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

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

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

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

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

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

Members of the media are invited as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Strategy aims to stop corruption before it occurs.

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

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

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

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

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

Eight of these legislative reforms are now before Parliament. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I thank you.

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

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

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

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

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

The timing of this launch is very opportune.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I thank you.

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

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

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

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

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

The Summit will commence at 10h00 (SAST).

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

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

Good Morning,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An early renewal can help to strengthen trade and investment. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other parts of manufacturing have also seen success under AGOA. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Forum is about making sure that policy promotes work. 

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

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

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

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

We need many more such companies. 

Next I want to issue an invitation. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

I thank you.

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

Fellow South Africans, 

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

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

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

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

You have united the South African people.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was as much about the power of transformation. 

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

It was a monumental, historic and deeply symbolic occasion.

This win is also monumental.

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

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

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

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

It has been a long journey to get here. 

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

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

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

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

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

Stronger, together. 

I thank you.

Fellow South Africans,
 
On Saturday night, South Africans watched with pride and joy as our national rugby team, the Springboks, became the world champions for the fourth time since the advent of democracy in our country.
 
As we all watched their progress towards the championship, we marvelled at their resilience and determination to overcome some of the best teams in the rugby world.
 
At moments when their cause seemed lost, they fought back and they emerged victorious. 

This victory rightfully calls for a moment of national recognition and celebration of our rugby players and their achievements.
 
We should also applaud our cricket team, the Proteas, who have been performing well in the Cricket World Cup. I spoke to the Proteas captain, Temba Bavuma, and encouraged them to remain focused and told him that the entire nation supports and stands behind them. I also told him that I intend to travel to Mumbai in India to watch them play in the finals. 
 
As we confront the many severe challenges in our country, we draw hope and encouragement from the determination and the performance the Springboks and the Proteas have displayed.
 
The victory by the Springboks and the performance of the Proteas follows the victory of Banyana Banyana in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and their progress to the knockout stages of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

Our spirits were similarly lifted by the achievements of our national squad at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin in June.

The determination and resilience of our teams have given credence to Madiba’s words that sports unites the nation. 

In their achievements, they have revealed much about the unity of the people of the country they represent.
 
As a people, we have shown before what is possible when we are united, when we are determined, when we try hard and when we refuse to give up. 

Together, we overcame apartheid, ended centuries of conflict and gave birth to a thriving democracy.

Together, we confronted and overcame the deadliest global pandemic in over a century. 
 
We are indeed stronger together.
 
As we reflect on these great achievements on the sporting field, we also need to reflect on our economic recovery and the further steps that we are taking to revive economic growth and improve the lives of our people.
 
As the latest census figures show, we have achieved great feats of human development since the beginning of democracy. 
 
Millions of South Africans have been raised out of poverty and now have housing and access to electricity, water, sanitation and other basic needs. Access to health care and education have been greatly expanded. 

Much more still needs to be done to make more progress.
 
Even over the last 10 years, we have been able to make significant strides.
 
For example, the percentage of households in formal dwellings rose from 78 percent in 2011 to 89 percent in 2022.
 
This is evidence of concrete progress, and should give us encouragement as we confront the challenges of the present.
 
This month, we mark three years since we embarked on the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, which outlined the actions that we would take to rebuild our economy and create jobs in the wake of the pandemic. 

This recovery plan was accepted by many stakeholders in our country and is underpinned by our National Development Plan.
 
The last three years have been extremely challenging. 
 
We are emerging from more than a decade of stagnant economic growth, compounded by the impact of the pandemic. 
 
We are working to reverse the legacy of the past era of corruption and mismanagement of our state-owned enterprises, which has left us with a persistent energy crisis and an inefficient ports and rail network.
 
And we are contending with a range of global and domestic pressures which have set back our economic recovery.
 
And yet, there are clear signs that our efforts are showing results.
 
- Electricity supply is improving. 
- Jobs are being created. 
- Houses, roads, bridges and dams are under construction. 
- Law enforcement agencies are cracking down on criminal syndicates. 
- The proceeds of state capture are being recovered.
 
These are reasons for hope.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, we put in place decisive public health interventions that saved many lives. 

To deal with negative economic effects of the pandemic, which resulted in the loss of more than 2 million jobs, we put in place an unprecedented stimulus package that lessened the damage to the economy.
 
Since then, in the midst of severe load shedding and increased global volatility, the economy has continued growing, albeit too slowly. The economy has shown a significant degree of resilience and is now larger than it was before the pandemic.
 
Over the last two years, the number of people with jobs has increased by two million, bringing the level of employment close to its pre-pandemic level.
 
A key element of the reconstruction and recovery plan was to expand social protection and public employment.
 
The special SRD Grant known as the R350 grant, which we introduced in 2020, has kept millions of people out of poverty, and continues to provide much-needed support for those who are unemployed.
 
The Presidential Employment Stimulus has created over 1.2 million opportunities since its establishment, representing the largest expansion of public employment in South Africa’s history.
 
Over 4 million young people have registered on the SAYouth online platform, and more than 1 million of these have been able to access opportunities for learning and earning.
 
Every one of those jobs created is a reason for hope. Every person who no longer lives in poverty is a reason for hope.

Another commitment we made in the Reconstruction and Recovery Plan was to fix South Africa’s infrastructure through renewed investment in maintenance and construction of new projects.
 
Several significant infrastructure projects are underway. These projects are both contributing to greater economic activity and jobs, and providing much-needed infrastructure for the growth of our economy and the needs of our people.
 
These infrastructure projects range from social housing, road construction, rural bridges, and dam constructions. 

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has to date restored operations on 26 out of 40 commuter rail corridors. To continue with the restoration of our commuter rail corridors, R50 billion will be spent over the next three years to modernise our passenger rail network.

As part of our infrastructure build we are undertaking significant water infrastructure projects. These include Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, 
 
The Mzimvubu water project in the Eastern Cape will involve an investment of R17 billion.
 
Around the country, water treatment works are being upgraded, pumping stations are being repaired, and pipes are being laid to get water to under-serviced areas.
 
We are making progress towards ending load shedding. 

Our greatest priority has been to reduce the severity and frequency of load shedding to achieve energy security.
 
Over the last few months, there has been a measurable decline in the severity of load shedding. 
 
The Energy Action Plan that I announced in July last year is showing positive results, giving us greater confidence that we will bring load shedding to an end. 
 
Regulatory reforms we have initiated have enabled a massive increase in private investment in electricity generation, with over 12 000 MW of confirmed projects in development. 
 
Following the introduction of tax incentives and financing mechanisms, the amount of installed rooftop solar has more than doubled to over 4 500 MW in the last year.
 
The steady progress we are making in resolving the energy crisis is a reason for hope.

We are making progress in restoring our logistics system to world-class standards, so that we can export South African goods to global markets.
 
The National Logistics Crisis Committee is overseeing a range of interventions to stabilise and improve the performance of the logistics system in the short term, in addition to ongoing reform to improve its efficiency and competitiveness in the long term. 
 
The Transnet board has developed a turnaround plan which aims to increase volumes transported on our network.
 
Progress is also being made with the introduction of private sector participation in container terminals.
 
I want to make it clear that South Africa’s port, rail and electricity infrastructure are strategic national assets, and that they will remain in public ownership.
 
However, introducing competition in operations – both in electricity and in logistics – will create greater efficiency and reduce prices in the long term, just as the introduction of competition in the telecommunications sector has led to greater choice and enormous benefits for consumers.
 
We are also making progress in tackling crime and corruption.

The South African Police Service has established 20 Economic Infrastructure Task Teams throughout the country to protect critical infrastructure and tackle the “construction mafia.” We are seeing results in arrests for illegal mining, cash-in-transit hikes, cable theft, drug smuggling and similar crimes. 

Increasing the number of police men and women will further strengthen our capacity to curb acts of criminality. 

I have also extended the employment of 880 members of the SANDF to support the police in combating criminal activity that targets critical economic infrastructure.

The police have arrested several people for extortion at construction sites and made over 3,000 arrests for illegal mining.
 
Through the intensive efforts of our law enforcement agencies, dozens of illegal mines, unregulated coal yards and unregistered second hand dealers have been shut down.

The Economic Infrastructure Task Teams have confiscated significant quantities of copper cable, rail tracks, coal and other metals.

Every arrest made and every length of cable recovered is a reason for hope.

We are making progress in the fight against corruption, including bringing those responsible for state capture to justice.
 
Over the last four years, the NPA Investigating Directorate has taken 34 state capture and corruption cases to court, involving 205 accused persons.
 
Freezing orders of R14 billion have now been granted to the Asset Forfeiture Unit for state capture related cases. Around R5.4 billion has to date been recovered and returned to the state.
 
As recommended by the State Capture Commission, we are putting in place laws, institutions and practices that reduce the potential for corruption of any sort and on any scale.
 
We are continuing to build meaningful compacts with key stakeholders in a number of areas. 

To support our efforts of enhancing collaboration, we have established a partnership with business to work together in four critical areas – energy, logistics, crime and corruption, and employment. 
 
We continue to collaborate with organised labour and civil society to ensure a whole-of-society approach to addressing the most important challenges our country faces.
 
All of this gives us hope that we are turning the tide on the many challenges that we face.

Our economic challenges are severe.

 Despite the progress we are making, poverty, inequality and unemployment remain high. 

We continue to face domestic and global pressures, and our economy is growing too slowly for us to overcome the challenges facing our country.
 
Load shedding has constrained economic growth. The underperformance of the ports and rail network is affecting our ability to get exports to market.
 
Government spending has exceeded revenue since the 2008 global financial crisis, without a commensurate increase in economic growth.
 
As the Minister of Finance has noted, for every Rand that Government collects in revenue, 18 cents go towards servicing our national debt. 
 
This means that we are now paying more in interest on our national debt than we are budgeting for the police force. 
 
Ultimately, more rapid and inclusive growth is the only solution to unemployment, poverty and inequality. Growth is also necessary for the sustainability of public finances. 
 
Building on the progress we have already made, Government will accelerate the implementation of economic reforms over the next six months. 
 
To address the weaknesses in many of our municipalities, we are undertaking interventions in local government.
 
As national Government, we are driving a number of interventions to support a rapid turn-around in local government services such as water and sanitation, electricity, roads and waste collection. 
 
These interventions are accelerating service delivery where basic services have collapsed.
 
While addressing the immediate problems, we are introducing necessary institutional reforms and professionalisation in the appointment of senior municipal officials.
 
The achievement of sustained and inclusive growth requires a stable macroeconomic environment. 
 
A sustainable fiscal trajectory is a precondition for growth.
 
We therefore remain absolutely committed to stabilising our levels of debt and adopting a responsible fiscal policy.
 
The Minister of Finance will set out Government’s plans to achieve this trajectory in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday.
 
Spending on health, education, policing, and other essential services will be protected as far as possible.
 
As we move to target spending on programmes that are working for the poor, we need to acknowledge that our social grants, including the SRD Grant, as well as our public employment programmes, are vital in supporting those who are vulnerable. 

These programmes have not only reduced poverty, but have enabled recipients to search for jobs and to engage in other economic activity to support their livelihoods. 

The Minister of Finance will provide more details of these and other spending priorities when he presents the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday.

Today marks the start of the 2023 National Senior Certificate exams for close on one million learners. 
 
Over the next weeks, our learners will prove the value of hard work, dedication and the investment that we have made as a nation in the education of our young people.
 
We wish them the very best, confident that they will make the country proud.
 
There are many reasons for hope. We have made significant progress in reforming our economy to make it more inclusive and to achieve a higher rate of growth.
 
We are on track to resolve the most important constraints on economic growth by stabilising our energy supply and fixing our logistics network.
 
The reforms underway will propel economic growth in South Africa in the years to come, resulting in a stable supply of electricity, a working railway, and more jobs for all South Africans.
 
On our way to rebuilding our economy there are a number of strengths that stand us in good stead. We have a strong and sophisticated financial sector, a strong and effective civil society, a functional democracy, an independent Judiciary, a stable macroeconomic framework underpinned by a capable National Treasury and an independent Reserve Bank.
 
We have collectively embarked on a journey of economic reform which will set our country on a path to higher growth and more jobs. The concerted efforts of all South Africans are starting to show results in many areas.
 
If we take a short term view of our current challenges, we may not see the transformation that is underway or the benefits that these reforms will have for our country. 
 
I am confident that through the actions we are taking now, we will overcome the challenges we face and build a society that works for all of its people.
 
We have much more to do. But like the Springboks, we have the determination and commitment to overcome any challenge.
 
Our victorious Springboks will return home tomorrow. 

We will welcome them with great joy and jubilation. They will conduct a victory tour around the country and I will receive them at the Union Buildings later this week. 

I want us to now rally behind the Proteas in the same way as we have given our support to the Springboks. 

I want us all to embark on a period of celebration culminating in a celebratory holiday after our matriculants have finished their exams and the Proteas have done the country proud at the Cricket World Cup. 

I know that many of us want us to have a holiday now to celebrate. But we should all agree that we should give our matriculants time to focus on their exams and celebrate afterwards. 

In celebration of the Springboks’ momentous achievement and the achievements of all our other sports men and women – and as a tribute to the resolve of our united nation – I am declaring Friday the 15th of December 2023 as a public holiday.
 
We declare this to be a day of hope, a day of celebration and unity.

Our sports men and women have shown us what is possible.

We will succeed and we will ensure that we leave no-one behind.
 
I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 07 November 2023, attend the Procter and Gamble (P&G) South Africa Investment Launch and Commissioning of Premium care products in Kempton Park, Johannesburg as part of South Africa’s investment drive.

In 2018, the President initiated the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) with the ambitious goal of attracting R1.2 trillion in investments over five years.

Over the years, P&G has been a valuable partner to the South African government through the SAIC, continually announcing new investments. 

The cumulative P&G investment announcements in the country has amounted to R900 million, with a commitment to unveil more investments in collaboration with the government.

P&G’s economic footprint has seen the creation of over 4 000 direct and indirect jobs within its value chain and these investments will create hundreds more jobs.

The event will highlight the impact of attracting Foreign Direct Investment into the country as a pillar to achieving the goals of the NDP 2030 and highlight the importance of public-private partnerships and fostering of a stronger US- South Africa relations.

NOTE TO MEDIA: A media pool arrangement is in place for the event. The event will be live streamed on all PresidencyZA digital platforms with the  programme scheduled to commence from 14h00.


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

Issued by: The Presidency 
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, 30 October 2023, address the Nation.

eNCA will provide a feed to all media and PresidencyZA will live stream the proceedings.
 
Date: Monday, 30 October 2023
Time: 20h00

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria