Programme Director;
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Sihle Zikalala;
Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Alan Winde;
Honourable Ministers from other countries on the African continent;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
Delegates;
Sponsors,
Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to speak at the 2024 Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, which has become a valuable platform to enable greater investment in infrastructure in South Africa.

Investment in infrastructure is central to the achievement of our development goals. 

Infrastructure is an enormous economic multiplier, providing dividends for an economy long after the infrastructure has been built. 

This Symposium is an important part of our effort to close the infrastructure spending gap in our country. 

It is estimated that to achieve our infrastructure goals, we need an additional R1.6 trillion in public sector infrastructure investment and a further R3.2 trillion from the private sector by 2030. 

A number of bold initiatives are being implemented to deliver infrastructure at the required scale and pace. 

We are working on reforms to develop sustainable infrastructure, lift business confidence and encourage investment. 

These reforms include the amendment of the Division of Revenue Act to enable provincial governments to use their infrastructure grants and budget allocations to crowd-in private sector finance for large social infrastructure programmes.

These programmes focus specifically on health and education. 

Among other things, this would enable government to diversify infrastructure financing through innovative solutions. 

Amendments to the Public Private Partnership regulations, which have recently been published for public comment, are part of broader reforms to mobilise and pool public and private sector resources for infrastructure. 

The operationalisation of the Infrastructure Fund has seen a steady growth in the portfolio of blended finance projects that use relatively small fiscal allocations to de-risk public infrastructure projects and raise finance in debt capital markets. 

Through the work that has been done in transforming the infrastructure landscape, the total value of the country’s Strategic Integrated Projects has grown from R340 billion in July 2020 to R540 billion now. 

Eighteen projects, valued at around R10 billion, have been completed, covering human settlements, roads, water and sanitation. 

The value of projects currently in construction is over R230 billion.

Projects worth nearly R170 billion are currently in procurement. 

It is significant that blended finance projects, which leverage private sector financing, are also growing steadily. 

In this calendar year, eleven such projects, with a total investment value of R45 billion, are expected to reach financial close. 

One of the areas that we have focused on is the unblocking of multiple government authorisations, permits, licences and exemptions. 

To date, Infrastructure South Africa has unblocked a total of R25 billion worth of projects in the renewable energy space using the Infrastructure Development Act to fast-track government authorisations. 

Among the Strategic Integrated Projects, the energy portfolio has the biggest project pipeline, covering transmission, gas, renewables and green hydrogen. 

The project pipeline comprises more than 100 projects amounting to R240 billion. 

South Africa is positioning itself to be a leader in green hydrogen, working towards a sustainable future driven by innovation. 

The green hydrogen programme, estimated at R300 billion and comprised of 14 projects, is an important part of the country’s just transition. 

Major water infrastructure projects are under construction in several parts of the country, expanding the capacity of our dams and bulk water infrastructure. 

The transport sector is one the best performing portfolios in the SIP pipeline, with six projects worth R25 billion completed to date, and a further five projects currently in construction. 

The human settlements portfolio has to date created over 38,000 direct jobs and nearly 9,000 housing units have been constructed. 

The key to developing a bankable and viable project pipeline is project preparation. 

Projects being taken to procurement without the requisite readiness often lead to cost and time overruns during implementation. 

We have made bold and decisive interventions to provide a predictable funding regime for project preparation and consolidate expertise in developing bankable projects through our own infrastructure development agency, Infrastructure South Africa. 

Infrastructure South Africa is re-orientating project preparation to promote growth and enable export sectors, manufacturing and the green economy. 

It is focusing on projects that contribute to job creation, both during construction and operations. 

It is promoting economic competitiveness through projects that help integrate South Africa into global supply chains, particularly focusing on rail and port.

Infrastructure South Africa is also preparing projects in a manner that contributes to inclusivity by broadening the participation of local content.

This approach is being applied to what it has identified as the top 12 priority infrastructure projects, with a cumulative project value of more than R180 billion.

It is anticipated that more than 400,000 jobs, both direct and indirect, will be created during the construction and operation of these projects. 

The top 12 priority infrastructure projects aim to leverage technical and financial expertise of development finance institutions and multilateral development banks to increase the capacity of the state. 

The priority projects include the Fetakgomo Tubatse, Namakwa and Nkomazi Special Economic Zones, which are earmarked for project preparation support. 

Four of the top 12 priority projects support the planned investment in rail and ports to alleviate the freight congestion, shift transportation of goods from road to rail, and boost exports through improved access to international markets. 

There also priority projects for project preparation in energy security and the green economy, such as Eskom’s gas project at Mossel Bay and pumped hydro storage project in Fetakgomo Tubatse Special Economic Zone. 

Water infrastructure projects have traditionally been financed largely through the fiscus. 

Through the preparation of both the Amathole Water bulk supply augmentation and the Rooiwal waste water treatment plant, Infrastructure South Africa is aiming to leverage private sector involvement in the financing and delivery of these projects. 

The health and education programmes included in the top 12 priority projects are aimed at addressing the funding challenge, avoiding cost and schedule overruns and ensuring integrated planning and proper procurement processes. 

We are working to rebuild the construction industry and ensure that it is able to deliver projects on time, within budget and to the right quality. 

With well over 1.2 million people employed in the industry, there needs to be a constant reliable pipeline of projects that enables the sector and its supplier industry to plan ahead. 

Infrastructure South Africa is today publishing the first edition of a Construction Book that showcases 153 infrastructure projects across five major state-owned enterprises. These include Transnet Freight Rail, Transnet National Ports Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Eskom and SANRAL. 

The projects showcased in this Construction Book will contribute to greater economic growth, while at the same time supporting the provision of public services and laying the foundation for long-term growth. 

The Construction Book, a first of its kind in South Africa, demonstrates government’s ambition to drive economic development through the construction sector and deliver high quality infrastructure projects that create value in the economy and society.

We are not limiting our ambition to South Africa alone.

The development and integration of the African continent requires a massive investment in infrastructure, including regional infrastructure. 

We have built broad political consensus on the need for infrastructure integration, but despite this, progress on implementing regional and continent-wide infrastructure has been slow. 

Compared to other regions of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa has the longest export times, the highest export costs and onerous border compliance requirements. 

Transport costs along Southern African Development Community corridors are among the highest in the world, with border posts imposing significant costs and time delays. 

We therefore welcome the inaugural Leaders Forum Meeting convened by Minister Sihle Zikalala yesterday. 

We hope that it will bring fresh momentum to regional and continent-wide projects, institutionalise platforms of engagement and lead to a sharing of resources for project preparation and execution, finance and private sector participation. 

We must be resolute as we work to progress projects to financial close and implementation. 

We must continue our efforts to create the right environment to develop better infrastructure, and we must improve the delivery of catalytic infrastructure projects that connect countries and regions. 

Since it was first held in 2020, the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium has been an essential part of the growth of infrastructure investment in our country.

As we reflect on the great progress that has been made, we look ahead to even better prospects for growth and development in our economy.

We have done much over the last few years. Through this Symposium we are laying a foundation to do much more.

I thank you.

Members of the Executive:
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala;
Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille;
Minister of Human Settlements Mamoloko Kubayi;
Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga;
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong;
Deputy Minister of Transport Lisa Mangcu;
Our Guests and Leaders from the Continent
Minister of Works and Transport in the Kingdom of Eswatini Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe;
Minister of Home Affairs in the Kingdom of Lesotho Lebone Lephema;
Minister of Local Government and Public Works in the Republic of Zimbabwe Winston Chitando;
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in the Republic of Liberia Sekou M. Kromah;
Minister of Land and Housing in the Republic of Seychelles Billy Rangasamy;
Vice Ministro Don Pascual ONDO NZE OYANA Vice Ministro de Obras Publicas, Equatorial Guinea;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good Evening,

I am honoured to address this dinner tonight, as I believe in the work that Infrastructre South Africa has done over the past years. I wish to welcome all those who have come from out of South Africa to participate in this Symposium. You are most welcome to our country, and I hope that you will enjoy the hospitality that this nation has to offer.
 
The activities of the Symposium today have set the tone for government accountability as shown during the media briefing this afternoon, as well as through local collaboration and partnerships seen in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between government partners as well as the private sector.
 
Most importantly, this symposium sets the tone for collaboration and cooperation within the continent. I wish to congratulate Minister Zikalala for successfully convening the inaugural leader’s forum this morning with his counterparts in the continent and look forward to positive outcomes stemming from the deliberations.
 
As we gather this evening ahead of the final Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa in the sixth administration, it is important that we not only take stock of the success of the Infrastructure Investment Plan as adopted by the Cabinet in 2020, but that we also look to the future with optimism for infrastructure-led economic growth and prosperity.
 
On the 23^rd of June 2020, following a hard lockdown due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the South African government held the inaugural Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium of South Africa, a culmination of extensive stakeholder consultation with both government and private sector role players in the infrastructure eco-system.

The symposium had a dual mandate of producing a credible infrastructure pipeline and further finding the finances required to support the delivery of that pipeline. At the time of the symposium, we had not yet experienced the full devastating effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
 
In the months that followed, it became clear that the country would need a decisive and aggressive plan to set the ball rolling for economic recovery, hence the establishment of the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, which has at its centre the delivery of quality infrastructure.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The three central themes that anchor the Infrastructure Investment Plan have remained consistent throughout the sixth administration, These themes are quality infrastructure for development, recovery, and inclusive growth, all of these spearheaded by the government through policy development and implementation.
 
When we say development, we mean both the development and delivery of infrastructure and the development of our people through infrastructure delivery. When we say recovery, we mean the recovery of our economy through a large-scale infrastructure programme led and championed by the government.
 
When we say inclusive, we mean the redressing of spatial imbalances between urban and rural areas through infrastructure delivery programmes, which we believe will also address gender, racial and other inequalities. The entire population should be included in the benefits associated with infrastructure investment and subsequent gross fixed capital formation.
 
While we are aware of some of the challenges that curtail the fast pace of delivering quality infrastructure, we must use this Symposium to showcase some of the progress and successes that serve as a foundation for the incoming seventh administration, which we believe will be an administration that will bring continuity towards building a National Democratic Society.
 
In the last five years, we have paid specific focus on the strategic integrated projects that have the highest GDP impact, high employment absorption capacity, and localisation potential.
 
These projects due to their economic outlook have the potential to crowd in private sector investments due to their multiplier effect. We are proud to say that of the pipeline that we gazetted both in 2020 and 2022, almost R10 Billion worth of projects have completed construction, R233 Billion worth of projects are currently in construction and R170 Billion worth of projects are currently in procurement.
 
Some of the completed projects include strategic water projects like Vaal Gamagara Phase 1, the raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall, student accommodation across different universities, transport projects like the Musina Ring Road, national routes as well as Human Settlements projects that would include social housing projects.
 
Of much significance is the work done within the energy portfolio of projects. The energy project pipeline comprises more than 100 projects amounting to R240 billion, some of these programs have a value of over R100 billion, and these projects span transmission, gas, renewables, and green hydrogen.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have also noted the gap in the readiness and preparedness of projects for the market. In 2023, Infrastructure South Africa received its first tranche of funding to support projects with project preparation. This has proven itself a game changer as some projects show great potential but do not always have the fiscal allocation for technical support, legal support, or even capacity building.
 
The project preparation funding allows Infrastructure South Africa to support projects that otherwise would stay dormant for many years. It is important to note that of the first R200 million rand tranche received, 37 projects will already be receiving project preparation support.
 
This sixth administration has paid specific attention to unlocking regulatory impediments that hinder projects from going into construction sooner. Through the coordination and support of various departments and government stakeholders, Infrastructure South Africa has unblocked 195 permits for 47 projects.
 
A special mention must go to the Department of Forest, Fisheries and Environment, which has consistently issued permits and licensing within the specified timeframes of the Infrastructure Development Act. This stellar collaboration in government to aid private sector investment in infrastructure has built confidence in the South African government.
 
Tomorrow President Ramaphosa will give the Keynote Address at this Symposium, where I believe he will highlight South Africa’s commitment at the beginning of the sixth administration. Infrastructure South Africa has played a role in infrastructure development and has contributed to some of the key achievements in the sector, and it is indeed one of the best accomplishments of this government.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We look forward to the launch of the construction book, which is a repository of projects going into procurement or construction in the 2024/2025 financial year, this will serve as an important indicator to the market that the pipeline of projects is realisable.
 
We also look forward to the announcement of the 12 Infrastructure project priorities for the 2024/2025 financial year that will replenish the pipeline and receive project preparation funding from ISA.
 
Lastly, allow me to express my confidence in this symposium to establish more strategic collaborations with our brothers and sisters in the continent. The African Continental Free Trade Area agreement remains an important platform for us as a continent to strengthen regional integration at both an economic and cultural level.
 
Transport infrastructure specifically is the cornerstone for economic expansion in the region, and we must make sure that we use the discussions and deliberations of the Symposium to bring tangible collaboration on bi-national projects that will strengthen the continent and its economy.
 
I wish you the best with the rest of the Symposium, and are confident in the outcomes and their capacity to further develop and advance South Africa and the continent at large.

Thank You,

Programme Director;
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola;
Honourable Justices of the Constitutional Court;
Speaker of Parliament, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula;
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Mr Amos Masondo;
Judge-Presidents;
Members of the Judiciary and Magistracy present;
Representatives of constitutional bodies and Chapter 9 Institutions;
Members of the legal fraternity;
Representatives of international bodies;
Traditional leaders present;
Officials;
Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to be part of this conference, which is a reflection on 30 years of the promotion of and respect for human rights in South Africa. 

The adoption of our Constitution with its Bill of Rights by the Constitutional Assembly on the 8th of May 1996 was a great moment in our struggle to achieve a free and equal society. 

As I said at the time, it marked the day our country and our people came of age. I referred to our constitution as the birth certificate of our nation.

On that occasion, we proclaimed to the world that we are a society committed to democracy, to the rule of law and to the protection of human rights. 

The Constitution came to be as a result of a great many sacrifices by many people in our country and in other countries as well. 

Before the advent of democracy, our country was defined by racism, segregation and discrimination. 

The country’s black majority were deprived of their land, their freedom and their basic human rights. Apartheid tore the social fabric of our communities apart as it violated and degraded the basic humanity of many of our people through humiliation and oppression. 

Families were broken up as heads of households had to leave their families behind, to work in the mines or move to towns to earn a livelihood. Generations of children were denied the right of having the presence of one or both parents as they grew up with their parents working far away.

Our indigenous and customary legal systems were up-ended. They were suppressed and dismissed as harmful and uncivilised. 

Given all these destructive effects, the negation and denial of the human rights of millions of people, we can be justifiably proud of how far we have come in advancing our constitutional, human rights-based order over the past 30 years. 

As the former chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly that steered the drafting of the Constitution, it is a privilege to be here to reflect on the state of human rights in South Africa today. 

Since 1994 we have prioritised the advancement and fulfilment of the Bill of Rights as a cornerstone of our democratic order. 

Human rights are the basic rights that all human beings should have. Human rights embody the key values of our society such as equality, dignity and fairness, and define our nationhood. 

Human rights should manifest themselves through protection for vulnerable groups, freedom of speech and expression, religious freedom, freedom to love and other rights that promote the well-being of people

Certainly there have been challenges and shortcomings over the past 30 years, and we have a long way to go towards completely fulfilling the promise of the Constitution. That said, we should not shy away from the immense progress we have made. 

The Bill of Rights enjoins the democratic state to enact various pieces of legislation to promote human rights between and among people. 

Amongst those we have put in place are the Promotion of Access to information Act, which gives effect to Section 32 of the Constitution; the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act which gives effect to section 33; and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, which gives effect to section 9. 

To give effect to section 9 (2) of the Constitution, relating to measures of redress for the previously disadvantaged, we passed the Employment Equity Act, Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act and others. 

Our constitutional order is premised not only on building a non-racial society, but also a non-sexist society. 

Over the past thirty years there have been significant changes in the position of women across society. Today, there are more women serving as leaders in both the public and private sectors.

We have passed a broad range of laws to protect women from all forms of abuse and to advance their rights. These include laws around domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and workplace discrimination. 

Later this week, on Human Rights Day, we will commemorate the Sharpeville Massacre, where unarmed protestors who took a stand against the pass laws were mercilessly killed by the apartheid regime. 

In a far cry from the days of influx control and the hated pass laws, in South Africa today every citizen enjoys the right to free movement.

To promote accountability, responsiveness and openness, we have established various institutions to strengthen constitutional democracy. 

These include the South African Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Public Protector, the Commission for Gender Equality and others. 

We are proud of these institutions supporting democracy. Their establishment ushered in a new era of accountability and respect for dignity. 

Before the advent of democracy, our country was a pariah state that was infamous for violating the basic rights of the majority of its citizens. We lived in a country where racial discrimination was at the core of government policy. 

Today our country is revered as a country that upholds, protects and advances the basic human rights of the people who live in South Africa. Following our country’s admission as a fully-fledged member of the community of nations, the democratic state has signed, ratified and acceded to various international human rights law treaties. 

The many treaties we have signed, ratified and acceded to deal, among other things, with economic, social and cultural rights and the elimination of racial discrimination and of all forms of discrimination against women. They include conventions on the rights of the child and conventions against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. 

Alongside our Constitution, these treaties bear testimony to the fact that our democratic government is irrevocably committed to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in our Constitution. 

Not only are we committed to the rights of all in our country, we are also committed to global peace and will fight all forms of oppression. 

In January 2024, South Africa appeared before the International Court of Justice as an applicant against the State of Israel on the grounds that, through its conduct in Gaza, Israel violated the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 

At the heart of South Africa’s case is the blatant violation of the human rights of Palestinians by the state of Israel. 

Having noted that the Genocide Convention was the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, on 9 December 1948, an act which signified the international community’s commitment to the respect of human rights of all people, we felt duty bound to support the Palestinians in the quest not only for nationhood but also to have their basic human rights protected, respected and advanced. 

The Court ordered several provisional measures, including that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Genocide Convention. These acts include killing or causing serious bodily or mental harm to Palestinians in Gaza.

While the Court still has to hear South Africa’s main application, the provisional measures that it ordered has reaffirmed the centrality of international law and the responsibility we all carry for the protection of the rights of all.

Our commitment to advancing the human rights of our people should motivate us to address the challenges that many of our people face such as poverty and unemployment.

To quote Madiba’s words: “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity: it is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental right, the right to dignity and a decent life.” 

The social protection measures we have put in place to lift our people out of poverty have made a tremendous difference over the past thirty years. However much more still needs to be done.

The social protection measures we have put in place go far beyond the provision of grants for the elderly, children, people with disabilities and military veterans. It goes beyond the work of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, which provides income support for unemployed workers, or the Compensation Fund, which supports those involved in workplace accidents. 

Our social protection measures include spending up to 60 percent of the country’s budget on a significant social wage, expended on health care services, free water and electricity for the indigent, fee-free schools, public housing, school nutrition, early childhood development and expanded financial support for students. 

These measures have contributed significantly to fulfilling the most basic human right of all, namely the right to dignity. 

Certainly we know that social protection is no substitute for decent work. It is our role as government, working in partnership with business, labour and civil society to create an enabling environment for more jobs and opportunities to be created, allowing our people to fulfil their potential and improve their lives. 

We also know that our progress continues to be hindered by delays and lack of diligence on the part of government entities in fulfilling their constitutional obligations. 

We continue to be plagued by poor service delivery, especially in our municipalities. Corruption deprives citizens of the fulfilment of their rights. 

Whilst we are rightfully proud of how far our constitutional, rights-based order has come, we know that much still has to be done to fulfil the promise of the full enjoyment of the basic human rights of all our people. 

The creation of employment for our people and promoting the rights that are enshrined in our Constitution are necessary to improve lives and lift millions out of poverty and despair. 

We are duty-bound, not just as government but as all who have a stake in the future progress and prosperity of this great country, to work harder, sparing neither strength nor courage to fulfil the basic human rights of our people. 

The South Africa of today is a vastly different place to what it was thirty years ago. 

The fundamental freedoms that were denied to so many, including the heroes who lost their lives at Sharpeville, are enjoyed by South Africans today. 

We have expanded access to basic services and education, improved our nation’s health outcomes, and provided opportunities where there once were none. 

All this progress has been anchored in our deep and abiding commitment to the protection and advancement of human rights as espoused in our Constitution. 

This Constitution, this birth certificate of a new nation, will continue to be our lodestar as we work even harder. 

Our people expect no less, and our people deserve no less. 

As we look ahead, we need to determine what steps must be taken to give greater meaning to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 

We need to continue to contribute towards building a culture of human rights globally, which is our moral obligation as a country emerging from such a bitter past. 

I wish this Conference all the best in its deliberations. 

It is our expectation that it will come up with tangible resolutions that will further foster respect for and promotion of our hard-won human rights. 

I thank you.

The President will on Tuesday, 19 March 2024 officially attend to the call by the National Assembly to respond to Questions for Oral Reply. 

The President’s appearance in the National Assembly will complete the Fourth Term Parliamentary Programme cycle.

This is in accordance with the President’s obligation in terms of the Rules of the National Assembly. The President will reflect on questions ranging from the land reform programme in the agricultural sector, lifestyle audits with Members of the Executive and the Presidential Employment Stimulus amongst some of the questions. 

The President looks forward to engaging with the National Assembly on these critical issues, reaffirming the government's commitment to addressing challenges and fostering progress for all citizens.

 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday,19 March 2024, officially open and address the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa in Cape Town. 

The Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa(SIDSSA) is taking place between 17 and 19 March 2024 in Century City where key stakeholders, experts and decision-makers will explore partnerships between the public and private sectors  as well as  pivot infrastructure investment opportunities in South Africa. 

Hosted by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in its the third iteration, the symposium is intended to shape the conversations about regulatory and policy reforms among them  innovative funding models for infrastructure development. 

The Keynote address at the Symposium will be delivered by H.E President Cyril Ramaphosa on 19 March 2024 and H.E Deputy President Paul Mashatile will deliver an address at the stakeholder dinner on 18 March 2024. Various Ministers and Deputy Ministers will anchor various panel discussions and technical discussions throughout the Symposium.

SIDSSA 2024 will showcase the following outcomes: 
1. Launch of the construction book: a repository of infrastructure projects going into procurement/construction in the 2024/2025 financial year
2. Leaders forum: A gathering of South African Ministers with 22 participating Ministers from the African continent
3. Top 12 Infrastructure project priorities: These projects will receive project preparation funding from Infrastructure South Africa
4. Signing of MOU’s with important partners and stakeholders 

The Symposium will also provide the following updates:
1. Update on the gazetted Strategic Integrated Projects 
2. Update on the projects already receiving project preparation support
3. Infrastructure Fund Project Pipeline

President Ramaphosa will open and address the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium as follows: 

Date: Tuesday, 19 March 2024
Time: 09:00 
Venue: Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town

Media interested in covering the Symposium can register their details on: https://sidssa.org.za/register-your-interest/

SIDSSA Media enquiries: Ms Tsakani Mabale - TsakaniMa@infrastructureSA.org 

 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director MEC Duma
Your Majesty, King MisuZulu ka Zwelithini,
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Ms Nomusa Dube-Ncube,    
Ministers , Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament,
MECs and members of the Provincial Legislature, 
Cllr Buthelezi, Mayor of Zululand District Municipality,
Inkosi R Shinga, Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional and Koi-San Leaders,
Amakhosi onke akhona kanye nezinduna,
Religious leaders,
Counsellors,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Hlanga lomhlabathi, kuyinjabulo enkulu kimi ukuba ngithole ithuba lokuzohlanganyela nesizwe sakho kanye nani nonke nina beSilo, sizobungaza, sihloniphe iSilo esesakhothama, inkosi uDinuzulu ka Cetshwayo, kaMpande ka Senzangakhona. 

Your Majesty, the honour is even greater in that as we commemorate and celebrate the life of King Dinuzulu, we are also celebrating 30 years of democracy and freedom in South Africa. 

It is a freedom that many including iSilo uDinuzulu fought for and greatly sacrificed for.

We are here to pay homage to Inkosi Yamakhosi, a visionary and a freedom fighter, who despite the yoke of oppression and bondage inflicted on him and his people, never wavered.

Like many before him and elsewhere who led their people in fighting against the colonial invaders, his fight was not only for one group of people, in one area. 

It was a collective struggle for freedom for all the oppressed people of South Africa, even though his battle theatre was here in KwaZulu.

iSilo uDinuzulu sazinikela ukuzabalazela inkululeko yawo wonke umuntu ompisholo eniNgizimu Afrika. 

Since the colonisers first arrived on our soil, our forebearers, the Khoi, the San, the amaXhosa, the amaZulu, AbeSotho, Batswana, BaVenda, BaShangane, ba Dzonga, BaPedi, the Xhu and the Khwe, Ama Swati all took up arms in defence of our sovereignty, in defence of the land, and in defence of our people.

Long before the founding of the African National Congress in 1912, it was traditional and indigenous leaders at the forefront of the resistance against colonialism.

In commemorating King Dinuzulu, we also remember heroes like the Khoi leader, Autshumayo, Maqoma and Hintsa from the House of Tshiwo, Siqungati and Gecelo from the Aba-Thembu, iSilo uCetshwayo, iNkosi uBhambata kaMancinza balapha KwaZulu, Mampuru and Sekhukhune from Aba-Pedi, Makhado and Tshivhase from Ama-Venda, and many others who were in the forefront of the wars of resistance. 

Traditional leaders like Dalindyebo Ngangelizwe of Aba-Thembu and Indlovukazi of the Ama-Swati, Labotsibeni Gwamile, each paid a large number of cattle to enrol their respective people into the ANC. 

iSilo uDinuzulu was also amongst abaholi bendabuko ababa nesandla neqhaza elikhulu ekusekweni kwenhlangano kaKhongolose. 

In 1912 he became a Honourary Life President of the then South African Native National Congress, the forerunner to the African National Congress – a prestigious position that he still holds in the spiritual realm. 

Kuze kube yinamhlanje, iSilo uDinuzulu ka Cetshwayo, sisahlonishwa ngesihlalo sokuba uMongameli kaKhongolose kuze kube ungunaphakade. 

King Dinuzulu was born in 1868, near the present-day town of eMpangeni, to his mother Nomvimbi oKaMsweli of the Mzimela, and his father the then Prince Cetshwayo ka Mpande.

Your Majesty, nina beSilo, to the short-sighted colonial eye, King Dinuzulu, was born an uneducated rural youth. And yet he was gifted with wisdom beyond our imagination by uMvelinqangi and the ancestors. 

Everything that we aspired to be as a people and a nation was personified in King Dinuzulu. 

He shepherded his people with wisdom and distinction. Wakhombisa obukhulu ubuhlakani nobuqhawe ekuholeni isizwe sakhe. 

He became king at the tender age of 16 years in 1884, following the passing of his father, King Cetshwayo in the same year. 

Ukukhothama kweNkosi uCetshwayo, kwaliqeda ithuba lokujabulela ukukhula abe yibhungu enze izinto ezazenziwa amabhungu. Ijoka lokuhola isizwe esasesibhekene nengcindezelo lahlala emahlombe akhe esemncane. He could not enjoy his youth like other young people. 

He summarised the weight of his struggles, when he said “My sole crime is that I am a son of Cetshwayo ... It beset me when I was a child and my father was taken by the white people, and it is still besetting me. I could not bury Cetshwayo, my father; he died while I was being chased … I did not bury my mother, OkaMsweli; she had died while I had been a prisoner … Nkosi, what is grievous is to be killed and yet alive.”

This level of sacrifice from a life so young would later become the hallmark of our struggle for freedom. Scores of young people, as epitomised by the generation of 1976, took a stand against the oppressive apartheid regime. Others joined the armed struggle. 

His Kingship’s journey was to have many ups and downs. 

The years between 1879 and 1887 were marked by intense colonial land grabs in Zululand.

The British colonial government refused to recognise him. 

He was also met with resistance from the 13 kinglets appointed by the colonial government to rule over Zululand while King Cetshwayo was in prison.

And yet, King Dinuzulu symbolised the new dawn that was beckoning for his kingdom. 

He resisted the colonial incursion into the lands of his ancestors, fighting many wars against internal factions and the colonial garrisons.

His efforts to restore the spirit of the rule of the House of Shaka landed him in prison, first in Pietermaritzburg, and then on the island of St Helena between 1888 and 1898. 

While in prison iSilo uDinuzulu could not be broken by his captors. 

Ijele alizange lisibulale siphila iSilo, okwenzeka, ukuthi sazalwa kabusha ejele, sazicija sizilungiselela ukuqhubeka nokulwela inkululeko yabantu abampisholo. 

Prison steeled King Dinuzulu’s resolve and deepened his warrior spirit.

He knew too well that beyond the prison walls, the world was rapidly changing. Those out to destroy his Kingdom and displace his people from their own land were continuing with their efforts.

He committed to the Christian faith and became a prayer warrior in the process.

King Dinuzulu embraced education, something that would go on to have a big impact on the Zulu Royal Household. His children, including Princess Magogo and her brother King Solomon, were all sent to school. 

He became deeply involved in the arts. 

Earlier in his life he had been a prolific composer of Amahubo esiZulu. On St Helena he played the piano and the organ, and developed a love for church hymns that he sang in isiZulu and English. 

This love for music led to the spread of choral music and other transitional styles like isicathamiya, maskandi and others which are unique to the Zulu Kingdom.

Hlanga lomhlabathi, nina beSilo. 

Over 30 years of our democracy and freedom. we have been working to defeat the legacies of colonialism and apartheid, and to break intergenerational poverty by expanding access to quality education. 

In the 1950s and 1960s, only 10 per cent of black South Africans completed 12 years of education. That number today is more than 60 per cent.

In South Africa today, access to quality education is breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty, infusing young people with academic knowledge, and growing the future citizens and leaders of South Africa. 

The pro-poor policies of this government, led by the African National Congress, continue to support learners along their education journey. 

This includes millions of learners getting a nutritious meal at school each day to support their development, Early Childhood Development, no-fee schools, free school transport and child care grants.

King Dinuzulu would be proud of us.

The arts that King Dinuzulu was exposed to in prison are available in our schools:  musical instruments, singing, drama, and others.

Yize usemuningi umsebenzi okumele siqhubeke nawo kodwa iSilo uDinuzulu singaziqhenya kakhulu ngokiningi esikwenzile ngokuthuthukisa izinga lemfundo kubantu abampisholo, kanye nokuthuthukisa izinga lezimpilo zabantu bakithi abampisholo kwiNingizimu Afrika yonkana. 

Sizwe sikaPhunga noMageba

On this auspicious occasion, we cannot but reflect on the qualities of leadership embodied by King Dinuzulu. 

The King did not fight battles of greed and unchecked power for selfish gain. 

He did not ascend to the throne to enrich himself and ignore the plight of his people.

Uma sithi sifuna intsha ihole, asithi kumele ijahe ubukhazikhazi bempilo, obifika ngokushesha. Sithi intsha mayihole kodwa igxile futhi ijule ekusebenzeleni umphakathi, izikhathaze ngokuthi izidingo zomphakathi zethulwe ngendlela efanele. Yiso lesi isibonelo esisicosha kwiSilo uDinuzulu. 

His wars were all wars for peace and restoration of the dignity of the Zulu Kingdom and its people. 

He supported the Bhambatha Rebellion, led by Bhambatha ka Mancinza in 1906, which earned him another prison sentence.

King Dinuzulu did not see the struggle for the freedom of the Zulu nation as separate from the struggle for freedom of all South Africans. 

In his political liberation journey, he embraced all those who were like-minded, and collaborated with players from diverse backgrounds became his signature. 

King Dinuzulu was a non-racialist in his approach to life.

One of the King’s great friends was Harriette Colenso, the eldest daughter of the Bishop of Natal, John Colenso. 

When he was exiled to St Helena in the 1800s, he arrived with an entourage of 20. Amongst them were his two wives, his two uncles, including Shingana, a doctor, translator and advisers, and Harriette Colenso’s sister, Frances. 

King Dinuzulu forged relations with the Boers of the New Republic in Vryheid. It was as a result of this relationship that when the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, General Louis Botha released King Dinuzulu from prison in Newcastle. 

He also forged relationships with some Indian community leaders around Durban. When the King passed away in Uitkyk on the 18th of October 1913, one of the people at his bedside was the young Mahatma Gandhi. 

Ubumbano lwezizwe ngezizwe ezahlukene lwalubaluleke kakhulu kwiSilo uDinuzulu. Kumele nathi sonke abaholi bezikhunga nezigaba ezehlukene sizibophele kumanyano lwezizwe zonke zaseNingizimu Afrika ukuze sakhe izwe elinentuthuko noxolo. 

As the lifelong President of the ANC, King Dinuzulu taught us well. We will never abandon our commitment to the principles of non-racialism and in realising a South Africa that is truly non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and free.

King Dinuzulu was a man of great humility, despite his stature.

Despite being a King, he surrounded himself with wise counsel. 

He was close friends with Dr John Langalibalele Dube, Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme, his son in law, Walter Rubusana, as well as with other liberation struggle luminaries. They collaborated to defend our sovereignty and dignity.

Likhulu iqhaza elabanjwa aMakhosi endabuko emzabalazweni wenkululeko yaseNingizimu Afrika, ngeke silikhohlwe leloqhaza. Yingakho sisebenze kakhulu futhi sisaqhubeka ukuqinisekisa ukuthi uhulumeni uyaqhubeka nobhekela izidingo nokuphepha kwaMakhosi.

It was this cooperation between traditional leaders and the educated ones – izifundiswa – which led to the formation of the African National Congress in Bloemfontein in January 1912.

The King subjected himself to the collective leadership of the time. 

He led and accepted being led for the benefit of his people. 

Zulu kaMalandela, 

Today, society is burdened by leaders who refuse to be led. 

They use their past and current leadership roles to sow division, fear and hate. 

They threaten violence and mayhem against the democratic state and its laws. 

Let me be clear, as I have been. This we will not allow. 

We will follow in the footsteps of King Dinuzulu and forge ahead with unifying our nation. 

We must and we will resist and defeat the merchants of destruction that are in our midst, just as King Dinuzulu did.

Labo abasabisa ngoku phehla udweshu emphakathini nasembusweni wentando yeningi sizobhekana nabo ngqo! Ngiyabaxwayisa, ngithi sinibhekile, sizonibopha, ngeke sivume ukuchitheka kwegazi, selichitheke kakhulu igazi kulelizwe. Ngakhoke iNingizimu Afrika ayinayo indawo yophakimpi. 

Nina BeSilo,

On this the 110th anniversary commemoration of one of our greatest forebearers, we must ensure that the story of this son of the African soil is not lost in the annals of history, but that it continues to be told by generations to come. 

As government departments, provinces and municipalities, we continue to embrace our cultural heritage and liberation history. 

Liberation tourism has a key role to play in developing the economy of the province and the country as a whole. We call on the private sector to be part of this endeavour aimed at preserving the story of our liberation. 

It is important that these events and activities be translated into sustainable socio-economic endeavours aimed at job creation in the related sectors.

It will also be important that our academics and intellectuals are engaged in the documentation of our history.

For us to know where we are going, we have to know where we come from as a people. Ukuze sazi ukuthi siyaphi kubalulekile sazi ukuthi sivelaphi. 

With the foundation laid by forebearers such as King Dinuzulu, we shall overcome poverty, inequality, unemployment and underdevelopment. 

We are mindful that the struggle for liberation was waged by those who were robbed of enjoying their own youth, as was the case with Inkosi uDinuzulu. 

We shall not fail to make them proud. We shall ensure that their struggle and sacrifice was not in vain. We shall ensure that we leave no-one behind.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday, 18 March 2024, address the National Conference on the State of Human Rights Conference marking the 30th anniversary of constitutional democracy and human rights in South Africa.

The conference is hosted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on 18-20 March 2024 at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg under the theme “Three Decades of Respect for and Promotion of Human Rights”.

The conference is premised on the core mandate of the department which is to uphold and administer the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, deepening constitutional democracy and promoting the values of human dignity, equality and the advancement of human rights and freedom.

This year marks three decades since the major shift from government sanctioned oppression, colonialism, slavery, racism and sexism and other forms of human violations to a democratic State committed to build a culture of human rights and promotion of human rights in South Africa.

It also marks 30 years of Constitutional Democracy, which is premised on the mission of ensuring transformation that entails improved quality of life for all citizens and equal opportunities for all.

The objectives of the conference include an opportunity to unpack the legal administratives, operational and financial hurdles that have impacted the progress towards the realisation of human rights and to propose recommendations to address the identified gaps and challenges in efforts to advancing human rights.

The President will attend as follows:

Date: Monday, 18 March 2024
Time: 09h00
Venue: Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre, Boksburg, Gauteng Province

Media accreditation enquiries should be directed to Mr Victor Phala (Department of Justice and Constitutional Development) on 084 888 5162/VPhala@justice.gov.za

 

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria