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| PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA CONGRATULATES THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF ZIMBABWE |
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| President of the Republic of South Africa and the Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Cyril Ramaphosa, has called and congratulated Emmerson Mnangagwa on his election as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, following elections held on 30 July 2018. |
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In this regard, President Ramaphosa has appealed to all political leaders and the people of Zimbabwe to accept the outcome of the election and should they have challenges, they must follow legal remedies provided for in the Constitution and electoral law.
President Ramaphosa also congratulated the people of Zimbabwe for conducting a peaceful election as declared by the SADC Election Observation Mission and other election observer missions.
President Ramaphosa also expressed his concern about the violence that occurred on 1 August, which resulted in the tragic death of six people. In this regard, President Ramaphosa has conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured speedy recovery.
President Ramaphosa concluded his phone call by expressing his commitment to working closely with President-elect Mnangagwa to enhance the historical, political and fraternal relations which exist between South Africa and Zimbabwe, with particular emphasis on strengthening economic cooperation in priority areas as mutually identified by the two countries. |
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| PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA CONVEYS CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF ACCLAIMED ACTOR-PLAYWRIGHT WINSTON NTSHONA |
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| President Cyril Ramaphosa has joined the creative sector and audiences in South Africa and beyond in paying tribute to the widely acclaimed and uniquely talented actor and playwright, Winston Ntshona, who passed away on 2 August 2018. |
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President Ramaphosa has extended his heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, colleagues and comrades of Mr Ntshona, who will be remembered for his immeasurable contribution to the creative industry and performance art in particular, which he leveraged as a platform of resistance against apartheid.
In 2010, he was awarded the National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his excellent contribution to theatre and the arts scene in South Africa. His shining gifts in performance art were widely appreciated when he collaborated with his peers – the equally celebrated John Kani and Athol Fugard – in the political dramas Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island.
Mr Ntshona was a protest theatre stalwart who captivated audiences globally and earned a prestigious Tony Award for Best Actor from the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League in recognition of his exceptional perfomances.
President Ramaphosa said: “We are saddened by the loss of a leading light in our creative sector; one who caused us in the audience to focus attention on his compelling performance, while he caused us to reflect on ourselves and the human condition.
“Winston Ntshona is a one-of-a-kind, one-in-a-generation artist whose impact on our world today is inscribed on South Africa’s history for generations that follow to draw lessons from and uplift our nation as he has done in his lifetime. Our hearts are heavy as a towering tree of knowledge has fallen, and yet we are comforted to know that his work will continue through those he helped shape in instilling social consciousness through arts and culture. May his soul rest in peace.” |
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| BRICS SUMMIT HAILED AS A HUGE SUCCESS |
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| The 10th Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Summit, which took place in Johannesburg from 25 to 27 July, has been hailed as a huge success by President Cyril Ramaphosa. |
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“We have come to the end of the BRICS Summit, which has been hugely successful. We, as South Africa, are very pleased with the way the BRICS Summit succeeded in achieving the many objectives we had in mind. It was one of the most well-organised summits as articulated by the Heads of State from the BRICS countries,” President Ramaphosa said at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Friday evening, 27 July.
The three-day summit brought together leaders who represent 40% of the world’s population and 22% of the world’s gross domestic product.
Among the positions taken, President Ramaphosa said the BRICS grouping took a fairly firm stance against protectionism and “felt the need to do everything to protect the multilateral system which is now under attack”.
Commitment to the multilateral trading system was re-affirmed by the bloc, which spoke against protectionism and called for openness and multilateralism.
“We confirmed our commitment to the World Trade Organisation, as the most effective mechanism available to ensure that a rules-based transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system,” said President Ramaphosa.
Agreements signed
President Ramaphosa said the 2018 summit was proof that BRICS was not merely a talk shop but a forum that took clear decisive decisions to better their nations as a collective.
On day two of the summit, BRICS leaders signed the Johannesburg Declaration, which among others, supports an open and inclusive multilateral trading system.
In addition, two agreements were signed, one on environmental cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on a regional aviation partnership among the BRICS countries.
The summit agreed on the establishment of a BRICS Women’s Forum, vaccine centre to be based in South Africa and a tourism track to promote people-to-people cooperation.
In furthering people-to-people cooperation, President Ramaphosa said the BRICS member-states envisioned the establishment of BRICS iterations in the areas of culture, arts and sports.
BRICS Outreach
As part of BRICS Outreach as informed by the 2011 Sanya Declaration, leaders from the five countries committed to expand their cooperation and partnerships to non-BRICS countries. In line with this, a BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS-Plus sessions were held on Friday.
President Ramaphosa said South Africa, which took a stance to be truly representative of Africa in BRICS, achieved this objective during the course of the 2018 summit.
“When we took up our membership in BRICS, we felt that we were representing the African continent and that that we would use our participation in BRICS as leverage for the African continent and advocate for the development and progress of the African continent.
“This time around, we achieve that in more than one way as various countries were able to network and have bilateral meetings,” he said.
African Union Chair and Rwandan President Paul Kagame; Togo President and Chair of the Economic Community of West Africa States, Faure Gnassingbe; Angolan President Joao Lourenco; Ugandan President and Chair of the East African Community, Yoweri Museveni; and Namibia as Incoming Chair of the Southern African Development Community participated in the BRICS-Africa outreach session.
Meanwhile, Chair of the G20 and influential Common Market of the South, Mauricio Marci; Chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and President of Turkey, Recep Erdogan; and United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, took part in the BRICS-Plus session on Friday, 27 July.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| CONDOLENCES ON PASSING OF PROF. MAYOSI |
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| President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended his condolences on the passing of renowned South African cardiologist Professor Bongani Mayosi who died on Friday, 27 July 2018. |
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Professor Mayosi was the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town and an A-rated National Research Foundation researcher.
Professor Mayosi was also honoured with the Order of Mapungubwe in Silver for his achievements in the international arena which have served South Africa's interests. National Orders are the highest awards that the country, through its President, bestows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals.
“His death is indeed an enormous loss not only to his family but to the country as a whole. On behalf of government and South Africans as a whole, we convey our most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and relatives, and the health science fraternity. May his soul rest in peace,” President Ramaphosa said. |
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| MINISTER SISULU HOSTS MONTHLY MEDIA ENGAGEMENT |
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| The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Lindiwe Sisulu, on 2 August 2018, addressed members of the media on the recently-held 10th BRICS Summit as well continental and international issues. |
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South Africa hosted the 10th BRICS Summit from 25 to 27 July 2018 under the theme: “BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution”. The summit resulted in the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration and a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) being signed.
The media briefing formed part of the Minister’s commitment to continuously engage members of the press, academics and analysts on South Africa’s foreign policy priorities and programmes.
Focussing on the BRICS Summit, Minister Sisulu said it was a very important summit and took place against the onslought against multilaterism and some countries withdrawing from long-standing commitments.
“The summit was an occasion for the BRICS leaders to be at the centre of shaping a new global order and centralising a new world order with the United Nations (UN) at the apex.
“The following agreements were signed by all five BRICS member states:
- MoU on Environment
- MoU on BRICS Regional Aviation Partnership
- Agreement for Establishment of the Regional Office of the New Development Bank for the Americas in the City of Sȃo Paulo, Brazil.
“A series of bilateral agreements were also signed. These include the:
- MoU between South Africa and India on the Setting Up of the Gandhi-Mandela Centre of Specialisation for Artisan Skills. The objective of the MoU is the desire of the Indian Government to establish the Gandhi-Mandela Skills Training Institute as a contribution to the South African Technical and Vocational Education and Training system. The MoU provides, among other things, for the training of South African personnel in India and the training of facilitators by Indian experts in South Africa.
- MoU between the Indian Space Research Organsiation and the South African National Space Agency on Cooperation in the Exploration and Uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. The aim of this MoU is to promote the development of partnerships in the field of exploration of the outer space and the application of space technologies for the benefit of the people of both countries and to preserve the outer space for peaceful purposes open to wide international cooperation.
- MoU between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India and the Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa, on Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Education. The objective of the MoU is for both councils to coordinate and promote human resource development in the field of agriculture. Further to foster innovation through research and technology development in order to support and develop the agricultural sectors both in South Africa and India.
“The Republic of South Africa and the Russian Federation also signed an agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture and a MoU of Understanding on Cooperation in Water Resource Management.
Minister Sisulu said that the main outcomes of the 10th BRICS Summit were informed by South Africa’s Chairship priorities, notably:
- Fourth Industrial Revolution: The leaders endorsed the establishment of a BRICS Working Group on the Fourth Industrial Revolution through the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) and its Advisory Group consisting of respective representatives of BRICS Ministries of Industry. The establishment of the BRICS Networks of Science Parks, Technology Business Incubators and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises was endorsed.
- Vaccine Centre: To address the common challenges in health through strengthening coordination and cooperation, a Vaccine Research Centre to be hosted in South Africa will be established.
- Peacekeeping: BRICS leaders recognised the importance of UN peacekeeping for the maintenance of international peace and security and the contribution of BRICS countries to UN Peacekeeping. They acknowledged the need to increase BRICS cooperation on this matter and recognised the South African initiative to create a BRICS Working Group on Peacekeeping.
- BRICS Working Group on Tourism: BRICS leaders welcomed the initiative to establish a BRICS Working Group on Tourism, in order to increase economic development and people-to-people relations to further grow intra-BRICS tourism.
- BRICS leaders supported the establishment of the BRICS Networks of Science Parks, Technology Business Incubators and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises."
Mediation support in the Kingdom of Lesotho
Focussing on Lesotho, Minister Sisulu said that former Deputy Chief Justice Moseneke had commenced with his duties as the leader of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Facilitation Team appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Justice Moseneke has held a series of meetings with relevant stakeholders, including with President Ramaphosa on 20 July 2018.
“Justice Moseneke will be assisted by three deputy ministers: Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Reginah Mhaule; the Deputy Minister of State Security, Ellen Molekane; and the Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Enver Surty.
“President Ramaphosa has expressed confidence in Justice Moseneke's ability to steer the parties in the Kingdom of Lesotho towards the implementation of SADC decisions relating to the stabilisation and consolidation of peace and democratic governance in the Kingdom. The strategic objective of the Facilitation Mission is to assist the Kingdom of Lesotho to undertake constitutional and security sector reforms.”
Upcoming SADC Summit in Namibia
“We are currently finalising our preparations for the SADC Summit to be held in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia. The SADC Council of Ministers is scheduled to meet from 13 to 14 August 2018, followed by the SADC Organ Troika Summit (Angola, Tanzania and Zambia) on 16 August 2018 and the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government from 17 to 18 August 2018. In his role as Outgoing Chair of SADC, President Ramaphosa will deliver a report to the summit, outlining the work of the regional body for the duration of South Africa’s tenure as Chair of SADC from August 2017 to August 2018.
“South Africa will hand over the SADC Chairship to the Republic of Namibia. During the summit, President Ramaphosa will also present a hand-over report on South Africa’s Chairship with a focus on the operationsalisation of its Chairship theme: ‘Partnering with the Private Sector in Developing Industry and Regional Value Chains’.
“As Chairperson of SADC, President Ramaphosa is, as customary, expected to deliver the 2018 SADC Day Message to be broadcasted through national television and radio stations across the region on 17 August 2018. In addition, the President will participate in the prize giving of the annual SADC Media Awards and SADC Secondary School Essay Competition. |
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“South Africa will remain a member of the SADC Troika as Outgoing Chair until August 2019.”
In conclusion, Minister Sisulu emphasised that South Africa would remain at the forefront in our region and in the rest of Africa to bring about lasting peace and stability and to usher in a new era of economic integration, growth and prosperity.
“At the same time, we will continue to play an active role through multilateral forums such as the UN with a view to amplifying the voice of developing and emerging market economies demanding urgent reforms of global financial and political governance institutions. We will do our best to keep you informed as we go about this daunting task.” |
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| DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR HOSTS LAST BRAZIL, RUSSIA, INDIA, CHINA AND SOUTH AFRICA (BRICS) LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT WORKING GROUP AND MINISTERIAL MEETINGS |
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| Following the successful hosting of the BRICS Labour and Employment Meeting in May this year in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, the Department of Labour is once again hosting the second and last BRICS Meeting as Chair from Monday to Friday at Fairmont Zimbali Hotel in Kwa-Dukuza, KwaZulu-Natal. |
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The meeting, held under the theme: “BRICS in Africa: Developing Countries for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, is under the direction of the Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, and the Department of Labour’s Director-General, Thobile Lamati, whom will respectively chair the Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting (LEMM) and the Labour and Employment Working Group (LEWG).
The LEWG took place from Monday, 30 July, to Wednesday, 1 August, as a precursor to the LEMM, which is scheduled for 2 to 3 August. The thematic areas are:
- enhancing and improving youth employment
- decent work and economic growth: women participation: equal pay for work of equal value
- deepening cooperation on social dialogue and tripartism
- previous commitments such as the change driven by technological, globalisation, demographics, social values and the changing of personal expectations of the workforce.
As part of the BRICS Outreach Programme, the Southern African Development Community troika member states are attending as well as international technical partners, namely, the International Labour Organisation and the International Social Security Agency. |
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| SA, RUSSIA SEEK WAYS TO PRESERVE PLATINUM VALUE |
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| South Africa and Russia have discussed various options to preserve the value of platinum, says Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe. |
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“We looked into various options that can be used to [utilise] platinum … different technologies that are being developed for the consumption of platinum. [Those are] the interventions on the demand side of platinum,” Minister Mantashe said.
South Africa accounts for almost 90% of global platinum reserves.
The Minister was addressing the media on Tuesday, 24 July 2018, in Johannesburg after his meeting with the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Kobylkin.
The meeting was part of the third South Africa-Russia Platinum Group Metals (PGM) Conference held at Mintek, Johannesburg.
The conference agreed on the need to increase the demand for PGMs and develop alternative uses of PGMs. This includes fuel cell technology, jewellery fabrication, as well as investment applications. The two countries also shared innovation in mineral processing, including South African technology in water and energy-efficient technologies being developed at Mintek.
Minister Mantashe said Mintek was conducting research on a number of alternative uses for platinum.
The Minister said he hoped that South Africa and Russia could work together in the promotion of PGMs internationally and that the two countries could cooperate in maintaining the value of PGMs.
“Let’s work together to protect platinum, increase its demand and ensure that we preserve a good price for platinum,” he said.
At the PGMs conference, South Africa and Russia recommitted themselves to the continued implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on PGMs.
The MoU was signed in 2013 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Durban and resulted in the creation of a Joint Working Group on PGMs between the two countries.
“In order to further sustain our mining, we must strengthen collaboration in the exploration and geological spheres. In this regard, we intend to partner with Russia in the area of airborne geophysics.
“In order to make a sustainable difference, we must make our MoU implementable, and continuously work to strengthen our partnership, including the exchange of knowledge and skills transfer,” Minister Mantashe said.
The two countries further engaged on risks to the growth and sustainable development of the sector, including the illicit trafficking of raw PGMs.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| SA, RUSSIA DEAL TO GROW NUCLEAR MEDICINE |
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| The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA) and Rusatom Healthcare, the healthcare division of Russian state-owned nuclear corporation, Rosatom, have signed an agreement on cooperation in the sphere of non-power-related uses of nuclear technology on the sidelines of the 10th BRICS Summit. |
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NECSA is recognised as a world leader in the production of nuclear medicine and exports these lifesaving radiopharmaceuticals to over 60 countries on a daily basis, with an annual turnover in excess of a billion rand.
The agreement, which is based on friendly relations between the two countries, aims to explore the full potential of deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in the sphere of innovation and technological development related to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
It further outlines a number of areas in which the parties intend to cooperate but does not create any rights or obligations under international or national law.
The main area of cooperation identified in the document is that of nuclear medicine and particularly cancer treatment in Africa and abroad.
“This is an exciting time for us; we have long been planning a massive expansion of our nuclear medicine operations and look forward to exploring these opportunities with our Russian counterparts,” said Dr Kelvin Kemm, Chairperson of NECSA.
With this in mind and taking note of recent advancements in the sector, Rusatom Healthcare and NECSA are planning to partner in the construction of two innovative solution reactors in the territory of South Africa.
Solution reactors are small-scale and relatively inexpensive reactors that are designed specifically for the cost-effective production of nuclear medicine products.
The parties also plan to construct a commercial cyclotron in South Africa to further increase the production capacity of nuclear medicine in the region. A cyclotron is another cost-effective method of producing various radiopharmaceuticals.
“Both parties have a great deal of expertise in this sector and we believe that a combined effort will open up new markets and hasten new technological advancements in the sector. Nuclear medicine is rapidly expanding globally and plays a vitally important role in the early detection of cancers and other non-communicable diseases,” said Denis Cherednichenko, Director-General of Rusatom Healthcare.
Phumzile Tshelane, CEO of NECSA, highlighted the fact that the expansion of nuclear medicine and early detection of cancer were directly in line with the target set by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address earlier this year, to fight the dreaded disease.
“Nuclear medicine is the most effective method in the early detection of cancer. The earlier cancer is detected, the more likely it is to respond positively to treatment and this generally results in a greater probability of recovery,” he said.
Dr Kemm noted that the parties also intended to roll out cancer treatment centres across the African continent, South Africa and the Russian Federation.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| MANDELA RULES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS LAUNCHED |
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| Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Michael Masutha, says the unveiling of the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners will provide a useful guide of how offenders should be treated when in prison. |
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Minister Masutha said this when speaking at Drakenstein Correctional Centre, formerly known as Victor Verster Prison, in the Western Cape on Tuesday, 24 July 2018.
Drankenstein is the prison where the former President was put under house arrest after leaving Robben Island. It was a very politically sensitive era in the history of South African politics, which saw some of the negotiations to end apartheid being held at the facility where Mandela was incarcerated.
In an interview with SAnews shortly after the launch, Minister Masutha said the rules, which had come to be known as the Nelson Mandela Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, came with several interventions that ensured prisoners were treated in a humane way.
“The United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which is the reason we are gathered here today, were adopted in December 2015 by the United Nations as a revised version of the 1955 rules.
“[They] set the minimum standards on how prisoners around the world should be treated in terms of their access to nutrition and healthcare; incarceration under humane conditions; and to access a whole lot of rights, which fortunately for us as country, are already covered in our law and in particular in our Constitution,” he said.
The event was also attended by, among others, Corrections Deputy Minister, Thabang Makwetla; the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shaun Abrahams; and Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
Earlier this year, Minister Masutha announced that as part of commemorating the centenary of the world icon’s birthday, the department would launch the rules at the prison where Madiba was eventually released on 11 February 1990.
Previously acknowledged as the Standard Minimum Rules (SMRs) for the Treatment of Prisoners, the rules were first adopted in 1955. In 2015, they were revised to accommodate recent advances in correctional services and best practices, and were adopted as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
The United Nations member states recognised that the SMRs were outdated and did not reflect major human rights and criminal justice developments since their adoption in 1955.
“As South Africa, we are pleased to have hosted the workshop that led to the revision on Robben Island [of the rules] under the leadership of Judge President Mlambo.
“We thank him for the leadership he played at the time and as government, we are committed across the security, peace and stability cluster, that even though they are non-binding, they provide a very useful guide on how to ensure that the standards we uphold in this country are compatible and comparable to international standards,” Minister Masutha said.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| MARICO LISTED AS UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE |
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| Marico has been listed as a biosphere by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO). |
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The announcement of the listing was made at the 30th International Coordinating Council (ICC) Session of the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme sitting in Indonesia on Wednesday, 25 July 2018.
The announcement took place as part of the six-day sitting of UNESCO’s MAB Programme to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
MAB combines the natural and social sciences, economics and education to improve human livelihoods and the equitable sharing of benefits, and to safeguard natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate, and environmentally sustainable.
The North West Department of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development has been on an intensive process application to ensure the listing.
Speaking during the acceptance session, Department Head, Dr Poncho Mokaila, who was leading a South African delegation, said the road to secure the honour was not easy.
“The public engagement process, the development of the management plan and the compilation of the biosphere nomination dossier for the listing of the unique freshwater system was commissioned three years ago, but we had to use the lessons learnt from the Magaliesberg Biosphere nomination application to our advantage and to ensure that we get our facts right away,” Dr Mokaila highlighted.
Expressing her appreciation, Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development MEC, Manketsi Tlhape, said the current administration had made strides in rebranding and repositioning the province.
“This clearly reflects a society that has interpreted the vision of the administration so well and has lived up to the expectation of the communities,” Tlhape said.
Tlhape said the onus was now upon the Marico management body to ensure that the biosphere would reach its goal of maximising conservation of the natural environment, sustainable development, advancement of research programmes and social upliftment.
She also applauded and expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who supported the listing process, including landowners and communities for their dedication.
“Initiatives within the Biosphere Reserve will be driven by the local community and through a public participatory approach, using an integrated management plan,” Tlhape indicated.
The biosphere reserve has a remarkable aquifer which is visible through the clear, unpolluted mountain streams emanating from the area. A large majority of dolomitic “eyes” are located within the biosphere area.
These culminate in the formation of the Groot Marico River, which at its source can be described as the southern-most distributary of the Limpopo River, located on an international border.
Marico is an area of scenic beauty, unique natural features, rich natural and cultural heritage value and significant biodiversity of interest. This justified the need for its protection and sustainable utilisation, which led to the listing with the MAB Programme.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| MEC ALAN WINDE CONGRATULATES WESTERN CAPE FINALISTS IN THE WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS |
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| Cape Town and the Western Cape have dominated the World Travel Awards nominations for Africa, with dozens of tourism sites and facilities making the 2018 shortlist. |
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Cape Town International Airport is once again nominated for the top airport in Africa award, while the Cape Town Cruise Terminal features in the leading cruise port category. The Cape Town International Convention Centre is also in the running for the leading meetings and conferences venue in Africa.
Cape Town is shortlisted in the leading city category, as well as in the leading festival and events destination, and the meetings and conferences destination.
Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront are both in the running for the leading tourist attraction in Africa, in a category that also includes Mount Kilimanjaro and the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.
Several hotels and accommodation establishments across the Cape Town CBD, in the winelands and on the Garden Route are also shortlisted in the many accommodation categories.
Minister Winde said: “Tourism in the Western Cape has come under real pressure in the last year as a result of the drought, but the industry has worked phenomenally hard to save water and save important jobs. The fact that the Western Cape features in so many of the categories is testament to the hard work of the people in the industry and the excellent experiences and value that we offer to travellers.”
“I am pleased to see that both our airport and our cruise terminal have made the shortlist as this is often the very first experience people have of our city. I am also pleased to see accommodation establishments from the Cape Town CBD, Hermanus, Roberston, Paarl, George and Knysna all feature in the listings as this shows that excellence exists in tourism experiences across the province.”
The World Tourism Awards are based on a public vote, and members of the public, as well as representatives in the tourism industry are able to cast votes for the African categories until August 19.
Votes can be cast by registering on the World Tourism Awards website www.worldtourismawards.com/vote. |
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| NEW MADIBA STATUE UNVEILED AT CAPE TOWN CITY HALL |
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| The iconic moment in which Nelson Mandela gave his first speech as a free man in Cape Town in February 1990 has been captured forever in a new monument, which was unveiled at the City Hall recently. |
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At the Unveiling, which was attended by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, representatives of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and other dignitaries, the 1,95-metre bronze statue was revealed to the citizens of Cape Town.
It will now take pride of place on the same balcony where Nelson Mandela first addressed thousands of eager South Africans with the words: “Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans, I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all”.
At the unveiling, Premier Helen Zille said: “The best way to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela, is to ensure that we build an economy that creates opportunities for more citizens. This statue will form part of the new Madiba Legacy Tourism Route, which is expected to attract many more visitors to our region. The route begins at Robben Island, and moves through historic landmarks such as Parliament, before ending here at City Hall.”
Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, said: “Madiba standing on that balcony after 27 years in prison, symbolised the triumph of a generation of leaders who sacrificed everything for our freedom. That historic moment has now been captured in this life-sized monument. This is a fitting tribute to an extraordinary leader and will be a physical reminder to current and future generations of the sacrifices he made during the liberation struggle. May it also serve as a reminder that we must all strive to emulate his example of living in service to others for the betterment of our communities and country”.
The tender for the statue was awarded to Koketso Growth, headed up by Dali Tambo. They commissioned artists Barry Jackson and Xhanti Mpakama to complete the tribute.
Tambo said the process began with answering the question: “How do we recall that moment in time best?”
“We wanted it to be perfect, it’s going to be there for more than 300 years with some waxing and polishing, and so you want people, now and in the future, to be gifted by it, to remember that special moment. That moment in time was precious for the country and precious for him as he tasted freedom for the first time, and precious for the world as it signalled the end of apartheid. It’s a beautiful representation and the artists did very well,” he said.
The statue stands 1,95 metres tall and weighs 120 kilograms. It was cast in bronze at Sculpting Casting Services in Strand.
– Source: www.ewn.co.za |
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| SOUTH AFRICAN SEX WORK ACTIVIST HONOURED AT INTERNATIONAL AIDS 2018 CONFERENCE |
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| South African sex work activist, Duduzile “Dudu” Dlamini, was honoured at the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with a prize named after the late trailblazer Prudence Mabele, who was the first black woman to reveal her HIV status in South Africa. |
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Dlamini – a long-time advocate for the rights and health of sex workers, as well as founder of Mothers for the Future (M4F) – received the premiere Prudence Mabele Prize from the International AIDS Society (IAS) on Thursday, 26 July 2018.
M4F is a network which strives to reverse the factors that make sex workers and their families vulnerable to stigma, discrimination and HIV. Under Dlamini, it has grown from an informal support network into a powerful social welfare system for moms who are sex workers throughout South Africa.
Dlamini is also an ambassador for the Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS.
As part of her prize, she received a $25,000 cash award, the largest monetary prize ever given at an international AIDS conference. The new Prudence Mabele Prize aims to shine a global spotlight on the remarkable work of gender justic and health equity activists, said AIDS 2018 in a media release on their site.
“Duduzile (Dudu) Dlamini is helping change the future for sex workers in South Africa,” IAS President, Linda-Gail Bekker, said. “Her work truly embodies the values, spirit and activism of Prudence Mabele.”
In 1992, Mabele became the first black woman in South Africa to publicly reveal her HIV-positive status; and became a trailblazer for the rights of women and people living with HIV until her death in 2017. The new prize recognised and celebrated those who carry on the fight in her name, said AIDS 2018.
Dlamini said, “I am honoured to receive this recognition, named after a great South African activist who spoke truth to power, on behalf of all of the women and families we serve at M4F”.
AIDS 2018 was held from 23 to 27 July 2018, with the theme, “Breaking Barriers Building Bridges”.
– Source: www.sapeople.com |
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| 13-YEAR-OLD SOUTH AFRICAN GIRL BECOMES RECORD-BREAKING CHAMP IN CANADA |
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| A young teenage girl from George in South Africa has won hearts and broken records at the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships in Canada. |
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Thirteen-year-old Minke Janse van Rensburg from the Southern Cape – who was the youngest competitor at the competition – broke both Africa and World records at the competition.
According to SABC News Western Cape, the young South African won silver in the 25-m women’s butterfly race in a time of 22.58 seconds. She – and the 16-year old French winner – both broke the world record with their times.
On top of that, Minke’s time is a new Down Syndrome Junior Africa record.
That wasn’t all. According to the George Herald, Minke also won silver in the 25-m freestyle race with a time of 17.68 seconds – setting new Down Syndrome Junior and Open Africa records.
The teen also clinched bronze in the 50-m women’s freestyle … racing against women in their late twenties, and setting new Junior World and Africa Down Syndrome records.
Making the most of every moment at the competition, Minke also won bronze and broke other Africa records in relays with her team.
The eighth World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships was held in Truro, Nova Scotia, between from 19 to 27 July 2018.
– Source: www.sapeople.com |
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| SOUTH AFRICA’S LIONS THROUGH TO SUPER RUGBY FINAL IN NEW ZEALAND |
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| South Africa’s Lions are through to the Super Rugby Final for the third year in a row. They will meet New Zealand’s Crusaders Saturday, 4 August, after both won their home semi-final matches. |
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On Saturday, 28 July 2018, the Lions scored a whopping six tries in their 44-26 win over the Waratahs, while the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes in Christchurch by 30-12 to each secure their spot in the big match next weekend, which marks the second successive year that the two teams meet in the final.
According to Reuters, “being alert from the start and avoiding giving away early points will be top of the agenda” for the South Africans, who won’t have the home advantage next weekend.
The Lions have been a little sluggish at the start of their last three games – 0-12 down against the Bulls before winning 38-12, 0-6 down to the Jaguares before winning 40-23 and 19 all on Saturday at half-time before beating the New South Waratahs.
Lions’ coach, Swys de Bruin, said: “It’s amazing, even with the Springboks against England (in June), it was the same. It seems we have to allow the opposition to run away with the score early and then we catch up.”
The Super Rugby final will take place on Saturday, 4 August at 09h35.
– Source: www.sapeople.com |
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| EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SA GOLF PRODIGY COMPETES IN WORLD CHAMPS IN USA |
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| Eight-year-old Athlone golfing phenomenon, Traigh Pathon, is competing in the US Kids Golf World Championship at the famous Pinehurst Club in North Carolina from 2 to 4 August. |
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Pathon is joining more than 1 400 kids from around the world, aged 12 and under, to vie for the most prestigious title in kids’ golf.
At the end of May this year, Traigh tied for ninth in the Euro Kids Champs in Scotland. He was 1-under par for the three-day tournament and only six shots off the winner.
Pathon and his father and caddie, David van Schalkwyk, flew to America courtesy of Turkish Airlines, which also sponsored his trip to Scotland.
Van Schalkwyk thanked Turkish Airlines for recognising Traigh’s potential: “Without them we would not have been able to play internationally this year.”
Turkish Airlines Cape Town General Manager, Kenan Ince, says “we’re delighted by Traigh's outstanding performance in Scotland and are proud to play a role in ensuring he competes in the World Champs."
Traigh hit his first golf ball when he was only 14 months old and played his first full round of golf at the tender age of four. He is the youngest member of the prestigious Royal Cape Golf Club in Cape Town and is considered one of the world’s most promising young golfers.
– Source: www.sport24.co.za |
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