President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council with effect from 1 October 2019.

The Council was announced by President Ramaphosa in the State of the Nation Address to ensure greater coherence and consistency in the implementation of economic policy and ensure that government and society in general is better equipped to respond to changing economic   circumstances.

Comprising local and international economic thought leaders, the Council will advise the President and government more broadly, facilitating the development and implementation of economic policies that spur inclusive growth. 

The Council is a non-statutory and independent body chaired by the President and brings together prominent economists and technical experts drawn from academia, the private sector, labour, community, think tanks and other constituencies. The members, who will volunteer their time and be compensated for subsistence and travel, are appointed to serve a three-year term. 

The Council constitutes expertise in international economics; macroeconomics (including fiscal policy and monetary economics); labour economics; economics of education and the economics of poverty and inequality and urban development. Other areas of insights entail microeconomics with a focus on network industries, regulation and competition, trade, energy and climate change.

It is expected that the Council will serve as a forum for in-depth and structured discussions on emerging global and domestic developments, economic and development policies, and to facilitate socialisation and diligent execution thereof.

It will be supported by a Secretariat drawn from National Treasury and Policy and Research Services in the Presidency that will, inter alia, feed enhanced economic research into deliberations of the Council. The Council is further expected to establish clear protocols for engaging with other critical structures such as the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC).

The Council will meet quarterly at first and will in due course decide on timelines that will best enable deliberations among Council members and the Council’s interface with the President.

This operating model is intended to enhance the work being undertaken to build a capable state, as demanded by the National Development Plan. The Council will also be instrumental in building a knowledge base of policy and implementation lessons, best practices and field-tested success stories.

Members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council are:

Prof Benno Ndulu: Served as the Governor of the Bank of Tanzania from 2008 until 2018. As a professor at the University of Dar es Salaam in the early 1980s, he led a series of seminars on the economic crisis Tanzania was facing. This work made important contributions to the economic reforms that were implemented in the second half of the 1980s by the second phase government. After this, he worked as a Lead Economist with the Macroeconomic Division of the World Bank for Eastern Africa from the Tanzania Country Office. He is best known for his involvement in setting up and developing one of the most effective research and training networks in Africa, the African Economic Research Consortium. 

Prof Mzukisi Qobo: Professor of International Business, who has written extensively on trade and political economy. After leaving the International Trade Desk at the Department of Trade and Industry, he went on to lecture at the Universities of Pretoria, Johannesburg and (currently) Witwatersrand. 

Prof Dani Rodrik: Professor of International Political Economy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Prof Rodrik is a world-renowned economist who has written extensively on international trade, industrial development, political economy and development economics. He has also conducted specific research on the South African economy.

Prof Mariana Mazzucato: Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value, and Director of the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at the University College London. She is the winner of the 2014 New Statesman SPERI Prize in Political Economy, the 2015 Hans-Matthöfer-Preis and the 2018 Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. She is also a member of the United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP).

Mamello Matikinca-Ngwenya: First National Bank Chief Economist. Prior to her appointment, Mamello was a senior macroeconomic analyst in the FNB Economics team. Before joining FNB, Ms Matikinca-Ngwenya worked as a macroeconomic analyst in the RMB global markets research team. She started her career at the Bureau for Economic Research.

Dr Renosi Mokate: Former Executive and Dean, University of South Africa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL), and former Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank. Before joining the SBL Dr Mokate was an independent consultant for the Ministry of Finance and National Treasury as well as a member of the Investigation Steering Committee of the Municipal Demarcation Board. She is a former Executive Director of the World Bank Group, where she represented Angola, Nigeria and South Africa and also served as the Chairperson of the Audit Committee as well as member of various other committees. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware and a BA from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. Her areas of specialisation are Development Economics, Urban Economics and Policy Analysis.

Dr Kenneth Creamer is an academic economist based at the University of the Witwatersrand.  He has Masters degrees in Law (Wits) and Financial Economics (SOAS, University of London) and a PhD (Wits) for which he was awarded a Gold Medal by the Economic Society of South Africa in 2010.  Creamer is an NRF-rated researcher with a range of publications on fiscal policy, monetary policy, open economy macroeconomics, competition policy and labour market policy, published in local and international academic journals. He worked as Research Coordinator in Cosatu’s Parliamentary Office in the 1990’s. In addition to his senior lecturer position at Wits University, Creamer is a member of the Management Committee of SASSFE, which raises funds for tertiary education students in need of support, and serves as a director of Creamer Media, publisher of Engineering News, Mining Weekly and Polity.

Prof Alan Hirsch: Director of the Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice, University of Cape Town. Professor Hirsch is an academic and former Chief Economist at the Presidency where he managed economic policy and represented the Presidency at the G20. He was a visiting scholar at the Harvard Business School, a regular visiting professor at the Graduate School of Governance at Maastricht University, directed the International Growth Centre’s research in Zambia for 5 years, and was a member of the OECD secretary-general’s Inclusive Growth Advisory Panel. He coedited the Oxford Companion to South African Economics.

Prof Tania Ajam: Prof Ajam teaches public financial management at the University of Stellenbosch School of Public Leadership. She is a public policy analyst and an economist with broad experience in the design, analysis and implementation of fiscal policy, intergovernmental fiscal relations and government-wide monitoring and evaluation systems. She holds a Masters in Business Science from the University of Cape Town and a PhD (Public Management) from the University of Pretoria.

Dr Grové Steyn: One of South Africa’s leading infrastructure and regulatory economists, Dr Steyn combines high-level strategic insight with strong economic and financial analytical skills. He takes a keen interest in the economic and institutional complexities of developing infrastructure and appreciates the challenge of aligning the stakeholder perspectives of investors, financiers, service users, policy makers and regulators in order to facilitate development in the infrastructure industries. 

Mr Wandile Sihlobo: Agricultural Economist and Head of Agribusiness Research at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa. He is a leading young agricultural economist who served on the land Reform Advisory Panel appointed by President Ramaphosa. He holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University.

Dr Liberty Mncube: Former Chief Economist at the Competition Commission and current scholar at Wits University. Prior to joining the Competition Commission Prof Mncube was a Researcher at the Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town.

Prof Fiona Tregenna: Professor in the Department of Economics and Econometrics at the University of Johannesburg. She is an expert in industrial organisation and policy and has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cambridge, a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), and earlier degrees from the Universities of the Witwatersrand and Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal). Prof Tregenna holds a B rating (“internationally acclaimed researcher”) from the National Research Foundation. Her primary area of research is on structural change, with a particular focus on de-industrialisation. She has published on topics including: the specificity of the manufacturing sector as an engine of growth. 

Prof Haroon Bhorat: Professor of Economics and Director of the Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town. Professor Bhorat’s area of research has concentrated on labour economics and poverty/income distribution mainly in South Africa, and has recently been expanded to other parts of Africa - in which he is a world-renowned authority. He consults for a number of supranational organisations such as the World Bank, the UNDP, and the ILO to name a few. He also works as a Non-resident Senior Fellow at Brookings on the Africa Growth Initiative programme.

Mr Ayabonga Cawe: Development economist actively engaged as a public intellectual. He is Managing Director of a platform involved in advisory, facilitation and content development across a wide range of fields. Prior to this he was Economic Justice Manager at Oxfam South Africa (OZA) working on policy advocacy and research. He has also worked as an Associate Consultant at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, a global development strategy consulting and policy advisory firm. Ayabonga served on the National Minimum Wage Advisory Panel appointed by the Deputy President and Nedlac. He also served on the VAT zero-rating review panel, tasked by the Minister of Finance to consider the expansion of the list of food and non-food items exempted from value added tax. He holds an M. Com (Cum Laude) in Development Theory and Policy from Wits.

Prof Vusi Gumede: Professor at the University of South Africa and former Director of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute. Prof Gumede previously worked in different capacities in government for more than a decade. He taught economics at the University of Durban-Westville where he obtained his Masters of Commerce in 1999 and has lectured economics in different universities in the past 10 years. He is affiliated with numerous institutions as board or committee member or a fellow or adviser or honorary professor and editor-in-chief. He holds a PhD in economics obtained in 2003 and a postgraduate diploma in policy studies obtained in 2009. Prof Gumede is widely published and undertakes research for many institutions in Africa. He was also Distinguished Africanist Scholar at Cornell University and Yale World Fellow at Yale University as well as Chairman of Southern Africa Trust, among institutions he has been part of.

Dr Thabi Leoka: an economist who has worked for various organisations in the financial sector and was recently appointed by President Ramaphosa to the Public Investment Corporation Commission of Inquiry. She was appointed by the Minister of Finance to review the zero-rated products in order to support the poor and vulnerable in the country. She is also a non-executive director of SA Express where she chairs the Stability and Sustainability Committee. She serves on the Statistics South Africa Council where she chairs the Economic Committee. Dr Leoka started her career as an Economist at Investec Asset Management in South Africa and London. 

Prof Imraan Valodia: Economist and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of Witwatersrand. His research interests include inequality, gender, competition policy, and industrial development, and employment in developing countries. Professor Valodia has played a central role in establishing and leading Wits University’s Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS). Professor Valodia is a part-time member of the Competition Tribunal in South Africa. He is also a Commissioner of National Minimum Wage Commission and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (Assaf) Standing Committee on Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality. In August 2016 Professor Valodia was appointed by (then) Deputy President Cyril Rampaphosa to chair the Advisory Panel on the National Minimum Wage.

The Presidency is in the process of finalising the appointment of a seasoned economist and leader from West Africa who has accepted an invitation for her to serve as a member of the Council.

President Ramaphosa has thanked the Council members for accepting the invitation to serve South Africa’s development in their capacity as members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and assured them that their insights, critiques and recommendations will ultimately serve to build a sustainable and inclusive economy that meets the needs of citizens and is globally competitive at the same time.


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency:
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has received a preliminary report from the team of Special Envoys dispatched to deliver messages of solidarity to a number of African countries following from a spate of public violence incidents in South Africa earlier this month. 

The team comprising former Cabinet member Mr Jeff Radebe and the President’s Special Advisor on International Relations, Dr Khulu Mbatha visited a number of West African states from 14 September 2019.

President Ramaphosa has expressed his sincere appreciation for the generosity of spirit with which Heads of State and Government of Nigeria, Ghana,  Senegal and Niger received the Presidential Special Envoy.

The Special Envoys delivered a message from President Ramaphosa regarding  incidents of violence that had recently erupted in some parts South Africa and which had manifested in attacks on foreign nationals and destruction of property. 

They further drew the attention of Heads of State and Government to the sincere, public apologies extended by President Ramaphosa about the unfortunate events in South Africa, expressing government’s view that such acts of criminality and violence represented neither South Africa’s values systems, nor the sentiments of South Africans, particularly against foreign nationals living in the country. 

South Africa remains a multicultural society that promotes interaction among people of different backgrounds, and remains an integral part of the African continent as it advocates for a peaceful, vibrant and sustainable Africa. The country remains deeply committed to the values of progressive internationalism, and the ideals of pan-African unity and solidarity.

South Africa further reaffirms the country’s commitment, shared by our sister countries on the continent, to foster peace and greater continental unity, and that South Africa remains committed to helping to a build a prosperous and peaceful continent.

Leaders of the countries visited welcomed the South African delegation, and expressed appreciation to President Ramaphosa for taking time to explain the situation in South Africa which had generated concern in a number of countries. 

The Heads of State noted with concern the irresponsible use of social media by certain individuals to create confusion and tension in the public mind. They also raised their concern about the reported causes of tensions between South Africans and migrants. 

A number of the countries, agreed on the need to adopt a common approach to deal with criminality irrespective of the national origins of the perpetrators. In Nigeria, for instance, the point was emphasised that, in addition to the law-enforcement operations that the South African state has been implementing, it is necessary to strengthen systems in prison facilities to deal with challenges arising from some of the prisoners conducting their illegal activities from the prisons, even beyond the borders of SA. 

In this regard, it is necessary, across the continent, for law-enforcement agencies, including intelligence agencies, to work together to deal with these challenges.

The Heads of State have welcomed the apology expressed by President Ramaphosa and pledged that the relationship between their countries and South Africa would be solidified, while describing the attacks as very unfortunate.

The President believes this positive reception provides a basis for building closer relations and addressing the situation in South Africa. The Special Envoys will be dispatched to more countries over the next couple of weeks including the African Union. 


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President – 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 01 October 2019, officiate the launch of the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (HSACF) at the Union Buildings in Tshwane. 

The Forum is a collaboration among various stakeholders in the fight against fraud and corruption in the health sector who will together to prevent, detect and prosecute fraud and corruption. 

The Forum was established following the historic signing of the Presidential Health Summit 2018 Compact which mandated government and social partners to work together to reform the healthcare system. 

The health sector - public and private - is vulnerable to fraud and corruption because of large and varied numbers of transactions on goods and services in terms of fraudulent orders, tender irregularities, fiscal dumping by government departments through non-governmental organisations, bribery, over-pricing, poor governance, transfer of liabilities to the state, and bogus and fraudulent qualifications.

The Presidential Health 2018 Compact also directed that a whistle-blowing policy be developed to ensure the ease of reporting to relevant authorities and that political interference should also be considered as a corrupt activity. 

As South Africa prepares to implement universal health coverage through the National Health Insurance Bill, proactive measures through the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum will serve as a deterrent to ensure the appropriate standards of governance and accountability leading to the full roll-out of NHI. 

At the Launch of the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum, the following stakeholders will sign terms of reference outlining the mutual support and cooperation they will lend towards the fight against fraud and corrupt practices in the healthcare sector: the Special Investigating Unit, the National Department of Health, the Council for Medical Schemes, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Health Funders Association, the Health Professions Council of South Africa, Corruption Watch, the National Prosecutions Authority, Section 27 and the board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa.

At the end of the launch event, Forum stakeholders will have a question-and-answer session with media representatives.

The launch of the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum is as follows:
Date: 01 October 2019 
Time: 10:00 (Media to arrive at 09:00) 
Venue: Union Buildings, Tshwane 

Members of the media should send their details including ID/passport number not later than 30 September 2019 at 15h00 to Khutjo Sebata on khutjo@presidency.gov.za or 079 898 4621. 


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707 

Issued by: The Presidency 
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will host the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Mr Muhammadu Buhari, for a State Visit on Thursday, 03 October 2019. 

This will be first incoming State Visit to be hosted by South Africa under the sixth administration.

South Africa and Nigeria share sound political, economic and social relations that were formally established in 1994, immediately after South Africa’s first democratic elections. 

Formal relations have been conducted through a Bi-National Commission (BNC), established in 1999 as a structured bilateral mechanism to provide for political, economic, social, cultural, scientific and technical cooperation.

The State Visit will also mark the 20th anniversary of the BNC which was elevated in 2016 to be presided over at Heads of State level.

The BNC has over the years recorded remarkable achievements, and provides a useful platform for enhancing bilateral relations, notably on the economic front.

There are more than thirty (30) agreements which have been negotiated and signed since the establishment of the BNC, and which are at different stages of implementation. These include the Bilateral Trade Agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Economic and Technical Cooperation and an Agreement on Cooperation in Defence.

There is a significant footprint of South African companies currently doing business in Nigeria in various sectors, mainly in telecommunications, banking, retail, hospitality, mining, tourism, agriculture and construction and tourism. 

The total value of trade between South Africa and Nigeria amounted to R50.8 billion in 2018. The major South African products exported to Nigeria include machinery and mechanical appliances; mineral products, and chemical Products.

Major products imported from Nigeria include mineral products, products of the chemicals or allied industries, base metals & articles, plastics & articles (rubber), vegetable products, machinery & mechanical appliances, etc.

One of the main features of the visit will be a Joint Business Forum with a focus on trade and investment.

The State Visit will not only provide an opportunity for the two Presidents to strengthen and deepen political, economic, social and cultural relations between the two countries, but will also create space for deliberations on issues of mutual interest and concern pertaining to the continent and global governance.

President Ramaphosa will be supported by the Ministers of International Relations & Cooperation; Defence & Military Veterans; Minerals & Energy; Trade & Industry; Police; State Security and Home Affairs.

Media is invited as follows:

Welcome Ceremony
Venue: Amphitheater, Union Buildings, Pretoria
Time: 08:00

Media briefing 
Venue: Media Centre, Union Buildings, Pretoria
Time: 12:00

South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum
Venue: Hall 5, Gallagher Convention Centre
Time: 15:00

Media interested in covering the State Visit are requested to send their details (names and surname, ID or passport number and media house) to Tsakane Khambane on 082 084 5566 or tsakane@presidency.gov.za by no later than 16:00 on Tuesday, 1 October 2019


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

The Presidency has tabled its annual report for 2018/19 in Parliament.

The report reflects on a year in which South Africa embarked on a process of renewal through the fight against corruption and poor governance, a vigorous drive to increase domestic and international investment in the economy, and the development of social compacts on health and gender- based violence, among other highlights.

During the financial year under review, the Presidency achieved an unqualified audit and and is currently in the process of addressing deficiencies in  areas of supply chain management, internal controls and consequence management identified by the Auditor-General.

The Presidency has paid attention to the Auditor-General’s observations regarding irregular expenditure and has adopted a framework for effecting consequences in instances where officials are proved to be at fault.

The Presidency exists to service the President and Deputy President in the execution of their constitutional responsibilities and duties. 

The 2018/19 financial year commenced a month after the election of President Ramaphosa as Head of State and the appointment of a new National Executive.

In addition, government dedicated the calendar year 2018 to mark the centenary of Founding President Nelson Mandela and Ms Albertina Sisulu. The year was also marked by the passing away of Struggle stalwart Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The annual report highlights how, working together with partners in organised business, labour, civil society and in communities, government focused on its efforts to reignite growth and creating jobs while removing constraints to inclusive growth and greater levels of investment. 

During 2018, interventions in the economy included the hosting of a Presidential Jobs Summit, the inaugural South Africa Investment Conference, the launch of the Youth Employment Service, the implementation of the National Minimum Wage and the implementation of an economic stimulus and recovery plan.

In the social sector, Presidential summits on gender-based violence and femicide as well as health gave effect to President Ramaphosa’s call for social compacts that bring together government and social partners in addressing critical challenges in society and developing inclusive initiatives for moving the country forward.

During the financial year under review, Deputy President David Mabuza played a significant role in South Africa’s programme of international relations with a focus on strengthening South Africa’s political and economic relations globally. These engagements created opportunities for South African exporters and importers and provided educational opportunities for young South Africans to be exposed to global practices and gain experience.

In his role as Chair of the South African National AIDS Council, Deputy President Mabuza provided leadership to the nation’s continued fight against HIV and AIDS. The Deputy President also chaired the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform which processed the report of developed by a Presidential advisory panel on land reform.

During the same period, President Ramaphosa instituted four commissions of inquiry to investigate, variously, governance, corruption, the abuse of state resources, integrity and probity of key state institutions.

These included the Zondo Commission of Inquiry Into State Capture and inquiries into the Public Investment Corporation, the South African Revenue Service and the State Security Agency. 

The year under review also saw action towards reforming, repositioning and revitalising SOEs in order for them to be self-sufficient and fulfill their role in developing the country.

At the apex of government, the Presidency remains committed to providing leadership within government and forging partnerships and compacts between government and social partners as enablers for growing the South Africa we want.


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa and First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe will receive a courtesy call from Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Wednesday 02 October 2019, at the official residence, Mahlamba Ndlopfu, in Pretoria.
 
Following this engagement, the President will travel to Johannesburg for the 40th anniversary celebration of the Rhema Bible Church in Randburg.
 
The meeting between the President, First Lady Dr Motsepe, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, follows a courtesy call paid by President  Ramaphosa on Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace during the President’s Working Visit to London in April 2018, where he participated in the  Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
 
South Africa and the United Kingdom enjoy strong bilateral relations, covering a range of areas of cooperation linked to the two governments’ respective priorities.
 
The UK was South Africa’s sixth largest global trading partner in 2017, with total trade at R79,5 billion. The UK also remains the key source of long-haul tourism to South Africa.
 
A pool arrangement is in place for media wishing to cover the courtesy call which will take place at 16h00.
 
Following the royal courtesy call, President Ramaphosa will join the 40th anniversary celebration of the Rhema Bible Church in Randburg where he will deliver an address at 19h00 tomorrow, Wednesday, 2 October 2019.
 
Communities of faith have an important role to play in social cohesion and the creation of safe communities, which rank among the priorities of the sixth administration of government.
 
Media are requested to arrive at Rhema Bible Church by 18h00.
 
Details for the 40th anniversary event are as follows:
 
Venue: Rhema Bible Church North, Hans Schoeman St, Bromhof, Randburg
RSVP: Pastor Giet Khosa on 082 886 4845 / 011 796 4282 or Terrence Manase on 082 338 6707
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Ramaphosa has signed various Bills into law that will enable property deeds to be processed electronically; enhance the ease of business in the real estate industry and brings online games, films and publications into the ambit of the Film and Publication Board.
 
The President has signed the Overvaal Resorts Limited Repeal Bill of 2019; the Property Practitioners Bill of 2019; the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Bill of 2019, and the Film and Publications Amendment Bill.
 
The Overvaal Resorts Limited Act Repeal Act repeals the Overvaal Resorts Limited Act of 1993, which established Overvaal Resorts Limited as a public  company that would manage public resorts on behalf of government. The name of the company, Overvaal Resorts Limited, was later changed to  Aventura Limited.
 
Cabinet took a decision in 2001 to dispose of the 14 Aventura resorts. Six unprofitable resorts were sold to different purchasers and eight were sold to Forever Resorts.
 
Difficulties were experienced in transferring the resorts to Forever Resorts as the new owner.
 
These difficulties were overcome by the eventual liquidation of Aventura, rendering the legislation that had established the original Overvaal Resorts Limited obsolete.
 
The Electronic Deeds Registration System Act provides for the development of an Electronic Deeds Registration System – also known as e-DRS – through which South Africa will take advantage of the benefits offered by internet access, e-commerce and global computerisation in the management of security of property title.
 
The new system will enable the electronic processing, preparation and lodgement of deeds and documents by conveyancers and the Registrar of Deeds.
 
It will also enable the registration of large volumes of deeds effectively; improved turn-around times for providing registered deeds and documents to clients; countrywide access to deeds registration services; enhanced accuracy of examination and registration; availability of information to the public, and security features including confidentiality, non-repudiation, integrity and availability.
 
This will greatly enhance security of title and the acquisition and disposal of fixed assets.
The property market in the country also stands to gain from the newly signed Property Practitioners Act of 2019 which repeals the 43-year-old Estate Agency Affairs Act of 1976 (Act 112 of 1976).
 
The Bill that the President has assented responds to the dynamic needs of the real estate industry and is aimed at improving the functioning of the property market which includes regulating the buying, selling and renting of land and buildings.
 
Among other innovations, the Act establishes a Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority and provides for the appointment of the Board of this regulatory authority.

The Act also puts in place better monitoring mechanisms, including requiring inspectors to obtain warrants to enter premises.
 
In the area of printed and audio-visual content, the Films and Publications Amendment Act provides for the establishment, composition and appointment of members of an Enforcement Committee that will, among other tasks, to regulate online distribution of films and games.
 
This extends – to online distributors - the compliance obligations of the Films and Publications Act and the compliance and monitoring functions of the Film and Publication Board to online distributors.
 
The Amended Act also revises the functions of compliance officers regarding entering and inspection of premises and facilities in which the business of the sale, hire or exhibition of films or games is being conducted.
 
The law further regulates the classification of publications, films and games and allows for the accreditation of independent commercial online distributors by the Film and Publication Board.
 
Through the Board, the law will regulate the creation, possession, production and distribution of films, games and certain publications with a view to protecting children from disturbing and harmful content.
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum under whose auspices government and civil society organisations will collaborate in preventing, detecting and prosecuting fraud and corruption in the health sector.

The forum was launched yesterday, Tuesday 01 October 2019, in a meeting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria where forum partners signed terms of agreement that will guide the forum under the chairship of the Special Investigating Unit.

Parties to the agreement are the Council for Medical Schemes, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Health Funders Association, the  Health Professions Council of South Africa, Corruption Watch, Section 27 and the Health Funders Association.

The forum is an outcome of the first Presidential health Summit which was held in October 2018 to examine concerns facing the health care system.

The Summit identified corruption as a challenge that undermined health care in the public and private sectors and took the form of, among other manifestations, fraudulent claims, pharmaceutical companies inflating prices and over-billing by service providers.

The Council for Medical Schemes estimates that the total cost of fraud in the South African private health care system amounts to around R22 billion a year.

At yesterday’s launch, partners received reports on progress being made in fraud and corruption investigations into the health sector.

The Special Investigating Unit is continuing its investigations into collusion between persons suing government hospitals for malpractice and certain state attorneys who either settle cases that have no merit, or deliberately lose cases.

Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development reported to the forum that work done by the Special Investigating Unit had already led to, among others, the arrest of an attorney in the Eastern Cape relating to fraudulent medico-legal claims estimated to total more than R100 million.

The SIU has successfully stopped a further R39 million payments to this attorney who is out on bail and identified another 13 matters to the value of R53 million in Gauteng relating to the same attorney.

Adv Andy Mothibi, Head of the Special Investigating Unit, reported that fraud, waste and abuse in health care totalled R39 billion a year with risk arising in supply chain processes, including medical products, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Over-servicing and duplication in the provision of medical services also rendered health care vulnerable to fraud, corruption and waste.

Adv Mothibi said the SIU was investigating procurement and purchasing process irregularities, registration and accreditation irregularities, collusion, medico-legal fraudulent claims, over-servicing, over-pricing of services and products, and instances where health care workers or professionals in the public sector had not obtained permission to perform remunerative work in the private sector.

The SIU has adopted a focus on data analytics that will help with risk analysis and the prevention of fraud and corruption in entities or sub-sectors under investigation.

Adv Shamila Batohi, National Director of Public Prosecutions, highlighted a range of investigations underway by the Directorate the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks). Prosecution in these matters will be prioritised by the National Prosecuting Authority in terms of a memorandum of understanding between the NPA and the SIU which serves as chair of the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum.

The investigations involve the departments of health in KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Cape, Free State, North West, Gauteng and Limpopo.

Adv Batohi said the NPA would use an additional budget allocation to recruit prosecutors in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit and to build capacity in the Asset Forfeiture Unit.

The President welcomed the Forum as a means to end the “stench of corruption” in the health sector.


Media enquiries:  Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President – 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 4 October 2019, visit the head office of the Department of Home Affairs in Tshwane to interact with Top Management and senior staff members.
 
The visit is in fulfilment of the President’s commitment in the 2018 State of the Nation Address to visit government departments and key state institutions as part of ensuring alignment in the work of government as well as promoting good governance and professionalism in the public               sector.
 
To this end, President Ramaphosa has visited the Departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; Defence and Military Veterans;  International Relations and Cooperation and the State Security Agency.
 
Members of the media are invited as follows:
 
Date: Friday, 04 October 2019
Time: 11h00 (Media to arrive at 10h00)
Venue: Department of Home Affairs, Hallmark Building, Corner Johannes Ramokhoase and Thabo Sehume Streets, Tshwane
 
Members of the media wishing to attend are requested to send personal details including ID or passport numbers not later than 03 October 2019 at 12h00 to Shadi Baloyi on shadi@presidency.gov.za or 072 571 6415  and Thabo Mokgola on thabo.mokgola@dha.gov.za or on 060 962 4982 
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko: Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

1. At the invitation of the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa; His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, paid a State Visit to South Africa from 02 - 04 October 2019, and attended the inaugural session of the elevated Bi- National Commission (BNC), as part of continuing bilateral engagements aimed at strengthening and deepening cooperation between South Africa and Nigeria.

2. President Buhari was accompanied by a high level delegation comprising State Governors, Ministers, and Senior Government Officials.

3. The two Heads of State reviewed a wide range of bilateral, continental and global issues of common interest. They acknowledged the historical and  strategic relations that exist between the two countries, and the need to further strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation. 

4. The two Presidents noted with satisfaction the continued exchange of high level visits and meetings between the two countries. In this regard, they recalled the successful working visit of President Ramaphosa to Nigeria in July 2018, during which the two Heads of State reaffirmed their collective desire and commitment to enhance political, economic and social relations between the two countries.

5. The two Presidents appreciated the vast nature of the two countries’ bilateral cooperation which covers, amongst others; Trade and Investment, Energy, Mining, Defence and Security issues, Justice, Police, Immigration, Tourism, Environment, Education, transport as well as Science and Technology. In this regard, the two Presidents took note of the thirty two (32) signed Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and committed themselves to ensuring that those which are in force are fully implemented while those which are not yet in force are to be revived for implementation.

6. Both Presidents noted with great satisfaction the economic cooperation between the two Republics and welcomed the steps to increase trade volumes as well as private sector investments. They welcomed the important role of the Business Forum, which took place on the margins of the State Visit. The two leaders further welcomed the decision to establish a Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Industry, Trade and Investment. The inaugural meeting of the Council would be held not later than April 2020, in Abuja. The Council is expected to serve as a critical vehicle in facilitating and promoting private sector participation in the economies of both countries.

7. Both leaders took note of the significant footprint of South African businesses operating in Nigeria in sectors such as telecommunications, mining, aviation, banking and finance, retail, property, entertainment and fast foods industries. They also noted and welcomed the business activities of Nigeria’s small, micro and medium enterprises, as well as the investment of Dangote Sephaku Cement in South Africa.

8. President Ramaphosa used the opportunity of the meeting to brief President Buhari on the recent incidents of violence in South Africa affecting foreign nationals. He also alluded to the fact that these unfortunate incidents are not consistent with the values and principles underpinning South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

9. President Ramaphosa also dispelled the notion that incidents of violence affecting foreign nationals were targeted at Nigerian nationals, as other foreign nationals and indeed South Africans were affected as well. The President assured his counterpart that the South African Government was fully in control of the situation and several interventions including engagements with diplomatic community and émigré communities, security operations, policy and legislation reviews were underway.

10. Both Presidents strongly condemned the attacks against foreign nationals including Nigerians in South Africa and the reprisal actions against South Africans and their interests in Nigeria. They expressed strong commitment to take all necessary measures to stop a recurrence of these attacks which they said undermine the vision of a strong and prosperous Africa that the two countries have for the continent.

11. President Ramaphosa further stated that South Africa is an integral part of the African continent and, in this context advocates for a peaceful, vibrant and sustainable Africa, and that as Africans, we all have a shared commitment to foster peace and greater continental unity. He further said that we should never forget that our fellow Africans have contributed to developing our economy, and that of the region and similarly South Africans are helping to develop economies across the continent.

12. Both Presidents condemned these violent incidents and the destruction of property and reiterated their call for heightened law enforcement. They stressed the importance of high level engagements on this unfortunate phenomenon as demonstrated by the reciprocal dispatch of Special Envoys by both countries. In this regard, the two Presidents endorsed the establishment of an Early Warning Mechanism and directed the two Foreign Ministers to give practical expression to the Early Warning Mechanism to be used as a preventative and monitoring platform.

13. The two Presidents further endorsed the reestablishment of the Republic of South Africa and the Federal Republic of Nigeria consular Forum to meet twice a year.

14. At the Continental level, the two Presidents exchanged views on the current political, economic and security situation in their respective regions. They also expressed their grave concern on the ongoing instability in some of the countries on the Continent and strongly condemned the continued terrorist and extremist activities.

15. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together in pursuit of sustainable peace and economic development on the continent in the context of AU Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).

16. On the international front, President Ramaphosa seized the opportunity of the meeting to congratulate Nigeria as the current Chair of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In the same vein, President Buhari also congratulated South Africa as the President of United Nations Security Council for the month of October 2019 and as the upcoming chair of the African Union for the year 2020. They reiterated their call for the reform of the United Nations Security Council.

17. President Buhari expressed gratitude for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to him and his delegation. He also took the opportunity to invite President Ramaphosa to pay a reciprocal visit to the Federal Republic of Nigeria on a date to be jointly agreed and communicated through diplomatic channels.

18. In conclusion, the two Presidents reaffirmed the strategic relations that exist between the two sister Republics and committed themselves to working together to further enhance close political, economic and social cooperation in the interest of their people and the continent.

Done in Pretoria, South Africa, 03 October 2019

Issued by: The Presidency