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Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Climate Resilience Symposium 2024, CSIR International Convention Centre, Tshwane
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Programme Director, Ms Thami Nkadimeng,
Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa,
Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr David Masondo,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Ambassadors and High Commissioners, 
Representatives of multilateral institutions and other development partners, 
Representatives of the South African Local Government Association, 
Representatives of business, industry and civil society, 
Members of the Presidential Climate Commission, 
Delegates, guests, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

This Climate Resilience Symposium is taking place at a time when we are witnessing first-hand our extreme vulnerability to the impacts of a changing climate.

The storms that hit parts of the Western Cape over the past week have caused devastation to homes, communities, businesses and infrastructure.

These adverse weather conditions temporarily brought container ship traffic to a complete halt at the Port of Cape Town. 

Rough seas resulted in cargo vessels losing containers overboard and others being extensively damaged.

The Port of Cape Town has the country’s second largest container terminal. Though it handles a variety of cargo, the biggest exports from the port are agricultural products.

Having perishable agricultural products stuck in the port or in transit for an extended period results in financial losses for exporters. 

This in turn impacts the agricultural sector, and given its importance to our economy, there is a knock-on effect on the economy as a whole.

This is just one illustration of the fact that climate changes is as much an economic issue as it is a scientific, social justice, human rights and development issue. 

It has a direct and material impact on activity across the economy.

Disruptions caused by climate change increase the cost of doing business, undermine competitiveness and dampen employment growth.

These disruptions result in lower tax revenue and increased expenditure on disaster relief, health care and social support for affected communities. 

Extreme weather causes damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges, railways, power lines and ports, all of which incur substantial repair and recovery costs.

The resultant strain on public finances then necessitates the reallocation of funds from other essential services.

To manage the higher expenditure and lower revenues government may then need to increase borrowing, leading to higher debt levels and interest payments. 

This limits government’s ability to invest in other critical areas. 

The National Treasury is therefore central to our response to both the shocks of climate change and the potential opportunities to use the just transition as a springboard to build a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable economy. 

I want to commend the Minister of Finance and the National Treasury for convening this symposium together with the Presidential Climate Commission and other partners.

This symposium will focus on the integration of climate goals into macro-fiscal and finance policy and mainstreaming climate change considerations into the intergovernmental fiscal system.

It is society’s most vulnerable who bear the brunt of climate change because they have limited means to prepare for, cope with, and recover from, climate-related adverse events. 

Just as it is the countries of the Global South that feel the effects of climate change most, despite being least responsible historically for global emissions. 

It is critical that we strengthen systems for adaptation and mitigation, build resilience in communities and accelerate our decarbonisation efforts and the pace of the just energy transition.

The reality we must confront is that the carbon-intensity of our economy is unsustainable.

For decades our reliance on coal was a competitive advantage because it allowed us to produce electricity cheaply. 

But the world has changed and this dependency has come to pose significant risks. 

As the world moves towards greener economies, our trading partners will take measures to ensure that their own climate actions do not undermine their economies. 

Instruments like the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which has the potential to cause great damage to developing economies, signal the inevitability of carbon pricing in global trade systems. 

Our emissions-intensive energy system is likely to increasingly undermine our competitiveness in global markets.

I have repeatedly said that South Africa will decarbonise at a pace and scale that is affordable to our economy and society. 

If we act too fast, we risk damaging huge sections of our economy before we have built alternative energy and industrial capabilities.

At the same time, not acting now risks our economic stability. 

We must embrace a managed transition to a low-carbon economy, not only to safeguard our people and our environment, but to ensure our economic resilience and growth.

We are facing a climate emergency. 

Indecision and slow action are not an option. We must act decisively and swiftly to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure a just transition for all South Africans.

We must pursue a green industrial agenda that will create jobs and grow the economy.

Investments in green infrastructure, renewable energy and climate adaptation measures can be costly, requiring careful financial planning and prioritisation. 

That is why we have prioritised inclusive growth.

We are hard at work implementing the urgent reforms needed to lift growth and pursuing a fiscal strategy that protects the sustainability of our public finances. 

Operation Vulindlela has been an extremely successful partnership between National Treasury, the Presidency and a wide range of government departments.

It has enabled significant reforms in areas like energy, water, telecommunications and transport, making our economy more competitive and increasing our productive capacity.

Our strategy involves preparing ourselves to withstand the economic risks posed by climate change while taking full advantage of the opportunities of the energy transition.

This is no easy balance.

South Africa aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050. 

Our revised Nationally Determined Contribution balances our developmental needs and economic realities. 

It takes into account the feasibility of undertaking a climate response through a set of just transition pathways.

Importantly, it notes carbon tax as a vital component of our mitigation strategy to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

By internalising the cost of carbon emissions, the carbon tax incentivises companies to reduce their carbon footprint and invest in cleaner technologies. 

The carbon tax also generates revenue for climate initiatives. 

These funds can be reinvested in renewable energy projects, energy efficiency programmes and social support mechanisms.

We have launched a number of other initiatives to meet our emissions targets. 

The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme has been a success, attracting over R209 billion in investment and adding much-needed capacity to our electricity grid. 

The Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines the country’s energy mix, is in the process of being updated. It sets out a viable energy mix over the medium and long term to achieve our decarbonisation objectives. 

The Just Energy Transition Investment Plan sets out a quantified investment plan of some $98 billion. This will drive huge investments in the electricity grid, green hydrogen, electric vehicles, economic diversification and skills development, amongst others.

We continue to explore opportunities to meet our emissions reduction targets in minerals extraction, in green hydrogen production, in new power infrastructure, in electric vehicle manufacturing, and economic infrastructure upgrades.

It is crucial that the transition to a low-carbon economy is just and inclusive and that no worker or community is left behind.

The growth of clean tech, renewable energy, battery storage, green hydrogen and minerals for the future low-carbon economy must result in opportunities for affected sectors, employees and communities. 

We are investing in retraining programmes, creating new job opportunities in renewable energy and supporting small enterprises in affected areas. 

Climate finance is crucial for our transition. 

We need substantial investments to build sustainable infrastructure, develop green technologies and support social programmes. 

One looks for example at the issue of disaster funding, where there is a substantial gaps between available disaster funds and the cost of disaster response. 

Even as we have taken proactive measures like setting up a Climate Change Response Fund, we need to think seriously about the urgent financial and policy measures needed to address these shocks, and how to strengthen the National Treasury’s disaster financing response. 

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is already working with the Presidential Climate Commission on recommendations for the Climate Change Response Fund and an Adaptation and Resilience Investment Plan to accompany it.

Mitigation and adaptation financing remains a challenge, and we call on our international partners to fulfil their commitments to finance both.

We have already seen positive steps with the establishment of the Green Climate Fund, the Loss and Damage Fund, and other global mechanisms. 

However, we need more innovative financing solutions that mobilise private capital and incentivise sustainable practices. 

The National Treasury’s Climate Finance Strategy is pivotal in this regard, outlining how we can leverage public and private finance to achieve our climate goals.

We must not underestimate the importance of our own domestic capital and financial markets to innovatively mobilise and deploy capital towards our just transition.

The Just Energy Transition Funding Platform will be launched in the next few months. 

It will be an important precursor to a broader Just Transition Financing Mechanism, proposals for which are being developed by the Presidential Climate Commission.

We call on South African business to invest in the projects needed for a successful just transition in this country.

We need to use blended finance to unlock private sector flows. 

International development finance institutions and governments of the Global North that made financial pledges under the Paris Agreement and COP26 are important sources of cheap and concessional capital. 

To access this and other funding, we need a credible project pipeline. 

We need to work with all spheres of government, with communities and with the business sector to create new manufacturing, mining, agriculture and service opportunities. 

The science of climate change is complex. So too are the economic, technological, social, ecological and political implications.

Nonetheless, climate action is an imperative. We must act now. 

This requires collaborative efforts between government, business, labour, civil society, communities and international partners. 

If we work together, if we understand the risks and if we appreciate the urgency, we can make our country climate resilient.

And in doing so, we can build a sustainable future for generations to come. 

I thank you.

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President Ramaphosa to open National Treasury Climate Resilience Symposium 2024
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President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday, 15 July 2024, deliver the keynote address at the opening session of the National Treasury Climate Resilience Symposium 2024 at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) International Convention Centre Auditorium in Pretoria, Gauteng Province.

The symposium will be held under the theme “Moving the needle on climate change and just transition: the role of the National Treasury.”

The objectives of the symposium are to integrate climate goals into macro-fiscal and finance policy; improve government coordination by mainstreaming climate change considerations into the intergovernmental fiscal  system.

The three-day symposium gathering will bring together Ministers, Deputy Ministers, senior government officials, academia, the private sector, and climate experts.

Members of the media are invited as follows for the Open Session:

Date: Monday, 15 July 2024
Time: 07h30 registration (NB - Members of the media to take leave after the Open Session)
Venue: CSIR ICC, Pretoria

Media RSVP: Members of the media wishing to cover the event are requested to RSVP on Media@treasury.gov.za. The programme will be shared with media that have RSVP’d.


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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2024/2025 Budget Debate Speech by Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, on the occasion of Stats SA Vote 14 Debate, Cape Town
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Honourable House Chairperson,
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Honourable Theliswa Mgweba,
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Honourable Kenny Morolong,
Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Honourable Nonceba Mhlauli,
Honourable Members of the of the Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation,
The Statistician General Mr. Risenga Maluleke and his team Members of the South African Statistics Council under the leadership Dr Nompumelelo Nzimande-Mbele,

Fellow South Africans,

It is my honour to present the Budget Vote 14 for the outer year of the 2019-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) as we conclude work started in the 6th Administration and consolidate a programme for the Seventh Administration under a Government of National Unity.

I share this occasion with a new and young Deputy Minister, Honourable Nonceba Mhlauli, which is a demonstration of continuity, change, and inter-generational leadership, ‘living together in perfect harmony’, as Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney sang.

It is also an honour to make this presentation in the year in which we are reflecting on 30 Years of Democracy, Partnership and Growth in the life of a nation that remains engaged in overcoming the impact of centuries of colonialism and decades of apartheid exclusionary rule. It was the work of Statistics South Africa that gave this country and the world a snapshot of the progress this country has made and the challenges which remain since 1994 through the Census 2022 Results.

As we commence with work of the 7th Administration and the next 30 years of our freedom, it will be important to address the challenges that still confront us with greater performance and momentum. Guesswork and assumptions have no place in the task at hand.

Instead, it is statistical data and information that will give us insights into the nation’s needs and achievements and will help us monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of government policies and programmes. For us, it is fundamental to declare that Data Drives Development.

Therefore, understanding and managing the data ecosystem is crucial for the country to harness the full potential of data, make informed decisions, and adapt to evolving business landscapes. This will be achieved through collaboration, partnerships and platforms. Stats SA must continue to lead in the South African data ecosystem, to ensure that the data gap is closed.

Honourable Chairperson,

Those of us who have followed StatsSA products releases would agree with me that statistical data is indicating that our economy is three times larger and many times more inclusive and diversified than it was 30 years ago, millions of citizens have been lifted out of poverty, and employment has more than doubled. Despite this progress, millions remain unemployed, in particular, the youth who are caught in structural unemployment where the qualifications they possess are not relevant for the job market nor self-employment.

For South Africa to reach its developmental goals as espoused in the National Development Plan (NDP), there is a need to use data and statistical information to not only improve the performance of government, but all of society. Therefore, there cannot be a spectator sport for the nation – we’re all in this together, as Cast –High School Musical sang.

As a government that considers itself to be located within our communities and society, we will work with all sectors to secure the growth, security and prosperity all of us wish to enjoy in our lifetime and into the future.

Therefore, StatsSA will be one of our key institutional assets on this quest for a better future. This asset, Stats SA, is a jewel in the crown of the capacity of the state and its rigour and integrity is globally respected. Stats SA itself has a productive, intergenerational mix of experience and institutional memory alongside the energy and innovation that comes with a cohort of statisticians and other professionals who were born and educated in this democratic dispensation.

The insights developed by Stats SA are a model of democratic transparency in action: statistical information is available at all levels of society including business, government, academia, Parliament, civil society, schools and the public at large – including millions of users around the world who can access our numbers and narratives online.

For the richness of Stats SA’s outputs, we are deeply indebted to the millions of South Africans who trustingly and graciously share their information and time with us so we can have numerical picture of the nation as it goes about living and working.

Honourable Members,

Stats SA’s 2024/25 Work Programme reflects our drive to deliver the statistics that the country needs and can apply to build a better South Africa.

A key strategic deliverable of this is the legislative reform with the Statistics Amendment Bill which was finalised by the 6th Administration and passed by the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces in May 2024. It now awaits Presidential assent.

Stats SA delivered the results of the first digital census to the nation in October 2023. The population census offers us the most comprehensive set of statistical information to the lowest geographic level.

Allow me Chairperson to quote the President of the Republic of South Africa, his Excellency Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, at the launch of Census 2022 results where he said: “Data from the Census informs the planning, budgeting and policy making work of government at the most fundamental level, furthermore one of our priorities in a capable, ethical developmental state is to ensure that policy making is evidence-driven”.

Stats SA has embarked on a comprehensive dissemination process to inform each province and district of the Census 2022 results. Various thematic reports based on the census data will be released during 2024 to better inform policy and decision making.

I encourage all of us to use this data to get to know the needs of our constituencies and to use the information to improve the lives of our people.

Honourable members,

As a country we are still faced with the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. As policy-makers, we need to know and understand the scale, the characteristics and the root cause of the challenges that face us.

To this end, I am pleased to inform the House that Stats SA has completed the data collection phase of the Income and Expenditure survey that collects data on the poverty situation in the country. The results of the survey will be published in the 3rd quarter of 2024.

Under the 2024/25 Work Programme, Stats SA plans to re-engineer the household survey programme through the introduction of a continuous population survey that aims to integrate various household surveys to improve efficiency and effectiveness of data collection. This modular survey will provide lower-level data on specific themes to inform the district development model.

Chairperson, I am also pleased to announce that as part of the economic statistics suite, Stats SA will publish for the first time the official Residential Property Price Index for South Africa during 2024/25.

Honourable members,

Stats SA has set an ambitious 5-year strategic plan with a long-term horizon and vision of Improving lives through data ecosystems.

The strategy path is guided by four strategic outcomes to elevate statistical development in this country, namely:

• Insightful data - providing statistical products and outputs that meets the needs of users that brings deeper insight for informed decisions.

• Creating an Agile operating model where business operations are lean, efficient and flexible in order to remain stable in turbulent times.

• Creating an Interconnected statistical system where people, systems and technology are interconnected.

• Lastly, Transforming the capability of the organisation and the statistics system at large. Building a workforce that is fit for the future is a critical priority for the organisation.

The 2024/25 Work Programme is the final performance plan to deliver on the 5-year Strategic Plan that was tabled in 2020. The organisation has continued to fulfil its mandate for the last four years despite significant disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and tight financial conditions, to name a few.

Honourable Members,

We need to continue to support Stats SA and ensure it plays a pivotal role in providing critical socio-economic data that informs decision making across government and business broadly.

Official statistics must remain free from any interference on statistical methods applied, to data collection, and the content and timing of releases. Our official statistics must be planned, collected and disseminated without prejudice, fear or favour. Our standing as a nation — and as a country — is intertwined with the successful and democratic uptake of statistics.

I therefore implore this House to become ambassadors of Stats SA’s work and to continue to be ardent users of official statistics.

We are aware of the budget constraints that all government departments currently face, but we cannot allow it to negatively impact the publication of information crucial to policy and planning. To this end, Stats SA continues to embrace the use of technology in easing both the collection and dissemination of statistics. Over the medium-term, the organisation will be looking at innovative ways of integrating administrative data into the overall system of statistics, to ensure that the data gap can be filled cost-effectively.

The Compensation of Employees budget allocation remains a challenge. We will continue to engage National Treasury to see how best we can stabilise the funding.

Honourable Chairperson,

• The Public Finance Management Act, section 27, compels the Minster to annually table this budget and it is my honour to deliver Vote 14,

• the MTEF is R2.65 billion in 2024/25; and R 2.75 billion and R2.89 billion in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years respectively.

• We request Parliament to support the budget vote of Statistics South Africa.

As a country that is fully integrated into global society, we know that digital forces are transforming our world in the digital economy. This disruption will lead to emerging new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), with connected devices and smart chatbots to the metaverse where citizens are connected and interact with government and themselves seamlessly. Harnessing AI to solve South Africa’s problems requires embracing it from an African perspective.

Disruptions can propel a nation to new levels of efficiency that can change the lives of the poor and disenfranchised. When such opportunities present itself, the test to the nation’s strength is how its leadership acts with agility to attend to the challenges at hand.

To enable long-term, sustainable, and inclusive growth, we must work together as a nation as we strengthen our resilience to propel beyond what was possible before. The StatsSA demonstrated this resilience and agility, when it adopted a digital census when confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic when the alternative was to abandon the census count like many other countries did.

As previously stated, the importance of numbers to harness leadership’s ability to lead in a new era cannot be overstated. It is more important than ever that our thinking, planning and policy responses be informed by reliable evidence to achieve better outcomes for this nation in a transformed digital era.

I want to take this opportunity to -

Thank the Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation as well as the Select Committee on Health and Social Services;

Thank the staff and leadership of Stats SA, under the charge of the StatisticianGeneral, Risenga Maluleke and the South African Statistics Council who continue to deliver on the mandate of Stats SA. 

As I say Thank You, let me invite all of us to make continued and greater use of Stats SA insights to understand and participate in the ever-unfolding story of our country.

Ndi a livhuwa.
Hakhensa - inkomo.
Kea leboga.

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President mourns passing of learners in road accident
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President Cyril Ramaphosa is deeply saddened by the deaths of 12 learners from Rocklands Primary School and Laerskool Blyvooruitsig in Carletonville in a road incident in the Merafong City municipal area on Gauteng’s West Rand today, Wednesday, 10 July 2024.

President Ramaphosa offers his condolences to the families, friends, fellow learners and educators of the deceased children.

The President also wishes a speedy and full recovery to seven learners who suffered injuries in the incident that involved a scholar transport vehicle.

President Ramaphosa said: “The loss of such young lives at the start of a new school term touches all of us as a nation.

“We wish the affected families and school communities the best as they mourn the passing of children who have been deprived of fulfilling their potential and spending their lives with families and friends.

“This tragedy, which regretfully is not the first of its kind to confront us, demands that that we exercise our obligation to protect our children with the utmost care.”


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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President pays tribute to the late non-racial sports administrator Mr Frank van der Horst
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President Cyril Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to the family of anti-apartheid activist and former President of the South African Council on Sport (SACOS), Mr Frank van der Horst, who has passed away at the age of 86.

The President extends his condolences to the friends and associates nationally and globally of Mr Van der Horst as well as the generation of athletes who practised their sport while Mr Van der Horst led the non-racial sports movement.

Established in 1973, SACOS fought against racial segregation in South African sport and campaigned for equal access to facilities under the slogan “No normal sport in an abnormal society”.

SACOS worked closely with civic organisations, youth movements, trade unions and underground liberation structures on numerous campaigns and protests.

SACOS resisted South Africa’s participation in international sport with only white athletes.

Through its recognition by the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, the United Nations Committee Against Apartheid Sport and the global anti-apartheid movement, SACOS exercised sport as a platform through which to highlight the impact of apartheid on all areas of the lives of oppressed communities.

President Ramaphosa said: “The passing of Frank van der Horst makes us recall an era of grassroots, non-racial and inter-sectoral resistance to apartheid, and international support for our struggle.

“As part of the generational leadership of Norman Naidoo, Hassan Howa, Morgan Naidoo and Joe Ebrahim, Frank van der Horst made a crucial contribution as SACOS President to the sustained political pressure faced by the apartheid system in its closing decade.

“Today, South African sport continues to benefit from Frank van der Horst’s and SACOS’s legacy in the form of administrators who played their sport under the SACOS banner and now lead sports development in our country as well as federations and teams who are welcome throughout the world.

“As a nation, we are grateful for a struggle Frank waged with courage, principle and clarity. His values and the example he set will sustain us while he rests in peace.”


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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President Ramaphosa congratulates President Masoud Pezeshkian of the Islamic Republic of Iran
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President Cyril Ramaphosa offers his warm congratulations to President Masoud Pezeshkian on his election as the new President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, President Ramaphosa also congratulates the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on exercising their democratic right during the two rounds of the electoral process which took place on 28 June and 5 July 2024.

South Africa and Iran enjoy cordial bilateral relations and are celebrating in 2024 the 30th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations established in 1994.

President Ramaphosa affirms that South Africa will continue working with the Islamic Republic of Iran to deepen cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels to promote global and regional peace, security, stability, and to achieve economic development for the benefit of both countries.

President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised the need for South Africa and Iran to continue collaborating closely in promoting the agenda of the Global South through shared membership in groupings such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the BRICS, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, as well as other formations.

President Ramaphosa wishes President Pezeshkian good health, fortitude, strength and success for his tenure as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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President mourns passing of Operation Vala Umgodi SANDF troops
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President Cyril Ramaphosa is deeply saddened by the deaths of four South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members who passed away overnight on Friday, 05 July 2024, while on duty to combat illegal mining.

As Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF, President Ramaphosa offers his condolences to the families of the victims as well as to their commanders and colleagues.

The President’s thoughts are with the team of soldiers who discovered their deceased colleagues in a container at a disused mine shaft at Orkney in the North West Province.

While police are investigating the matter, the deceased troops, who showed no injuries and were fully kitted and armed, are believed by the police and the SANDF to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from a fire they made to keep warm. 

The troops were part of Operation Vala Umgodi which is directed at combating illegal mining.


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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President Ramaphosa receives congratulatory call from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of the Republic of Egypt
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President Cyril Ramaphosa was honoured yesterday evening, Sunday, 7 July 2024, with a phone call from His Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt who warmly congratulated President Ramaphosa on his new term of office.

President El-Sisi shared with President Ramaphosa his expectation that South Africa and Egypt will continue to cooperate on issues of common interest.

President Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation for President El-Sisi’s good wishes and agreed on the importance of continued partnership between our two countries on matters of bilateral, continental and multilateral interest.

Of particular significance to the two leaders is the need to work together on the Palestinian issue and the crisis in the Gaza strip.

The Presidents committed themselves to deepening the fraternal ties between Egypt and South Africa as part of advancing continental solidarity.

President Ramaphosa and President El-Sisi were also in agreement on the expansion of trade, mutual investment and other areas of economic cooperation between the two states.


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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President Ramaphosa and UK Prime Minister commit to deepening ties
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President Cyril Ramaphosa and newly elected British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have expressed their shared commitment to deepening relations between South Africa and the United Kingdom in several areas of cooperation, including the just energy transition.

Prime Minister Starmer placed a call with President Ramaphosa this morning, Sunday, 7 July 2024, to express his interest in working closely with South Africa as part of executing the strong mandate given to the Labour Party in the general election on Thursday, 4 July 2024.

President Ramaphosa congratulated Prime Minister Starmer on his electoral victory and said the Statement of Intent framing South Africa’s Government of National Unity incorporated many objectives shared by the two new administrations.

The two leaders viewed today’s discussion as a continuation of the deliberations in which they engaged in November 2022 when President Ramaphosa visited London on the first State Visit hosted by His Majesty King Charles III. Sir Keir Starmer was at that time the leader of the opposition Labour Party.

President Ramaphosa described the bilateral relationship as a special bond and said South Africa wished to see greater alignment with the UK at the national and multilateral level, with South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 in 2025 providing one such opportunity.

President Ramaphosa foresees closer cooperation with with UK in the political, social, people-to-people, diplomatic, trade and investment and climate change domains.

The Prime Minister agreed that the G20 would be a platform for advancing shared interests in climate change, economic growth and the eradication of inequality.

 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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President Ramaphosa congratulates new UK Prime Minister
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on his appointment to the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister Starmer assumed the position on 05 July 2024, following the general elections held on 04 July 2024.

President Ramaphosa said he looks forward to working with Prime Minister Starmer to enhance the strong, historic relations between South Africa and the UK.

South Africa and the UK are strategic partners with a broad and vibrant relationship, led by a commitment to liberal values, democracy and the rule of law.

The UK is one of South Africa’s largest bilateral trading and investment partners and remains South Africa’s number one source of long-haul tourism in the world.

South Africa and the UK collaborate in various multilateral fora to advance shared ideals and objectives.

In 2022, President Ramaphosa was the first Head of State to undertake a State Visit to the UK following an invitation from His Majesty, King Charles III.

The State Visit was an important and momentous occasion to strengthen the bonds of cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

President Ramaphosa said he looks forward to working with Prime Minister Starmer to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and to address current global political and security challenges.


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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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