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| PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ADDRESSES 73RD SESSION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY |
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| President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, 18 May 2020, addressed the virtual 73rd Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), at the invitation of the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom. |
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The WHA is the supreme policy decision-making body of the WHO, governed by its 194 member states and consisting of health ministers.
The WHA meets annually to discuss major policy questions and the work programme of the WHO. This year's meeting was conducted virtually, considering the global COVID-19 pandemic.
President Ramaphosa was invited to participate as a guest alongside the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres; the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Angela Merkel; the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in; and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley.
President Ramaphosa used the opportunity to call on the international community and all member states to unite in global solidarity to tackle this global disease and to work together to develop solutions.
President Ramaphosa also provided a brief account of the strategies implemented by South Africa and the broader African Union, which is chaired by South Africa.
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/cram0518.htm |
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| UNITED NATIONS CHIEF IN FULL SUPPORT OF SA GOVERNMENT'S “STRONG, NECESSARY” MEASURES AGAINST COVID-19 |
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| United Nations (UN) Secretary-General (SG), António Guterres, has described actions taken by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government in fighting the spread of the deadly Coronavirus as "strong" and "necessary" measures. |
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In a TV interview with SABC News on Tuesday, 19 May 2020, SG Guterres said while he understood the frustrations expressed by those demanding an immediate reopening of the economy, he believed steps taken by President Ramaphosa were correct.
"One thing is clear – there is no real contradiction between measures taken to prevent the disease and economic recovery. If we let the disease spread, no economic recovery will be possible," SG Guterres said.
"I hope the population will have patience and I hope the Government will progressively find the ways to, in a very smart and targeted way, progressively re-open society and the economy to minimise the social and economic impact of COVID-19," the UN SG said.
On Monday, 18 May 2020, in his address to the 73rd World Health Assembly, President Ramaphosa called for global solidarity in a bid to fight the pandemic.
He warned that COVID-19 amplified already dangerous and growing inequalities within and between different countries.
SG Guterres, who said he was also separated from his family due to a semi-lockdown, called on South Africans to be patient.
He added that the South African Government showed lots of determination in addressing the pandemic.
– Source: www.news24.com |
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| PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA PARTICIPATES IN VIRTUAL LIBYA MEETING |
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| President Cyril Ramaphosa participated in a virtual meeting of the African Union (AU) Contact Group of the High-Level Committee on Libya on Wednesday, 20 May 2020. |
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The meeting was at the invitation of the President of the Republic of the Congo and Chairperson of the AU High-Level Committee on Libya, Denis Sassou Nguesso.
“The aim of the meeting is to take stock of progress made in relation to the resolutions of its inaugural meeting held in March 2020, in Oyo, the Republic of Congo. The Oyo resolutions included an appeal to all stakeholders in the Libyan crisis to cease violations of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2510 on an arms embargo, terror and implementation of the conclusions and commitments of the Berlin Conference,” said The Presidency.
The President participated in the meeting as Chair of the AU.
The meeting also assessed progress in relation to the National Reconciliation Conference scheduled for July 2020 under the auspices of the AU.
Other heads of state and government who participated in the AU Contact Group meeting included President of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of Chad Idriss Déby Itno; and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The Contact Group was established to promote the coordination of international efforts in pursuit of a lasting solution to the Libyan crisis.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| SA PARTICIPATES IN G20 TRADE MINISTERIAL MEETING |
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| South Africa has backed a package of trade and investment measures to address the COVID-19 challenges faced across the world. |
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The measures have been adopted by ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) countries.
These measures include the need to expand productive capacity of essential goods and services, including pharmaceuticals, medical and other health-related products as well as agricultural products.
Speaking at the virtual meeting attended by G20 trade ministers, South Africa’s Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), Minister Ebrahim Patel, said the pandemic had also exposed vulnerabilities in global supply.
“A more resilient global supply chain must also have at its core the increased production of critical health, food and other basic products in many more parts of the world. The over-concentration of the location of production in just some regions (or what we can say colloquially, putting all our eggs in one basket) does not make strategic sense anymore,” he said at the meeting on Thursday, 14 May 2020.
Minister Patel said the African continent should become an industrial powerhouse.
“Africa, birthplace of humanity, with a fast-growing and youthful population, should however, also be a key industrial powerhouse, not simply remain a provider of raw materials and commodities to the rest of the world.”
He also underscored the importance of more intense global cooperation in line with the proposal in the agreed G20 Action Plan to work together in areas such as critical medical supplies and equipment, and in sustainable agriculture production, where investment is needed.
South Africa, as the current Chair of the African Union, has been leading in mobilising financial support to address the health as well as the economic crisis.
The dtic said Africa’s ability to recover from the crisis would in large measure be dependent on moving up the value chain, and advancing structural transformation and industrialisation in order to capture a larger share of the gains from trade.
Minister Patel also emphasised the importance of digital platforms.
“We look to build African e-commerce platforms so that the next phase in economic history does not leave the continent to yet again being a consumer instead for being an innovator and producer,” he said.
– Source: SAnews.gov.za |
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| ANNEXATION IS A THREAT TO PALESTINE’S EXISTENCE |
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| The South African Government recently expressed its deep concern and strongly condemned the planned execution of Israel’s provocative plan to annex the Occupied Palestinian Territories. |
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“Israel's actions are in stark violation of international law and also disregard international humanitarian law and United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 446 (1979) and 2334 (2016). The latter Resolution explicitly calls for an end to Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and the fulfilment of the rights of the Palestinian people, including to self-determination and independence.
“It is perplexing that during these unprecedented times, as the international community addresses the global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel is exploiting the situation to advance its de facto annexation of Palestinian land. The dangerous prospect of Israel continuing with its unilateral actions and to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley, is not only belligerent but also threaten efforts to advance regional peace. These acts are not only illegal but also risk undermining the viability of a negotiated two-state solution and will have negative consequences on the entire peace process.
“South Africa remains unequivocally committed to and values efforts aimed at reviving a political process, leading to the establishment of a viable Palestinian state, existing side by side in peace with Israel within internationally recognised borders, based on those existing on 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in compliance with all relevant UN resolutions, international law and internationally agreed parameters.
“South Africa reiterates that any peace plan should not allow Palestinian statehood to devolve into an entity devoid of sovereignty, territorial contiguity and economic viability. In this regard, a solution must be premised on a just settlement with just laws that is rights-based and that facilitates equality and equity for all who have a right to live in the territories of Israel and Palestine. This includes sovereign equality between states." |
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| GOVERNMENT JOINS THE WORLD IN OBSERVING WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY |
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| The acting Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Jackson Mthembu, on 17 May 2020 joined the world in observing World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD). |
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Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly 51 years ago, on 17 May 1969, this day is aimed at raising awareness on the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communications technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.
“Today, we observe this day when the world is seized with curbing the spread of the novel Coronavirus, and South Africa too has not been spared. The fight against COVID-19 has put into sharp focus the need for the sector to patriotically work as a collective and deploy its capabilities in fighting the spread of the virus,” said Minister Mthembu.
COVID-19 has hastened the global push into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Used correctly, digital technologies have the potential to aid the containment of COVID-19 and mitigate some of the challenges brought upon by the spread of the virus,” said Minister Mthembu.
The theme for this year’s WTISD was: “Connect 2030: ICTs for Sustainable Development Goal". Celebrations of this day acknowledged efforts made to advance communications-related services and the International Telecommunications Union's role in helping people connect around the globe.
In an effort to ensure that all South Africans have access to telecommunications services during COVID 19, the regulatory body, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, has assigned a temporary radio frequency spectrum to mobile network operators. This is to ensure that all citizens are able to access ICT services as well as government programmes in the fight against this pandemic. As part of the COVID19 interventions, the department working with the Departments of Basic and Higher Education, and in partnership with mobile network operators and Internet service providers, have approved 471 local websites to be zero-rated for educational purposes during COVID-19 in South Africa.
“The zero-rated websites include, among others, TVET colleges, universities, basic education sites as well as sites that provide information, which can help South Africans contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus. In addition to the 471 sites, which are already zero-rated, there are an additional 295 sites pending approval. Zero-rating of telecommunications and data services for specified public services like health, education and public service pronouncements is a very important intervention to empower society and the youth, in particular, to mitigate the negative impact of COVID19 to their education prospects. While we appreciate the recent lowering of data prices by mobile network operators, we believe much more can be done by the sector.”
“The ICT industry is and will continue to help provide up-to-date and accurate medical information, statistics, as well as information about new government regulations, to inform all of our citizens about the crisis. COVID-19 provides an opportunity for affordable ICT infrastructure and digital technology solutions such as Artificial Intelligence, High Performance Computing, Robotics and the Internet of Things (IOTs) to be explored.
“As we mark this 51st anniversary, we call on all in the industry, in particular, the SMMEs to come together to develop and explore solutions to mitigate the spread of the virus and the saving of lives. The provision of affordable fast speed broadband connectivity and connecting our people to the world is more important now than ever before,” Minister Mthembu concluded. |
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| A MASSIVE NEW UNDERSEA CABLE – PART-FUNDED BY FACEBOOK – WILL BRING FASTER, CHEAPER INTERNET TO SA |
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| Facebook, MTN and others are planning a massive undersea cable to connect the whole of Africa to the Internet. |
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A consortium of Facebook, MTN, Vodafone and others have just announced plans for Africa's largest undersea cable – which should lower data prices.
The massive 2Africa cable is expected to go live in 2023 or 2024. It is being built by the consortium, which also includes China Mobile and Orange.
It is the world’s first cable designed to serve the whole of Africa, and will deliver more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables serving the continent at the moment.
“At 37 000-km long, 2Africa will be one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects and will interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), the Middle East (via Saudi Arabia) and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa,” the consortium said in a statement.
The cable has greater capacity for fibre, and is being offered to all networks in countries where it lands. That means no network has exclusive access to the data. Local pricing will still be set by operators, but the increased competition and availability of data should make data prices tumble.
“This will support healthy Internet ecosystem development, enabling needed accessibility while supporting the growth of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband access for hundreds of millions of people,” said the group.
According to the consortium, the cable has a design capacity of 180TBps on key parts of the system and “will be the most comprehensive subsea cable to serve the African continent and Middle East region”.
It will be sunk at 50% deeper than existing cables, which will hopefully means fewer Internet disruptions. In the past few months, South Africans have suffered repeated outages due to problems with undersea cables. One of the biggest outages was caused by a short circuit in a cable that was trapped by heavy sediment flowing from the Congo River.
The consortium says it is busy preparing for marine surveys. Component manufacturing is expected to start by the end of next year, which is also when the group wants to starts laying cable.
– Source: Business Insider SA |
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| SWEDISH AND SA COMPANIES TEAM UP TO EXPLORE OFFSHORE WIND FARMS |
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| Floating wind farms can make a significant contribution to the generation of energy around the world, say experts. |
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A South African and a Swedish company are teaming up with a view to developing large-scale floating wind farms off the coast of South Africa. The country already has several land-based wind farms that operate like giant windmills to create energy, but none offshore.
In a joint statement released in Stockholm and Cape Town, Hexicon AB and Genesis Eco-Energy Developments said the programme would be driven through a South African joint venture named GenesisHexicon.
Through the venture, Hexicon will transfer intellectual property for its patented floating multi-turbine wind platforms to the South African market and contribute to the country’s ambition to further develop its ocean-based economy.
Operation Phakisa, as it is known, focusses on unlocking the economic potential of South Africa’s oceans, which could contribute up to R177 billion to the gross domestic product by 2033. Offshore energy generation would be only a part of a wider programme that seeks to develop shipping, aquaculture, marine tourism and offshore oil and gas exploration, among others.
“As one of South Africa’s pioneering wind energy development companies, the logical progression for Genesis will be to focus offshore along South Africa’s coastline, which has abundant unexplored resources,” said Davin Chown, MD of Genesis Eco-Energy Developments.
“This is an ideal opportunity to explore the deployment of this innovative floating wind technology from Hexicon. Now is the right time to start to develop the South African offshore wind energy market and contribute to Operation Phakisa.”
Hexicon CEO, Henrik Baltscheffsky, described South Africa as one of the top 10 long-term markets globally for the deployment of deep-water floating wind projects.
The joint statement referred to a recent World Bank report, which calculated the technical potential for offshore wind in Brazil, India, Morocco, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Vietnam to be roughly 3.1 terawatts.
This equates to two or about three times the installed electricity generation capacity of all 28 European Union countries.
According to the Department of Energy, South Africa’s total domestic electricity generation capacity is 51 309 megawatts from all sources. Approximately 91.2% comes from thermal power stations and 8.8% is generated from renewable energy sources.
– Source: www.thesouthafrican.com |
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| GIBS RANKED NUMBER ONE AGAIN IN AFRICA FOR EXECUTIVE EDUCATION BY “FINANCIAL TIMES” |
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| The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has again been ranked as the top South African and African business school for executive education by the “Financial Times” (FT) in its Executive Education 2020 Ranking. |
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This marks the 17th year in which the school has consistently ranked among the top 50 best executive education providers globally. It is ranked at number 38.
The ranking looks at 80 business schools offering executive education in the form of tailor-made non-degree programmes for corporate customers (customised programmes) and 75 schools offering open-enrolment programmes for leaders.
“We are delighted to be ranked once again by the Financial Times,” GIBS Dean Professor Nicola Kleyn said.
“As we seek to continuously evolve to meet our clients’ changing needs, the FT plays a useful role in enabling us to be benchmarked against the world’s best business schools.”
UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor, Tawana Kupe, congratulated the school on its achievement.
“The university provides across-the-board high-quality teaching and learning that is relevant to the sectors we serve,” he said.
“We provide programmes that matter and enable business to navigate the ever-changing and complex environments of our continent and the global economy. Post-COVID-19, a quality business education is going to be even more relevant in creating a new landscape.”
Nishan Pillay, Executive Director: Open Programmes at GIBS, said, “We are operating in a highly contested space and need to constantly innovate and provide transformative world-class programmes to compete with other global business schools. We do not compromise on quality and delegate experience, regardless of the learning methodology. We aim to equip our clients and delegates with the relevant skills and knowledge to enable them to tackle challenges and lead in turbulent and disruptive times.”
GIBS’ ethos is to provide high-quality management and business education in South Africa and across the rest of the continent, and this ranking affirms that ethos. Through its programmes, the school aims to develop managers who are resilient, able to lead and can make the right decisions to take organisations and the country forward.
– Sources: www.goodthingsguy.com / GIBS |
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| SA DOCUMENTARY “BLOOD LIONS” WIN AWARD – “MOST COMPELLING DIGITAL STORY” |
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| The African Travel Week Travel and Tourism Awards took place recently and the proudly South African documentary “Blood Lions” snapped up an award. |
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The Blood Lions Campaign, in conjunction with Love Africa Marketing, won “Most Compelling Digital Story” Award in the inaugural African Travel Week Travel and Tourism Awards recently.
The WTM Awards aimed to shine a spotlight on “exceptional individuals and businesses which have written the most compelling stories in the book of African travel for 2019/20”.
The Blood Lions Campaign was launched following the release of the Blood Lions feature film documentary in July 2015. Currently, in South Africa, an estimated 10 000 to 12 000 predators, mostly lions, tigers, caracals and cheetahs, are held in captivity for commercial purposes. Many are used in exploitative tourism activities, such as cub petting, “walking with lions” attractions, as photo props, and in voluntourism. The next stages in their short and unethical lifecycle are captive (“canned”) hunting for their trophies and/or the legal export of lion bones to South East Asia for traditional medicine, contributing further to the escalating commoditisation of these wild animals.
The mission of the Blood Lions Campaign is to reach a broad global audience to increase awareness and knowledge around interactive captivity wildlife attractions and “canned” hunting, demonstrating that these can never be sustainable tourism options. It is a “call to action” to not only affect behavioural change around how to treat wildlife ethically, but also to precipitate change in policy through garnering support from the world’s most influential individuals and organisations.
“Blood Lions will continue to tell this heart-breaking South African story of the captive breeding and keeping of lions and other predators for commercial purposes,” says Blood Lions Campaign Manager, Dr Louise de Waal.
“We will continue to work together with the South African tourism industry, so that tourism becomes part of the solution rather than the problem.
“New features and technologies on websites and social media platforms are enabling marketers to get even more creative and innovative with campaigns. That is why we wanted to recognise the most compelling digital story that showcased a holistic digital strategy that effectively marketed products and services in the African travel industry – WTM Africa”.
“Our team was ecstatic when we were initially nominated as finalists in the ‘Agency and Digital’ categories, alongside some big names across Africa. Today we are even more so, after hearing we have won with Blood Lions – a truly passionate team that works hard every day to create change. A huge thank you to our team, partners and the public who have supported this campaign every year”, said Nicola Gerrard, Love Africa Marketing Managing Director.
Love Africa Marketing is the digital media and strategy agency for a number of travel, tourism and environmental companies, NGOs and campaigns in South Africa. Some of these include Blood Lions, Ranger Protect, Shark Attack, Afriski Mountain Resort and Semonkong Lodge.
Eight categories were established to celebrate the success of national, regional and city tourist boards and to recognise outstanding private-sector companies and individuals, with the winners in each announced as:
- Most Compelling Tourism Story: Spring Marketing Campaign by Northern Cape Tourism Authority
- Most Compelling Innovation & Technology Story: Virtual Reality for Tanzania by Views4D
- Most Compelling Agency Story: CNN International Commercial for Farm to Table (Dangote)
- Most Compelling Luxury Story: Table Mountain Ring by Shimansky
- Most Compelling Sustainability Story: International Dark Sky Certification Campaign by !Xaus Lodge
- Most Compelling Digital Story: Blood Lions Campaign and Love Africa Marketing
- Most Compelling Adventure Story: Pioneer Trail by Gondwana Game Reserve
- Most Compelling Foodie Story: Africa’s Original Elephant Dung Gin by Indlovu Gin.
Megan Oberholzer, Portfolio Director for Africa Travel Week, says that the judging panel was impressed by the standard of entries.
“There is some sterling work being done out there to showcase the best of our continent to the world on a variety of different platforms. It’s a privilege to have been able to see these fantastic campaigns collected in one place, as we judged them – and we can’t wait to see how the creators apply their creativity to continuing to share Africa’s beauty and diversity with the world in the face of the challenges the global travel industry faces for the foreseeable future,” she says.
– Sources: Love Africa Marketing / www.goodthingsguy.com |
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| SOUTH AFRICAN MOVIE “MOFFIE” RATED AS ONE OF “BEST FILMS OF 2020 SO FAR” BY UK NEWSPAPER |
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| A United Kingdom (UK) newspaper has rated South Africa’s “Moffie” as one of the best films so far this year. |
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Following the movie’s successful digital launch in South Africa, Moffie was released for streaming on Curzon Home Cinema in the UK at the end of last month … where is was met with an overwhelming positive critical response and was named the Most Watched Film on the Curzon platform in its opening weekend.
The film received five-star reviews in The Times (five stars), The Irish Times (five stars), and major praise in The Guardian (four stars), The Telegraph (four stars), Empire Magazine (four stars) and the Financial Times.
It is The Guardian, which has named Moffie on its list of “The Best Films of 2020 So Far”. Other films on the prestigious list of 30 notable movies include 1917, Parasite, The Personal History of David Copperfield, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood and The Assistant.
Directed by Oliver Hermanus, Moffie is about two male soldiers in the South African army who are forced to hide their relationship in the brutal macho world of those times.
The Guardian describes the film as “a fiercely engaged, complex drama of sexual identity and suppressed yearning in apartheid-era South Africa – a film with a humid intensity.” The newspaper also says Hermanus is South Africa’s “most significant auteur in several generations”.
Other reviews in the UK called the film “a breath-taking piece of cinema” and “horribly evocative”.
In response to this rapturous praise, Hermanus says: “Our UK release of Moffie has been nothing short of amazing. Our film has been widely and enthusiastically celebrated by the UK press and it makes me, and I’m sure, everyone else who worked on Moffie, incredibly proud.
“We are putting South African cinema and cinema-makers firmly on the global stage. It has been truly overwhelming.”
The film – which was nominated for three British Independent Film Awards – was due to have its theatrical release in the UK on 24 April 2020, but due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the film was released digitally on their Home Cinema service first and will have its theatrical release as soon as cinemas reopen.
Since premiering at the Venice International Film Festival last September, the film has been lauded globally and has created a number of international opportunities for the South African cast and crew involved in the film.
Both Hermanus and the film’s lead actor, Kai Luke Brümmer (starring as Nicholas van der Swart), were snapped up for international representation, and Hermanus has been in talks with a number of United States and UK producers about upcoming projects.
Moffie has been available for streaming in South Africa since 31 March 2020 and was made available for streaming in Namibia on 28 April 2020 due to public demand. The film is set for release in other global markets in the course of 2020.
– Source: www.sapeople.com |
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| “BEAST” CRACKS NOD IN SUPER RUGBY'S “NICKNAME XV” |
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| With the game currently suspended due to the Coronavirus, organisers in New Zealand picked an all-time Super Rugby team of players with the best nicknames. |
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Tendai Mtawarira, who announced his retirement following last year's Springbok Rugby World Cup win in Japan, is the only South African named in the XV, which also features 12 New Zealanders and two Australians.
Super Rugby's Nickname XV:
15 Brendan “Chainsaw” Laney (Highlanders), 14 Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins (Western Force), 13 Conrad “Snakey” Smith (Hurricanes), 12 Richard “Barracuda” Buckman (Highlanders), 11 Julian “The Bus” Savea (Hurricanes), 10 Stephen “Beaver” Donald (Chiefs), 9 Aaron “Nuggy” Smith (Highlanders), 8 David “Bam Bam” Pocock (Brumbies), 7 Scott “Razor” Robertson (Crusaders), 6 Liam “Squid” Squire (Highlanders), 5 Brodie “Guzzler” Retallick (Chiefs), 4 Kevin "Smiley" Barrett (Hurricanes), 3 Wyatt “Crockzilla” Crockett (Crusaders), 2 Anton "Hatch" Oliver (Highlanders), 1 Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira (Sharks).
– Source: www.sport24.com |
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| STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR XOLISA MABHONGO, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTH AFRICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, DURING THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE, 20 MAY 2020 |
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“Thank you, Mr President,
“Let me begin by thanking Special Coordinator, Nickolay Mladenov, for his briefing here today. It is indeed a sobering account of the persistent reality being faced by millions in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“Allow me to begin by making a few remarks on the issue of COVID-19 in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/mabh0520.htm |
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| STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR JERRY MATJILA, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTH AFRICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, DURING THE SECURITY COUNCIL VIDEO TELECONFERENCE MEETING ON THE SITUATION IN LIBYA, 19 MAY 2020 |
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“Mr President,
“Allow me to thank Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission (UNSMIL) in Libya, Ms Stephanie Williams, for her detailed briefing on the latest political, security and economic developments in Libya for the period under review. Equally, I thank the Chair of the Libya Sanctions Committee Ambassador Jürgen Schulz, for his briefing on the work of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.
“South Africa remains deeply concerned at the prevailing security situation in Libya, the increasingly challenging humanitarian circumstances in the country and the ongoing fighting, in spite of efforts towards a ceasefire and the calls for a humanitarian pause given the threat of COVID-19. It is regrettable that parties in Libya failed to heed the Secretary-General’s call for a humanitarian pause to allow local authorities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during Ramadan.”
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/matj0519a.htm |
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| STATEMENT BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS, DURING THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN VIDEO TELECONFERENCE MEETING ON THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SYRIA, 19 MAY 2020 |
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“Thank you, Mr President,
"I would like to thank Mr Lowcock for his comprehensive and frank briefing on the humanitarian situation in Syria. Let me take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of humanitarian actors, volunteers and implementing partners who continue to risk their own lives for the improvement of the lives of others.
"The humanitarian challenges facing Syria are a direct consequence of the continued conflict. While we recognise the right of the Syrian Arab Republic to restore its control over the whole of its territory, South Africa is concerned about the conflict in the northwest region as well as the continuing conflict in the northeast of Syria, particular its impact on the humanitarian situation. We urge all parties to seek a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Such a peaceful resolution requires a cessation of hostilities and a solution which upholds Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/matj0519.htm |
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| STATEMENT BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS, DURING THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN VIDEO TELECONFERENCE ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN SYRIA, 18 MAY 2020 |
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“Thank you, Mr President,
“Let me begin by thanking Special Envoy, Geir Pedersen, for his briefing on the political situation in Syria.
“South Africa welcomes the relative calm across Syria and commends the parties for adhering to the 5 March ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia in the northwest, despite some incidents of shelling across the front lines. We call on the parties to work towards a permanent ceasefire that will pave the way to an enabling environment, in which an inclusive Syrian-led dialogue can take place, aimed at achieving a lasting political solution, reflective of the will of the Syrian people.”
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/matj0518.htm |
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| STATEMENT BY AMBASSADOR JERRY MATJILA, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTH AFRICA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, DURING THE VIDEO TELECONFERENCE SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON YEMEN, 14 MAY 2020 |
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“Mr President,
“We thank Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, and Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ramesh Rajasingham, for their briefings. South Africa echoes its support for your efforts Special Envoy in seeking a peaceful solution to the situation in Yemen amidst the calamitous circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ramesh, you gave a worrying report, especially, the imminent closure of much-needed health services, especially those provided by WHO and numerous NGOs. We hope that donor countries will respond generously to the 2 June meeting Ramesh reported on.”
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/matj0514.htm |
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