The 24th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days (JTC) will take place without the festive side, due to the exceptional situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the war on Gaza that has been going on since October 7.
The programme for this 2023 edition, which will take place from December 2 to 10, in various venues across the capital, was presented on Saturday at a press conference held at the City of Culture.
This year’s programme includes a selection of 62 shows from 28 countries around the world. The shows are divided into 16 sections, including Colloquia, Workshops, JTC Rendezvous, Paths, Screening, Expo and Cap.
The JTC Steering Committee, chaired by theatre maker Moez Mrabet, has decided to drop the festive aspect of the opening and closing ceremonies. The programme will include performances, conferences and training workshops for theatre professionals.
A Spanish performance ‘Finale’ (Spain) will be presented on the façade of the Tunis Municipal Theatre at 17.30, where the official openin
g ceremony will take place at 18.30. The JTC will return to the Tunis Municipal Theatre, after four editions at the Tunis Opera Theatre, located in the City of Culture, which will host an evening performance of ‘The Jungle Book’ by American director Robert Wilson (20:30).
During the official ceremony at the Municipal Theatre, a posthumous tribute will be paid to four figures of the 4th Tunisian Art: Moncef Charfedine, Mohamed Kdous Abdelghani Ben Tara, Rim Hamrouni and Lassaad Mehwachi.
Several Arab and African personalities will be honoured at the opening, including Abderraouf Basti, Sawssan Badr, Nidhal Al Achkar, Roger Assef and Hanan Haj Ali (Masrah Dawar Al Shams – Beirout), Amin Zendaghni, Ilham Einali Hamidi, Yaya Coulibaly and Nejia Ouerghi.
There will also be a series of tributes to Alougbine Aledji Dine, Manuela Soiero, Paul Chaoul, Houcine Mahnouch, Faouzia Mezzi, Daoud Hassine, Youssef Aedabi, El Hameyem El Bidh, Mongi Ouerfelli, Souad Mahassen and Jalila Madeni.
The official competition inclu
des 11 plays (11) and 24 parallel performances (24). These are shows in the section open to Tunisian, Arab and African professional theatre structures.
The jury for the official competition is chaired by Tunisian Wahid Essafi and includes Pierre Abi Saab (Lebanon), João Branco (Cape Verde), Naima Zitan (Morocco) and Odile Katese (Rwanda).
Moez Mrabet, Director General of the Tunisian National Theatre (TNT), is the Artistic Director and Chairman of the Organising Committee for this 2023 edition of the JTC.
The TNT has long been responsible for the organisation of the JTC, from its creation in 1983 until 2009. Until then it was entrusted to a body independent of TNT and this since 2011.
This year, TNT is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its creation. To mark the occasion, the festival is inaugurating the first edition of JTCap, the city’s first market dedicated to the exchange and fusion of art and commerce.
JTCap aims to foster global collaborations and expand exchange networks between artists from the
Arab and African worlds and entertainment professionals from around the world.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) is developing an App to make it easier for the public to file complaints about dissatisfactory service in the public sector from the comfort of their homes.
Commission Chairperson Florence Kajuju said the Commission is working in partnership with the Ministry of Public Service to strengthen the complaints management system that would be launched as the PASHA Ombudsman platform to be hosted by the Commission on Administrative Justice.
Speaking during the Fourth Huduma Ombudsman Award ceremony at KICC, Kajuju said the Commission has since its inception in 2011 made significant strides in resolving complaints, improving efficiency, and fostering a responsive culture in public service adding that over 920 000 complaints have been resolved.
Kajuju said the Commission has helped restructure the complaint-handling mechanisms by Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and County Governments (MDACs) through capacity-building seminars for public officers and inst
itutions and added that through the Wajibika initiative MDAs will now be held accountable to the public.
The Commission Chair reiterated the mission of the Office of the Ombudsman to promote good governance, the rule of law, and accountability in the management of public affairs and cited an instance of callous behavior by public servants reported to the Commission where a patient requiring surgery overseas was granted a passport while the donor was denied.
She commended public officers who have demonstrated diligence in their duties and cautioned them against dropping the ball adding that ‘through their exemplary service, their efforts will be appreciated and rewarded’.
Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Mercy Wambua reiterated that the Commission is committed to achieving administrative justice guided by the slogan ‘Hata anyone ana haki.’
The Commission CEO said an analysis of the complaints received over the years shows that the majority of grievances related to delays in services sought
by Kenyans at 22.6 percent while unlawful official conduct constitutes 18 percent. Inefficiency in service delivery, unfair treatment, and abuse of follow at 12.5, 11.3, and 10.6 percent respectively.
Other forms of maladministration cited relate to incompetence, ineptitude, manifest injustice, discourtesy, and unresponsiveness which account for 25 percent of complaints.
Among those celebrated for outstanding service included several institutions and individuals who bagged prestigious accolades in different categories. Kenya Revenue Authority, Huduma Kenya, and the National Council for Law Reporting won first place in institutional groupings.
Corporal Julius Karanja Irungu, a police officer stationed at Wajir SOG won the Ombudsman Valor Award for his bravery during an IED terror attack in Wajir.
Another notable winner was Precious Dama Randu, Assistant County Commissioner, Matsangoni division in Kilifi North Sub- County who excelled in the public service delivery category.
The awards consisted of individ
ual, institutional, and Ombudsman Valor Award categories that appreciate effective, accountable, and responsive public service. The Commission has adopted this approach to promote compliance with administrative justice and access to information.
Source: Kenya News Agency