Johannesburg – In his capacity as the Chair of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the 6th Annual Congress of the Treatment Action Campaign on the 24th August 2017.

The Congress will among other matters discuss; the situation in the public health care system, the state of HIV and TB response, as well as the implementation of the National Health Insurance.

Media is invited as follows:
Date: Thursday, 24th August 2017
Time: 11h00
Venue: Lesedi Cultural Village, Sterkfontein, in the Morinda Conference Room

Enquiries: Tyrone Seale on 0835757440


Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa met with chief executives of over 20 key state owned companies (SOC) at the Union Buildings this afternoon (Wednesday 5 June 2019) to discuss the contribution these SOEs can make to economic revitalisation and social development.
 
President Ramaphosa requested the meeting to hear the views of the executive leadership of strategic state entities on the challenges they confront in implementing their mandates and the opportunities they have identified to strengthen this sector.
 
The President emphasised the critical role of SOCs in meeting social needs and driving economic growth, and reaffirmed government’s determination to strengthen these entities and ensure their sustainability. He noted that several entities are facing severe financial and operational challenges that pose great risks to the South African economy.
 
In their contributions, several executives highlighted the need for a better definition of the respective mandates of state owned companies and for government policy to more effectively support their achievement.
 
The executives raised a number of concerns about the legal and regulatory environment within which SOCs operate, which are often ill-suited to the specific needs of entities and constrain innovation. They also raised challenges about the exercise, by government shareholder representatives, of their oversight responsibility and inconsistency in the appointment of boards.
 
The meeting recognised that SOCs have considerable resources and capabilities that, if better coordinated and managed, could have a far greater impact on economic growth and job creation.
 
President Ramaphosa said: “This engagement has raised several critical areas that limit the ability of SOCs to drive growth and development. These range from inadequate capitalisation and poor governance to outdated legislation and political interference. As government, we are committed to work with the leadership of SOCs and stakeholders to urgently address these difficulties.”
 
“I appreciate the frank and open manner in which the executives have raised their concerns. Their insights and suggestions are truly refreshing and will greatly assist our efforts to revitalise our state owned companies and ensure that they properly perform their mandates,” he said.
 
The inputs made by the executives at the meeting with the President will form part of the initial programme of the Presidential SOC Council, announced by the President earlier this year, to provide political oversight and strategic management to reposition and revitalise SOCs as catalysts for economic growth and development. 
 
The following SOEs were represented at the meeting: Acsa, Alexkor, Armscor, ATNS, Central Energy Fund, DBSA, Denel, Eskom, IDC, Land Bank, Necsa, PetroSA, Prasa, Rand Water, SA Express, SAA, SABC, Safcol, Sanral, SA Post Office, Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, Transnet and Umngeni Water.
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Cape Town – The Western Cape Youth Development and Career Expo scheduled for Saturday, 26 August 2017 has been postponed to a date in September, which will be communicated following confirmation among all stakeholders.
 
The expo was scheduled to be staged at the Khayelitsha Campus of the False Bay Technical and Vocational Education and Training College.
 
Unforeseen difficulties with logistics have regrettably necessitated postponement of the event to a later date.
 
The Office of the Deputy President regrets the postponement and wishes to assure learners in the Western Cape that on the new date, they will benefit from the expo as a showcase of opportunities that can change their lives for the better.
 
The Office of the Deputy President also expresses its appreciation to partners and sponsors who had availed their resources and services to assist young people in the Western Cape.
 
Enquiries: Tyrone Seale 083 5757 440
 

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has, on behalf of government and the people of South Africa, expressed his best wishes to activist, musician, songwriter and producer Jonas Gwangwa, 81, who has taken ill.
 
Mr Gwangwa is receiving medical attention at 1 Military Hospital in Tshwane.
 
Mr Gwangwa, a globally renowned jazz trombonist, is an Esteemed Member of the National Order of Ikhamanga, who was honoured in 2010 for his exceptional contribution to music and the struggle for freedom in South Africa.
 
President Ramaphosa has said: “The thoughts and prayers of all South Africans are with our beloved national treasure, Ntate Jonas Gwangwa, and his family. Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has visited Mr Gwangwa and assured us that he is recovering well and in good spirits. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.”
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Sandton – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the 11th annual Competition Law, Economics and Policy Conference of the Competition Commission on Friday, 01 September 2017 at 08h30.
 
The conference is hosted by the Competition Commission in partnership with the Competition Tribunal under the theme, “The Future of Competition Policy.”
 
Conference delegates are deliberating international and national competition law, and the role played by regulators and micro-economic sectors in developing the economy. South African and international policy experts, economic consultants, scholars, lawyers and academics are among the delegates. 
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address on Friday, 1 September 2017, which is the last day of the conference.
  
Media is invited as follows:
Date: Friday, 01 September 2017
Time: 08h00 for accreditation and registration
Venue: Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), 26 Melville Road, Illovo, Johannesburg 2196
 

Enquiries: Terrence Manase 082 338 6707 or Tyrone Seale on 083 5757 440

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

The Office of the Deputy President is aware of social media messages, which take the form of media enquiries from a Sunday newspaper, that make various claims about Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s personal life.
 
There is no doubt that these messages have been circulated as part of a deliberate campaign to smear the person of the Deputy President. They are a transparent attempt to distort personal email correspondence that could only have been obtained through criminal means.
 
The Deputy President will in due course release a detailed statement on the allegations contained in the messages.

 
Enquiries:
 
Tyrone Seale – 083 5757 440
Acting Spokesperson for the Deputy President
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

In response to questions put to him by the Sunday Independent – which have been circulating on social media since Friday 1 September 2017 – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has made the following statement:
 
“It has come to my attention, through questions that were sent to me by the editor of a Sunday newspaper, that a number of emails from my private email account have been illegally obtained and provided to at least one media outlet.
 
“From the nature and tone of the questions, it is clear that the intention of obtaining the emails and then providing them to the media was to discredit my person.
 
“I will not comment in public on private matters.
 
“I do feel compelled however to respond to deeply disturbing suggestions that I paid money to several young women with whom I was supposedly in relationships. There are 54 young students – both men and women – that my wife and I provide financial assistance to on a monthly basis and have done so for several years. It is unfortunate that evidence of these bank transfers have been used to make scandalous allegations against me and, worse, to make public the names of some of the people assisted.
 
“We find it disturbing that the privacy of these young women has been violated through the publication of their names and pictures on social media. It shows a callous disregard for the rights of the individual.
 
“This latest episode extends far beyond an attempt at political smear. It represents an escalation of a dirty war against those who are working to restore the values, principles and integrity of the African National Congress and society.
 
“Resembling in many ways the ‘stratkom’ techniques of the apartheid-era, we have seen in recent weeks a number of attempts at disinformation directed at me and people with whom I am associated. These activities need to be seen within a broader campaign that has targeted several political leaders, trade unionists, journalists and civil society activists.
 
“Nearly all the people that have been targeted in this way have taken a public stand against the capture of our state institutions by outside interests and the looting of public resources.
 
“It is evident that there is a well-resourced, coordinated covert operation underway to prevent those responsible for wrongdoing from being held to account and for the integrity of our law enforcement agencies and other state institutions to be restored. 
 
“This operation appears to have access to resources within intelligence circles with the capability to intercept communications and hack private emails.
 
“We now need to confront the likelihood that state agencies and resources are being abused to promote factional political agendas. We also need to confront the reality that those behind these agendas will go to any length to protect themselves and their interests.
 
“We need to ask who these people are. And on whose behalf they act.
 
“As the ANC’s 54th National Conference approaches, this campaign will intensify. It is imperative that members of the ANC and Alliance formations remain vigilant against deliberate efforts to sow confusion and disunity.
 
“South Africans from across the political spectrum need to resist all efforts to forestall the social and economic renewal of our country.
 
“We call on journalists in particular to exercise caution when receiving information and be circumspect in the manner in which they handle the information. It is a concern that questions sent to a person by a journalist were circulated publicly before the questions have even been responded to. This type of behaviour can no longer be referred to as journalism.
 
“If the intention of this campaign is to weaken the resolve of those fighting to revitalise the ANC and unite our country, it has failed.
 
“I am now even more convinced that our movement, the African National Congress, needs to be restored to its rightful owners, the people of South Africa.
 
“I am even more convinced that those who have facilitated the capture of our state institutions and have benefited from the looting of public resources should be held accountable for their actions.
 
“I am even more convinced that the time has come for the membership of the ANC to restore the organisation as a genuine movement of the people.
 
“As a leader, as an individual and as a member of a collective, my resolve to contribute to the achievement of that renewal is undiminished.
 
“We will not be diverted from doing what is right for our country and our people.”
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday, 10 June 2019, lead the South African delegation to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Centenary Conference in Geneva in Switzerland where the 108th session of the International Labour Conference convenes  under the theme   “Building a Better Future with Decent Work” from 10 -21 June 2019.
 
President Ramaphosa was appointed as the co-chair of the International Labour Organisation’s Global Commission on the Future of Work Report on 10 May 2018, where alongside co-chair  Prime Minister Stefan Löfven of the Kingdom of Sweden led a team of distinguished Commissioners who were mandated to seek recommendations to  changes in the global economy as a result of technological advancement , demography, globalisation and climate change and how that impacts workers and the nature and future of work. 
 
 The Global Commission on the Future of Work was International launched on 22 January 2019 at the Headquarters of the International labour Organisation in Geneva marking the start of the centennial year of the ILO. The Future of Work Report made ten recommendations which are guided by a human – centred agenda which proposes that the social contract can be strengthened by placing people and the work they do at the centre of economic, social policy and business practice. South Africa hosted the local launch of the report on 01 March 2019 in KwaZulu-Natal Province.
 
The President will address the high level sitting of the 108th session of the ILO’s International Labour Conference where the outcomes of the Global Commission on the Future of Work will be presented to invited Heads of State and Government during the occasion of the centenary celebration of the International Labour Organisation.  The ILO’s International Labour Conference is an annual gathering of governments, labour and business to deliberate on contemporary issues of mutual interest in the global labour markets and adopts international labour standards open to ratification by the 187 member states.  
 
It is twenty five years since South Africa re-joined the International Labour Organisation and it has since the advent of democracy adopted legislature and programmes that are in support of social justice and decent work. In 2018 South Africa hosted the Jobs Summit where all social partners forged a common drive to effectively collaborate in addressing challenges that unblock growth in the South African economy and will ensure inclusive growth and create employment in the face of changing world dynamics.  President Ramaphosa signed into law the historic National Minimum Wage Act which will bridge the inequality gap by protecting   low-paid workers and provides a firm foundation to eradicate poverty.
 
President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Thembelani Nxesi, and a delegation of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) members to the Centenary Conference of the ILO and its 108th session of the International Labour Conference.
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Cape Town - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Wednesday 6 September 2017, brief the National Assembly on government’s continued efforts to secure economic growth and increased employment.
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa will respond to Questions for Oral Reply amid early evidence that the economy is on the rebound.

 
Enquiries - Tyrone Seale: Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 083 575 7440
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Kempton Park – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as Leader of Government Business will on Friday, 08 September 2017, address the 22nd Annual Summit of the National Economic Development and Labour Council at Emperors Palace Convention Centre, Kempton Park, Gauteng.
 
The National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) is the vehicle and platform by which government, labour, business and community organisations seek to cooperate, through problem-solving and negotiation, on economic, labour and development issues and related challenges facing the country.
 
In this regard, NEDLAC seeks to address amongst others, challenges of creating sustainable economic growth for poverty alleviation; creating employment opportunities; greater social equity and increased participation of all stakeholders to foster cooperation in the production of wealth and its equitable distribution.
 
The theme for the 22nd Annual Summit of the NEDLAC is “Restoring integrity by combating corruption through good governance” and discussions seek to address the following challenges:
 
• Restore investor confidence in South Africa and thus creating a favourable environment for sustainable job creation;
• Find ways of mitigating economic downgrades;
• Use existing legal framework to hold those in position of responsibility accountable; 
• The National Minimum Wage (NMW), Comprehensive Social Security (CSS) and National Health Insurance (NHI) as some of the key interventions towards restoring the dignity of the majority of South Africans;
• Back to basics of good governance; and 
• Respect of democratically established institutions.
 
The 22nd Annual Summit will be attended by various stakeholders from business, community, government and labour constituencies of Council. Invitation is also extended to members of the academia, foreign missions and sector specific experts. 
 
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will be supported by the Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant and other senior government officials. 
 
Media are invited to cover the event as follows: 
Date: Friday, 08 September 2017
Time: 08h30
Venue: Emperors Palace Convention Centre, Kempton Park
 
For more information and accreditation please contact Sam Bopape on 082 318 5251.
 

Enquires: Tyrone Seale on 083 575 7440

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria