Scaling up Tunisian-Omani cultural cooperation relations notably in the heritage field took centre stage on Wednesday at a meeting between the Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayet Guettat Guermazi and Omani Ambassador to Tunisia Hilal Abdullah Al Sinani, according to a ministry press release.

The two sides examined ways of establishing lasting cooperation in the various sectors of shared interest under the memorandum of understanding signed on May 3, 2023 between the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.

Emphasis was laid on a range of project proposals, including the organisation of live workshops on restoration and maintenance techniques for historic monuments, targeting experts from both countries, as well as field workshops for sharing expertise, notably in the field of heritage conservation and artistic lighting.

Among the proposals put forward is the consolidation of the artistic, cultural and literary presence of the Sultanate of Oman at major events organised by
the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, such as the Tunis International Book Fair and summer festivals, as well as the possibility of twinning the Muscat Opera Theatre with that of Tunis and the medina of Tunis with the medina of Oman, both of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In this regard, the minister ordered the creation of a small working group tasked with drawing up a clear programme defining the next projects and proposals with a view to submitting it to the Omani side, in collaboration with the Omani embassy to Tunisia.

Underlining the importance of the Omani collaboration in the effort to restore Tunisia’s historic monuments, she called to further broaden this cooperation to include other artistic, literary and cultural disciplines.

The ambassador, for his part, expressed his country’s willingness to step up bilateral cooperation in the various sectors of culture, art and creativity.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has commended the installation of victim-friendly rooms at 28 police stations, boreholes and streetlights at a gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) hotspot in Nongoma.

The victim-friendly rooms were installed by lsibaya Casino, while Vodacom installed the boreholes and streetlights.

Dube-Ncube said at least 755 survivors of GBVF accessed services in government supported GBVF shelters, with 112 964 survivors receiving psychosocial support services from the Department of Social Development and their partners.

‘A total of 3 540 victims of GBV and crime accessed Khuseleka/White Door houses and shelters. District focal points and stakeholders from 11 districts were trained as master trainers,’ Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier said there are currently 74 functional ward-based rapid response teams integrated into war rooms.

The Premier emphasised that one of the best ways is to assist GBV survivors through economic empowerment, highlighting that 26 401 women were reach
ed with economic empowerment programmes this year.

‘Three hundred women in business have been supported with card machines by the Office of the Premier. A GBVF App with a panic button is being developed by the Moses Kotane Institute, with funds from lsibaya Casino.

‘We are determined to ensure that women are continuously empowered and in this regard, through the Department of Social Development, SEDA [Small Enterprise Development Agency] and EDTEA [Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental], we have trained over 500 women in business skills,’ the Premier said.

She said most of these women were survivors of GBV and to this end, they have received start-up packs to set up and run their own businesses.

Forging partnerships for GBV response programmes

Meanwhile, the KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier has forged strategic partnerships for the Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Response Programmes.

The office, as the coordinating office, is leading the implementation of the Provincial GBVF Stra
tegic Implementation Plan, which was approved by the provincial Executive Council in 2022.

‘These partners include the KZN Gaming Board, lsibaya Casino, United Nations Population Fund, AIDS Foundation of South Africa, TBHIV Care, Cloud Therapist, Vodacom, lmbumba Foundation, SAB, and Spar Group. This structure is responsible for addressing high profile cases and supporting District Rapid Response Teams,’ Dube-Ncube said.

Source: South African Government News Agency