Liberia: Boakai Lauds Impact of Plan's Program Here - Liberia's Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has lauded the international NGO Plan International for the impact it is making in the reconstruction of post-war Liberia. [AA Construction]

Liberia: Jica Holds Seminar On Monrovia's Draft Master Plan Today - The Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) will today, September 25, 2009, sponsor a one-day seminar on the Draft Final Report of the Master Plan Study on Urban Facilities Restoration and Improvement in Monrovia. [AA Urbanisation]

Kenya: Kibera Upgrade Plans Hit a Snag - Plans to upgrade Kenya's largest slum ran into a legal hurdle on Wednesday when some residents said their old structures should remain intact. [AA Urbanisation]

Zerofootprint is an organization dedicated to a mass reduction in global environmental impact. They provide software and services to individuals, governments, universities, and corporations that measures and manages carbon footprint and engages employees and citizens worldwide in combating climate change.

The ZEROprize

Kenya: French Funds to Give Kisumu Facelift - Social facilities in Kisumu are about to enjoy a facelift courtesy of a planned Sh4 billion investment from the French Development Agency (AFD). [AA Urbanisation]

Uganda: USAID Gives Gulu Sh840 Million for Construction - THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has given sh840m to complete the new Gulu district administration block. Some of the money will be used to rehabilitate the office of the resident district commissioner. [AA Construction]

Tanzania: Forodhani Restoration Completed - The restoration of Forodhani Park in Zanzibar's historic stone town has been completed, thanks to a $2.4 million (over Sh3 billion) funding by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)). [AA Urbanisation]

Zimbabwe: Municipality Gets U.S.$40 000 Donation - Chegutu Municipality has received US$40 000 from a non governmental organisation -- Concern -- to repair the town's collapsed sewer in the oldest suburbs of Chegutu and Pfupajena. [AA Urbanisation]

Cameroon: Facelift for Douche Municipale - The area is undergoing transformation. [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria: Beyond Beautification of State Capitals - If environmental enhancement is the only yardstick for measuring the success of our various state governments, many of the incumbent governors would score high marks. In a number of state capitals, environmental beautification programmes are going on with near frenzy. [AA Construction]

By Gabi Khumalo

Cape Town - In order to initiate the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme, an urgent rehabilitation of public hospitals will be undertaken through Public-Private Partnerships.

Delivering his State of the Nation Address on Wednesday, President Jacob Zuma said the NHI would be introduced in a phased and incremental manner.

The NHI, which was presented to Cabinet in August last year and expected to be implemented in the next five years aims to deal with inequalities within the health system.

Ghana: Modernising Accra (2) - During the last quarter of last year, we received a Nigerian delegation to our offices in Accra. During interaction some of them told us, "you people have good roads, free movement during the day and night, but in terms of beauty, Accra is not one of the best. We have heard a lot about Accra, so we were expecting to see a beautiful city, but that is not what we have seen." [AA Urbanisation]

Ghana: Modernising Accra (I) - When former President Kufuor created a new ministry called the Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, many were those who thought he was going to pull down structures in Accra and build new ones. Though pulling down structures and building new ones could be possible (details tomorrow), modernising the capital has many aspects. [AA Urbanisation]

Uganda: Kichwamba College Repairs Start - THE Uganda Technical College Kichwamba in Kabarole district, which was attacked by the Allied Democratic Forces rebels in 1994, is being renovated. [AA Construction]

Ghana: Cape Coast Ministries, Court Complex, Low Cost Houses Need Rehabilitation - Three government buildings in the Cape Coast Metropolis need urgent rehabilitation as they are now in deplorable conditions. These buildings are the Cape Coast Court Complex and Low Cost Housing Units meant for civil servants at Ayikooayikoo, a suburb of Cape Coast. [AA Urbanisation]