President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Wednesday, 08 November 2023, deliver the keynote address at the opening session of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council’s (NACAC) National Dialogue on building a corruption-free South Africa.

The National Dialogue is themed “Together Building A Corruption-Free Society - Xelela Abanye, Bolella ba Bangwe, Vhudzani Vhanwe, Byelani Vanwani, Tell Others”, and will take place at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg, Gauteng.

The National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council is a multi-sectoral advisory body appointed by President Ramaphosa in August 2022 to oversee the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) and to advise on the future of the country’s anti-corruption institutional architecture.

The National Anti-Corruption Strategy is a whole-of-society effort that envisions an ethical and accountable state, business and society characterised by high levels of integrity and respect for the rule of law.

It promotes active citizenry that is empowered to hold leaders and organisations accountable. It foresees a state where all members of society have zero tolerance for corruption and commits all stakeholders and citizens to an anti-corruption compact.

The two-day National Dialogue brings together a spectrum of stakeholders and social partners who are engaged in consequence management for past corruption – including the gross instances identified by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture – and in developing new anti-corruption measures and movements.

The Dialogue and the multi-sectoral mobilisation of the advisory council is a contribution to the development objectives of the Constitution and the National Development Plan as espoused through the National Anti-corruption Strategy (NACS).

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA ARE INVITED AS FOLLOWS:
Date: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Time: 11h00
Venue: Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre,Boksburg, Gauteng Province.
Address: 44 Viewpoint Road, Bartlett, Boksburg

For media accreditation please contact Patience Mtshali on 083 376 9468.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 03 November 2023, officially open and deliver the  keynote address at the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum taking place in Johannesburg. 

The AGOA Forum is being hosted in South Africa between, from 2 to 4 November 2023 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre at Nasrec.

The theme for this intergovernmental gathering is “Partnering to Build a Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive AGOA to support Economic Development, Industrialisation and Quality Job Creation". 

The Forum deliberations will be complemented by a “Made in Africa Exhibition" which highlights diverse and thriving industries in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The AGOA Forum, established in terms of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) passed by the US Congress in May 2000, serves as a crucial platform for strengthening economic partnerships between the United States and eligible African states.

The Forum brings together government representatives from the United States and AGOA-eligible countries, alongside key regional economic organisations, the private sector, civil society, and organised labour.

Since its inception in 2000, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been pivotal in strengthening economic ties and promoting growth and development across the African continent. AGOA's rigorous eligibility requirements include establishing a market-based economy, upholding the rule of law, political pluralism, and the right to due process.

Discussions during the Forum will primarily focus on enhancing trade and investment ties between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular emphasis on fostering resilient, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth and development.
 
AGOA has surpassed initial expectations, creating job opportunities, promoting investment, facilitating the emergence of new business prospects, and contributing to economic development in beneficiary countries.
 
With AGOA scheduled to expire in 2025, the Forum will among others showcase successful beneficiary stories, deliberate on the challenges hindering the diversification of export sectors, and improving AGOA utilisation.

An extension of AGOA beyond 2025 is expected to promote inward investment in Africa and provide mutual benefits to the United States and African countries. This extension will further support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), covering 54 countries and 1.4 billion people.

Details of the Official Opening of the 20th AGOA Forum are as follows:
Date: Friday, 03 November 2023
Time: 10:15 Opening Keynote Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa
Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre , Johannesburg 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in terms of section 193(4) of Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and on the recommendation of the National Assembly, appointed Advocate Nompilo Kholeka Gcaleka as Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa for a non-renewable term of seven years with effect from 1 November 2023. 

The President wishes Advocate Gcaleka well in her position and trust that she will serve the people of South Africa with honor and dedication.
 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za  
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 02 November 2023, welcome the Rugby World Cup Champions, the Springboks, to the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The Springboks won the 2023 Rugby World Cup against New Zealand at the finals in Paris, France, on Saturday, 28 October 2023.

The welcome ceremony to the Union Buildings for the national team signifies the start of the Rugby World Champions’ National Trophy Tour.

The team touched down at the OR Tambo International Airport today, 31 October 2023 to a rousing welcome from the public.

The Webb Ellis Cup parade will kick off on 02 November 2023 in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Soweto, concluding at FNB Stadium; and proceed in Cape Town on 03 November 2023; Durban on 04 November 2023 before the tour ends in the Eastern Cape (East London) on 05 November 2023.

Members of the public in Pretoria are welcome to witness this event from Government Avenue, Arcadia.

Members of the media are invited as follows:

Date: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Time: 08h30 (media to arrive at 07h00)
Venue: The Union Buildings, Pretoria.

Members of the media are requested to send their details for access to Hlobisile Nkosi on +2779 988 9954 or hlobisile@presidency.gov.za by no later than 12h00 on Wednesday, 01 November 2023.
 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za  
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director, Prof Somadoda Fikeni, 
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo,
Chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, Prof Firoz Cachalia, 
Members of the Council,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, 
Leaders from all spheres of our society,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Next year, it will be 30 years since South Africans won their freedom.

We will reflect on how far we have come as a country in improving people’s quality of life and in entrenching a culture of democracy and human rights.

We will reflect on the progressive policies that have enabled millions to be lifted out of absolute poverty and that have provided housing, electricity, water and other basic services to the overwhelming majority of the South African people. 

At the same time, we will acknowledge where we have not achieved enough, where expectations have not been met, and, indeed, where the promise of our democracy has been betrayed.

As we consider the great achievements of our democracy, we must be forthright about one of our greatest failings: corruption.

All South Africans suffer when goods, services and resources meant for public benefit are misappropriated, mismanaged and stolen, but it is the poor who suffer most.

Corruption carries a huge opportunity cost. Economic growth is stifled and businesses suffer. Development stalls and institutions fail.

Corruption has wounded our democracy and shaken people’s faith in our institutions.

If corruption is not arrested, the greatest damage will not be in the funds stolen, the jobs lost or the services not delivered.

The greatest damage will be to the belief in democracy itself.

It is therefore our shared responsibility, as we celebrate 30 years of democracy, to build a society in which corruption has no place.

To do so, we must challenge the contention that corruption is a creation of our democratic order. Corruption in South Africa has much deeper roots.

As we have noted before, apartheid was both morally and materially corrupt. 

Even as apartheid laws enabled the theft of resources that rightly belonged to the people of South Africa, there were many in the administration, in state companies, in bantustans and in business who flouted even those corrupt laws to enrich themselves. 

Having fought a just struggle against this system, it was our intention that the overthrow of apartheid would herald a new era of integrity, honesty and ethical conduct by all in positions of responsibility.

We sought not merely to change the political system, but to build a new nation on a fundamentally different moral foundation.

Our Constitution, which embeds the values of social justice, human dignity, accountability, transparency and the rule of law, is the most powerful instrument we have to fight crime and corruption.

The people of South Africa are the guarantors of the integrity of the political, social and economic life of this country.

After all, it was the people of South Africa, in all their formations, who stood up against state capture and who, through their democratic institutions, took action to end it.

The establishment of the State Capture Commission was an affirmation of the strength of our democracy.

The ongoing work of the Public Protector, law enforcement agencies, the courts, the media and civil society in exposing corruption and acting against perpetrators is testimony to the power of our constitutional order.

The completion of the work of the State Capture Commission was a watershed moment in our history.

Not only did the Commission lay bare the extent and depth of state capture, but it also presented the country with the means to both remedy the great harm caused by state capture and to create the conditions that would prevent its recurrence.

Viewed overall, the recommendations of the State Capture Commission have provided the country with a clear way forward.

What the Commission laid bare was the extent to which corruption had become so pervasive across the state and across society. 

While it was charged with investigating specific activities at a certain time in our history, the State Capture Commission revealed that corruption is a far broader societal challenge. 

It therefore requires a society-wide response that marshalls all our resources and capabilities in a concerted effort to end corruption in all its forms.

As part of this effort, last year, I appointed this National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council to advise government on the measures necessary to address the structural causes and consequences of corruption in South Africa. 

Part of the work of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council is to provide advice on the implementation of the policy and institutional reforms contained in the recommendations of the State Capture Commission.

Over the last five years, we have invested significant resources to rebuild the law enforcement agencies and other bodies that were devastated by state capture.

We appointed new leadership with the track record, integrity and capability to tackle crime and corruption. We are now in the process of developing legislation that will insulate the appointment and removal processes for key positions shown to be vulnerable to state capture. 

In 2018, we established the NPA Investigating Directorate to focus on state capture and other serious crimes. We established the Special Tribunal to enable the Special Investigating Unit to fast track the recovery of public funds.

In November 2020, Cabinet adopted the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, whose six strategic pillars anchor the deliberations of this National Dialogue. 

The Strategy is an ‘anti-corruption compact’, since it is all-of-society effort to achieve an ethical and accountable state, business and society characterised by high levels of integrity and respect for the rule of law. 

The Strategy fills an important gap in that it focuses on preventive measures that complement the actions of our law enforcement agencies and Constitutional bodies in responding to corruption. 

The Strategy aims to stop corruption before it occurs.

The areas it covers include ethical leadership, protection and support for whistleblowers, the integrity of procurement systems, and capacity building of staff in law enforcement agencies.

While those individuals and companies that have enriched themselves at the expense of the people must face the consequences of their misdeeds, we must go deeper if we are going to emerge as a prosperous society. 

It is now just over a year since I submitted to Parliament government’s response to the recommendations of the State Capture Commission.

Significant progress has been made in implementing the measures set out in this response.

We have initiated 16 pieces of legislative reforms to address specific recommendations of the State Capture Commission. 

Eight of these legislative reforms are now before Parliament. 

These Bills address areas such as public procurement, administrative reform, the conduct of public servants, the intelligence services, money laundering and electoral reform. 

The NPA Amendment Bill, for example, creates a permanent Investigating Directorate for Corruption in the NPA with significant investigative powers.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has recommended significant reforms to the Protected Disclosures Act and Witness Protection Act in accordance with the Commission’s recommendations on enhancing whistleblower protection.

The State Capture Commission made recommendations for the establishment of new institutions to safeguard the state against capture. 

These included the establishment of an independent public procurement anti-corruption agency and a permanent commission on corruption and state capture to create an alternative platform for accountability should the legislature fail in its oversight duty. 

These and other proposals are the focus of an intensive process of research and consultation led by the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

While much work has been done to strengthen the ability of our institutions to prevent and combat corruption, significant progress has been made in bringing to justice those responsible for state capture.

Nine separate court cases, involving 47 individuals and 21 companies, have been brought to court. 

Freezing orders amounting to R14 billion have been authorised by the Asset Forfeiture Unit and a total of R5.4 billion has been recovered and returned to the state.

Government departments, municipalities and professional bodies are taking disciplinary action against individuals identified by the Commission. 

The South African Revenue Service has collected R4.9 billion in unpaid taxes as a result of evidence brought before the State Capture Commission. 

While there is a long road ahead, the fight against corruption is gaining momentum.

This dialogue is a valuable opportunity to mobilise all key stakeholders behind this effort, from civil society, business and labour, to academia, government and political parties.

We meet here as diverse constituencies, but with a common purpose. 

We are here to identify the further measures we need to take to build a South Africa that does not allow for corruption or capture.

We are here to strengthen our shared determination to build an ethical society founded on the values of our democratic Constitution.

I wish you a successful National Dialogue and look forward to its outcomes.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 02 November 2023, engage with Members of Parliament (MPs) on diverse national issues when he responds to Questions for Oral Reply in the National Assembly.
 
Among issues MPs have raised with the President are:

• the mandate of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and its accountability to Parliament;
• commissions of inquiry established by the President;
• combating violence against women and children;
• insights gained from the Census 2022 for macro-economic policy;
• fiscal discipline within Government.
 
The President will also discuss the state of readiness of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and its capacity to fulfill its constitutional mandate.
 
Parliamentary Questions for Oral and Written Reply are one of the mechanisms through which Parliament holds the Executive to account.
 
The Questions session will start at 14h00.
 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za  
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director,
Ministers,
Premier of Gauteng, Mr Panyaza Lesufi
Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Mr Sivuyile Ngodwana,
President of Procter & Gamble for Asia, Middle East and Africa, Mr Stanislav Vecera,
P&G Vice-President for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Fayyaz Rizvi,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Representatives of business, labour and civil society,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure being here today with all of you to launch this state-of-the-art production line of Pampers Premium Care.

The timing of this launch is very opportune.

South Africa has just hosted the 20th AGOA Forum. It was an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the African continent to the United States, the world’s largest consumer market.

Not only did we showcase over 500 companies with goods and products manufactured on the continent, we also had productive discussions between government, the private sector, labour and civil society.

I was pleased to see that leading companies that have an established presence on our continent, like Procter & Gamble, were represented.

Procter & Gamble has been in Africa for over 50 years, has manufacturing operations in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco, and has distributor operations in over 45 countries.

As a clear demonstration of the value of trade between African countries, Procter & Gamble currently exports from South Africa to Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique and Botswana. We understand that the company is set to supply the African continent from South Africa through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

South Africa remains one of the preferred investment destinations in Africa and is an important gateway for markets and other business opportunities throughout the continent.

The African Continental Free Trade Area will unlock opportunities for the development of export markets, enhance industrial bases and regional value chains.

We expect the continental free trade area to reduce the cost and improve the ease of doing business in Africa.

We want to make the movement of products, processes and people seamless as companies increase their footprints on the continent.

Procter & Gamble stands behind many brands that are household names in South Africa, such as Vicks, Old Spice, Gillette, Oral B and Pampers, amongst others, and has a strong manufacturing footprint in the country.

It has therefore been greatly encouraging to see the company’s response to our ambitious investment drive and the investment commitments made by the company at the five South Africa Investment Conferences that we have held since 2018.

The launch of this production line is the latest in a number of projects that have given effect to Procter & Gamble’s investment pledges.

Through these and other investments, Procter & Gamble is contributing to the reindustrialisation of South Africa’s economy.

To drive growth that is sustainable and inclusive, we are working to expand and diversify our manufacturing base, and improve its competitiveness and dynamism.

Disruptions to global supply chains caused by COVID-19 lockdowns have highlighted the imperative for companies all over the world to diversify their sources of supply.

Just as we have seen the benefits of nearshoring and localisation for South African manufacturers, we can appreciate its value to broader global supply stability.

South Africa is an investment destination with significant untapped potential. We have the ability to attract higher levels of investment and we look forward to working with Procter & Gamble on its future pipeline of investments.

While investment decisions often take several years to reach fruition, the investment commitments made to date have already resulted in substantial investment into the productive economy and have created jobs.

Procter & Gamble has heeded our call and has sought to increase the participation of small South African businesses in its value chains.

We are encouraged by the company’s commitment to sourcing local materials, reducing waste, promoting skills development and creating more roles for women in the company.

We welcome the work the company has undertaken alongside government departments in expanding access to menstrual hygiene products and supporting Early Childhood Development centres.

We see these partnerships as a testament to the continued commitment of Procter & Gamble to South Africa and the African continent.
As government, we will continue to support Procter & Gamble to increase its footprint through local sourcing and to contribute to job creation, technological development and sustainability.

I congratulate the Procter & Gamble team, from the shop floor to the senior executives, on the launch of this production line.

I also congratulate the team for the continuous stream of investments being made to increase the company’s footprint on the continent.

Through the launch of this production line, Procter & Gamble is making a worthy contribution towards our vision of African producers supplying quality goods to African markets.

This is the vision of a continent that is emerging as the next frontier of global production, meeting the needs of its own people and the peoples of the world.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today, 31 October 2023, participate in a virtual Extraordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government.

The summit will, amongst others, consider a report regarding the impending deployment of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).

The Heads of State and Government will also consider the report of the Chiefs of Defence Forces of the Quadripartite Members on Coordination and Harmonization of Regional Peace Initiatives in Eastern DRC.

The leaders will also receive an update on Elections in the region.

The Summit will be chaired by H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of SADC.

The Summit will commence at 10h00 (SAST).

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa, Mr Ebrahim Patel, 
United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai,
African Union Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, Mr Albert Muchanga, 
Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Mr Wamkele Mene, 
African Ministers of Trade from AGOA-eligible countries,
US Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Don Graves, 
Ambassadors,
Government Officials,
Business leaders from African countries and the US,
Leaders of organised labour,
Leaders of civil society,
Distinguished Guests,

Good Morning,

I wish to warmly welcome to South Africa the distinguished delegates from the United States led by US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai and the Trade Ministers and their delegations from across sub-Saharan Africa. 

This 20th AGOA Forum is taking place at an important moment. It is taking place at a time when the world is facing both great difficulties and valuable opportunities.

This Forum is taking place on a continent of enormous potential. 

Africa has great reserves of critical minerals, a youthful population, high levels of urbanisation and an increasingly networked population. 

As African countries, we are committed to the industrialisation of our economies. 

By moving up the value-chain, we create more jobs, add more value here on the African continent and improve the lives of more than 1.3 billion people. 

Africa is an important source of critical raw materials, but we do not want to be defined as simply the producers of commodities. 

The great industrial opportunity lies instead in the transformation of rock and metal into the sophisticated industrial and consumer goods that societies across the world need. 

We look forward to the United States working with African countries to foster an investment-led approach that aims to diversify international supply chains of critical minerals by beneficiating these resources here on the African Continent. 

We look to continue to use trade as an instrument to facilitate industrialisation, job creation and inclusive growth.

We look for partners to support us in our development. We value the relationship with the United States, the world’s largest national market, and a country with which we have relationships that go well beyond trade. 

The African Growth and Opportunity Act – or AGOA – has served as the cornerstone of the US-Africa commercial relationship for more than two decades. 

While the legislation’s unilateral trade preferences have provided economic benefits for countries across sub-Saharan Africa, AGOA as a whole remains underutilised. 

The legislation has helped to promote manufactured exports into the United States, but so much more can be done. 

The early reauthorisation and renewal of AGOA, with a particular focus on how AGOA can be improved, will help to ensure that the AGOA legislation achieves its objectives and reaches its full potential. 

An early renewal can help to strengthen trade and investment. 

At the same time, we see potential to enhance AGOA with reforms that will add more products and will make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to use it. 

While all 35 eligible Sub-Saharan African countries stand to benefit from AGOA, utilisation rates vary widely. 

Kenya and Lesotho have had some of the highest AGOA utilisation rates. 

Eighty-eight percent of Kenyan exports and 99 percent of Lesotho’s exports to the United States qualified for zero-tariff treatment. 

When excluding exports of crude oil under AGOA, the data shows that the programme has substantially improved the export competitiveness of certain African products, especially textiles and apparel. 

Apparel exports from Lesotho, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Madagascar and Kenya have not only led to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs but these countries have become reliable producers for American consumers. 

Other parts of manufacturing have also seen success under AGOA. 

South Africa’s auto exports to the United States under AGOA have contributed to job creation in South Africa and in the auto supply chain within neighbouring countries. 

For instance, South African automotive companies source leather car seats from Lesotho and wiring harnesses from Botswana.

These companies source copper wire from Zambia, rubber from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana and Cameroon, and steering wheel components from Tunisia. 

These are then installed in cars that are exported to the United States under AGOA. 

These inputs alone accounted for more than $200 million worth of products traded among African countries.

In this respect AGOA makes a vital contribution to regional industrial development and the integration of African economies. 

This is critical to building Africa’s productive capacities, increasing value-addition per capita, as well as diversifying trade beyond the reliance on commodities.

The exports under AGOA can complement the efforts of African countries themselves through the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

The Continental Free Trade Area is our engine for increased trade with each other. 

We have made very substantial progress and we expect to commence trade under the new preferences shortly. 

The duty-free quota-free market access provided by the United States under AGOA can be further leveraged to promote investment in Africa, including from the US. 

I am glad that trade ministers from across the continent have been able to meet and will engage with their counterparts and colleagues from the United States. 

We would like you to look at the extension or renewal of AGOA for a sufficiently lengthy period for it to act as an incentive for investors to build new factories on the African continent. 

We believe there is great value in retaining all beneficiary countries to build on the emerging regional value chains that are making a significant contribution to the industrialisation of the African Continent. 

A more targeted effort to promote greater levels of investment can help to unlock AGOA’s opportunities. 

We do, however, remain concerned about the negative effects that trade restrictions on products like steel, aluminium or citrus fruit have on AGOA utilisation rates.

We hope that the discussions at this Forum will help lay the basis for these to be addressed in future. 

Beyond the government-to-government discussions, we are particularly pleased with the interactions that have taken place between private sector representatives, as well as at the Labour Forum and Civil Society Forum.

I am pleased that this is the first AGOA Forum at which a Labour Forum is held, bringing the voices of American and African workers together. 

This Forum is about making sure that policy promotes work. 

Let me conclude with a reflection, an invitation and a word of appreciation. 

The reflection is that I have just concluded a tour of the ‘Made in Africa Exhibition’ which showcases some of the enormous manufacturing capabilities of the African Continent. 

I saw companies involved in food and beverages, chocolates and sugar, clothing and shoes, cars and trucks, medical products and arts and crafts. 

These are examples of African markets leveraging off the continent’s industrial capacity. 

We need many more such companies. 

Next I want to issue an invitation. 

I want to invite US retailers, importers and large corporates to see Africa as a key industrial procurement source, a place that is integral to a more resilient supply-chain. 

We invite US companies to send supply-chain managers and procurement officers to the African continent, and to set up factories and other businesses. 

Finally, I wish to express my appreciation to the delegates, exhibitors, social partners and sponsors for their support to make this Forum possible. 

A particular thanks to three large sponsors – Standard Bank, Sasol and South 32 – for their efforts, as well as the number of other sponsors who have contributed so generously. 

I hope the trade ministers and the members of the US delegation will find some time to enjoy the warm hospitality of the people of South Africa, and that you will able to join the celebrations with the new Rugby World Champions. 

I wish you successful deliberations and now declare the 20th AGOA Forum officially open for business.

I thank you.

Programme Director, Minister Zizi Kodwa,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
President of the South African Rugby Union (SARU), Mr Mark Alexander,
Representatives of SARU,
Head Coach of the Springboks, Mr Jacques Nienaber,
Director of Rugby at SA Rugby, Mr Rassie Erasmus,
Coaching and support staff of the Springboks,
Captain Siya Kolisi,

Fellow South Africans, 

Amabokoboko, Bokke, the reigning, victorious, undefeated Rugby World Cup champions, our national heroes, the Springboks. 

At the Stade de France on Saturday night, you strode off the pitch of victory and passed into legend.  

Never in the history of the Rugby World Cup has any team lifted the trophy on four occasions. Until now.  

In doing so you have lifted the spirits of an entire nation and filled us with pride.  

You have united the South African people.  

The words Amabokobo, Go Bokke are being shouted from the rooftops by black and white, young and old, urban and rural dwellers, in all our national languages.  

Over the past eight weeks this country has been a sea of green and gold.

People who haven’t even followed rugby before or been interested in the game are now talking with confidence about scrums, rucks, drop kicks and tries.  

Most of you are already household names: Siya, Cheslin, Faf, Handré, RG, Duane. We have some new ones now: Makazole, Ox and our very own Elizabedi!  

The performance of the Springboks in this year’s Rugby World Cup has captured people’s imagination and energised them in a way not seen in a long time.

It has reminded us that even amidst our many challenges, there is always room for optimism and hope. 

I have said before that we do not make light of the challenges our country faces. We certainly do not imagine that a sporting victory can or will wish them away.  

And yet I want to say that the event of last Saturday, this week, today and the next, is about celebrating the glory of the Springboks. Glory that did not come easy and glory that is richly deserved.  

For everything there is a time. This is the time for our national heroes, the Springboks. Let us celebrate them. Let us give them their due.  

Your journey to victory in France on Saturday night was as much about our journey towards nationhood as it was about sporting excellence.  

It was as much about the power of transformation. 

When Francois Pienaar and President Nelson Mandela lifted the Webb Ellis Cup at Ellis Park Stadium on the 24th of June 1995 our democracy was just over one year old. South Africa had just been readmitted to world rugby three years earlier. There was only one black player on the team, the legendary Chester Williams. 

It was a monumental, historic and deeply symbolic occasion.

This win is also monumental.

The Springbok’s four championships have all taken place in the years since we became a democracy.  

As Siya has said in the interviews, many of the players on this team have had to overcome significant obstacles to get here. You said, Siya, that as a young black child growing up in Zwide you never dreamed you would become a professional rugby player or end up captaining the national team. 

You, Amabokoboko, are testament to the power of a dream.  

Every young boy and girl in this country today – whether they are black, white, Indian or coloured – now knows they don’t have to be content with dreaming of becoming like you. They know they can be you. 

It has been a long journey to get here. 

I want to acknowledge the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the South African Rugby Union, SA Rugby, sponsors and partners, and all the stakeholders in the rugby fraternity who are working to promote excellence in the sport.  

Your support for the Springboks and for the various provincial associations and leagues will continue to go a long way as we prepare the next generation of exceptional sportsmen and women. 

A nation of free and equal people. That is the vision we laid out in 1994, and one that we will continue to strive towards realising. 

The Springboks are a potent symbol of just how far we have come as a people. That is why you have been so warmly embraced by South Africans of all races as their own. 

We salute you. We congratulate you. Siyabonga ngokusihlanganisa futhi. Dankie dat julle ons weer bymekaar Gerin het.  

Stronger, together. 

I thank you.