FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Dear Fellow South African,
Today is Nelson Mandela Day, which is commemorated in South Africa and around the world.
In honour of the birthday of the founding father of our democracy, we are called on to dedicate 67 minutes to doing good works, serving others and making a difference in our communities.
At a time when so much of the world is beset by hardship and strife, we are inspired by Madiba’s words that “it is in our hands to make a difference and to make the world a better place”.
Across the length and breadth of our country today, South Africans are taking Madiba’s message to heart. They are making a positive contribution. They are volunteering in shelters and care facilities. They are helping to feed and clothe the needy. They are helping to clean their communities. They are performing acts of kindness and service, both big and small.
Nelson Mandela Day is about inculcating a culture of service that lasts beyond the 67 minutes every year on the 18th of July.
This is a difficult time for our country.
We are in the midst of an energy crisis that is causing great hardship. A spate of violent crimes is heightening fear and insecurity in communities. Even as our economy is recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty and unemployment is taking a heavy toll on millions who are struggling to make ends meet. Corruption has eaten away at our nation’s soul and has severely eroded the social compact between the state and citizens.
Nelson Mandela Day is an opportunity to remember that these problems, like so many we have faced before, are not insurmountable. They can be overcome.
This day is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to upholding the values Madiba stood for and to building the South Africa to which he dedicated his life.
He always reminded us that there is no easy walk to freedom and that we share a common responsibility for nation-building.
Time and again, we have been pulled back from the brink by the activism and resilience of our people. Community, faith-based and grassroots organisations have acted in defence of human rights, our Constitution and the interests of our citizens.
At times when the state has faltered, it has been civil society that has reminded us of our obligation to advance the ideals for which Madiba and generations of freedom fighters made such sacrifices.
The programme for democratic renewal launched by a group of civil society organisations earlier this month, which calls for people’s power to be re-ignited, is to be welcomed.
It is a call for communities to organise and mobilise around economic inclusion, social and climate justice and ethical behaviour.
Many civil society organisations are rooted in our communities and have the keenest appreciation of the struggles of our people. Engaging and working with government to overcome the challenges in our society is what participatory democracy is all about.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this collaboration between government, civil society and other social partners was instrumental in responding to a dire health emergency and providing support to society’s most vulnerable. Such partnerships are vital as we strive to rebuild our economy.
Building a better South Africa requires each and every one of us to make a contribution in whatever way we can. Defending our democracy begins with individual acts, like joining a community policing forum, volunteering at a charity or a shelter, reporting crime or refusing to pay a bribe.
Let us evoke Madiba’s ‘new patriotism’, where South Africans are determined to work together and make our country a winning nation. We cannot leave it to others to realise the South Africa of our dreams. The future of our country is indeed in our hands.
Wherever you may be today, I wish you a happy and meaningful Nelson Mandela Day.
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Over the past two weeks, severe load shedding has disrupted our economy and caused extreme hardship for all South Africans.
Stage 6 load shedding was triggered by the loss of over 18,000 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity due to unit breakdowns and an unprotected strike by Eskom workers.
After more than a decade of electricity shortages, South Africans are right to feel frustrated and angry. At times like this, it can feel like there is no end in sight.
Yet, while load shedding appears to worsen, the reality is that we have already taken several important actions to address the shortfall in electricity supply.
Our immediate priority is to stabilise the electricity system. As the system recovers and generation capacity is restored, Eskom will be able to reduce load shedding to lower stages.
The agreement reached between Eskom and labour unions will enable critical repairs and return additional units to operation. The transmission line from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique has been restored, adding 600 MW to the grid, and Medupi Unit 6 returned to service on Saturday, adding another 720 MW. Additional units will come back online during the coming week, further easing the current shortfall.
At the same time, law enforcement agencies are working hard to tackle sabotage, theft and fraud at Eskom to address the threat that these criminal actions pose to the electricity system.
In the end, the bottom line is that we need to add more capacity to the grid. This will create space for Eskom to undertake critical maintenance and increase the reliability of its fleet. It will also create a buffer so that even if several units experience breakdowns at once, other sources can be used.
One of the first steps I took in 2018 was to revive the renewable energy procurement programme. In addition to the procurement of new generation capacity through this programme, the increase of the licensing threshold for new generation projects to 100 MW means that private investors do not require a license to build generation facilities up to this size. This simple reform has unlocked a massive potential pipeline of investment.
Eskom has made land available next to existing power stations for private investment in renewable energy projects. Design modifications have been completed to improve the performance of Medupi units 1, 2 and 3 and are underway in units 5 and 6.
While these actions are significant and will bear fruit over the coming months, they are clearly not enough to address the crisis that we face.
What the past two weeks have demonstrated is that we need to do more and do so with the utmost urgency.
There is no reason why a country like ours – with the skills, capabilities and resources we have at our disposal – should have to endure a shortage of electricity.
Over the past two weeks, we have been working with the relevant Ministers and senior officials on a range of additional measures to accelerate all efforts to increase our electricity supply. The message is clear: this is no time for business as usual. We need to act boldly to make load shedding a thing of the past.
While the measures we have already taken will secure the supply of reliable and affordable electricity into the future, we have been looking at what additional measures we can take now to bring that goal closer.
We will soon be completing the detailed work and consultations needed to finalise these further measures. We will then, in the coming days, be able to announce a comprehensive set of actions to achieve much faster progress in tackling load shedding.
There are no easy solutions to our electricity crisis. But we are committed and determined to explore every avenue and use every opportunity to ensure that we generate enough electricity to meet the country’s needs.
With best regards,
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Monday, 27 June 2022
A MOMENTOUS WEEK THAT PROMISES NEW BEGINNINGS
For most people in our country, last week was much like any other. As most of us went about our daily lives, we may have noticed, but not necessarily appreciated, two significant developments that will, in different ways, change our country.
Last week, the remaining COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, including limitations on gatherings, international travel and wearing masks in public. The decision to lift the restrictions was made in the light of a decline in daily cases, hospitalisations and reported deaths.
For the first time in over two years, the country does not have any COVID restrictions in place. In my first televised address to the nation on 15 March 2020, I said that we would overcome the deadly pandemic in our midst. I said that we would act decisively and that we would act together.
In the many difficult months that followed, my faith in the resilience and strength of the people of South Africa, and their ability to come together in times of crisis was reaffirmed, time and again.
While there was not much fanfare about the lifting of the last COVID-19 restrictions, there has been a tectonic shift in our national psyche. We are emerging from a great national trauma that caused untold damage, destruction and heartbreak.
And while the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly not over, and vigilance and the utmost caution is demanded of us all, there is a clear sense that we have endured.
Where many thought it would crumble, our health care system survived. It served our nation well by providing care, saving lives and vaccinating millions. We owe an eternal debt to the courage and dedication of the health workers and many other people on the frontlines of the pandemic.
The heroism of every South African has enabled us to weather the storm. And it is the same resilience and fortitude that will enable us to forge ahead with the difficult task of reconstruction and recovery.
With the restrictions lifted, the responsibility for preventing a resurgence of the disease now rests with each of us. It requires that we act sensibly, understand the risks and do what we can to minimise them.
In the same week as the restrictions were lifted, the work of the State Capture Commission drew to a close, and its final report was handed over to the President.
The state capture era was a different kind of national trauma.
Its damage extended beyond the ransacking of the public purse, the attempted destruction of our public institutions and the grand corruption that robbed the South African people of what was rightfully theirs. It was also a betrayal of the values of our Constitution, and of the principles upon which our democracy was founded.
The immoral, unethical and criminal behaviour of self-serving individuals in positions of authority undermined the confidence of the people in the leaders and institutions that are meant to serve them. This has created a trust gap that will take some time to close.
But as has been the case with the pandemic, the people of South Africa have rallied together to wage war against graft and corruption.
The State Capture Commission was able to conduct its work because of the activism of South Africans from all walks of life who made submissions and gave evidence, who acted as whistle-blowers and who uncovered and reported on wrongdoing.
Just as our health care and other frontline personnel are lauded for their bravery, all who were instrumental in shining a light on the corrupt activities eating away at the heart of the state are to be commended for their heroism and patriotism.
Realising a South Africa of full freedom, equality, peace and common prosperity demands that we each play our part.
Having now known what happened and who was involved, our work begins in earnest. We must ensure there is redress, justice and accountability, and that such a shameful period never happens again.
Though they are unrelated, the pandemic and state capture were grave crises in our national life.
Yet in crisis lies opportunity. We should emerge from these experiences more determined and better equipped to rebuild anew.
We now have an opportunity to make a decisive break with the excesses of the past by building a society free of corruption and a state rooted in ethics, professionalism and capability that truly serves the South African people.
We also have an opportunity to reconstruct a society that is more inclusive, more humane, founded in equal opportunity for all, and that protects the most vulnerable.
As much as we did not take to the streets and celebrate last week, it was a momentous few days for our nation. It should remind us of how far we have come and that we need to continue to act and work together if we are to realise the better future that we all seek.
With best regards,
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Just over a week ago, in the early hours of a Sunday morning, families in the township of Scenery Park outside East London, received news that every parent prays they never get to hear.
They were told that 21 of their children had been found dead, in a tavern. The youngest child was only 13 years old.
The police investigation into the tragedy is proceeding apace. Flowing from the investigations, the Buffalo City Metro is looking into whether the tavern violated any municipal regulations.
As we prepare to lay these young people to rest this week, our thoughts and prayers are with the families who are struggling to come to terms with this unspeakable horror.
We commend the Eastern Cape provincial government for assisting the affected families, as well as AVBOB that has pledged to assist the families with the burials.
Even as the relevant authorities deconstruct what happened to ensure there is justice for the victims, there is a conversation we do need to have as a country. It is the problem of under-age drinking.
The footage and images posted online of the so-called ‘pens down’ party at the venue that night show revelling youngsters clutching bottles of alcohol. Many of those in the images look barely out of their teens.
A number of young people from Scenery Park have told the media of having seen a post circulated on social media, offering free rounds of alcohol to all who attended the event that night.
The increased social acceptability of young people drinking alcohol has become a serious problem in a country where the majority of the drinking population are already classified by the World Health Organization as binge drinkers.
Alcohol use amongst adolescents is associated with impaired function, absenteeism from learning, alcohol-related injuries, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and risky behaviour.
We must come together to combat this vice that is robbing our young people of the best years of their lives, and making them susceptible to alcohol addiction.
As families it means having open and frank conversations about alcohol and setting boundaries. Children under the age of 18 consuming alcohol is against the law.
As adults we should refrain from practices such as sending minors to buy alcohol for us or capitulating to requests to buy these young people alcohol.
It is not the first time we have been confronted with tragic events such as what happened in Scenery Park last week.
A common denominator between Enyobeni tavern, the Throb nightclub disaster in Durban in 2000, and the Osi’s tavern tragedy in Khayelitsha in 2015, is that these establishments were selling liquor to minors.
The proliferation of establishments openly flouting the law points to failings on the part of authorities to enforce regulations.
Under the National Liquor Act, owners of establishments with liquor licenses may not sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. They must also take reasonable steps to ensure anyone they are selling alcohol to is of age.
We call on communities to work with authorities to ensure that taverns, shebeens, entertainment venues and outlets breaking the law face the consequences.
We call upon our police to step up the enforcement of laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol close to schools and enhance monitoring of outlets to ensure alcohol is not being sold to minors.
Another reality is that alcohol is a form of escapism for young people in communities were opportunities for safe and age-appropriate recreation are few.
The Scenery Park community has pointed to the lack of sports, learning and other developmental facilities for young people, leading them to resort to ‘tavern hopping’.
In the wake of the tragedy, the community has pointed out that there are no viable sports grounds, community libraries or youth centers in Scenery Park.
As government at national, provincial and local level we need to respond to the pleas of this community and those of other communities by developing more recreational spaces, facilities, programmes, and projects for our young people in disadvantaged areas in the province.
Other social partners such as the business community should also assist with sponsorship.
As communities we must work with our Community Policing Forums, with our civics organizations and with our school governing bodies and play a more active role in the lives of our children and in ensuring their safety and well-being.
As they say in our African indigenous classics “it takes a community to raise a child”.
Let us work together to protect our precious future generation from the ravages of alcohol and drug abuse and their effects.
Let us work together to ensure that those who put profit before the lives of our children are not allowed to operate.
Let us also set a positive example in our own relationship with alcohol.
Let us be keepers of not just our own children, but our neighbours’ children as well.
With best regards,
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
Monday, 20 June 2022
BRICS PARTNERSHIP HAS GREAT VALUE FOR SOUTH AFRICA
Later this week, I will join the leaders of China, Brazil, Russia and India at the 14th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, which will be hosted virtually by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The value of South Africa’s membership of BRICS has grown substantially since we joined this group of emerging economies 12 years ago. As we work to rebuild our country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is much to be gained from our participation in BRICS and the relationships we have established with other member countries.
At the outset, BRICS countries identified the strengthening of economic and financial ties as one of the key pillars of its cooperation. The countries have adopted the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership to increase access to each other’s markets, promote mutual trade and investment and create a business-friendly environment for investors in all BRICS countries. An important part of this strategy, particularly for South Africa, is to diversify trade so that more manufactured goods, rather than raw commodities, are traded.
Last year, over 17% of South Africa’s exports were destined for other BRICS countries, while over 29% of our total imports came from these countries. These countries are therefore significant trading partners, and the value of this trade is continuing to grow. Total South African trade with other BRICS countries reached R702 billion in 2021 up from R487 billion in 2017.
At a time when we are focused on improving the capacity and competitiveness of our economy, these trade linkages will prove vital to the growth of local industry. There is therefore a direct relationship between, on the one hand, our reforms in energy, telecommunications and transport, our investment in infrastructure and our efforts to reduce red tape, and, on the other hand, the work underway to increase exports to our BRICS partners. These reforms are also important for encouraging greater investment from BRICS countries into our economy.
One area with great potential is tourism, which has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourists from other BRICS countries accounted for 65% of all arrivals in South Africa in 2018, and these markets will therefore be expected to make an important contribution to the recovery of this sector. It is therefore significant that visitors from India and China can now make use of our new eVisa programme to make it easier and less costly to visit our country.
As we mobilise financing from different sources to fund our ambitious infrastructure build programme, we expect the New Development Bank – also known as the BRICS Bank – to play an important role in providing financial and project preparation support for infrastructure and sustainable development projects. South Africa has already received $5.4 billion, currently worth around R86 billion, from the New Development Bank to improve service delivery in critical areas. The Bank also demonstrated its flexibility in rapidly approving $2 billion for each BRICS member under the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Programme to fund the fight against the pandemic and to support our economic recovery.
Alongside the engagements between governments, the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance are building ties between our respective business communities. They have been looking at the development of sectors such as agribusiness, aviation, financial services, energy, manufacturing and infrastructure, while also improving regulatory environments and developing skills.
The collaboration among BRICS members in the area of health and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in particular has placed South Africa in a better position to respond effectively to the current and future health emergencies. After several years of planning, the virtual BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre was launched in March. This centre will enable BRICS countries to engage in joint vaccine research, development and co-production. It will contribute to the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, strengthen health systems and help our countries to respond to future pandemics.
We see the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre as a valuable development in our efforts to strengthen vaccine manufacturing capacity in South Africa and on the African continent more broadly. We will be calling on our BRICS partners to support the principle that vaccines destined for Africa should be produced on the continent.
Earlier this month, the BRICS Ministers of Agriculture, adopted a BRICS Strategy on Food Security Cooperation. This is especially important as concerns grow around food security in the wake of COVID-19, the conflict in Ukraine and the increasing effects of climate change. The strategy aims to maintain sustainable agriculture production, unhindered supply of seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs, access to markets and stable functioning of food value chains.
More broadly, this week’s summit aims to usher in a new era for global development that is more inclusive, sustainable and fair. Through the reform of the multilateral system, including the United Nations, and by refocusing the attention and resources of the global community on the sustainable development agenda, the BRICS group can support a sustained and equitable global recovery.
The BRICS Leaders’ Summit is a valuable platform for South Africa to strengthen ties with its partner countries in support of our own growth and employment creation. More than that, the summit is our opportunity to contribute to a better world, in which all countries have a better chance to recover from this pandemic and to flourish.
With best regards,
President Cyril Ramaphosa