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| PRESIDENT HAILS LATE ANTI-APARTHEID ACTIVIST ES REDDY |
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| President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the late anti-apartheid campaigner Enuga Sreenivasulu Reddy as a brave champion for justice with a lifelong dedication to the cause of non-racialism. |
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ES Reddy, as his comrades commonly knew him, passed away in the United States on Sunday, 1 November 2020, at the age of 96.
“We pay tribute to a man of principle and commitment to human rights; but above all we remember him for epitomising social solidarity,” said President Ramaphosa. |
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The President has conveyed his sympathies to the family of ES Reddy and to the Government and people of the Republic of India on his passing.
Born in India in 1924, ES Reddy joined the anti-apartheid struggle while a student in the 1940s.
He went on to play a leading role on a number of multilateral platforms agitating for an end to apartheid and for the isolation of the pariah regime.
In the early 1960s, he was Secretary of the United Nations (UN) Special Committee against Apartheid and in the late 1970s, he was Director of the UN Centre Against Apartheid.
The President commended India as the first country to raise its voice against apartheid at the UN in 1946 and India’s leaders and citizens as longstanding friends and allies of the South African people.
“Besides his own activism, ES Reddy was a prolific scholar whose writing captured, among others, the historical influences of Indian passive resistance on our liberation struggle, and on the political and social realities of democratic South Africa.” |
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ES Reddy lobbied against apartheid on the world stage for over three decades and developed friendships with a number of leaders of the liberation struggle, including OR Tambo and Dr Yusuf Dadoo. He was an ardent admirer of President Nelson Mandela and actively campaigned for his release.
“ES Reddy believed that speaking and acting against injustice was a moral duty and that we share a collective duty to strive towards a world free of oppression and discrimination; it is a struggle that continues today,” said President Ramaphosa.
The President said awarding ES Reddy with the National Order of the Companions of OR Tambo: Silver in 2013 was a fitting tribute to a brave man.
“We can be gratified that we got to convey our nation’s appreciation to ES Reddy during his lifetime; and to thank him for all did for our cause,” he said. – Source: www.SAnews.gov.za |
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| PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA CONGRATULATES NEWLY ELECTED TANZANIAN PRESIDENT |
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| Africa Union Chairperson, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has offered his congratulations to Dr John Pombe Magufuli on his election as the President-elect of the United Republic of Tanzania. |
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Tanzania held general elections on 28 October 2020. On 1 November 2020, the National Electoral Commission pronounced Dr Magufuli as the overall winner, with 84% of the votes, for a second term in office.
“President Ramaphosa commends the people of Tanzania for upholding democratic principles and holding peaceful elections.
“Furthermore, the President looks forward to working with Dr Magufuli to strengthen the strong cordial bilateral relations that exist between South Africa and Tanzania, as well as in matters of mutual interest in Southern African Development Community region, the African continent and the world,” said the President’s office.
– Source: www.SAnews.gov.za |
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| International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, says the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly illustrated the value of multilateralism. |
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Addressing the UN Day 75th Commemoration event, held virtually on Friday, 30 October 2020, Minister Pandor said when they gathered last year to celebrate the formation of the UN, none of them imagined that the world would be engulfed by a common enemy – the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has awfully reminded us of the indispensable value of multilateralism. We have seen that, as with other contemporary challenges, no country acting alone can successfully deal with the pandemic,” said Minister Pandor.
The pandemic has claimed over a million lives around the globe, deepened poverty, widened the inequality gap, increased insecurity and revealed cracks in the system of global governance.
Minister Pandor said while commendable multilateral cooperation between states had been witnessed, the pandemic had also raised the question of how the world should be organised in its aftermath. |
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“It should also be a world free of poverty, inequality and underdevelopment, a world of inclusive economic growth and shared prosperity, and it should be a world where young people are able to grow and thrive, and where women have equal rights and opportunities.”
The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the UN and its founding Charter. This anniversary comes at a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with severe economic and social impacts.
To mark UN Day, an annual concert is usually held in the General Assembly (GA) Hall.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert was pre-recorded and screened in the GA Hall on 22 October.
UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. |
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With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the UN officially came into being.
To commemorate the 75 years of the UN, member states held a high-level event on 21 September 2020, where they reaffirmed and recognised that challenges are interconnected, and can only be addressed through reinvigorated multilateralism. – Source: www.SAnews.gov.za |
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| DEPUTY MINISTER BOTES HOSTED BILATERAL MEETING WITH THE FRENCH MINISTER DELEGATE |
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| The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, held bilateral talks with Franck Riester, French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness on Tuesday, 3 November 2020. |
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The two delegations discussed matters of mutual bilateral and multilateral interest within the context of the South Africa-France Strategic Partnership.
Minister Delegate Riester was accompanied by a French business delegation. Together with the French and South African businesses, they pursued additional links between the two countries in areas of innovation, technology, pharmaceutical and medical services and equipment. |
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| MINISTER MCHUNU CHAIRS APRM MEETING |
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| Public Service and Administration Minister, Senzo Mchunu, in his capacity as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Focal Point for South Africa, has launched the first edition of the “Africa Sovereign Credit Review Report”. |
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The meeting, which was held virtually on Thursday, 29 October 2020, consisted of a number of panellists from the African continent.
In pursuing its mandate in Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.631 (XXVIII) at its 28th AU Ordinary Session to support countries in the area of credit-rating agencies, the APRM authored an Africa sovereign credit-rating review report in collaboration with the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
The report is the first edition of a bi-annual publication on developments and trends in the area of sovereign credit-rating services by international rating agencies among African countries.
The purpose of the launch was to, among others, promote public awareness and buy-in of the publication from relevant stakeholders.
In his opening remarks, the Minister made mention of the impact of COVID-19 on the African continent, but further mentioned that Africa had remained resilient.
“Despite gloomy COVID-19 predictions for the continent in terms of infections and deaths, the specter of famine and hunger hovering over our shores, floods washing over cities and villages, and desert locusts gobbling up crops, Africa has remained indomitable.
“In this crucible of a year that 2020 has been, we have proven once more that we are still able to triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds,” Minister Mchunu said.
The launch was crucial to increase knowledge of pertinent credit-rating challenges in Africa and proposed mechanisms to address these challenges.
“At a time when our countries’ fiscal space is squeezed and credit worthiness scrutinised for international loans, it is important to reflect, at a continental level, on ways to inform African Union member states’ attempts to engage with international credit-rating agencies so as to bring about a fair assessment of their credit profile and investment climate,” Minister Mchunu said.
“Today’s launch will help us appreciate the challenges we face but also the opportunities we enjoy as a fast-growing, young and educated continent.
“I am confident that this report will inspire policymakers to offer powerful arguments in favor of reappraising African credit scores.
“It is my hope that many more editions of the Africa Sovereign Credit Rating Review Report will be released in future to cast light on the strengths and weaknesses of our companies on the basis of accurate data, with the aim of providing fact-based credit ratings that will strengthen our negotiating positions,” Minister Mchunu said. – Source: www.SAnews.gov.za |
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| MINISTER PATEL CHAIRS AFRICAN UNION (AU) MINISTERS OF TRADE MEETING |
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| Just short of one month after assuming chairship of the AU Ministers of Trade (AMOT), Ebrahim Patel, South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, has chaired his second meeting of the Ministerial negotiating body. |
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The aim of the meeting was to finalise the key aspects of the outstanding African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations in order to enable the start of preferential trade on 1 January 2021.
The 12th Meeting of the AMOT took place virtually on Tuesday, 27 October 2020, with the participation of 38 AU member states.
During the meeting, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) said ministers noted significant progress in the finalisation of additional Rules of Origin following the adoption of a prioritised work programme and roadmap for the outstanding negotiations by the 11th AMOT, held on 30 September 2020, to facilitate the start of preferential trade under the AfCFTA.
“It is expected that further substantive progress will be made in the conclusion of additional outstanding chapters on Rules of Origin in the next round of negotiations in an effort to unlock and finalise commercially and mutually beneficial tariff offers,” said the department in a statement.
In considering outstanding Rules of Origin, Minister Patel emphasised the importance of concluding rules that promote and enhance a “Made in Africa, Grown in Africa, Designed in Africa” approach.
“It is important that we seek to ensure that agreed Rules of Origin promote and support local production and value addition in Africa. Our rules, therefore, should not be designed to benefit third parties,” said Minister Patel.
Also participating in the 12th AMOT, dtic Deputy Minister, Nomalungelo Gina, emphasised that the Rules of Origin should incentivise the expansion of Africa’s manufacturing capacity, including the development of supply chains and maximum value addition within the continent.
"These rules must serve to spur increased investment in local African productive capacity and job creation,” said Deputy Minister Gina. The ministers further emphasised the need for state parties to the AfCFTA Agreement to prioritise the finalisation and submission of tariff offers on the basis of the agreed Rules of Origin.
The importance of ratification by AU member states to enhance inclusiveness in preferential trade under the AfCFTA was again encouraged. Minister Patel acknowledged that the spirit of consensus-building in the AfCFTA, negotiations would contribute to successful deliverables for the Extraordinary Summit.
Minister Patel also noted the series of focussed meetings of the negotiations and implementation structures to be held during the month of November 2020, to ensure that the necessary prerequisites for trade are in place to support the commencement of preferential trade.
These include the consideration of trade in service offers, the finalisation of tariff concessions on the basis of as many agreed Rules of Origin as possible, as well as the finalisation of the necessary customs documentation. – Source: www.SAnews.gov.za |
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| ANOTHER MASSIVE NEW GAS FIND |
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| On Wednesday, 28 October 2020, Total confirmed that it had discovered a “significant” find of wet gas – gas that contains a small amount of oil – in the Luiperd prospect, located 175 km off the southern coast of Mossel Bay. |
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| The new find is close to Brulpadda – where Total last year said it discovered a field that could potentially yield up to one billion barrels of gas. |
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Using the hardcore DeepSea Stavanger drill rig – which can withstand the rough seas in that area – Total drilled 3 400 metres, and encountered 73 metres of net gas condensate. This is even better than at Brulpadda, where Total struck only 57 metres of gas at a deeper 3 633 metres.
Total owns 45% of Block 11B/12B, the area of 19 000 square kilometres, which houses both Brulpadda and Luiperd.
“The initial well results are better than anticipated,” said Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Qatari Minister of Energy, and president of Qatar Petroleum, which owns 25% of the block.
This could be a game-changer for South Africa, which is almost completely dependent on importing oil for local fuel consumption. The wet gas could be turned into liquid fuel at PetroSA’s gas-to-liquid (GTL) refinery in Mossel Bay, which is the third-largest GTL refinery in the world, but currently in danger of being mothballed due to a lack of gas. – Source: www.businessinsider.co.za |
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| SOUTH AFRICA’S WOMEN-LED AGENCY BECOMES THE FIRST LOCAL AGENCY TO WIN PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL AWARD |
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| A South African company has been named the top agency at the Global Purpose Awards 2020 in the United Kingdom. The awards recognise campaigns that use creative ideas successfully to further positive causes, and acknowledge the organisations behind them. |
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The awards are open to agencies, brands, public-sector bodies, charities and NGOs throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The awards reflect the growing use of "purpose" as a term for modern campaigning that puts a positive cause or progressive movement at its centre.
Triple Eight, a socially conscious marketing, PR and digital agency, has been announced as the winner of the Agency of the Year 2020 Award, a prestigious global accolade that recognises the best-in-class socially relevant marketing work executed by agencies from around the world.
The agency is women-led and was formed eight years ago by a small group of ambitious women with the vision to break traditional boundaries by blending know-how in brand activations, experiential marketing and cause-related programmes. The company employs over 70 women and operates in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.
The agency’s mission is to craft high-impact, world-class campaigns that matter and drive strong shared value for brands, people and the planet, striving to make a difference by staying true to its values of creativity with purpose, innovation for impact and executional excellence.
This year, the agency achieved a milestone of 50 long-term purpose campaigns, which reached over 44 million people directly through high-impact face-to-face programmes. With eight years’ experience in hygiene and handwashing behaviour-change interventions, Triple Eight’s work has become even more critical this year as the company hopes to reach a further 52 million people in the region through life-saving COVID-19 programmes for brands like Dettol, Durex, Knorrox, AECI, Zuva Petroleum and Unilever.
In a press statement by Triple Eight, Managing Director of the women-led company, Sarika Modi, said; “We are thrilled to share that Triple Eight won the Agency of the Year 2020 Award in a virtual online ceremony. We are grateful for the support and trust over the years, in our vision to 'Do it on Purpose'. It’s very rewarding that industry peers have recognised the company on the global stage for its work with leading brands in driving positive impact on people and the planet, while also creating strong business results. We feel very proud to have represented our country and continent well in work that drives both business and social results.” – Source: www.brandsouthafrica.com |
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| ZEITZ MOCAA REOPENS WITH PROUDLY INCLUSIVE CAPETONIAN EXHIBITION |
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| The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) recently reopened with “Home Is Where The Art Is: Art Is Where The Home Is”, a proudly Capetonian exhibition, which showcases around 2 000 artworks from Cape Town-based professional and amateur artists, children, collectors and others. |
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The exhibition is unprecedented for a major museum in South Africa. After an online entry period, the exhibition saw thousands of city residents make their way to drop-off points across the Peninsula where they queued to submit their entries.
The artwork submissions revealed five themes into which the exhibition has been arranged: The Garden, which explores the life of plants, growth, cultivation and labour; Outside, which encompasses landscape and public space; Inside, which includes interiors, domestic space and inner psychological states; Time, which notes the march from moment to moment and abstract expressions; and Relations, which celebrates interconnectedness, relationships and communities.
Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and chief curator at Zeitz MOCAA, said the exhibition amplified the museum’s commitment to providing access for all. |
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"Art is in the eye of the beholder could be the translation of Home Is Where The Art Is. With no hierarchy or selection, this is an opportunity for us to find out what art means to our audience and by the same token, attempting to find out what a museum could stand for in current times,” said Kouoh.
“As part of a repositioning and re-articulation of the role of our institution, this exhibition marks a transformative shift in how Zeitz MOCAA engages with audiences and foregrounds the creativity and diversity of those in Cape Town.”
Looking beyond the reopening exhibition, which runs until 10 January 2021, Zeitz MOCAA will also welcome shows that will focus attention on the work of individual voices. These include Line In The Sand by Haroon Gunn-Salie, which opened on 22 October; Alfredo Jaar: The Rwanda Project in November; Senzeni Marasela’s Waiting for Gebane in December; and Tracey Rose’s retrospective Shooting Down Babylon in February 2021. – Source: www.bizzcommunity.com |
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| FLYING SHARK PICTURE EARNS CAPE TOWN PHOTOGRAPHER ANOTHER TOP AWARD |
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| Chris Fallows' breathtaking photo of a great white shark, “Air Jaws”, has landed him another international award. |
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Cape Town's award-winning and world-renowned art and wildlife photographer Chris Fallows has received another international recognition for his breathtaking photo of a great white shark, titled “Air Jaws”.
Fallows was awarded the coveted Global Eye Award during this year’s STARTnet Fair at Saatchi Gallery in London between October 21 and 25.
The image, which showcases a great white shark breaching the surface of the ocean in a leap rarely seen, forms part of his limited edition body of works called The Eleventh Hour. Fallow described the award as a “great honour that I am truly proud of, especially considering the incredible talent of my fellow artists”. |
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“I am particularly grateful for the chance to share the magnificence of the iconic creatures we share our planet with and hope this further elevates the cause to learn to exist alongside them,” he said.
He described his limited edition fine artworks as “incredibly powerful, and their message resonates a call for change”. The announcement took place on the same week as the launch of Best of Cape Town – a curated five-day programme that will showcase the best art, food and wine Cape Town has to offer.
The programme will be hosted in partnership with Cape Town, SA Tourism, various art galleries, restaurants and wine farms in July next year, and will feature special events and exhibitions.
Best of Cape Town will go on tour to the 2021 STARTnet Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery, where a young emerging chef, artist and wine-maker will have the opportunity to showcase their work and the Best of Cape Town to a global audience.
Founder and Chairperson of STARTnet and the Global Eye programme, David Ciclitira said: “Having to decide an overall winner from our four fantastic semi-finalists was no easy feat, but we feel that Chris Fallows' Air Jaws, is truly deserving of the winning title.” – Source: www.TimesLIVE.co.za |
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| SHUDUFHADZO: SOUTH AFRICA'S MISS SA FIRM FAVOURITE |
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| It was over a year ago when South Africans warmly embraced Zozibini Tunzi as their 2019 Miss South Africa. Now, Limpopo-born Shudufhadzo Musida has just been crowned as this year's Miss South Africa during the pageant finale held at The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town. And the nation couldn't be more happier with their new queen. |
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With over 44 global news article mentions and 14 000 social media mentions since being crowned on Saturday, 24 October 2020, Meltwater, the global leaders in media intelligence, analysed news and social media mentions on Shudufhadzo Musida and "#MissSA2020" to unpack the reactions to South Africa’s new queen.
The "Miss South Africa" name has had its fair share of viral news and social media moments throughout the course of 2020. From the "#MissSA2020" trending in May as entries opened to #BiancaMustFall, South Africans have been paying close attention to this year’s pageant, and the finalists who would be competing for the crown.
When the semi-finalists were announced on 24 June 2020, the "#MissSA2020" hashtag was trending in South Africa, with a total social reach of 26 million people. It was also during this time that South Africans had declared some of their favourites who could potentially take the crown; Shudufhadzo Musida was one of them.
On the day of the Miss South Africa finale, and the subsequent crowning on Shudufhadzo, the data records just over 9 000 social media mentions of "#MissSA2020" and "Shudufhadzo Musida". These mentions had a total global social reach of 92.2 million people.
Shudufhadzo was a firm favourite to take the title during the semi-final stage, as she also won the People’s Choice vote, which secured her Top 10 placement. Her crowning as the new Miss South Africa has further shown how the nation had chosen her as their new queen long before the crown was placed on her head.
However, since being crowned as Miss South Africa 2020, Shudufhadzo has been warmly embraced by South African online users, as the data indicates an overall positive sentiment towards Shudufhadzo.
South Africans are not the only ones who have taken a warm liking to their new Miss South Africa 2020; “Shudufhadzo” has also been mentioned beyond South African borders.
While South Africa has dominated much of the 14 000 global social media mentions on the new Miss South Africa, online users from the United States of America have also taken to social media to send their congratulations to Shudufhadzo, hailing her natural beauty that follows in the footsteps of current Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi.
Nigeria, Namibia and the United Kingdom round up the top five countries who are mentioning the new Miss South Africa since her crowning. – Source: www.bizzcommunity.com |
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| CAPE TOWN PRIVATE GAME RESERVE WINS GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD |
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| The privately-owned Aquila Game Reserve and Spa has been honoured with the world’s most prestigious International Sustainable Tourism Award for a Major Tourist Attraction. |
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Aquila was the only South African recipient at the awards ceremony, which makes the achievement even more coveted.
This is not the first time Aquila Game Reserve and Spa has won awards. The property has previously won local awards.
In 2014, Aquila Private Game Reserve and Spa walked off with the National Lilizela Imvelo Award for best economic impact by a large tourism establishment in South Africa.
In 2015, Aquila picked up the National Lilizela Imvelo Award for sustainable development. Located within a two-hour drive of Cape Town, Aquila Private Game Reserve offers a superb safari experience amid glorious mountain landscape views.
The reserve is home to the Big Five wildlife game species. |
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Guests who stay two nights or more receive complementary access to Aquila’s spa, which boasts an indoor heated pool, a sauna, steam room and 12 treatment rooms.
The Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards were launched in 2002 to showcase global best practices in sustainability.
Searl Derman, the owner of Aquila Private Game Reserve, was proud to be honoured with the world’s most prestigious international sustainable tourism award: The 2020 Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award for a Major Tourist Attraction.
“The awards are geared towards enhancing the visibility and grant recognition to entities within the travel and tourism industry,” said Peter Morrison, World President of Skål International.
“It is an honour to receive global recognition for the sustainable tourism efforts we make in Cape Town – South Africa, and being the only South African recipient at the 2020 awards ceremony, we are proud to once again be able to shine the light on our ongoing projects and initiatives to enhance sustainable tourism, job creation, social upliftment, conservation and natural resource management efforts,” owner of Aquila Private Game Reserve and Spa, Searl Derman, said. – Source: www.thesouthafrican.com |
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| SOUTH AFRICAN SHORT “MY FATHER THE MOVER” GETS PICKED UP BY MTV DOCUMENTARY FILMS |
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| The proudly South African, international award-winning short “My Father the Mover” has been acquired by the MTV Documentary Films, a division of MTV Studios. The short is one of only a few handpicked foreign documentaries. |
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| Breakout director Julia Jansch’s upbeat African dance tale, My Father The Mover, won Best Documentary Short Film at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. The film is part of an exciting line-up of award-winning new feature and short film acquisitions under executive producer Sheila Nevins. The line-up tackles the social, political and cultural topics affecting the immediate lives and future outlooks of young people today. |
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Following its launch with Academy Award-nominated short St Louis Superman and award-winning feature Gay Chorus Deep South, MTV Documentary Films will qualify My Father The Mover for the Academy Awards and do a full awards campaign.
“Culling the magnificent film festivals with their extraordinary choices of documentary offerings, it is a gift to acquire films with heart and soul, insight and vision,” said Nevins.
My Father The Mover tells the story of Stoan (aka Mthuthuzeli Stoan MOVE Galela), a self-taught dancer who uses African electronic Gqom beats to motivate kids in the township of Khayelitsha, South Africa, to jive through their hardship and find their superpowers.
Jansch has always been stirred by characters and narratives that unveil what makes us most human. While talking to Stoan, Jansch learned of the work he does in his community. She was moved by his spirit and wanted to get his story out into the world in the hope of providing a platform for him to raise awareness about his work.
The South African director, writer and producer wanted to make the film in a way that felt as real and immersive as being with Stoan in the flesh and he invited an intimate crew into his home and dance class.
“This story is very important to me because Stoan’s message and methodology is one of freedom. And while the kids in his dance group face very unique circumstances, I found his story and his work to be universal. I found his way to be so moving … he is The Mover after all, and I knew his story would resonate on a global level,” said Jansch.
Julia began her career in development, working for FremantleMedia and RadicalMedia in New York. Her short films have premiered and won at A-list festivals around the world, and she is currently writing her first feature. She has an MBA and an MSC from Oxford University and a filmmaking diploma from the New York Film Academy. – Source: www.goodthingsguy.com |
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| MASTER KG EARNS 2020 MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATION FOR “JERUSALEMA” |
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| Master KG has been nominated for the Best African Act Award by the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards for his hit song “Jerusalema”. |
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| Master KG’s song Jerusalema has become a global dancing challenge. Every week, we see a new video trending online of a group dancing to the smash hit. The song first premiered on YouTube in December 2019. |
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Master KG is a 24-year-old rising star who comes from Calais Village, Limpopo. He had big dreams for his career but never imagined it would take off so massively because of one single song. Jerusalema is being called the song of lockdown.
It was the top song on Apple for a few weeks and landed Master KG with five award nominations for the African Muzik Magazine Awards (Afrimma). The five nominations have already meant that Master KG is the leading nominee for the awards.
Now, the song has earned the proudly South African artist an international nomination for the Best African Act Award by the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards. The award ceremony is on 8 November at 9 pm CAT on DSTV’s MTV and MTV Base channels.
Fellow South African artists Kabza de Small and DJ Maphorisa have also received a nomination for the Best African Act Award.
The music video, which premiered on YouTube in December 2019, has since gone on to hit 200 million views! It continues to spread across the world and with it, bringing unity and connection during the global pandemic! – Sources: MTV EMAi and www.goodthingsguy.com |
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| VIN DIESEL CHOSE TO DANCE TO A PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN SONG FOR HIS FIRST-EVER TIKTOK |
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| Vin Diesel set up his brand new TikTok account and decided to make his first video one of him and friend Nifé dancing to Brenda Fassie’s “Vuli Ndlela”. |
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Vin Diesel has been showing a different side to himself lately and it is so fun! The actor, famous for his roles in the Fast and Furious franchise as well as Riddick and as Groot in the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises, has been releasing his own music and dancing to music by none other than Brenda Fassie!
In a video shared on TikTok, the actor said he was feeling the South Aferican vibes with his Nigerian sister Nifé who is from London. According to Nifé, they “both love this South African classic”.
Vin Diesel gave the back story about loving the song on his Instagram account saying that he was reflecting on his mother’s birthday recently and the time that it was celebrated in South Africa two years ago.
He explained how he was on set for his movie Bloodshot and was due to take his mother out for dinner but filming ran late and he only finished at 3 am. Feeling really upset and disappointed about missing his mother’s birthday, he walked onto the set the next day and the South African crew blasted Vuli Ndlela on the sound system.
Vin Diesel said the moment lifted his spirits and he has loved the song ever since then. That is why he thought it would be such a great first video to share on his new TikTok account. – Source: www.goodthingsguy.com |
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| FANCOURT IS AFRICA’S BEST GOLF HOTEL – WORLD GOLF AWARDS 2020 |
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| “We are incredibly grateful and honoured for this recognition,” says Peter Dros, Sales and Marketing Director at Fancourt. “Particularly, since votes were cast by thousands of golfers from around the world – in what has been an incredibly tough year for the golf tourism and the hospitality industry.” |
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The World Golf Awards team has just announced their 2020 winners and Fancourt is thrilled to have received not one, but two of the prestigious awards:
- Africa’s Best Golf Hotel 2020: Fancourt Hotel & Country Club (South Africa)
- South Africa’s Best Golf Hotel 2020: Fancourt Hotel & Country Club.
The World Golf Awards™, which are part of World Travel Awards™, aim to celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism. Chris Frost, Managing Director, World Golf Awards, said that despite the many challenges faced this year, votes came in from hundreds of thousands of golf consumers from a record 129 countries.
According to Frost, strong support also came from leading golf industry professionals and media from every single participating nation in the programme. “I can happily report that the appetite for golf tourism has never been as keen, as golf fans pushed for the World Golf Awards to continue, and for the leaders in our industry to be acknowledged and rewarded. This bodes well for golf tourism’s future as the global recovery begins,” says Frost.
While congratulating Fancourt, Frost noted: “With 2020’s challenges taken into account, this year’s World Golf Awards winners are more deserving than ever before. Rewarding your commitment to excellence, whatever the challenges, and the determination to become the undisputed market leader.”
Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions and COVID-19 protocols, the World Golf Awards had to cancel their traditional awards ceremony in Dubai. For Dros, this news has not put a damper on the excitement of Fancourt’s wins. “It’s a wonderful note on which to start our end-of-year calendar of events and festivities at both the Fancourt Hotel and Country Club – and of course it’s a great reflection of our team’s talents, hard work and dedication.” – Source: www.iafrica.com |
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| STATEMENT DELIVERED BY MR ALVIN BOTES, DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION OF SOUTH AFRICA, DURING THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL HIGH-LEVEL DEBATE ON PEACEBUILDING AND SUSTAINING PEACE: CONTEMPORARY DRIVERS OF CONFLICT AND INSECURITY, 3 NOVEMBER 2020 |
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“Mr President and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Your Excellency Ralph Gonsalves, thank you for convening this meeting.
“Your Excellencies, Ms Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN; Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies; and Ambassador Munir Akram, President of the Economic and Social Council, thank you for your insightful briefings.
“Mr President,
“I wish to congratulate you on this historic occasion of your country’s non-permanent membership of the Security Council and for presiding over the Council for the first time ever.
“South Africa is grateful for the decision you took to coordinate and work closely with the African members of the Security Council, which has led to the establishment of the historic A3+1. This partnership has strengthened its voice and has firmly solidified the historic and cultural bonds between the Caribbean countries and the African continent.
“I also take this opportunity to commend you, Mr President, for your sterling leadership of CARICOM."
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/bote1103.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 OPEN DEBATE ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY, 29 OCTOBER 2020 |
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“Mr President,
“We thank Secretary-General, António Guterres, for his statement and welcome the briefings from Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; Goodwill Ambassador of UN Women, Ms Danai Gurira; Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Adviser in UNISFA, Ms Nataliia Emelianova; as well as the Head of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation, Ms Zarqa Yaftali.
“We join others in highlighting that the year 2020 is significant as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of Resolution 1325, the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Plan for Action, the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the 10th anniversary of the establishment of UN Women as well as the 5th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Agenda, amongst others. It is also the review year for “Silencing the Guns” on the African Continent. All these anniversaries are intertwined and pertinent in the advancement of the WPS agenda.
“We also wish to take this opportunity to welcome and acknowledge the clear priorities announced by the UN Women Executive Director that will dominate the decade of action. This will further drive the momentum to fully implement the ten UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security."
Read more: http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/speeches/2020/matj1029.htm |
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