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MINISTER MAITE NKOANA-MASHABANE MEETS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART |
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The visit seeks to further deliberate on the status of bilateral relations, promote cooperation on the African Agenda and exchange views on the status of preparations for the fifth BRICS Summit and multilateral issues of common interest. |
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On 12 February 2013, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, met with her counterpart of the Russian Federation, Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Pretoria.
Discussions focussed on the following issues: operationalisation of the High-Level Bilateral Mechanism as agreed in Moscow; agreements that are ready for signing; decisions taken during the visit in January 2013 to Moscow by the South African Minister of Defence; Minister Donskoy’s visit to South Africa from 3 to 6 February 2013; and the decisions taken in the South Africa-Russia Business Council.
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said: “South Africa and the Russian Federation both agree that our diplomatic and political relations are excellent and are practically demonstrated by close cooperation and convergence of views on several regional and multilateral issues in Africa, BRICS, the G20, UN, etc.”
“The planned State Visit of President Putin is an important milestone for us to deliver on commitments made during previous Presidential meetings and other high-level engagements, and the signing of eight agreements during the Presidential visit will assist us in addressing these challenges.” |
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CAF GIVES SA THUMBS-UP FOR AFCON 2013 |
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"As CAF, we are satisfied with the progress of the tournament. We are satisfied with the infrastructure as well as the support from the South African Government." |
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Nigeria's Super Eagles won the 29th Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title after defeating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final at the National Stadium outside Soweto. The win ended a 19-year Afcon trophy drought.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) gave South Africa the thumbs-up for organising a successful 2013 Afcon tournament. Speaking ahead of the final match, CAF Secretary-General, Hicham El Amrani, had only good things to say about South Africa's organisation of the tournament.
"As CAF, we are satisfied with the progress of the tournament. We are satisfied with the infrastructure as well as the support from the South African Government."
The 2013 Afcon closed with a dazzling musical performance by African artists. |
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SA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA EYE MORE TRADE |
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| "I could determine from observing the state of their road infrastructure, the buildings and electricity network that this is a healthy economy with abundant opportunities." |
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Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Elizabeth Thabethe is optimistic that South Africa and Equatorial Guinea have room for increased trade and investment.
Ms Thabethe was speaking on her return to South Africa following a four-day outward trade and investment mission to Equatorial Guinea, where she led a business delegation comprising representatives from 13 South African companies. Her visit was a follow-up to a state visit by Equatorial Guinea President, Teodore Nguema Mbasogo, to South Africa in 2011.
"In my short stay in Equatorial Guinea, I was mostly impressed by the multiple infrastructural development projects that they have undertaken," Minister Thabethe said.
During her trip, the Deputy Minister held discussions with the country's Minister of Mines, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang, on possible collaboration in the sector. The Minister said Equatorial Guinea would be sending a delegation to South Africa to engage relevant industry stakeholders. |
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SA FINANCIAL STABILITY LAUDED |
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This regulatory structure involves separate prudential and market-conduct regulators, aimed at creating a more resilient and stable financial system. |
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South Africa's move to a so-called "twin peaks" model of regulation will boost the country's resilience and further stabilise its financial system, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) says in its peer review of South Africa.
The FSB was set up following the global financial crisis of 2008-09 to coordinate the work of national financial authorities and international standard-setting bodies at an international level. Based in Basel, Switzerland, and hosted by the Bank for International Settlements, it aims to develop and promote effective regulatory, supervisory and other financial sector policies in the interest of global financial stability.
In 2011, the South African National Treasury issued a policy document for financial reform that proposed the adoption of a "twin peaks" model of financial regulation. This regulatory structure involves separate prudential and market-conduct regulators, aimed at creating a more resilient and stable financial system.
"The FSB welcomes the planned reforms and agrees that a shift to a twin peaks model provides a good opportunity for South Africa to streamline responsibilities and elevate the importance of market conduct regulation," the FSB said in its peer review on South Africa recently.
The Financial Regulatory Reform Steering Committee, comprising the National Treasury, South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and Financial Services Board (FSB), published for public comment a summary of the proposals for implementing the twin peaks model.
National Treasury said the twin peaks approach entailed creating a prudential regulator housed in the SARB, and transforming the FSB into a dedicated market-conduct regulator.
The objective of the prudential regulator will be to maintain and enhance the safety and soundness of regulated financial institutions.
South Africa was the seventh country to be voluntarily peer reviewed by the FSB. The United Kingdom, United States, Indonesia and Germany will undergo a peer review in 2013. |
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The South African Minister of Arts and Culture, Paul Mashatile, recently pledged continued support towards reconstruction and preservation efforts of the Ahmed Baba Institute and Library, and in particular the historic Timbuktu manuscripts.
“We will continue to work with the people of Mali, the continent and the rest of the world to find lasting peace in this part of the world.”
Mali is a site where Africa’s vast cultural and intellectual wealth flourished over many centuries.
Minister Mashatile reiterated that in 2012 when African Ministers of Culture met in South Africa, they called on the international community to provide support for the conservation of heritage projects that may be requested by Mali to ensure the conservation of heritage properties. They also requested that African governments collaborated in preventing the trafficking of cultural objects and manuscripts from Timbuktu. South Africa remains committed to this call.
The board of the African World Heritage Fund has approved financial support to the Government of Mali for any emergency work towards the restoration and safeguarding of the Malian heritage that may have been damaged as a result of the conflict. |
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SA STUDENTS IN GLOBAL AEROSPACE CONTEST |
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The competition encourages the proposal of new and innovative ideas to help the aerospace and air transport industry become sustainable and eco-efficient. |
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A team of South African students from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has been selected as only one of three teams from Africa to move on to the next round of the global aerospace Fly Your Ideas Competition.
Fly Your Ideas is a biennial competition run by aircraft manufacturer Airbus and backed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). The competition encourages the proposal of new and innovative ideas to help the aerospace and air transport industry become sustainable and eco-efficient.
The Wits team, called the Stormhawks – made up of Pitso Mangoro, Muhammed Dangor, Sambharthan Cooppan, Tshireletso Mango and Azhar Cassim – entered their idea of an aircraft control system to replace fly-by-wire technology with a hybrid visible light communication system. The Stormhawks was selected as one of 100 student teams from across five continents to proceed to the second round of the competition.
The winners will be announced at the Unesco headquarters in Paris, France, on 13 June. The winning team will walk away with €30,000 (over R300 000) and the chance to host an "innovation week" on their university campus run by Airbus experts. |
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