Presidential Spokesperson media briefing on 01 March 2023

PRESIDENT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME
 
TELEPHONIC CALL WITH BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT
This afternoon, President Cyril Ramaphosa will be on a telephone call with the 39th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, His Excellency Mr Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

President Lula da Silva was officially sworn in as the current President of Brazil in early January this year, having served in this capacity even previously as Brazil’s 35th President.

The call and discussions cements the long standing friendship and cooperation between the two states.
 
South Africa and Brazil share a deep strategic partnership, at bilateral, inter-regional and multilateral levels in pursuit of the advancement of the development agenda of the South.

President Ramaphosa looks forward to hosting President Lula da Silva later this year, during the BRICS, wherein South Africa will assume Chairship of the group.  
 

ORAL REPLIES IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The President is scheduled to provide oral replies to questions in the National Assembly in Cape Town on Thursday, 09 March, for the first term of 2023.
 
Among the key issues that the President is expected to respond to, he will outline South Africa’s strategic areas of focus in its role as 2023 BRICS Chair. South Africa will be hosting the BRICS Summit later this year. The President is also expected to address matters concerning the fight against crime, the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) and the Expropriation Bill.
 

NELSON MANDELA YOUTH DIALOGUE
On Friday, 10 March 2023, the President will be part of Nelson Mandela Youth Dialogue in Gqeberha where the announcement of fellowship for outstanding Young African Leaders will be made.
 
The President’s appointment of the NYDA Board of Directors coincided with the state visit to West Africa, where he requested the NYDA to develop a concept for a Pan-African Youth Dialogue called the Nelson Mandela Youth Dialogue.
 
The event is as a result of the development of the concept with an intended outcome of a program that will benefit African youth in line with South Africa’s foreign policy.
 

PRESIDENTIAL WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY
On Tuesday, 14 March, the President will chair the Presidential Working Group on Disability at the Union Buildings. This engagement underscores government's commitment towards the full empowerment of people with disabilities by identifying interventions that will change the lives of people living with disabilities for better.
 

CREDENTIALS
The President will also receive Letters of Credence from Foreign Heads of Mission who have arrived in South Africa to serve in diplomatic missions in the country.
The ceremony will take place on Tuesday afternoon, 14 March 2023.
 
 
Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - +27 82 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria