Author: Malebogo Putu

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the first-ever G20 Leaders’ Summit on African soil must reflect the aspirations of both the continent and the wider global community. Opening the two-day gathering at Johannesburg’s Nasrec Expo Centre on Saturday, the President noted that while the G20 once focused mainly on macroeconomic issues, it now tackles a broad range of priorities including trade, sustainable development, health, education, science and technology, agriculture, energy and climate change.In his address this morning, the President said G20 countries understand that progress on all of these issues is a necessary condition for strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.“Through solidarity,…

The South African Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, commended the unwavering dedication of donor countries, the private sector, and philanthropic organisations that exemplified the virtues of multilateralism during the Eighth Global Fund Replenishment Summit. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria hosted its Replenishment Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Friday, co-organised with the governments of South Africa and the United Kingdom on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. Despite one of the most turbulent geopolitical and economic years in recent history, global partners pledged US$11.34 billion to sustain the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria,…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) leaders to reinvigorate South-South cooperation to drive inclusive economic growth, advance sustainable development and accelerate reforms to global governance institutions. “South Africa wishes that, as IBSA, we revitalise our interactions and renew our determination to advance our founding goals,”President Ramaphosa said on Sunday in Johannesburg. President Ramaphosa hosted India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio, at a high-level IBSA meeting on the sidelines of the second day of the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders’ Summit taking place in Johannesburg. IBSA is a forum that brings together India,…

South Africa’s agricultural sector has achieved a major diplomatic and trade milestone, following the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a move expected to strengthen bilateral cooperation and unlock new opportunities for South African producers in one of Asia’s fastest-growing markets. The agreement was signed by Deputy Minister Nokuzola Capa and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, on Friday, ahead of the official opening on G20 Leaders’ Summit. It lays the foundation for expanded collaboration in crop production, plant protection, animal husbandry, veterinary services, research and development, technology transfer, and agricultural trade. The…

Magwenya was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit held at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg. “The declaration has been adopted by the leaders here at the summit. We were edging closer and closer to that unanimous adoption and now we have a summit declaration adopted. “There was a slight change in the programme. Normally the adoption happens right at the end but throughout the day yesterday, during various bilateral talks, there was a sense that we should actually move to have the summit declaration adopted first as a first order of the day…

The issue of migration and its growing impact on South Africa’s labour market once again came under sharp focus in Parliament this week, as United Democratic Movement (UDM) Deputy President Nqabayomzi Kwankwa pressed President Cyril Ramaphosa to explain why the government continues to deny South Africans explicit protection in sectors dominated by undocumented foreign workers. “Mr. President, the hypocrisy of some African countries on this issue cannot continue to go unchallenged,” Kwankwa said, drawing comparisons with other African states that have implemented protectionist labour measures. “Zimbabwe’s indigenization policy, Tanzania’s business licensing order, and Ghana’s Investment Promotion Act all safeguard their…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid a working visit to the Vatican, where he was received by His Holiness Pope Leo. The visit combined diplomacy and reflection, as the President and his delegation laid a wreath at the grave of the late Pope Francis and held extensive discussions with the Pontiff on global peace and development. President Ramaphosa said the visit was an opportunity to reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to cooperation with the Holy See and to promote values of peace, justice, and solidarity. We, as South Africans, have represented our country here. It’s been a working visit, where…

President Donald J. Trump announced that no U.S. government officials will attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, citing what he described as the killing and slaughter of Afrikaners and the illegal confiscation of their land and farms. In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared, “It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human…

In a dramatic escalation of internal turmoil, South Africa’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) suspended its deputy president and parliamentary leader, Dr. John Hlophe, on Wednesday, nullifying his recent decision to replace chief whip Colleen Makhubele with Des van Rooyen — a move that had only been announced hours earlier. The precautionary suspension, issued by party founder and president Jacob Zuma upon his return from a trip to Burkina Faso, underscores deepening factional rifts within the third-largest party in Parliament. The developments, outlined in two rapid-fire statements from the MKP’s Office of the Presidency, reflect Zuma’s assertion of authority amid accusations…

Police in the Northern Cape Province delivered significant blows to drug trafficking and armed robbery this week, seizing narcotics worth millions of rand and apprehending multiple suspects in coordinated operations, according to official statements. In the Namakwa District, authorities confiscated dagga valued at approximately R7.7 million during routine patrols. “The police in the Namakwa District has dealt drug dealers a major blow, when they seized dagga worth approximately R7.7 million rand during routine patrols,” stated Captain Ivan Magerman of the South African Police in Northern Cape. Two suspects are in custody after vigilant members noticed a suspicious vehicle with boxes…