Your Majesty, King Philippe of the Belgians, 
Your Majesty, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians,
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Dr. Naledi Pandor,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Belgium, Ms. Hadja Lahbib,
Ministers of the Republic of South Africa,
Ministers-President of the regions of Belgium,
Your Excellencies, the Ambassador of Belgium to South Africa and the Ambassador of South Africa to Belgium,
Officials,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your Majesty, it is my pleasure to welcome you to South Africa.

In 2018 you received me in Brussels during our working visit to the European Union. 

I was and remain most encouraged by your interest in developments in South Africa, and by our common desire to deepen relations between Belgium and South Africa.

As South Africans we were deeply moved how in 2013, in your first Christmas address to the people of Belgium as their new monarch, you paid tribute to the father of our democracy, President Nelson Mandela. 

You said, and I quote:

"He personified the will to build bridges. He showed us that dialogue and reconciliation can change the world. Let us find this strength in ourselves."

Indeed your visit to our country is about building bridges. We are pleased that you have honoured our invitation.  Our world has changed a great deal since January 2020 when we extended an official invitation for this State Visit.

We have had to contend with a global pandemic that wreaked great devastation on human life, livelihoods and the global economy; a series of natural disasters around the world; and since last year, a war between Russia and Ukraine that has sparked a global crisis of high cost of living.

We are indeed living through difficult times. Never has the imperative for global cooperation been greater, and never has the need for greater global solidarity been more urgent.

I wish to express our appreciation to the Kingdom of Belgium for its role in the global fight against COVID-19. Belgium is an important donor to the vaccine alliance GAVI, for the operation of COVAX, the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access initiative. Belgium has also donated more than 10 million vaccine doses, of which a significant proportion were sent to countries in Africa.

Belgium was also one of the earliest backers of the World Health Organisation’s mRNA tech transfer hub initiative in South Africa, operating from the understanding that long-term solutions are needed to address inequitable access to vaccines and therapeutics.

Today Belgium is a partner in in the mRNA Transfer Hub in Cape Town. 
One of our companies, Afrigen Biologics, is collaborating with Belgium’s Univercells Group to develop a novel mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. This cooperation will ensure that we are better prepared in the event of future health emergencies, and towards achieving our goal of producing the first African-owned coronavirus vaccine.

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is of grave concern to us all.

As South Africa we continue to emphasise the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the crisis. 

As you rightly said back in 2013, Your Majesty, dialogue and reconciliation can change the world. We look forward to sharing our perspectives on the conflict during our meeting, and to learn more about Belgium’s stance. 

It is also important to consider the impact of the conflict on the international economy, especially with regards to global food and energy security.

As South Africa we are encouraged at the growth of grade and investment between our two countries, and that our respective tourism links are also developing.

There has also been good cooperation between our two countries when we were both members of international bodies such as the United Nations Security Council, and currently, on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

I believe that much more can be done for our bilateral relations to grow and expand. 

When it comes to our respective histories, we share some similarities. 

They include contending with a painful past, striving for national reconciliation, and building a common, united future. This should form the basis for greater dialogue between our two countries, because we have much to learn from each other.

Your visit, Your Majesty, will add momentum to this process. It is our wish that this is an opportunity to foster greater cooperation, but also understanding, between the peoples of Belgium and South Africa.

I thank you and invite you now to make your opening remarks.

Your Majesty, King Philippe of the Belgians,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Belgium, Ms. Hadja Lahbib,
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Ebrahim Patel,
Ministers-President of the regions of Belgium
Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the Republic of South Africa,
Ambassadors of South Africa and Belgium,
Business and industry leaders from South Africa and Belgium,
Representatives of business organisations,
Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Afternoon.

It is my pleasure to address this South Africa-Belgium Business Forum convened under the theme of “Building Sustainable Partnerships”.

Your Majesty, we are honoured to receive you, your delegation, and businesspeople from Belgium.  

We have been in discussion earlier today, to identify ways to re-invigorate and boost trade and investment relations, I am pleased to note that our overall trade has not only recovered from the Covid-19 dip we saw in 2020, but in fact has exceeded the R100 billion mark for the first time. 

This Business Forum is an opportunity for exchanges and sectoral conversations that will enable us to intensify our efforts to improve the trade and investment relationship between our two countries and particular, use it as a means to promote South African industrialisation. 

South Africa and Belgium have vibrant, diverse, and growing economies, and there is a wealth of opportunities for businesses looking to expand into new markets. 

A closer economic partnership is in our mutual interest.

South Africa is often described as the gateway to Africa, and our strategic location makes us an attractive investment destination.

We have one of the most advanced and diversified economies on the continent, with a vibrant business environment, a strong regulatory environment, and a diverse, competitive, and well-regulated financial sector. 

We are a country with enormous potential for growth and development, and are also advantageously placed for companies looking to expand into the rest of the African continent.

Belgium, on the other hand, is a leading European nation with a strong presence in global markets, particularly in sectors such as technology, healthcare, renewable energy, ports, and logistics. 

Belgium’s central location in Europe, excellent transport links, and highly skilled workforce make it a gateway to the EU market. 

It is up to us to seize this opportunity and take our relationship to the next level. 

There are several areas where we can collaborate and create mutually beneficial opportunities.

Firstly, we can create new markets for our goods and services, expand trade and in the process create more jobs.

South Africa has a vibrant and diverse agricultural sector with an established presence in several markets in the EU. Certainly, we want to see greater market access for our agricultural goods, products, and services in Belgium. 

By way of example, in 2020, South African wines were the second largest export category to Belgium from the wine-producing region of the Western Cape.

Belgium has a strong track record in agribusiness and has several companies that have developed solutions to improve efficiency and productivity in the sector. These technologies can be adapted to suit the unique challenges faced by South Africa's agricultural sector, such as climate change and water scarcity.

Belgium has strong manufacturing and logistics sectors, as well as expertise in technology and innovation. Belgian companies will find there are innumerable business opportunities to manufacture products in South Africa, utilizing our excellent industrial experience and capabilities. 

We do want to move from being a large importer of manufactured products to being a major exporter, as we have shown with our auto industry. 

There are also significant investment opportunities between our two countries in energy, infrastructure, and healthcare. 

South Africa has ambitious plans to modernize its infrastructure by investing in the expansion of ports, rail, and road networks. These projects will require significant investment, and there are opportunities for Belgian companies with expertise in these sectors to come on board.

We are on a path to revolutionise our energy sector in pursuit of low-carbon, climate resilient development, and are actively seeking investment in the energy sector with a particular focus on renewables and green hydrogen.

Belgium has a proven track record in developing and implementing innovative renewable energy solutions. Together, we can create sustainable and environmentally friendly energy solutions that benefit both our countries. 

In this regard, a global just-energy transition requires multilateralism in dealing with climate change. 

We are concerned at the impact of unilaterally- introduced measures, such as the proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism that will affect exports of products from the global south; and we look forward to working with Belgium to address these concerns. 

We can also collaborate on research and development projects and share knowledge and expertise.

By working together, we can create value chains that are mutually beneficial, leading to job creation and economic growth.

Ultimately the growth of the South African economy will support the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area that opens access to a market of over 1.3 billion people. African economic integration is no longer a pipe dream, but becoming a reality. 

As African countries we see the AfCFTA as a game-changer and the transformer of Africa’s fortunes in the same way that the countries of Europe saw the establishment of the European Union in 1993. 

On technology there is also vast untapped potential. 

South Africa and Belgium can collaborate to promote innovation and technology transfer. Belgium has a strong R&D sector, while South Africa is home to many innovative start-ups. We must share our knowledge and expertise to create new opportunities for growth and development.

By way of example, in 2022 the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research signed a cooperation agreement with VITO, the CSIR’s counterpart in the Flanders region of Belgium. This partnership will focus on sustainable development and data science.

Of course, there are also challenges that we must address if we are to realize the full potential of our partnership. 

However, by working together and building strong relationships between our governments, businesses, and people, we can create a brighter future for both South Africa and Belgium.

By leveraging our respective strengths and exploring new avenues of collaboration, we can create mutually beneficial partnerships. 

I wish to emphasise this, because we have long moved from a situation where Africa’s vast wealth was extracted to enrich the West, leaving the continent impoverished. 

Mutually beneficial partnership is about trade and investment and not about benevolence or charity. It is about doing business, in a favourable climate, that leads to economic growth, job creation and prosperity for both our respective countries.

To this end our focus now must be on building stronger business relationships, promoting cultural exchanges and tourism, and creating a favorable business environment. 

It is about streamlining bureaucracy, reducing trade barriers and other forms of protectionism such as those currently against South African citrus products. We also need to promote education and training to develop a skilled workforce that can meet the needs of the modern economy.

With these few words let me thank you for your participation in this business forum. I look forward to also seeing you at the Fifth South Africa Investment Conference in a few weeks’ time on the 13th of April. 

Let us seize this opportunity to build a stronger, more prosperous future for our respective countries.

I thank you.

Programme Directors:

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr Zizi Kodwa, and,

MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and
Recreation, Ms Desery Fienies,

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola,

Ministers and Deputy Ministers,

Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul,

Premier of the Free State, Mr Mxolisi Dukwana,

Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission, Prof Bongani Majola,

Executive Mayor of Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality, Cllr Rhoode Itumeleng,

Mayor of Emthanjeni Local Municipality, Cllr Lulamile Nkumbi,

Community leaders,

Fellow South Africans,

Today is a day on which we celebrate the great progress we have made as a nation in building a democracy that is founded on equal human rights for all people.

It is a day on which we remember and pay tribute to the many people who fought for these rights and for the great sacrifices that they made.

It is also a day on which we look to the future. We reaffirm our pledge not only to safeguard and uphold these rights at all times, but to strive to ensure that all people may exercise these rights to their fullest.

This is a significant year for the celebration of Human Rights Day.

This year is the one hundredth anniversary of the adoption of the first bill of rights in South Africa’s history.

This was an act of remarkable vision at a time when the majority of South Africans were by law denied the most basic of human rights.

The adoption of the bill of rights, which had no legal standing at the time, took place just a decade after the Native Land Act had resulted in the mass dispossession of Africans of their land.

It took place 13 years after the Union of South Africa confirmed that black South Africans would have no say in the running of their country.

Today, as we mark Human Rights Day, we pay tribute to those men and women who had the foresight to proclaim that all people in this country have inalienable human rights.

The theme for Human Rights Day this year is: ‘Consolidating and Sustaining Human Rights Culture into the Future.’
As we look to the future, let us reflect on the past.

As we learn the lessons of the past, let us work together confront its devastating legacy.

One of the defining features of the Bill of Rights contained in our Constitution is the inclusion of social and economic rights.

In addition to the right to life, equality and human dignity, our Constitution also says that everyone has the right to housing, health care, food, water, social security and education.

The Constitution says that the state must take reasonable measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights.

The Bill of Rights also guarantees the right to property and says the state must work to ensure that citizens have equitable access to land. This property clause makes provision for land reform, restitution and security of tenure to redress the results of past racial discrimination.

This clause would no doubt be welcome by the people who drafted the 1923 Bill of Rights, who declared: “That all Africans have, as the sons of this soil, the God-given right to unrestricted ownership of the land in this, the land of their birth.”

Since the advent of democracy, successive administrations have done much to ensure the progressive realisation of these rights for all South Africans.

The expanding provision of basic services to households has been one of the most important interventions to improve the lives of all South Africans.

According to Statistics South Africa, access to water and sanitation, electricity, housing and other services like waste removal has increased steadily over the last three decades.

Around two million indigent households receive free basic water, free basic electricity and free solid waste removal.

Yet, despite this progress, there are still many people who do not have access to all of these services. Many people live in informal settlements without adequate housing, water or sanitation.

In some municipalities, the provision of these services is unreliable. There are times when water is not provided or is of poor quality, or where refuse is not collected.

The failure to provide adequate services consistently is a human rights issue.

That is why we are working to improve the functioning of local government, which carries the greatest responsibility for the provision of these services.

Through changes to legislation and support programmes, we are working to improve the capacity of public representatives and officials and direct more resources towards maintaining and upgrading local infrastructure.

Government recently re-introduced what are known as the ‘Green Drop’ and ‘Blue Drop’ reports, which detail the state of water provision in municipalities throughout the country. On the basis of these reports, we are undertaking interventions to fix the problems.

There are also a number of water infrastructure projects underway to improve the security of supply of water to key areas across the country.

Another significant intervention against poverty is the provision of social grants, which are the main source of income for about a quarter of households.

Just over 2.5 million people were receiving social grants in 1999. Today, over 18 million people are receiving these grants.

To relieve the pressure on poor households during COVID-19, government introduced the special R350 SRD grant. While this grant has been extended to the end of March 2024, work is underway to provide basic income support for the most vulnerable within the country’s fiscal constraints.

The Bill of Rights says that everyone has the right to a basic education and to further education, which the state must make progressively available and accessible.

Over the last three decades, important progress has been made in access to education.

To ensure every child gets a solid foundation for social and educational development, government has prioritised early childhood development.

The Department of Basic Education, which is now responsible for ECD, is streamlining the requirements for ECD centres to access support and enable thousands more to receive subsidies from government.

South Africa has a significantly high level of enrolment in basic education. In 2019, 96% of six-year-old children attended an education institution.

However, the dropout rate from school is unacceptably high, with the result that less than half of children who start school get a grade 12 pass. This is a problem that the education authorities, school leadership, educators and parents need to work together to address.

An important intervention to improve school attendance and alleviate poverty was the introduction of no-fee schools in poor communities.

We have seen the results of our investment in education in the steady improvement in overall matric pass rate since 1994. From the late 1990s, where the pass rate stood at around 50%, the matric pass rate last year was 80%.

Learners from no-fee schools are steadily performing better in matric, achieving a greater number of bachelor passes.

As part of a commitment to expand access to higher education for students from poor and working class backgrounds the number of students funded by NSFAS increased from 580,000 in 2018 to 770,000 in 2021.

Despite this, as we saw in the last few weeks, many students are still experiencing difficulties in funding their studies, accommodation and living expenses. This year, government plans to finalise the Comprehensive Student Funding Model for higher education. Among other things, this aims to reach those who don’t meet the NSFAS criteria but are still unable to afford tertiary education.

The Bill of Rights says that everyone has the right to have access to health care services, including reproductive health care.

Since the advent of democracy, starting with the provision of free health care to children under 5 years of age and pregnant women, government has made substantial progress in the provision of quality health care, especially to the poor.

However, there is still significant inequality in access to health care.

The National Health Insurance Bill, which is currently before Parliament, is meant to correct this state of affairs. The introduction of the National Health Insurance – or NHI – will enable every South African to receive quality health care regardless of their ability to pay.

We are preparing for the implementation of the NHI through the national quality improvement plan and putting in place the necessary staff and funding. We are improving the quality of care in our clinics through the Ideal Clinic programme. Using the experience of the COVID vaccination record system, we will introduce an electronic solution to improve management of health records.

If we are to advance and secure these social and economic rights into the future then we need to tackle poverty and inequality. We need to create employment and economic opportunity.

To achieve this, to give us the means to enable the progressive realisation of all these rights, we need to grow our economy and achieve far greater levels of investment.

The work that is being undertaken to increase investment in both economic and social infrastructure is a vital part of the effort to improve the provision of services to all South Africans. This includes investment in roads and rural bridges, in new housing settlements, in water schemes and in expanding our electricity network.

By the same measure, the work we are doing to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of our telecommunications industry, electricity system, and ports and railways contributes to increasing investment and employment.

Here in the Northern Cape there are several areas that are attracting new investment, mainly due to the province’s natural resources.

The province’s mining industry continues to grow, while there are new opportunities opening up in new fields such as solar energy and green hydrogen. We welcome the province’s effort to ensure that these projects create further work opportunities by investing in industrial parks and special economic zones.

Government has introduced programmes like the Presidential Employment Stimulus to create public and social employment opportunities for young people in particular. This is happening alongside projects with the private sector to provide work experience for young people and funding to small businesses.

The Bill of Rights guarantees the rights of all people to life, human dignity, freedom and security.

The high levels of violent crime, including crime against women and children, are a direct and brutal violation of these fundamental rights.

Society has come together in different ways to respond to violent crime.

Communities have been working with police through Community Policing Forums. Civil society organisations are working with government to implement the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. Business is working with law enforcement agencies and state-owned companies to tackle damage to economic infrastructure.

As we increase the presence and the visibility of police, as we strengthen the National Prosecuting Authority and improve the operation of our courts, we need to mobilise everyone in society as part of a national effort to end violent crime.

These are among the most important issues that we need to attend to as a nation if we are to sustain our human rights culture into the future.

We cannot claim to be a country that respects human rights if we do not do everything in our power and within our resources to ensure that all South Africans have access to land, housing, food, water, health care and education.

We cannot claim to respect human rights if we do not do everything we can to ensure all people have access to work and economic opportunity, and to live lives that are comfortable, safe and secure.

There can be no doubt that we have achieved much in securing the rights of all South Africans. But we know from daily experience that we need to do much more.

On this Human Rights Day, let us affirm our determination to realise the rights of all the people who live in this country.

In doing so, we will give effect to the promise of our democratic Constitution, and we will be paying the greatest tribute to the visionary leaders who wrote the first South African bill of rights one hundred years ago.

I wish every South African a happy Human Rights Day.

I thank you.

Your Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania,

High Commissioners of South Africa and Tanzania,

Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa, Mr Ebrahim Patel,

Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Tanzania, Hon Dr Ashatu Kijaji,

Ministers and Deputy Ministers,

Representatives of business from Tanzania and South Africa,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It my great pleasure to welcome President Hassan, her delegation and the business delegation from Tanzania to our beautiful country.

Over the past three days, government representatives at senior official and ministerial level have held discussions on political, diplomatic, defence and security matters, social and cultural affairs, as well as economic matters.

Earlier today, President Hassan and I co-chaired the 2nd Bi-National Commission between our two countries.

We found common ground on practical measures we need to take to forge a new partnership aimed at enhancing and increasing our bilateral trade and investment relations.

This partnership is founded on a friendship that stretches back many decades, when the people of Tanzania stood alongside the people of South Africa in our struggle to end apartheid and establish a democratic society.

The ties between our countries are firm and enduring.  

Since our two countries established diplomatic relations in 1994 and we established the Bi-National Commission in 2011, bilateral trade and investment between our two countries has continued to grow.

If one excludes gold, exports from South Africa to Tanzania increased from $177 million in 1995 to $459 million in 2021.

And Tanzania’s exports to South Africa increased from $4.5 million in 1995 to $30 million in 2021.

Alongside this trade is a significant value chain through which Tanzanian gold is refined in South Africa for sale to central banks and other customers around the world.

This gold trade alone was worth around $880 million in 2021.

South Africa is a major investor in Tanzania.

Between 1997 and 2022, South African companies have invested in a total of 250 projects, valued at US$ 1 billion, which have created more than 18,000 jobs in Tanzania.

The projects cover sectors like agriculture, construction and real estate, telecommunications, financial services, transportation, manufacturing, mining and petroleum, tourism, energy infrastructure, services and broadcasting.

There is still much scope for South Africa and Tanzania to strengthen cooperation in these sectors and to expand into other sectors, such as minerals beneficiation, health care and pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure development.

South Africa and Tanzania are both State Parties to the SADC Free Trade Agreement, which governs trade relations between our two countries.

It is crucial that we leverage the SADC Free Trade Agreement to increase mutually beneficial trade flows.

To achieve this goal, we need deeper and more meaningful dialogue between our respective private sectors.

We have convened this Business Forum to encourage the private sector to make practical suggestions about the basket of products that should be targeted for trade under preferential terms.

We need to transform the structure of trade relations with each other and with the rest of the world.

For example, between 2019 and 2021, South Africa imported $68 million worth of certain significant categories of goods from Tanzania, while it imported $4.8 billion of the same set of products from the rest of the world.

During the same period, Tanzania imported $1 billion worth of certain significant categories of goods from South Africa, while importing $14 billion of the same set of products from the rest of the world.

We are buying goods from other countries that we could be buying from each other.

We are creating jobs in other countries that we could be creating in South Africa and Tanzania.

We must therefore make a concerted effort to increase the supply of ‘Made in South Africa’ and ‘Made in Tanzania’ goods into each other’s markets.

I look forward to today’s deliberations.

It is our desire to build on the solid relations between our two countries and to harness our collective capabilities to forge a new deal for the mutual benefit of all our people.

Asante sana.

I thank you.

Your Excellency, My Dear Sister, President Samia Suluhu Hassan,
Honourable Ministers,
Officials,
Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my privilege to welcome you, Madam President on this, your first State Visit to South Africa. I also offer my warmest welcome to members of your delegation.

It is a pleasure to co-chair the Summit Meeting of the 2nd Session of South Africa-Tanzania Bi-National Commission.

I would like to thank our respective ministers and senior officials for the hard work in preparation for this visit.

As we know, several challenges prevented the BNC from convening earlier. Not least of these was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and other arrangements.

South Africa counts the United Republic of Tanzania as among our dearest and most cherished friends.

The support that Tanzania gave us in our struggle for freedom was unparalleled.

In 2019, I had the honour of visiting the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College in Morogoro.

This institution bears witness to the shelter, comfort and support extended by Tanzania to our freedom fighters for nearly three decades.

I was recently reminded of the extraordinary story of a group of nurses from South Africa that were smuggled out of the country in the early 1960s to work in Tanzania and to train nursing staff there.

Known as the 20 Nightingales, they were received by President Julius Nyerere and ANC President Oliver Tambo, and were then placed in hospitals around the country to treat patients and to supervise local nurses.

Earlier this month, one of these revolutionary nurses, Sister Kholeka Tunyiswa passed away in Dar es Salaam. We pay tribute to Mama Kholeka and to her fellow nurses for their sacrifice and their contribution.

These 20 Nightingales embodied the pan-African spirit that guides our interactions as African countries, today and into the future.

Tanzania supported our just struggle and her noble people embraced us.

For this, we remain forever grateful.

As we consolidate our bilateral relations, we build on this solidarity and friendship. This has enabled South Africa to participate in the African Liberation Heritage Programme hosted by Tanzania.

From our side we have instituted the South African Chapter of the Project called the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route. It is aimed at commemoration, celebration, education and preservation of a crucial era of our history.

Our rich history connects us as Africans and contributes towards strengthening people-to-people exchange.

We believe that this State Visit will further strengthen the bilateral political and economic relations between our two countries and enhance the work of the BNC.

We must use this opportunity to explore further areas of cooperation.

I am pleased to learn that several Agreements and MOUs between our departments are currently at various stages of negotiation and will soon be signed and subsequently implemented.

One of the key priorities of the BNC is to increase trade and investment so that we may promote economic development for the mutual benefit of our two countries.

To do this, we need to address any impediments and create a conducive environment for bilateral trade and investment to flourish.

I look forward to participating in the South Africa-Tanzania Business Forum taking place alongside this State Visit and Summit Meeting of the BNC.

Just as we share common aspirations for the social and economic development of our countries, we also share similar views on the security and economic development of our region and the continent.

Our engagements in regional, continental and global governance institutions reinforce the imperative of silencing the guns across the continent and of working together for peace, security, and stability.

We should be concerned, in particular, at the concerted effort to frustrate the resolution of the situation in Western Sahara. As South Africa and Tanzania, we need to continue to mobilise other countries on the continent and international partners towards a sustainable resolution to the Western Sahara conflict in line with the provisions of the 1991 Ceasefire Agreement.

The changing international political landscape requires us to align our positions and approaches to ensure that the voice of our Africa is further strengthened at a global stage.

Once again, I welcome you to South Africa and I look forward to the report of the deliberations of the Ministers’ segment of the Bi-National Commission.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Thursday, 26 January 2023, deliver the keynote address at the 2023 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla under the theme  “Equipping Learners with Knowledge and Skills for a Changing World in the Context of COVID-19”.

The annual event, from 26 - 28 January 2023, will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, under the auspices of the Department of Basic Education.  

With the overall focus of the Lekgotla being the recovery plan for basic education, the gathering will also:

• provide space to discuss the impact of COVID-19 (including learner drop-out and the extent of learning losses); 
• examine learning recovery approaches and the DBE Framework; and 
• assess progress made in the implementation of programmes to equip learners with knowledge and skills for a changing world.

Members of the media are invited to attend the Lekgotla as follows:

Date: Thursday, 26 – Saturday, 28 January 2023
Time: 08h00
Venue: Sandton Convention Centre 

Enquiries for accreditation should be directed to Terence Khala at khala.t@dbe.gov.za 

Media Access

The event will be streamed live across various government social media platforms including on the Department of Basic Education’s social media channels on the links below:

•    YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/DBESouthAfrica
•    Twitter: http://twitter.com/DBE_SA
•    Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BasicEd

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - 082 835 6315

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Your Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan,
Ministers,
Officials,
Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Afternoon,

We have held productive discussions with Her Excellency President Hassan and the delegation of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.

It has been an honour and privilege to host you, Your Excellency, on your first State Visit to South Africa.

The fraternal bonds between Tanzania and South Africa are well-known, and were forged in the trenches of struggle.

There are many stories and historical accounts of the days when Tanzania gave shelter and comfort to our freedom fighters.

The solidarity and protection afforded us by the people of Tanzania in those dark days sustained us in our fight against an oppressive state which deprived the majority of our population of fundamental human rights.

We remain indebted to your nation for your role in ushering in the rights all South Africans have been able to access during nearly three decades of freedom.

This success of today’s State Visit is a dividend of our shared history and it is a baton we can confidently pass to generations of Tanzanians and South Africans who will advance our relations in a rapidly changing Africa and a changing world.

The difference that these relations make in the day-to-day life of individuals, businesses and stakeholders in our two countries are an important building block of our shared realisation of our Continent’s Agenda 2063.

This State visit has coincided with the 2nd Session of the South Africa - Tanzania Bi-National Commission. We have had the opportunity to take stock of the state of our bilateral cooperation and to identify new areas of cooperation.

To date, 15 sectoral Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding have been signed between our two countries.

We have just witnessed the signing of two more Memoranda of Understanding.

We are pleased that there are other Memoranda of Understanding that have been finalised, and we expect the respective Ministers to sign the finalised MoUs before the end of 2023.

This work will be anchored and coordinated by the Foreign Ministries of the two countries, supported by a Mid-Term Review Mechanism that will monitor implementation of the Bi-National Commission’s work.

A key aspect of our bilateral cooperation is the promotion of trade and investment between our two countries.

President Hassan and I will be joining the South Africa-Tanzania Business Forum later today, which brings together business people from our respective countries.

Among the industries under discussion at the Business Forum are agriculture and agro-processing, oil and gas, mining and infrastructure development.

We look forward to engaging the business sectors of our two countries as they are our partners in socio-economic development.

We also had an opportunity to exchange views on regional, continental and global issues of mutual interest.

Among other matters, we reaffirmed our shared resolve to ensure that the people of Western Sahara are able to exercise their right to self-determination. We will resist any efforts to frustrate the legitimate aspirations of the Saharawi people or to diminish their standing within the African Union.

South Africa and Tanzania share common values and aspirations for stability and development of the Continent and for strengthened cooperation among the countries of the Global South.

There is indeed still much work to be done, but I am confident that we have laid a firm basis on which all of us can build going forward.

I now invite you, President Hassan, to give your remarks.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 24 January 2023, deliver the eulogy at the Official Memorial Service in Johannesburg in honour of the late founding Speaker of democratic Parliament,  Dr Frene Ginwala.

Dr Ginwala passed  away at her at home in Cape Town on 12 January 2023, at the age of 90, following a stroke two weeks earlier.

The Official Memorial Service will serve as a national tribute to the late Speaker.

Details are as follows:

DATE: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
TIME: 10:00
VENUE: Johannesburg City Hall, Gauteng 

Enquiries for accreditation should be directed to Takalani Mukwevho on 082 227 9308.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – 082 835 6315
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Members of the Presidential Working Group on Disability, 
Officials,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
 
A warm welcome to this, our first meeting for the year. 
 
This Presidential Working Group is an important partner in the development and implementation of government policies and programmes. 
 
It makes an important contribution to our effort to leave no-one behind. 
 
According to Statistics South Africa, around 7 per cent of our population of over 60 million people has some form of disability. 
 
These are not just numbers. They represent human beings who have aspirations, dreams and purpose. 
 
They represent citizens whose rights to equal treatment and equal opportunity should be guaranteed and protected. 
 
Since its establishment, this Working Group has given advisory support to government to ensure that we continue to uphold the constitutional rights of all South Africans, including persons with disabilities. 
 
We are the second country in the world to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which addresses the rights of persons with disabilities to access information, transport and health care. 
 
But we have not fully lived up to the promise of this convention, and persons with disabilities continue to face significant challenges in their daily lives.
 
Many persons with disabilities are often excluded from education, employment and community participation. 
 
They may also experience social isolation and loneliness due to their disability. 
 
They also face significant health challenges, including limited access to health care services and inadequate health facilities.
 
Transport remains a problem.
 
Our trains are often not accessible for wheelchair users and there is a general lack of assistance for passengers with disabilities. 
 
The minibus taxi industry is the main mode of public transportation for many, but presents particular challenges for persons with disabilities.
 
Globally, persons with disabilities face exclusion from the labour market. In South Africa, despite policies promoting inclusion, unemployment rates are even higher for persons with disabilities. 
 
Black persons with disabilities feel these difficulties more severely, and black women even more so.
 
This Working Group is a vital part of our common effort to change this.
 
Our goal remains the attainment of a just and free society in which persons with disabilities are treated as equal citizens. 
 
The commitment of the government to promoting the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities is unwavering.
 
The African Union Protocol on Rights of Persons with Disabilities has undergone the necessary Parliamentary processes. It is now in the final phases with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to be deposited with the AU. 
 
International benchmarking indicates that South Africa has made progress in policy implementation on health care, education and economic opportunities. 
 
However, we have not made enough progress in implementing disability-related policies and legislation. There is inadequate funding for disability-related programmes and a lack of public awareness and understanding of disability issues.
 
As a government, we recognise that we have not done enough to support persons with disabilities.
 
Our vision is to create an inclusive society where persons with disabilities can live their lives to the fullest. This vision is achievable if we all work together. 
 
To achieve this vision, we will take the following actions: 
 
First, we will increase funding for disability-related programmes and services. This will include funding for education, training, employment and health care services for persons with disabilities. 
 
Second, we will strengthen disability-related policies and legislation to ensure that they are effectively implemented. We will work with disability organisations and other stakeholders to develop and implement disability-inclusive policies and programmes that promote the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities. 
 
Third, we will increase public awareness and understanding of disability issues through public awareness campaigns and community outreach programmes. 
 
Fourth, we will work to create accessible and inclusive environments for persons with disabilities, ensuring that public facilities and services are accessible and promoting universal design principles in the built environment. 
 
Finally, we will work to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes and ensure that their voices are heard in all areas of public life.
 
The finalisation and resourcing of the Working Group’s Terms of Reference are critical to the success of this work. 
 
The Terms of Reference, which were developed in a consultative process, need to be finalised today to guide the Presidential Working Group. 
 
The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is progressively resourcing the Working Group’s secretariat. The respective work streams will be resourced through the coordinating departments in line with each priority. 
 
We are striving to ensure that disability is mainstreamed in all government plans and programmes, along with the necessary budgets. 
 
The Presidential Working Group must continue to play its critical role in guiding different government departments as they implement plans, policies, measures and programmes to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. 
 
The Ministers present in this meeting will be providing feedback on progress on their respective Medium-Term Strategic Framework targets on disability. 
 
This meeting should review progress on the implementation of the priorities of the National Disability Rights Agenda and chart the way forward. 
 
Now that we are in the final decade of implementation of both the National Development Plan and the UN’s Agenda 2030, we must increase the pace of change. 
 
There can be no sustainable growth and development in any society if there are members who are excluded from being active citizens on account of disability. 

Today’s meeting must reflect on the progress we have made in meeting our domestic and international commitments to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. 
 
We remain committed to implementing the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to ensure our work is aligned with the UN Flagship Report on Disability and Development. 
 
The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation will continue to assess progress on the implementation of priority programmes for persons with disabilities. 
 
This meeting is an opportunity to critically engage on the work we have done to date and the tasks that we must now undertake together to advance our agenda.
 
With these few words, I welcome you once again and thank you for your participation. 
 
I thank you.

Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Directors-General in the Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Good afternoon.
 
It gives me great pleasure to welcome all the new Heads of Mission as you begin your tenure as representatives of your respective countries to the Republic of South Africa. 
 
Your presence here is a firm indication of the commitment of your respective governments to maintain and deepen relations with South Africa.
 
It is significant that all the continents of the world are represented here this afternoon, since South Africa has always endeavoured to maintain friendly relations with all countries.
 
We firmly believe in the indivisible unity of humanity and that we share a responsibility to continuously strive to settle differences between countries peacefully and permanently.
 
Global solidarity is required if we are to meet pressing international challenges such as energy and food insecurity, climate change, conflict and the existential threat of nuclear weapons.
 
We need to be united in our efforts to advance sustainable peace and development.
 
South Africa works to actively promote the centrality of multilateral institutions in managing global affairs and respect for international law and agreements.
 
We seek to work with our partners across the world to build a more democratic, just and equitable world order, one which prioritises the needs and interests of the poor and vulnerable.
 
As the peoples of the world, we have a shared interest in ending poverty and closing the disparities in wealth, skills, resources and access to education, health and social support.
 
South Africa stands ready to work with all governments and peoples in achieving these objectives.
 
We trust that your presence in South Africa as the representatives of your respective peoples will enable us not only to build bilateral relations, but to cooperate in building a better world.
 
Your Excellencies,
 
You begin your appointments in South Africa at an important time for our country. 
 
Like nations across the world, we are working to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made many of our economic and social challenges far worse.
 
These efforts to be rebuild are being held back by a severe energy crisis that has affected every aspect of life in this country.
 
Therefore, our most immediate and pressing task is to stabilise the supply of electricity and to ensure energy security into the future.
 
We are therefore focused on several measures to substantially improve the performance of our existing power stations and bring additional generating capacity online as speedily as possible.
 
Throughout this administration, we have been working to restore effective governance, stabilise public finances and end all forms of corruption and mismanagement.
 
We are working to achieve policy certainty and align policies and programmes across government.
 
This is part of a broader effort to make South Africa a country in which it is easier to invest and do business.
 
South Africa is willing to acknowledge its shortcomings and is prepared to take the necessary measures to correct these.
 
We are moving with determination and urgency to increase investment, grow our economy and create jobs, especially for young people.
 
We have embarked on an ambitious investment drive informed by an understanding that, under the current conditions, far greater investment is a prerequisite for faster economic growth.
 
It is an understanding that jobs will not be created, and poverty will not be reduced unless we grow our economy.
 
It is our wish that we will use the good relations between our countries as the basis for greater levels of investment and bilateral trade, which will promote economic activity and development in our respective countries.
 
We are seeking mutually beneficial cooperation and collaboration to ensure that our societies make progress and that our people benefit from the relationships we build.
 
The African Continental Free Trade Area is very much aligned with South Africa’s economic growth and development strategy, which places emphasis on regional and continental integration. Therefore, the benefits for Africa is immense as it will also create conditions for greater flows of trade and investment between Africa and the rest of the world.
 
Your Excellencies,
 
In conclusion, allow me to thank each of you, on behalf of your countries, for continuing to honour us with your friendship and cooperation.
 
We look forward to working with you to strengthen relations between our peoples and to contribute to building a better world for the benefit of all.
 
I thank you.