The Department of International Relations and Cooperation, in collaboration with the Rustenburg Local Municipality, will host a public participation event on Friday, 9 January 2026, at the Civic Centre in Rustenburg under the theme: Advancing People-Centred Development.
The event will be hosted by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, supported by Deputy Minister Alvin Botes. The event forms part of DIRCO’s nation-wide public participation efforts linked to South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the historic G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted in November 2025.
The event further serves as a follow-up to the G20 Townhall Engagement hosted in Rustenburg on 30 October 2025, themed Inclusive Economic Growth and Just Transition for Sustainable Societal Development.
The engagement seeks to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to engage on key outcomes of the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the G20 Social Summit, as well as to explore opportunities in the mining sector and other emerging sectors such as agriculture and tourism.
Africa Fact: In the Malian city of Gao stands the Mausoleum of Askia the Great, a weird sixteenth century edifice that resembles a step pyramid.
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Fun South African Fact: South Africa’s natural and human fossil history dates back hundreds of thousands, even millions, of years. Early dinosaur fossils have been discovered in the Western Cape and up to 80% of mammalian fossils found so far have been discovered in the Karoo.
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Fun South African Fact: The Karoo region in the Western Cape is home to some of the best fossils of early dinosaurs. In fact, it is estimated that some 80% of the mammalian fossils found to date were found in the Karoo.