President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep condolences following the passing of writer, storyteller and cultural activist, Dr Diana Ferrus, who has passed away at the age of 72.

President Ramaphosa’s thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and associates of the late poet who in 1998 penned the persuasive poem, A Poem for Sarah Baartman.

The poem is credited with being instrumental in the return to South Africa from France of the mortal remains of Ms Sarah Baartman, an Eastern Cape citizen who had been taken to Europe in the 19th century to be dehumanised and exploited as an exhibit.

Dr Ferrus was a writer who published works in Afrikaans and English and taught and empowered emerging writers to articulate protest and social commentary.

President Ramaphosa said: “A remarkable voice has gone silent. Diana Ferrus was a creative stalwart whose profound understanding of the human condition and the all-encompassing injustices of apartheid inspired her way with words.

“She was a patriot who painted our nation in prose that awakened us to the essence of our humanity.

“No-one could remain unaffected by her insight, her deep appreciation of our nation’s cultural and natural endowments, or her demands for justice and the restoration of the dignity of a dispossessed and disempowered people.

“May Diana’s soul rest in the peace to which she invited Sarah Baartman in her landmark poem.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing in Cape Town of Mr Leon Levy, aged 96, who was the last surviving signatory of the Freedom Charter and Accused No 4 in the 1956 Treason Trial.

President Ramaphosa offers his deep sympathy to the family and friends of Mr Levy who took on numerous roles in the struggle alongside his equally committed identical twin brother, Norman, who passed away in July 2021.

Leon Levy, whose parents had emigrated from Lithuania, joined the Communist Party of South Africa when he was a teenager and became a trade unionist when he was 24 – two years before he was elected president of the South African Congress of Trade Unions that he had helped to establish.

He was among the organisers of the Congress of the People which adopted the Freedom Charter on 26 June 1955.

The six Charter signatories were African National Congress President Chief Albert Luthuli; Jimmy La Guma of the South African Coloured People's Congress; Monty Naicker of the Natal Indian Congress; Pieter Beyleveld of the Congress of Democrats and Leon Levy of the South African Congress of Trade Unions.

In December 1956, security police arrested the Levy brothers as part of a crackdown on liberation movement leaders and charged the activists with high treason, which carried the death penalty as a possible sentence.

While Norman Levy was discharged later, Leon Levy remained on trial until his acquittal in 1961.

The brothers remained politically active, with Norman Levy serving three years after being convicted under the Suppression of Communism Act.

Leon Levy was subjected to two periods of detention, after which he went into exile in England, where Norman joined him after being released from prison.

President Ramaphosa said: “The passing of Leon Levy is a sad moment for us as fellow human beings. It is particularly sad for us as citizens of a South Africa that attained freedom from apartheid through the hard and sacrificial activism of Leon Levy and those who were in the trenches with him, including his brother, Norman.

“As we mark 70 years since the Treason Trial of 1956, we are obliged to pay tribute to the cohort of leaders and other activists who fought the apartheid state based on their belief in the inherent equality and dignity of all people.

“Leon Levy attached his signature to the Freedom Charter that lives on in our Constitution whose 30th anniversary we observe as well in 2026.

“Leon Levy was part of a generation whose contributions to a better life and a better world for all South Africans and humanity globally must never be forgotten or dishonoured.

“May his soul rest in peace.”

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 03 February 2026, deliver a keynote address at the Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs) Summit.

The Summit is a two-day event at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

The gathering brings together Government, the building and construction industry, academia, investors, and civil society to advance innovative solutions for the delivery of sustainable human settlements.

Held under the theme “Mainstreaming Innovative Building Technologies for Sustainable Human Settlements”, the IBT Summit aims to accelerate the adoption of Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs) to enhance the delivery of housing across South Africa.

IBT's offer viable and cost-effective alternatives that enhance efficiency through lightweight structures, energy-efficient designs, prefabrication, and environmentally sustainable construction methods.

The Summit comes at a critical time as South Africa continues to confront a significant housing backlog, rapid urbanisation, and the increasing impacts of climate change.

The objectives of the IBT Summit include strengthening policy integration for IBTs within human settlements, fostering collaboration and investment between Government, the private sector, non-profit organisations, and international stakeholders, and showcasing disruptive innovation in construction.

The Summit will further promote IBT's as solutions for disaster-resistant and climate-resilient housing, supporting community rebuilding efforts and ensuring better preparedness for future crises.

In addition, it aims to raise awareness among beneficiaries, policymakers, and industry stakeholders about the affordability, speed, and sustainability of Innovative Building Technologies.

The President’s participation in the IBT Summit affirms Government’s commitment to addressing inequality and reversing pre-1994 spatial planning patterns, as articulated in the 2025 State of the Nation Address.

The Summit will take place as follows: 

Date: Tuesday, 03 February 2026
Time: 10h00
Venue: Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria