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PRESIDENT ZUMA ON STATE VISIT TO GHANA |
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The visit deepened our existing strong bilateral relationship with Ghana and advanced intra-trade on the continent. |
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President Zuma held official talks with his Ghanaian counterpart, President John Dramani Mahama, in which they discussed, among other things, political, economic and security cooperation.
The State Visit also afforded the two presidents an opportunity to assess progress regarding the implementation of the seven agreements/memoranda of understanding that were signed during the State Visit to South Africa by the late President of Ghana, Dr John Atta Mills, in August 2011.
In terms of trade and investment, Ghana represents a major export market for South African goods. In 2012, South African exports to Ghana were estimated at R5 billion and the imports from Ghana at R1,9 billion, the bulk of which was crude oil.
South Africa is the 14th-largest investor in Ghana with investments amounting to more than R64 billion between 2003 and April 2013. There are more than 80 South African multinational and small-scale companies registered in Ghana. |
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DEPUTY PRESIDENT MOTLANTHE UNDERTAKES A WORKING VISIT TO CANADA |
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| The purpose of the visit was to promote investment by Canadian companies in South Africa’s mining sector. |
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Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe travelled to Canada on a Working Visit from 25 – 27 November 2013.
During the visit, the Deputy President met with a range of stakeholders in the mining industry, including mining companies, investors, bankers and asset managers. He also held meetings with the Canada-South Africa Chamber of Commerce and the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Deputy President Motlanthe also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston.
South Africa enjoys close political and economic relations with Canada and these are evidenced by high volumes of trade and investments between the two countries.
Bilateral trade between South Africa and Canada totalled over $1,3 billion in 2012. |
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MINISTER MOLEWA ATTENDS UNFCCC COP19 TALKS |
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Under South Africa’s COP Presidency,
COP17 achieved the historic agreement on the Durban Platform and the initiation of negotiations on a new global legal instrument, applicable to all countries, to be adopted by 2015 and to be fully operational in 2020. |
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The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, participated in the 19th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP19), under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC COP19 began in Warsaw, Poland, on 11 November 2013 and concluded on 22 November 2013.
COP19 kept governments on track towards a universal climate agreement in 2015 and included significant new decisions that will cut emissions from deforestation.
“Warsaw has set a pathway for governments to work on a draft text of a new universal climate agreement. So, it appears on the table at the next UN Climate Change Conference in Peru. This is an essential step to reach a final agreement in Paris, in 2015,” said Marcin Korolec, President of COP19.
In the context of 2015, countries decided to initiate or intensify domestic preparation for their intended national contributions towards that agreement, which will come into force from 2020. Parties ready to do this will submit clear and transparent plans well in advance of COP21, in Paris, and by the first quarter of 2015.
Countries also resolved to close the pre-2020 ambition gap by intensifying technical work, including through workshops, and increased opportunities for information-sharing. Work will also be intensified through the more frequent engagement of ministers by means of ministerial dialogues. – http://www.cop19.gov.pl |
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SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTES TO RESCUE OPERATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES |
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The Department of International Relations and Cooperation, on behalf of the Government of South Africa, contributed an amount of R4 million in response to the call for international assistance by the Government of the Philippines.
The contribution by South Africa was made to Rescue SA towards its rescue operations in the Philippines in the wake of the Super Typhoon Haiyan, which claimed thousands of lives, caused many injuries and left behind a trail of devastation.
Rescue SA mobilised a 20-member rescue team comprising a group of experienced doctors, paramedics, fire, rescue and related professional personnel to the Philippines, sourced from the metropolitan municipalities of Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni as well as two nationals of Lesotho and Zambia for capacity-building. |
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SECOND BRICS URBANISATION FORUM AND THIRD FRIENDSHIP CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COOPERATION FORUM HELD IN DURBAN |
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The purpose of
the meetings
was to provide a platform for member countries to develop a common approach that will facilitate cooperation and exchange of information on urbanisation challenges. |
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The second BRICS Urbanisation Forum and third Friendship Cities and Local Government Cooperation Forum was held from 26 to 29 November 2013, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, Durban. The meetings were held under the theme “Towards Sustainable Urbanisation”.
The objectives of the conference were to coordinate efforts to learn from best practices and access available technologies to better manage and plan for the rapid rate of urbanisation in the BRICS partner countries.
The event provided a platform for networking and exchanging of ideas. It brought together senior government leaders and officials, city managers, urban development managers and other important stakeholders from around the world. |
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MINISTER CHABANE REPRESENTS SOUTH AFRICA AT THE AFRICA-ARAB SUMMIT IN KUWAIT |
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The summit, preceded by a Ministerial Meeting on 17 November 2013, was held under the theme: “Partners in Development and Investment”. It was hosted by the State of Kuwait and co-organised with the African Union (AU) Commission and the League of Arab States. |
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The Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in The Presidency, Collins Chabane, led a South African delegation, representing President Jacob Zuma, to the Third Africa-Arab Summit that was held in the City of Kuwait, Kuwait, from 19 to 20 November 2013.
South Africa’s participation in the summit was premised on the AU’s strategic objective of ensuring that all global partnerships with Africa should support the African development priorities, while also strengthening Africa’s participation in global affairs as an equal partner.
At the summit, the heads of state and government of the AU and the League of Arab States undertook a mid-term review on the Joint Action Plan (2011 – 2016) adopted at the Second Africa-Arab Summit of 2010 and further adopted the Kuwait Declaration.
South Africa’s relationship with the Arab states remains cordial with ongoing engagements at various political and economic levels that are anchored by the strategic objective of strengthening South-South relations. |
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SOUTH AFRICA HOSTS KIMBERLEY PROCESS CERTIFICATION SCHEME (KPCS) IN ITS 10TH YEAR |
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South Africa hosted the KPCS Plenary in Johannesburg from 19 to 22 November 2013. This followed the intercessional meeting which took place in Kimberley in June this year.
KP participating countries, industry and civil-society observers gather twice a year at intercessional and plenary meetings, as well as in working groups and committees that meet on a regular basis. The KP is governed by statutes (the KPCS) which stipulate the objectives, definitions, internal controls and minimum requirements with which every participant must comply.
Ambassador Welile Nhlapho, seconded from the Department of International Relations and Coordination, was nominated to be KP Chair during South Africa’s tenure as Chair.
South Africa will hand over chairship to current Vice-Chair, China, who will take over the reins in 2014. |
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SA SENDS FIRST BATCH OF MAIZE TO LESOTHO |
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| Earlier this year, South Africa struck a deal with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to buy maize from the country's smallholder farmers as part of a R180-million South African humanitarian donation to Lesotho. |
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Last week, South Africa transported its first consignment of maize to Lesotho, which is currently experiencing a food crisis.
Maize from the Zivuseni Agricultural Cooperative and the Ziyibane Farming Project has been milled at the Pride Milling Plant in Nigel, Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, and then packaged into bags of maize meal.
A total of 4 920 bags of maize meal, each weighing 25 kilograms, will be transported from Nigel to Lesotho. Producers of the maize meal are beneficiaries of the Fetsa Tlala Integrated Food Production Initiative.
Last week’s consignment was the first of many that are planned for Lesotho. Several more trips will be made in January next year with maize from smallholder farmers from the Eastern Cape, the North West and Limpopo.
The initiative is a joint venture with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the WFP, Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Social Development. |
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SOUTH AFRICA AND EUROPEAN UNION (EU) CELEBRATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (S&T) PARTNERSHIP |
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The Department of Science and Technology has taken full advantage of the S&T Agreement signed between the South Africa and the EU in 2006. |
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The Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Michael Masutha, addressed an event at the University of Cape Town (UCT) on 21 November 2013, to showcase projects funded through a S&T partnership between South Africa and the EU.
The Deputy Minister was joined by the EU Ambassador to South Africa, Roeland van der Geer, and UCT Vice-Chancellor, Max Price.
The event included a tour of the Emavundleni Clinic in Crossroads which is run by the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre (DTHC), housed in the UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. The DTHC has partnered with the district health services to provide a series of services.
The Department of Science and Technology participates in various EU programmes such as the Framework Programme 7 (FP7) and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). As a result, South Africa has emerged as one of the most successful participants from outside Europe in FP7, attracting a direct investment of more than R500 million and over R350 million of EDCTP funding. |
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SA TO HOST 2017 CANOE MARATHON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS |
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"This is a major boost for canoeing in South Africa." – Canoeing South Africa president Christo Horn |
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South African canoeing has received a major boost with the announcement by the International Canoe Federation (ICF) that the World Canoe Marathon Championships will be hosted by the Natal Canoe Club at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg in 2017.
The announcement came at the ICF board of directors' meeting in Lima, Peru, bringing to fruition the lobbying work done by the Natal Canoe Club to host the event at the home of the famous Dusi Canoe Marathon. – www.southafrica.info |
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