PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA INAUGURATES NEW PHONE MANUFACTURING PLANT
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday 17 October 2019 launched Africa's second smartphone manufacturing plant in Durban's Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone by Mara Group. The venture will generate hundreds of high-skilled direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. It will contribute to the transfer of technology and high-tech knowledge in South Africa. More than 60% of the staff at the plant are women while 90% of the workforce will be youth. The Dubai-based Mara Group said they would be producing 1.2 million smartphone handsets annually. The production is expected to serve the domestic market as well as the regional market, especially the SADC region, contributing to strategies that position South Africa as the gateway to Africa.
Mara Group pledged to invest 100 million U.S. dollars in South Africa in last year's investment conference in the country. President Ramaphosa said the company delivered on their promise by opening the cell phone manufacturing plant and increased the country's capability.
"This will instill confidence in other manufacturers that South Africa is indeed a place where they should all come to invest. The company's efforts represent strengthening of our advances in technology and electronically manufacturing sector," said President Ramaphosa.
The phones are expected to be listed on commerce sites such as Jumia, Konga, and Amazon. The company also plans to sell the phones via retail partnerships with telecom operators Vodafone, MTN and Airtel.
Mara Phone Plant is part of the recently launched District-Based Development Model. Announcing the project during the State of the Nation Address in June, President Ramaphosa said the approach would focus on the 44 districts and eight metros to speed up service delivery, ensuring that municipalities are properly supported and adequately resourced.
According to the Presidency, a pattern of operating in silos was a challenge identified by government that led to lack of coherence in planning and implementation and made monitoring and oversight of government’s programme difficult.
The District Development Model has been approved by government structures, including Cabinet. The model will be piloted in two districts and a metro that have elements of rural, mining and urban – the OR Tambo; Waterberg and eThekwini metros.
MINISTER NALEDI PANDOR LEADS SOUTH AFRICA’S DELEGATION TO THE 18th SUMMIT OF THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM)
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, will lead South Africa’s delegation at the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 25-26 October 2019.
Held under the theme: “NAM Baku Summit – Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world,” the Summit of Heads of State and Government (25 – 26 October 2019) will be preceded by the Meeting of Senior Officials (21 – 22 October 2019) and the Ministerial Meeting (23 – 24 October 2019).
The NAM Summit of Heads of State and Government is the highest decision-making authority of the Movement. The existing practice is to hold a NAM Summit every three years. Venezuela has been the Chair of NAM since 2016 and its three-year chairship will conclude when the 18th NAM Summit takes place in Baku and accordingly, Azerbaijan will assume the chairship until 2022.
It is expected that the NAM Summit will review the Movement’s principled positions on global issues pertaining to development, human rights, peace and security, and the promotion and preservation of multilateralism, in line with the Charter of the United Nations and the Bandung Founding Principles of the NAM.
A meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement on Palestine is also expected to be convened during the Summit. South Africa is a member of the NAM Committee on Palestine, which has the mandate to coordinate the NAM's activities in support of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.
Minister Pandor said: “South Africa will utilise the meeting to engage the NAM Member States on issues that include the strengthening of the principles of multilateralism and consolidating the rule of law, as well as finding sustainable solutions to bring lasting peace to current situations around the world.”
The Summit will conclude with the adoption of the final NAM Baku Outcome Document, the Baku Declaration and the NAM Ministerial Declaration on Palestine.
With its 120 Member States, the NAM is the largest grouping of countries outside of the UN, making it an important role-player in global and multilateral affairs. Since its inception in 1961, the Movement has played a crucial and highly visible political role in representing the interests of developing countries, particularly in the eradication of colonialism, supporting struggles for liberation and self-determination, the pursuit of world peace and the search for a more equitable and just global order. NAM remains an important role-player in the multilateral system and continues to play an active role on issues pertaining to development, UN reform, disarmament, human rights, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, amongst others.
Minister Pandor will be accompanied by Deputy Minister Alvin Botes.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
SA COMMITS TO PROTECTING IMMIGRANTS
Government has emphasised its commitment to protecting the rights of foreign nationals residing in South Africa.
This came amid media reports of foreign nationals allegedly staging a sit-in at the offices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Cape Town. The Western Cape Refugee and Migrant Forum has distanced itself from this action.
Acting GCIS Director-General, Phumla Williams, said: “Government remains committed to building a society based on democratic values of social justice, human dignity, equality, non-racialism, non-sexism and the advancement of human rights. South Africa has a high number of foreign nationals who are integrated into communities across the country and government calls on all South Africans and foreign nationals to live in harmony as we work together to create a better South Africa and contribute to a better and safer Africa in a better world”.
The South African Government reiterates that the country welcomes all people who are legally in the country and are contributing to its economic development. South Africa, the statement adds, is internationally renowned for using dialogue to solve differences and problems.
“As a peace-loving and law-abiding nation, we must use this noble approach to deal with our problems,” said Williams.
South Africa is a signatory to international instruments which form part of Public International Law, and these international instruments have also been incorporated into our domestic law by the Refugees Act.
These conventions provide the fundamental concepts for refugee protection, and are primarily given effect through the Refugees Act. South Africa has the legal instruments for refugees to exercise their rights, secure protection and successfully integrate into South African communities.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy governed by laws and as such, we expect everyone working and living in the country to be doing so legally and obey South Africa’s laws in their totality,” said Williams.
South Africans and those within the country’s border are expected to adhere to the law and rules of the country.
“As a country, we also remain resolute to peaceful dialogue as the first option of resolving any form of dispute," she said. – Source: www.SAnews.gov.za
GEARING UP FOR THE SECOND INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
The stakes are high ahead of the second instalment of the South Africa Investment Conference, with South Africa hoping to mobilise for more investment towards its target of R1.2 trillion in new investments over the next five years.
In its inaugural year, the conference attracted R300 billion worth of investments to the country’s shores – a significant feat that proved the resilience of the country’s economy and the confidence by both domestic and international investors.
The second offering of the investment drive will take place from 5 to 7 November 2019 at the Sandton Convention Centre, to be presided over by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in June, President Ramaphosa said of the R300-billion investments secured, just over R250 billion worth of projects had entered implementation phase.
To assist the country’s ailing economy, the President also appointed investment envoys to boost investment opportunities.
“At a time of uncertainty, the work of the investment envoys has built important bridges between government and the business community.
“From their feedback, it is clear that much more still needs to be done to improve the investment climate,” said the President during the SONA.
This includes reviewing the way government coordinates work to resolve challenges faced by investors and reforming investment promotion policy and architecture.
In line with this, good progress has been made through the Public-Private Growth Initiative, which is being championed by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Roelf Meyer and Johan van Zyl.
The private sector committed to invest R840 billion in 43 projects over 19 sectors and create 155 000 jobs in the next five years.
In discussions with business, government committed to remove the policy impediments and accelerate implementation of these projects.
President Ramaphosa has said government is urgently working on a set of priority reforms to improve the ease of doing business by “consolidating and streamlining regulatory processes, automating permit and other applications, and reducing the cost of compliance”.
PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA WELCOMES IMPROVED RANKING ON THE WEF COMPETITIVENESS REPORT 2019
President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the findings of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual Global Competitiveness Index that shows South Africa has climbed 7 places since 2018.
“That we have been able to improve our ranking so remarkably and within a relatively short period of time is a welcome sign that the structural reforms put in place to stimulate the economy and promote recovery are slowly but surely gaining traction,” President Ramaphosa said.
The report notes that the country has registered ‘remarkable progress’ with regards to institutional quality, such as in restored balance of powers across different state entities; enhanced administrative efficiency of the public sector, and corporate governance.
South Africa also achieved a score of 100 for its ‘well developed equity, insurance and credit markets,’ and ranked 19th globally as a financial hub. The report also scores the country highly for having ‘one of the most advanced transport infrastructures in the region’ (a ranking of 45th) and for market size (a ranking of 35th).
The report is an annual assessment of the drivers of productivity and long-term economic growth in 141 economies. The report ranks the respective economies under a range of socio-economic indicators such as strength of institutions, infrastructure, ICT adoption, financial systems, macroeconomic stability and business dynamism.
“Whilst we note there are areas for improvement – the report cites security and insufficient labour market flexibility as some of the constraints to growth, this improved ranking gives us added impetus to remain firmly on course with our economic reform agenda,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President added that the country was also looking forward to the release of the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index later this year. South Africa commenced work to realise its objective to be ranked amongst the Top 50 countries on this index by improving indicators such as starting a business; registering property; dealing with construction permits; paying taxes; and trading across borders.
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria