The Office of the Deputy President says it has noted the article published by the Sunday World on Sunday, 18 February 2024. This is after the Sunday publication claimed that Deputy President Paul Mashatile and his Chief of Staff, Mduduzi Mbada, are protecting the Deputy President's spokesperson, Vukani Mde, over a sexual harassment complaint against him. According to the report, a senior female staffer in the office, reporting directly to Mde, complained about unwarranted sexual advances last August that Mashatile's spokesperson made towards her. Sunday World reported that Mde allegedly sent the victim 'messages that are sexual in nature to her work cellphone number', passed unwelcomed comments about her 'sex life and her looks' and proposed love while communicating work instructions. The Office of the Deputy President has dismissed the false allegation that they were shielding Mde. 'The Chief of Staff has briefed the Deputy President that a letter of intention to suspend Mr Mde, in light of the allegati ons against him, was issued and hand-delivered to the spokesperson, Mr Vukani Mde. 'The Deputy President is aware that there is a process underway in the Presidency to investigate the allegations made against Mde by one of the senior employees in the office, and is of the view that all due processes should be adhered to,' the statement read. The Deputy President has since condemned any form of gender-based violence, especially against women, and said he believes that all employees should be protected from any victimisation. 'The Office of the Deputy President wishes to assure that this matter is given the necessary attention it deserves and will provide an update in due course.' Source: South African Government News Agency The first high-level Maghreb regional meeting on "Digital transformation of education for the implementation of SDG4" opened on Monday in Tunis. The two-day event is organised by the Maghreb office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, to promote cooperation between Maghreb countries, implement the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) on access to quality education and launch a dialogue on digital transformation of education in the region. Attended by the Minister of Education, Mohamed Ali Boughdiri, the Minister of Education of the Libyan Government of National Unity, Musa Mohamed Almaghrif, the Minister of National Education and Reform of the Education System of Mauritania, Mokhtar Ould Dahi, and the Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO), Mohamed Ould Amar, this event aims to strengthen partnership in the digital transformation and promotion of education systems, in addition to the implementation of criteria for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the teaching and education sector. During this meeting, education and teaching experts from Maghreb countries will discuss digital transformation and the challenges of using modern technologies in education and teaching. A joint action plan will be developed to promote education and training. Chairing the opening session, Boughdiri underlined Tunisia's commitment to strengthening the role of education in promoting opportunities for success for all. He stressed the importance of investing in qualitative and quantitative education, which he said was the best guarantee for the integration of Maghreb people and for changing mentalities. The organisation of this meeting in partnership with UNESCO reflects Tunisia's commitment to developing cooperation with international and Maghreb countries, particularly in the field of education. Boughdiri also reiterated Tunisia's unwavering support for the Palestinian peo ple in their struggle against Zionist aggression and called on the international community to take concrete measures to put an end to this human tragedy. In a press briefing held on the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister announced that the number of schools connected to the high speed internet network will reach 4,000 next April. This initiative is part of the state's policy to promote teaching methods and encourage students to access knowledge via the Internet, he stressed. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse