Pretoria- Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Wednesday 01 February 2016, host his Cuban counterpart, Vice President of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba Salvador Valdes Mesa for bilateral political, economic and trade discussions at the OR Tambo House, Bryntirion Estates in Pretoria. Vice President Mesa is on a working visit to South Africa which will include paying a courtesy call on President Jacob Zuma and visit Cuban doctors currently working in one of Gauteng’s hospitals.


Cuba has become an established strategic partner for South Africa in the Latin American region and in multilateral fora. The past 22 years   of diplomatic relations have experienced a robust and constructive interaction at both bilateral and multilateral level. Both countries enjoy strong support from each other in multilateral fora. In this regard South Africa has consistently voted for the lifting of the US-imposed economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. During President Jacob Zuma’s state visit to Cuba, on 6-8 December 2010, the President announced that South Africa would offer Cuba an Economic Assistance Package of R350 million to assist with agricultural development projects as well as reconstruction of infrastructure following the damage by hurricanes in 2008.


Deputy President Ramaphosa undertook a successful working visit to Cuba, hosted by First Deputy President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, from 22 – 26 October 2015. Fruitful discussions with various Cuban interlocutors, including with President Raul Castro, underlined the strategic bilateral political and economic relations between the two countries.


To date the two countries have signed  over 30 bilateral agreements comprising vast areas of cooperation in education, defence, science and technology, agriculture, health services, infra-structure development, housing, water and sanitation, health cooperation, human settlements technical exchange, water resource management and water supply and public works technical assistance.


Under the auspices of the 2012 Agreement, 2903 South African students, including the 80 students on the scholarship programme, are currently receiving medical training in Cuba. So far, 520 South Africans from disadvantaged backgrounds have graduated as medical doctors, providing much needed primary healthcare services to their local communities. 34 Cuban engineers are currently working in South Africa under the auspices of the SA/Cuba Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of Water Resource Management and Water Supply, signed on 09 September 2013.
 
Media is invited as follows:
 
Date: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Time: 18H00
Venue: OR Tambo House, Bryntirion Estate, Pretoria (enter through gate 10 on Nassau and Dumbarton streets off Stanza Bopape Street)
 
 
Enquiries: Terrence Manase at 082 338 6707 or Ronnie Mamoepa at 082 990 4853

Issued by: The Presidency

Cape Town - Please be advised that the signing of agreements on labour stability and a national minimum wage, which was due to take place at the Business Investors Luncheon later today, Tuesday 7 February 2017, has been postponed until further notice.

The postponement follows a request from COSATU to be given time to provide a full report to its Central Executive Committee.
 
Further announcements will be made in due course.
 
Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa 082 990 4853

 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) has assured President Cyril Ramaphosa of the business community’s support for current efforts to stabilise electricity supply in the country and to secure the sustainability of Eskom as a power utility.
 
BUSA has made a commitment to leverage its membership in order to place expertise, skills and technological interventions at the disposal of government and Eskom, to reinforce actions that are currently being implemented to stabilise Eskom and to secure the supply of electricity.
 
BUSA’s engagement on these initiatives will serve to complement and strengthen the work being done by the management and board of Eskom in  partnership with the Special Cabinet Committee on Eskom chaired by Deputy President David Mabuza and the technical review team on Eskom that is  led by Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan.
 
BUSA offered its commitment to President Ramaphosa at a meeting in Pretoria today, Wednesday 3 March 2019, where Minister Gordhan updated South Africa’s largest business federation on the challenges facing Eskom and actions that are unfolding to mitigate the immediate crisis and secure the long term sustainability of the power utility.
 
Business Unity South Africa is the largest business confederation in South Africa and serves as an apex structure for a broad range of organisations that represent various sectors of business. It represents business on cross cutting issues relating to economic, social, trade, environment and transformation in national and international structures and bodies, and is the representative of business at Nedlac. BUSA views the revitalisation of Eskom as the single most important priority for the economy and underpins inclusive growth.
 
 The organisation has proposed the creation of a collaborative platform where business, government and Eskom can work together to explore practical solutions to address the short term operational challenges facing the utility.
 
This platform will enable regular and transparent communication with the business community; lend operational and technical expertise and solutions, as well as leverage available human capital by secondment or other means. BUSA will engage with its members on issues including demand management that could help to reduce pressure on the national grid.

Today’s meeting agreed that greater public and business confidence pertaining to the supply of electricity depended on improved coordination and communication within government around Eskom, and between government and business. This applied similarly to government’s communication with the nation at large.
 
The meeting welcomed the increasing frequency and depth of communication by Minister Gordhan and Eskom Chair Mr Jabu Mabuza on Eskom, and called for this effort to be intensified.
 
President Ramaphosa welcomed the initiative presented by BUSA in the spirit of Thuma Mina and said the new channel for greater transparency and the sharing of information would facilitate and encourage improved coordination among stakeholders that would assist in the day-to-day improvement of the current situation.
 

Media enquiries:
For The Presidency: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President – 072 854 5707
For BUSA: Xolisa Phillip, BUSA Communications Manager – 079 239 3423
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Cape Town - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will later today, 08 February 2017, provide details on the status of National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC)’s Committee of Principals (CoP) discussions on Labour Relations and Wage Inequality.
 

The CoP comprises leaders of business, labour, community and government.

Details will be provided later in the day.
 
Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa 082 990 4853
 

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Cape Town - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will  provide details on the status of National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC)’s Committee of Principals (CoP) discussions on Labour Relations and Wage Inequality later today, Wednesday, 8 February 2017 at 14h30 at Tuynhuys, Cape Town.

Members of the media are invited as follows:
Date:  Wednesday, 08 February 2017
Time:  14h30 (members of the media to arrive at 14h00)
Venue:  Tuynhuys, Media Centre, Cape Town
RSVP:  terrence@presidency.gov.za and terrence.manase@gmail.com

Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa 082 990 4853


Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended heartfelt condolences to Minister Nomvula Mokonyane on the passing away of her husband, Mr Serge Mokonyane.

Mr Mokonyane passed away early today, Thursday 04 April 2019, following an extended illness.

President Ramaphosa’s thoughts and prayers are with Minister Mokonyane, her immediate and extended family, and friends and associates of Mr Mokonyane.


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Maseru - Deputy President of South Africa and SADC Facilitator Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to pay a working visit to Maseru, capital of the Kingdom of Lesotho later today, Friday 10 February 2017, in pursuance of his SADC mandate to consolidate peace and stability in the Kingdom.
 
In this regard the working visit of the Facilitator Deputy President Ramaphosa will review progress made with regard to the implementation of SADC recommendations on constitutional and security sector reforms including the investigation into the death of the late Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao.
 
During the visit, the Facilitator who will be supported by several members of the SADC-appointed Oversight Committee will pay a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III and hold discussions with the Right Honourable Prime Minister Mosisili and members of his coalition government.
 
As is customary, the Deputy President will also have an occasion to meet with leaders of all opposition political parties, college of Chiefs, Council of Lesotho Churches, and members of the Mahao family to be briefed on their assessment of the current political and security situation in the country.
 
SADC has committed to providing experts in the various fields to assist the country in developing a long lasting solution to the constitutional and security sector reform.
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa is expected to return to South Africa later in the day, Friday 10, February 2017, ahead of his planned meeting with exiled Lesotho political leaders on Saturday in Gauteng.
 
Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa 082 990 4853
 

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Maseru - SADC Facilitator and South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will pay a working visit to Maseru on Sunday 12 February to welcome the three returning exiled Lesotho opposition political party leaders including former Prime Minister Tom Thabane, Theselle Maseribane and Ms. Keketso Rantsho back to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The return of the three opposition leaders back to Lesotho is a culmination of decisions of the SADC Double Troika Summit held in Gaborone, Botswana in June 2016, which mandated Deputy President Ramaphosa, among others, to facilitate the return from South Africa of opposition political party leaders back to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

In pursuit of this mandate and as well as to assess progress regarding the constitutional and security sector reforms and the implementation of recommendations of the Phumaphi Commission of Inquiry, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a working visit to Maseru on Friday 10 February 2016.

Against this background, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III, held bilateral discussions with the Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili, held meetings with government coalition party leaders, opposition party leaders, Council of Churches of Lesotho, NGO sector and representatives of the College of Chiefs.

Deputy President Ramaphosa will be supported during the function to welcome the three leaders of the All-Basotho Convention, Basotho National Party and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho on Sunday 12 February by members of the SADC Oversight Committee.

Details are as follows:
Time: 11h00
Venue: Avani Lesotho Hotel, Maseru
Date: Sunday 12 February 2016

Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa  082 990 4853


Issued by The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 9 April 2019, undertake a visit to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in Cape Town where the President will be briefed on PRASA’s efforts to improve commuter services and to stimulate economic activity and industrialisation   through its modernisation programme. The President will also observe the testing of new train sets.

The President’s visit follows his recent personal experience of commuter frustration and technical problems with rolling stock between Mabopane and Bosman stations in Pretoria. During an engagement with commuters, the train on which the President was travelling broke down, turning a 45-minute journey into a three-hour delay
 
In Cape Town PRASA will take the President through elements of the passenger rail sector’s 20-year modernisation programme.
 
This programme aims to revitalise the rail industry through local manufacturing of parts, maintenance, the establishment of training facilities, the achievement of 65 percent local content, and training and skills development for PRASA employees and young people interested in the rail industry.

Government’s commitment to providing safe and sufficient passenger rail services that will benefit commuters and the economy is reflected in its investment of more than R170 billion to ensure that passenger rail services offer:
 

• Modern, safe and reliable trains for commuters
• Faster trains which will increase capacity of the network
• Improved overall safety of trains and reduced energy costs and
• Improved, predictable and reliable services to passengers.

 
During his visit to Cape Town’s central railway station, President Ramaphosa will view two new trains that were manufactured locally and which will be deployed on upgraded infrastructure, as part of PRASA’s Rolling Stock Fleet Renewal Programme that will see the manufacturing of more than 7 000 new trains over a period of 20 years - or close to 30 per month.
 
Members of the media are invited as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 9 April 2019
Time: 11h00 (members of the media are requested to arrive at 10h00)
Venue: Cape Town Station, Western Cape Province

Media RSVP: Terrence Manase –terrence@presidency.gov.za / 082 338 6707

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko – Presidential Spokesperson – 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Maseru - SADC Facilitator and South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa today, Sunday 12 February 2016 concluded a successful working visit to Maseru where he received and welcomed back home three former exiled Lesotho opposition political party leaders back to the Kingdom of Lesotho

The three leaders former Prime Minister and leader of the All-Basotho Convention Dr. Tom Thabane, former Minister Theselle Maseribane and Ms. Keketso Rantsho leader of the Reformed Congress of Lesotho were welcomed at a function held at Avani Lesotho hotel earlier today.

Their return to Lesotho is a culmination of efforts and decision of the SADC Double Troika summit  of Heads of State and Government held in Gaborone, Botswana in 2016 which mandated the Facilitator Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to facilitate the return of the three leaders back home.

Deputy President Ramaphosa held discussions with family members of the late Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao and later held bilateral discussions with former Prime Minister Tom Thabane before addressing a media briefing to welcome the three leaders back home.

The visit on Sunday follows a working visit to the Kingdom of Lesotho on Friday 10 February to assess progress regarding constitutional and security sector reforms and implementation of recommendations of the Phumaphi Commission of Inquiry

In this context the Facilitator Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III, Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili, government coalition partners, church and NGO sector leaders as well as representatives of the College of Chiefs.

SADC remains committed to work with all stakeholders to ensure the stabilisation of the political and security situation in Lesotho and has committed itself to second experts to assist the country as it embarks on constitutional and security sector reforms.

The Facilitator, Deputy President Ramaphosa returned to South Africa on Sunday afternoon.

Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa at 082 990 4853


Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria