WeeklySA_AdminDAZZLE: The forum aims to play a significant role in creating a sense of unity and awareness around African design and art…
By WSAM Correspondent
Fashion enthusiasts, creative community and wider audiences gathered to welcome the first fashion week edition of Africa Fashion Week Middle East, which showcased for three days all Africa’s creatives this week.
The event, held in partnership with Dubai Tourism, encompassed a variety of activities, including panel discussions, workshop activities and runway shows. Guests witnessed designers debut an array of exquisite designs, showcasing the essence of creativity, industrial craft and a unique portrayal of fashion genius through timeless pieces at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), one of Dubai’s most sought-after lifestyle destinations.
Africa’s renowned fashion brands included Urban Zulu – Congolese-South African; Mantsho – South Africa; Ntombi Couture – Zimbabwean; Kiza Bespoke – Nigeria; OMAAD – Senegal; Caped Coast – Ghana.
South Africa’s very own Palesa Mokubung, the founder and designer behind the South African brand, Mantsho, H&M’s first African collaboration, displayed her vibrant brand known for its distinctive signature prints and carefully curated textiles, echoed a collection that is based on confident African aesthetics with an international sensibility. The collection displayed a mix of earthy tones and bold colours, taking centre stage and dazzling us all.
Mantsho designs have appeared on runways in Nigeria, Botswana, Senegal, the United States, Greece, India and Jamaica and Mokubung has dressed a variety of public figures including Bonang, Lira, Somi, Thandiswa Mazwai and Dr Sam Mdluli.
Mokubung made her debut at Stoned Cherrie in 2004 when she was in her first year of studying fashion. “Stoned Cherrie was blowing up. It was revolutionary and I needed to be present, so I dropped out of school,” she said.
Three years at Stoned Cherrie were enough for Mokubung, so she left to start her own fashion house, Mantsho. But, a few years later, she decided to take an academic sabbatical from 2011 to 2013.
Aser Levron, Co-Founder at Africa Fashion Week Middle East (AFWMEW) said they were proud to bring together such a wealth of talent and creativity under one roof, “and to share with our audiences all the wonderful creations that exist in the African continent”.
AFWME’s mission was to widen the circle and welcome even more talented individuals to join us season after season, Levron said. The entity also aimed to play a significant role in creating a sense of unity and awareness with design and art, allowing several customs to come together and create a community.
STATE-SUBSIDISED
SOLAR PANELS
FOR NEW RDP
HOUSES
IMPACT: Government announces that installation of the panels to start from April
By Lehlohonolo Lehana
Government would be fitting solar panels to all new RDP houses being built to help mitigate the impact of load shedding, Human Settlements Minister Mamoloko Kubayi announced today.
Announcing the plans, Kubayi said: “Every RDP unit will be fitted with a solar kit so that these households can have access to basic electricity. This change will ensure that households who are far from electricity infrastructure can get access to electricity.
Other changes – apart from solar panels being fitted in every RDP house – include burglar-proof bars for persons living with disabilities and rainwater harvesting devices in rural areas.
“It has come to our attention that the houses we provide to persons with disabilities are vulnerable to burglaries and other security issues. For this reason, all the units delivered to persons with disabilities will be fitted with burglar bars”.
Kubayi said her department would be working closely with law enforcement agencies and community structures to avoid theft of these solar panels. The Minister also announced that they would be increasing the subsidy quantum to 29.7 percent for the 2023/2024 financial year, mainly to address the ever-increasing building costs effective from April 1.
“The adjustment will ensure that we speed up the pace of delivery and also deal with the quality of homes we provide to beneficiaries. BNG (Breaking New Ground, commonly known as RDPs) services and top structure will move from R196 887 to R255 364, house for persons with disabilities will move from R209 071 to R271 166, military veterans’ houses will move from R240 607 to R312 069, first home finance will move from R130 505 to R169 265 and social housing will move from R327 667 to R424 984,” she said.
The Minister said the increase in the frequency of natural disasters and the severity of the devastation requires a Human Settlements disaster response that is swift and appropriate for alleviating the plight of the affected.
She acknowledged that the department’s response had been “underwhelming and slow”, resulting in disaster victims finding themselves without homes two to three years after disaster has struck.
Kubayi attributed the inadequate response to long delays in applications for disaster grant funding from affected municipalities and provinces due to the lack of skills for assessment of disasters at a provincial and municipal level; the dysfunctionality of municipalities due to political instability, and prolonged delays in land acquisition, which frustrates the process of temporarily accommodating people.
However, Kubayi emphasised that provinces and municipalities were expected to ensure that they still attend to all outstanding households, whose properties were destroyed in previous disasters and are yet to receive assistance, despite the municipalities and provinces having received funding for those disasters. – www.fullview.co.za
Published on the 92nd Edition.
