Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the Minister in The Presidency responsible for Electricity, will be hosting a media briefing to provide updates on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.

The media briefing will be held as follows:

Date: Monday, 13 May 2024  
Time: 09h30 (media setup from 09h00)  
Venue: Kusile Power Station

Live Streaming:
 
- Facebook: GovernmentZA  
- Twitter: GovernmentZA  
- YouTube: GovernmentZA

RSVP:  

Please RSVP by completing the attached Media Desk_Request to take footage at Eskom power stations.pdf form and sending it to:
  
- Kutlwano@presidency.gov.za
- Samboav@eskom.co.za

RSVP deadline: Sunday, 12 May 2024 at 08h30

Media enquiries: Tsakane Khambane, Spokesperson in the Ministry of Electricity, on 082 084 5566 / tsakane@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Ministry in the Presidency for Electricity
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa is saddened by the passing of retired Constitutional Court Justice and Esteemed Member of the Order of the Baobab, Yvonne Mokgoro.

Justice Mokgoro passed away on Thursday, 9 May 2024, at the age of 73, following an extended period of illness arising from a vehicle accident.

On behalf of Government, President Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to Prof Job Mokgoro and the late Justice’s immediate and extended family, as well as her many associates in the legal fraternity in South Africa and abroad.

Justice Mokgoro was a judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa from its inception in 1994 until the end of her 15-year term in 2009.

She obtained a Bachelor of Jurisprudence (B Juris) degree at the then University of Bophuthatswana (now North-West University) in 1982, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) two years later, and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in 1987.

She also studied at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States of America, where she obtained a second LLM degree in 1990.

Throughout her legal career she taught a number of courses, including Constitutional Law, Human Rights Law Jurisprudence, History of Law, Comparative Law, Criminal Law, Private Law and Customary Law at a number of universities in South Africa, the United Kingdom, the USA and the Netherlands.

She wrote and presented papers, and participated in a myriad national and international conferences, seminars and workshops in South Africa and internationally, mainly in sociological jurisprudence and particularly on human rights, customary law, focusing on the impact of law on society generally, and on women and children specifically.

In 2015 she was inducted as a Member of the Order of the Baobab in Bronze for her excellent contribution in the field of law and administration of justice in a democratic South Africa.

President Ramaphosa said: “Justice Mokgoro’s passing deprives our nation of a formidable intellect and impeccable jurist who served our democracy at its very inception and through the years that followed.

“As we recall the inauguration of our Founding President Nelson Mandela 30 years ago on this day, 10 May, we count his appointment of Justice Mokgoro to the Constitutional Court as one of the critical, transformative decisions he exercised in those early days of our liberation.

“As a black female judge, she was a pioneering embodiment of and contributor to the transformation of our country and the legal system and new jurisprudence that enabled this transformation.

“Justice Mokgoro distinguished herself as an academic, a justice of our apex court, Chairperson of the South African Law Commission and as a strategic advisor to a diversity of boards in different sectors.

“Her insightful and principled counsel lives on in the thousands of legal careers she shaped in the course of her academic endeavours.

“She has left us under very tragic circumstances, and we therefore join the family in their sadness and in their prayers that this beloved mother, patriot, leader and citizen of the globe will rest in peace.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, on media@enquiries.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday, 15 May 2024 deliver the Memorial Lecture on the life of Elijah Barayi.

The labour law lecture, organised by the Department of Labour in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg, will focus on the life and contribution of Elijah Barayi and will offer the President an opportunity to pay his special tribute.

Elijah Barayi was a trade union leader who sacrificed his life in the struggle for the dawn of peace, freedom, and the building of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society in South Africa.

He was one of the founding leaders of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and rose to become the Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu) President at its launch in 1985.

He had been an activist in the Mass Democratic Movement since the 1950s.

Members of the media are invited to attend and cover as follows:

Date : Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Time : 10h30 – 12h30 (members of the media to arrive at 09h30)
Venue : University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus Imbizo Hall, Gauteng

NB: Admittance is granted upon receipt of a confirmed RSVP. For RSVP and media site visit and inspection, please contact Mishack Magakwe on 082 908 1828 / Mishack.Magakwe@labour.gov.za and cc hlobisile@presidency.gov.za on or before Friday, 10 May 2024 at 16h00.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, on media@enquiries.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assented to the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill which outlaws offences of hate crimes and the offence of hate speech and the prosecution of persons who commit those offences.
 
This legislative measure gives effect to South Africa’s obligations in terms of the Constitution and international human rights instruments concerning racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in accordance with international law obligations.
 
The Constitution sets out certain basic values including human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms and non-racialism and non-sexism.
 
The Bill of Rights, in Section 9 of the Constitution, prohibits direct or indirect unfair discrimination against anyone on the grounds of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
 
The Bill of Rights gives everyone the right to dignity and gives everyone the right to freedom and security of the person, which includes the right to be free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources.
 
The new Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act provides for the prevention of hate crimes and hate speech, effective enforcement measures and the gathering and recording of data on hate crimes and hate speech.
 
A hate crime is committed if a person commits any recognised offence under any law that is motivated by prejudice or intolerance on the basis of one or more characteristics or perceived characteristics of the victim, as listed in the legislation or a family member of the victim.
 
The definition of the crime extends to offences targeting the victim’s association with or support for a person with one or more of the listed characteristics or a group of persons who share these characteristics.
 
The offence of hate speech applies to any person who intentionally publishes, propagates, advocates, shares or communicates anything to one or more persons in a manner that could reasonably be construed to demonstrate a clear intention to be harmful or to incite harm and to promote or propagate hatred based on defined grounds.
 
The law also makes it an offence when speech material is intentionally distributed or made available in electronic communication, and the said person knows that such electronic communication constitutes hate speech.
 
The law excludes from the ambit of hate speech anything done in good faith in the course of engagement, such as:
 
* artistic creativity, performance or other form of expression;
* academic or scientific inquiry;
* fair and accurate reporting or commentary in the public interest;
* interpretation and articulating or espousing of any religious conviction, tenet, belief, teaching, doctrine or writings, that does not advocate hatred or constitutes incitement to cause harm.
 
The law also contains directives on training and other measures to be undertaken by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to ensure effective processing of the newly defined crimes.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, on media@enquiries.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Divorce Amendment Bill which amends the Divorce Act of 1979 to recognise Muslim marriages and safeguard the interests of Muslim women and children of Muslim marriages in the event that marriages are dissolved.

The new legislation is a response to an earlier Constitutional Court judgment which recognised the need for and importance of protecting Muslim women and children of Muslim marriages, particularly when a Muslim marriage is dissolved.

The amended legislation addresses shortcomings in the Divorce Act of 1979 which differentiated between people married in terms of the Marriage Act and people married according to Muslim rites, especially women.

Currently, Muslim couples who choose to marry according to Islamic law can only be afforded the statutory protection of the South African legal system as it pertains to civil spouses if they, in addition to their marriage under Islamic law, register a civil marriage.

The amendments enacted by the President provide for a definition of a Muslim marriage in the Divorce Act of 1979; the protection and safeguarding of the interests of dependent and minor children of a Muslim marriage; the redistribution of assets on the dissolution of a Muslim marriage; and forfeiture of patrimonial benefits of a Muslim marriage.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, on media@enquiries.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on  Thursday, 09 May 2024, lead Government’s interaction - in the form of a District Development Model Presidential Imbizo - with communities and stakeholders within the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province. 

Themed "Leave No One Behind", the 12th Presidential Imbizo promotes participatory democracy and inclusive development by allowing community members and stakeholders to voice proposals and express any concerns or dissatisfaction they may have about conditions in the district or province.

John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality is a rural district municipality which  comprises three local municipalities - Ga-Segonyana, Joe Morolong and Gamagara. Mining , Tourism, Manufacturing, and Agriculture and Forestry are key economic drivers in the District.

The Imbizo is directed at enabling successful implementation of the “One District, One Plan” District Development Model in which residents, traditional leaders, business formations, organised labour and faith- and community-based organisations work with Government across all phases of planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Preceding the Imbizo there will be a series of build-up outreach activities led by all three spheres of Governmmet in parts of John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality and across the Northern Cape Province.

President Ramaphosa will, prior to leading the community engagement, meet with the Northern Cape Provincial Executive of House of Traditional and Khoi-san Leaders.     

Details of the DDM Presidential Imbizo are as follows:

Date: Thursday, 09 May 2024

Time: 11h00

Venue: Batlharos Sports Ground, Ga-Segonyana, John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, Northern Cape Province

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, on media@enquiries.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Water Task Team, has today, Wednesday, 08 May 2024, successfully concluded a visit to Rand Water Zuikerbosch Plant in Vereeniging, Gauteng Province.

The Water Task Team was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to address water challenges in various areas in the country.

Rand Water is the largest bulk water utility in Africa and is one of the largest in the world, providing bulk potable water to more than 11 million people in Gauteng, parts of Mpumalanga, the Free State and North West – an area that stretches over 18 000 km2.

 “In our efforts to avert a water crisis in Gauteng province and other municipalities around the nation, it is imperative that we have strategic engagements and collaboration with the Rand Water leadership in order to urgently find solutions to this pressing issue," said the Deputy President.

During the engagement, the Deputy President received an update on Rand Water’s efforts aimed at ensuring the efficient provision of water to residents of the Gauteng Province. With a global reputation for providing high quality water, its customer base includes metropolitan municipalities, local municipalities, mines and large industries in Gauteng and surrounding areas.

The Deputy President commended efforts by Rand Water to ensure that millions of people have access to water on a constant basis, as this has a significant impact on the well-being of the society as it relates to socio-economic factors such as health, food security and general welfare.

As part of the visit, the Deputy President undertook a guided tour of the water purification plant at Zuikerbosch Station 5A, built to ensure sustainable water supply, and meet the current and future water demands. The water purification plant is part of the Rand Water’s capital expenditure projects and seeks to bring more capacity to the water utility system to ensure water security.

 “I am eager to collaborate closely with the Rand Water leadership to identify a preventative measure against the impending water scarcity crisis. It is widely recognised that water is essential for sustaining life, and ensuring access to an adequate amount of water is a basic duty outlined in the Constitution, which states that "Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water," said the Deputy President.

The Deputy President was supported by the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele; Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr David Mahlobo; Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance, Mr Parks Tau as well and as well as senior government officials.

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to Deputy President Mashatile on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Presidency
 

Programme Director,
His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa,
Ms M Ramokgopa, Minister for Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation,
Ms P Kekana, Deputy Minister for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation,
Deputy Ministers in The Presidency, DM Morolong and DM Motaung,
Distinguished speakers and guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

30 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa is a journey through triumphs, challenges, and ongoing progress. It's a testament to the resilience and spirit of a nation that has overcome immense adversity to embrace unity, democracy, and equality.

While milestones like the end of apartheid have been monumental, there's recognition of the work still ahead to address systemic issues and ensure that freedom truly reaches every corner of society. It's a time to celebrate progress, honor those who fought for change, and commit to building a future where every South African can thrive.

For some, 30 years may seem like a long time, yet when we consider what the democratic state inherited in 1994, it was always clear that our journey would be long and with many highs and lows. In 1994, we were a fractured nation.

The very fabric of our country had been torn apart by apartheid’s policies, which had systematically excluded black South Africans to the fringes of society. Planning and development in South Africa before 1994 was fragmented, thus enabling their exclusion and marginalisation from developmental opportunities.

As His Excellency, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa said during the State of the Nation Address in February this year, and I quote:

“Over the last three decades, we have been on a journey, striving together to achieve a new society – a national democratic society. Just as we cannot deny the progress South Africans have made over the last 30 years, nor should we diminish the severe challenges that we continue to face. We have endured times of great difficulty, when the strength of our constitutional democracy has been severely tested.”

Ladies and gentlemen,

Against this backdrop, I say this with conviction as we gather here today the South African story as it is, continues to inspire millions of people all over the world especially those who continue to wage struggles against oppression.

Since we are going to launch the Review of 30 years of Government, allow me to allude to the third party comments about South Africa:

1. According to the World Bank, South Africa is the leading economy in the African continent with nominal GDP of over $US373 billion.

2. Gross Tax revenue collection increased from R147,3 billion in 1996 to R2,155 trillion in 2023/2024 - the ever growing economy, while facing headwinds at present, has demonstrated the ability to create jobs and employment despite historical and structural challenges.

3. South Africa has 750 000km road network, and it ranks 11th amongst the countries with largest road network. 159, 272 km of SA road network is paved / tarred and ranks 19th globally.

Mr President, it is no small feat that South Africa has achieved universal access to education for children between the ages  of 7 - 15 years  and we are on track to achieve universal access to Early Childhood Development. Through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and its predecessor TEFSA, the Government continues to break generational poverty with families and households having first time graduates, something many would not have dared dreamt of.

The World Bank reckons that we have been achieve this because South Africa on education outspends the P5 countries (permanent members of the Security Council – the US, UK, Germany, Russia and China), you can even add France, Italy, India and Australia. The South African Government spends 6.2% on education as share of GDP.

So, South Africa of today is much better than the South Africa of 1994, but they say – a picture says it best. Allow the video complied by Brand South Africa say it for me.

Thank you.

Programme Director,
Minister for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Maropene Ramokgopa,
Minister in the Presidency, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni,
Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Ms Pinky Kekana,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Members of Parliament,
Directors-General,
Officials,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Fellow South Africans, 

It is a great pleasure to be here at the launch of the 30 Year Review Report on the work we have collectively undertaken to build a democratic, prosperous and free South Africa. 

This vision of a free South Africa has inspired and guided the struggle of our people for many decades and for many generations.

It is this vision that lies at the heart of the Freedom Charter, which was adopted at the Congress of the People in Kliptown nearly seven decades ago. 

The brave men and women of South Africa pledged in Kliptown to strive together, sparing neither strength nor courage, until the democratic changes set out in the Freedom Charter had been won. 

It was on this day, the 8th of May, in 1996, that the Constitutional Assembly adopted our new democratic Constitution.

The Constitution that was adopted on that day gave legal form to the vision contained in the Freedom Charter and continues to guide both the functioning and the direction of our democracy.

While this 30 Year Review is about the journey South Africa has traversed since the advent of democracy, it is also a reflection on progress towards the aspirations of the Freedom Charter and our democratic Constitution.

This Review is undertaken as a tribute to all those who fought for our freedom, and for all South Africans who have worked together to build and enrich our democracy.

The scope of the 30 Year Review Report is not only retrospective. It also looks to the future. 

The insights it has generated will inform future Government planning.

It will assist us as we work to achieve the vision of the National Development Plan by 2030 and as we plan for the decades ahead. 

The Report will also contribute towards improved policy implementation. 

The democratic breakthrough of 1994 represented both a decisive break with a painful past and an opportunity for South Africa to chart a new course.

South Africa is a vastly different place compared to what it was 30 years ago. 

Guided by our Constitution and its Bill of Rights, successive democratic administrations have implemented progressive policies and programmes to uplift the material condition of all South Africans, particularly society’s most vulnerable.

These policies have included the provision of basic services, housing, education, health care and social support. 

We have established a unitary, democratic state and created institutions to uphold democracy and promote accountability. 

We have an independent judiciary, a robust civil society, a free media and a clear separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. 

We have advanced transformative policies to change the racial and gender composition of the economy and the workplace. We have implemented laws to protect workers and advance their rights.

We have restored land to many who had been dispossessed and have provided emerging farmers with the means to productively use their land.

South Africa today is a valued member of the international fellowship of nations. We pursue a progressive foreign policy rooted in advancing the African Agenda, in social justice and solidarity, and in support of multilateralism.

Yet we know that still much more needs to be done.

We are contending with slow economic growth, high unemployment, poverty, inequality and underdevelopment. 

We know that for millions of South Africans, the promise of 1994 has not yet translated into the meaningful change that they seek and deserve. 

That is why we must, and we will, continue to work in earnest to resolve the challenges that are holding back our progress. 

We continue our efforts to overcome the energy crisis, to implement structural reforms to boost economic growth, to drive programmes that create more employment, and to improve the capacity of the state to deliver services.

What is made clear by this Review Report is that the task of consolidating our democratic gains is not just the responsibility of the state. It is a responsibility that we all share. 

Just as we stood together to overcome COVID-19, just as we have united to confront other crises, we can overcome this period of difficulty in the life of our nation together.

If we are to fully transform this country, we must renew the same pledge made by our forebears at Kliptown – to strive, sparing neither strength nor courage, until the democratic transformation is complete.

I congratulate the Department of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, the various Government departments and all those who have had a role in compiling the 30 Year Review Report.

It has been a substantial undertaking, executed with care and diligence. 

The value of this report is that it is backed by solid research and credible, verifiable and accurate data. 

It has been said that progress is about enhancing what is and in advancing towards what will be. 

Our goal is a better South Africa, a transformed South Africa, a South Africa that leaves no-one behind. 

The story of 30 years of democracy contained in this report is an honest and critical appraisal. It presents both light and shade, both progress and challenges. 

It is a vital reference for anyone who wants to understand the last 30 years and for everyone who wants to look into our future.

It is our hope and expectation that this Review Report will be studied in detail and that its findings will be applied.

This 30 Year Review Report is much more than a chronicle of a changing nation.

As we chart the path ahead for our democracy, we will look to this Report as a valuable instrument for transformation, progress and growth.

Let us make this a living document that inspires, encourages and guides us as we continue to build a democratic, prosperous and free South Africa. 

I thank you.

The South African Presidency and Business for South Africa (B4SA) continue to collaborate on strategic initiatives to address challenges within the key focal areas of energy, transport and logistics, and crime and corruption, in order to grow the economy and restore investor and public confidence.

Media are invited to attend a virtual briefing on Thursday, 9 May, hosted by Mr Rudi Dicks, the Head of the Project Management Office in the Private Office of the President and Mr Martin Kingston, Chairman of the B4SA Steering Committee.

Representatives from the joint initiative and workstream leads will be in attendance to assist with your questions.

Media are invited as follows:
Date: Thursday, 9 May 2024
Time: 08:30 – 09:30
Link: Join Zoom Meeting

https://owg.zoom.us/j/92488642391?pwd=VUhZeGNnQ0xOR2Z4T1drVVZWUG96Zz09 
Meeting ID: 924 8864 2391
Passcode: 015965

Please RSVP to:
Rachel Quigley, Chloe Payne
Instinctif Partners
B4SA@instinctif.com

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa – media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria