Cyril Ramaphosa - The African Mirror

Aug

2022

Ramaphosa acts to ease South Africa’s energy crisis: impact will be felt in renewables

SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced an action plan to address the country’s growing energy crisis. It included relaxing the legislative and environmental requirements to speed up private investment and increase generation capacity. The Conversation Africa’s Nontobeko Mtshali asked Wikus Kruger for his insights. Author WIKUS KRUGER, Researcher in Renewable Energy, University of Cape Town What impact will this have on renewable energy uptake? Part of the challenge with the president’s announcements – and it’s natural that this will happen in a public speech – is that it’s relatively light on details and timelines. And so not everything is…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

South Africa mourns the 21 victims of tavern tragedy

NEWS

JOHNNIE ISAAC SOUTH African mourners gathered in the coastal city of East London to grieve the still-mysterious deaths of 21 teenagers in a poorly ventilated local tavern 10 days ago. Dressed in black, they sang and danced to solemn gospel songs in front of the coffins of 19 of the victims, the youngest of whom was a 13-year-old girl, Thembinkosi Silwane. All were empty, the funeral parlour said, as police were still investigating the deaths - the remaining two were buried separately by their families. "Our hearts are broken. There are parents who will not get to hug or kiss…

May

2022

By The African Mirror

South Africa is proposing plans to manage diseases like COVID. Why they’re flawed

COVID-19

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African government published “special regulations” to contain the spread of the disease. These actions were taken under special powers granted by the Disaster Management Act. In April 2022, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an end to the crisis management mode the country had been in for two years. Now processes are underway to embed some of the special regulations into the country’s general health regulations related to notifiable medical conditions. Authors IGNATIUS MICHAEL VILJOEN, PhD Candidate Cell and Gene Therapy Regulation. Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Pretoria…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

A job fair for a joint China-SA future

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

CHEN XIAODONG PRESIDENT Xi Jinping observed that jobs are the most fundamental livelihood projects. Jobs are key to social stability. COVID-19 brought a major impact on the world economy, as well as South Africa’s economy. The unemployment rate here remains high. President Cyril Ramaphosa attaches great importance to jobs. He always makes job creation a priority of the government. The South African President also actively launched an employment stimulus plan. As a good brother, friend and partner of South Africa, when we work with South Africa against COVID, we also actively support your economic recovery. At the same time, Chinese…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

S.A floods: 306 dead, President visits victims

NEWS

TIM COCKS SOUTH AFRICAN President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to help the victims of devastating east coast floods, as the death toll rose to 306 from heavy rains that washed out roads and disrupted shipping in one of Africa's busiest ports. Ramaphosa visited families who had lost loved ones in KwaZulu-Natal province, including a family with four children after floods and mudslides ravaged their homes on Tuesday. Africa's southeastern coast is on the front line of seaborne weather systems that scientists believe global warming is making nastier - and predict will get far worse in decades to come. "You're not alone…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

Bye bye lockdown…

COVID-19

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA FOR the past 750 days, South Africa has been in a National State of Disaster. This is an extraordinary situation that is unprecedented in our country’s history. The declaration of a state of disaster was a response to a global health crisis that posed a grave threat to the lives and the well-being of our people. There is no doubt that such a response was necessary under these circumstances. The declaration of the National State of Disaster on 15 March 2020 empowered government to take the measures that prevented many more people from becoming severely ill and saved…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

SA lifts Covid-19 state of disaster restrictions

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER LOW Covid-19 infections, few deaths and admissions to hospitals were some of the reasons behind the South African government’s decision to end the state of disaster of 750 days. The government imposed it on March 15, 2020 in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 which has killed close to 100 000 South Africans and infected millions. SA President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the state of disaster will be replaced by soon-to-be-promulgated health regulations. He said: “The end of the National State of Disaster also means that the Coronavirus Alert Levels will no longer apply. The few transitional…

Mar

2022

By The African Mirror

SA lifts curbs, cautions Covid-19 is not over

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER BUOYED by low infection rates and better management of the pandemic, South Africa has announced the end of the state of disaster and a significant relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions on social and economic activity. SA President Cyril Ramaphosa said the state of disaster, which was imposed with the onset of COVID-19, would be replaced by health regulations designed to help South Africans live with the pandemic. Ramaphosa announced the following changes: Masks should only be worn indoors. In office, shops and public transport.Both indoor and outdoor venues can now take up to 50 percent of their capacity…

Feb

2022

By The African Mirror

S.Africa’s Ramaphosa: COVAX must buy vaccines from local manufacturing hubs

COVID-19

SOUTH AFRICAN President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX and vaccines alliance GAVI should commit themselves to buying vaccines from local manufacturing hubs. "The lack of a market for vaccines produced in Africa is something that should be concerning to all of us. Organizations such as COVAX and GAVI need to commit to buying vaccines from local manufacturers instead of going outside of those hubs that have been set up," Ramaphosa said. He was speaking after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the first six African countries, including South Africa, to receive the technology needed to…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave – Ramaphosa

COVID-19

South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. Ramaphosa said in a weekly newsletter that Omicron appeared to be dominating new infections in most provinces and urged more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "We will soon be convening a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council to review the state of the pandemic. This will enable us to take whatever further measures are needed to keep people safe and healthy," he added.