President Cyril Ramaphosa will this evening, 3 September 2023, address the nation on the outcomes of the 15th BRICS Summit and on the conclusion of the panel investigation into the docking of the Lady R vessel in South Africa.

eNCA will provide a feed to all media and PresidencyZA will live stream the proceedings.
 
Time: 20h00
 
 
Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Your Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and President of the G20,

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,

Representatives of International Organisations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are delighted that the G20 has accepted the African Union as a member of the G20.

Global reconstruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to accelerate the transition to low-carbon, climate resilient, sustainable societies.

Developing economies are bearing the brunt of climate change, despite carrying the least responsibility for this crisis.

As African and other developing economy countries, we face the task of meeting our climate commitments in the midst of significant developmental challenges like poverty, inequality and unemployment.

Climate change, environmental degradation, unsustainable consumption and production and resource scarcity are challenges that can only be addressed collectively and with a great deal of solidarity.

South Africa calls for an enhanced and expanded Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

This must be supported by the concrete policies and actions outlined in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.

Access to adequate and predictable financial resources from a variety of public and private sources is critical if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Development partners need to both meet their existing commitments and upscale Official Development Assistance. Ordinary people see billions of dollars being spent on the weapons of war instead of addressing development challenges.

In particular, development partners need to meet their commitments to capacity building and infrastructure development in low- and middle-income countries.

No country is spared the effects of climate change. It is therefore vital that we respond collectively, decisively and with urgency to this existential crisis.

It is vital that industrialised countries, which have the means and which carry the greatest responsibility for climate change, support sustainable development in developing economies.

For us to realise the vision of People, Planet and Prosperity, we need to meet our respective commitments and responsibilities. 

In so doing, we will be helping to create a world that is more equitable, more resilient and more sustainable.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow , 04 September 2023 ,embark on a working visit to the Republic of Zimbabwe to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnagagwa.

The Presidential Inauguration Ceremony will take place at the National Stadium in the capital city  Harare. 

The Republic of South Africa congratulated the government and the people of The Republic of Zimbabwe for organizing and holding the harmonized elections to elect the President, National Assembly and Local government representatives, which took place on 23 and 24 August 2023.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor. 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Your Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and President of the G20,

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,

Representatives of International Organisations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

South Africa welcomes the Indian Presidency’s efforts to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The achievement of the SDGs must remain at the centre of international financing discussions to ensure that finance is mobilised in sufficient quantities and of suitable quality to support development in low- and middle-income countries.

We continue to face an unsteady global economic recovery. As policy makers, we therefore need to be flexible and respond quickly and appropriately to risk. 

Multilateral cooperation is critical to addressing food and energy insecurity.

As African countries, we support a discussion on policy options to address the effects of volatility in food and energy markets.

Our experience of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic sends a clear message that global health security is paramount. 

There is need to develop robust global one health surveillance systems that promote effective collaboration at national, regional and global level. 

We urgently need a coordination mechanism that supports the sharing of information and resources, research, outbreak investigation and response. 

We must be committed to strengthening the global health architecture for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and support ongoing engagement on how this proposed architecture will be funded.

South Africa welcomes the Indian Presidency’s focus on women’s empowerment as part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

South Africa has embarked on a journey of ensuring the empowerment of women. The education of girls must be prioritised. We must act to end gender-based violence and enable women to enter the mainstream of economic activity. 

We are indeed One Family. 

As G20 nations, we must drive the transformation of economies and societies in pursuit of mutual prosperity, inclusive growth and a shared future.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will outline progress on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, in the implementation of lifestyle audits for members of the executive and the enhancement of service delivery to communities.
 
The President will outline the government’s approach on these and other matters in a Questions for Oral Reply session in the National Assembly, Cape Town.
 
President Ramaphosa will provide an update on the progress of lifestyle audits in line with his commitment to transparency and accountability.
 
The President will also set out the significant economic benefits South Africa has derived from its participation in the BRICS group and how this is contributing to the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.
 
The President will address questions around unwarranted attacks on the judiciary that go beyond reasonable criticism and the importance of preserving the integrity of the administration of justice.
 
The President will also shed light on efforts to enhance cooperative governance among the three spheres of government.
 
Building on the success of the Presidential Izimbizo held across provinces, the President will outline how the engagement between government and communities can be used to expedite the delivery of essential services to communities.
 
Date: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Time: 14h00–17h00
Venue: National Assembly, Cape Town
 

Media inquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has outlined to suspended Public Protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane the constitutional processes that pertain to her suspension or potential removal from office and which therefore prevent her from reporting for duty.

President Ramaphosa set out the conditions preventing the suspended Public Protector’s return to office in a letter to Adv. Mkhwebane dated 04 September 2023.

The President was responding to a letter he received from Adv. Mkhwebane earlier on the same day and in which she expressed her intention to report for duty today, Tuesday, 05 September 2023, until the expiry of her term of office on 14 October 2023 or any lawful removal in terms of Section 194 of the Constitution, whichever happens first.

The President has pointed to Adv. Mkhwebane that her intention to return to work is misconceived.

This is due to the fact that the proceedings initiated by a Committee of the National Assembly which has inquired into Adv. Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office have yet to be completed.

Now that the Committee has adopted its report, the proceedings which were initiated by the Committee will be finalised either when the National Assembly does not adopt a resolution calling for the removal from office of Adv. Mkhwebane, or if the National Assembly does adopt such a resolution.

In his letter, the President said: “It is therefore patently clear that the process initiated by the Committee is not completed, (as your letter suggests) when the enquiry by the Committee has been finalised.

“In the circumstances, you have no right or entitlement in law to return to office pending the decisions to which I refer above.

“In the circumstances, while I thank you for your courtesy in informing me of your intention, your interpretation of the Presidential Minute and my letter is wrong, and your intention to return to office is misconceived.

“Your letter states that you were advised on 24 August 2023 that the Committee had completed its part of the process, and that its report would be tabled in the National Assembly. You waited until today to inform me of your intention to return to office tomorrow. Such precipitate action is unjustified on any basis.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director,
Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola,
Members of Parliament
Senior managers and members of the SAPS,
Representatives of labour unions and Community Policing Forums,
Families of our fallen police officers,
Members of the clergy,
Guests,
Fellow South Africans,

This is a sombre occasion. Today we pay tribute to the hardworking men and women of the South African Police Service who lost their lives in the line of duty. 

Every year on the first Sunday of September we pay our respects to those who paid the ultimate price whilst serving and protecting the South African people. 

Deadly attacks on police officers are sadly once more on the rise.  

The Constitution mandates police to prevent, combat and investigate crime. It mandates them to maintain public order and protect the inhabitants of the Republic and their property.  

Theirs is the noble duty of ensuring that all people in South Africa are safe and feel safe. 

The officers we are commemorating today lost their lives to criminals who have no regard for the rule of law.

The increase in the killings of police officers, whether on or off duty, demonstrates the level of desperation of criminals to remove any obstacle that is in the way of their criminal intent. 

Attacks on police officers must come to an end. 

There must be justice and there will be justice for the families of our fallen heroes and heroines. 

The hard work of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, known as the Hawks, has resulted in the arrest of 76 suspected police murderers over the past year. These cases are currently before different courts.  

A total of 488 suspects have been arrested for deaths of police officers since 2018.  

Through diligent investigative work, nine convicted police killers were handed down nine life sentences, a sum total of 158 years imprisonment. 

We must continue to arrest, prosecute and convict those who wilfully undermine the authority of State. 

The members we are remembering today were spouses, parents, sons and daughters, siblings, colleagues, and so much more. Many of them were breadwinners. 

Although the convictions of these criminals can never bring their loved ones back, it will comfort them knowing that justice has been served. 

Today, we pay tribute to our fallen officers for their selflessness and for the sacrifice they made in the act of proudly serving and protecting all people in South Africa.  

The nature of policing means that at times our men and women in blue are put in harm’s way.  

Despite this, policemen and women wake up each day to report for duty so that we can all sleep peacefully at night and our children can play freely in the streets.  

To keep the legacy of the fallen 34 heroes and heroines alive, I call upon all serving police officers to ensure that these deaths are not in vain. You must remain steadfast in the fight against crime. 

Minister Cele, I call upon you and the management of the South African Police Service to work together to ensure that police officers are safe while performing their duties. 

Far too many of our officers are dying off duty. The SAPS management needs to deepen efforts to improve the wellness of officers. Police must be taken care of physically, mentally and psychologically. 

Communities need to speak out against police killings. The lives of police officers should be valued not just by their colleagues, but by everyone who lives in our country.  

Police are there to protect communities and their properties. The relationship between police and communities needs to be strong. It needs to be a relationship of cooperation, trust and respect.  

We must all unite and work together to ensure we leave no space for criminals to operate in.  

On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, we thank the 34 fallen heroes and heroines posthumously for their bravery and service to the country, which they rendered diligently. 

We want to thank their families who supported them throughout their careers in the SAPS, for having been their strength, their support and their comfort. 

To the families of the fallen officers, we pray that you find peace and healing. 

May their souls rest in peace. 

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the conclusions of the Independent panel appointed in May to enquire into the circumstances of the docking of a Russian vessel, known as the Lady R, at the Simonstown Naval base.

Herewith is an Executive Summary of the report.

Due to the classified nature of the evidence that informed the report, the government will not publicly engage further on the substance of the report.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
LadyR Report Executive Summary.pdf

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his sadness at the passing of Pick n Pay founder and philanthropist Raymond Ackerman, who was also an Esteemed Member of the Order of The Baobab.

President Ramaphosa extends condolences to Mrs Wendy Ackerman, children Gareth, Kathy, Suzanne, and Jonathan and the extended family.

Mr Ackerman, who has passed away at the age of 92, was awarded the Order of The Baobab in 2014 for his commitment to uplifting the lives of South Africans by providing scholarships to young people and conducting socially responsible retail business.

Raymond Ackerman was one of the first retailers to fight on behalf of the South African consumers against the apartheid state’s monopoly on basic goods.

He drastically reduced the cost of essentials such as bread, milk and chicken. He also spoke against the inclusion of value-added tax (VAT) on basic food lines, a course that they fought and won on behalf of the poor.

Mr Ackerman was one of the first executives to promote black South Africans to senior positions and to acknowledge black trade unions. This was at the period when such unions were banned from operating in this country.

He also abolished race classification on the company’s human resources payroll.

Since the 1970s, the Ackerman Family Trust has supported hundreds of young people to become graduates across a broad range of professions.

President Ramaphosa said: “We mourn with the Ackerman family as they bid farewell to a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather whose name resounded as comfortably in millions of households around the country.

“Raymond Ackerman was an outstanding business leader and entrepreneur who placed people first and stood up to the injustices and discrimination which the apartheid regime sought to outsource to the business sector.

“May his soul rest in peace.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep condolences at the passing of veteran activist and Esteemed Member of the Order of Luthuli Ms Amy Thornton.

The President’s thoughts are with the family, friends and comrades of the late activist who was born in Cape Town in 1932.

She was honoured in 2016 with the National Order of Luthuli for her excellent contribution and unflinching commitment to the struggle for liberation and equality for all South Africans, and her commendable bravery in the face of an oppressive regime.

As a 16-year-old, Amy Thornton worked with the then Communist Party of South Africa to campaign against the National Party in the 1948 election which resulted in the legislated enforcement of apartheid. 

In 1950 she joined the Modern Youth Society (MYS), a progressive youth movement involving mainly university students. Through MYS, Ms Thornton was involved in night school literacy classes for African workers in the Cape Town docks.

When the Congress of Democrats (COD) was formed in 1952, she was appointed secretary of the Joint Congress Committee (involving the COD, the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress and the Coloured Peoples’ Congress).

She represented the MYS as part of the South African delegation to the World Federation of Democratic Youth, held in Bucharest, Romania in 1953.
 
In the same year she was recruited to join the underground SACP. She was active in pamphleteering against the Group Areas Act and the Bantu Education Act. She was also involved in study classes in informal settlements around Cape Town (Blouvlei and Elsies River).

In 1955 Thornton was a delegate from Cape Town to the Congress of the People. However, she was part of the delegation that was stopped by the police in Beaufort West and detained over the weekend, so she was unable to make it to Kliptown.

From the start of the Treason Trial in 1956 she served on the Treason Trial Support Committee. She did voluntary work for the Guardian newspaper (and its successors, as each successive title was banned in turn). She did research for the publication and managed the editorial work.

In 1959 she was banned for the first time initially for two years, but this was extended several times. She eventually served 14 years under banning orders, and lost her job as a nursery school teacher.

In 1976 she began to work part-time for the Food and Canning Workers’ Union.

In 1981, she was a founding member and deputy chairperson of the United Women’s Organisation, which later became one of the key organisations in the formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF).

In 1983 she was appointed as a patron of the UDF and was among those detained during the two states of emergency.

Ms Thornton was also a member of the Cape Town ANC regional leadership and served on the National Coordinating Committee for the Return of Exiles between 1990 and 1993.

President Ramaphosa said: “Amy Thornton lived a life of principled resistance, bravery and perseverance so that we could live in freedom today.

“She was one of many white South Africans who sustained the non-racial character of the liberation struggle.

“Her contribution and the risks she took on also disproved the often stated claim that white South Africans didn’t know what was unfolding in the country or that they had no agency to change policy or conditions in the country.

“Amy Thornton served our nation with great courage and tireless energy. May her soul now rest in peace.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria