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| PRESIDENT ZUMA SENDS CONDOLENCES TO TURKEY FOLLOWING DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK |
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| President Zuma added that: "The Government and people of South Africa extend deepest condolences to the Government and people of Turkey and especially to the families of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery." |
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President Jacob Zuma has, on behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, sent a message of condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Government and people of the Republic of Turkey, following a deadly attack that took place on 20 August 2016, at a Kurdish wedding party in the city of Gaziantep, which left over 50 people dead and dozens injured.
President Zuma said: "The South African Government condemns in the strongest terms the deadly attack against innocent civilians in Gaziantep, in south-eastern Turkey. Terrorism in any form and from whichever quarter cannot be condoned. South Africa stands firmly with the international community in condemning all terrorism. We will continue to support regional and international efforts to address the scourge of terrorism in all its forms." |
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| NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NDP) BRAND IDENTITY LAUNCHED |
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| In 2012, Cabinet adopted the NDP, which is a long-term vision and plan for the country. It serves as a blueprint for the work that needs to be done to achieve a prosperous society for South Africa in 20 years’ time. The core priorities of the NDP are to reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality. |
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The Minister in The Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, Jeff Radebe, recently launched the NDP Brand Identity.
“We need to build on the gains made by mobilising the private sector and other social partners to play a stronger role in moving our country forward. We need all sectors of society – business, labour and civil society – to play their part in advancing the South African economy by highlighting the implementation of the NDP”, said Minister Radebe.
The Brand Identity will mobilise and actively engage citizens on the NDP and it will ensure a uniform communication approach across all spheres of government, implementing agencies and social partners championing the NDP. |
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| DEPUTY MINISTER LANDERS DELIVERS OPENING REMARKS AT THE 16TH ANNUAL REGIONAL SEMINAR ON INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW |
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| The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is hosting the 16th Annual Regional Seminar on International Humanitarian Law from 23 to 26 August 2016 in Pretoria under the theme: “Protection of Persons and Property in Times of Armed Conflict.” |
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Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Luwellyn Landers, said that South Africa remained grateful to the ICRC for their continued commitment to preserve human lives, dignity and well-being.
“It is common knowledge that the ICRC leaves no stone unturned in their quest to reach people who are yearning for humanitarian assistance and relief. They have a reach in places which most governments’ apparatus find it difficult to discharge their responsibilities of alleviating the pain and suffering of those in distress.
“The ICRC is a worthy international partner which continues to contribute to the development and implementation of international mechanisms and frameworks for effective humanitarian assistance to people that are negatively affected by war and armed conflicts, particularly women and children.
“I can confidently say that your work complements our foreign policy in pursuit of a Pan-Africanist vision. This vision enjoins us to create a peaceful, stable and prosperous continent as well as working towards a just, fair and equitable world order. Thus in Africa, the ICRC contributes in part to effective implementation of the African Union (AU)’s Peace and Security Architecture in order to create conducive conditions for sustainable development".
Deputy Minister Landers said that the occasion provided an important platform for us to reflect on the progress made in ensuring compliance with International Human Rights Law in Africa and most importantly, to identify inhibiting factors with a view to address them. Broadly, it presents an opportunity to enhance our collaborative cooperation to promote and protect human rights in Africa and the world.
“The changing nature of conflict has not made our work any easier. Thus, the emergence of intra-state conflicts has resulted in loss of lives and unprecedented movements of people across national borders. In Africa, this phenomenon threatens to reverse the gains recorded since the early 1990s in realising the ideal of entrenching democracy and good governance.
“In this new era of violent extremism, the historical sanctity of aid workers, medical personnel and hospitals no longer stands. Our historical, heritage and cultural property continues to be indiscriminately decimated.
“It is encouraging that more United Nations (UN) member states have ratified the Geneva Convention and some of the related protocols. However, discrepancies in observing and implementing these international instruments tend to be disappointingly conspicuous.
"In this regard, I must underscore what was reaffirmed during the 32nd International Conference of the ICRC in December 2015, that International Humanitarian Law, remains a sacrosanct body of law, which is an internationally legally binding instrument. Furthermore, South Africa highlighted the view that high contracting parties should make stronger commitments to compliance and monitoring mechanisms.
“The access for humanitarian workers to people in distress in conflict areas remains a challenge and a course for concern. We need to continue working within the collective of the UN, particularly its Security Council to ensure unfettered access for humanitarian workers. Thus, humanitarian workers’ security needs to be prioritised. Otherwise, this insecurity will persistently inhibit our efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to helpless people. Simply put, peacekeepers and humanitarian workers are exposed to the same fate faced by those they are trying to protect. It is therefore important that we continue supporting the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Safety and Security of Humanitarian Personnel.” |
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| TRADE AND INDUSTRY ON BIGGEST AUTOMOTIVE INVESTMENT IN AFRICA |
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| The BAIC investment is an outcome of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that was held in Johannesburg in December 2015, where South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma and Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping signed no less than 26 bilateral agreements valued at approximately R100 billion. |
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The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) has signed a historic R11-billion investment with the Beijing Automobile International Corporation (BAIC), the biggest automotive investment in Africa in the last 40 years.
The CDC, operator of the 11 500 hectares of the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), has successfully concluded a deal with BAIC of R11 billion for a completely knocked down (CKD) automotive manufacturing plant in the Coega Industrial Development Zone.
According to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, the investment is significant and deepens our economic relationship with China.
“The size of this investment demonstrates confidence by China and confidence in South Africa as an investment destination.
"The investment is strategic and is a major project in terms of our bilateral relationship and a key project supported by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Investment”, says Minister Davies.
He adds that the project positions the Eastern Cape as an automotive hub and has the potential of deepening the component supply chain, job creation and economic development.
The CDC, which celebrates 16 years of existence, has empowered growth and development through driving sustainable socio-economic development in the Eastern Cape and the country at large.
The Coega IDZ is strategically located adjacent to the deep water Port of Ngqura and a few kilometres away from PE Port – with a container, car, break-bulk and bulk terminals.
In addition, the CDC has easy access to the rail, road, air and sea network as it is linked to all major in-land road transport routes. The Coega IDZ’s infrastructure is relatively new when compared to older municipal infrastructure and other IDZs in the country.
The CDC has achieved results that have not been seen before by any other IDZ in southern Africa; where in the last four years, the organisation has attracted and signed 54 new investors with a combined investment value of R31,93 billion. |
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| LOCAL COMPANIES TO PROMOTE SA IN MOZAMBIQUE |
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| The trade fair, commonly known as FACIM, is an international multisectoral fair held annually to showcase Mozambique as an attractive destination for trade and investment. |
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South African companies will participate in the 52nd edition of the Maputo International Trade Fair next week, said the Department of Trade and Industry (dti).
Twenty-seven local companies are set to participate in the fair that takes place in the Mozambican capital from 29 August to 4 September.
According to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, FACIM will expose South African companies to trade and investment opportunities available in Mozambique and other countries participating in the exhibition.
“The dti is striving to facilitate economic development through promoting outward investment, intra-Africa trade, regional industrialisation and infrastructure development within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and the rest of Africa. FACIM will be a good platform to promote South African manufactured products in the Mozambican market and beyond,” said Minister Davies.
Last year, the trade fair attracted 680 foreign companies, compared to 651 foreign companies in 2014. Thirty-one countries participated in the trade fair last year, compared to 26 countries in 2014. Foreign countries that participated in FACIM 2015 include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Germany, Brazil, Italy, France, Spain, Macau, Indonesia and the Netherlands.
The participation of South African companies in the popular fair is through the dti’s Export Marketing and Investment Assistance scheme. The objective of the scheme is to develop export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country. |
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| EUROPEAN UNION (EU) ECONOMIC TRADE AGREEMENTS EXCITE COMMITTEE |
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| The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) recently briefed Parliament on the new economic trade agreements with the EU. The briefing came as Great Britain, South Africa’s major trading partner in the EU, voted in June to leave the EU. |
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The Select Committee on Trade and International Relations has called on government and the private sector to capitalise on the new economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the EU.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Eddie Makue, said the potential for value-added products in the manufacturing sector was large and should be properly harnessed to benefit the regional economy.
“The trade that South Africa does with EU members presents immeasurable opportunities for a growing and developmental economy such as ours. Total trade between South Africa and the EU increased from R374 billion in 2011 to R536 billion in 2015, an increase of 43%. South African exports to the EU increased from R151 billion in 2011 to R216 billion in 2015,” Makue said.
Makue said internal dynamics of the EU had changed very little for South Africa and that the country should exploit trade benefits as much as possible. The EU remains South Africa's main trading partner.
“The days of exporting our raw materials are long gone. If exports happen, there must be value addition benefitting South Africa’s economic growth. The country should move to empowering our workers (and youth, in particular) through beneficiation and a thriving manufacturing sector. That will not only contribute to job creation, but also the up-skilling of our youth,” he said.
Makue said that trade benefits as a result of the EPA should also benefit the Southern African Development Community region, as a stable regional economy. |
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| DEPUTY MINISTER MANANA OFFICIATES AT SEND-OFF RECEPTION FOR JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES |
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| These skills will contribute towards the development of industries in South Africa and expand on business links with Japan. |
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The Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mduduzi Manana, officiated at the send-off reception for 41 scholarship awardees of the African Business Education initiative of the Government of Japan, on 22 August 2016, at the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria.
The scholarship recipients will depart for Japan during August and September to pursue Master's degrees in various fields, including engineering, business and economics. Upon completion of their Master’s degrees, scholarship recipients will spend up to six months undertaking an internship programme for experiential learning at Japanese companies before returning to South Africa. |
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| WITS UNIVERSITY RATED FIRST IN AFRICA AND IN TOP ONE PER CENT GLOBALLY |
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| More than 1 200 universities are ranked by ARWU each year, and the best 500 are published. |
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The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa, has leaped into the top position of all universities in Africa in the latest Shanghai rankings.
According to Wits, the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) – otherwise known as the Shanghai rankings – places Wits among the top one per cent of all universities in the world, and just outside the top 200.
“At Wits, our research output has increased substantially in the last few years. Noting though that this achievement is a culmination of work done over many years by our researchers,” said Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research at Wits.
Vilakazi commended the universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and KwaZulu-Natal which were each ranked among the top 500 universities in the world in the prestigious rankings, adding it shows the strength of the South African higher education system.
“Our research output as a country is at one of its highest levels to date, and this bears testament to the high quality of research emanating from South Africa,” he said.
Vilakazi added that rankings were only one indicator and didn’t solely determine the quality of education at universities, and that focus needed to be on research and teaching.
Harvard University in the United States of America (USA) reclaimed its ranking as the world’s number one university. The top 18 universities are all in the USA and United Kingdom, with number 19 being in Switzerland (Swiss Fed Inst Tech – Zurich) and number 20 being Tokyo University in Japan. – Source: www.sapeople.com |
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| THE BIG WINNERS AT THE LOERIES AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST AWARDS |
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| There were eight coveted Grand Prix winners with Nando's the big winner of the awards scooping two. |
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Loeries Creative Week 2016 drew to a close on 21 August at the Durban International Convention Centre, honouring the best creative work in Africa and the Middle East.
A total of 316 awards were handed out to leaders in the brand communications industry in a two-day ceremony. The winners were selected from 3 112 entries from 22 countries across the Africa and the Middle East region.
Included in the special awards, the head of Facebook Africa, Nunu Ntshingila-Njeke, became the first woman inducted into the Loeries Hall of Fame and Yegs Ramiah, Chief Executive of Brand at Sanlam and Santam, was given the Marketing Leadership & Innovation Award. – Source: www.ewn.co.za |
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| SPIRIT OF KROTOA RETURNED TO THE CASTLE OF GOOD HOPE |
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| “It is my wish that all of us, and young women in particular, make it a point to learn from this incredible resilient woman whose true account of her life was never told.” |
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Traditional and religious leaders gathered in Cape Town recently to celebrate the life of Krotoa, a Khoi woman who was an instrumental interpreter and negotiator alongside Jan van Riebeeck.
Gathered around a tree at the Groote Kerk, they burned an incense plant and beckoned for her soul to rise from the unmarked grave where her bones had been held. Her remains had been removed from the grounds of the Castle of Good Hope, nearly a century after she was buried there.
On 19 August, some of her descendants returned with her spirit to the castle. This coincided with the 350th commemoration of the castle and a Women’s Day military parade.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, custodian of the castle, first laid a wreath at the church and then at the castle. She unveiled a wooden bench in Krotoa’s honour and addressed the crowd on the Khoi woman’s struggle.
Krotoa, still a child, worked as a servant in Van Riebeeck’s household. Fluent in Dutch, English and Portuguese, she was said to be instrumental in working out terms for ending the first Dutch-Khoi war in the Cape. She was baptised, given the name Eva and married off to Danish surgeon Pieter van Meerhof.
He was killed in a slave hunt in Madagascar and when Krotoa returned to the Dutch Colony to reclaim her status, she was declined. She was later banished to Robben Island and her children sent to Mauritius.
“Her life depicts pretty much the example of millions of women in our country, but Krotoa didn’t wallow in self-doubt and rose to distinguish herself as a pioneer,” said Minister Mapisa-Nqakula.
A process is underway to have the castle listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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| FIRST FREE ROAMING LION CUBS BORN IN MOUNTAIN ZEBRA PARK IN OVER A CENTURY |
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| The decision to re-introduce lion into Mountain Zebra National Park is in keeping with South African National Parks’ policy to reintroduce wildlife species which would have occurred in an area before hunting or habitat loss forced them to local extinction. |
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The first litter of free roaming lion cubs in the area in over 130 years has been born in the Mountain Zebra National Park outside Cradock in the Eastern Cape.
The birth of the cubs comes after the successful re-introduction of two male lions into the 28 000-ha park in April 2013, followed by two females in October last year.
Rangers suspected that the lioness might have given birth after data from her tracking collar showed regular movement to and from a secluded spot on a steep mountain slope.
Park Manager, Megan Taplin, says it would appear as if the three cubs were about two months old.
“We are very excited by the arrival of the cubs. This is an historic occasion in the park’s existence, as it is the first time cubs have been born here. It is still too early to tell their genders, though,” she says.
Since their arrival, the four lion have occupied the niche of the large predator in the ecosystem, keeping the numbers of larger herbivores in the park in check.
The two males were brought in from the Welgevonden Game Reserve in Limpopo, while the lionesses were a donation from the Kwandwe Private Game Reserve near Grahamstown.
“Apart from their biodiversity value, the introduction of the lion has also added to Mountain Zebra’s tourism value, offering visitors a new species to look out for in the park. Now, they can also keep their eyes peeled for the three offspring,” said Taplin. – Source: www.sapeople.com |
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| TEAM SA DOES COUNTRY PROUD |
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| Rio 2016 has been a memorable year for Team South Africa, as it ended with 10 medals, which tied them with the most medals won in an Olympic tournament, matching the 10 won in 1920 in Antwerp and 1952 in Helsinki. |
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At the end of the Rio Games, South Africa ended 29th on the medal table with two golds, six silvers and two bronze medals.
South Africa's most successful sporting code was athletics, with four medals, while swimming came second with three.
Medal winners included:
- Cameron van der Burgh: Silver in the men's 100-m breaststroke
- Chad le Clos: Silver in the men's 200-m freestyle
- Lawrence Brittain and Shaun Keeling: Silver in the men's coxless pair
- Blitzboks: Bronze in the men's rugby sevens tournament
- Chad le Clos: Silver in the men's 100-m butterfly
- Luvo Manyonga: Silver in the men's long jump
- Wayde van Niekerk: Gold in the men's 400m
- Sunette Viljoen: Silver in the women's javelin throw
- Henri Schoeman: Bronze in the men's triathlon
- Caster Semenya: Gold in the women's 800m.
– Source: www.news24.co.za |
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