President of Business Unity South Africa, Prof Bonang Mohale, 
Vice-President of BUSA, Mr Adrian Gore, 
CEO of BUSA, Mr Cas Coovadia, 
Directors of BUSA, 
Representatives of business and labour, 
Guests, 
Colleagues and friends, 

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for this opportunity to engage once again with the leadership and membership of Business Unity South Africa.

As government, we always appreciate the direct, considered and constructive approach that BUSA takes in responding to the challenges facing our country.

I will seek in my contribution today to be just as direct, considered and constructive.

Our country is facing a crisis of unemployment and poverty.

We know the reasons for this, including the devastating legacy of our apartheid past, state capture and corruption, policy missteps and the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

We know what we have to do.

We have to revitalise growth, create jobs, enable businesses of all sizes to flourish, fix our economic and social infrastructure, tackle corruption and crime, provide social support to the vulnerable, and improve governance throughout the country.

We are also clear that we need to work together – as business and government, as social partners and as a society – to undertake these vital tasks.

It is not enough for us each to play our part. 

We need to act in concert, sharing resources, expertise and capabilities.

It is not enough to have a common vision.

We need a common plan, with a clear set actions that will be undertaken.

As we undertake the far-reaching reforms necessary to fundamentally transform our economy and society, there are several immediate issues on which we must focus attention and resources right now.

As business and government, we are in broad agreement on what those issue are.

We need to:

Firstly, stabilise the country’s energy supply.

Secondly, ensure an effective and sustainable supply of water.

Thirdly, fix our rail and port infrastructure to realise the full export potential of our economy.

Fourthly, unlock investment in infrastructure.

Fifthly, combat crime and corruption, and,

Finally, I would add, improve the functioning of municipalities.

The partnership we forged in response to COVID-19 shows what remarkable heights can be achieved through collaboration between government, business and other social partners. 

Working together, we managed to administer 37 million COVID vaccines doses, delivering some 260,000 doses a day at peak, all free at the point of service. 

We established the Solidarity Fund, which raised R3.4 billion from more than 300,000 individuals and 3,000 companies and foundations.

We repurposed some of our industrial capabilities to produce ventilators, hand sanitisers, medical-grade face masks, therapeutic drugs, anaesthetics and vaccines.

Now we need to adapt the approaches that we used to such great effect during COVID to tackle other critical challenges facing the country.

In the area of energy, we are already working together on aspects of the actions that I announced in July to stabilise our electricity supply and end load shedding.

These actions aim to improve the performance of Eskom’s existing power stations, accelerate the procurement of new generation capacity, increase private investment in generation and enable businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar.

Since the announcement in July, additional generation units at Eskom have been returned to service, reducing the risk of load shedding.

The necessary amendments are being made to remove the licensing threshold for embedded generation.

Transmission and distribution lines in strategic transmission corridors have been excluded from the requirement to obtain environmental authorisation prior to commencement.

Local content requirements for renewable energy projects have been substantially eased.

Eskom is finalising agreements for its land lease programme, unlocking 1,800 MW of new generation capacity in the first phase.

Detailed work is underway to finalise a sustainable solution to Eskom’s debt by October 2022.

Over 500 MW of private renewable power generation projects have been registered to date, with a pipeline of over 6,000 MW of projects at various stages of development.

We are encouraged by BUSA’s view that we need to continue to work together, utilising all existing channels, to oversee the energy plan’s effective implementation. 

By resolving this persistent challenge, we can kickstart economic growth and create more avenues for employment.

More than that, we will fundamentally transform the country’s electricity architecture so that it is better suited for the dynamic economy of the future.

We are undertaking far-reaching reforms in the water sector to strengthen governance and increase investment in infrastructure to ensure a sustainable supply of quality water.

As a result of the turnaround plan for water use licenses supported by Operation Vulindlela, the backlog of water use license applications was cleared by the end of June 2022. 

The Department of Water and Sanitation is on track to meet its target of processing 80% of all applications within 30 days.

We have prioritised the establishment of a National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency to undertake the building, operation, financing and maintenance of national water resources assets

Following the revival of the Blue Drop, Green Drop and No Drop water quality monitoring system, the department is putting in place a range of measures to improve the quality of water services at municipal level.

The return of our rail and port operations to full capability is essential for the recovery and future growth of our economy.

We are addressing both policy and operational issues.

The Economic Regulation of Transport Bill, once finalised, will provide for open and non-discriminatory third-party access to the rail network and the establishment of a Transport Economic Regulator. 

In the interim, proposals are due from private operators for 16 slots made available by Transnet on the Durban-City Deep and Pretoria-East London lines.

Transnet has shortlisted 10 potential bidders for private sector participation in the Durban Container Terminal and a further four for the Ngqura Container Terminal in the Eastern Cape.

This is a major initiative that will enable private investment in, and management of, under-performing container terminals.

We are seeing improvements with respect to the security of our rail lines.

This includes cooperation between Transnet and the South African Police Service to secure the North Rail Corridor, which has led to a significant reduction in crime and derailments.

The reforms that are taking place in these network industries, together with the recent auction of high-demand spectrum, will contribute to a significant increase in infrastructure investment by the private sector, by SOEs and by government.

This year’s Budget outlined a 30 per cent increase in spending on public infrastructure. 

This represents an increase from R627 billion over the past three years to R812 billion over the next three years. 

However, there are several blockages to increased infrastructure spending, which we have been working hard to address.

Through Infrastructure South Africa, we have brought on board valuable technical expertise from the private sector to assist in the preparation of projects.

Through the Infrastructure Fund, we are seeking to pool resources from government, private investors, multilateral development banks and development finance institutions to fund infrastructure more effectively. 

This is an area that requires far closer and far more structured cooperation between government and business.

Our economy cannot grow and the circumstances of our people cannot improve in a situation of lawlessness and instability.

We need to work together, as we have done so effectively before, to tackle corruption and crime.

Since we came into office, we have undertaken decisive measures to end state capture and curb corruption.

A new National Director of Public Prosecutions was appointed in 2018 through a transparent public consultation process, bringing much needed stability to the NPA.

We established the Investigating Directorate in the NPA to work on high profile complex cases of corruption and fraud.

We established the SIU Special Tribunal, which has shown its value in recouping monies stolen from state coffers.

Working through the multidisciplinary Fusion Centre, entities like the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit are recovering the proceeds of economic crimes, and law enforcement entities are sharing information and supporting each other in investigating corruption.

The impact of this work is now being seen, with several arrests of suspects alleged to have been involved in state capture and other serious corruption.

Earlier this week, I announced appointments to the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, which will oversee government’s anti-corruption strategy and our implementation of the recommendations of the Zondo Commission. 

The Hawks recently reported progress in dealing with crimes that have a particularly detrimental impact on business, such as cash-in-transit heists, damage to essential infrastructure, pipeline fuel theft, copper cable theft and illegal mining. 

The South African Police Service has set up task teams to deal with acts of economic sabotage, including infrastructure vandalism and theft, illegal mining and construction site extortion. 

A number of these teams are operational at hot-spots and have recorded important successes.

This progress shows that we can – with the right resources, capabilities and partnerships – restore law and order throughout the country. 

I have said on a number of occasions that economic growth cannot be realised without strong and capable local government. 

Local government is the most important sphere of government for businesses and for the citizens of the country. 

Municipalities are responsible for the water, sanitation, electricity, roads and waste management that businesses and households require, as well as planning for integrated development.

The reality is that municipal administrations are in disarray. 

We have not succeeded in building stable well-functioning and financially sustainable administrations, and political interference in the administration has led to the loss of good managers and technical skills.

The new Local Municipal Systems Amendment Bill will go a long way to improve the functioning of municipalities, alongside the interventions of COGTA and the National Treasury to ensure the efficient management of local government budgets and the delivery of basic services.

We have introduced the District Development Model to provide for a more integrated and coordinated approach to local planning, local economic development and service provision.

We have had some successes in bringing the different spheres of government together through this model, but we need to find a more structured way for businesses to participate alongside communities and other stakeholders.

Colleagues and friends,

All these areas of work, all these interventions and undertakings, must be directed to the creation of employment.

While the employment figures for the first two quarters of the year are encouraging, and provide hope for a stronger recovery, they also demonstrate the scale of the challenge we face.

They provide a stark reminder that every avenue to create employment must be pursued, allowing businesses to grow, emerge and thrive, while also using the capabilities of the state to create opportunities.

A good example of what the state can do is the Presidential Employment Stimulus.

The largest youth employment intervention in our country’s history, the Presidential Employment Stimulus has reached close to a million participants in less than two years. 

It has offered opportunities for earning a livelihood and for skills development that would otherwise not have been possible, especially for youth lacking formal qualifications. 

I call on business to complement the efforts of government by employing the young people who have exited the programme with newly-acquired skills, take advantage of the Employment Tax Incentive and use the SAYouth.mobi platform to publicise opportunities that exist in your companies. 

At the same time as we undertake these and other efforts to develop skills and provide work experience to young people, we are pursuing measures to attract much-needed skills into the country.

With the support of Operation Vulindlela, the Revised Critical Skills List was published for the first time since 2014 to reflect current skills shortages in the economy.

Together with the Department of Home Affairs, the Operation Vulindlela team has been able to complete the comprehensive review of the work visa system, with detailed recommendations to attract skilled immigration and investment. 

These are areas where the involvement of business, which knows best the skills needs of our economy, is crucial.

We wholeheartedly share BUSA’s view that the time for implementation is now. 

On resolving our energy crisis. 

On implementing growth-enhancing measures and creating more jobs. 

On clearing bottlenecks to growth and obstacles to progress. 

On resolving urgent issues of safety and security, and on resolving service provision challenges that affect all businesses. 

To do so, we must not only agree on a mechanism for collaboration between government and business, but we must also finalise the ‘Framework for a Social Compact in South Africa’. 

The foundation of the social compact is a recommitment from all social partners to the accelerated implementation of the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan.

We share a common desire to see our economy grow and our people thrive. 

What we are seeking to do is transformational.

We are seeking to provide skills and opportunities to the millions of South Africans that have been relegated to the margins of the economy.

We are seeking to change the structure of our economy.

We want to change not only the patterns of ownership, control and benefit, but also what our economy produces and how efficiently it functions. 

As government and business we may not always agree, nor should we. 

But we have a shared responsibility to nurture cooperation and consensus so that we can realise the South Africa we all want. 

There are pressing tasks that we must undertake with immediate effect.

Let us start now. Let us get to work.

And let us leave no-one behind.

I thank you.

Ambassadors and High Commissioners,
Directors-General in the Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Good afternoon.
 
It is my great pleasure to welcome you as the incoming Heads of Mission to South Africa.

Since achieving democracy in 1994, South Africa has built strong and meaningful relationships with nations across the world.

Many of these relationships have their roots in the bonds of solidarity and friendship that were forged during the struggle against apartheid.

We remain grateful to all those countries, many of which are represented here today, that gave our leaders and fighters refuge, that provided material and moral support, and that mobilised for the isolation of the apartheid regime.

Just as we value your presence here, we are greatly encouraged by the value your respective governments place in maintaining and deepening relations with South Africa.
 
Three years ago, the world was confronted with an unprecedented global public health emergency.

As much as the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on health, livelihoods and national economies, it also brought about new forms of collaboration between countries and strengthened existing partnerships.
 
It also exposed some of the imbalances in global relations.
 
Many lower-income countries had to look on while wealthy nations hoarded most of the world’s COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Several African countries suffered from the imposition of arbitrary travel bans after new variants were detected in their countries.
 
From this pandemic, we have learned a number of lessons on how we engage with each other as countries and on the importance of mutual respect.
 
It is pleasing that all the continents of the world are represented here this afternoon since South Africa has always endeavoured to maintain friendly relations with all countries regardless of location, size or alignment.
 
We share a belief in the indivisible unity of humankind and in the centrality of international diplomacy as an instrument of progress, world peace and mutual prosperity.
 
With the pandemic in abeyance throughout much of the world, our most pressing priority is a swift and equitable economic recovery that leaves no-one behind.
 
Since 2020, South Africa has been implementing an Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to lift our economy out of a prolonged period of slow growth, to create jobs and to undertake far-reaching economic reform.
 
At the same time, we are implementing programmes to alleviate poverty and inequality, to advance gender equality and to contribute our fair share towards addressing climate change and its impact.
 
Like most developing economies around the world, the pandemic has set back our national effort to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
 
We are nonetheless forging ahead.
  
We are also pressing ahead with our ambitious investment drive to significantly increase the productive capacity of our economy.
  
We are working to clamp down on corruption and to restore the integrity and credibility of key public institutions.
 
Central to this effort is restoring good governance and improving the financial and operational performance of strategic state-owned enterprises.
 
We are making progress in stabilising public finances, improving financial controls at all levels of government and rooting out graft and mismanagement.
 
We have instituted a number of key policy reforms centred on the network industries, including energy, ports and rail, telecommunications and water infrastructure.
 
All of these are part of the broader effort to make South Africa a country in which it is easier to invest and to do business.
 
Our expectation of diplomacy in the post-COVID era is that it should deepen bilateral trade and investment between South Africa and the countries with which we have diplomatic ties.
 
This is no doubt an expectation your respective governments hold in turn.
  
We anticipate that the African Continental Free Trade Area will not only benefit countries on the continent, but will also create conditions for greater flows of trade and investment between Africa and the rest of the world.
 
We share a responsibility to strive to settle differences within and between countries peacefully.
  
South Africa promotes the centrality of multilateral institutions in managing global affairs and we will continue to urge respect for international law and agreements.
 
We seek to work with our partners across the world to build a more democratic, just and equitable world order, one which prioritises the needs and interests of the poor and vulnerable.
 
As the peoples of the world, we have a shared interest in ending poverty and in ending disparities of wealth, skills, resources, and access to education, health and social support.
 
South Africa stands ready to work with all governments and peoples towards achieving these objectives.
 
We trust that your presence in South Africa will further aid our efforts to build a better world that is more egalitarian, that is free of war and conflict, where the rights of women and girls are respected, and where we all play our part to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
 
In the words of our Freedom Charter, the forerunner to the South African Constitution, let there be peace and friendship.
 
We look forward to working with you to strengthen relations between our respective countries and to advance a global economic recovery that leaves no-one behind.
 
I thank you.

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane,
 
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
 
MECs and the leadership of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government,
 
Amakhosi,
 
Izinduna,
 
Abaholi benkolo,
 
Abaholi bomphakathi,
 
Leaders of political parties and civil society formations,
 
Fellow South Africans,
 
Bonke abesimame eRichmond,
 
 
Sanibonani. Molweni. Dumelang. Goeie dag. Lotjhani. Ndi matsheloni.
 
 Namhlanje sibingelela oNozala esizweni sakithi esikhulu, kwelikaMthaniya!
 
 oGogo bethu, oMama bethu, oDadewethu Kanye namadodakazi wethu.
 
 Izinsika emindeneni yethu nase zweni Lethe.
 
 Namhlanje umgubho wabo bonke abesifazane baseMzansi Afrika.
 
 Izimbokodo. Amaqhawekazi.
 
 
 
Today is a celebration of all the women of our great country, black and white, young, and old, urban, and rural, our mothers, our daughters, and our sisters.
 
Sixty-six years ago, more than 20,000 women marched to Pretoria to tell the apartheid Prime Minister that no, they would not carry the dompas.
 
They came as thousands of women from around the country, emabhasini, ezimotweni, ezitimeleni, ngisho nagezinyawo, bazincama babeletha izingane
 
emhlane.
 
Babekhona nababephuma KwaZulu-Natali, organised by our great women leaders, uMama Dorothy Nyembe, uMama Fatima Meer, uMama Florence Mkhize and others.
 
 
 
Some of the women travelling from KwaZulu-Natal were stopped by police and were forced to turn back.
 
But many did get to the Union Buildings, where they joined the march shouting their warning to the Prime Minister, “Strydom, Wathint Abafazi, wathint’ Imbokodo”.
 
Ngenxa yabesifazane bango 1956, because of their bravery and their sacrifices, the women of South Africa today have equal rights and opportunities that their grandmothers, great-grandmothers and great-great grandmothers were denied.
 
In South Africa today, girls learn alongside boys in our primary and secondary schools and receive equal education.
 
Last year, more females passed the matric exams and got more distinctions than their male counterparts.
 
There are currently more female students enrolled at institutions of higher learning than males.
 
Close to half of our Members of Parliament, judges and magistrates are women.
 
More than 60 per cent of public servants are women.
 
In South Africa today, women are champions.
 
Like our Banyana Banyana, who brought home their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy last week.
 
Just as the pioneers of the Women’s March of 1956 were role-models, the young women, and girls of today have no shortage of role models.
 
With the right support, they can become anything they want to be, from star soccer players to fighter pilots, judges, members of Parliament, businesswomen and entrepreneurs.
 
But for many young women, there are several obstacles they first need to overcome.
 
In South Africa, like many countries around the world, women bear the brunt of poverty.
 
Three-quarters of female-headed households live in poverty.
 
The slow growth of our economy and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly hard on women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
 
Lapha, eRichmond, iphethewe abesifazane, nearly half of all households are female-headed.
 
Since the advent of democracy, we have implemented policies to address the impact of poverty on women.
 
Mothers and grandmothers have access to comprehensive social services, including child support grants.
 
To support poor families, especially those from single parent households, learners are exempted from paying school fees and receive meals at school.
 
Women are more likely to be unemployed than men.
 
Around half of all women in South Africa are unemployed, including those who have given up looking for work.
 
On average, women still earn far less than men.
This was thrown into the spotlight with the victory of Banyana, whose players still earn less than the men’s national soccer team.
 
Women do not get paid for caring for the elderly, children, and other family members.
 
And the time that women spend doing work in the home limits their ability to earn money through employment or run their own businesses.
 
Siyazi lapha eRichmond, abantu abaningi baphelelwe imisebenzi, ikati lilala eziko emindenini eminingi.
 
There are limited opportunities, especially for young people.
 
We also have the problem in this country of young girls being taken out of school early to perform household duties, to care for younger siblings and to look for work to support the family.
 
We need to change this so that young girls can finish school.
 
Government is working to enable women to participate in the economy.
 
Gender equality will not be achieved unless women are financially secure and independent.
 
Here in the Umgungundlovu District Municipality we are providing temporary work opportunities to women through the Community Works Programme, the Expanded Public Works Programme and by supporting community caregivers and community health workers.
 
Female entrepreneurs, especially small business owners, are supported through the province’s Rural and Township Economies Revitalisation Strategy.
 
The provincial government, through the Radical Agrarian Socio-Economic Transformation programme, is also helping women access land for farming and get their produce to market.
 
So far, it has assisted over 3,500 farmers, with the majority being women and youth from rural areas like uMgungundlovu.
 
Women entrepreneurs need companies, departments, and customers to buy their products and services.
 
Government has committed to set aside 40 per cent of public procurement spend to women-owned businesses.
 
We have been holding workshops countrywide to equip women with skills to do business with both government and the private sector.
 
Between September this year and January next year, we plan to reach all 11 districts in KwaZulu-Natal.
 
To ensure better access to finance, we want entities like the Industrial Development Corporation, Public Investment Corporation and National Empowerment Fund to make further resources available to women-owned businesses.
 
 
Fellow South Africans,
 
Gender-based violence is a stain on our celebrations today.
 
Hardly a day goes by in this country without a report of women being attacked, being violated, and being killed by men.
 
This cannot continue.
The women of South Africa have had enough of being afraid.
 
Afraid to go out after dark.
 
Afraid of being attacked in their own homes
 
Afraid of being preyed on in the classroom.
 
Afraid for the safety of their children, even from their own relatives.
 
Afraid of being a woman in South Africa.
 
We should not see this as a women’s problem, when it is in fact inkinga yamadoda, a men’s problem.
 
It is a problem of men with no respect for women, who feel they can do what they like with their girlfriends or partners because they buy them airtime or groceries.
 
It is a problem of men who lack the maturity to accept the end of a relationship and hunt down their ex-wives or ex-girlfriends.
 
It is a problem of men who think culture, custom and religion empowers them to hit their wives, sisters, and daughters and to deprive them of their rights.
 
It is a problem of men who hold positions of influence and authority who prey on women and take advantage of them.
 
Here, in Richmond, like in many places around the country, sexual assaults and other violent crimes are connected to alcohol abuse, and many take place in or around places where alcohol is sold, amathaveni, amashibhini.
 
This is not the South Africa for which the women of 1956 marched.
 
hey did not sacrifice to see the end of the slavery of the apartheid, only for today’s women to live in prisons of fear.
 
Earlier this year, we passed three important laws that will strengthen the fight against gender-based violence.
 
These laws give greater protection to victims of domestic violence.
 
The new laws empower the police to enter premises without a warrant and, if necessary, arrest a suspect.
 
Police can also remove dangerous weapons from a suspect. Complainants will be able to apply for protection orders online.
 
New provisions expand the scope of the National Register of Sex Offenders, and place a legal responsibility on us all to report any sexual offences committed against vulnerable persons.
 
There are now far stricter conditions under which a suspect may be granted bail.
 
Perpetrators will get harsher sentences.
 
Silence is no longer an option.
 
Asikwazi ukuthula. We have to break the silence.
 
Silence is the dark corner in which women and children are abused, beaten, raped, and killed.
 
Silence is the dark cloud under which men allow their friends to ill-treat women, children, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community as a display of their manliness.
 
Silence is the cancer that eats away at women who protect their husbands, sons, partners, and boyfriends who abuse them, their children, and other women because they are financially dependent.
 
On this Women’s Day I want to call on every South African to play their part in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide by speaking out.
 
In 2021, we introduced a 100-Day Challenge to pilot interventions to fast-track the provision of services to survivors of gender-based violence.
 
In the sites where the challenge has been implemented, sexual offences cases have been reduced by more than 42 per cent, case backlogs reduced by 80 per cent and survivors of gender-based violence are able to access legal and psycho-social support services more easily.
 
In November we will hold the second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, where will do a detailed assessment of the implementation of our National Strategic Plan and chart the way forward.
 
 
 
Fellow South Africans,
 
We gather here today to mark Women’s Day deeply aware of the many challenges that the women of South Africa confront every day.
 
We gather here knowing that poverty, discrimination and violence continues to hold back the progress of the country’s women and girls.
 
But we also gather here to celebrate the achievements of many South African women, from all parts of the country, from all walks of life, who have overcome many obstacles to excel in their chosen fields.
 
We gather here to say that we will spare no effort to build a non-sexist society in which men and women have equal opportunities and prospects.
 
The women who marched on the Union Buildings 66 years ago demonstrated the power and resolve of the women of South Africa.
 
They were determined that women should take their rightful place in a free and democratic society.
 
As we honour their bravery, let us continue their struggle.
 
And let us achieve their vision.
 
 
 
I thank you.

Programme Director, Deputy Judge President Thoba Poyo-Dlwati,
 
President of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges and Deputy Chief Justice Designate, Justice Mandisa Maya,
 
Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, Justice Raymond Zondo,
 
Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Maite Nkoana Mashabane,
 
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola,
 
Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UNISA, Professor Puleng LenkaBula,
 
Members of the judiciary and magistracy,
 
Members of the legal fraternity,
 
Academics and students,
 
Distinguished Guests,
 
 
 
It is an honour to address this esteemed gathering of women jurists as we commemorate Women’s Month in South Africa.
 
Sixty-six years ago thousands of women marched on the seat of the apartheid government to demand an end to the degrading and dehumanising pass laws.
 
Although nearly four decades would pass before apartheid was abolished and South Africa’s democracy would be born, their activism had far-reaching consequences that extend till today.
 
The Women’s March of 1956 sent a message to the apartheid regime, and indeed to the world, that achieving gender equality and advancing women’s rights was as important a goal of national liberation as casting off the bonds of racial oppression.
 
That is why when we became a democracy in 1994 we set ourselves clear and measurable targets to advance the position of women in the workplace, in government and across society.
 
We produced one of the most inclusive constitutions in the world, with a Bill of Rights that specifically requires equal treatment for all regardless of sex, gender or any other ground of discrimination.
 
We repealed all laws that discriminated against women, and replaced them with employment equity laws that oblige employers to reflect the country’s racial and gender composition in their hiring practices, and to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
 
We prioritised greater representation of women in top management in the public service, with a particular focus on black women.
 
By 2021, 62 per cent of the entire public service workforce was female, with 44 per cent of senior management positions filled by women.
 
In 1994, women comprised 28 per cent of members of Parliament.
 
Today, 46 per cent of our lawmakers in the National Assembly are women.
 
Of the 28 Ministers currently in Cabinet, 13 are women.
 
As South Africa, we are proud of the progress we have made with respect to the representation of women in important spheres of public life, notably the state.
 
This administration has demonstrated its determination to build on this progress.
 
In 2019, Adv Shamila Batohi became the first woman to head the National Prosecuting Authority.
 
In 2021, Ms Phindile Baleni became the first female Director-General in the Presidency.
 
In 2022, Ms Thembisile Majola became the first Director-General of the State Security Agency.
 
Also this year, less than a week ago, Lt Gen Tebello Mosikili became the first female Deputy National Commissioner of the South African Police Service.
 
And last month, The Honourable Justice Mandisa Maya – who as you know is the President of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges – was appointed as our country’s first female Deputy Chief Justice.
 
I wish to once again congratulate you, Justice Maya.
 
It is a richly deserved honour and yet another milestone in a stellar career.
 
You are an inspiration to all women on the Bench, at the Bar and in the magistracy.
 
Today out of 256 judges on the Bench, 114 are women.
 
Nearly half of all magistrates are women.
 
Most encouraging is the growing number of young women entering the legal profession.
 
As at January 2019, more than a third of candidate attorneys were black women.
 
As a whole, women accounted for 57 per cent of candidate attorneys.
 
This provides impetus to the broader transformation of the legal profession.
 
Last week, government published for public comment the Draft Legal Sector Code.
 
The Code aims to ensure the legal profession is representative of the demographics of South Africa and to enable equitable and representative appointments to the judiciary.
 
Importantly, it also focuses on the provision of pro bono services and community-based legal services, ensuring access to affordable legal services for all South Africans, particularly marginalised, poor and rural communities.
 
There can be no doubt that the racial and gender transformation of the Bench is ongoing and can be improved, but we must at the same time acknowledge that we have come a long way.
 
Not just a long way, but a difficult way.
 
Gathered here this evening are jurists who have waged titanic struggles to earn the right to reach the pinnacle of the legal profession.
 
It has not been an easy road.
 
Besides the fraternal and collegial bonds you share as jurists, there is also a commonality of struggle to overcome bias, discrimination, sexism, racism and other prejudices in the course of your careers.
 
And yet, still you rise.
 
To paraphrase Maya Angelou’s eternal poem, up from a past that’s rooted in pain, still you rise.
 
And it has been the International Association of Women Judges that has been your anchor as you navigate the complexities of progressing as a female jurist in an environment that still remains overwhelmingly male.
 
 But the International Association of Women Judges is so much more.
 
It is a powerful and influential global network of jurists committed to ensuring women’s equal access to justice in the face of discriminatory laws and practices, barriers to justice for women, and the ever-prevalent scourge of gender-based violence.
 
I want to congratulate you on hosting this conference, and to applaud you for choosing the theme “Empowerment as a tool to fight gender-based violence”.
 
As many have said, gender-based violence is pandemic of the same seriousness, destruction and ferocity as the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
If we were to quantify the impact of gender-based violence in terms of lives destroyed or lost, families torn apart, societies shattered, economic productivity lost, and state resources diverted, we would see that violence against women and children is a far greater crisis than most health emergencies we have faced.
 
Even as we take a step forward in women’s representation and the advancement of women’s rights, gender-based violence takes us many steps back.
 
Last week, news of a gang rape of eight young women by armed men brought home once again the horror that confronts many women in our country and around the world.
 
No society can lay claim to being non-sexist if that country’s women live in fear, and where sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence and femicide, is an ever-present threat.
 
This terrible crime was not an isolated incident.
 
In the same week, more women were assaulted, raped and murdered in different parts of the country.
 
We are in the grip of what is no less than an unrelenting war on the bodies of the women and children of this country.
 
We know that in many jurisdictions in the world, women and girls are also subjected to trafficking, discrimination, abuse, exploitation and the worst forms of violence.
 
The State has a constitutional and moral duty to protect women against all forms of gender-based violence, which continue to impair the exercise of their fundamental rights and freedoms.
 
Our law enforcement agencies must do everything in their power to ensure that criminals who have violated the fundamental rights of women and children are caught.
 
Our courts have a duty to prosecute them without fear or favour, and in doing so send a message that gender-based violence will not be tolerated.
 
As the Constitutional Court said in a 2019 judgment:
 
“This Court would be failing in its duty if it does not send out a clear and unequivocal pronouncement that the South African Judiciary is committed to developing and implementing sound and robust legal principles that advance the fight against gender-based violence in order to safeguard the constitutional values of equality, human dignity and safety and security.”
 
Never has the role of female jurists been more important than in South Africa right now, to implement new and existing laws designed to strengthen the fight against gender-based violence, to support and protect survivors, and to ensure that perpetrators face the consequences of their actions.
 
As government, we will continue to work with our social partners to implement the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide by affording greater protection to vulnerable groups.
 
In January this year, I assented to three key pieces of legislation to strengthen the legal framework in the fight against gender-based violence.
 
Among other things, these laws tighten the sentencing provisions against perpetrators, enable online applications for protection orders, and improve provisions related to the sex offenders register by widening its scope.
 
We commend you for your commitment to a common programme of action to realise a truly non-sexist society that is free of all forms of gender-based violence.
 
We commend you for your longstanding commitment to applying the law with a keen understanding and appreciation of the gendered nature of poverty, inequality, unemployment and underdevelopment.
 
We know that it is women that disproportionately bear the brunt of these and many other social ills.
 
We know that it is women who are more likely to be unemployed, to have lower levels of education and who shoulder the burden of childcare.
 
All of these impact on access to justice.
 
For these and many other reasons, we look to you as female jurists to help shape and strengthen the discourse around patriarchal power relations, and what must be done to dismantle them.
 
You occupy a privileged position to exercise judicial authority, which is the cornerstone of any constitutional democratic order.
 
We look with keen interest to the proposals that will emanate from this conference around empowering women judges to effectively use the law to deal decisively with gender-based violence.
 
Courts are impartial arbiters committed to the administration and dispensing of justice. That is their foremost role.
 
At the same time, we have a rightful expectation that the courts should reflect in their judgements the foundational principles of our constitutional order, namely human dignity and the achievement of equality, non-sexism and non-racialism.
 
The struggles of women continue.
 
For equal pay for equal work.
 
Against discrimination on the basis of motherhood, marital status and sexual orientation.
 
To receive an education.
 
To not be disinherited or married against their will.
 
To be protected against human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
 
We must break all barriers and biases against women.
 
Our courts, enabled by a progressive Constitution, have played a significant role in the promotion of gender equality in South Africa.
 
It is our expectation that the South African chapter of the International Association of Women Judges should continue to serve as a beacon of progress, a symbol of women’s achievement and as an instrument of change.
 
I wish you fruitful deliberations.
 
I thank you.

Programme Director, Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Representatives of civil society organisations,
Representatives of NEDLAC,
Representatives of development agencies and all participating organisations,
Colleagues,

Four years since I spoke of the need for this Social Sector Summit in my first State of the Nation Address, and after many months of preparation, it is wonderful that we have finally been able to convene.

There were a number of factors that delayed the convening of this Summit, not least of which was the COVID-19 pandemic.

With our country and indeed the world now in the process of recovery, I want to thank and salute civil society organisations for their role in the national effort to contain and overcome the pandemic.

There are few words to describe the pride and gratitude we felt as a country as we saw our resilient and committed non-governmental organisations serving the South African people during those difficult days.

Where government had capacity and resource constraints, civil society stepped into the breach.

Where government rolled out relief programmes and initiatives, civil society provided support.

The partnership, collaboration and alignment between government and civil society organisations during the pandemic was an example of how we can work, and how we must work, to overcome our society’s many challenges.

It was a model from which we can draw many lessons as we strive to ensure that our Bill of Rights is not mere words on paper, but that it is translated into progress and prosperity for every South African man, woman and child.

A strong, vibrant and activist civil society is key to the development of any nation.

It is therefore critical that the interface between government and civil society is improved and strengthened.

We have a common appreciation that we are all heading in the same direction and on the same road towards the realisation of a better South Africa.

We know that to reach this goal we have to be partners, and not adversaries.

But at the same time, we have an expectation that where we falter or fall short, that we will hold each other to our promises.

There is an expectation that we can require transparency and accountability of each other.

Since before the dawn of democracy, civil society organisations in South Africa have taken up the causes of the marginalised, the oppressed and the vulnerable.

From the HIV/Aids pandemic to substance abuse, from poverty to illiteracy, from unemployment to gender-based violence, civil society has been crafting constructive strategies and driving collaborative approaches that put the needs of the poor first.

At the height of the HIV/Aids pandemic in in the late 1990s to mid-2000s, civil society movements waged a brave and principled struggle against stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Just as civil society fought to ensure equitable access to anti-retroviral treatment, South African civil society bodies are supporting the global advocacy for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. 

Just as civil society advocated for legal reform to tackle discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the early days of our democracy, civil society continues to speak out against practices and beliefs that discriminate against the LGBTQI+ community.

Just as civil society has consistently confronted entrenched practices that are discriminatory and harmful to women and girls, it now plays a key role in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide.

Twenty-eight years into our democracy, the role of civil society is as critical as ever. 

Poverty, unemployment and inequality remain the most pressing challenges facing South Africa.

Our society is confronted by lawlessness, crime and corruption, gender-based violence, hunger and malnutrition.

Over the past few days, we have witnessed scenes of violent protest, damage to public infrastructure and, in some cases, loss of life in areas such as Kagiso in the West Rand and Tembisa in Ekurhuleni.

These incidents are of grave concern and highlight many of the challenges our country faces. 

As we address these incidents, we need to distinguish between legitimate protest and criminality, addressing the concerns and grievances of communities, while acting to prevent loss of life and destruction of property.

We can all understand the public outrage in Kagiso sparked by the gang rape of eight young women last week and we all deeply and sincerely share in the pain of the victims, their families and the neighbouring communities.

Police are hard at work with investigations.

As we commend the police for apprehending suspected illegal miners and shutting down their operations, they must double their efforts in catching those responsible for the heinous crime of gang raping the young women.

This horrific crime is a reminder that as government, and as a society, we must do more to tackle gender-based violence.

Over the last few years, as a result of cooperation between government and civil society, we have strengthened the response of the criminal justice system to such crimes.

As part of the National Strategic Plan against GBVF, we have enacted new legislation and focused on the capacity of the SAPS, National Prosecuting Authority and courts to better support survivors and prosecute offenders.

We know that the NPA continues to place special emphasis on prosecuting these crimes, obtaining a conviction rate of 74%.

We want to encourage the National Prosecuting Authority and the Police to do more in their common efforts in the fight gender-based violence and femicide.

Government, represented by the South African Police Service and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, will convene an Imbizo with the community of Kagiso over the weekend to interrogate issues of illegal mining and crime.

As government, we remain steadfastly committed in our fight against corruption.

In the last financial year, for example, the specialised commercial crimes unit finalised 380 cases with a 90% conviction rate.

Over that period, 380 government officials were convicted for corruption and related crimes, whilst 209 people were convicted for private sector crimes.

The Asset Forfeiture Unit has completed 370 confiscations estimated at a value of R406 million.

There are currently 82 state capture cases are under investigation with 65 accused persons enrolled for prosecution in 20 cases.

There is clearly much more that needs to be done, but the fight against corruption is gaining momentum.

Overcoming these and other challenges requires all sectors of society to bring their respective capabilities together and unite behind a common vision.

Civil society organisations are where our people are, whether as NGOs, as community, professional and faith-based organisations, as academia or as worker representative organisations.

One of the priorities of this administration is to drive people-centred, localised development through the District Development Model.

It seeks to promote an approach to development that takes into account needs, circumstances and priorities on the ground. 

Now more than ever we count on your breadth and diversity of knowledge, experience and expertise to work with us, but also to guide us on what interventions are needed, where, how and on the best way to allocate scarce resources.

Civil society reaches where business and government often cannot.

You have a solid track record of organic interventions and activations that yield results.

For this reason, this summit is crucial, for us to align our efforts and actions.

Our most pressing priority right now is recovery from the pandemic.

We are hard at work implementing the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to grow our economy and create jobs.

It is only through a stronger economy that we will be able to lift millions out of poverty, expand the rollout of comprehensive social support, improve the delivery of services and create employment so people can lead lives of dignity.

We have listened to your ideas and proposals on how to drive an inclusive and equitable economic recovery that leaves no one behind.

We also thank you for your participation in the ongoing process to develop a comprehensive social compact.

As civil society organisations continue with their difficult work they are confronted with challenges that demand our attention.

Foremost among these are financial constraints.

Like your global counterparts, South African civil society has been impacted by fewer resources, reprioritisation of donor budgets, worsening economic conditions and other factors.

Many civil society organisations are struggling to find money to keep their doors open, to pay their staff and to implement their programmes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened their situation.

Currently, government invests substantially in supporting the work of civil society organisations through the Department of Social Development.

In addition, the National Development Agency provides grant funding and capacity building to the sector.

We have to work collectively to develop sustainable and consistent funding streams for civil society, including emerging community-based organisations.

The second challenge is a capacity shortage that undermines the effectiveness of organisations.

I have heard reports of some civil society organisations being unable to submit annual reports as required by the NPO Act simply because they lack the expertise.

Besides a lack of professional skills, there are difficulties with recruiting highly qualified personnel.

Qualified staff are often lost to government and other sectors because civil society organisations cannot pay competitive salaries.

Civil society needs an enabling regulatory framework.

Many social sector organisations find that onerous red tape is holding them back.

In this regard, the Department of Social Development has published the Non-Profit Organisations Amendment Bill.

It seeks to strengthen the existing regulatory regime and make it more relevant to the prevailing environment, but without constraining the sector.

The Bill seeks to increase efficiencies and reduce red tape.

This is in recognition of the benefit civil society brings to policy-making and to the provision of services in our society.

We must acknowledge that corruption has contributed to the funding challenges the sector is facing.

By way of example, the Special Investigating Unit has uncovered how some civil society organisations were set up with the sole intention to loot the National Lotteries Commission.

This denied legitimate and deserving organisations the opportunity to access funding.

It is good that the investigations are progressing, that a number of arrests have been made and that civil action is being considered against a number of implicated individuals.

At the same time we must acknowledge that there needs to be greater accountability and transparency in the sector itself.

It is unacceptable for the lion’s share of donor and other funding to be spent on paying senior staff or funding lifestyles, instead of programmes.

High standards of governance, proper accounting and due diligence must apply.

This Summit has provided an opportunity to hear more about these challenges and how they can be overcome.

It has been an opportunity to hear more about work civil society organisations are doing in communities across the country, having taken stock of the reports that have come from all provinces through the Provincial Dialogues and roundtables.

Colleagues and friends,

The signing of the Social Sector Framework Agreement today is a milestone.

We are establishing a more comprehensive and inclusive framework for collaboration that recognises, supports and empowers civil society.

It sets the basis for us to foster a strong state-civil society partnership to tackle poverty, inequality and employment, and to deepen democratic participation. 

We must seize this opportunity to deep our collaboration as we build a better South Africa that leaves no-one behind.

I would like to thank all representatives of civil society organisations that have been part of this process.

I would also like to thank the Department of Social Development, the NEDLAC Community Constituency and the Presidency for guiding this process.

I have no doubt that government, civil society and all social partners will continue to work together meaningfully beyond this Summit, as we have done for many years, to improve the lives of our people and build a better country.

I thank you.

Your Excellency Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana,
Your Excellencies High Commissioners of both South Africa and Botswana,
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Business Leaders,
Distinguished Guests,
Colleagues and Friends, 

Your Excellency, Mr President, 

I am pleased that the undertaking we gave each other in April this year to hold this engagement has now materialised. 

We have been looking forward to this visit to Gaborone to commemorate and celebrate 28 years of diplomatic ties between our two countries.

The trade and investment ties between our two countries have grown stronger over the years. They lay a firm basis for even greater economic cooperation and integration into the future. 

My delegation comprises Ministers and officials, and representatives from our state-owned companies, financial institutions and South African business. 

I am encouraged by the work that has already begun through our respective Trade and Industry Ministers to align our plans towards a common SACU plan of action for operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

The joint export promotion platforms that are being discussed at SACU level for leveraging AfCFTA trade opportunities are promising. 

I urge that the same vigour be given to concluding the work of creating industrial value-chains in the SACU. 

Through these value-chains we will be able to grow our industrial exports to the rest of the continent. 

New markets in West, East, North and Central Africa hold immense potential for both South Africa and Botswana. 

We will be able to produce and export local goods, products and services to our fellow African countries that would otherwise be sourced from outside the continent. 

Even as we do so, we do not seek to displace other African businesses. 

The intention instead is complementary trade and industrial development. 

Botswana and South Africa can both achieve more by working closely together. 

The development of value-chains can also move SACU towards a brighter new future of joint investment and development. 

I am also pleased to note that work is underway in SACU on a Work Programme on Industrialisation to promote industrial development and regional value chains, export promotion, investment attraction and promotion. 

Work is already underway on leather and leather products, fresh produce, meat and meat products, textiles, clothing, cosmetics and essential oils. 

These sectors present opportunities for the development of regional value chains across region. 

They also present opportunities for SACU exports to the rest of Africa, to the United States under AGOA, to the European Union under the EPA, and to other strategic markets in Asia and the Middle East. 

There are also opportunities for further cooperation in minerals.

Botswana is currently the chair of the Kimberley Process, an initiative that has successfully addressed concerns regarding the diamond industry, and last year was the world’s leading producer of diamonds by value.

Your Excellency, 

In April this year you opened the first SACU Investment Roundtable in Gaborone under the theme “Positioning SACU as an industrial, investment, manufacturing and innovation hub for the African continent and beyond” 

This remains our collective aspiration. 

Over the past five years, South Africa’s foreign direct investment stock in Botswana has increased year-on-year, reaching US$ 5.1 billion in 2021. 

While we will continue to encourage South African investment into Botswana, we are encouraged by the Botswana companies that have already invested in South Africa. 

Between January 2003 and December 2021, we saw nine FDI projects from Botswana to South Africa. 

They attracted capital investment worth R3.9 billion, resulting in the creation of over 2,000 jobs. 

We would like to see these numbers grow exponentially. 

Intra-African trade opportunities accruing from the AfCFTA can only be realised if we facilitate intra-Africa investments. 

In particular, we need to encourage our respective companies to invest in areas that will address the continent’s infrastructure and industrial deficits. 

South Africa is committed to supporting our partners on the continent to reach their industrialisation goals. 

As Team South Africa we want to be part of the African growth story by way of strategic investments into the continent by our companies, financial institutions and state-owned companies. 

It is our expectation that today’s session will unpack all these matters further, and that we will jointly identify the priorities for strengthening the Botswana-South Africa economic relationship. 

I look forward to vibrant and productive discussions.

I thank you.

Your Excellency Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana,
Your Excellencies High Commissioners of both South Africa and Botswana,
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Business Leaders,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Thank you for joining us on the conclusion of what has been a successful and highly productive South Africa - Botswana Business Roundtable. 

I would like to thank His Excellency President Masisi for the warm reception given to me and my delegation.

The delegation comprises government Ministers and Deputy Ministers, representatives of our state-owned companies and financial institutions, and leaders from the South African business community. 

It has been 28 years since South Africa and Botswana established formal diplomatic ties. 

Even as our bilateral relations have grown stronger over the years, we want to see far greater levels of trade and investment between our two countries.  

As we noted earlier, South Africa’s foreign direct investment stock in Botswana reached $5.1 billion last year.

There have been important investments by Botswana in South Africa.

Between 2003 and 2021, there were nine such FDI projects, which attracted capital investment of R3.9 billion and led to the creation of over 2,000 jobs. 

In today’s discussion we got to hear the perspective of members of the Botswana business community on doing business in South Africa.  

This included representatives from companies that already have a presence in South Africa, and it has been refreshing to hear of their optimism about expanding their businesses in South Africa. 

The South African business delegation includes representatives from a wide range of sectors including pharmaceuticals, automotive, manufacturing, agriculture and others. 

Like all countries in the region and indeed the continent and the world, our economy was hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

We have affirmed that deepening intra-African trade and investment, and taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area, can hasten an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery for the region and for our continent. 

His Excellency President Masisi and I agreed that we need to encourage business in our respective countries to invest in catalytic development projects, particularly infrastructure.  

It has been pleasing to have representatives of our respective state-owned companies share their perspectives on the importance of infrastructure development to our common industrialisation efforts. 

As South Africa we reaffirmed our commitment to supporting our fellow countries on the continent, including Botswana, to reach their industrialisation goals. 

This can be done through strategic investments into other parts of the continent by our companies, financial institutions and state-owned companies.  

A major point of discussion today was around alignment towards a common plan of action by the Southern African Customs Union, of which Botswana and South Africa are members, for the operationalisation of the AfCFTA. 

We expressed confidence at the work being done around creating industrial value chains in SACU, which would have great benefits for our respective economies. 

We see great potential in leather and leather products, fresh produce, meat and meat products, textiles, clothing, cosmetics and essential oils.  

As Botswana and South Africa, we have agreed that our respective economies stand to gain substantially from the development of these value chains.

This Business Roundtable has been a good starting point for us to begin strategising and aligning our efforts in pursuit of common prosperity, greater reciprocal trade and much higher levels of investment.   

I am extremely pleased it has gone well and we look forward to the reports of our respective officials on the progress of the various initiatives we have agreed on today. 

I thank you.

His Excellency President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Friday, 14 October 2022, depart South Africa for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a State Visit to take place on 15-16 October 2022.

President Ramaphosa’s visit is at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness (HRH) King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and he will be hosted by HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud.

Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Saudi Arabia were formalised in 1994 with four South Africa’s democratically elected Presidents having visited the Kingdom to date.

The late President Nelson Mandela visited the Kingdom in 1998; President Thabo Mbeki visited in 2007; President Jacob Zuma visited in 2016 and President Cyril Ramaphosa visited in 2018.

The Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoy a strategic bilateral partnership based on cordial and fraternal relations. 

The discussions would focus on export market opportunities for South African produce and on South Africa as an investment destination as well as an entry point into Southern Africa and beyond within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

It is envisioned that the various deliberations will provide renewed impetus to strengthened economic cooperation in identified priority sectors, notably agriculture, defence, energy, and transport, further underpinned by regular high-level engagements between the two countries.

The recent 9th session of the South Africa-Saudi Arabia Joint Economic Council held from 3-4 October 2022 launched the South Africa-Saudi Arabia Joint Business Council.  

The Joint Business Council brings together leading business people from both countries to deepen economic ties as Saudi Arabia is the largest source of imports from the Middle East region. 

Total bilateral trade between South Africa and Saudi Arabia amounted to R66 billion in 2021.

President Ramaphosa will also participate in high-level business engagements with leading businesspersons as well as institutional and private investors.  In this regard, the President will deliver the closing remarks at the Saudi Arabia - South Africa Investment Forum and participate in Saudi Arabia – South Africa Investment Roundtable.
 
The high-level meetings will also afford the leaders an opportunity to discuss bilateral, continental and global issues, and to reaffirm their commitment to further cooperate closely on multilateral issues.

President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Ministers Naledi Pandor of International Relations and Cooperation; Thoko Didiza of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform; Ebrahim Patel of Trade, Industry and Competition; Gwede Mantashe of Mineral Resources and Energy and Fikile Mbalula of Transport. 


Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will host President Brahim Ghali of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) for a State Visit on 18 October 2022 in Pretoria.
 
The visit aims to strengthen the already existing good political relations fortified by the strong historical ties dating back from the years of the struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
 
The two Presidents will exchange views on recent developments related to the question of Western Sahara, including the mobilization of regional, continental and international support toward finding a sustainable resolution to the Western Sahara conflict in line with the provisions of the 1991 Ceasefire Agreement.
 
In 2019, South Africa hosted a Solidarity Conference for the region's support of self-determination.
 
The South African government remains concerned about the impasse in a dialogue toward finding a lasting solution that will provide for the self-determination of the people of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic in line with the relevant AU and UN resolutions and the objectives and principles of the Constitutive Act of the African Union.
 
South Africa remains steadfast in its support for the Saharawi people and continues to provide humanitarian and material support to alleviate the harsh living conditions that they have continued to suffer.   
 
The State Visit will take place as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 18 October 2022
Time: 10h00 (Media arrival at 08h30)
Venue: The Union Buildings, Pretoria 
 
Members of the media wishing to cover the State Visit should sent their details to Shadi Baloyi on 072 571 6415/shadi@presidency.gov.za by Thursday, 13 October 2022 at 16h00. No RSVPs passed the deadline will be accepted. Media not accredited will not be allowed access in the Union Buildings.
 
 
Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President- 082 835 6315
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

The Presidency has received the amended version of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture Report, which incorporates corrections made by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who chaired the Commission. 
 
The release follows the granting of permission by the Pretoria High Court on the 4th of October 2022, to allow Chief Justice Zondo to make corrections to the final volume of the report which was submitted to the Presidency in June 2022. 
 
The amended reported is available and can be downloaded from the Presidency’s website: www.thepresidency.gov.za.
 
 
Media enquires: Mr Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to President Cyril Ramaphosa on 082 835 6315
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria