Cyril Ramaphosa
@CyrilRamaphosa · Africa
Cyril Ramaphosa is followed by The State of Israel for government and public service coverage connected to South Africa in the Africa chapter.
Our response must extend beyond enforcement. The fight against crime must become a project of responsible citizenship: respecting the law, rejecting corruption, reporting criminality and teaching our children that respect for human life is the foundation of a stable democracy. https://t.co/PA8OicqyM0
The Nokuthula Simelane Foundation and the Nokuthula Simelane Centre for Gender and Intersectional Studies established here at the University of Mpumalanga are part of our arsenal of memory, remembrance and renewal. This Centre must carry a living promise that the voices of women, of young people, and of historically marginalised communities will continue to guide the direction of our nation. https://t.co/yft5xnN8me
The strength of our democracy lies not merely in the conduct of regular elections. It lies in the participation of those whom democracy is meant to serve. In the 2024 elections, fewer than half of registered voters under the age of 30 turned out to vote. https://t.co/yft5xnN8me
The Tengo will become the third model manufactured here in Kariega, alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo. It is a vote of confidence in our workers. It is a vote of confidence in our manufacturing capability. And it is a vote of confidence in South Africa as an investment destination. https://t.co/hc4O63Aw0v
We are greatly encouraged by Volkswagen's continued investment in our country. We particularly welcome the R4 billion investment associated with the introduction of the new Volkswagen Tengo. https://t.co/yT4Df4Ol8Y
Honourable Members, Since the announcement in the State of the Nation Address on the 12th of February 2026, Operation Prosper has achieved tangible and measurable progress in combating illegal mining. Joint operations by the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force under Operation Prosper have disrupted illegal mining in the Free State, Gauteng and North West through high-visibility policing, vehicle checkpoints and air support. These operations have resulted in arrests, the dismantling of illegal mining sites and the confiscation of firearms, explosives and illegal mining equipment. Through interdepartmental coordination with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the joint deployment has resulted in the arrest of 1,080 individuals, among them armed suspects and undocumented miners. During these targeted operations, the deployment seized 19 firearms, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition and 41 commercial explosives. In addition, it has seized 83 generators, over 1,000 refining drums, nearly 2,000 kilograms of gold-bearing material and approximately 150 kilograms of gold. These actions have disrupted the operational and financial lifelines of illegal mining networks. To prevent the resurgence of these activities, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has closed many illegal shafts, with further closures planned. The South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force continue to secure these locations through ongoing foot patrols, vehicle checkpoints and air-to-ground monitoring. #RamaphosaQandA
Honourable Members, On the 4th of May this year, in my capacity as President of the African National Congress, I participated in an oversight visit by the ANC National Working Committee to the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Following engagements with the ANC regional leadership on the state of governance and delivery in the metro, including site visits to various projects, I was asked to reflect on the performance of Mayor Babalwa Lobishe. My comments were based on an in-depth assessment of the challenges in the metro – some going back many years – and the steps that had been taken by the current mayor and metro leadership to address them. I noted that while progress was being made in a number of areas, we would like to see better and faster progress on key issues that affect the lives of the residents of Gqeberha. Details on the metrics used by the National Government to assess the state of municipalities may be sought from the Department of Cooperative Governance. #RamaphosaQandA
Honourable Members, Effective local government is essential to improving the lives of our people, supporting local economic development and creating the conditions for investment and job creation. According to the Constitution, the three spheres of government are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. While the Constitution says that each sphere must respect the constitutional status, institutions, powers and functions of government in other spheres, it places a responsibility on national and provincial governments to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities. The strengthening of municipalities is an important priority of this administration. Regarding the restoration of municipal capacity, we havefocused on building a more capable, professional and developmental local government system by strengthening leadership and administration in municipalities. We have been working to improve coordination across the three spheres of government, including through the introduction of the District Development Model. We have undertaken targeted support to municipalities experiencing the greatest governance and service delivery challenges. In respect of strengthening accountability, government has intensified oversight and monitoring and strengthened consequence management. We have supported interventions where municipalities are unable to fulfil their constitutional obligations. National government has also enhanced collaboration between institutions responsible for governance, financial oversight and combating corruption. Looking to the future, we are close to completing a review of the White Paper on Local Government, which envisages far-reaching reforms to this critical sphere of government. These reforms are directed towards building stable, capable and accountable municipalities that can deliver reliable basic services. They are directed towards restoring public confidence in local government and creating an enabling environment for inclusive economic growth and sustainable job creation. #RamaphosaQandA
Honourable Members, In responding to the water crisis, we are drawing on the experience of our successful response to the electricity crisis. The implementation of the Energy Action Plan brought to an end more than a decade of persistent load shedding. We have taken the same approach of focused, coordinated actions into developing the National Water Action Plan. The Plan, which is being overseen and coordinated by theNational Water Crisis Committee, was developed following extensive consultation with municipalities, water boards and relevant departments. The National Water Action Plan is based on a thorough analysis of the root causes of the water crisis at municipal level and what needs to be done to address the challenges. It identifies actions that will significantly improve water service delivery in the short-term as well as actions – suchas legislative and other reforms – that will take longer. Both the Energy Action Plan and the National Water Action Plan are part of Operation Vulindlela, the reform programme being coordinated and driven by the Presidency. The challenges in the water sector are caused by deep structural problems at the municipal level. These structural problems include the fact that revenue from the sale of water is not ring-fenced and re-invested into water provision. In most municipalities, there is no proper separation of the functions of water services authorities and water services providers. The measures being undertaken to improve water services in the short-term include projects to increase access to water in unserved communities and completion of long-delayed water services projects. We are increasing support to struggling municipalities and strengthening interventions in poorly performing municipalities in terms of existing legislation. We are also combating corruption and criminality in the water sector, including theft of metal parts for sale as scrap metal and the water tanker mafia. Through the progress we are making, we are confident that the implementation of the National Water Action Plan will result in the resolution of the water crisis, both in terms of restoring reliable water to deprived communities and eradicating sewage pollution. Importantly, it will address many of the immediate water challenges that communities face, while establishing a foundation for sustainable and secure water supply into the future. #RamaphosaQandA
Dear Fellow South African, This week, South Africa has the honour, as the incoming chair, of hosting the 46th Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in eThekwini. As it starts its SADC chairship, South Africa’s focus is on the practical steps needed to further integrate the economies of SADC and build a dynamic regional market. 🔗 https://t.co/QzrJy2CeUp #BetterAfricaBetterWorld 🌍