in infrastructure construction, the establishment of factories and the provision of technical support.

China's manufacturing sector has developed significant economies of scale and cost advantages over the past few decades, enabling it to supply most mid-market goods at lower prices with greater efficiency.

When market demands shift, Chinese manufacturers rapidly adjust production rhythms, synchronizing orders, designs, technical specifications and even local certification with global customers in real-time, creating competitive "window period" advantages.

However, these benefits remain relative and temporary. Chinese manufacturing cannot automatically displace American products, as more economies redirect their exports toward global markets following the US disruption, intensifying competition.

In high-tech sectors with substantial entry barriers - such as advanced semiconductors, aviation engines, precision instruments, biotechnology and algorithmic software - China still faces formidable obstacles from the US and select developed nations. Additionally, geopolitical risks partially constrain China's expansion into premium markets, limiting its profit potential.

For Chinese manufacturing to maintain global competitiveness, it must accelerate structural upgrading, strengthen technological innovation, enhance service capabilities and develop international brands.

Eighty Years After the End of World War II, Japan Should Not Evade Historical Responsibility: Global Times Editorial

By Global Times

Aug 04, 2025 12:44 AM

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

According to Japanese media reports, under pressure from conservative forces within the party, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering not announcing his view in a form of written statement on relevant historical recognition on August 15, the anniversary of Japan's defeat, or on September 2, the day Japan formally signed the surrender document, and relevant coordination is underway. Since the 1995 "Murayama Statement," it has become customary for successive Japanese governments to issue statements on historical issues during "decade" anniversaries. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and Japan's unconditional surrender. On the issue of historical recognition, the Japanese government should clearly express the appropriate stance to the international community. Any attempt to downplay the history of aggression or evade responsibility for reflection is a challenge to international justice and a detriment to Japan's own international credibility.

In 1995, then Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama issued a statement titled "On the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the War's End," in which, for the first time as a sitting prime minister, he acknowledged Japan's "colonial rule and aggression" and expressed "deep remorse" and "heartfelt apology." In 2005, Junichiro Koizumi's statement largely followed the spirit of the "Murayama Statement." In 2015, Shinzo Abe's 70th-anniversary statement, although attempting to end the "apology diplomacy," also continued the postwar tradition of the Prime Minister expressing his historical views. These documents form the cornerstone of rebuilding trust between Japan and its Asian neighbors, serving as a litmus test for the international community to gauge whether Japan has truly returned to the path of peace. If this tradition is interrupted this year, it will not only anger some Japanese citizens and deeply disappoint Japan's Asian neighbors but also raise doubts and concerns in the international community about the country's future direction.

Japan's reintegration into the international community and the restoration of normal relations with neighboring countries after World War II were built on reflecting on its history of aggression and pledging never to wage war again. This is not only an apology and repentance to the victimized countries but also Japan's self-redemption. When political considerations outweigh historical responsibility and evading reflection becomes the "safe option," it reflects an atmosphere in Japanese society lacking the necessary introspection about that war. In recent years, with Japan's rightward political shift, historical narratives have increasingly been shaped by right-wing forces, who have long downplayed or denied wartime atrocities. A dangerous "victimhood narrative" has also taken hold in Japan, emphasizing the suffering from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Tokyo firebombing, while avoiding discussion of the root causes of these tragedies - it was Japan's aggressive expansion and harm that provoked the just counterattack by the Allied forces against fascism. The Yasukuni Shrine still enshrines Class-A war criminals, and some Japanese textbooks continue to be evasive about the Nanjing Massacre, inevitably causing Japan's younger generation to drift further from historical truth.

In tandem with this regression in historical recognition, Japan has been taking increasingly bold steps in recent years to "loosen" its security constraints. It has accelerated efforts to revise its pacifist constitution, amended the "Three Principles on Arms Exports," forcefully passed new security laws, lifted the ban on collective self-defense, sharply increased defense spending, acquired so-called "counterstrike capabilities," developed and deployed offensive weapons, and continuously broke through the "exclusively defense-oriented" framework. Some right-wing Japanese scholars even irresponsibly claimed that Japan's moves to expand its military and prepare for war are "too weak and too slow." These developments have triggered serious concerns among Japan's own citizens, its neighboring countries and the international community, constituting a serious provocation to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the post-war international order.

The stability of historical understanding is a crucial part of the cornerstone of a nation's credibility. After World War II, Germany was able to earn the forgiveness of its European neighbors precisely because it consistently and thoroughly reflected for decades on the crimes committed under Nazism. In contrast, Japan's reflection on its history of aggression has remained evasive, using vague terms like "the end of the war" or "the fifteen-year war" to downplay the nature of the war. This only further undermines trust with Asian countries that once suffered under Japanese aggression. In this context, the absence of a prime ministerial statement would send an unsettling signal: Is Japan prepared to abandon its long-held postwar commitment to being a "peaceful nation" grounded in historical reflection?

Facing and treating history with the right attitude is a crucial prerequisite for Japan's return to the international community in the postwar era. Properly addressing historical issues is a political foundation for stable China-Japan relations. Over the past 80 years, there have been times - represented by the "Murayama Statement" - when many peace-loving Japanese politicians and civic groups set positive examples by actively correcting societal views of history. At this historical juncture of the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, Japan should not continue to evade responsibility under the highjack of right-wing forces, but instead courageously face its history.

Xi Urges Studying, Absorbing Netizens' Opinions in Formulating 15th Five-Year Plan

By Xinhua

Aug 04, 2025 12:57 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed efforts to study and absorb netizens' opinions in formulating the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), following an online campaign to seek netizens' opinions on the plan.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction.

The online campaign lasted from May 20 to June 20 to seek public input for the 15th Five-Year Plan, gathering more than 3.11 million suggestions.

Xi said the campaign has seen active participation and wide coverage, serving as a vivid example of whole-process people's democracy.

Noting that the public has put forward many valuable opinions and suggestions, Xi called on relevant departments to thoroughly study and integrate them into the plan.

He called on Party committees and governments at all levels to learn more about people's lives, hear their views and gather their ideas extensively to meet their aspirations for a better life.

First launched in the 1950s, five-year plans serve as key strategic documents that guide China's medium- and long-term development. They outline national goals, major tasks and policy directions across various sectors for each five-year period.

PLA Conducts Patrols in South China Sea, Remains on High Alert as the Philippines Rallies External Country to Disrupt Situation: Spokesperson

By Global Times

Aug 04, 2025 07:04 PM

South China Sea Photo: VCG

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command Navy conducted routine patrols in the South China Sea from August 3 to 4. The Philippines has been rallying an external country to disrupt the situation in the South China Sea by organizing so-called "joint patrols”, which undermine regional peace and stability, Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command said on Monday. 

The PLA Southern Theater Command's forces remain on high alert, resolutely defending national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Any military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create hype are all under control, said Tian, according to the WeChat account of PLA Southern Theater Command.

According to Reuters, the Philippine and Indian navies have sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, officials said on Monday.

Chinese experts described the move by India as "gesture politics”, which is intended to offer fake commitments to the Philippines regarding the South China Sea issue and to peddle Indian weapons, while Manila seeks to further incite tensions in the region.

Global Times

Serbian President Says He Will Visit China in Early September: Media Report

By Global Times

Aug 04, 2025 10:37 AM

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic Photo: VCG

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he may meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during his visit to China in early September, the TASS News Agency reported on Monday.

"I'm going to China on a five-day trip on September 1-6. I've been told that Putin will also be there, so I may meet with him," Vucic told reporters, according to TASS.

According to an earlier TASS report, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China in September. 

The Xinhua News Agency reported in June that China will invite foreign leaders, former political dignitaries, high-level officials and heads of international organizations to events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

China is going to hold events marking the anniversaries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had announced.

As of press time, Russia has not issued an official response regarding the reported meeting.

Global Times

Pan-African Women's Day 2025 - Advancing Social and Economic Justice for African Women Through Reparations

1 August 2025

African Union (Addis Ababa)

July 31st every year marks Pan-African Women's Day (PAWD). The annual celebration serves as a powerful moment to honor the unwavering spirit, resilience, and revolutionary contributions of African women in the ongoing struggle for liberation, justice, and self-determination. It also commemorates the founding of Pan-African Women's Organization (PAWO), the vanguard of women's emancipation on the continent, and the embodiment of collective fight against imperialism, patriarchy, and systemic exploitation.

Marking the 63rd anniversary of PAWO, this year's celebration will be held under the transformative theme: "Advancing Social and Economic Justice for African Women through Reparations." The theme is a call to action rooted in the urgent need to confront the enduring legacies of colonialism, slavery, apartheid, and imperialist exploitation that have systematically devalued and dispossessed African women and communities.

Objectives of PAWD 2025 include:

Advocating for comprehensive, intersectional reparative justice frameworks that confront historical injustices and current systemic inequalities faced by African women and girls.

Amplifying the voices of women and girls, particularly those from marginalized and conflict-affected communities, in decision-making processes related to reparations, transitional justice, and gender equality.

Building capacity and consciousness among women, youth, grassroots movements, and civil society to understand and mobilize around reparations and transformative justice.

Promoting the ratification, implementation, and harmonization of continental instruments such as the African Union Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (CEVAWG) and the Maputo Protocol - as tools of resistance and accountability.

Honouring and celebrating PAWO's legacy of resilience, solidarity, and revolutionary struggle.

Celebrating PAWD 2025 is a collective effort. Public and private sector institutions together with PAWO National chapters, grassroots women's rights organizations, and development partners are called upon to galvanize efforts to observe the day across the continent, fostering grassroots mobilization and strategic advocacy. Participatory activities and dialogues on the PAWD theme featuring critical conversations, storytelling, and knowledge-sharing as well as targeted social media campaigns will be central the celebration of PAWD 2025.

To share and amplify stories of women's resistance, resilience, and reparative demands, follow #PAWD2025.

Read the original article on African Union.

Dozens Martyred Amid Israeli Attacks on Gaza, Including Aid Seekers

By Al Mayadeen English

2 Aug 2025 11:33

"Israel" continues its deadly assaults on Gaza, killing aid seekers, women, and displaced civilians amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and ongoing siege.

At dawn, at least 12 Palestinians were martyred while waiting for humanitarian aid at the Netzarim axis, as Israeli forces opened fire and shelled multiple locations across the Gaza Strip. Among the victims were three women, highlighting the persistent targeting of civilians during aid distributions.

In al-Zawaida, central Gaza, a Palestinian man, his wife, and their three children were martyred following an Israeli airstrike that destroyed their home. The attack is part of a broader campaign by "Israel" that continues to strike residential areas across the besieged territory.

Also, three Palestinians were martyred and others wounded when an Israeli drone dropped an explosive on tents sheltering displaced persons near the industrial junction north of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. In a separate attack northwest of the city, two women were killed when Israeli forces shelled a tent housing displaced Palestinians.

The attacks are part of what human rights groups describe as the systematic and ongoing massacre in the Gaza Strip. "Israel" continues to target civilians, including displaced families and aid seekers, in direct violation of international humanitarian law.

The comprehensive siege on Gaza has further intensified the humanitarian crisis. With limited access to food, medicine, and clean water, fatalities from hunger and malnutrition are rising daily. Entire communities are being left to suffer under a deliberate policy of starvation and displacement.

Dozens of Palestinians killed in Gaza as IOF resume onslaught

As the brutal Israeli onslaught continues with no restraint, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in the Gaza Strip reported at dawn Saturday that 71 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli fire, including 38 aid seekers. 

In central Gaza, one person was martyred and others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a home in the Yarmouk area of the al-Daraj neighborhood. Additionally, two martyrs, killed while waiting for aid at a distribution site in the Netzarim corridor, were brought to al-Shifa Hospital.

Another martyr's body was recovered from under the rubble of a destroyed home in the al-Atatra area, west of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip.

In this context, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that 1,373 Palestinians have been martyred while waiting for aid in Gaza since late May, noting that 859 of them were killed in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, and 514 along food convoy routes.

On Friday alone, 11 more Palestinians were killed, including two near a GHF distribution point, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. The killings follow a well-documented pattern of Israeli soldiers firing on civilians congregating around GHF trucks and aid convoys.

Only 73 aid trucks entered Gaza on Friday

In a report released by the Gaza Government Media Office on Saturday, it was stated that only 73 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip, most of which were looted due to the security chaos systematically and deliberately engineered by the Israeli occupation as part of its so-called policy of "engineering chaos and starvation."

The statement reads, "We stress that the actual daily needs of the Gaza Strip require no less than 600 trucks of aid and fuel to meet the minimum standards for health, service, and food sectors, especially amid the complete collapse of infrastructure caused by the ongoing genocide."

Additionally, the statement expresses strong condemnation against the "continued crime of starvation, the closure of crossings, and the prevention of humanitarian aid from entering. We hold the Israeli occupation and the state complicit in this genocide fully responsible for the worsening humanitarian catastrophe. We call for the immediate opening of all crossings and the urgent entry of adequate food supplies and infant formula."

Also on Friday, the Gaza Tribal Gathering confirmed that the humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip "has not benefited any of the residents" and has been "stolen by the enemy."

In a press conference, tribal representatives rejected on Friday any cooperation with Israeli-US aid distribution centers, stating, “They provide us with aid soaked in blood, and we refuse to deal with them.”

The tribes appealed to the international community and the US envoy to witness firsthand the tragic conditions in Gaza. “Nearly 90 Palestinians are martyred every day. Will this satisfy the free world?” the gathering asked.

Palestinian Resistance Targets Israeli Forces in Southern Khan Younis

By Al Mayadeen English

2 Aug 2025 23:26

Al-Qassam, Al-Quds Brigades, and others launched mortar and rocket attacks on Israeli forces in Khan Younis, inflicting major casualties in fresh confrontations.

Palestinian resistance factions intensified their military operations against Israeli occupation forces in southern Gaza on Saturday, targeting troop gatherings and command sites in Khan Younis.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, confirmed that its fighters fired a barrage of mortar shells at Israeli forces stationed near al-Rantisi Mosque in the Maan area south of Khan Younis.

In a separate joint operation, the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, and the Al-Amoudi Brigade of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced a coordinated attack on an Israeli command center. The site, located on Street 5 in Khan Younis, was reportedly hit with a 107mm rocket. An Israeli helicopter was seen landing at the site shortly after the strike, believed to be evacuating wounded soldiers, suggesting confirmed casualties among the occupation forces.

Fighters target command and control center

Earlier today, Saraya al-Quds released footage showing fighters targeting another Israeli command and control center north of Khan Younis with the same type of rocket, indicating a consistent strategy of precision strikes on military infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, also declared that its fighters shelled a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles with mortar rounds in the vicinity of Khuza’a, north of Khan Younis.

Palestinian resistance groups continue to engage Israeli occupation forces across multiple axes of ground incursion inside Gaza, executing ambushes and precision strikes that have resulted in confirmed Israeli casualties.

Hamas escalates operations

Two days earlier, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, reported targeting a group of Israeli occupation soldiers and vehicles east of the al-Qarara area, in eastern Khan Younis, with multiple mortar shells.

Prior to that, al-Qassam fighters detonated three barrel bombs inside an Israeli occupation vehicle hub south of the al-Batn al-Samin area, also in Khan Younis, resulting in casualties among the soldiers.

These operations come amid continued confrontations across several axes in the Gaza Strip, as resistance factions persist in launching targeted attacks against invading Israeli occupation forces despite relentless bombardment, ongoing attempts at ground incursions, and the suffocating siege on the Strip.

Staggering Israeli losses

Israeli media revealed that the ongoing war on Gaza has cost the Israeli occupation approximately 300 billion shekels (around $80 billion), with analysts suggesting the real figure may have already surpassed that estimate.

Shaul Amsterdamski, economic affairs commentator for the Israeli Kan broadcaster, reported that internal discussions within the occupation’s Ministry of Finance are now focused on the spiraling cost of the war, particularly the military operations component.

Amsterdamski noted that the more the war expands, especially through the occupation of additional territory, the more the costs rise dramatically. The most significant burden, he explained, stems from the prolonged deployment of reserve soldiers, as well as expenses related to ammunition, fuel, and operational logistics.

He added that massive weapons procurement deals, totaling tens of billions, have been made to bolster the Israeli military’s capabilities, warning that these expenditures will have a decade-long financial impact on Tel Aviv's budget.

The economic analyst also cautioned against the occupation’s shifting discourse, where the very concept of "occupation" has been largely ignored. He emphasized that controlling Gaza would entail full administrative responsibility over civilian life, including education, food, sewage, and basic services, in addition to maintaining a large, costly ground force presence.