President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed the Tribunal President and Judges of the Special Tribunal which has a statutory mandate to recover public funds syphoned from the fiscus through corruption, fraud and illicit money flows.
 
President Ramaphosa has made these appointments in terms of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunal Act of 1996 and following consultation with Chief Justice Mandisa Maya.
 
The President has appointed Judge Margaret Victor as Tribunal President with effect from today, Friday, 1 November 2024, for a period of three years.
 
The President has also appointed the following additional judges for a period of three years starting today, Friday, 1 November 2024:
 
(i) Judge Thandi Victoria Norman, of the Eastern Cape Divisron of the High Court;
(ii) Judge David Makhoba, of the Gauteng Division of the High Court;
(iii) Judge Brian A Mashile, of the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court;
(iv) Judge Andre Henry Petersen, of the North West Division of the High Court; and
(v) Judge Chantel Moira Jennifer Fortuin, of the Western Cape Division of the High Court
 
Special tribunals differ from ordinary civil proceedings which are adversarial in nature. 

The Special Tribunal adopts a more flexible and expeditious approach to legal actions. Its proceedings are inquisitorial in nature and characterised by extensive pre-trial investigations.
 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assented to the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill which seeks to accelerate petroleum exploration and development with participation by black South Africans, as part of the nation’s social and economic advancement.

The Bill provides for the orderly development of petroleum resources and equitable access to and sustainable development of the petroleum resources, and enables active State and black persons’ participation in the development of the nation’s petroleum resources.

The legislation acknowledges that South Africa’s petroleum resources belong to the nation and that the State is the custodian of these non-renewable natural resources which must contribute to South Africa’s social and economic development.

As part of advancing industrialisation and manufacturing diversity, the law provides for local content as a development strategy to enable skills development, local recruitment and national participation through supply of goods and services.

The Bill reaffirms the State’s commitment to regulatory certainty and to guaranteeing security of tenure in respect of petroleum rights.

The Bill separates petroleum provisions from minerals provisions as currently provided for in the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.

This separation is necessary from a policy and administrative perspective to ensure matters in the petroleum and minerals industries are addressed on the basis of their distinctive features, to bring about stability and security to investors, especially in the upstream petroleum sector.

The law sets out the functions of the South African Agency for Promotion of Petroleum Exploration and Exploitation, which include receiving and evaluating applications for reconnaissance permits, petroleum rights and retention permits, and making recommendations to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy.

Reconnaissance refers to any operation carried out for or in connection with the search for petroleum by geological, geophysical and photo geological surveys.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

The Government of National Unity (GNU) Clearing House Mechanism met yesterday, 30 October 2024, to discuss the issue of Basic Education Laws Amendment Act which has two clauses that have been the centre of concern by some members of the  signatories of the Statement of Intent.
 
The meeting was attended by most parties that participate in the Clearing House Mechanism structure. The meeting noted the need to resolve the matter within the three months that the President has allocated.
 
After an extensive engagement, the Clearing House Mechanism agreed on the establishment of a small team to work on the concerns as raised by some parties. The team comprises Deputy Minister Andries Nel, Dr Cornelius Mulder of Freedom Front Plus, Mr Brett Herron from GOOD Party, Ms Hellen Zille from Democratic Alliance and Mr Mdumiseni Ntuli from African National Congress. This team was given two weeks to work and report to the Clearing House Mechanism. 
 
The meeting also agreed on the need to put party political interests aside and find a solution to benefit all South African people.
 
For enquiries related to the GNU Clearing House: Mr Mduduzi Mbada, Head: Office of the Deputy President on 082 900 1893. 
 
 
Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa wishes South Africa’s Hindu community a blessed and festive Diwali/Deepavali 2024.

President Ramaphosa said: “The Festival of Lights, with its origins in the triumph of good over evil, is a period for all South Africans to recommit to overcoming the inequalities, disadvantage and social ills that affect parts of our society and many parts of the world today.

“The values of truth, love, peace and non-violence by which Hindus live and conduct themselves within family and community are values that are at the heart of creating a better country and a better world.

“Happy Diwali and may this be a special time of celebrating life, family and community.”

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 1 November 2024, lead a meeting with the Limpopo Provincial Executive. 

The President will meet with the Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, and the Provincial Government Executive. 

President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Ministers and Deputy Ministers, and will deliver an opening address at the meeting.  

The  meeting with the Limpopo Provincial Government’s Executive is a start of a series of engagements between the President and provinces aimed at enhancing intergovernmental coordination and improve service delivery in line with the priorities of the 7th Administration.

 President Ramaphosa will meet with the Provincial Executive of the KwaZulu-Natal province ahead of the Presidential District Development Model (DDM) Imbizo next week. 

The Provincial Executive will present to the President its 5 year program in alignment with the priorities of the 7th Administration. 

The meeting will also discuss various approaches to service delivery issues including interventions to improve service delivery at local government level.

The meeting will take place as follows: 

Date: Friday, 01 November 2024 
Time: 10h00 (media to arrive at 08h00) 
Venue: Council Chamber, City of Polokwane, Limpopo Province

President Ramaphosa and Premier Ramathuba will address the open session before the start of the meeting. 

For media enquiries, please contact: 

Limpopo Provincial Government Spokesperson, Mr Ndavhe Ramakuela, on ramakuelan@premier.limpopo.gov.za or 082 200 5357 / 067 267 2063.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa is deeply saddened by the passing of Eastern Cape traditional leader Nkosikazi Thenjiwe Eunice "Nogcinile" Mtirara at the hands of violent criminals.

President Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to Nkosikazi Mtirara’s AmaDlomo royal clan and the AbaThembu Kingdom more broadly.

The 71-year-old matriarch was shot dead in her royal home at Mqhekezweni Great Place, Bhityi administrative area, outside Mthatha on Tuesday night, 29 October 2024.

President Ramaphosa said: “This merciless attack on an elderly woman who is a leader in our society and a builder of communities, fills us with grief; but it also fuels our resolve to stop violent crime and bring justice to those who live outside the law and have no respect for the dignity and lives of fellow citizens.

“Every day in our country, our courts are dealing with perpetrators who thought they could get away with terrorising individuals or communities.

“The attack on Mqhekezweni Great Place will end equally disastrously for these perpetrators.”

President Ramaphosa expects justice to be exacted as well on suspects who raped and robbed five learners at gunpoint in the same Mqhekezweni administrative area less than 24 hours after the attack on the royal household.

The President is equally saddened by this incident of gender-based violence that targeted learners in a critical phase of their young lives and educational journey.

The President calls on community members to work with the police and other authorities to make communities safer, including reporting any information that may come their way about these incidents.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria