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| PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA CONCLUDES A SUCCESSFUL SADC SUMMIT IN NAMIBIA |
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| President Cyril Ramaphosa recently participated in the 38th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Windhoek, Namibia. |
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The summit took place from 17 to 18 August 2018 under the theme “Promoting Infrastructure and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development”.
President Ramaphosa had, prior to attending the 38th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit, joined the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security meeting on 16 August 2018.
The summit marked the 26th anniversary of the adoption of the SADC Treaty, which was signed on 17 August 1992, and laid the foundation for the formation of SADC.
Former presidents of the Republic of Namibia, Sam Nujoma and Hifikepunye Pohamba, and former President of the Republic of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, as elder statesmen of the region and founding fathers of the SADC, were part of the SADC Day (17 August 2018) celebrations at the summit.
President Ramaphosa, as the outgoing Chair of SADC, reported to the summit the work of the regional body for the duration of South Africa’s tenure guided by its tenure theme, “Partnering with the Private Sector in Developing Industry and Regional Value Chains” from August 2017 to August 2018.
President Ramaphosa outlined that during South Africa’s tenure as SADC Chair, US$500 million was secured of committed productive investments by South African companies in each of the priority value chains across the region.
The investments cover forestry, agriculture and agro-processing, fertiliser, mining and mineral processing and pharmaceuticals.
“We therefore need to ensure that we create a conducive environment for business to thrive, and to deepen our engagement with the private sector. Collaboration with the private sector is important not only in designing SADC regional strategies and initiatives, but also in identifying impediments to greater regional economic integration,” President Ramaphosa said.
President Ramaphosa said he was encouraged by strides taken to maintain peace and stability in the SADC region, including the holding of regular, free and fair elections, saying that “the consolidation of democracy and the elevation of the rule of law across the region is a sign of the improved effectiveness of our regional institutions and mechanisms”.
President Ramaphosa has handed the Chairship of SADC to the Republic of Namibia led by President Hage Geingob.
President Ramaphosa expressed his gratitude to the SADC heads of state and government for their warm welcome and support of his Chairship of SADC since his election to the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa and wished the SADC Chairperson continued success in leading the region. |
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| PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ON THE PASSING OF FORMER UNITED NATIONS (UN) SECRETARY-GENERAL (SG) KOFI ANNAN |
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| On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed sincere condolences on the sad passing of the former SG of the UN, Kofi Annan, of Ghana. |
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Upon hearing news of his untimely death, President Ramaphosa reflected on the life and legacy of Mr Annan. He noted that: “Former UN Secretary-General Annan was a consummate diplomat, who lived a life in service to humanity”.
President Ramaphosa stated that: “In becoming the first UN Secretary-General from Sub-Saharan Africa and also the first Secretary-General to rise from within the UN system as a career diplomat, he became a symbol of African excellence and the contribution that Africans are making towards peace, development and human rights throughout the world.
Through his tireless efforts, he was instrumental in strengthening and promoting the multilateral system of global governance in the quest to ensuring that the people of this world live in larger freedom as envisaged by the Charter of the United Nations.”
After his term as SG came to an end, Mr Annan continued his service to towards making the world a better place by chairing the Group of Elders who are dedicated to improving peace and human rights.
President Ramaphosa recalled that Mr Annan received South Africa’s National Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in 2004 for his role in the struggle against colonialism worldwide, serving as an inspiration for the fight against apartheid.
President Ramaphosa expressed the heartfelt condolences to Mr Annan’s wife, Nane; his family; the people of Ghana; and indeed the entire UN on the passing of this great son of Africa. |
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| SOUTH AFRICA SENDS CONDOLENCES TO INDIA FOLLOWING DEADLY FLOODS |
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| The Government and people of South Africa wish to extend its sincere condolences to the Government and people of India after the deadly flooding in Kerala State, which has claimed over a 100 lives thus far. |
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The thoughts of the people of South Africa are with the people of India during this difficult period and the South African Government extends its sympathy to those families who have lost their loved ones.
South Africa and India have strong historical and fraternal bonds based on India’s opposition to racial discrimination and support for the liberation struggle. The two countries maintain a strong and strategic bilateral relationship which is a reflection of shared values and a common vision for the future. |
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| DEPUTY MINISTER LANDERS ADDRESSES AFRICAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS |
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| The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Luwellyn Landers, on 16 August 2018 addressed the African Regional Conference on Nuclear Disarmament and Lethal Autonomous Weapons in Pretoria. |
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The conference was co-hosted by the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
The conference brought together members of the Diplomatic Corps, international organisations and civil society to engage on ways and means of taking forward the landmark adoption of the United Nations (UN) Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on 7 July 2017.
The adoption of the TPW is a historic achievement given that the elimination of weapons of mass destruction has been on the multilateral agenda for more than 70 years since the adoption of the very first resolution by the UN General Assembly in 1946.
Participants also examined the prospect of the development of weapons, which once activated, could select and engage targets without human control. This category of weapons has been termed Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems.
Discussions focused on the range of humanitarian, ethical, legal and technological considerations pertaining to such weapons.
The regional conference was a contribution to South Africa’s active involvement in international disarmament, non-proliferation and arms-control efforts aimed at the creation of a safer and better world for all |
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| INTERNATIONAL ICT CONFERENCE HEADS TO DURBAN |
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| Developments in information and communications technology (ICT) will for four days dominate discussions in September when over 7 000 global delegates descend on Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World conference. |
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The conference, from 10 to 13 September, is an annual exhibition and forum for government and industry leaders to explore challenges, partnerships and solutions, and to identify investment opportunities and best practices for socio-economic development through ICTs.
It will be the first time the conference will be held in Africa.
The ITU is an ICT agency of the United Nations that allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits. It also develops technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect.
It is anticipated that the conference will generate immediate economic benefits ranging between R60 million and R80 million in accommodation and exhibition procurement.
Industry players are expected to engage on different technology dialogues and innovations such cryptocurrency and other forms of productions related to the ICT industry.
The ITU was founded in Paris in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union. The current name "International Telecommunication Union" was decided by the Madrid Plenipotentiary Conference in 1932. ITU activities are governed by the ITU Constitution adopted in 1992 and as revised at the plenipotentiary Conference at Minneapolis, USA in 1998.
South Africa became a member of the ITU in 1881. In 1965, following the Montreux Plenipotentiary Conference, South Africa was excluded from participating in meetings of the Organisation but continued to remain a member of the organisation.
A follow-up decision taken at the 1989 Plenipotentiary Conference in Nice resolved that South Africa would continue to be excluded from all conferences, meetings and activities of the ITU until such time as apartheid policies were eliminated. This resolution was set aside by the Executive Council on 9 May 1994 and formally adopted during the 1994 Plenipotentiary Conference.
South Africa submitted instruments of accession to the constitution, convention and optional protocol of the ITU on 30 June 1994, thus permitting its full participation in the ITU with effect from the 1994 Plenipotentiary Conference held in Japan.
At that conference and at the subsequent conferences in Minneapolis in 1998 and Marrakech in 2002, South Africa was nominated and elected to membership of the council.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| HIRAX TELESCOPE TO PROBE MYSTERIES OF DARK ENERGY AND FAST RADIO BURSTS |
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| The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is set to lead a global collaborative radio astronomy project that will conduct groundbreaking science in the field of astrophysics while building on South Africa's existing excellence in radio astronomy. |
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Located at the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) South Africa core site in the Karoo, the Hydrogen Intensity and Real Time Analysis eXperiment (HIRAX) telescope will have important synergies with the 64-dish MeerKAT, the country's precursor to the SKA.
Jointly funded by UKZN, and the Department of Science and Technology through the National Research Foundation, HIRAX will be a compact radio telescope array of 1 024 six-metre dishes that will map about a third of the sky during its four years of observation.
The main goals of the project will be to study dark energy using hydrogen intensity mapping between 400 and 800 MHz, as well as to detect and localise fast radio bursts (FRBs) by using outrigger arrays throughout southern Africa.
The HIRAX project was launched by the Minister of Science and Technology, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, and UKZN Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, at the Coastland Umhlanga Hotel on Friday, 17 August. |
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| IT'S YOUR SOUTH AFRICA TO EXPLORE |
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| South Africans have been encouraged to explore the country by travelling to areas they have never visited to experience the wonders offered by the country. |
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To soften the price of travelling, South African Tourism is embarking on a campaign that will see would-be travellers getting offers at discounted rates.
This was disclosed by the Department of Tourism during the media launch of the 2018 Tourism Month in Tsitsikamma in the Eastern Cape.
The theme this year, as decided by the United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation, is “Digital Transformation”. South Africa’s World Tourism Day will be celebrated in Mthatha on 27 September.
South African Tourism Chief Executive, Sisa Ntshona, said the campaign was meant to encourage locals to travel and explore the country. The campaign will run between 24 to 30 September.
“We want the country to go gaga in booking and buying deals. We have engaged with travel partners to ensure that the offers entice locals to travel to all corners of the country,” Ntshona said.
He challenged South Africans to be adventurous in discovering new places and experiences, as the country is a “wonderland of unforgettable experiences, just a Sho’t Left away”.
“We are driving domestic tourism. It is one of our focus areas. We are competing for a share of disposable income in a … stressed … economy. We are driving around making sure that domestic tourism is accessible,” he said.
Speaking on this year’s theme, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said it was critical for the industry to embrace technology if it was to evolve.
“You have a camera (on the cell phone) and with it, you can take pictures anywhere in the world in real-time and send it to thousands of people instantly all over the world. That’s quite amazing. Would you have believed that 20 years ago? Never. It would have been science fiction. That’s what we can do today with technology,” he said.
However, the Minister said, technology should not replace traditional marketing.
“Human contact cannot be substituted ... I don’t want to go the beach and be on top of a robot, I want to be on a real horse. I want to be taken there by a real person and not a robot. We are humans and we long for human contact.”
He emphasised that tourism was about people and places that made for unbelievable experiences.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| CAPE TOWN PWC’S “AFRICAN CITY OF OPPORTUNITY” |
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| Cape Town is celebrating another accolade as researchers from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) officially named it as the “African City of Opportunity” for 2018. |
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The Mother City was identified as one of the best emerging cities in the world, placing sixth on the table of “middle-income countries”. PWC put Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Shanghai and Mexico City in their top five, but reserved a special amount of praise for Cape Town:
“Revenue collection and capital budget spending are near 100% and the city is rated as having both the cleanest audit (by the Auditor-General) and the best service delivery (by citizens) of any South African metro.”
“With an unemployment rate 13% lower than the national figure, and 10 points lower than the average metro, Cape Town is a city of genuine opportunity for millions of people.”
The researchers identified Cape Town’s transport links and infrastructure links as one of its best assets. With MyCiti buses and a populated system of metered and e-hailing taxis, it’s easy to move around the city. |
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Sustainability and the natural environment also impressed the adjudicators. There’s arguably no other metropolitan area that boasts the green scenery of the Mother City, with Kirstenbosch and Newlands accounting for its leafiest suburbs.
Both the ease of doing business and the cost of living also came out on top. Cape Town is a city where things get done, and the wheels are greased by good, old-fashioned hard work.
The results were announced in partnership with Wesgro, and their CEO Tim Harris was delighted to see a local interest fare so well:
“It’s a real credit to Cape Town that we’re even on this list. Taking a closer look at middle-income cities used as benchmarks in the report, nine of the 13 cities are more than double the size of Cape Town.
“We are all ambassadors for the place we live in and love – it is up to all of us to promote this little city on the tip of Africa that punches well above its weight.”
– Source: www.thesouthafrican.co.za |
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| SA'S SPRING BOTS CELEBRATE WORLD RECORD AT WORLD ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP |
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| Sporting a fitting new name and ending off the 2018 FIRST Global’s annual robotics competition on a high, Team Spring Bots South Africa has set a new world record for South Africa. |
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This group of four students from various backgrounds, not only ended the World Robotics First Global Challenge 2018 ranked number 6 in the world, out of a total of 175, but also became the first team to win Gold for the Walt Disney Award for Creativity and Innovation.
Earning the highest amount of points in the competition, the students broke a world record with with 1 286 points and went on to win gold in the inaugural Walt Disney awards for their "rating of the greatest team story and journey".
Barbara Moagi and Mikhael Reddy are Grade 12 learners at Hoërskool Uitsig, Tshenolo Mokwana is a Grade 11 learner at Olievenhoutbos Secondary School and Masana Phumudzo Mashapha is a Grade 10 learner at Pretoria Girls High. |
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"South Africa we are bringing home Gold," the team said in a post to Facebook, saying it was not only "a true accomplishment" but also "such an honour".
"We would like to send a huge shout out to all our supporters back home and to our amazing sponsors we could not have done this without you.”
– Source: www.news24.co.za |
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| DYANTYI, MAPIMPI STEAL THE SHOW AS BOKS DOWN PUMAS |
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| They took a while to get going, but in the end the Springboks found their rhythm and put in a polished second-half performance to down Argentina 34-21 in Durban on Saturday, 18 August 2018. |
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It was the perfect start to their Rugby Championship campaign as the Boks scored six tries to three from their visitors to walk away with a winning bonus point.
Man-of-the-match Aphiwe Dyantyi was superb on the night, scoring two tries and gifting another to his wing partner, Makazole Mapimpi, who also finished with two.
The performances of the two Bok wide men, as well as the successful returns of Eben Etzebeth, Warren Whiteley, Francois Louw and Marx, would have been most welcomed by Erasmus.
Tendai Mtawarira was also hugely impressive during his 51-minute shift.
– Source: www.sport24.co.za |
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| LUVO MANYONGA BREAKS MEET RECORD IN ENGLAND |
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| Luvo Manyonga was in a class of his own as he soared to an IAAF Diamond League meeting long jump record of 8.54m in Birmingham, England, on Saturday, 18 August 2018. |
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South Africa’s world and Commonwealth Games champion opened with a solid 8.42 at the Alexander Stadium.
That was followed by two no-jumps before he unleashed the winner. He closed with an 8.47 and left all opposition trailing in his wake.
– Source: www.sapeople.com |
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