PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA HAILS SPRINGBOK RUGBY WORLD CUP TRIUMPH
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his elation at the Springboks’ triumph in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, saying “it's a great outcome”.
Speaking moments after the Springboks, led by captain Siya Kolisi, beat England 32-12 at the International Stadium Yokohama, President Ramaphosa said: “The boys have outshone everyone in the world. They are the best; they are the best team."
“When I spoke to them hours before the match, I could see in their eyes that they were really determined, and they have delivered a great victory. It was really Go Bokke!"
“We are the Champions; indeed, we are the champions of the world.”
The President congratulated captain Siya Kolisi, coach Rassie Erasmus and the technical staff, the tournament squad, the team on the day and the leadership of SA Rugby for securing the Webb Ellis Trophy at the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in Asia.
“This is a historic moment for South Africa, for World Rugby and for Japan as the host nation and close partner of South Africa. “This historic win has been achieved with the passionate support of more than 57 million South Africans who have been inspired by the Springboks’ performances throughout the tournament."
“This is a powerful indicator of what we can achieve as South Africans when we set goals for ourselves and we work together to achieve success." “This is a moment of inspiration for all South Africans in all avenues of life and all sectors of our society. It is a moment that is embedded forever in our national memory.”
The President commended England as worthy finalists in Yokohama and said the World Cup result would ensure intense interest and competition in the 2021 tour of South Africa by the British & Irish Lions featuring the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
President Ramaphosa will depart from Tokyo tomorrow, Sunday 03 November 2019, to continue the national celebration on home soil.
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria, 2 November 2019
SOUTH AFRICA CALLED TO RALLY BEHIND THE SPRINGBOKS
Cabinet at its meeting called on all South Africans and supporters from across the globe to rally behind the “Boks” and demonstrate their support by participating in Green Fridays and sharing messages of support on social-media platforms.
On Saturday, the Springboks will be playing against England and President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend the final match in Japan to give concrete support to the national team.
The Springboks bagged a 19-16 win over Wales in the second semi-final at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, on Sunday to gain a spot in the final.
Addressing the post Cabinet media briefing held in Cape Town on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu called on South Africans to focus on supporting the Springboks.
“As government, we fully support the Springboks,” he said.
South Africans are urged to use the hashtag #StrongerTogether, #Bokke, #Rugbyworldcup on all social media platforms.
“Cabinet proudly congratulates the national rugby team, the Springboks, on reaching the finals of the 2019 RWC,” Cabinet said in a statement.
South Africans will be able to watch the 2019 Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and England on SABC 2.
Cabinet welcomed the SABC’s decision to broadcast live the final match between South Africa and England on Saturday, the 2nd November, from 11h00.
The SABC’s Group Chief Executive officer (GCEO), Madoda Mxakwe, said the broadcaster is excited to be able to bring this historic game to the nation.
“The SABC is excited to be able to bring this historic game to the nation, as the public broadcaster recognises the role it plays in social cohesion, nation building and promoting sports of national interest,” said Mxakwe. –
SAnews.gov.za, October 31, 2019
CAPE TOWN SELECTED AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES
Flight Network set out to name the World’s Best Cities by asking the experts — a 1000+ travel writers, travel bloggers and travel agencies from all around the globe, who have seen and experienced the best the planet has to offer.
And Cape Town came in at number seven!
This extensive collaboration produced the most thoughtful and definitive list of the World’s Most Beautiful Cities — a guide that will inspire travellers not only in 2019 but for years to come.
The Top 10 most beautiful cities in the world according to Flight Network are:
- Paris
- New York
- London
- Venice
- Vancouver
- Barcelona
- Cape Town
- San Francisco
- Sydney
- Rome.
Flight Network went on to explain that Cape Town is a nature lover’s dream because it has mountains, many miles of coastline and plenty of biking, hiking, and exploring!
“One of the best places for an amazing view (and there are many), Table Mountain is hard to beat. While it might sound intimidating, you can take a cable car to the top without having to climb (although you can if you want) to get the best of the views. Around the mountain itself is the Table Mountain National Park, which is one of the richest floral regions in the world! Other visually stunning locations include the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach (check out the local penguin colony here), and Lion’s Head mountain. “Cape Town is a blend of distinct cultures and people groups, making it one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Thanks to its beauty, it also attracts a lot of foreign expats and immigrants as well, making it even more diverse”(...).
Sources: Flight Network/ www.goodthingsguy.com
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Dear Fellow South African,
Last week, I led a government delegation to the first Russia-Africa Summit, convened in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.
For two days, heads of state from 43 African countries and their host, President Vladimir Putin, discussed how to increase trade and cooperation between the Russian Federation and Africa. The summit was preceded by a Business Forum attended by investors and business people looking at ways to scale up investment in various countries on the African continent.
The Summit was a sign of the growing economic importance of Africa on the world stage. The summit took place on the back of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama in August. The G20 countries launched their Compact with Africa in 2017 to promote private investment in Africa.
What we are witnessing is a dramatic rebalancing of the relationship between the world’s advanced economies and the African continent. We have consistently affirmed that Africa no longer wants to be passive recipients of foreign aid. African countries are developing and their economies are increasingly in need of foreign direct investment.
It would be wrong, as some have done, to label initiatives like the Russia-Africa Summit as an attempt by world powers to expand their geopolitical influence. Some have even argued that a number of countries in Africa are being led into a debt trap as they take up loans to fund a number of projects in their countries. One need only look at initiatives such as the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, which was last held in Beijing last year, to see that the focus is now on partnership for mutual benefit, on development, trade and investment cooperation and integration.
China, Russia, the OECD countries and other large economies are eager to forge greater economic ties with African countries because they want to harness the current climate of reform, the deepening of good governance, macro-economic stability and the opening up of economies across the continent for mutual benefit.
With the IMF 2019 World Economic Outlook placing six of the fastest growing economies in Africa, these advanced economies want to take advantage of the many investment opportunities on offer, be they in infrastructure, energy, natural resource extraction, manufacturing or agriculture and agribusiness.
The opportunities for international investors will be further boosted when the African Continental Free Trade Area becomes operational next year. This interest in the continent’s rapidly growing economies should encourage African countries to engage with various trade blocs on a more equal footing and on their own terms.
We are ever mindful of our colonial history, where the economies of Europe were able to industrialise and develop by extracting resources from Africa, all the while leaving the colonies underdeveloped. Even now, African countries are still trying to stop the extraction of its resources, this time in the form of illicit financial flows through commercial transactions, tax evasion, transfer pricing and illegal activities that cost the continent over $50 billion a year.
The message from African leaders at the Russia-Africa summit was clear: Africa needs greater levels of investment. It wants access to markets for its products, goods and services. It wants to forge economic relationships of mutual benefit that develop our respective countries and uplift our people. The age where ‘development’ was imposed from outside without taking into account the material conditions and respective requirements of our countries is now past.
Four months after he was released from prison, President Nelson Mandela met with a group of business people in the US to mobilise support for the national democratic project back home. He laid out a vision for South Africa’s economy, and of it “playing an important part in the regeneration and expansion of the economy of Southern Africa as a whole.”
The private sector, both domestic and international, he said, will have a vital contribution to make to the country’s economic and social reconstruction. “We count on you,” he concluded, “to take the decision that you will become part, an important part, of the future South African economy.”
President Mandela’s words affirmed what the nations of Africa have long said: that we want trade more than aid. That we are determined to lift ourselves up, and that we neither expect nor want handouts.
In his iconic 1963 speech on African unity, Ghana’s President Kwame Nkrumah lay down the gauntlet to gathered African nations to look beyond political independence towards economic independence.
“Our economic independence resides in our African union,” he said. Nkrumah called on independent African states to harness their financial structure and banking institutions for their national development, and to use their material resources and human energies to meet their own national aspirations.
Next year South Africa assumes the chair of the African Union. It does so at an opportune time, as the African Continental Free Trade Area comes into operation. Not only will we have the opportunity to guide and oversee its implementation, but we will be taking on this responsibility in this new era of an emboldened Africa.
It is an era of a confident Africa, of a growing Africa that knows its potential and its worth. This is an Africa that is able to trade and engage on its own terms. An Africa that has finally come into its own.
Best wishes,
President Cyril Ramaphosa
Monday, 28 October 2019
PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA INAUGURATES NEW PHONE MANUFACTURING PLANT
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday 17 October 2019 launched Africa's second smartphone manufacturing plant in Durban's Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone by Mara Group. The venture will generate hundreds of high-skilled direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. It will contribute to the transfer of technology and high-tech knowledge in South Africa. More than 60% of the staff at the plant are women while 90% of the workforce will be youth. The Dubai-based Mara Group said they would be producing 1.2 million smartphone handsets annually. The production is expected to serve the domestic market as well as the regional market, especially the SADC region, contributing to strategies that position South Africa as the gateway to Africa.
Mara Group pledged to invest 100 million U.S. dollars in South Africa in last year's investment conference in the country. President Ramaphosa said the company delivered on their promise by opening the cell phone manufacturing plant and increased the country's capability.
"This will instill confidence in other manufacturers that South Africa is indeed a place where they should all come to invest. The company's efforts represent strengthening of our advances in technology and electronically manufacturing sector," said President Ramaphosa.
The phones are expected to be listed on commerce sites such as Jumia, Konga, and Amazon. The company also plans to sell the phones via retail partnerships with telecom operators Vodafone, MTN and Airtel.
Mara Phone Plant is part of the recently launched District-Based Development Model. Announcing the project during the State of the Nation Address in June, President Ramaphosa said the approach would focus on the 44 districts and eight metros to speed up service delivery, ensuring that municipalities are properly supported and adequately resourced.
According to the Presidency, a pattern of operating in silos was a challenge identified by government that led to lack of coherence in planning and implementation and made monitoring and oversight of government’s programme difficult.
The District Development Model has been approved by government structures, including Cabinet. The model will be piloted in two districts and a metro that have elements of rural, mining and urban – the OR Tambo; Waterberg and eThekwini metros.