Eastern Cape Teacher Accused of Beating Learner With a Hosepipe
Department of Education warns teachers against using corporal punishment to discipline learners
law
Ramaphosa Should Do the Honourable Thing Regarding NHI
President Cyril Ramaphosa should do the honourable thing and explain to South Africans why he signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act into law shortly before last year’s elections. On 6 May this year, the North Gauteng High Court ruled, in the case involving the Board of Healthcare Funders and the SA Private Practitioners Forum, […]
The post Ramaphosa should do the honourable thing regarding National Health Insurance (NHI) appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
Sex Workers Protest Outside Justice Department Offices
Activists want the decriminalisation bill to be fast tracked
Hundreds of State Mental Health Patients Are Being Kept in Prison
There are not enough beds in South Africa’s 13 psychiatric hospitals
Equal Is Not Equitable
GOOD Statement by Jonathan Cupido,GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor & Caucus Whip 30 May 2025 The City of Cape Town continues to equate equal distribution with equitable service delivery. Crime in Cape Town is not equally spread. The leafy suburbs, where crime levels are comparatively low, are not in urgent need of the same […]
The post CAPE TOWN’S SAFETY AND SECURITY BUDGET: EQUAL IS NOT EQUITABLE appeared first on For Good.
Ekurhuleni Budget Declares War on Taxpayers
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) rejects the Ekurhuleni Metro’s draft budget for the 2025/26 financial year, viewing it as a declaration of war on taxpayers which offers no growth or stability. The budget reflects financial decline, exorbitant tariff increases and a municipality that has lost control. It merely punishes taxpayers. Under the guise of […]
The post Ekurhuleni draft budget: a declaration of war on taxpayers appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
Vacant Land: From Occupation to Ownership
GOOD Speech by Brett Herron,GOOD Secretary-General & Member of the Western Cape Parliament 29 May 2025 *Note to editor: This speech was delivered by GOOD Secretary-General & Member of the Western Cape Parliament Brett Herron during today’s interpellation on public land under the authority of the Western Cape Government. A week ago, I stood here […]
The post VACANT LAND: FROM OCCUPATION TO OWNERSHIP appeared first on For Good.
Battle Between SANCO and Municipality in Eastern Cape Town
Calm restored after protests disrupt businesses
Tshwane Budget: From Deficit to Delivery
GOOD Speech by Sarah Mabotsa ,GOOD City of Tshwane Councillor and MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning 29 May 2025 *Note to editor: This speech was delivered by GOOD Tshwane Councillor and MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Sarah Mabotsa, during today’s Budget Debat e. The GOOD party is proud to be able […]
The post TSHWANE BUDGET: FROM DEFICIT TO DELIVERY appeared first on For Good.
Our Children Must Be Protected
GOOD Statement by Roxaan Vorster,GOOD George Municipality Councillor 28 May 2025 The GOOD Party is appalled and deeply disturbed by the horrific rape and kidnapping of a 10-year-old girl in George on Saturday, 24 May 2025. We commend the swift actions of community members and law enforcement who worked tirelessly to find the victim and […]
The post GEORGE: OUR CHILDREN MUST BE PROTECTED appeared first on For Good.
Theuns du Toit Found Not Guilty of Crimen Injuria and Malicious Damage to Property
One of the most high-profile cases, which was meant to serve as evidence of a deeply entrenched culture of racism at Stellenbosch University (SU), has ended in the accused being found not guilty. The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is pleased that this attempt to make a scapegoat of him is now over. The case […]
The post Theuns du Toit found not guilty of crimen injuria and malicious damage to property appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
Devolution Isn’t a Cure, It’s a Distraction
GOOD Statement by Brett Herron ,GOOD Secretary General & Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament 27 May 2025 The Western Cape Government has once again turned to its favourite scapegoat, National Government, calling for the devolution of policing powers as if that alone will put an end to the bloodshed on our streets. This […]
The post DEVOLUTION ISN’T A CURE, IT’S A DISTRACTION appeared first on For Good.
Drakenstein Municipality: Different Rules for Different Political Councillors
GOOD Statement by Keagen Gertse,GOOD Drakenstein Councillor & Caucus Whip 26 May 2025 The GOOD Party in Drakenstein Municipality is disappointed, though not surprised, by the outcome of the internal investigation into DA Ward 7 Councillor Ruth Arnolds. GOOD lodged a formal complaint after Arnolds was documented violating the Public Amenities By-law. Arnolds, accompanied by […]
The post DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY: DIFFERENT RULES FOR DIFFERENT POLITICAL COUNCILLORS appeared first on For Good.
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Must Push for Reforms to Protect Women and Girls, Urges Equality Now
Equality Now (www.EqualityNow.org) is urging the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to call upon African Union (AU) member states to urgently address rising sexual violence and exploitation of women and girls across the continent.
In its statement to the 83rd Ordinary Session of the Commission this month, the human rights organisation called on the Commission to use its mandate to underscore the importance to governments about the need to provide reparations for survivors of sexual violence, criminalise femicide, boost efforts to end child marriage, and strengthen laws to stop digital violence.
Equality Now wants the Commission to remind States of their obligations under the Maputo Protocol on Women's Rights (http://apo-opa.co/4mnt56T). Of the 55 member States, 45 have ratified or signed the protocol.
Deborah Nyokabi, a legal equality and gender policy expert at Equality Now, explains, “Women and girls across Africa are enduring violence in all its forms - including rape, child marriage, femicide, trafficking, and digital abuse - while legal systems too often fail to protect or deliver justice. These are not isolated issues but symptoms of a broader failure to uphold the rights enshrined in the Maputo Protocol.”
“African governments must prioritise legal reform, provide reparations to survivors, and close the protection gaps that leave so many women and girls vulnerable and without access to assistance when their rights have been violated, especially in conflict zones where the breakdown of services intensifies harm.”
Sexual violence reparations
According to figures (http://apo-opa.co/4jctrKY) released by UNICEF last year, more than 79 million girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa have been subjected to rape or sexual assault as children. The region has the highest number of child sexual violence victims in the world.
Yet research by Equality Now found that survivors of sexual violence are being denied justice. In its report, “Barriers to Justice: Rape in Africa, Law, Practice and Access to Justice” (http://apo-opa.co/4moIxj6), the NGO exposed key gaps in rape laws in 45 African countries, which included allowing rape in marriage, perpetrators to walk free from court if they agree to marry their victims, and judges to define evidence based on the complainant's behaviour.
In its statement, Equality Now called on the Commission to urge member States to urgently integrate the Niamey Guidelines (http://apo-opa.co/4jeCsTE) on combatting sexual violence, adopted by the Commission in 2017, emphasising governments' obligation to provide reparations to survivors.
Criminalising femicide
The NGO called on the Commission to implore governments to criminalise femicide - the most extreme and brutal manifestation of violence against women.
Equality Now's report “Gender Inequality in Family Laws in Africa: An Overview of Key Trends in Select Countries” (http://apo-opa.co/3SJVkPy) revealed that the most devastating facet of inequality within the family is sexual and gender-based violence, including domestic violence, marital rape, economic violence and femicide, which is the intentional murder of a woman or girl because of their gender.
In 2023, an average of 140 women and girls were killed (http://apo-opa.co/3FfMOEV) by a partner or family member every day. Current and former intimate partners were the most likely perpetrators. Yet not enough is being done to end the crisis or hold offenders to account.
In South Africa, a national femicide study (http://apo-opa.co/3HhFEAv) found that three women a day were killed by an intimate partner in 2020/21, but in 44% of cases, police had failed to identify a perpetrator. In Kenya, 170 cases of femicide (http://apo-opa.co/4kuOVUs) were reported in 2024. A petition (http://apo-opa.co/4kuOVUs) calling on the government to make femicide a distinct crime has received more than 78,000 signatures.
In Cameroon last month, Bekobe Eric, accused of murdering his wife Diane Yangwo, received (http://apo-opa.co/4mfd9n8) a five-year suspended sentence and a fine of 52,000 CFA (approximately $90). The sentence was immediately denounced by women's rights advocates.
Earlier this year, the African Union took a significant step to address the crisis by adopting the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (http://apo-opa.co/4kuPjCk), which included an explicit definition of femicide. Equality Now wants the Commission to seize the momentum to encourage governments to recognise and criminalise femicide as a distinct crime, and outlaw marital rape and domestic violence.
Safeguarding rights in Sudan and the DRC
Equality Now urges the Commission to encourage Sudan to ratify the Maputo Protocol to provide essential legal protections for women and girls. Sudan is now in its third year of conflict, facing widespread destruction, significant civilian casualties and an unparalleled humanitarian crisis.
Women and girls are bearing the brunt of Sudan's war (http://apo-opa.co/434bmd9), with sexual violence being weaponised by both sides. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure, however, means there are inadequate medical and reproductive health services to support survivors of violence, which has led to more unintended pregnancies, miscarriages and maternal deaths.
Increasing rates of maternal mortality are also being recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where decades of conflict have severely damaged healthcare services.
The Commission should encourage both countries to integrate sexual and reproductive health rights into their humanitarian response.
End child marriage
In its statement to the Commission, Equality Now expressed deep concern at the continued high rates of child marriage across the continent. Fourteen of the 20 countries with the highest prevalence rates are in Africa. Child marriage is a serious human rights violation (http://apo-opa.co/3SLkD3G). Girls are often forced to drop out of school, restricting their life chances, and are likely to give birth at a young age, which poses severe health risks.
One of the reasons child marriage is continuing unchecked is because of weak legal protections, which must be addressed, said Equality Now. All AU member States should raise the minimum age of marriage to 18, without exceptions, and implement measures and programmes to end child marriage in line with recommendations (http://apo-opa.co/4mpDrDo) made in 2017 by the Commission and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
End sexual exploitation
The Commission was also asked to encourage member States to address the surge in trafficking of women and girls across the continent.
UNODC's 2024 global report on trafficking (http://apo-opa.co/4kMq3Yv) found that a third of all cross-border trafficking flows involved Africans. In sub-Saharan Africa, 98% of victims were trafficked within the region, 21% for sexual exploitation. About 42% of trafficked victims in sub-Saharan Africa were girls.
Member States have enacted anti-trafficking laws and policies, but they are not being adequately enforced. Meanwhile, the systemic factors that make women and girls vulnerable to sexual exploitation have not been meaningfully addressed.
Digital spaces are also becoming more dangerous for women and girls. Online abuse, including sexual harassment and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, is rising in tandem with increased internet penetration. Technology is increasingly being weaponised to attack women and girls, including women politicians, journalists and human rights defenders.
Digital violence is being exacerbated by weak legal protections, underreporting and the limited capacity for law enforcement to investigate tech-related crimes. Governments need to enforce and tighten existing laws on online sexual exploitation and invest in digital safety initiatives, in line with the recently adopted UN Global Digital Compact (http://apo-opa.co/4kxzb33), said Equality Now.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equality Now.
Notes to editors:
For media enquiries, contact:
Tara Carey
Global Head of Media
Equality Now
Tcarey@equalitynow.org
T. +44 (0)7971556340 (available on WhatsApp and Signal)
About Equality Now:
Equality Now (https://EqualityNow.org) is an international human rights organisation dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of all women and girls worldwide. Its work is organised around four main program areas: Achieving Legal Equality, Ending Sexual Violence, Ending Harmful Practices, and Ending Sexual Exploitation, with a cross-cutting focus on the unique challenges facing adolescent girls.
Equality Now combines grassroots activism with legal advocacy at the international, regional, and national levels to achieve systemic change, and collaborates with local partners to ensure governments enact and enforce laws and policies that uphold women's and girls' rights.
For more information about Equality Now, visit www.EqualityNow.org, and find us on Bluesky @ equalitynow.bsky.social (https://apo-opa.co/3H4U6fb), on Instagram @ equalitynoworg (http://apo-opa.co/3S9vxAb), Linkedin at Equality Now (https://EqualityNow.org).
Adv Duma Nokwe honoured for fighting against apartheid
Adv Duma Nokwe honoured for fighting against apartheid
President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to the late Advocate Duma Nokwe for dedicating his life to the liberation of South Africa from the tyranny of apartheid.
“In court, Duma Nokwe was an advocate for justice. Outside the court, in the streets of our nation, in the capitals of the world, he was a respected and beloved advocate for freedom,” the President said on Saturday.
The late struggle veteran and human rights lawyer was reburied in West Park Cemetery, Johannesburg, with his wife, Vuyiswa Malangabi-Nokwe who passed away in 2008.
Nokwe passed away in Zambia in 1978, at the age of 50. He had lived in exile since 1963. His mortal remains were repatriated to South Africa in 2024.
“Duma Nokwe’s legal expertise was brought to bear in shaping the views of the liberation movement around constitutionalism and democracy.
“He was a mentor to young black lawyers, and today this noble legacy lives on with the Duma Nokwe Group, the advocates’ chambers,” President Ramaphosa said.
In recognition of the eminent position he occupied in the legal profession, the President on Friday honoured him with the posthumous conferral of the honorary title of Senior Counsel (Silk).
“In doing so, we are correcting a grave injustice done to one of our foremost legal practitioners. We are making a declaration that his legal legacy did not end in exile, nor does it end today.
“We are confirming our belief in his conviction that the law is to be used not merely to secure courtroom victories, but to achieve profound, lasting change,” the President said.
He described Nokwe’s voice as emphatic, compelling and sincere – resonating as powerfully through the halls of the United Nations as it did across the airwaves of Radio Freedom.
“He wielded his words as instruments of liberation. He sought to persuade, to empower and to inspire.
“As a person, as an activist, as a leader, he was known for his humility and understanding, for his integrity and his unyielding commitment to the cause of humanity,” the President said.
Nokwe was a youth activist who rose to become the Secretary General of the African National Congress.
“The apartheid regime tried in vain to thwart his activism. He was jailed, banned and restricted. He was dismissed as a teacher for his involvement in the Defiance of Unjust Laws Campaign. Yet nothing could crush his spirit nor temper his determination.
“He decided to enter the legal profession, believing in the power of the law as a shield for the vulnerable, as an instrument of change. He entered a profession that was designed to exclude black people. And yet he persevered, becoming the first black advocate to be admitted to the Johannesburg Bar,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President noted that the late George Bizos said that Nokwe’s admission to the bar was a moment that cracked the façade of white legal supremacy.
“Even as he reached this pinnacle, the regime continued to hound him, refusing to allow him to take chambers with his white colleagues in Johannesburg. He would not be cowed. He used his legal skills to defend those who stood up against tyranny,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President called on South Africa to embrace all that Nokwe represented and embodied.
“At this time, when we strive to make a fundamental break with the many ghosts of our past, let us hold to the values that defined him and that make us so unique as a people: courage, empathy, understanding, tolerance.
“We still have many more journeys to undertake. Our freedom is not yet fully formed. Let us affirm that as South Africans we are all of the same soil.
“We will never renege on the promise of equality, justice and freedom for all, as promised by our Constitution,” the President said.
He said government will continue to build a South Africa in which no-one – neither black nor white, neither woman nor man – feels themselves a pariah in the land of their birth.
“We owe this to the spirit and legacy of the great Duma Nokwe, who stood for non-racialism throughout his life. May his spirit rise. May it guide us in the hard work that lies ahead and may it inspire us.
“Nokwe was a revolutionary. He was a servant of the people. He was a man of unwavering principle, of great courage and of unmatched selflessness.
“As we honour Nokwe today, let us rededicate ourselves to fulfilling his dream of a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa that will forever remain democratic and free,” the President said. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 11:50
334 views
Court Declares Asylum “Filtering” System Unconstitutional
People must be able to access asylum system even if they don’t have valid transit visas
SA calls for Gaza ceasefire
SA calls for Gaza ceasefire
South Africa has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and for the resumption of a political process to end the occupation in the Gaza Strip by Israel.
This comes after the killing of 143 Gazans by the Israel Defence Force on 15 May 2025, as Palestinians commemorated the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day, which marks the beginning of the displacement of Palestinians in 1948.
“The international community must act decisively to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law, pertinently international humanitarian, and human rights law.
“This includes the implementation of effective measures to bring an end to the occupation, the ongoing policies and practices of collective punishment, and the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said on Friday.
Furthermore, DIRCO said there must be an immediate halt to the practices of arbitrary and administrative detention, as well as to acts of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, particularly children.
“These actions are in clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and international human rights norms/standards as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
“It is imperative that all Palestinian detainees held without due process be released, and that all victims – especially children – be provided with adequate compensation and rehabilitation, in accordance with international law and justice.
“The credibility of the international order depends on the consistent application of international law and accountability for all violations, regardless of the perpetrator,” DIRCO said.
South Africa’s assertion during its recent presentations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) during the hearings regarding the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other international organisations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, were that Gaza has become a killing field and warned of the human-made famine in Gaza due to the deliberate blockade of humanitarian aid by the Israeli Government.
“As famine conditions worsen in Gaza, and the ceasefire efforts remain stalled, Israel’s complete blockade of aid into Gaza and its restrictions on humanitarian access contravene Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“Israel’s persistent grave violations are part of a broader strategy to remove Palestinians from their land by subjecting them to starvation and making the Gaza Strip uninhabitable,” DIRCO said. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 13:48
72 views
Minister condemns killing of eight people in Umlazi
Minister condemns killing of eight people in Umlazi
The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, has strongly condemned the senseless and brutal killing of eight people - six men and two women - in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal on Friday evening.
It is reported that the victims were indoors when an unknown number of suspects entered and opened fire, killing them at the scene.
“The attack which claimed the lives of innocent individuals is a horrific act of violence that has no place in our society. We condemn this heinous crime in the strongest possible terms. Such calculated and cold-blooded violence tears at the fabric of our communities.
“A dedicated team of investigators has been assigned to pursue every lead, gather critical evidence, and bring those behind this atrocity to book. We will not rest until those responsible face the consequences of their actions,” the Minister said on Saturday.
Police in KwaZulu-Natal have launched a manhunt for an unknown number of suspects.
“We call on members of the community to stand together with law enforcement during this time. If you have any information—no matter how small—that may assist in identifying or locating the perpetrators, we urge you to come forward,” the Minister said.
Members of the public can contact their nearest police station or call the Crime Stop number anonymously at 08600 10111. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/18/2025 - 10:49
171 views
Magudumana Must Stay in Prison
One of the four judges said he would have released her
Struggle icon, Duma Nokwe, awarded honorary title of Senior Counsel
Struggle icon, Duma Nokwe, awarded honorary title of Senior Counsel
President Cyril Ramaphosa has posthumously awarded struggle veteran human rights lawyer, Advocate Dumalisile (Duma) Philemon Pearce Nokwe, the honorary title of Senior Counsel (SC or Silk) for the Republic of South Africa.
Nokwe passed away in 1978 while in exile in Zambia.
“The posthumous honour bestowed on the first African advocate of the Supreme Court is a high honour that recognises Advocate Nokwe’s expertise and contribution to the legal profession.
“President Ramaphosa has conferred the status of Senior Counsel on Adv Nokwe in line with the provisions of the Legal Practice Act of 2014, which governs this status and sets out the criteria for its conferral.
“In this instance, the Legal Practice Council and the Duma Nokwe Group of Advocates made an application to the President for Advocate Nokwe’s posthumous appointment as a Senior Counsel,” the Presidency said in a statement.
Nokwe’s remains were repatriated to South Africa in 2024 and his reburial will be held on Saturday.
“The President has bestowed this conferral on the late Adv Nokwe on the eve of the esteemed legal practitioner’s reburial in West Park Cemetery, Johannesburg, tomorrow, Saturday, 17 May 2025. He will be reburied along with his wife, Mrs Vuyiswa Malangabi-Nokwe who passed away in 2008.
“President Ramaphosa has accorded Advocate Nokwe a Special Provincial Official Funeral and the President will deliver a tribute at tomorrow’s ceremony,” the statement read.
Struggle icon
Nokwe held a BSc degree from the University of Fort Hare and a diploma in education, which he used to foray into teaching in Krugersdorp.
However, his political activities led his imprisonment during the Defiance Campaign aimed at the apartheid government in 1952.
He was banned and restricted in 1953 by the racist government following his participation in the World Youth Festival and visits to the then Soviet Union, China and Britain.
“He subsequently studied law, obtained an LLB degree and became the first black advocate to be admitted to the Johannesburg Society of Advocates. The Native Affairs Department of the time debarred him from taking chambers with his white colleagues in the Johannesburg city centre and this development led to Adv Nokwe devoting himself to the liberation struggle.
“He was put on trial for treason and was subjected to banning orders, arrests and assault by the police,” the presidency said.
His political activism and fight for the freedom of South Africans led to him having to leave the country.
“He was elected Secretary-General of the African National Congress in 1958 and mobilised communities against apartheid until the underground leadership directed him to leave South Africa in January 1963.
“Advocate Nokwe campaigned against the apartheid state on global platforms including those of the Organisation of African Unity and African Union and remained an activist until he passed in Lusaka in January 1978,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Fri, 05/16/2025 - 11:02
1224 views
Mediation Will Unclog Court Backlog
There are far too many cases in which the litigants don’t know what they want the judge to decide
NPA welcomes Magudumana deportation appeal dismissal
NPA welcomes Magudumana deportation appeal dismissal
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal to dismiss the deportation appeal of controversial doctor Nandipha Magudumana.
She was arrested in 2023 in Tanzania, together with serial rapist and murderer Thabo Bester – an arrest she had contended was illegal.
“In June 2023, Judge Loubser dismissed Dr Magudumana’s application for her arrest and deportation from Tanzania in April 2023 to be declared unlawful and set aside. The NPA’s prosecution team will now focus on ensuring that the trial set down for 21 July to 19 September 2025, before the Free State Division of the High Court in Bloemfontein, proceeds without any unreasonable delay.
“Dr Magudumana and her co-accused are facing a total of 38 counts ranging from fraud, corruption, money laundering, assisting an inmate to escape, violation of the body, arson, and defeating the ends of justice. The NPA is committed to ensuring that justice is not only done but manifestly seen to be done because of the alleged crimes’ impact on the rule of law and the victims,” the NPA said in a statement on Friday. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Fri, 05/16/2025 - 14:05
790 views
Ministerial Forum for Political Dialogue Between the French Republic and the Republic of South Africa
- The 9th Session of the Ministerial Forum for Political Dialogue between the Republic of France and the Republic of South Africa was held in la Celle Saint-Cloud, France, on 16 May 2025.
- The French and South African delegations were led respectively by Their Excellencies Mr Jean-Noël BARROT, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, and Mr Ronald Ozzy LAMOLA, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa.
- The talks reflected the warm and cordial relations of cooperation between the two countries. Views were exchanged on bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest.
On bilateral matters:
- The Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the improved level of cooperation in the fields of basic and higher education, science and culture, environment, electricity and energy, trade and investment, transport and development and cyber criminality. The two parties highlighted the need for both countries to develop plans of action for the effective implementation of existing bilateral agreements.
- The two parties welcomed the ongoing negotiations and significant progress made in finalising bilateral agreements pertaining to cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, transport, protection of Crozet and Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected Areas, maritime search and rescue as well as the creation of a Joint Ministerial Commission on international relations.
- The South African side expressed its continued gratitude to the French Republic for the numerous scholarship opportunities afforded to young South Africans to pursue educational opportunities in France. Both countries would continue to explore opportunities for further education and training, as well as the exchange of students and academics.
- To facilitate joint business trainings in South Africa and France, at the benefit of both countries, Their Excellencies Ministers Barrot and Lamola discussed a technical agreement in the field of Cooperation on Labour and Employment for Graduates and Young Professionals. The Ministers welcomed the development and look forward to the opportunities that will be created by the signature of the agreement.
- The South African side highlighted the important role played by France in terms of solidarity partnerships, particularly through the Just Energy Transition partnership (JET-P) and the Team Europe Initiative Manufacturing African Vaccines+ (MAV+). Both countries underlined the need for the JET-P to be continued and to contribute to South Africa's transition towards a decarbonized energy mix, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
On regional and international matters:
- The Ministers exchanged views on regional African issues of common interest, particularly the situation in Mozambique, the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Sudan. On Eastern-DRC, they agreed to pursue convergence of the various diplomatic efforts, towards a lasting and sustainable solution to the conflict.
- The two parties exchanged views on the current geopolitical environment and agreed on the need to uphold multilateralism, and a rules-based multilateral system based on international law, in line with the objectives and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. French Minister Jean-Noël BARROT congratulated South Africa for its G20 Presidency and reiterated France's support to its priorities, summarized in the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”, noting that these priorities converge with the objectives of the French initiative of the Paris Pact for People and the Planet.
- Both parties addressed global issues, including climate change and biodiversity protection. French Minister Jean-Noël BARROT underlined France's invitation to the President of the Republic of South Africa, HE Mr Matalema Cyril RAMAPHOSA, to attend the third United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in Nice, from 9 to 13 June 2025.
- Regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, both Ministers highlighted the need for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine and stressed the importance of supporting an inclusive and peaceful approach to the resolution of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Both Ministers advocated for a negotiated settlement, in line with the principles of the United Nations Charter, which include respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
- The crisis situation in the Palestinian territories and the Middle East was discussed. The French side was briefed on the status of the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). French Minister Jean-Noël BARROT invited South Africa to participate to the international conference on the Two-State solution, in June 2025 in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.
- The Ministers welcomed the upcoming visit by the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Honourable Mr. Paul MASHATILE, to France from 21 May to 24 May 2025 a landmark opportunity to accelerate bilateral economic collaboration. Accompanied by a high-level delegation of key Ministers, this visit will spearhead the South Africa-France Investment Conference, a dynamic platform for fostering strategic partnerships and exploring innovative avenues for economic collaboration, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in France with robust participation from leading South African and French business entities. The Ministers are confident that this pivotal engagement will unlock new opportunities, deepen investment flows, and amplify trade synergies between the two nations.
- His Excellency Ronald O. LAMOLA expressed his heartfelt appreciation and deep gratitude to His Excellency Mr Jean-Noël BARROT, to the Government of the French Republic and people of France, for the warm and fraternal welcome, as well as the kindness and attention extended to him and his delegation during their stay in France. He further looked forward to welcoming the Minister to South Africa for the G20 Summit.
Done in La Celle Saint-Cloud, France, on 16 May 2025
| For the French Republic | For the Republic of South Africa |
| H.E. Jean-Noël BARROT
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs |
H.E. Ronald Ozzy LAMOLA
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation |
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
President Confers Posthumous Senior Counsel Status on Adv Dumalisile Philemon Pearce Nokwe
President Cyril Ramaphosa has honoured the late struggle veteran and human rights lawyer Advocate Dumalisile Philemon Pearce Nokwe with the posthumous conferral of the honorary title of Senior Counsel (Silk) for the Republic of South Africa.
The President has bestowed this conferral on the late Adv Nokwe on the eve of the esteemed legal practitioner's reburial in West Park Cemetery, Johannesburg, tomorrow, Saturday, 17 May 2025.
He will be reburied along with his wife, Mrs Vuyiswa Malangabi-Nokwe who passed away in 2008.
She was a distinguished activist in her own right and had obtained a BSc and Bachelor of Education degree.
Advocate “Duma” Nokwe passed away in Zambia in 1978, at the age of 50. He had lived in exile since 1963. His mortal remains were repatriated to South Africa in 2024.
President Ramaphosa has accorded Adv Nokwe a Special Provincial Official Funeral and the President will deliver a tribute at tomorrow's ceremony.
The posthumous honour bestowed on the first African advocate of the Supreme Court is a high honour that recognises Adv Nokwe's expertise and contribution to the legal profession.
President Ramaphosa has conferred the status of Senior Counsel on Adv Nokwe in line with the provisions of the Legal Practice Act of 2014, which governs this status and sets out the criteria for its conferral.
In this instance, the Legal Practice Council and the Duma Nokwe Group of Advocates made an application to the President for the Adv Nokwe's posthumous appointment as a Senior Counsel.
Adv Nokwe, who was born in 1927, obtained a BSc degree from the University of Fort Hare and a diploma in education with which he took up a teaching post in Krugersdorp.
His political activism led to imprisonment during the 1952 Defiance Campaign and his dismissal by the then Transvaal Education Department.
Following his participation in the 1953 World Youth Festival and visits to the then Soviet Union, China and Britain, the South African authorities imposed a banning and restriction order on him.
He subsequently studied law, obtained an LLB degree and became the first black advocate to be admitted to the Johannesburg Society of Advocates.
The Native Affairs Department of the time debarred him from taking chambers with his white colleagues in the Johannesburg city centre and this development led to Adv Nokwe devoting himself to the liberation struggle.
He was put on trial for treason and was subjected to banning orders, arrests and assault by the police.
He was elected Secretary-General of the African National Congress in 1958 and mobilised communities against apartheid until the underground leadership directed him to leave South Africa in January 1963.
Adv Nokwe campaigned against the apartheid state on global platforms including those of the Organisation of African Unity and African Union, and remained an activist until he passed in Lusaka in January 1978.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.