Programme Director;
Our Hosts, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, Prof Zeblon Vilakazi, and his Senior Executive Team;
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa;
Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela;
Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Dada Morero
Mr Nkululeko Magadla, CEO, Air Liquide South Africa
Mr. Nicolas Poirot, Air Liquide CEO for Africa, Middle East, India
Sasol Representatives present here today;
Mr. Irshaad Kathrada, CEO, Localisation Support Fund
Industry Leaders;
Former Wits Council Chairperson, Mr Isaac Shongwe;
Academics;
Good Morning,

It is an honour to join you this morning for the launch of the Wits–South Africa Hydrogen Localisation Investment Facility (Wits-SAHLI), an important milestone so clearly demonstrated during the sod-turning we have just witnessed.

This moment marks not only the beginning of a ground-breaking project, but also the start of a shared national endeavour: to build a new industrial capability that drives innovation, creates quality jobs, and contributes to a just, inclusive, and sustainable economy.

South Africa’s hydrogen journey began in 2007, when Cabinet approved the 15-year Hydrogen South Africa Research, Development, and Innovation Strategy, today implemented by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The purpose of this groundbreaking Strategy was to create knowledge, build skills, and support valuable business activities in hydrogen fuel cell technologies, using our plentiful platinum group metal resources.

Over the years, we have established world-class infrastructure and technical expertise within the three Hydrogen South Africa Centres of Competence.

These centres focus on catalysis, hydrogen production, storage, distribution, systems integration, and technology validation, forming the backbone of our national hydrogen innovation system and paving the way for a more integrated approach to securing our country’s energy future.

We are jubilant that the new Wits Localisation Investment Hydrogen Facility will stand proudly as a continuation of that vision. Equipped with a 110 kilowatt electrolyser, a 200 kilogram hydrogen storage capacity, and a 200-kilowatt clean power output system, it is not only a technical asset, but also a training ground for the current and next generation of engineers, scientists, technicians and entrepreneurs that will lead the charge in driving the change we want to see.

In this regard, I wish to acknowledge the important leadership of the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. Through his stewardship, South Africa has strengthened policy certainty in the energy sector, accelerated the implementation of the Energy Action Plan, and advanced the integration of renewable energy into the national grid.

Minister Ramokgopa is playing an important role in positioning green hydrogen within South Africa’s broader energy transition. His Ministry’s strategies focus on stabilising electricity supply, modernising the grid, and promoting energy reforms, which are crucial for the hydrogen economy's success.

He emphasises that hydrogen development should not be isolated but part of the national energy strategy, involving grid expansion, renewable energy, industrial development, and regional energy collaboration. Ongoing partnerships with the Departments of Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as Higher Education, and industry stakeholders are essential for advancing hydrogen from pilot projects to commercial viability.

I must confess that the launch of this remarkable facility takes me back to my own school days. I am not entirely sure if Minister Manamela is old enough to relate, but I remember a time when resources were scarce and opportunities unevenly distributed. Our “science laboratory” was nothing more than an ordinary classroom with a cracked chalkboard and wobbly desks. There were no microscopes, no proper burners, and certainly no sophisticated equipment. What we had was imagination.

Our teachers were masters of improvisation. They crafted a spirit lamp from a small jar and a cotton wick to replace a Bunsen burner. Empty cooldrink bottles became our beakers. When it was time to test chemical reactions, the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda came straight from the teacher’s own kitchen. We would crowd around a single bowl as if awaiting a breakthrough worthy of the Nobel Prize. Those moments were humble, but they ignited curiosity in ways that only ingenuity can.

Today, when I walk into a modern school and see fully equipped laboratories, computers, smart boards, safety gear, and shelves lined with real scientific instruments, I cannot help but smile. Because our children are no longer learning science through improvisation alone; they are experiencing it first-hand, in a practical and applied manner.

That is why facilities like this one matter. They close the gap between potential and possibility, ensuring that the next generation does not inherit the limitations we once faced, but instead it inherits the tools to shape a far more innovative future.

In this context, Air Liquide’s R100 million investments, together with the partnership between Wits University and the Localisation Support Fund, represent far more than bricks and equipment. It establishes a crucial hub where students can bridge theoretical knowledge with practical industrial application, especially in the rapidly emerging green energy sector.

By 2028, when the facility becomes fully operational, we aim to have developed a vibrant ecosystem of locally manufactured hydrogen components, homegrown innovations, and strong enterprise development pathways for emerging companies.

What is particularly impressive about this initiative is that it represents a concrete step towards decarbonisation and sustainability, directly aligning with national and global commitments to build a low-carbon and sustainable society.

Around the world, clean hydrogen is emerging as a strategic solution to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, strengthen energy security, and open new export opportunities. For South Africa, this transition offers a compelling opportunity to leverage our research excellence, catalytic minerals, engineering capabilities, and industrial base to develop competitive, localised hydrogen value chains.

Green hydrogen will be central in decarbonising heavy-duty transport, steel, cement, mining, chemicals, refineries, agriculture, and plastics. Our country has recognised the transformative potential of this industry, not only to drive progress toward net-zero emissions, but also to tackle poverty, unemployment and inequality by unlocking new economic frontiers.

The envisaged Wits-SAHLI facility speaks directly to this ambition. It represents localisation in its fullest and most transformative sense, ensuring that the design, manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance of components within the green hydrogen value chain take place here at home.

It is about creating supplier ecosystems that draw in SMMEs, broaden industrial participation, and deepen domestic capabilities. It is about establishing the standards, testing facilities, and certification systems that give industry and investors’ confidence to procure locally.

This positions South Africa not only as a producer of green hydrogen but also as a developer and exporter of the technologies, skills, and industrial capacity that will shape the global green economy.

It is also about knowledge localisation — ensuring that the intellectual property, the skills, and the technical leadership reside within South Africa’s research system and industry so that value does not simply pass through our borders but is created and retained here.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Localisation is crucial for building a resilient South African economy by fostering local capabilities rather than relying on imported technologies. Localisation generates jobs, enhances skill sets, and supports small businesses. By reducing dependency on external supply chains, localisation empowers local researchers and industries to innovate. Ultimately, it ensures that emerging sectors, such as the green hydrogen economy, benefit the local community, contributing to an inclusive and competitive South Africa that will be able to stay ahead of the curve.

Through the Localisation Support Fund, also a partner in the Wits-SAHLI project, Government is removing barriers to competitiveness, supporting feasibility studies, strengthening manufacturing capabilities, and translating industrial policy into real business activity.

However, we must also confront the reality of industrial decline and its heavy impact on our youth and communities. Manufacturing once contributed more than 22 percent of GDP in the early 1990s. Today it is around 12 to 13 percent. Employment in manufacturing has fallen from more than 2.1 million jobs in 2008 to roughly 1.6 to 1.7 million today. Behind every percentage point lost are thousands of vanished opportunities.

This is why we must commit to a new era of reindustrialisation, one that embraces advanced manufacturing, builds domestic capabilities, deepens local value chains, and positions South Africa as a competitive player in the industries of the future.

Initiatives such as the Wits-SAHLI projects are central to our reindustrialisation agenda. Our country cannot prosper through import dependency. We must build what we use, and we must innovate what we export. The modular design of this plant is a deliberate strategy, allowing locally produced components to be developed, tested, improved, and eventually standardised. This creates opportunities for South African firms not only to participate but to lead.

To the Department of Higher Education and Training, this facility represents precisely the kind of collaborative, future-focused academic infrastructure envisioned for our National System of Innovation. Wits University, already a continental leader in research output, will now become a central node in hydrogen research, skills development and technology scaling.

This is how nations build future industries: through coherent, collaborative ecosystems that brings academia, government, and the private sector together.

As we grow our hydrogen economy, we must also acknowledge the challenges, including shortages of skilled workers and limited local manufacturing capacity. To move from pilot projects to commercial scale, we need a stronger skills pipeline and greater uptake of locally developed technologies.

The launch of the Wits-SAHLI project demonstrates that our institutions of higher learning are positioned to play a critical role in advancing green hydrogen skills and technologies.

Through the Hydrogen Society Roadmap, we are aligning multiple stakeholders around a common vision for deploying hydrogen technologies to support economic development and our green transition.

To our universities and research facilities, you must know that you are the backbone of this initiative. The hydrogen economy will require new thinkers, new problem solvers, new technicians, new researchers and new entrepreneurs.

We therefore urge you and all of us here to seize the opportunity presented by the Wits SAHLI facility and similar initiatives to be rolled out in future through our partnership model. We are therefore duty-bound, to support our global energy revolution.

In closing, let me express our appreciation to Air Liquide for their substantial investment, to Wits University for its leadership in research and innovation, to the Localisation Support Fund for championing South African industrial capacity, and to Minister Ramokgopa for his unwavering commitment to building a stable, modern and future-ready energy system that enables initiatives such as this to succeed.

Together, we are laying the foundation for a new chapter in South Africa’s industrial and energy landscape, one powered by innovation, driven by localisation, and sustained by the brilliance of our people.

I thank you.
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has instituted the probe related to the Exercise MOSI III Will of Peace (“the exercise”) and has appointed an investigative panel to be led by Justice B.M. Ngoepe as the Chairperson of the panel. Justice Ngoepe will be assisted by Justice K. Satchwell, Justice M.M. Leeuw and R. Adm (JG) P.T. Duze. The Panel will report directly to the President.

The instituting of the panel relates to the failure to heed the instruction by the President that the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran must no longer participate in the Chinese-led Exercise Will of Peace 2026 that took place in South African waters. 

The relocation of the inquiry from the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans to the Presidency is to ensure an independent and timeous probe. The President  is, in terms of section 202(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, the Commander-in-Chief of the South African National Defence Force. 

The Panel will investigate and make recommendations in relation to the circumstances surrounding the exercise, the factors that may have contributed to the failure to observe the President’s order, person or person’s responsible and the consequences to follow. 

The Panel will have the power to summon any member of the defence force and/or public service it needs, and to request for all documents, including classified documents, to fulfil its mandate. 

President Ramaphosa has directed that the Panel must finish its work and report to the President within one (1) calendar month of its establishment. 

The President may, on compelling cause shown, extend the period of the Panel’s proceedings. Due to national security considerations the work of the Panel will be confidential.

President Ramaphosa may on the recommendation of the Panel and the Minister decide to publicise or not to publicise all or any portion of the outcomes of the Panel’s investigation.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

 

Deputy President, Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile will on Saturday, 28 February 2026, attend and participate in the Frank Dialogue on the future of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE)at the Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel and Convention Centre, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

The all-day dialogue will bring together leaders from business, government, civil society and the ocean economy to debate current developments shaping the empowerment landscape and table practical recommendations for the future of economic transformation.

Deputy President Mashatile will participate in the dialogue and set the tone for the engagement, and provide insight on government’s achievements and action plan on the B-BBEE. 

The B-BBEE is a South African Government policy and legislative framework (Act 53 of 2003) designed to advance economic transformation and increase the participation of black people in the economy. The purpose of the policy is to address historical economic inequalities and promote economic unity.

Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: Saturday, 28 February 2026
Time: 09:00 AM
Venue: Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel and Convention Centre, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Media wishing to cover the event are requested to RSVP by submitting their full names, ID number and media house by 18h00 on Thursday, 26 February 2026, to Busi Radebe (Frank Talk) on 081 782 2037 or Bongani Majola (Presidency) on 082 339 1993. 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Presidency

Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Kgosi Seatlholo: Rapulana!
Deputy Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Nkosi Langa Mavuso: Ah! Zwelidumile,
Your Majesties, Kings and Queens, 
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Ms Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane,
Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza,
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Velenkosini Hlabisa,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Premiers,
Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of Provincial Houses of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders,
The President and Deputy Presidents of Contralesa and Rolesa,
Representatives of Khoi and San Communities present,
Members of the Commission on Khoi-San Matters,
Leaders of political parties,
Representatives of Chapter 9 Institutions,
Directors-General and officials,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen. 

It is my honour to address the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders on the tasks and priorities of our nation for the year ahead. 

As I begin, I wish to honour the memories of traditional leaders that we have recently lost. 

We remember with reverence Kgosi Bogosieng Mahura of Batlhaping ba ga Phuduhutswana in the Northern Cape, who passed away in December. 

A few days ago, we laid to rest Hosi Dr Tinyiko Lwandlamuni N’wamitwa of the Valoyi Traditional Community in Limpopo. 

These and other departed leaders leave behind towering legacies that we should nourish, sustain and build upon. 

The institution of traditional leadership forms the sturdy roots that hold the great tree of our nation up. Traditional leadership is the institution that anchors us in history. It nourishes us with identity. It stabilises us when storms rage. 

In many of the provinces across our country, traditional leaders remain enablers of social cohesion, mediators of conflict, guardians of land and transmitters of culture. Long before the formal architecture of the modern state, there were systems of cogent accountability rooted in consensus and community. 

As the custodians of many of our cultures, customs and shared values that are the source of our nation’s strength, you hold the soil together, anchor the trunk and help us grow taller. Without strong roots, a nation cannot stand. 

It is you who our people turn to in times of uncertainty and upheaval, and on whom they rely for guidance and wisdom that has been passed down through the ages and generations. 

As such, traditional leaders are indispensable partners as we work to improve our economy and the lives of every South African man, woman and child. 

In the State of the Nation Address two weeks ago I outlined the national priorities of the Government of National Unity for the year ahead. 

I called on all of society – including traditional leaders – to marshal their energies, resources and talents towards our collective goals. 

The country is in a much better position than it was a year ago. But our challenges are many and our difficulties are deeply embedded in our past. 

Joblessness, especially among young people, is rife across the country. But its effects are most severe in rural communities. 

With limited access to opportunities in villages and small towns, many young people migrate to urban centres in search of work. 

This affects the local economy and weakens the social fabric. Young people become disconnected from customs and leadership structures. 

The service delivery challenges in local government are felt particularly hard in rural areas. 

Where roads are poorly maintained, farmers cannot transport their goods to towns. Schoolchildren and the elderly have to travel long distances to get to clinics and schools, costing them money that is already in scarce supply. 

Rural areas are increasingly water-stressed. When the taps are dry, it doesn’t only affect households, but small-scale and communal farmers who rely on water to till the land, grow crops and sustain their livestock. 

The effects of climate change are worst in rural areas, as we saw with the recent floods in parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. 

Extreme weather such as floods and droughts affect crop yields and the condition of livestock herds. 

As communities rooted in land and tradition, there is much we should learn from traditional communities as we approach these challenges. 

When we launched the District Development Model, we said that development plans must be informed by engagement with communities. 

We have sought through this model to align planning and service delivery across the country’s districts and metros. 

We continue to work with traditional leaders to gain an understanding of the conditions in their communities, of their specific needs and priorities, and to undertake development that is responsive to these realities. 

One area where we are seeing impact is in our efforts to support youth development in rural communities is through public employment. 

The Presidential Employment Stimulus has to date created over 2.5 million work and livelihood opportunities for young people, including in rural areas. 

The Social Employment Fund continues to support agricultural interventions for smallholder farmers, including skills development, training in sustainable farming practices and access to markets. 

The National Rural Youth Service Corps, commonly known as NARYSEC, is having a positive impact on the lives of rural youth. 

Last year, many young people in rural areas graduated from this programme, having received training in agriculture, construction, IT, hospitality and other areas. 

Agriculture is the lifeblood of rural communities. 

In the State of the Nation Address, I outlined the steps we are taking to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity across the country. 

We will continue to provide innovative funding to black producers, with the support of the Land Bank and commercial banks. 

As we look to new markets for our agricultural exports, we want to ensure that a citrus farmer from Xitlakati village in Giyani and a poultry producer from Malangeni in Umdoni in KwaZulu-Natal have the same opportunities to expand their businesses as an established commercial farmer. 

That is why this year we will be deploying 10,000 new agricultural extension officers across the country to provide technical support to both smallholder and commercial farmers. 

We will also be consolidating the training funded by the AgriSETA to bring more young people into the agriculture sector. 

The foot-and-mouth disease that is wreaking havoc on farming operations across the country has not left small-scale farmers untouched. 

As we procure the vaccines we will use to vaccinate the national herd, we will ensure that communal and small-scale farmers have access to them. 

The mineral riches beneath the soil of the lands under the stewardship of our traditional leaders must be harnessed for the benefit of the communities. 

With some of the world’s largest reserves of critical minerals lying beneath our soil, government has dedicated funding to mapping our reserves and undertaking exploration.

Our progressive legal and regulatory frameworks have sought to ensure that mining activity does not result in environmental degradation, displacement or loss of livelihoods. 

In some cases, rural communities have benefited from these developments, but in far too many instances they have not. 

As we work to harness the potential of our critical minerals, government and traditional leaders must work together to ensure that these resources create jobs and businesses in the areas where they are mined.

We are determined that our minerals should be processed and beneficiated where they extracted, so that we export finished goods, not raw materials.

South Africa’s natural endowments must be harnessed for the benefit of those who live on and work the land. 

The service delivery challenges at local government level are severely affecting communities under the stewardship of traditional leaders. 

One of the greatest problems is water. 

In the State of the Nation Address, I outlined our plans to invest more than R156 billion for water and sanitation infrastructure over the next three years. 

Many projects to supply water to rural areas are either underway or about to commence. 

From the Moretele North-Klipvoor Bulk Water Scheme in the North West and Limpopo, to the Ntabelanga Dam on the uMzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape, to the Mandlakazi Regional Bulk Water Scheme in KwaZulu-Natal, we are investing in securing water for generations to come. 

We have embarked on a comprehensive review of the White Paper on Local Government. 

This review is an opportunity for us to reimagine the architecture of our local government, including how it interfaces with and provides a role for the institution of traditional and Khoi-San leadership. 

We are proposing a more structured cooperation between municipalities and traditional and Khoi-San leadership institutions. 

We know that we can rely on the wise counsel and lived experiences of our traditional leaders to help in repositioning our local government to better serve the needs of our people. 

As we seek to strengthen our local government system we know that the dual governance approach – of both municipal and traditional bodies – can create friction. 

As we address the challenges that our local government structures are going through we need to establish structured engagement platforms with municipal leadership and ensure that our traditional leaders are involved in the reform process.

Our traditional leaders by definition are development-oriented. 

As the custodians of the most valued asset of our people, which is land, they need to use it as a most strategic lever. 

We all know that the land question should be addressed and that communal land which is central to rural development should be managed transparently through effective and equitable allocation systems.

These systems must prevent elite capture of scarce land that has economic value in areas such as mining and tourism or as commercial land. 

We need to be clear that land-use and ownership rights should be fairly availed to our people as in households, as was the case in the past, to cooperatives, women and youth with a view of promoting productive land use for agriculture, agro-processing and eco-tourism. 

We are pleased that the processing of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill is proceeding at a good pace in preparation for its re-introduction in Parliament. 

As you would recall, we previously reported that the Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers had conducted a comprehensive review of the salaries and benefits of public office bearers, including traditional leaders. 

Upon consideration of the report that the Commission had submitted to me, I found it necessary to refer it back to the Commission to provide further clarity on some critical aspects. We will be communicating any updates on this matter through the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. 

The establishment of the Kings and Queens Forum has been one of the most significant developments in recent years. 

I have been advised of the successful engagements that the Forum had in December last year with a range of stakeholders and partners, where their Majesties discussed how they could best work together with other role players to advance the needs of the communities under their jurisdiction. 

When we last met, South Africa had just begun its Presidency of the G20, which culminated in the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November last year. 

We were gracious and worthy hosts and our remarkable hospitality is still being commended by world leaders. 

We are grateful for the active role that traditional leaders played in the Disaster Risk Reduction Ministerial Working Group and the G20 Social Summit, and for the broader contribution to the overall success of our G20. 

Let me also commend the House on the important work it has embarked on in partnership with government and other stakeholders. These include work with Habitat for Humanity, the Al-Imdaad Foundation, the National Heritage Council, the Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu Foundation, and others. 

These partnerships remind us: when we walk together, we walk far. 

The House must be applauded on the launch of the Lenaka Memorial Lectures that honour and celebrate the sterling contributions of past and current traditional and Khoi-San leaders in development. 

As we reflect on the work of those who have come before us, we must accept our responsibility to confront some of the challenges of the present. 

We must act together to end the death and injury of our young men during customary initiation. 

I am aware of Minister Hlabisa’s efforts in collaboration with traditional leaders to promote safe initiation practices. 

Let us give these interventions our all so that we can restore this profound cultural practice to its proper place in the life of our people. 

We must work together to end gender-based violence and femicide. 

Government has classified GBVF as a national disaster so that we can better focus and coordinate the work we must do across government and across society. 

As the custodians of our culture, heritage and values, traditional leaders must be at the forefront of the effort to end violence against women and children. 

As leaders of communities, traditional leaders can take a firm stance against those attitudes and practices that enable such violence. 

We are a nation that succeeds when we work together to find solutions. 

We must take advantage of the opportunity presented by the National Dialogue to fix the challenges our country faces. 

It is vital that traditional communities are involved in the dialogues that will take place across the country during the course of this year. 

We are pleased that traditional and Khoi-San leaders are well represented in both the Eminent Persons Group and the National Dialogue Steering Committee. 

Our great nation is rising once more from the ashes of a difficult past. 

We have endured a global pandemic, civil unrest, devastating natural disasters, an energy crisis and other great challenges. 

But we are making progress and we are recovering. 

We must join hands and work together for the betterment of our villages and towns, for our communities, and for our country as a whole. 

As our valued partners in governance, we will continue to rely on your guidance, your wisdom and your support. 

And as our traditional leaders you must be a partner in shaping the future. As we open this gathering, let us reflect on a simple but enduring image I alluded to at the beginning: 

A great tree does not grow separately from its roots.

It depends on them. And roots do not resist growth. They enable it 

May this House continue to be a stabilising force in our democracy and national life.

As our traditional leaders you must remain custodians of dignity and cohesion.

And may you help lead the renewal of our rural economies, the empowerment of our youth, and the strengthening of our social fabric. 

Because when the roots are strong, the nation stands firm. 

I now declare this fourth session of the sixth House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders officially open. 

I thank you. 

Pula! 

The Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Ms Nonceba Mhlauli, will participate in an online Family Meeting hosted by Politically Aweh on Thursday, 26 February 2026.

The session forms part of an open and youth led dialogue platform that creates space for direct engagement between young South Africans and public leaders. The Deputy Minister will engage on issues affecting young people, including youth unemployment, opportunities available through government programmes, the future of South Africa’s economy, and broader political questions raised by participants.

The discussion follows heightened interest from young people on economic reform, the upcoming local government elections, and global developments such as South Africa’s role in the G20. The Deputy Minister will respond to questions submitted live during the session and engage in a candid conversation focused on accountability, participation and solutions.

Members of the public, particularly young people, are encouraged to register and participate.

Event details:

Date: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Time: 18:00 to 19:00
Platform: Zoom Webinar
Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6Ps-Fo2zTC20B86nZRrSeQ#/registration

The online Family Meeting provides an opportunity for young people to speak directly to decision makers and contribute to shaping the national conversation on youth development, employment and governance.
 

Media enquiries: Ms Mandisa Mbele, Office of the Deputy Minister in The Presidency, on 082 580 2213 or mandisam@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 26 February 2026, deliver the keynote address at the Annual Official Opening of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders (NHTKL) at Parliament, Cape Town.

The address marks the official opening of the NHTKL and underscores the integral role of the institution of traditional leadership in advancing and deeping constitutional democracy. 

The collaboration and partnership between government and traditional leaders is rooted in the promotion of seamless integration of the traditional and democratic governance systems.

The NHTKL comprises traditional leaders who are delegates from the Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders of South Africa and who represent the nine Provinces at national level.

The institution of Traditional and Khoi-San leadership is an important pillar of unity and cohesion in our democratic constitutional dispensation. 

As custodians of culture and heritage, Traditional and Khoi-San leaders promote the interests of citizens through their active participation in efforts to address the broader socio-economic challenges, especially those in traditional communities.

Invited guests include Kings and Queens, Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Members of Executive Councils (MECs) responsible for Traditional Affairs, Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of Provincial Houses, CONTRALESA, royalities, representatives from business and religious sectors, NGOs, Chapter 9 Institutions, the National Khoi-San Council, and delegations from SADC countries.

The President's address will be as follows:

Date: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Time: 10h00
Venue: Good Hope Chamber, Parliament, Cape Town
 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile will on Friday, 27 February 2026, officiate the launch of the Strategic Hydrogen Localisation Investment Facility, a landmark R100 million investment aimed at advancing South Africa’s hydrogen research, innovation and localisation capabilities, at the University of the Witwatersrand in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The Wits–South Africa Hydrogen Localisation Initiative (Wits-SAHLI) is a partnership between Air Liquide South Africa, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University), and the Localisation Support Fund.

Funded by Air Liquide South Africa, the R100 million initiative seeks to strengthen South Africa’s research capacity and build local expertise to support the country’s just energy transition towards a low-carbon hydrogen economy.

The initiative represents a concrete step towards decarbonisation and sustainability, directly aligning with national and global commitments to build a low-carbon and sustainable society. It is designed to empower South African companies by creating direct opportunities to participate, innovate and grow within the hydrogen value chain through targeted development and industrial integration.

Wits-SAHLI will also pioneer research, development and the scaling of hydrogen technologies, bridging the gap between laboratory scale research and industrial scale implementation. The establishment of a modular pilot hydrogen plant on Wits University’s West Campus in particular will support applied research and teaching, enable on-campus testing of hydrogen applications, and provide a de-risked platform for industry partners to explore and scale hydrogen solutions.

Central to the initiative is fostering localisation by building competitive local industrial capacity and developing a tangible domestic supply chain for hydrogen components and services, thereby reducing reliance on imports.

Wits-SAHLI also represents a collaborative ecosystem that unites industry, academia and government in pursuit of a shared vision for South Africa’s energy transition.

The launch event will bring together Executive Leadership of Air Liquide, University leadership, industry partners, including representatives from Sasol, as well as Cabinet Ministers and key stakeholders across the energy, higher education and industrial sectors.

Deputy President Mashatile will be joined by the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela.

Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:

Date: Friday, 27 February 2026
Time: 08h00 – 12h30
Venue: Wits University, West Campus, Johannesburg

Media wishing to cover the launch event are requested to RSVP by submitting their full names, ID number and media house by 18h00 on Thursday, 26 February 2026, to Matome@presidency.gov.za or 082 318 5251.


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, attend the 2026 National Budget Speech in Parliament, Cape Town. 

The Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana will present the 2026 National Budget.

The Budget Speech follows the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), in which President Ramaphosa outlined the government’s policy priorities and programme of action for the 2026 year ahead. 

The Budget sets out how government will fund these priorities.

The Budget Speech will be tabled as follows:

Date: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Time: 14h00
Venue: Nieuwmeester Dome, Cape Town

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the return of the South African men who were lured into the battle lines between Russia and Ukraine by South African elements that remain under investigation. 

The South African government working closely with the Russian government has secured a safe return of the men. This followed receipt of distressed calls for assistance to return home from seventeen (17) South African men between the ages of 20-39 years. 

President Ramaphosa has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Vladimir Putin who responded positively to his call to support the process of returning the men home. 
President Putin had pledged his support during a telephone call with President Ramaphosa held on the 10th of February 2026.  

Out of the seventeen men, four are already back in the country, while eleven will be on their way home soon. Two remain in Russia with one in a hospital in Moscow, while the other one is being processed before finalising his travel arrangements. 
The South African embassy in Moscow will continue to monitor the individual that is in hospital until he has fully recovered to travel. 

The investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into mercenary activities is ongoing. 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

The litigation that has been initiated by various parties against the President and the Minister of Health has necessitated that President Cyril Ramaphosa following  consultations with Minister Aaron Motsoaledi agree to delay the proclamation of any sections of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act until the Constitutional Court has handed down its judgments in challenges due to be heard on 5-7 May 2026.
 
These cases relate to the public participation process that led to the adoption of the NHI Bill by Parliament.
 
The Department of Health has indicated that preparatory work has been ongoing such as the improvement of health services before any sections of the NHI Act are ready for commencement. The undertaking by the President will not affect the timetable for the implementation of the NHI.
 
The Department of Health will continue in its constitutional responsibility to strengthen the health system and improve the quality of care.
 
It is anticipated that this agreement will be made an order of court on 24 February 2026.
 
Government remains committed to the National Health Insurance and will work within the requirements of the law and judicial process to ensure that there is no undue delay.
 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria