South Africa to host the Sixth BRICS Sherpas Meeting

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) will host the Sixth BRICS Sherpas Meeting from 30 November to 3 December 2023 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

 

The purpose of the meeting is to reflect on South Africa’s tenure as Chair of BRICS for the year 2023 and to prepare for a handover to the next Chair, the Russian Federation.

 

South Africa’s term as BRICS Chair ends on 31 December 2023. The Russian Federation will take over on 1 January 2024.

 

The countries that have been invited to join BRICS (i.e., Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE) are expected to participate in the Sherpas Meeting.

 

The media are invited as follows:

 

BRICS Sherpas Meeting

Date: 30 November 2023

Time: 09h00 (Media to cover opening remarks)

Venue: Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel

 

Extended BRICS Sherpas Meeting

Date: 2 December 2023

Time: 09h00 (Media to cover opening remarks)

Venue: Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel

 

Media Briefing

Date: 3 December 2023

Time: 12h00

Venue: Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel

 

Please RSVP by 15h00 on Monday, 27 November 2023: Maebaf@dirco.gov.za

 

Enquiries: Mr Clayson Monyela, Spokesperson for DIRCO, 082 884 5974

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

 

OR Tambo Building

460 Soutpansberg Road

Rietondale

Pretoria

0084

The Chair’s Summary of the Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders and Leaders of the invited BRICS Members on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza, Tuesday, 21 November 2023

We, Leaders and representatives of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa met with Leaders of the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 21 November 2023 to exchange views on the current situation in Gaza and other Palestinian Occupied Territories as well as its spillover effects.

Opening Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders and Leaders of invited BRICS members on the situation in the Middle East, 21 November 2023

Your Excellencies, Leaders of BRICS nations,

Your Excellencies, Leaders of Invited BRICS Members,

Ministers,

Sherpas and Sous Sherpas,

Officials,

 

Thank you for your attendance at this Extraordinary Joint Meeting to address a matter of grave global concern.

 

Since 7 October, when more than 1 200 people were killed in an attack by Hamas on Israel, the world has born witness to the devastating killing of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza, many of whom are women and children.

 

Over 11 000 residents of Gaza have been killed. Many thousands more have been injured. Infrastructure, homes, hospitals and other public facilities have been destroyed. More than half of Gaza’s population has been displaced.

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected by this violence in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

 

The actions by Israel are in clear violation of international law, including the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention read together with its protocols.

 

In its attacks on civilians and by taking hostages, Hamas has also violated international law and must be held accountable for these actions.

 

The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime.

 

The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide.

 

The atrocities that we have witnessed are the latest chapter in a painful history of suffering, oppression, occupation and conflict going back more than 75 years.

 

The root cause of this conflict is the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel as reflected in UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which states that: “Israeli settlements constitutes a flagrant violation under international law”.

 

We therefore urge the international community to agree on urgent and concrete actions to end the suffering in Gaza and establish a path towards a just and peaceful resolution of this conflict.

 

As South Africa, we call for:

 

First, an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.

 

Second, the opening of humanitarian corridors so that aid and other basic services reach all those in need.

 

Third, all countries to exercise restraint and to desist from fuelling this conflict, including by ceasing the supply of weapons to the parties.

 

Fourth, the release of all civilian hostages.

 

Fifth, the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue led and owned by Palestinians and Israelis themselves and facilitated by the United Nations.

 

Sixth, the deployment of a UN Rapid Deployment Force in Palestine, with a mandate to monitor the cessation of hostilities and protect civilians.

 

Lastly, the International Criminal Court to urgently initiate prosecutions against those responsible for the perpetration of war crimes.

 

As South Africans, we appreciate the importance and value of international solidarity.

 

As an important voice of the Global South representing a large part of humanity, we believe that BRICS has a vital role in a widespread international effort to achieve a just and lasting peace.

 

As individual countries, we have demonstrated our grave concern at the death and destruction in Gaza.

 

Let this meeting stand as a clarion call for us to combine our efforts and strengthen our actions to end this historical injustice.

 

Let us work together to realise a just, peaceful and secure future for the people of both Palestine and Israel.

 

I thank you.

 

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa to chair BRICS Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East situation in Gaza

President Cyril Ramaphosa will, as Chair of the BRICS group of nations, convene a BRICS Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East situation in Gaza tomorrow, Tuesday, 21 November 2023.

 

Leaders of BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – will join the virtual Extraordinary Meeting with invited BRICS leaders of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

 

President Ramaphosa will deliver opening remarks at the BRICS Extraordinary Meeting, where member and invited states will also deliver country statements on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

 

United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, will participate in the virtual meeting, at the end of which leaders are expected to adopt a Joint Statement on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza.

 

Parts of the proceedings will be open to media, who are welcome to follow these sessions as follows:

 

Date: Tuesday, 21 November 2023

Time: 14h00

Platform: PresidencyZA and South Africa Government digital platforms

 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa – media@presidency.gov.za

 

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

BRICS opening opportunities for Africa’s youth, Business Day, by Clayson Monyela, 5 October 2023

Bloc partners have been useful in terms of finding ways of linking young people with potential employers and investors

 

Africa’s large and burgeoning youth population is considered one of this continent’s greatest assets, with a central role to play in shaping development.

 

The AU’s Agenda 2063 states that: “The creativity, energy and innovation of Africa’s youth shall be the driving force behind the continent’s political transformation”.

 

Multilateral platforms such as the AU, through its African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the BRICS bloc have what it takes to tackle the challenges faced by the continent’s youth by creating more jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. Youth unemployment is central in BRICS engagements and discussions this year, when SA occupies the BRICS chair.

 

BRICS countries have continued to strengthen their presence on the continent, and as such have increased opportunities for trade and industrial development. As a result they have created employment opportunities for the youth.

 

Our BRICS partners have been particularly useful in terms of finding innovative ways of linking SA youths with potential employers and investors. For example, through the BRICS employment working group initiative a number of Indian companies operating in SA have taken concrete steps to transfer skills to our youth. India has been taking unemployed IT graduates from SA to India for six-month internships, thereby giving them international work experience.

 

There are also initiatives between China and SA to cultivate future leading scientists through exchanges with research institutes and universities in China. The National Research Foundation runs the China-SA Young Scientist Exchange Programme in the areas of biotechnology, ICT, space science, astronomy and transport technology. China has also hosted an SA-China job fair to connect unemployed SA youths with Chinese companies such as Air China, Huawei and Hisense.

 

Within the context of the BRICS memorandum of understanding on co-operation in science, technology and innovation, SA organised the 11th BRICS science, technology and innovation ministerial meeting under the theme “BRICS and Africa: enabling inclusive and sustainable development in a changing world through knowledge partnerships”, held on August 4. This was preceded by the eighth BRICS young scientist forum, which debated the role of science in responding to climate change and environmental sustainability.

 

SA also organised the sixth BRICS young innovator prize under the theme “modernising the manufacturing, agriculture and mining industries and exploiting the circular economy.” The young scientist forum and the young innovator prize provided a valuable platform for the development of scientific, innovative, educational, cultural and friendship links.

 

There is a strong correlation between youth unemployment, the SA education system and the lack of skills development. We are working to reform our education system to prepare our young people for the jobs of the future. Through BRICS initiatives SA has benefited from investment in education, intra-BRICS exchange programmes, job creation, foreign investment and increased trade relations. BRICS has been working with the International Labour Organisation on improving skills for workers in the informal economy to promote decent work.

 

The full implementation of the BRICS action plan for innovation co-operation (2021-24) is pivotal to promote technology transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship. Progress has been made by the BRICS science, technology & innovation entrepreneurship partnership working group to provide support for the BRICS incubation training & network, the BRICS technology transfer training programme, and the BRICS start-up forum.

 

As part of the deliverables of SA’s chairship, a BRICS centre of excellence in Africa will be established, which will evolve into a BRICS energy agency. The agency will drive increased collaboration, enhanced research and innovation in energy, the provision of skill development and capacity building, the tracking of energy trends, and collaboration with international organisations.

 

Today African youths make up about 60% of the continent’s population, and by 2030 they are expected to make up 42% of the world’s youth population. Sixty-five percent of the continent’s population is under the age of 25. Yet Africa’s largest demographic remains one of the most underrepresented in decision-making roles in governance. For leadership to thrive and be responsive in a democracy, the inclusion of our youth is non-negotiable.

 

It is for this reason that during our chairship we have prioritised representation and participation of young people in the BRICS structures by ensuring that youth from the SA Youth Council and the National Youth Development Agency addressed the BRICS leaders at the summit to share their perspectives.

 

Furthermore, one of the critical outcomes of the summit was the endorsement of the establishment of the BRICS Youth Council, a structure that aims to formalise youth participation across all three pillars. This builds on the success of the annual BRICS youth summit, which reports to the ministers of youth.

 

Our youth must be sensitised to the opportunities the AfCFTA offers, and we must fortify youth networks and business support organisations, while boosting investments in education and skills development. African governments need to improve access to finance for young entrepreneurs so that we can grow and develop the small, medium and micro enterprises’ sector. Increased capital investment towards youth development programmes can be used to create platforms to identify possible market linkages between young people and potential investors in the form of internships and jobs.

 

The AfCFTA promises to be a game-changer for the continent’s economic and employment creation prospects, but its success and legacy will depend on across-the-board participation by the continent’s youth. Manufacturing stands to benefit the most under the AfCFTA, creating up to 16-million new jobs, according to the Brookings Institution. Young Africans will benefit as growth in this sector will help bridge the youth unemployment gap.

 

SA is participating in the work on the finalisation of the protocol on women and youth in trade, aimed at integrating these demographics into the African market and realising their financial and economic inclusion, in line with the spirit and the aspirations of the Agenda 2063.

 

Youth have a great deal to say and contribute in terms of finding solutions to the challenges they face, including lack of access to finance, barriers for small businesses, and tensions arising from intraregional and international migration. It is imperative that our youth participate in such discussions and drive the agenda for the future.

 

  • Monyela is spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Remarks by Deputy President Paul Mashatile on the occasion of the Ninth BRICS Parliamentary Forum, Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, South Africa, 27 September 2023

Programme Director, Secretary to Parliament, Mr Xolile George,

Your Excellency, Mme Nosiviwe Maphisa Nqakula, Speaker of the National Assembly,

Your Excellency, Ntate Lechesa Tsenoli, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly,

The Chairperson of the NCOP, Ntate Amos Masondo,

The Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Mme Sylvia Lucas,

Your Excellency, Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe, former President of the Republic of South Africa,

Your Excellency, Mme Baleka Mbete, former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa,

Your Excellency, Mr Sostenes Cavalcante, Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, Federal Republic of Brazil,

Your Excellency, Mr Harivanash Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Republic of India,

Your Excellency, Mr Peng Qinghua, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, of the Peoples Republic of China,

Your Excellency, Dr Hanafy Ali Gebaly, Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives,

Your Excellency, Mr Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, President of Majles Shoraye Eslaimi of the Islamic Republic of Iran,

Your Excellencies, the Speakers and Honourable Peoples tribunes from fellow BRICS member-states,

Ambassadors,

Business leaders,

Esteemed Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

I would like to welcome you to the ninth BRICS Parliamentary Forum (PF). It has been a long, challenging and exciting road since the historic inaugural meeting held in the Russian Federation in June 2015.

 

Since then, this Forum has grown from strength to strength, reflecting both the hard work of the collective leadership of the BRICS member states and, without doubt, the overwhelming desire amongst the peoples of the world to evolve a just world order which serves not just a few but also and especially the wretched of the earth.

 

Congratulations to our new partners:  The Argentine Republic, The Arab Republic of Egypt, The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, The Islamic Republic of Iran, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and The United Arab Emirates. We trust that you will invigorate this promising intergovernmental organisation.

 

From 2015 to date, the BRICS Parliamentary Forum has identified many issues which require continuous discussion, refinement and programmatic plans of action, the better to better serve the wretched of the earth.

 

The issues range from:

 

  • the sacrosanct role of the United Nations in international affairs and the consolidation of multilateral structures; the reform of the Security Council; and the fairness of the international legal system
  • the transition to a multipolar world and deepening economic globalisation
  • exploring new trade and investment prospects
  • the promotion of international peace and security, shared economic growth, cooperation and mutually beneficial interaction amongst the peoples of the world, undergirded by a continuous dialogue among and between the world’s cultures and civilisations for the cross-pollination of knowledge and perspectives for the benefit of humanity
  • deepening cooperation in a multiplicity of fields, including the promotion of cooperation in research, education, healthcare, environmental protection and sport, with a focus on the youth
  • coordinating our macroeconomic policies, the reform of the international monetary system and the promotion of growth
  • intensifying South-South and North-South dialogue, to
  • the creation of a permanent contact group within the BRICS Parliamentary Forum which helps, among other things, to identify and guide our association on key evolving issues of international political economy and to develop a long-term strategy for the Forum.

 

These and many additional matters that have served on the agenda of this Forum since the inaugural session in Moscow are about moving the world towards greater social justice — in short, making sure that the wretched of the earth become, “Somebody!” So goes the as the African American parlance.

 

We recall that the inaugural BRICS Parliamentary Forum took place to the hour of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the world’s premier intergovernmental organisation, the United Nations – our United Nations! The solemnity of the occasion was a stark reminder of the importance of history. Some of our colleagues rightly appealed that we draw appropriate lessons from history.

 

The quest to be Somebody is innate to every people. This is true for the developing South in as much as it is the case for the developed North. For the African continent as with parts of the developing world, the quest to be.

 

Somebody has been an act of resistance and defiance since at least the advent of the Atlantic Slave Trade.

 

In addition to the heroic anti-colonial and apartheid struggles, this led to the 1955 Bandung Conference and the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961.

 

A consistent thread in the NAM’s work has been the promotion of the political and economic cooperation of developing countries.

 

This is how President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania put the matter when he addressed the opening of the preparatory meeting of the NAM in Dar es Salaam on April 13, 1970:

 

“The fact is that our political independence depends upon the degree of our economic independence, as well as the nature of our economic development depending upon our political independence. These things are interlinked in the modern world; and because of that interdependence, our economic relationships with one another, and individually with the great powers of the world, are matters with which the Non-Aligned conference must be concerned”.

 

This underscores the importance of BRICS and the cooperation it has sought to promote since its founding.  BRICS is one of the institutions that holds the possibility of taking forward much of the objectives of the NAM and the South Commission which President Nyerere ably led after his voluntary retirement from public office in 1985.

 

There is no need to regale you with statistics about the global reach of the BRICS in terms of its economy, the combined population of its member states relative to the rest of the world and other interesting information which you know.

 

This Forum has the possibility to exert change on a global and unprecedented scale. For starters, BRICS has focused the imagination of the world’s population beyond the citizens of its member states. In and of itself, this is a good thing.

 

However, we should not be surprised when this success factor attracts negative responses from some actors in the world despite the fact that BRICS is not opposed to any state parties or groups.

 

Instead, we seek a peaceful and just world of equitable resource distribution.

 

The single most powerful instrument parliamentarians have at their disposal is their command of law-making.  Through coordinated efforts, you can impact positively on more than a quarter of the world’s population by introducing far-reaching progressive legislation and repealing laws that do not improve the lives of the people.

 

Some lessons from history in this regard might be useful. The 13th-century Egyptian Chief Justice Ibn Khaldun insisted that law should be based on what he called “social solidarity,” which was a statement on the supremacy he placed on social cohesion. Kwame Nkrumah, on the other hand, was adamant that “The teaching of law is totally incomplete if it is not accompanied by a background of economic, social and political science and even politics, science and technology”.

 

He envisioned a law that is an “expression of the political, economic and social conditions of the people and of their aims for progress,” as opposed to one that is based on “a formalistic yardstick which completely disregards the material content of the law and measures justice or injustice solely by procedural rules”.

 

As BRICS parliamentarians who seek to change the world for the better, you have the possibility to usher in the social solidarity and development that Chief Justice Khaldun and President Nkrumah strove to achieve.

 

However, legislative changes alone are neither enough nor sufficient to effect change. You require a capable, civic-minded, and ethical bureaucracy which has the capacity and commitment to drive the existing legislative framework to achieve its ends.

 

The effervescence of the parliamentary vocation attests to the sociological truism that all societies are heterogeneous theatres in which differently disposed social actors’ battle to shape public affairs in their own image. To the extent that such intercourse will, from time to time, impact upon the institution of BRICS as national, regional and other interests, this Forum should gird its intellectual and political loins for their constructive management and resolution.

 

Sometimes these may be interests from outside ourselves intent on exhausting us in meaningless but tiresome distractions or otherwise pit us against each other, thus to take us completely off the rails so that we are unable to achieve our strategic objective.

 

Fortunately, the collective of BRICS members possess the wisdom to rise above such machinations.

 

Equally fortunate is that BRICS member states have come together in this rising intergovernmental institution on a shared perspective of development, to which the current global political and economic order continues to respond inadequately.

 

Whatever difficulties we face in the future, President Nyerere may provide a useful guide.

 

“Development,” he said in August 1988, “involves decisions about national and international political priorities and structures. It includes social questions and matters related to education, health human dignity, and security both personal and national. And it means adequate food clothing and shelter for the individual person.

 

All these matters are inextricably mixed and are all encompassed in any definition of development which is meaningful to the human beings who are now suffering from lack of it”.

 

Every country faces these considerations and challenges in its resource allocation and decision-making processes.

 

Undoubtedly, this will find expression in your discussions especially as it concerns the four broad thematic areas on your agenda, namely, climate change, energy security and just transition of coal to hydrogen energy, multilateralism, peace and security.

 

In July 2014, BRICS established the New Development Bank and the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement.

 

It is increasingly clear that there are varying levels of capacity for project planning and development among member states.

 

As with the executive, parliamentarians are challenged to interrogate how this can be overcome.

 

One way of addressing this is by identifying the broad range of skills that are required to address effect development at the scale and the pace required to accelerate the impact of BRICS in all the member states.

 

This speaks to the technocratic capacity to which I referred earlier, and we should, in this regard and in keeping with the tradition of cooperation amongst us, adopt the slogan of the progressive trade union movement: “An injury to one is an injury to all”.

 

One suggestion you may want to ponder over is that we should immediately conduct a skills audit relative to the development imperatives of each member state and bring together institutions of higher learning amongst us to respond to the skills challenge.

 

I would like to commend the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance and their efforts in organising the BRICS-Africa WBA Trade Conference.

 

Malibogwe!

 

Africa is moving towards a single African market. All 54 countries have signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. We are well on our way to creating the world’s largest single-free trade area, with 1.3 billion people and a gross domestic product of $3.4 trillion.

 

The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area will improve intra-African trade, the continent’s share and participation in global trade, stimulate and improve the economy as well as contribute to lifting millions of people out of poverty.

 

The continent’s transport networks are largely unsatisfactory. Few roads connect the continent’s five regions, and those that do are often in poor condition and under-maintained.

 

As a continent, we look forward to engaging with our BRICS partners to realise the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and thus create a win-win solution for all.

 

Let us seize this opportunity to strengthen the BRICS-Africa partnership and promote a rules-based approach towards a just global order.

 

Thank you.

 

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

BRICS Employment and Labour Ministers meet to deepen collaboration in employment creation and labour market governance

The development of a collaborative effort to boost productivity initiatives and enhance social protection among the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Countries will take centre stage when the Employment Working Group (EWG) and the Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (LEMM) convene at the Radisson Blu Umhlanga in Durban from 26 -29 September 2023.

Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations on the margins of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Media Statement, 20 September 2023

The BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations held their annual meeting on the margins of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) on 20 September 2023, chaired by the Russian Federation in its capacity as the incoming BRICS Chair for 2024. The Ministers exchanged views on major global and regional issues on the United Nations (UN) agenda in the political, security, economic, financial, and sustainable development spheres, as well as on intra-BRICS activities. The Ministers discussed the possibilities for mutual support of their initiatives at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly. They expressed support for continued cooperation of BRICS countries in areas of mutual interest, including through regular exchanges amongst their Permanent Missions to the UN.

South Africa to host BRICS Future Skills Challenge in September 2023

Johannesburg – 6 September 2023: In a bid to enable businesses to meet and respond to new and emerging skills challenges, the Skills Development Working Group of the BRICS Council in South Africa will be hosting a skills challenge where hundreds of participants aged between 18 and 35 from BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will pit their skills against one another to develop solutions for a range of challenges in various fields.

 

This annual event, which is dubbed the BRICS Future Skills Challenge, will be hosted in line with the outcomes of this year’s South Africa’s chairmanship for BRICS.

 

Under the theme: Solving today’s problems using tomorrow’s technologies, participants in the BRICS Future Skills Challenge will test their skills and expertise in 12 skills areas, namely aircraft maintenance, Agri IoT, Building Information Modelling, Cyber Security, Data Science, Digital Twin, Drone Technologies, Internet Marketing, Manufacturing Robotics, Mobile App Development, Renewable Energy and Robotic Process Automation.

 

A panel of experts from across the BRICS countries have been assigned to different skills areas to develop and mentor the participants.

 

Mapule Ncanywa, Chairperson of the BRICS Business Council Skills Group, explains that the rationale behind the BRICS Skills Challenge is to tackle skills development challenges facing BRICS partner countries through benchmarking of emerging and future skills and developing standards that are tested in a public skills challenge.

 

The BRICS Skills Challenge serves as a platform to collate and provide insights into how the BRICS partners continue to enable businesses by helping them respond to new and emerging skills. It will also enable the participants to help to solve critical challenges using their technical skills, in the thematic areas of Water, Energy and Health.

 

“This challenge comes hot off the heels of the 2023 BRICS Summit which South Africa hosted in August, and we are hoping this will continue to showcase and educate on the value of the BRICS platform. It is an exciting opportunity for young South Africans to benchmark their skills against their counterparts from other BRICS countries. It is also a great platform for participants to present their solutions to potential investors, and/or gain job experience within the BRICS markets,” says Ncanywa.

 

Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, says the BRICS Future Skills Challenge complements the work his department is doing to develop critical future skills required in the digital economy.

 

“We are excited to be part of this initiative which is fully aligned with the interventions the department is undertaking to generate scarce, critical skills lists to guide programme offerings in PSET institutions. As the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, we have a responsibility to generate the desired skills required to drive the growth of new industries and to fuel the digitisation of our economy. We look forward to sharing best practise with our BRICS counterparts and to be part of this journey to remodel and align the educational outcomes in our institutions with the demands required by the economy. We are confident that this initiative will serve as a conduit of innovative entrepreneurs and highly skilled workforce for industries, not only in South Africa and the continent but across BRICS countries and beyond,” says Dr Nzimande.

 

The BRICS Future Skills Challenge will take place over four days between 12 and 15 September at Nasrec Expo Centre in the south of Johannesburg. Interested parties can find out more about this event and how to participate by visiting the website: www.bricsfutureskills.co.za.

 

“To all young techs and interested parties out there, this is your chance to network, to learn and gain experience with industry leaders. The future is best for those who prepare for it,” Ncanywa concludes.

 

Enquiries contact: +27 71 750 6866

Zikona Captain, SA BRICS Business Council

 

ISSUED BY BRICS BUSINESS COUNCIL, ZIKONA CAPTAIN

Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on outcomes of the XV BRICS Summit, Union Buildings, Tshwane, 3 September 2023

Fellow South Africans,

 

Just over a week ago, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa concluded the XV BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.

 

It was a historic Summit that heralded a new chapter for BRICS.

 

I would like to report back to you this evening on the outcomes of the XV BRICS Summit and what they mean for our progress as a nation.

 

In addition, I would like to inform you about the report of the independent panel appointed in May to enquire into the circumstances of the docking of a Russian vessel, known as Lady R, at the Simonstown Naval Base.

 

First about the BRICS Summit.

 

The Summit was attended by the five BRICS member countries along with representatives of 61 other countries. Forty-six of the countries that attended were from our continent Africa. This included 20 Heads of State and Government.

 

We were also honoured by the attendance of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres.

 

I want to thank the people of South Africa for welcoming these guests from across the African continent and the world. Delegations from some countries consisted of up to 600 people.

 

All our visitors were warmly received and were able to experience the best of South African hospitality.

 

We thank the many people involved in organising the Summit events, including the Deputy President, our ministers, officials, law enforcement agencies and our security services, who ensured that the Summit proceeded without incident.

 

We thank all the staff at airports and border posts, those who worked through the night to set up the venues, protocol officers and ushers, food and beverage staff at our various hotels and guest houses, volunteers, sponsors and partners, musicians and artists, drivers and messengers.

 

We must also thank the members of the media, from South Africa and from around the world, who ensured that the work of the Summit received wide coverage.

 

The success of the Summit is a credit to our country and its people. It is another demonstration of our ability to host major international gatherings that have a significant impact on the conduct of international affairs far beyond our borders.

 

Overall, many people have said that this was a most successful BRICS Summit.

 

Quite often, as South Africans we go about our daily lives, without paying much attention to our relations with other countries and to our membership of global organisations or forums such as the UN, AU, BRICS, the G20, the G77 + China, the Non-Aligned Movement and others.

 

And yet, our country’s relations with other countries and the conduct of our foreign policy affects our lives as South Africans in many ways, such as in trade and investment, sport, peace and security, technology, education, and many other areas.

 

As we have said before, our international work cannot be separated from our efforts to end poverty, to create jobs and to reduce inequality in South Africa.

 

Through stronger investment and trade relations with other countries, we are able to grow our economy, create more opportunities for new businesses and reduce unemployment.

 

By supporting peace and stability on our continent, and by promoting Africa’s development, we are able to improve social cohesion in our own country.

 

By encouraging greater cooperation between countries in areas such as investment, financing for development, international crime, fighting terrorism, climate change and vaccine production, we are able to strengthen our efforts to tackle these challenges in our own country.

 

The BRICS Summit made several decisions to take forward the struggle for a fairer and more inclusive world order that is focused on the equal development of all peoples.

 

One of the key decisions taken by the BRICS member countries was to support the call for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient.

 

The Summit said that there should be greater representation of developing economy countries in the UN Security Council’s membership. This is so that countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including Brazil, India and South Africa, can play a greater role in international affairs.

 

This was a most significant decision in view of the fact that it was supported by two BRICS members who are permanent members of the UN Security Council.

 

The reform of the United Nations is important for South Africa and our continent Africa because we stand to benefit from a world that is more fair and from international institutions that are more democratic and more representative.

 

In taking this position, the BRICS leaders recognised the desire of many other countries to contribute to redefining the terms of international relations.

 

The other significant outcome of the Summit was the decision to expand the membership of BRICS to include Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

 

BRICS leaders agreed that the value of BRICS extends beyond the interests of its current members. They agreed that BRICS could be more effective and have a greater impact by building partnerships with other countries that share its aspirations and perspectives.

 

Through an expanded BRICS, we will be able to better align the voices of those countries that seek a fairer global governance, financial, investment and trading system based on clear rules that apply equally to all countries.

 

An expanded BRICS also means that we will be able to export more of our products to major markets and, as a result, we will be able to produce more and create more jobs.

 

While an expanded BRICS will be an important champion for the Global South, South Africa stands to benefit from its relationship with these countries.

 

Together, these countries make up nearly a third of the global economy and are together home to 46 per cent of the world’s population.

 

Already we have achieved great benefit from our relations with Brazil, Russia, India and China.

 

These countries are important destinations for South Africa’s products and services. They are important sources of investment and are becoming even more important as tourism markets.

 

These economic ties have been strengthened by the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, both of whom presented encouraging reports on their work.

 

We have regular interaction at many levels, among our business people, our scientists, our professionals, our cultural workers, our sports men and women, our academic, our public servants and our young people. This extends to interactions between political parties in BRICS countries.

 

We have agreed to the establishment of a BRICS Youth Council, which will play an important role in defining the direction of these relationships into the future.

 

Through these interactions, we exchange information, skills, technology and experience. The engagements between our respective business people at this Summit has resulted in several opportunities for the export of South African products to large countries with big markets.

 

All this enhances our progress as a country.

 

We are looking forward to establishing similar links and strengthening the political and economic ties with the countries that will soon be joining BRICS.

 

The Summit also decided that the finance ministers or central bank governors of BRICS countries, as appropriate, should consider the use of our various countries’ local currencies, payment instruments and platforms in international trade and financial transactions between BRICS and their respective trading partners.

 

They are expected to report back at the next Summit.

 

As BRICS chair, South Africa has always stressed the value of the BRICS alliance to advancing Africa’s developmental agenda.

 

The Summit deliberated on the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area and its potential to shift Africa from an exporter of raw materials to a producer of manufactured goods.

 

South Africa’s participation in BRICS and its support for the expansion of BRICS does not detract from the good and strategic relations we have with many other countries around the world.

 

From the advent of our democracy, we have always sought to develop ties of friendship, cooperation and respect with all countries.

 

We have never aligned ourselves with any one global power or bloc of countries.

 

Our non-aligned approach has enabled us to pursue an independent foreign policy and to forge our own developmental path.

 

We have consistently advanced the articles of the United Nations Charter, including the principle that all members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

 

The second matter I wish to report back to you on is about allegations that were levelled against our country earlier this year regarding a Russian ship that docked in Simonstown late last year, where it was alleged that South Africa had supplied weapons to Russia during the current Ukraine-Russia conflict.

 

In recent months, statements from several quarters have used these allegations to call into question South Africa’s commitment to its position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

 

The allegations levelled against our country had a damaging effect on our currency, economy and our standing in the world.

 

To ensure that the docking of the Russian ship in Simonstown was thoroughly investigated, I appointed a three-member independent panel in May to enquire into the circumstances of the docking of this Russian vessel, known as Lady R.

 

The panel was chaired by Judge Phineas Mojapelo. The other members of the panel were Adv Leah Gcabashe SC and Mr Enver Surty.

 

I wish to thank the panel for the considerable amount of work it undertook in a relatively short period of time.

 

During the course of its work, the panel visited Simonstown naval base and obtained evidence under oath from nearly 50 people in every relevant component of government. More than 100 documents were submitted to the panel for examination.

 

A number of entities and persons that had publicly claimed to have information on this matter were invited to make submissions to the panel. Many of those invited either failed to do so or said they had no independent knowledge of the relevant facts.

 

From its investigation, the panel found no evidence that any cargo of weapons was loaded for export onto the ship Lady R.

 

The panel found that there was no evidence to support the claim that the ship transported weapons from South Africa destined for Russia.

 

The panel established that the ship docked at Simonstown to deliver equipment that had been ordered for the South African National Defence Force in 2018 by Armscor, the country’s arms procurement company.

 

In terms of the contract for the supply of the arms, neither Armscor nor the South African National Defence Force had any control over the means through which the supplier of the ordered equipment would transport them to South Africa.

 

In its report, the panel outlined the circumstances that led to the docking of the vessel in Simonstown, as well as the type of goods supplied and the reasons why the goods were unloaded at the time they were offloaded.

 

South Africa has clear laws that regulate the issuing of permits regarding the importation and exportation of conventional arms. All relevant permits had been obtained for the importation of the equipment that were delivered by the ship. No permit was issued for the export of arms and no arms were exported.

 

The panel did not find any evidence of criminal conduct by any persons involved. However, the panel made findings and recommendations with respect to the functioning of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee. It also made recommendations about the improvement of communication between Ministers and government officials, including the adequacy of the relevant administrative processes.

 

Given the fact that the evidence given to the panel was classified and the fact that revealing the details of the equipment offloaded could jeopardise the work and safety of South Africa’s forces in various deployments on the continent, I have decided not to release the report.

 

In deciding not to release the report, I have taken account of the laws that both mandate openness and transparency and require that certain information that may be prejudicial to the defence and security of the Republic be kept classified and confidential.

 

To reveal the details of the equipment offloaded would compromise important military operations and put our soldiers’ lives at risk.

 

Under these circumstances, when lives would be at risk due to the revelation of the type of equipment that is utilised by our armed forces, the need for confidentiality is both necessary and justified.

 

When all matters are considered, none of the allegations made about the supply of weapons to Russia have been proven to be true, and none of the persons who made these allegations could provide any evidence to support the claims that had been levelled against our country.

 

I have noted the panel’s findings and recommendations with respect to the efficiency and efficacy of the relevant administrative and maritime transport processes and have directed that an implementation plan be developed to address these.

 

The panel has given me an executive summary of the report, which I have decided to release publicly.

 

Both of the matters on which I have reported this evening – the XV BRICS Summit and the investigation into the Russian ship that docked at Simonstown – are relevant to the principles that inform our relations with the rest of the world.

 

Our policy of non-alignment and our efforts to build friendly relations with all countries is driven by a commitment to a world that is peaceful and stable.

 

That is why we will continue to pursue a foreign policy that advances the interests of our country and the progress of our people, and that promotes human rights, peace, justice and equal development across the world.

 

May God continue to bless South Africa and its people.

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso.

God seën Suid-Afrika.

Mudzimu fhatutshedza Afrika Tshipembe.

Hosi katekisa Afrika.

 

Good night.

 

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA